Pioneering Christian metallers STRYPER have shared the official Gavin Holmes-produced music video for "When We Were Kings", the title track from their upcoming album, which is due on September 13 via Frontiers Music Srl.

STRYPER guitarist/vocalist Michael Sweet comments: "We wanted to take you back in time, to see a small glimpse of the band back in the early days. Gavin Holmes did an amazing job of creating an animated time machine that relives and revives the incomparable '80s. When We Were Kings!"

"When We Were Kings" track listing:

01. End Of Days
02. Unforgivable
03. When We Were Kings
04. Betrayed By Love
05. Loves Symphony
06. Trinity
07. Rhyme Of Time
08. Raptured
09. Grateful
10. Divided By Design
11. Imperfect World

About the album's first single, "End Of Days", STRYPER said: "'End Of Days' is a heavy track musically and lyrically. It has a classic sound with a few modern twists and turns along the way. Lyrically, it's probably the most fitting message according to the times we are living in. It really does feel like the 'End Of Days' in many ways. We're not only a divided nation, we're a divided world. It's time to make things right."

About "Loves Symphony", Michael stated: "We're always trying to merge the past with the present. Trying to incorporate the classic sound that older fans miss with the modern sound that newer fans hope for. 'Loves Symphony' is a great combination of both. It not only represents who we were but also who we are. We really are excited about this one and we hope you all are too."

About "Grateful", Sweet added: "'Grateful' is an answer to all the fans that have been wanting to hear a throwback to songs like 'Calling On You'. It's a different side of the band musically with a straight-ahead, pop/rock melody and groove. It's also a message of gratitude and being grateful for what you have, no matter who you are."

STRYPER's 40th-anniversary tour dates will begin this fall. After an appearance at the Alive Music Festival in July, tour dates kick off September 11 in Greenville, Tennessee and conclude November 16 in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

STRYPER's 40th-anniversary tour will be a celebration of both classic hits and new-era fan favorites, including outfit changes and an exciting new show production. In most cities, this will be a two-set "evening with"-style show.

In a recent interview with Canada's The Metal Voice, Michael spoke about the musical direction of the band's recently completed follow-up to 2022's "The Final Battle" album. He said: "I think what it's always been in the past 10 years, 12 years. It's kind of similar to the last album and the album prior to that. But this album has some different twists and turns to it. And you have to hear it to understand that. When I was writing the songs, I wanted to make sure the choruses kind of went from — the verses might be in a minor chord, a little more on the darker side, and the choruses go to a major chord, a little bit more on the lighter side. Not lighter, but happier side— more major, melodic, more of an anthem, sing-along kind of thing. Then when it comes back to the verse, boom, it darkens up a little bit. You hear more of that kind of stuff."

Regarding the lyrical content on the upcoming STRYPER LP, Sweet, who is responsible for almost all of the songwriting in the band, said: "[There are] a couple of twists and turns. There's a song called 'Betrayed By Love'. It's a dark song, musically and lyrically. It's not a happy, typical STRYPER song that people might expect, like 'Honestly'. It's a song about being betrayed by someone you loved or love. And I think people will hear that and think, 'Oh, wow. This is different.' It's a great song. It's really cool. But there's little twists and turns here with the lyrics. The lyrics are a little different. And really cool. I can't wait for people to hear it."

This past March, Sweet wrote in an online post that he was "a little nervous" about his voice prior to the recording sessions for the new STRYPER album, "but in all sincerity, it seems fine to me," he said. "I didn't have any trouble tracking vocals and if anything, it seemed a little easier this time around.

"I have to say that this album has a very special signature," he added. "It has a heaviness yet at the same time, a very melodic approach and a bit more of a 'sing-along' style when it comes to the choruses. I'm really pleased with the results and I truly believe it will be at the top of everyone's 'best of' list. There are some stand out tracks to my ears already but I won't go into details quite yet. Bottom line, a KILLER new STRYPER album is coming!"

Last September, Michael said that he wanted "to branch out a bit" on the next STRYPER album "and try some new things and I also want to get back to some 'pop metal' on a few tracks as well."

In December, Sweet underwent partial thyroidectomy, the surgery to remove part of his thyroid gland. It is the most common surgery for thyroid cancer.

The follow-up to 2020's "Even The Devil Believes", "The Final Battle" was produced by Sweet and was once again recorded at SpiritHouse Recording Studios in Northampton, Massachusetts.

Formed 41 years ago, STRYPER's name comes from Isaiah 53:5, which states: "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."

STRYPER's albums include "To Hell With The Devil", "Second Coming", "No More Hell To Pay", "Fallen", "God Damn Evil" and the aforementioned "Even The Devil Believes" and "The Final Battle".

Michael is joined in STRYPER by his brother Robert Sweet (drums),Oz Fox (guitar) and Perry Richardson (bass).

STRYPER's "To Hell With The Amps: The Unplugged Tour" kicked off in late May. For the first time ever, the Christian rockers staged a full tour where they performed their hits and fan favorites acoustically.

Photo credit: Alex Solca Photography

During an appearance on the August 14 episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist John 5, who joined the band in late 2022 as the replacement for founding guitarist Mick Mars, was asked if he has changed his approach at all since he first started playing with CRÜE, particularly as it relates to his equipment and the way he plays he band's classic songs. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Actually, that's a great question. And yes, I have changed my amplification. I'm now using EVH amps. 'Cause I really am in tune with… Me and our soundman, we talk and we tried out a bunch of heads and things like that. And I just never wanna stop trying to improve, improve, improve, improve. And that's how I've always been since I was a kid. So, yeah, I am using EVH amps now and just trying to evolve as much as possible and just reach for that perfection beyond perfection for me. I love it. I love it. I'm having a blast."

Asked if he has made any suggestions to the other members of CRÜE with regard to the setlist, John 5 said: "Oh my god, yeah. I do that all the time. And it's cool. We're doing 'On With The Show' now, and I love'On With The Show'. It's so cool. But, yeah, I'm saying things all the time, like, 'Ten Seconds To Love' or 'Bastard' or anything like that, man. It's so important to me. I love those songs. I love all those songs, all the records."

John 5 also talked about CRÜE releasing more new music, having previously put out the song "Dogs Of War" in April. He said: "Yeah, actually, that's gonna be coming very soon. Actually, coming very, very soon. There's gonna be some announcements coming up very soon, and I can't really spill the beans now, but it is coming, baby. It is coming."

Asked if the next piece of music to come from CRÜE will be another original song, John 5 said: "Yes. Yeah. And it's so cool. It reminds me of… It's just like a little old AEROSMITH. I don't know. It's just that MÖTLEY cool riff. And Nikki [Sixx, MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist and main songwriter] is just amazing with that melody and all that stuff. He's just incredible with those lyrics and melodies. So I'm really excited for the song to come out. I think people are going to super, super dig it."

