InsideOutMusic recently announced the signing of US-based rising instrumental progressive metallers, Sometime In February, to a worldwide deal. Today, the band are pleased to announce their new single, "The Bad Fight", is out to stream everywhere now, and for this one they received the help of a few friends.


As the band explains: “The song came together quickly, and as soon as it was written we knew we had to pull out all the stops for it. We asked our friend Paul Waggoner of Between The Buried And Me to feature on it with a guest solo that is pitch perfect. Eric Guenther of The Contortionist contributed keys, synths, and sound design to take it to the next level. Dan Briggs, also of BTBAM, sprinkled additional sound design on top. And of course, we love to feature saxophone when we can, so our friend Rich Castillo of The Callous Daoboys added his touch to create a tasteful layer.”
 
Stream the track here, and watch the video, shot by Luke Gura inside a courthouse near the bands hometown, below:







The band have also announced US live dates for July, you can catch them at the shows listed below.





July
13 - DRKMTTR - Nashville, TN
14 - Mag Bar - Louisville, KY
16 - Amityville Music Hall - Long Island, NY
17 - Imperial Lounge - Richmond, VA
28 - The Milestone - Charlotte, NC


The band previously release the track "Hiding Place". Stream it  here, and check out a visualizer below:





Originally founded as an instrumental solo project for guitarist Tristan Auman in 2020, Sometime In February became a fully rounded prog rock trio with the addition of drummer Scott Barber and bassist Morgan Johnson after making the jump from studio to stage following the release of their Here Goes EP in 2021.


The Carolina-based group has kept their foot on the gas ever since, touring throughout the Southeast US and releasing their follow-up, the debut LP There Goes, in 2023. Their first full-length record gained attention from prog fans and peers alike, with Tristan receiving an invitation to join Between The Buried And Me in a live capacity throughout the Parallax II: Future Sequence Tour.


The band comments: “We are thrilled to be signing to the world’s premier label for progressive music, InsideOutMusic. Sometime in February wouldn’t exist without many of the artists on their roster, and it’s an honor to stand beside them. Thomas Waber has been supportive and encouraging to us for some time now, and we’re excited that we found the right moment to work together and make InsideOutMusic the home for the next era of Sometime In February.”


InsideOutMusic label-head Thomas Waber adds: "We are extremely excited to be working alongside this talented young US band. After talking to them for a while, it felt like now was the right time to welcome them to the fold, and on the evidence of the new track ‘Hiding Place’, bright things are ahead!”


(Photo - Ally Rose Creative)

Tom Keifer #keiferband have released a previously unreleased bonus video for “Breaking Down” from the -RISE+ album. Watch below:





Cleopatra Records has released a special edition splatter-designed vinyl of #keiferband’s , -RISE+, with a 20-page 11”x11” full color illustrated lyric booklet. Fans can order it here.







(Photo - Tammy Vega)

Blackmore’s Night continue celebrating their 25th Anniversary (and counting) with the release of a very special edition of their acclaimed third studio album, Fires At Midnight. Fully remixed from the original multi-track masters, the 25th Anniversary Edition will be released on September 27 via earMUSIC.





With shared love for the tradition of Renaissance and Folk-Rock music, legendary guitarist Ritchie Blackmore and award-winning lyricist and singer Candice Night founded Blackmore’s Night in 1997. They have been enchanting audiences around the world ever since.




After hitting off the celebrations for their 25th anniversary with a fully remixed edition of their debut album, Shadow Of The Moon, in 2023, this year Candice and Ritchie continue with the worldwide release of a very special edition of their acclaimed third studio album, Fires At Midnight, originally released in July 2001. The album entered the Official German Album Charts at #9, making it Blackmore’s Night’s first record to hit the Top 10 Charts in Germany.


On this album, Blackmore’s Night started incorporating electric guitar into their songs, alongside organic instruments like hurdy gurdies, shawms and harps. They had been touring for several years at this point and were playing concerts in castle courtyards, churches and theatres. One evening, when leaving a venue in the Czech Republic late at night, the idea for Fires At Midnight was born. "It was bonfire night, and we could just see all of these bonfires that were lit on the hillsides," Candice Night recalls, "and that inspired the idea of the song ‘Fires At Midnight’."


Like Shadow Of The Moon, the 25th Anniversary Edition of Fires At Midnight has been fully remixed from the original multi-track masters. The album will be released as a Vinyl LP for the very first time and includes all bonus-tracks from the previous editions as well as two brand new versions with new vocal parts recorded by Candice Night in 2024 (‘Written In The Stars’ and the album’s title track).


Pre-order Fires At Midnight (25th Anniversary Edition) here.


The first single taken from the forthcoming album, “Written In The Stars" (25th Anniversary New Vocal Version), featuring brand new vocal parts recorded by Candice Night in 2024, is a magical foretaste of everything this Anniversary Edition has in store for fans.


Stream the single here, and watch a lyric video below:

Savage Lands are still buzzing after last week's performance on the mainstage at Hellfest. Today, the musician-run 501(c) 3 non-profit is thrilled to announce that the festival is donating one million Euro to support their ongoing reforestation efforts in Costa Rica and Europe.


"This is a historical move by Hellfest and a great signal to the music industry", says musician-turned-activist Sylvain Demercastel, who founded Savage Lands with Megadeth drummer Dirk Verbeuren. "Such an extraordinarily generous donation from a renowned festival is just another example of the many ways that the metal community supports each other."


Hellfest's donation is just one part of a five-year partnership. Savage Lands will continue to host a booth on the festival grounds. This year, Bill Hudson (I Am Morbid), members of Dimmu Borgir and other metalheads stopped by their booth to learn more about the green zones, nature sanctuaries and other biodiversity preservation projects that they are building in Costa Rica. The non-profit has protected 60,000 square feet of rain forest using 100% of the royalties from their music.




"As a non-profit, we depend on the support of our listeners, other organizations and fellow artists", Sylvain says.


During Savage Land's performance at Hellfest, they were joined by many of their famous friends: Andreas Kisser (Sepultura), Shane Embury (Napalm Death), Billy Graziadei (Biohazard) Vincent Dennis (Body Count), Daniel de Jongh (Textures), Silje Wergeland (The Gathering),  Jesper Liveröd (Nasum), Alejandro Montoya (Cultura tres), Poun and Etienne Treton (Black Bomb A) and Chloe Trujilo. Alissa White-Gluz (Arch Enemy) and Sakis Tolis (Rotting Christ) also pledged their support via video. So did Maria Franz from Heilung, who are also partnering with Savage Lands. The Nordic collective are donating $1 for every ticket sold on their US tour to support the non-profit's reforestation efforts.


Some of those artists have already committed to work with Savage Lands on their upcoming album, which will be released by Season of Mist. In the meantime, Sylvain and Dirk are still looking for more festivals and other prominent members of the metal community to join the army of trees.


"Our goals are attainable" Sylvain says. "By converting the land that we purchase into nature sanctuaries, Savage Lands will help set a precedent for environmental activism. But we must act quickly. Ecosystems are still under attack. If we don't, then there won't be any wildlife left to save".


Just listening to their music helps support Savage Lands. 100% of their song royalties fund the non-profit’s preservation efforts in Costa Rica.


Donations can also be made here.