"Dogs Of War" was made available on April 26 via the band's new deal with Nashville's Big Machine Records

The "Dogs Of War" music video is an animated, all-CGI affair directed by Nick DenBoer.

In addition to "Dogs Of War", MÖTLEY CRÜE's April 2023 recording sessions with longtime producer Bob Rock resulted in a new song called "Canceled" and a cover of BEASTIE BOYS' "(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!)", the latter two of which have not yet been released.

MÖTLEY CRÜE's deal with Big Machine sees the band and the label working together again after making the 2014 project "Nashville Outlaws: A Tribute To Mötley Crüe", which featured CRÜE tracks covered by country stars RASCAL FLATTS, FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE, Darius Rucker and more. Big Machine also partnered with MÖTLEY CRÜE's new guitarist John 5 for the release of his 2021 album "Sinner".

MÖTLEY CRÜE's last studio album was 2008's "Saints Of Los Angeles", which was followed by a 2009 "Greatest Hits" compilation.

In 2018, MÖTLEY CRÜE recorded four new songs for "The Dirt" movie, including the single "The Dirt (Est. 1981) (Feat. Machine Gun Kelly)", "Ride With The Devil", "Crash And Burn" and the band's own spin on Madonna's "Like A Virgin".

Mars announced his retirement from touring with MÖTLEY CRÜE in October 2022 as a result of worsening health issues.

Photo credit: Ross Halfin (courtesy of Live Nation)

GREAT WHITE has paid tribute to the band's original singer Jack Russell, who died at the age of 63.

Earlier today, GREAT WHITE released the following statement via social media: "Our deepest condolences to the family of Jack Russell. We hope they take comfort in knowing Jack's incredible voice will live on forever. His love for the fans and his sons went unmatched, as was his own love for rock music.

"What do you say about someone that was there by your side on such an amazing journey, the good and the bad? We prefer to let the music fill in the blanks. All those wonderful years together will be held close to our hearts. It was a privilege and joy to share the stage with him -many shows, many miles, and maximum rock. In the studio, Jack was amazing. He always came ready to work. And work hard, he did. Jack stayed until he got the best performance for each song. He brought the same excellence to every show. The consistency of his live performances were always beyond comparison.

"Rest In Peace, to one of rock's biggest champions."

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

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

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

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

"His family asks for privacy at this time."

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

"To my fans and friends, it is with the heaviest of hearts that I must announce my retirement from the road," Russell said in a statement on July 17. "After a recent diagnosis of Lewy body dementia (LBD) and multiple system atrophy (MSA) in May 2024, I am unable to perform at the level I desire and at the level you deserve. Words cannot express my gratitude for the many years of memories, love and support. Thank you for letting me live my dreams. You have made my life a wonder."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In a December 2023 interview with Neil Jones of TotalRock, Russell was asked if he still enjoys going out on the road. He responded: "I enjoy the hour and a half of playing. The rest of it you could take it and do what you would with it. It's not fun. It's hard. The traveling is just a drag — it's a real drag. I mean, getting on airplanes and cars and buses and all that stuff is a real drag. We try to keep that to a minimum. We play maybe two, three shows a week. We try to play every weekend, 'cause I don't wanna do a job that I don't like. So just keep it to where I can function, have a good time doing it and I'm not complaining about my back."

Elaborating on his recent health setback, Jack said: "I've been having some issues with my back [in 2023 and 2022]. So I've had to take a little time off. It's finally starting to get better. But I had to have my back fused to my neck, actually."

Asked if this is "just because of the rigors of the road over the years," Jack said: "Yeah, [just from] pounding the boards for 47 years, just jumping up and down, acting like a fool."

Russell previously discussed his surgery in an interview last October with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station. At the time, he said: "I had a fusion in my neck and my back, so it was a pretty gnarly surgery. That kept me off stage for a while. I couldn't even move my neck. Somehow it screwed up my voice a bit and then it finally came back. But it was really weird, really strange… Yeah, it's coming back, slow but sure. I get people — they can't tell. They tell me, 'You sounded just like you did in 1985.' I'm, like, 'No.' It's, like, 'Okay, cool. Awesome.'"

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

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

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

For more information, visit www.jackrussellbook.com.

GREAT WHITE press photo courtesy of Jeff Klein / Atomic City PR

Posted by Great White [Band] on Thursday, August 15, 2024

Former GREAT WHITE singer Jack Russell has died at the age of 63.

Earlier today (Thursday, August 15),the following statement was posted on Jack's social media: "With tremendous sadness, we announce the loss of our beloved Jack Patrick Russell — father, husband, cousin, uncle, and friend.

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

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

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

"His family asks for privacy at this time."

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

"To my fans and friends, it is with the heaviest of hearts that I must announce my retirement from the road," Russell said in a statement on July 17. "After a recent diagnosis of Lewy body dementia (LBD) and multiple system atrophy (MSA) in May 2024, I am unable to perform at the level I desire and at the level you deserve. Words cannot express my gratitude for the many years of memories, love and support. Thank you for letting me live my dreams. You have made my life a wonder."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In a December 2023 interview with Neil Jones of TotalRock, Russell was asked if he still enjoys going out on the road. He responded: "I enjoy the hour and a half of playing. The rest of it you could take it and do what you would with it. It's not fun. It's hard. The traveling is just a drag — it's a real drag. I mean, getting on airplanes and cars and buses and all that stuff is a real drag. We try to keep that to a minimum. We play maybe two, three shows a week. We try to play every weekend, 'cause I don't wanna do a job that I don't like. So just keep it to where I can function, have a good time doing it and I'm not complaining about my back."

Elaborating on his recent health setback, Jack said: "I've been having some issues with my back [in 2023 and 2022]. So I've had to take a little time off. It's finally starting to get better. But I had to have my back fused to my neck, actually."

Asked if this is "just because of the rigors of the road over the years," Jack said: "Yeah, [just from] pounding the boards for 47 years, just jumping up and down, acting like a fool."

Russell previously discussed his surgery in an interview last October with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station. At the time, he said: "I had a fusion in my neck and my back, so it was a pretty gnarly surgery. That kept me off stage for a while. I couldn't even move my neck. Somehow it screwed up my voice a bit and then it finally came back. But it was really weird, really strange… Yeah, it's coming back, slow but sure. I get people — they can't tell. They tell me, 'You sounded just like you did in 1985.' I'm, like, 'No.' It's, like, 'Okay, cool. Awesome.'"

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

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

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

For more information, visit www.jackrussellbook.com.

Photo courtesy of Frontiers Music Srl

Posted by Jack Russell's Great White on Thursday, August 15, 2024

In a new interview with Finland's Tuonela magazine, Tuomas Holopainen — the keyboardist and main songwriter of NIGHTWISH — was asked if there is a chance of a follow-up to his solo album based on a graphic novel called "The Life And Times Of Scrooge McDuck", written and illustrated by Don Rosa. "Music Inspired By The Life And Times Of Scrooge - Written And Produced By Tuomas Holopainen" came out in April 2014 via Nuclear Blast.

Tuomas said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's not that long ago that I had this idea — it's kind of a musical idea — that I got really excited about. And I was thinking we can't do this with AURI and we can't really do this with NIGHTWISH either. So maybe another solo project kind of thing at some point in the future. I don't know. It's so early still, but maybe.

"After I finished doing 'Scrooge' 10 years ago, I thought this was a one-timer," he continued. "'Never again. Don't really need [to do another one]. But if there comes an idea that doesn't fit AURI or NIGHTWISH, maybe I have to go solo again. And both bands are musically so varied that you can do almost anything with those two labels. But if the theme would be something that the other bandmembers can't really relate to, then I might have to turn to the option of going solo. That's what happened with 'Scrooge'. I mean, the NIGHTWISH members don't have such an intimate relationship with a duck as I do. [Laughs] So that's why I had to go solo."

Regarding the possibility of him performing material from "The Life And Times Of Scrooge McDuck" live at some point, Tuomas said: "Um, I don't know. It would be an interesting experience. I know that album has a bit of a cult status already and that it would be a success. But at the moment, I'm not really feeling it. But I've learned never to say never. So let's see.

"I've been asked to do the whole album a few times, actually, even on main stage of a rock and roll festival on Saturday night," he added. "I don't think it would have worked, but we have to wait and see."

"Music Inspired By The Life And Times Of Scrooge - Written And Produced By Tuomas Holopainen" contained 10 songs, with total duration of approximately 60 minutes. The music was said to be in the soundtrack / classical / folk genre in the vein of Vaughan Williams, Michael Nyman, James Newton Howard and Enya.

Pip Williams did the orchestral arrangements for the "Life And Times Of Scrooge" disc, continuing his collaboration with Tuomas after the NIGHTWISH records "Once", "Dark Passion Play" and "Imaginaerum".

There were a number of guest musicians appearing on "Life And Times Of Scrooge", including the London Orchestra, The Metro Voices (a choir from London) and four lead vocalists: Alan Reid, Johanna Kurkela, Johanna Iivanainen and Tony Kakko. Other guest appearances included Troy Donockley (uilleann pipes, low whistles, bodhran),Mikko Iivanainen (guitars and banjo),Teho Majamäki (didgeridoo),Jon Burr (harmonica) and Dermot Crehan on the solo violin. The recordings took place during August - October 2013, first at Angel Studios in London, then in various locations around Scotland and Finland.

NIGHTWISH's new album, "Yesterwynde", is due on September 20, 2024 via Nuclear Blast. It marks the band's tenth studio LP, following on from the release of "Human. :II: Nature." in 2020.

Photo credit: Tim Tronckoe (courtesy of Nuclear Blast)

German/Swedish melodic metal/hard rock band, Jaded Heart, have released a video for "Intuition", the title track of their new digital EP, due for release on September 27 via Massacre Records. Pre-order the EP here, and watch the new video below.


In regards to their new EP, Jaded Heart states: "Be prepared! It ROCKS HARD! And we have more to come!"







Intuition EP tracklisting:


"Intuition"
"Dance The Night Away"
"Square Hammer"
"Love Is A Killer" (Live In Hamburg)


"Intuition" video:










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Japan power metal act Galneryus will release their new album The Stars Will Light The Way on September 25 via Warner Music Japan. Digital single “The Reason We Fight” will be issued August 16.


Preorder The Stars Will Light The Way here.


The album includes many masterpieces that perfectly sublimate the aesthetics of Galneryus, including "The Reason We Fight," which was first performed at Pure Rock Japan Live 2024 held last June and sent the audience into a frenzy of excitement. A masterpiece worthy of celebrating the 20th anniversary of their major debut is born here.




Akane Liv (from Liv Moon) also appears on the chorus for "The Reason We Fight" and "I Believe". This is the first touching collaboration since "Angel Of Salvation" (2012).


The first limited edition Blu-ray includes 2 hours of exciting live footage, Live At KT Zepp Yokohama 2023/4/30.





Tracklisting:


“Go Towards The Utopia”
“The Reason We Fight”
“Lost In The Darkness”
“Finally, It Comes!”
“In Water’s Gaze”
“Heartless”
“Crying For You”
“Voice In Sadness”
“I Believe”
“Life Will Go On”


Lineup:
Syu – guitars
Yuhki – keyboards
Taka – bass
Masatoshi Ono – vocals
Lea – drums 







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On September 20, blackened death metal outfit Kanonenfieber will release their sophomore album, Die Urkatastrophe, via Century Media Records. For a preview of the record, a video for the new single, "Panzerhenker" is available below.


On September 20, blackened death metal outfit Kanonenfieber will release their sophomore album, Die Urkatastrophe, via Century Media Records. For a preview of the record, a video for the new single, "Der Maulwurf" (= The Mole), can be viewed below.


Kanonenfieber explains about the back story of "Der Maulwurf": "Underground mine warfare also began in the fall/winter of 1914 with the start of the trench warfare. The pioneers employed to build the mine shafts worked 12-hour shifts, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Apart from the miserable oxygen supply, the so-called 'moles' had to contend with water ingress and burial. The low tunnels made it impossible to work standing up, which is why the miners soon complained of back problems, open knees and hands and trench foot disease. Miners who worked for long periods of time often suffered from mental illnesses and panic attacks as a result of their work."




Regarding Die Urkatastrophe - "The First World War accelerated the path to modernity and is considered the 'Die Urkatastrophe' (= 'primal catastrophe') of the 20th century, which was characterized by wars, violence and displacement. Around 17 million people, soldiers and civilians lost their lives, large parts of Europe were destroyed and unresolved problems were left behind, which led to further violent conflicts. This album is dedicated to the victims of the First World War, so they are not forgotten. May their fates be a warning for all following generations even after more than 100 years," says Noise, who records all instruments in the studio and who is also responsible for the concept of Kanonenfieber.


As with its predecessor, Kanonenfieber's second album Die Urkatastrophe is based on factual reports, letters and original documents from the surviving and deceased soldiers from the First World War. Its intent is not to glorify, because there is no glory in war. Everyone loses - their lives, their souls, their humanity. War is often depicted in an abstract way, through numbers and statistics. Kanonenfieber aim to tell the stories of the nameless and the faceless in order to allow for a small glimpse of their personal horrors, and thereby the larger scale horror for mankind as a whole.





Starting this month, Kanonenfieber will support Amon Amarth and Insomnium before embarking on an extensive European tour soon after Die Urkatastrophe's release.