(Top photo - David Gallard)

Rock music stalwarts SEETHER are set to unleash their ninth studio album, "The Surface Seems So Far", this fall, continuing their legacy as champions of raw emotion in a landscape dominated by fleeting trends and manufactured sounds. The first single off the unapologetically aggressive 11-track collection, due out September 20 via Fantasy Records, is the blistering album opener "Judas Mind".

"'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."

Known for their enduring anthems like "Broken", "Fake It" and "Words As Weapons", SEETHER returns with "The Surface Seems So Far", showcasing their 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

During an appearance on the latest episode of the That Metal Interview podcast, Phil Demmel spoke about his working relationship with Kerry King in the SLAYER guitarist's recently unveiled solo project. Asked if Kerry is "this evil guy sitting on a throne on a mountain or is he a down-to-earth guy", the 57-year-old San Francisco Bay Area-based musician, who has previously played with MACHINE HEAD and VIO-LENCE, said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "No, I don't see Kerry as an evil guy at all. I see Kerry as maybe misunderstood. I mean, everybody's got their thing. He's not a perfect dude, but I think that he's kind of misunderstood. I think he's a caring person to his band. He's looking out for us. Like, 'Is this cool?' He's open to any ideas. He's got a vision and he knows his songs and he knows how he wants his product to be represented, but he's not in any way some super-controlling dude."

Referencing the rest of King's solo band, which includes drummer Paul Bostaph (SLAYER),bassist Kyle Sanders (HELLYEAH) and vocalist Mark Osegueda (DEATH ANGEL),Phil continued: "It's been awesome [playing] with all four dudes. We spent a month [on tour in Europe] together, and it was fucking great. And every day we get better as a group, and [I'm] playing with some talented dudes and enjoying it."

King's debut solo album, "From Hell I Rise", was released on May 17 via Reigning Phoenix Music. 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.

Demmel previously talked about his working relationship with King during an April 2024 appearance on the "Talk Louder" podcast. At the time, he said: "If there's one thing that I know with [Kerry] is exactly where he stands and exactly what he's feeling. He has his agenda, of course, but there's no meandering around with the point he's gonna try to get to, and there's no steps being set up to…"

He continued: "[Kerry] gets this stigma of being a fucking asshole or a fucking dick. And he's not. He's a nice dude. And he's an empathetic dude. He's a caring guy about stuff. It's not like he's this hardened dick and blah, blah, blah. There's just not a filter there where [he just says], 'No, I don't like that, or 'I can't do this because' blah, blah, blah. And it's just straight-forward, man. And I wish people would kind of understand that about other people. It's not him being a fucking… well, maybe it could be considered a dick, but that's not his intent. He's just, like, 'I'm not fucking around. I'm not gonna bullshit you.'"

Nearly six months ago, Demmel shared an Instagram Live video in which he spoke about how he ended up being approached to join Kerry's new band. He said: "The way that this came about on my end was SLAYER was on its way through the [San Francisco] Bay Area [during the band's farewell tour] and they played San Jose. I think it was with maybe — NAPALM DEATH opened that one and LAMB OF GOD, and maybe even TESTAMENT played. I think it was maybe the last day of [that leg of] the tour. And this was maybe the summer of [20]18. And I knew that I was on my way out of MACHINE HEAD, and I had approached Kerry kind of, like, 'Hey, what are you doing after SLAYER ends? What do you got going?' And he was kind of, like, 'Ah, I'm sure I'm gonna keep playing with Paul. I'm probably gonna ask [then-SLAYER guitarist] Gary [Holt to play with me in my new band as well].' And that was about it. And so fast forward to my announcing that I was quitting MACHINE HEAD [in September 2018], and the same day Kerry shoots me a text, like, 'That's why you were asking me what I was doing next.' So it was no secret to Kerry that that's what I was interested in doing after. And when the call came to fill in for Gary [at several SLAYER shows in Europe in December 2018] and the way that I came through in that spot really showed those guys a lot. So, Kerry [and me], I remember we at a Raiders game against Denver, which was probably 2019, that he had said, 'Hey, this is what I'm thinking,' and where he committed to me being in the band. So it was pretty fucking awesome."

Phil continued: "So I've been waiting since August of 2019 to be able to announce [that I was in Kerry's new band]. A couple of people knew. [Kerry] wanted it to be a secret, so we didn't kind of share. So that was four and a half years of holding on to the secret. Some would say that it was the best worst-kept secret or the worst best-kept secret. But we're all pretty stoked to get this started."

Regarding how "From Hell I Rise" came together and his contributions to the album, Phil said: "Kerry wrote all the music. He wrote all the lyrics. They had pretty much all of it done for a while. Him and Paul worked on everything. He sent me parts. It was the slowest of the slowest rolls that I've ever been involved with, just due to the quarantine and the singer search. So it took a bit, and it's taken a bit for all of the reasons. I mean, there was a reason for all of it. So it got to a point to where all of us, the guys in the band, were, like, 'Have you heard anything?' 'No, I haven't heard anything.' It was almost like the swimming instructor when you're learning how to swim, and then the instructor keeps backing up. 'Come on, you can make it.' And you're swimming and you're swimming and you're swimming, and they keep backing up. And [it was] all worth it. They recorded the record. I was structuring solos at home. I have a home studio, and I was constructing my leads. And I had 'em done for a bit. And he'd give me a couple of more: 'Hey, why don't you see if you can come up with something over here?' And I wrote a couple of little harmony bits that you don't hear a lot in SLAYER. So I think that that's what sets this band apart, other than Mark's vocals, of course, is the melody in some of my solos. I wrote a few things and I sent 'em to him, and the solo you hear in 'Idle Hands' is the first one that I wrote. And so I had to ask him, I said, 'Are you gonna be okay with my style?' It's kind of different than from what [late SLAYER guitarist] Jeff [Hanneman] and Gary had done, and he was digging it. So I was glad that that was [the case], 'cause it's kind of what I am and what I can bring."

In a February 2024 interview with Rolling Stone, Kerry stated about how Phil came to his new project: "Demmel came out with SLAYER at the end of 2018 to fill in for Gary for four shows. What he did for us, I don't think I could do for any band on the planet. He had basically two days to watch [SLAYER] play so he could know where the pyro was and the tempo of our set. I couldn't do that for JUDAS PRIEST, and I'm a giant PRIEST guy. With this, Bostaph said, 'Hey, what about Demmel [for the new band]?' I texted him. He's like, 'Yeah, I just got done with MACHINE HEAD the day before yesterday.' I went, 'Well, that's kind of perfect.'"

Asked how he and Phil play off each other, Kerry said: "He's more technical than I thought he was. He comes from California thrash like I do. He'd be, like, 'Do you think this solo is too melodic?' I'm, like, 'It's your lead. Unless it's offensively lame, I'm not going to squash it.' I like what he brought to the record, even though it wasn't much, since I didn't let him play rhythm guitar."

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

Photo credit: Jim Louvau

Hanoi Rocks founding member Michael Monroe, along with his bandmates Sami Yaffa (also formerly of Hanoi Rocks), Rich Jones, Steve Conte and Karl Rockfist, will take to the stage at four special shows later this year to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the classic Hanoi Rocks album, Two Steps From The Move.


The band will be playing the album in its entirety with the second half of the show featuring a best of set from all eras of Michael Monroe.


Dates are listed below, tickets on sale this Friday.