Albums formats:
--Ltd. Deluxe transp. sand-dark red colored splattered 2LP Artbook
--Ltd. Deluxe orange-black splattered 2LP Artbook (1000x) from Kanonenfieber
--Ltd. CD Mediabook & Patch
--Ltd. Gatefold transp. orange LP & LP-Booklet
--Ltd. Gatefold transp. olive green-white splattered LP & LP-Booklet (300x) at cmdistro.de
--Ltd. Gatefold transp. bottle green-bone colored-black splattered LP & LP-Booklet (500x) at cmdistro.de and various other retailers
--Ltd. Gatefold transp. violet-black splattered LP & LP-Booklet (300x) at Nuclear Blast and Impericon
--Ltd. Gatefold black-orange-white splattered LP & LP-Booklet (500x) from Kanonenfieber
--Ltd. Gatefold white-orange-black splattered LP & LP-Booklet (500x) from Kanonenfieber
--Ltd. Gatefold translucent ruby LP & LP-Booklet (US version) at centurymedia.store and various other retailers
--Standard CD Jewelcase
--black LP
--Digital Album


Preorder here.





Tracklisting:


“Grossmachtfantasie”
“Menschenmühle”
“Sturmtrupp”
“Der Maulwurf”
“Lviv zu Lemberg”
“Waffenbrüder”
“Gott mit der Kavallerie”
“Panzerhenker”
“Ritter der Lüfte”
“Verdun”
“Ausblutungsschlacht”
“Als die Waffen kamen”


"Der Maulwulf" video:





“Panzerhenker” lyric video:





(Photo – Stephanie Rifkin)







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Featured Video







INFRARED - "Demon's Blood"




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In a new interview with Liv Maddix of the 105.7 The Point radio station, HALESTORM frontwoman Lzzy Hale and guitarist Joe Hottinger spoke about the progress of the recording sessions for the band's follow-up to 2022's "Back From The Dead" album. Lzzy said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, this has been an interesting process for us — very new." Joe added: "Yeah, the record, it's been fun. We're working with a new producer [Dave Cobb] we've never worked with. And he has a house in Savannah [Georgia] that it's just a studio house and a band house. So we go in and all four of us move in and wake up and we just start writing."

Lzzy continued: "Doing it with Dave Cobb, who is a closet metalhead, but he's gotten his due from Chris Stapleton and Brandi Carlile. But he's got such a great sense." Joe concurred, saying: "Oh, yeah. He's just a song guy. He loves songs and he knows all about rock and roll. He's done RIVAL SONS and GRETA VAN FLEET. He's a rocker, too. But it's fun. We have it half done right now. I think most of the basics and music is done. It's neat because we have this big break between here and we're gonna hopefully finish it by the end of the year. And you get to kind of think about it a little bit, let it live with you a bit. And then, like, 'All right, what are we saying? What do we wanna say?'"

Elaborating on the songwriting process for the new HALESTORM album, Lzzy said: "Well, the beautiful thing about [having a break in the recording], too, is that even just now on this tour, I am, for better or worse, kind of a sponge, and I am absorbing all of these experiences and seeing how they're actually fitting into the record. So I'm drafting and redrafting as we're going, just so I can get back in the studio and be, like, 'But wait. What about this?' Because that's actually what the experience called for. So, yeah, it's very interesting, but we've been taking our time with it because we've been having fun doing that. 'Cause, as is tradition with all of these other records, we're like, 'Okay, we have this amount of songs. All right. When can we get in? We're gonna go in for a month. We're gonna bang it out, do the touring thing all over again.' So it's kind of nice."

Last month, HALESTORM drummer Arejay Hale was asked by The VORTX Podcast with host Ethan Jackson, HALESTORM when fans can expect to hear new music from the band. Arejay responded: "I'm hoping next year… We always say the same thing. It's, like, it'll be out when we're done with it [laughs] and the whole process after it — getting it mixed, getting it mastered, getting the promotion campaign together and all that. There's a lot to it. But the experience has been great 'cause we're doing it in Savannah with Dave Cobb, and Dave Cobb is absolutely killing the game right now."

Regarding HALESTORM's decision to work with Cobb this time around, Arejay said: "It's always good for a band to, if you want your sound to evolve, bring in some fresh minds into it. And the cool thing about Dave is that he's a total hard rock and metalhead at heart. A lot of his most successful projects have been a lot of country, a lot of alternative — I mean, he's all over the spectrum — so when works with us, you can tell… There's a really great mutual respect between [us], 'cause we've been doing this long enough and he's been doing it for so long. We've been a huge fan of his as well, so there's a lot of mutual respect between the two of us, and you can feel it in the room."

Asked if he and his HALESTORM bandmates set a date for themselves for when they want to be done with a record, Arejay said: "It used to be a lot more stringent in the early days. 'Cause when you're trying to get the band off the ground, you really wanna kind of keep that momentum going. But our last couple of records have been a little bit more laid back, which is nice. It kind of gives it room to breathe. It gives us time to like really assess where we wanna go. And definitely COVID changed everything."

On the topic of whether the HALESTORM members do more work remotely now or if they still all get together in the studio and collaborate on ideas in one room, Arejay said: "Oh, it's so much more effective for us to be in the same room. I think it kind of forces you to just… I guess we work well under pressure, 'cause, going back to your last question… We definitely feel the pressure to get the album out at a certain time, but what really cranks up the pressure is the fact that we're leaving Nashville and going to Savannah for only a set period of time, 'cause Dave [only has certain] windows [of availability]. And it really forces us to just dig into your gut and just pull things out. And when we're all together in the room and Joe [Hottinger, HALESTORM guitarist] starts playing around with the riff and I start jamming with them, things just come out, things just happen. There's a magic there."

In June, Lzzy was asked by Decker of the rock station Razor 94.7/104.7 (WZOR) about the progress of the writing and recording sessions for the follow-up to "Back From The Dead". Lzzy said: "We've been in the studio with Dave Cobb for some time now, and it's been different this time. It's been very sporadic. It isn't like we mapped out, like, eight weeks of time and we're gonna get a record done. We started going to him — first it was three days to test him out and we wrote a song together from scratch. And everyone was, like, 'Wait. What is this?' And then we went back — we went out on tour, we came back, had another session with him for about two weeks, and then we had another one for three weeks. It keeps getting a little more. And so we have one more session fully booked for August after this tour to kind of finish up everything. But it's really exciting."

Elaborating on HALESTORM's working relationship with Cobb, Lzzy said: "The process has been very like A.D.D., which I really love, because all of us are a little touched by [it] [laughs], if anybody has noticed over the years. But it was a great challenge, because this is Dave Cobb. He's worked with RIVAL SONS and AIRBOURNE, but that's like the rock world that he's in. He's made most of his name from Brandi Carlile and Chris Stapleton and Jason Isbell, whom I love, all three of those artists, so much."