September
10 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Pumpehuset
11 - Stockholm, Sweden - Debaser Strand


November
27 - London, England - Electric Ballroom
28 - Wolverhampton, England - KKs Steelmill

Former DELAIN singer Charlotte Wessels has joined forces with EPICA's Simone Simons for Charlotte's mesmerizing new single titled "Dopamine". This track is part of Wessels's first traditional full-length, full-band solo album, "The Obsession", set to be released on September 20, 2024 via Napalm Records. Promising a deeply immersive and evocative experience, the two Dutch symphonic metal legends guide listeners through the emotional landscape of SSRI-induced numbness. "The Obsession" showcases Wessels's most mature work to date, blending progressive and heavier soundscapes with catchy elements.

Supported by her former DELAIN bandmates, who contribute to the album's heavier sound, Wessels is set to bring "The Obsession" to the stage this year. The journey begins with a release show on October 4, 2024 at Utrecht's TivoliVredenburg, followed by a special guest appearance with labelmates KAMELOT and AD INFINITUM in Drachten on October 11, 2024. After these shows, Wessels will join VOLA on their "Friend Of Phantom" European tour 2024, kicking off on November 1.

Wessels comments: "Lyrically, 'Dopamine' deals with SSRI-induced numbness that I experienced a few years ago when I was on Sertraline, a type of antidepressant. While the medication was really helpful, there were so many side effects that I'd never heard of. This song deals with some of them, and while it feels vulnerable to expose the experience, I hope it helps in breaking down the shame and taboo around the topic.

"Simone reached out to me as I was first opening up about this in an interview, and when the first version of 'Dopamine' dropped on Patreon (because, of course, we're each other's Patreons) she texted how much she liked the song. So when we were working on the album version, it only made sense to ask if she'd sing along on the track. I am so happy she agreed and after all of the shared introspection, it was great fun to let loose wearing pink wigs in ball pits and marshmallow pools for the video recordings. Musically, out of the entire new album, 'Dopamine' went through the biggest transformation. What started out as an EDM demo for a collaboration with a dance duo that never happened, became an acoustic 'Song Of The Month' on Patreon, which then had a massive overhaul when rearranging it with Timo. The new band version is an absolute banger, and the beautiful guest vocals by Simone complete the song."

"The Obsession" marks Wessels's Napalm Records debut, and while her earlier solo endeavors — full-length song compilations "Tales From Six Feet Under" (2021) and "Tales From Six Feet Under Vol. II" (2022) — already gained her a remarkable number of devotees, "The Obsession" truly takes her career to the next level.

The new album promises a cohesive exploration of fear and liberation, as well as spellbinding melancholia and dark, catchy elements meeting progressive and heavier soundscapes. The storytelling within the songs gives the multifaceted album even more depth, making "The Obsession" an exciting listening experience and Wessels's most mature solo offering so far.

While still writing and producing the songs in her Six Feet Under basement home studio and sharing their first incarnations with her patrons, Wessels now takes the songs from her new album, "The Obsession", to the next level with a band of her fellow ex-DELAIN cohorts Timo Somers (guitars, additional arrangements),Otto Schimmelpenninck Van Der Oije (bass) and Joey Marin De Boer (drums) as well as Sophia Vernikov (piano/Hammond),contributing to the new heavier sound. The album also features arrangements by Vikram Shankar (SILENT SKIES, PAIN OF SALVATION),cello by Elianne Anemaat, was mixed by Guido Aalbers (MUSE, COLDPLAY, THE GATHERING) and was mastered by Andy VanDette (PORCUPINE TREE, VOLA, DREAM THEATER).

Wessels about the new album: "On the one hand, this album tells a very personal story — through its unintended theme of fear, obsessive thoughts and the escapes from them — and at the same time it represents the joy of finding the song's true forms with everyone involved in the making of this record. That's why I chose 'The Obsession' as a title. It refers to my personal challenges with OCD that inspired many of the songs — but I've also started referring to the band as 'the obsession' because there were moments in the studio with them that truly reminded me of why I'm obsessed with making music in the first place."

Themes of fear, obsessive thoughts and escapism run rampant on the album, presenting dark and heavy on songs like "The Exorcism", "The Crying Room" and "Ode To The West Wind" (featuring Alissa White-Gluz of ARCH ENEMY). In addition, there are songs that offer a more upbeat approach to the subject — like "Dopamine" (featuring Simone Simons of EPICA) which deals with SSRI-induced numbness, or "Praise" — which sings the gospel of needing external validation in order to feel anything. The reimagining of fan favorite "Soft Revolution" won't leave a dry eye in the room, while "Soulstice" and "Serpentine" present an unprecedented dark sensuality. Each song itself functions like an exorcism, an attempt to cast out a little of the fear it deals with.

Wessels states about the guests: "I'm extremely grateful and proud to add Simone Simons and Alissa White-Gluz to the lineup of this album. They are creative powerhouses that I have so much love and respect for. Whenever we get to work together is an absolute treat and they really elevated the songs with their performances."

"The Obsession" track listing:

01. Chasing Sunsets
02. Dopamine
03. The Exorcism
04. Soulstice
05. The Crying Room
06. Ode To The West Wind
07. Serpentine
08. Praise
09. All You Are
10. Vigor And Valor
11. Breathe
12. Soft Revolution (2024)

Kaosis and Michael Angelo Batio combine forces on the nu-prog track, "Arrival Of The Fittest".


Michael Angelo Batio takes a break from touring with Manowar to hit the studio with Kaosis. Batio breaks out his custom double-neck Sawtooth guitar for the appearance.


Michael Angelo Batio is widely recognized as the defining figure of modern heavy metal shredding. He has influenced everyone from Herman Li of DragonForce to Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine. The fact his industry nickname is "Shredgod" validates his importance to metal guitarists globally.




“The instrumental interlude in "Arrival Of The Fittest" called for wizardry. Shredgod built off the mystique of the section with a tasteful flex of his unique and innovative performance techniques.” - Xen, Kaosis vocalist and producer.


According to Modus, Kaosis percussion, the track is about “Being comfortable with leaving negative influences and factors behind in order to grow."


"Arrival Of The Fittest" is the last single on the new Kaosis record, We Are The Future, and it is their most openly prog driven.


Available on all platforms courtesy of Blood Blast Distribution and Rail Records. Watch the video below:

High Parasite, the new band fronted by Aaron Stainthorpe of My Dying Bride, has unveiled their second single, "Grave Intentions", in anticipation of their debut album, Forever We Burn (Candlelight / Spinefarm), scheduled for release on September 27.


Comments bass player Tombs: “The song is a narrative/warning of how overwhelmingly and dangerously obsessed some can become living vicariously through the Internet and social media; the decay of real human interaction/connection, and the reactions to being cut out and blocked from other people’s online life.”


The band has also revealed plans to bring their particular brand of darkness to Nightrain, Bradford on September 28 for an exclusive album release performance. Get ready to experience the raw energy and unique sound of High Parasite. Tickets are available here.




High Parasite's debut single, "Let It Fail", was released last month - a potent blend of bold riffs, memorable choruses, and captivating grooves, enriched with electronic and industrial elements. A nihilistic anthem, it signified the start of a thrilling voyage leading up to the album in September. Find the "Let It Fail" video below.


Stream/download the new single "Grave Intentions" here, and watch the lyric video below:





“This is not a side project. It’s a new touring and recording band, and with Forever We Burn, our debut studio album, we’re showing our love for all things gothic and grand, along with a collective belief that dark music doesn’t have to be confined to the shadows.” - Aaron Stainthorpe


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


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


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


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


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


Pre-order Forever We Burn here.





Forever We Burn tracklisting:


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


"Let It Fail" video:





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


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


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


(Photo - Andy Ford)

Finnish metal band Autumn's Grief have released a new single, "Dead The Absolution". It is taken from the band's upcoming third album, Dead Among The Living, which will be released on October 25th via Inverse Records. 


The band comments: "'The Absolution' is a song about the inner battles of a human being and confessing one's pain and sins to a good friend. While we were choosing the single songs from the third album, 'The Absolution' was one of the favourite songs on everyone's list. It has a special atmosphere starting right from the first notes."


Listen to "The Absolution" on streaming services here. Check out the official lyric video below.







Autumn's Grief takes the listener on a journey through the sorrowful and cinematic metal music landscape filled with beautiful piano melodies, dark and heavy guitars, robust bass and mournful vocals. Founded in 2021 and originated from Finland, Autumn's Grief has released two full albums, The Dead Don't Smile (2021) and Dead By The Dawn (2022). The third album, Dead Among The Living, will be the ending album of the band's Dead Trilogy. The band consists of guitarist Santtu Rosén (Dead End Finland), keyboardist Ville Skön (Willie Dangerr, Synthwave Willie) and vocalist Noora Virtanen (Tulio).





Tracklist:


"The Absolution"
"Dead Among The Living"
"Perfectly Flawed"
"Pushing Up The Daisies"
"The Inquisition"
"Aberration of Light"
"The Skyclad Spell"
"A Light In a Void"
"The Failure"
"Alone"


Line-up:


Vocals - Noora Virtanen
Guitar & Bass - Santtu Rosén
Keyboards - Ville Skön
Jarno Petterinen - Session drums


Photo by Mikko Virtanen

Frameshift mastermind, producer and guitar teacher Henning Pauly has posted a new video to his official YouTube channel, taking a look back at the 70000 Tons Of Metal Cruise 2024. Check it out below.


The 2024 edition of the 70000 Tons Of Metal festival set sail on January 29 to February 2, 2024 from Miami, Florida - Cruise Capital of the World - to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic and back, on board the luxury passenger vessel Freedom of the Seas. The festival once again hosted 60 heavy metal bands spanning all sub-genres and welcome 3,000 metalheads from around the world.







The 2025 edition of 70000 Tons Of Metal, The Original, The World's Biggest Heavy Metal Cruise, will take us back to an absolute fan-favourite port that hasn't been visited in a decade - Ocho Rios, Jamaica! Taking place January 30 – February 3, 2025.


Following is an update from organizers:


"This is your chance to become part of the United Nations of Heavy Metal at Sea – Immerse yourself in a world of pure Metal magic as you soak in rejuvenating hot tubs, feel the warm Caribbean breeze on your skin, and let the powerful Heavy Metal music transport you to another realm.


"Yes, you read that right! The wait is over. The organizers of the 70000 Tons Of Metal festival have announced the Public Sales date for The Original, The World's Biggest Heavy Metal Cruise. Don't miss out on this epic journey from Miami, FL to Ocho Rios, Jamaica and back, taking place from January 30th to February 3rd, 2025.


"Public Sales will start Thursday, July 11th, 2024 at 12 PM, EDT (9 AM, PDT, 18:00 CEST and respectively 17:00 GMT+1).


"With unrestricted festival access, every festival goer can indulge in over 120 shows and special onboard events. Guests will have the opportunity to attend meet and greets for all the bands, intimate masterclasses with select musicians, experience exclusive live album premieres, engage in listening sessions, and so much more. Attendees will also have the opportunity to experience beautiful Ocho Rios, Jamaica with their favorite bands on an "Artist Escorted Shore Excursion", where fans can join band members in activities such as snorkeling, kayaking, boat tours, and other exciting adventures.


"Come on board and see 60 bands perform on the Independence of the Seas with shows spread across four stages, including the iconic Pool Deck Stage, The World’s Biggest Open Air Stage Structure to Ever Sail the Open Seas and bask in the comfort of a hot tub while enjoying the electrifying performances of your favorite metal bands with a delicious cocktail in hand. The 156K+ ton cruise ship boasts numerous onboard amenities, such as bars, lounges, and complimentary dining options."





70000 Tons Of Metal 2025 roster: Arcturus, Benighted, Beyond Creation, Candlemass, Crownshift, Decapitated, Delain, Emperor, Flotsam And Jetsam, HammerFall, In Extremo, Kalmah, Majestica, Mork, Onslaught, Samael, Septicflesh, Sepultura, Sonata Arctica, Stratovarius, Subway To Sally, Tankard, The Kovenant, Unleash The Archers.





70000 Tons Of Metal is The Original, The World's Biggest Heavy Metal Cruise. With ten consecutive sellouts since the inaugural voyage in 2011, this extraordinary and unique floating festival now sails on board some of the largest luxury passenger vessels in the world. Featuring 60 world-class Heavy Metal bands from around the globe performing across four stages, 70000 Tons Of Metal is home to The World's Biggest Open Air Stage Structure to sail the Open Seas. Guests can enjoy the Heavy Metal festival experience of a lifetime with all the benefits that a cruise has to offer: complimentary fine dining, bars that never close, 24-hour room service, as well as the ship’s many amenities.


All 60 bands on board play twice – and there’s four concert locations on board: A concert hall, the Royal Theater, stands tall with five levels. The Star Lounge offers a more personal and local club-like ambiance. Discover the arena-like vibes at Studio B, the third indoor stage available. Lastly, yet undoubtedly the most remarkable, is the Pool Deck Stage: The World’s Biggest Open Air Stage Structure to Sail the Open Seas. This immense stage is accompanied by bars, pools, and even hot tubs that are integrated into the stage itself, allowing guests to indulge in the unique experience of watching their favorite metal bands while soaking in a hot tub.


This four-day Heavy Metal Music Festival and Caribbean vacation offers 3000 metalheads the amazing opportunity to mingle side-by-side with all of the bands on board. With no VIP areas it truly is like everyone has a backstage pass. Not only do guests have unrestricted festival access to 120+ live performances (all bands play twice), every ticket also includes meet & greets with every band, intimate masterclasses with select musicians and exclusive live & listening premieres. Guests also have full access to the “Jamming in International Waters All Star Jam” – a one-of-a-kind jam session featuring a host of musical virtuosos performing classic metal songs together on stage.


Sailors also have the special opportunity to explore a Caribbean dream destination with their favorite band members on an “Artist Escorted Shore Excursion”, another 70000 Tons Of Metal exclusive.


For more details about 70000 Tons Of Metal 2025, including FAQs, vessel amenities and contact information, please visit 70000tons.com.

In a new interview with Chile's iRock, CLUTCH bassist Dan Maines spoke about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band'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 kind of 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. 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 [Fallon, CLUTCH singer] 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."

Vision Divine will release the new album Blood And Angels' Tears on September 20 through Scarlet Records.