Lzzy went on to say that she and her HALESTORM bandmates initially "got a lot of pushback" from their team about the prospect of working with Cobb. She recalled: "We were saying, 'Oh, wouldn't it be cool to do a record with Dave Cobb? Because that would be something that nobody would really expect from us. And I bet you he would come up with some crazy ideas. Don't know the guy, but let's figure it out.' And everybody on our team was, like, 'No, no, he's too busy. That's not you. He's got this stuff going. He's got, like, nine Grammys with Chris Stapleton. That's not your scene.' And so we kept pushing back. We're, like, 'No, no, no. Just ask him. Just ask him. We can handle rejection, but just ask him.' And so finally, our A&R guy at our label is, like, 'Fine, I'll reach out. Whatever. Just stop bugging me.' And so he reached out, and then he called me, like, the next day. He's, like, 'Hey, I heard back from Dave Cobb. And guess what? Not only does he absolutely know who you are, but he's been wanting to make a record with you for, like, seven years. And he has a plan already of how he wants to do it.' And we're, like, 'What? This is sick.' So anyway, we went to go test the waters, and we go into the studio. And look, I write every day. When I die, there's gonna be so much that everyone has to sift through, just gibberish songs, all that. So I always have, like, a bank with me, like, 'Here's riffs, here's songs, here's subject titles, here's poetry.' And he was, like, 'No, no, no. We're not gonna do anything that you already have. Nothing.' I'm, like, 'Uh. What?' And he's, like, 'No, we're just gonna start.' Everyone's sitting in a circle and we're, like, gonna kumbaya. So everyone got an instrument, like, 'All right. So what are we feeling today?' I'm, like, 'Is this a therapy session?' And we ended up — it's crazy, 'cause then we'll like grab on to something 'cause of that pressure of, like, 'Well, I was thinking about this as this is happening.' 'Cool. Let's go there.' And so he has this amazing instincts that are very, like, you can't see it when you're in it. And then, as soon as we start like putting stuff together, we kind of zoom out and, like, 'Oh, wait a minute. This is so wild and awesome and exactly what we do.' So it's very strange. But we're all very free. And then the other thing is that while we're writing it, we're recording it at the same time. So these tracks are, like, us discovering the song for the first time as well as we're performing them. There are some things that we're performing them all at the same time. There's one track in particular that we completely forgot to put the click track on, and we did like three takes like that, and then we're, like, 'Oh, wait. We don't even have a click going.' Arejay [Hale, HALESTORM drummer and Lzzy's brother] said something, like, 'Were we supposed to have like a click track so we all are on time together?' And everyone's, like, 'We didn't even notice it was gone.' And so we did another take with the click. We're, like, 'No, we like that other one better.' So there's stuff like that. A lot of weird surprises. There's a lot of space. And we're really excited because we're not going country or anything like that, or Americana. This is such a new — it's got so much teeth, and it's so different than what we just did with 'Back From The Dead', but in this almost weightier, heavier way. And the lyrics are — I'm tackling subjects I've never tackled before because I'm having the freedom to do so. So I'm very excited."

HALESTORM and I PREVAIL recently embarked on summer 2024 co-headlining tour. Produced by Live Nation, the trek kicked off on July 9 in Raleigh and will run through August 17 in Las Vegas. HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD and FIT FOR A KING are serving as support. The tour is also the catalyst and the creative spark for HALESTORM and I PREVAIL's collaborative track "Can U See Me In The Dark?", which was released in June.

HALESTORM has partnered with mental health organization Sound Mind Live to engage fans to pledge support that will provide free-to-the-community mental health programming across the country for fans and the broader community.

"Back From The Dead" has tallied over 100 million streams worldwide. Rolling Stone called the title track "a biting but cathartic howler about overcoming all obstacles," and that song as well as "The Steeple" marked their fifth and sixth number ones at rock radio, respectively. Associated Press said the album "will definitely be in the running for best hard rock/metal album of the year." Their previous album, "Vicious", earned the band their second Grammy nomination, for "Best Hard Rock Performance" for the song "Uncomfortable", the band's fourth #1 at rock radio, and led Loudwire to name HALESTORM "Rock Artist Of The Decade" in 2019.

Fronted by Lzzy with Arejay, Joe and bass player Josh Smith, HALESTORM's music has earned multiple platinum and gold certifications from the RIAA, and the band has earned a reputation as a powerful live music force, headlining sold-out shows and topping festival bills around the world, and sharing the stage with icons including HEAVEN & HELL, Alice Cooper, Joan Jett and JUDAS PRIEST. Additionally, Lzzy was named the first female brand ambassador for Gibson and served as host of AXS TV's "A Year In Music".

In a new interview with The SDR Show, SLAYER guitarist Kerry King confirmed that he originally laid down the scratch vocals on demo versions of all the songs that appear on his debut solo album, "From Hell I Rise". Asked what his singing voice sounds like, Kerry said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I just sound like an angry white punk kid… I think it sounds kind of adolescent[-like]." King went on to say that his vocals were recorded mostly as "first takes". "Because I know how it goes — unless I stumble on enunciation or something," he explained. "So, yeah, I knew how it went. I just put it on there so we had something existing. I knew I didn't wanna sing because I can't sing and play that much. The easy parts, yeah, but not like Zakk [Wylde, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY] or James [Hetfield, METALLICA] does. They're crazy vocalists that play crazy riffs underneath what they're singing. I don't know how they do it."

Asked if he would ever release his scratch vocal tracks "as a separate bonus thing", Kerry said: "Um, I'm not against it. If you ask me, like, what if Glenn Tipton sang all the PRIEST songs. Would you wanna hear it? I'm, like, that's a weird scenario, 'cause it's fucking Rob Halford. but I'd be curious. It's intriguing."

He added: "We'll see. And I'll sing the next one, too. So it's not like it's going away."

The SLAYER guitarist's solo band played its first concert as the support act for LAMB OF GOD and MASTODON on July 19 at the Texas Trust CU Theatre in Grand Prairie, Texas.

The six-week "Ashes Of Leviathan" tour will wrap on August 31 in Omaha, Nebraska.

Joining Kerry in his new band are Mark Osegueda (vocals; DEATH ANGEL),Phil Demmel (guitar; MACHINE HEAD, VIO-LENCE),Kyle Sanders (bass; HELLYEAH) and drummer Paul Bostaph (SLAYER, TESTAMENT, EXODUS).

In early May, the KERRY KING band performed its first live show at Reggies in Chicago. In the days following, the band went from playing an intimate venue to performing at the huge U.S. festivals Welcome To Rockville (Florida) and Sonic Temple (Ohio).

KERRY KING launched a European tour on June 3 — King's 60th birthday – in Tilburg, The Netherlands. The trek combined headline shows in the U.K., The Netherlands, Germany, Italy and Spain but also festival appearances such as Rock Am Ring, Hellfest, Tuska, Download, Sweden Rock Festival and many more.