The finest Italian prog-power metal prime movers are back for good, once again delivering a handful of glorious and smooth progressive power metal. An epic saga unfolding across two monumental records, with Blood And Angels' Tears as its first part: set in a distant epoch before known civilizations, the narrative revolves around three angels banished from heaven for their indecision during the cataclysmic war between Lucifer and Archangel Michael.


Each album is a chapter in a grand movie-like tale: themes of redemption, unity and resilience permeate the melodic orchestrations and haunting vocals. Experience the cinematic majesty of Blood And Angels' Tears where each note and lyric merges to evoke a timeless struggle and a heroic journey through the realms of ancient myth and fantastical imagination.




Blood And Angels' Tears will be released in the following formats:
- digipack CD
- vinyl LP: 350 marbled red (retail exclusive), 150 marbled blue (mailorder exclusive)
- digital


Artwork by Augusto Silva:





Tracklisting:


“Chapter I: War In Heaven”
“Chapter II: The Ballet Of Blood And Angels’ Tears”
“Chapter III: Once Invincible”
“Chapter IV: Drink Our Blood” (feat. Bulldozer’s AC Wild)
“Chapter V: When Darkness Comes”
“Chapter VI: Preys”
“Chapter VII: A Man On A Mission”
“Chapter VIII: Go East”
“Chapter IX: The Broken Past” (Feat. Fates Warning’s Ray Alder, Twilight Force’s Alle Conti)
“Chapter X: Dice And Dancers”
“Chapter XI: Lost”


(Photo – Andrea Falaschi)

PowerOfMetal.cl has shared the video below, in which former Stratovarius guitarist, Timo Tolkki, performs "The Hands Of Time", from the 1992 Stratovarius album, Twilight Time.


Says PowerOfMetal.cl: "This performance took place at Club Subterraneo on July 5th as part of Timo Tolkki's tour in Chile. This tour marks the return of this classic song to his live set, the last time being back in 2003."


Watch below:

New Zealand hard rock powerhouse, Black Smoke Trigger, have a brand new song out today, "Sun Cries Red", as well as the release date for their debut album Horizons, due August 2, 2024.


Watch the In-Studio Performance Video of "Sun Cries Red":







Black Smoke Trigger peels apart the layers of "Sun Cries Red":


"'Sun Cries Red' came to life while we were in pre-production for the album Horizons. After the initial writing session, we stayed up all night recording the demo. Dan finished his bass part and went to bed; and the rest of us continued on in an alcohol fueled recording session. After going over and over the song adding different layers in our Air-BnB in Nashville, Dan burst out of his room absolutely pissed off that we had been going so long and so loud which was kind of hilarious. We needed to finish the demo so we of course just continued on.


A couple days later when I was recording the guitar solo in the studio, he said, 'Where did that solo come from!?' which was possibly one of the funniest moments from recording the album. After explaining it was written when he was all pissed off that he couldn't sleep, he said, 'Well I didn't realize you were writing epic stuff like that,' it was good fun.


The song lyrically is about looking back at something that is important but neglected, seeing something in a shadow of its former glory. Continuing the recording process, producer Nick Raskulinecz suggested we experiment by adding a string section to the song, Josh ended up writing all those parts and it really took the song to another level."





Black Smoke Trigger will release their debut album, Horizons, on August 2, 2024. Pre-order your copy on CD or Vinyl here. Artwork and tracklisting are as follows:





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














For further details, visit Black Smoke Trigger on Facebook.


(Photo - Andhe Chandler)


 

Lzzy Hale says it was "sweet" of Jon Bon Jovi to say that she should join SKID ROW as the band's new singer.

The 40-year-old Hale, who has fronted her band HALESTORM for more than two and a half decades, handled the vocal duties for SKID ROW for four shows only after the group's fourth frontman since Sebastian Bach's departure — "Swedish Idol" contestant Erik Grönwall — quit the band to focus on his health. She later took to social media to thank SKID ROW for the opportunity and express her hope to rejoin them at some point, but ruled out a full-time position in SKID ROW for the time being.

In a June 2024 interview with Rock Sound where he answered interview questions from some of the magazine's cover stars, including Hale, Jon praised Lzzy, saying: "She should please join SKID ROW. Please, Lzzy Hale, join SKID ROW. Put the two bands [HALESTORM and SKID ROW] together, if you need to. But this is the best thing that happened to Snake [SKID ROW guitarist Dave Sabo] since he met me. [Laughs]"

Recounting how Jon ended up mentioning her name, Lzzy told Heavy Consequence in a new interview (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I got asked to send in a question, a random question, to Jon Bon Jovi, 'cause they were trying to gather questions from musicians to ask him for this interview. And so then the interview comes out, and so I'm getting all these like Google alerts for this interview. I'm, like, 'Oh, cool. I'll listen to what he said to answer my question,' 'cause it's not just me asking questions. And then they mentioned me to him and he's, like, 'Oh, please join SKID ROW. You are the best thing to happen to Snake since he met me.' And all of this stuff about what I can do. And my internal teenager's, like, 'Jon Bon Jovi knows who I am. Oh my God.' And then I'm, like, 'Oh my God. How sweet of him to say all these things.' And then from that, then I'm hearing from my dad, who's, like, 'I remember you blasting…' We [HALESTORM] used to cover [BON JOVI's] 'Living On A Prayer' back in PA [Pennsylvania] bars and stuff, and, and he's, like, you used to listen to [SKID ROW's] 'Slave To The Grind'. What are you thinking right now?' I'm, like, 'I don't know what to think. This is crazy.'"

She continued: "It's like this full-circle… In 1996, if you had told me that this was going to be this beautiful bookend to this story of my journey in rock, I would have said, 'You're a liar. That will never happen to me.' And so the fact that it has, it's so much more than just, like, 'Oh, look, I got mentioned by some rock stars.' It became this beautiful thing that now I can carry forever. That's great. I get to put that on my tombstone. [Laughs]"

A short time after Jon's interview with Rock Sound was first posted online, Lzzy shared the clip on her social media and she wrote in an accompanying message: "What a compliment, what an honor, and what a tremendous piece of advice! Thank you for your kind words and candor @jonbonjovi watch the full interview at @rocksound".

Back in December 2022, Sabo looked back on his childhood friendship with Jon Bon Jovi and how it inspired him and his bandmates to become better songwriters. He told Colombia's W Radio: "First of all, [Jon and I] have been best friends since we were children. He grew up three streets away from where I grew up, so we've known each other for an awfully long time — well over 40 years now. His work ethic and his commitment to music and his perseverance showed me and showed us that it was possible to be able to have success in the music business. He was very, very helpful at the very beginning with our band and he's always been a great mentor to me. And he's always been one hundred percent honest with me regarding all aspects of our relationship. We would always play him our music that we were writing and he would always give us his honest opinion. And he was the one who, at the very beginning, was really pushing us to be better songwriters, to be better musicians, to be a better band. And he was the guy that really instilled in us that being just good isn't good enough. You've gotta aspire to be great. And that was him teaching us that."

Despite the fact that the 1989 debut album from the Sebastian Bach-fronted SKID ROW went five times platinum and produced several hit singles — including "18 And Life", "I Remember You" and "Youth Gone Wild" — there was initially a lot of bitterness surrounding its success, largely due to the fact that in return for the helping hands of Jon Bon Jovi, SKID ROW reportedly had to enter a publishing deal with Jon's then-newly established Underground Music Company in which they waived their rights to publishing royalties. All money was paid to Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora. After a public dispute, Sambora gave his share of the money back to SKID ROW.