"From Hell I Rise" was released in May. All material for the LP was written by the 60-year-old SLAYER guitarist. Helming the sessions at Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles last year was producer Josh Wilbur, who has previously worked with KORN, LAMB OF GOD, AVENGED SEVENFOLD and BAD RELIGION, among others.

A group of 55 bikers on Harley-Davidsons delivered a bust containing the ashes of MOTÖRHEAD legend Lemmy Kilmister to Nottingham, United Kingdom's Rock City on Monday (August 12).

The procession came after the completion of the Bloodstock Open Air festival, which commissioned a special bust for Lemmy's ashes to be housed in Rock City.

The bust will now remain on display at the venue — where MOTÖRHEAD played 10 shows between 1987 and 2006 — before returning to its primary home at Bloodstock each August.

Amy Lawson, Rock City programmer, said: "We are so excited that the Lemmy bust has arrived at its new home here at Rock City and are honored that Bloodstock Festival chose our venue to host the bust here between his annual pilgrimage back to their event each year.

"It seems fitting that a bust to celebrate such an iconic trailblazer in rock will stay in a venue which is tied so closely to his musical heritage. We can't wait to welcome his legions of loyal fans to pay their respects to the icon."

Bloodstock festival co-director Vicky Hungerford, who attended the handover on Monday, said: "It's been a very emotional weekend for all involved in the 'Lemmy Forever' tribute at Bloodstock. The send-off today with 55 Harley Davidsons taking the bust to rock city in the Bloodstock truck was the finale to a superb weekend of tributes to our rock god Lem.

"The fact people can now see the bust and his ashes at the iconic rock city, is superb and we cannot think of a better venue considering MOTÖRHEAD played there numerous times! I'm sure many people will want to pay tribute over the coming months."

A recreation of Lemmy's dressing room was available for viewing at this year's Bloodstock Open Air festival. Fans attending the festival were not only able to pay their respects at the specially created bust containing Lemmy's ashes, but see a whole host of genuine personal items, including his iconic hat, boots, bass guitar and hand-drawn pictures, as well as handwritten lyrics, dressing room paraphernalia, and a never-seen-before selection of his personal photos.

This past March, MOTÖRHEAD's manager Todd Singerman said in a statement: "Bloodstock has always been a special place for MOTÖRHEAD and for Lemmy. The people and the energy matched Lemmy's values perfectly. Alan and Vicky were also great friends and basically family of Lemmy, as he was the reason that they originally got together. This is definitely a fitting honor in the continuing series of enshrinements of Lemmy's ashes in his most loved places."

Vicky Hungerford added: "We were humbled and honored to be approached by MOTÖRHEAD management to have Lemmy's ashes at Bloodstock. Lemmy holds a very special place in everybody's heart, but to myself and my husband he was the reason we met and fell in love. Nothing will mean more to us and the Bloodstock family than to honor his legacy and have Lemmy forever at Bloodstock."

Lemmy died on December 28, 2015 at the age of 70 shortly after learning he had been diagnosed with cancer.

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

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

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



Fans line the street outside Nottingham’s Rock City, awaiting the arrival of Motörhead legend, Lemmy’s ashes, which are being transported by a procession of Harley Davidsons. 🤘🏻🎸✨

Posted by NottinghamWorld on Monday, August 12, 2024



Just what you don’t want outside the room when you are doing a hypnosis training Lemmy from Motörhead’s ashes arriving at Nottingham’s Rock City with a cavalcade of 100 Harleys.

Posted by David Shephard on Monday, August 12, 2024

Bikers along with Bloodstock Festival crew escort Lemmy's ashes to ROCK CITY in Nottingham.

Posted by Official Motörhead on Monday, August 12, 2024

Lemmy’s specially commissioned bust and ashes arriving at ROCK CITY from Bloodstock

The Lemmy bust and ashes will be...

Posted by Bloodstock Festival on Monday, August 12, 2024

Calling all Bloodstock cruiser riders, we need you!

This year’s Bloodstock festival pays tribute to Official Motörhead'...

Posted by Bloodstock Festival on Sunday, August 11, 2024

STAIND frontman Aaron Lewis was awarded with Pandora's coveted Billionaires Plaque on August 2, during a sold-out tour stop in Pelham, Tennessee at The Caverns.

On Aaron's tour bus, Lewis's publicist surprised him with the plaque, recognizing over one billion Pandora streams for the country rocker. His music will now be played on Pandora's Country Billionaires station.

Lewis's 2024 "American Patriot" tour marches onward with more than 30 dates scheduled throughout the remainder of the year. He also continues to perform regularly with STAIND as the band's longtime frontman.

Aaron's latest solo album, "The Hill", debuted at No. 175 on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 8,133 equivalent units, a combination of pure album sales and on-demand streams. It marked the lowest-charting record on the Billboard 200 of Lewis's solo career so far.

Notably, "The Hill" had 6,826 pure album sales in its first week, enough to land the LP at No. 5 on Billboard's Top Album Sales chart, which ranks the top-selling albums of the week based only on traditional album sales.

According to Forbes, Lewis previously reached the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 twice as a solo artist, with his "Town Line" EP, which reached No. 7 in 2011, and with "Sinner", which peaked at No. 4 in 2016. He also landed in the Top 40 of the Billboard 200 with "The Road" (No. 30 peak),"State I'm In" (No. 19) and "Frayed At Both Ends" (No. 39).

One of the songs on "The Hill" is "Made In China" — written by Lewis and Bobby Pinson — which offers the loud-and-proud declaration that some things are still made in the USA. The song features such lyrics as "I ain't made in China / From all the cheapest parts / I ain't one for driving them imported foreign cars / I'm more like American muscle from 1966 / I ain't made in China / I'm American as it gets / I ain't made by Uyghur kids for pennies on the dollar / I'm made in the USA / It says so on my collar / Tried and true, red, white and blue / My roots run way too thick / yeah, I ain't made in China / 'Cause I'm American as it gets."

"The best songs come from a place of authenticity," explained Lewis. "This one started as a conversation with friends as we picked up items around the room with 'Made In China' stamped on the bottom. And we put pen to paper."

The "Let's Go Fishing" lyrics find the 52-year-old Lewis — an outspoken conservative rocker who reinvented himself as a solo country artist in the last decade — singing about "making America great again", "turning off CNN" and using the "Let's Go, Brandon!" catchphrase, which was coined by American conservatives to criticize President Joe Biden.

Lewis made headlines in September 2021 when he urged his fans to chant "Fuck Joe Biden" during a STAIND concert in Pennsylvania.

In March 2022, Lewis told the Los Angeles Times that he doesn't blindly listen to information that is delivered by the mainstream media.

"I'm not uneducated; I'm actually really smart, and I look for myself. I seek other options of information," he said. "I refuse to believe that a huge, gigantic corporation has our best interest in mind."

Asked where he gets his news, Lewis said: "I have news feeds and people that I follow on Telegram. Dan Ball. Andrew Wilkow. Mark Levin. If I'm gonna watch any sort of news source on television, it's Tucker Carlson."

At some of his solo concerts, Lewis has been taking the stage while wearing a black hat with white mesh and white lettering on the front clearly stating "FUJOE," an expletive directed toward Biden.

Photo courtesy of Absolute Publicity

British desert rockers Psychlona drop the relentlessly pounding and groovy video single, "Jasmine", from their forthcoming new full-length, Warped Vision, scheduled for release on September 27 via Magnetic Eye Records.


The video for "Jasmine" was filmed en route to, from and at the Stoned from the Underground Festival, Alperstedter See, Germany in July 2024.


Psychlona comment: "This track is referred to by Izak's brother as 'the best song that you've ever played bass on' and 'Jasmine' is indeed a heavily thick-stringed affair", drummer Scott Frankling reveals on behalf of the band. "I even venture to unashamedly call it a head-nodding chug-athon. We just immediately fell into it and the whole song came together quite easily – even the dueling guitar bit."




Watch the video below, and pre-order the new album here





Tracklisting:


"Jasmine"
"Let's Go"
"Smoke"
"Cut Loose"
"Topanga"
"Kaleidoscope"
"Split"
"Magic Carpet"


"Jasmine" video:





"Let's Go" video:





Lineup:


Phil Hey – guitar, vocals
Martin Wiseman – lead guitar, backing vocals
Ian 'Izak' Buxton – bass guitar
Scott Frankling – drums







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Featured Video

Today, The Nail unveil the new single and lyric video, "No Time To Burn", taken from their self-titled debut album, set for release on September 13 via Frontiers Music Srl.


The Nail is a fantastic new musical alliance featuring one of the most gifted vocalists of the new generation, Girish Pradhan (Girish & The Chronicles, The End Machine) together with Efe and Reis Ali Eroglu, two very talented young kids (26 and 17 years old respectively) who - under the guidance of their father, producer Cenk Eroglu (ex-Winger, Crossing Rubicon) - created a new hard rock gem, poised to captivate audiences around the globe.


Producer Cenk Eroglu comments on the new single: “This is the first song we cut for the album, Reis Ali wrote this amazing guitar riff when he was only 14 years old, and since then it's been on my mind, so when we hooked up with Girish for this album, I finally pulled the trigger. In the whole album, Efe Eroglu plays all the lead guitars but, on this song, Reis Ali is playing the lead guitar”.







Girish Pradhan shares his excitement for this project: “This is unlike like any record I have ever done. Different. Many of my listeners have always requested that I do something different for a change, and I feel like this record is exactly what they need. Of course, it’s all thanks to a great and a dedicated team, working tirelessly in the background, helping me bring out a different side of me. Amazing work by the young and super talented - Ali, on guitars! All in all, a great project that I got to be a part of."


"A great chemistry right from the start,” adds producer Cenk Eroglu. “Young Reis Ali's razor-sharp guitar riffs and melodies collided with Efe's blazing lead guitars, then Girish Pradhan took it to the stars with his amazing voice. It's hard to believe it's a debut album; it actually feels like a best-of already.”


“I am rarely as blown away by talent as I am by the members of The Nail. A honour to be included in the making of such a cool record”, comments Kip Winger.


Girish Pradhan’s reputation has been growing recently as one of the hottest new rock singers on the scene. Coming from India, he played already several shows in Europe with his band Girish & The Chronicles and appeared as lead singer on the last album from the hard rock supergroup The End Machine featuring George Lynch and Jeff Pilson, both ex-Dokken.


Following the acclaim that Girish received over the last few years, the label’s President Serafino Perugino conceived a new project set to highlight Girish’s vocals and abilities. Turkish composer and producer Cenk Eroglu was brought in to write some songs and work on ideas with Girish, and he was immediately blown away by his talent.


He asked his friend and former bandmate Kip Winger to A&R the project and thus put to work his two kids: Efe (a 26 years old guitar hero - top shredder on the “Monsters Of Rock Cruise Shred Contest” in 2021, praised by musical giants such as Bumblefoot, John 5, Andy Timmons, Nuno Bettencourt and Reb Beach) and Ali (17 years old multi-instrumentalist and co-writer of the album).


The final result is just above and beyond any expectation. The album offers a great balance of heavier material (“Soul Screamer”, the bastard child of Judas Priest’s “Painkiller”, “Underdog” and the title track) and very melodic numbers (“Broken”, “Walk the Line”, “No Time to Burn” and “Fall Back Now”).


The Nail is going to take people by surprise as it contains a real tribute to 80’s heavy metal, showcasing influences from Judas Priest, Sabbath, Dio and even hints at the heaviest Winger sound on the most recent albums.





The Nail tracklisting:


"Hit & Run"
"The Nail"
"No Time To Burn"
"Broken"
"Walk The Line"
"Soul Screamer"
"Blackout (Popeye's Sin)"
"Exorcist"
"Hangman's Noose"
"Underdog"
"Fall Back Now"


"The Nail" video:





"Hit & Run" video:





Lineup:


Girish Pradhan - Lead Vocals
Reis Ali Eroglu – Drums, Bass, Guitars
Efe Eroglu - Lead Guitars


Additional Musicians:


Cenk Eroglu – Guitars, Hammond Organ, Keyboards, Back Vocals
John Bisaha - Background Vocals
Paolo De Santis - Background Vocals
Cem & Sevinc Keskin - Ghost Vocals


- Produced By: Cenk Eroglu
- Music Director: C.F. Kip Winger
- Executive Producer: Serafino Perugino







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Featured Video







INFRARED - "Demon's Blood"

Legendary death metal band, Leprosy, is proud to announce the release of their latest album, Reborn In Yourself, now available on major streaming platforms. This work represents the culmination of more than three decades of dedication to extreme metal and marks the band's triumphant return to the music scene.


With nine brand-new tracks, Reborn In Yourself captures the intensity, technique, and passion that have defined Leprosy since their formation in 1989. With influences ranging from Death to Protector, the album offers a sonic experience that will resonate with both long-time fans and a new generation of listeners.







Tracklisting:


"Reborn In Yourself"
"Insurrection"
"God Of Clay"
"The End Of Times"
"Marry Christmas To All"
"Killer Sickness"
"Headless Mule"
"So Rest In Peace"
"Harmonic Melancholy Of Sadness (M.C.A)"


Formed in Goiânia/GO (Brazil), Leprosy has established itself as one of the leading death metal bands in Brazil. After a career marked by challenges and achievements, the band returned in 2019 with its original lineup and continues to impact the metal scene with its powerful and authentic music.