Around a decade ago, Bach reflected on the business arrangement he and his then-bandmates made with Bon Jovi, telling ArtScenics TV: "Bon Jovi took us on our first tour and we signed some papers with him that he got a cut of, if we made it big, that he would get compensated for helping us out. Nobody expected us to get as big as we got. Nobody thought that we would become a big band. That happens all the time in the music industry. Jon was, like, 'We'll take you on tour, but if you guys make it big,' then he gets a cut of it. So I was bitter about that for awhile, but then I realized that we probably wouldn't have made it as big, or maybe at all, if he didn't take us."

Back in 2015, Bach told Rodney Holder of Australia's Music Business Facts that he no longer harbored any resentment toward Bon Jovi over the publishing royalties generated by the "Skid Row" album.

"We signed a publishing deal with Bon Jovi's company, which gave him an extremely large cut of the first album," he recalled. "And when that happened, none of us realized it, really, and we were very bitter when we found that out. But our next record debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard chart, so quit your fucking whining. [Laughs] It's, like, I look back… He took us on tour… Nobody thought we'd make it. There was a million bands. We could have been BANG TANGO or TIGERTAILZ or… We could have been… There's a billion bands. We could have been BABYLON A.D. … Anyway, so, the fact that we were one of the bands that did make it was like a needle in the haystack. So for Bon Jovi to put us on the road in front of his crowd every night, that's how we made it. So he deserved to get paid for that. He could have taken any other band. So we re-did all those deals after the first album — for 'Slave To The Grind' and 'Subhuman Race' and the best-of album. We re-did all those."

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A post shared by LZZY HALE (@officiallzzyhale)

Orange County, CA-based classic metal band, Leatherwolf, have released a video for "Nobody", a track from their 2022 album, Kill The Hunted.


Says the band: "Today is the day! ⚡ Here's the full 'Nobody' video we've been promising you. Hope you all dig it and share the heck out of it so we can reach as many metalheads out there as possible. Rawk!" 🎸🎸🎸


The clip, directed by Èric Boadella, can be found below.







Kill The Hunted tracklisting:


"Hit The Dirt"
"Nobody"
"Kill The Hunted"
"Only The Wicked"
"Madhouse"
"Medusa"
"The Henchman"
"(Evil) Empires Fall"
"Road Rage"
"Lights Out Agan"
"Enslaved"


"Nobody" video:





"Only The Wicked" video:





Leatherwolf issued a limited edition double vinyl version of Kill The Hunted, including a bonus track remake of their 1989 Street Ready classic, "Thunder". Retitled "Thunder (MMXXII)", the song features a lead guitar special guest appearance by Joel Hoekstra (Whitesnake, Iconic, Trans-Siberian Orchestra). Copies are available on the band's Big Cartel store, here.

In a new interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen spoke about the band's latest single, "Just Like 73". The track, which features a guest guitar solo from Tom Morello, can be heard below.

Regarding how the Morello collaboration came about, Collen said: "Well, Tom heard my original demo of the song with just me on it, and maybe Joe [Elliott, DEF LEPPARD singer] doing a vocal. And he's, like, 'Oh my God, this is great.' So he told our friend Brian Monaco, who is actually president of Sony Music, and Brian's, like, 'What do you think about Tom being on it? He loves this thing.' And it was, like, 'Yeah, that'd be awesome.'

"You know, I love RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE. I think Tom's really, really cool and his guitar style is so unique and he really didn't let us down. I remember talking to him about it. He said, 'Well, what do you hear?' and I said, 'Well, you gotta do your Tom Morello thing.' And he did. [I] heard it back and said, 'This is absolutely perfect.'

"The song is about us discovering the music that kind of shaped our lives, you know, the [David] Bowie/T. REX period of the very early '70s, and he totally got it, and kind of nailed it. So we're overjoyed about that."

Asked if there is more new music to come from DEF LEPPARD, Phil said: "There is. That was kind of left over from the 'Diamond Star Halos' [album sessions], and we actually hadn't finished it off. We only finished it off this year with everyone playing and singing on it. So, yeah, it was like almost there but not quite for that album.

"We've got this thing now where we write. I was on with Joe on Sunday in Dublin. I was in California, and we were writing a song together and coming up with backing vocal ideas for something else. We are so excited about new stuff. So, it's growing, you know, it's expanding, our whole thing, as opposed to people getting writer's block or something. We're having the complete opposite experience. We're just getting more excited about what we're doing."

Last month, Collen told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about the writing process for "Just Like 73": "We started it when we were doing [2022's] 'Diamond Star Halos' [album], and anyone who doesn't know, that's a line from a Marc Bolan song [from] T. REX. He says 'hubcap diamond star halo'. And me and Joe [Elliott, DEF LEPPARD singer] have always used that phrase to describe the time that we got really baptized into music. I remember seeing [David] Bowie on 'The Old Grey Whistle Test' and 'Top Of The Pops' and was, like, 'Oh my God. This is my guy.' I was, like, 14 or 15. I'd already seen DEEP PURPLE; it my first concert, which was amazing. So, then all of a sudden this glam stuff came out. So we would always describe that as 'Diamond Star Halos'."

Phil continued: "I was writing a song with Dave Bassett, who I wrote 'Kick' with. And the same deal — I really want to put a SLADE slant on the backing vocals and just make it very much about '72 or '73. And Joe heard the demo and he's, like, 'Why can't you have both?' So we did, and then Joe started writing some lyrics because he's obviously really tapped into that, and all the verse lyrics and all the imagery from exactly that 'Diamond Star Halos' period ends up on this song. We actually hadn't finished it, so the rest of the band hadn't even heard the demo, and we played it to everyone and they all loved it. They all put their stuff on it. Viv [guitarist Vivian Campbell] played guitar, Sav [Rick Savage] did [his bass tracks], Rick [Allen, DEF LEPPARD drummer] put his part on and then we had some vocals — everyone had sung on it — and before you know it, it came out like this. So, we're really thrilled. It actually sounds better than the stuff on 'Diamond Star Halos', to my ears. So I'm really excited about that. And it seems that everyone really digs it as well."

Asked if this is a one-off single or the seed of another DEF LEPPARD full-length album, Phil said: "Oh, it's absolutely the seed of another DEF LEPPARD record. I mean, it was a leftover from the album before, but it was also the start of a new album. So, without a doubt. [Joe and I] write all the time. We send each other things. Sav gets in on there. Just between the three of us, there's just a lot of stuff floating around already. So we've, yeah, got a bunch of stuff. It's really exciting. And it's a great place to be. It's never that thing where, 'Well, we've got to sit down and write an album.' It's, like, 'Wow, I can't wait to play this to the guys and see what the reaction is.' And we keep pushing the boat out even further."

Regarding whether he envisions a new DEF LEPPARD full-length album coming out this year, Phil said: "This year would be pushing it, I think this year. But once we kind of get into the groove, I think — yeah. Who knows? Next year [or] early the year after. But you know how these things go. We have these tours and everything, but we've got a new song. So that's really exciting. So that'll be on the go pretty soon."

"Just Like 73" will arrive on seven-inch vinyl on August 2, 2024 and will be available in a special color variant only through the band's D2C store and in black at all retailers.