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Featured Video







INFRARED - "Demon's Blood"




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Lord Agheros has found its own original dimension over the years, which has projected it to be one of the leading atmospheric & avantgarde black metal phenomenon in Italy.


The return to the scene, after the clamor of Koinè, is marked by Anhedonia, the new album from the Sicilian project which will be released in December.


Never similar to himself, this time too, Gerassimos Evangelou, the only Lord Agheros' mind, takes us into a musically extreme world that mixes Nordic-style black metal with ancient and melancholic atmospheres linked to symphonic and ambient elements. All this creating an absolutely incredible contrast between aggression and introspection.




These are the words of Gerassimos Evangelou about the new album: "Anhedonia is a word of Greek origin (like me among other things) and refers to the inability to feel pleasure, a theme that is reflected in the dark and desolate atmosphere of album. The entire album turns around this sense of alienation and detachment in a cold and austere context that this inability inevitably brings to our soul. In this work, on which I have spent a lot of the last 2 years, with Lord Agheros, I explore inner suffering through what we can define as a musical journey that crosses frozen lands, with a strong reference to Nordic musical traditions, but without losing the identity unique of the project".


The album will be released in December 2024 and as it is for years now, always expect the unexpected... this was, is, and will always be the main path of Lord Agheros.










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In a new interview with Sam Acevedo of El Planeta Del Rock, frontman Vorph (real name: Michael Locher) of Swiss industrial metallers SAMAEL spoke about the progress of the songwriting and recording sessions for the band's next studio album. Asked what fans can expect from SAMAEL's new music, he responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We've tried, with [2007's] 'Solar Soul' particularly, to try to focus back on what we thought were the most important things in the band. Because the two previous albums, [1999's] 'Eternal' and [2004's] 'Reign Of Light', we were trying to experiment to have a larger spectrum in the band. And that's great too.But at some point we were afraid to get lost into into having songs so separate from one another. And we focused back consciously with 'Solar Soul' and we kept this for [2011's] 'Lux Mundi'. I think with [2017's] 'Hegemony', we started to open it a little bit more again — not too much, but it's kind of making the floor, the ground zero for the next album, which is the one we are working on now.'

He continued: "We've been [working] on this album for a long time. We had already songs before COVID. Waldemar [Sorychta] came in Switzerland. We checked the songs together. Waldemar, our producer, who did produce most of our albums, actually. And then during COVID, all those songs had kind of their second incarnation; we changed everything. We were actually meeting every month to play together and to check the songs together, because we had no shows, but we wanted to keep the synergy and to see each other was something important. And so during that time we had a lot of discussion about what we wanted to do, how we wanted the sound to be. And then, even after that, there is maybe a third incarnation for some of the songs. Xy's [drummer Alexandre 'Xytras' Locher] still doing a lot of editing at the moment. Most of the recording is done. So we will mix this this fall, if everything goes well. And hopefully early next year we can at least have one new song that we can present. Yeah, that's the idea."

Asked how hard it is for him to choose the themes for his lyrics in light of the fact that the entire world "seems to be sinking right now", Vorph responded: "Well, I guess some of it is in the album probably. But, as mentioned, I guess most of the lyrics, they were written, like, three years ago or something. And then, of course, I corrected things, I changed [them], because some of the songs, they've changed. And then, all of a sudden, you change the title of the song and then everything went to another [direction] and I start to rewrite the lyrics. Some of it I kept. So, through all those changes, I think it's also kind of a reflection of what we're living — when I say at the moment, it will be like three years ago or now. Things haven't changed, really, and maybe not even for the best when they changed."

In June 2020, SAMAEL announced the addition of bassist Ales Campanelli to the group's ranks.

A former member of SYBREED, OBSYDIANS and THE ERKONAUTS, Ales had been playing with SAMAEL guitarist Thomas "Drop" Betrisey for many years. He was no stranger to the machines-versus-humans music of SAMAEL and had known the band since its early black metal days.

Campanelli made his live debut with SAMAEL as part of Tohuwabohu, a worldwide, pay-what-you-want streaming metal event, in June 2020.

Ales joined SAMAEL as the replacement for Pierre "Zorrac" Carroz (SCARS DIVIDE, HEROD),who had played with the group since July 2018.

Longtime SAMAEL guitarist Marco "Makro" Rivao left the band in April 2018 "to do something different." Bassist Drop has since taken over guitar duties in the group.

SAMAEL's latest album, "Hegemony", was released in October 2017 via Napalm Records.

Photo credit: Johan Vergères

Frank Carter and THE SEX PISTOLS' Paul Cook, Glen Matlock and Steve Jones united to save historic music venue Bush Hall in West London with three shows on Tuesday, August 13, Wednesday, August 14 and Thursday, August 15. THE SEX PISTOLS, one of the most influential rock bands of all time, are being joined by the electric frontman Frank Carter at Bush Hall to perform THE SEX PISTOLS' iconic 1977 album "Never Mind The Bollocks" in full. Funds raised from these unmissable gigs will go directly towards preserving this revered independent London venue.

Fan-filmed video of the August 13 concert can be seen below (courtesy of 97reayj).

The setlist consisted of such classics as "Pretty Vacant", "Bodies", "God Save The Queen" and "Anarchy In The UK", plus a cover of THE STOOGES' "No Fun".

"God Save The Queen" included a guest appearance by British musician Yungblud, whose real name is Dom Harrison.

"I'm having the time of my fucking life here," Carter told the 400 fans in attendance.

THE SEX PISTOLS and Carter have announced they will also play another concert in London at the O2 Forum Kentish Town on Thursday, September 26.

Speaking on the Bush Hall shows and new show announcement, Jones said: "The response to the Bush Hall shows has been overwhelming and it's a privilege to help out a local venue like that. And it became obvious that there are many more fans who want to see us. Playing with Frank has been such a pleasure that we wanted to extend the fun. So Kentish Town, here we come."

Supporting Bush Hall, a cornerstone of the music scene, is a cause close to the hearts of both Frank Carter and THE SEX PISTOLS. Both Paul Cook and Steve Jones grew up around the venue, attending as punters themselves, while Frank Carter performed at Bush Hall back in 2012 for his debut live show with his former group, PURE LOVE. Lifelong SEX PISTOLS fan Frank Carter first met Steve Jones in 2008 during an interview on Steve's radio show, and later met the rest of the band through mutual friends. They soon bonded over their shared love or live music and decided to perform together to help preserve the iconic London venue.

Original SEX PISTOLS singer John Lydon (a.k.a. Johnny Rotten) has been estranged from the rest of the band after unsuccessfully attempting to block the use of SEX PISTOLS songs in "Pistol", a Hulu miniseries based on Jones's 2016 memoir "Lonely Boy" that dramatized the band's story.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CULTURA TRES is:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"The Surface Seems So Far" track listing

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

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

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

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

Photo credit: Alex Berger

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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