DEF LEPPARD teased "Just Like 73" on social media earlier in June, sharing an image with two different phone numbers for U.S. and U.K. fans to call.

"Light up the fuel. Just Like 73. Hotline Now Open," the band wrote in an accompanying caption.

Fans who called the phone numbers were able to hear Elliott singing lyrics from the song, which marks the band's first new original music since 2022's "Diamond Star Halos" album.

DEF LEPPARD's 23-city trek with JOURNEY kicked off on July 6 in St. Louis, Missouri and will continue through September 8 in Denver, Colorado. Along the way, the two Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductees will bring their show to stadiums in major cities like Chicago, Nashville, Boston, Toronto, New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco and more. CHEAP TRICK will play two shows at the beginning of the tour and two concerts at the end of the trek, while STEVE MILLER BAND will join the bill for the majority of shows.

The DEF LEPPARD/JOURNEY tour is being promoted by AEG Entertainment.

Both bands are offering VIP packages through their respective web sites.

DEF LEPPARD's VIP experiences include a premium seat, personal photo with the band, exclusive merchandise and more.

DEF LEPPARD's 12th studio album, "Diamond Star Halos", came out in 2022. A year later, the band followed it up with "Drastic Symphonies", a collection of reimagining of some of DEF LEPPARD's greatest hits with London's Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at Abbey Road. The album spent 15 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Current Classical chart.

DEF LEPPARD's 2022 stadium tour across North America with MÖTLEY CRÜE reportedly sold more than 1.3 million tickets.

Today, Jim Peterik & World Stage share "Your Own Hero", the second single from their new album, Roots & Shoots Vol.2, hitting streets August 9 via Frontiers Music Srl. The album follows up the release of Roots & Shoots Vol.1, whose notable guests included Kelly Keagy (Night Ranger), Don Barnes (.38 Special), and Mark Farner (Grand Funk).


Volume 2 presents Jim's collaborations with Mike Reno, Jason Scheff, Toby Hitchcock, The Ides of March, Cathy Richardson (Jefferson Starship), and Neil Donnell (of Chicago). Among the “Shoots,” Sophia Sheth and Kevin Farris appear along with Marc Scherer, who recorded a great album with Peterik in 2015 entitled Risk Everything. Additionally, Dave Mikulskis sings the anthemic opener “American Dreamer”, which was initially released alongside a visualizer which is available below.


World Stage, a concept rooted in musical and spiritual collaborations among artists and friends, is the best representation of Jim Peterik's truly outstanding musical legacy and a testament to his songwriting abilities as one of the true wizards of melodic rock.




Check Out the video for "Your Own Hero":





The Jim Peterik & World Stage concept arose from the idea that the musical and spiritual collaboration of great artists and friends could be truly special.


This idea created a string of records that followed the now close-to-legendary debut album released in the year 2000, where Peterik managed to present his collaboration with such rock luminaries as Dennis DeYoung (ex-Styx), Kevin Cronin (REO Speedwagon), Johnny Van Zant (Lynyrd Skynyrd), Don Barnes (.38 Special), Tom Kiefer (Cinderella) and many more.


That concept resurfaced in 2019 on the Winds of Change album when Jim Peterik was joined by giants of American rock such as Dennis DeYoung again, Kevin Chalfant (ex-The Storm), Matthew and Gunnar Nelson, Kelly Keagy (Night Ranger), Mike Reno (Loverboy), Jason Scheff (ex-Chicago) and more.


Later on, Peterik decided to dedicate an entire album to the 'Women who Rock the World' giving birth to the awesome album Tigress which showed his collaboration with such outstanding singers and musicians like Jennifer Batten, Chloe Lowery, Rosa Laricchiuta, Chez Kane and so many more.


All those albums spotlight the many talents of Jim Peterik, enhanced and embellished by a cast of noted singers and musicians.


Pre-order the new album here.





Roots & Shoots Vol.2 tracklisting:


"American Dreamer" (feat. Dave Mikulskis)
"Your Own Hero" (feat. Mike Reno with Jim Peterik)
"Stronger Than You Know" (feat. Jim Peterik and Dave Mikulskis)
"All That's Mine To Give" (feat. Toby Hitchcock)
"Been To The Mountain" (feat. Jason Scheff)
"Forever Endeavor" (feat. Jim Peterik with Toby Hitchcock)
"Rise Again" (feat. Kevin Farris)
"We Can Fly" (feat. The Ides Of March with Jim Peterik)
"Love Lives" (feat. Jim Peterik with Cathy Richardson )
"Until" (feat. Neil Donnell)
"Hit Of Freedom" (feat. Sophia Sheth)
"The Road To Forever" (feat. Jim Peterik)


American Dreamer" visualizer:





Jim Peterik, through the years, has written or co-written some of rock's most memorable songs: "Vehicle" by The Ides Of March (on which he was lead vocalist), "Eye Of The Tiger," "The Search Is Over," "High On You," and "I Can't Hold Back”. He penned hits for .38 Special such as "Hold On Loosely," "Caught Up In You," "Fantasy Girl," and "Rockin' Into The Night" as well as "Heavy Metal" with Sammy Hagar, and many, many more.


Peterik, now a part of Pride Of Lions with vocalist Toby Hitchcock, is one of the most esteemed and loved recording artists and songwriters on the Frontiers Music label and in the larger melodic rock community.

German thrashers, Eradicator, have released the new single, "The Paradox". The song is the title track of the band's forthcoming new studio album, to be released on September 20th on Metalville Records. The official video for the track can be viewed below.


Lyrically, the first single from Eradicator's sixth album describes the processes of industrial animal fattening and slaughter: the mechanically monotonous and deadly efficiency of a slaughterhouse, inspired Henry Ford to produce his cars on assembly lines. The paradox here is that the godfather of the "assembly line" is animal slaughter. Although the processes of meat production are sufficiently documented, consumers can still ignore the largely cruel facts through selective perception. The text has no claim to moral authority, but rather a descriptive character. Everyone can and may draw their own conclusions from what is being sung about.







The Paradox is undoubtedly the most versatile album by thrashers Eradicator. It will be released in the year of the band's 20th anniversary. The ten new songs deal lyrically with the contradictory nature of being human and present many musical facets, not only of thrash metal. 


The Paradox bears the signature of Eradicator and shows their unbroken joy of playing. The band has now also made a name for itself live. However, the four guys from the Sauerland region in Western Germany are not afraid to refine and develop their new compositions stylistically. On The Paradox, Eradicator begin atmospherically with "Beyond The Shadow's Void": The track develops into a pounding headbanger, only to finally erupt into a thrash thunderstorm. In addition to death metal growls, including in the title track, "The Eleventh Hour (Ramble On)" is the first half-ballad in the band's repertoire. However, Eradicator have by no means forgotten how to swing the thrash club, as they tirelessly prove with "Drown In Chaos", "Hell Smiles Back" and "Fake Dealer," among others. 


The lyrical themes on The Paradox reflect the dichotomy and ambivalence of human action and thought. "Perpetual Sacrifice" is about denigrating the weaker in order to make oneself feel greater and about the reversal between victim and perpetrator. "When The Shooting Begins" is about the paradox of wanting to create peace through war - whereby the truth is usually one of the first victims after the outcry of the weapons. The concluding "Debris Of Demise" is a fictional tale of mankind having to evacuate the planet due to environmental destruction, but the saving ark being unable to leave orbit due to the large amount of space debris. 


Singer / guitarist Seba Stöber comments: "We don't want to make a name for ourselves as moralizers, but rather reflect the issues and problems of our time. As artists, our task is also to stimulate a discourse!"


Like its predecessor, the album was mixed and mastered by Sebastian "Seeb" Levermann (Orden Ogan, Asphyx, Brainstorm), who once again managed to give Eradicator an authentic sound. After 20 years, the four musicians know what they want to sound like, and that's exactly what The Paradox sounds like. 





Tracklist:


"Beyond The Shadow's Void"
"Drown In Chaos"
"When The Shooting Begins"
"Kill Cloud"
"The Paradox"
"Hell Smiles Back"
"The Eleventh Hour (Ramble On)"
"Perpetual Sacrifice"
"Fake Dealer"
"Debris Of Demise"

Progressive death metal duo ENTHEOS has announced a new EP, "An End To Everything", scheduled for release on October 25 through Metal Blade Records.

Merging elements pulled from countless genres — including death metal, groove, grunge, electronica, slam, gothic rock, jazz, prog, and more — and pushing progressive death metal in ever more imaginative directions, ENTHEOS continues to progress with each new release.

Comments vocalist Chaney Crabb on their latest output: "'An End To Everything''s title and lyrics are significant on a personal level and depict an era in my life that ended with the death of a close friend because of addiction. This person had thrived in life against many odds, but ultimately succumbed as a result of their own poor decisions. 'An End To Everything' is about the nature of the darkness of life and the human experience.

"Musically, our goal on this EP was to write five songs that could both stand on their own as singles and be cohesive as a collection. As always, we aimed to incorporate many different musical influences and blend them in a succinct way. Over the span of three months, we worked from the demo stages to completion alongside Mark Lewis, who co-produced and engineered the EP, to make five tracks that are uniquely 'ENTHEOS,' and we are incredibly proud of the result."

In advance of the release, the band today unveils a video for the track "All For Nothing". Crabb elaborates: "'All For Nothing' is a song about existential reflection and the idea that, no matter how significant the things that we seek in this life seem, they may serve no purpose in the grand scheme of things. Musically, we wanted to write a more straightforward, catchy death metal song and incorporate a 'big chorus' ending."

Watch ENTHEOS's "All For Nothing" video, directed by My Good Eye Visuals, below.

"An End To Everything" track listing:

01. An End To Everything
02. All For Nothing
03. Life In Slow Motion
04. A Thousand Days
05. Return To Me
06. Absolute Zero (Live In Nashville) *
07. In Purgatory (Live In Nashville) *
08. I Am The Void (Live In Nashville) *

* Vinyl-only track

ENTHEOS is currently on tour in the U.S. as the support act for AS I LAY DYING. The journey commenced on July 9 and runs through August 10. Additional support is being provided by CHELSEA GRIN. The band has also announced several headlining shows throughout the trek.

ENTHEOS is:

Chaney Crabb - vocals
Navene Koperweis - drums, guitar

In a new interview with the "Broken Record" podcast, SYSTEM OF A DOWN singer Serj Tankian was asked if it makes him sad that he and his bandmates haven't been able to make a new studio album, nearly two decades after the arrival of "Mezmerize" and "Hypnotize" LPs, which came out in 2005. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Creatively, I keep on making music and making art and doing creatively what I'm meant to do. And if the opportunity arises for us to work together in an egalitarian fashion in the right way with the right vibe and the right influence, then we'll do it.

"In 2020, we put out two songs because there was the invasion of Artsakh and Armenia happening by Azerbaijan during COVID, and people didn't know about what was going on so we used the band and putting out new music as an opportunity to spread awareness and we were successful in doing so," he explained. "So hopefully it's not just the decimation of our people that's gonna take SYSTEM OF A DOWN writing new music, but I think when that time is, and I don't know if it is ever or if it will be, that would be amazing. But I don't get sad by it, because to me it is what it is. When it's right, then it happens. When it's not, it shouldn't happen."

Asked if he would be okay with SYSTEM OF A DOWN going on without him, with a different singer in his place, Serj said: "Absolutely. I've offered them that opportunity and been very supportive of it many years. If they wanted to do that, if they wanted to continue in a way that I didn't — for example, if they wanted to tour a lot and I just wanna do a couple of shows here and there, because I'm not into touring a lot, to be fair to them, if they wanted to do that, I'm totally open to it still. I'm not sure they want to do that. They haven't until now, and I think it would take something away from the prestige and legacy of the band itself, but as friends and as someone who cares very much about my partners, I would be okay with it."

Regarding what it is about the four members of SYSTEM OF A DOWN as individuals, the alchemy of them together, that makes the band so great as a unit, Serj said: "Everything that each person is — from their personality to their playing style to how they think, how they feel and the combination thereof — make SYSTEM OF A DOWN what it is. If you take any particle away from this compound, it's not going to be SYSTEM OF A DOWN. It could be calledSYSTEM OF A DOWN, but it's not going to really be SYSTEM OF A DOWN. Even the stubbornness and the creative differences, everything, the push and pull, the manicness, the calmness, all of the above is what makes who we are."

Last month, Serj was asked by Metal Hammer magazine about comments from his SYSTEM bandmate John Dolmayan last year in which the drummer claimed that Serj "hasn't wanted to be in the band for a long time." Serj said: "John means the world to me. He's my brother-in-law, I love him, and I saw him just yesterday, but there are times he's got mad and said fucking shit. And look, there's times I've gotten mad and said fucking shit, too. The option has always been there for the band to move on without me, and John knows that.

"In the end, to me SYSTEM OF A DOWN is beyond the band," he continued. "It's our relationship together. And it means more to me than the band itself, or even the music itself. And that is hard for other people, maybe even other people in the band, to understand. But, as I saw from the stage at Sick New World [festival in Las Vegas] last year, the multi-generational appeal of the music we have made is mind-blowing, bro. Our music is more timeless than we ever imagined, and that is the hugest compliment for any artist."

In his recently released memoir, "Down With The System", Serj revealed that his SYSTEM OF A DOWN bandmates had auditioned a new vocalist after he had asked out of the group in 2017. Serj said that his disdain for touring led to his decision to tell his bandmates to carry on without him so they could continue living their dream. Tankian later learned that the band had begun looking at new singers, and he also shared that in "more recent years", he had pitched a close friend as a potential replacement but he didn't think the band ever seriously considered the offer.

Two months ago, Serj spoke to the Soul Boom With Rainn Wilson podcast about his reluctance to embrace the touring lifestyle that characterized SYSTEM OF A DOWN's early years. He said: "We've had incredible, unexpected success as a very far-flung kind of progressive metal band with our 'Toxicity' record in 2001 and touring and doing what we did. And after many years of touring, when we were making the last few records which we made together, 'Mezmerize' and 'Hypnotize' — those recordings were done at the same time, then released as two records within six months of each other in 2005 and 2006 — before those sessions, when we first started those sessions, I told the [other] guys [in the band], 'Guys, this kind of cyclical thing that we're doing with making records for a year, touring for two years at that time, doing all this promo publicity,' it was just cyclical. It was, like, 'I've gotta stop. And I also wanna do my own thing. I have other artistic adventures that I wanna get on.'"

He continued: "Part of it was we had so much creativity and input coming into the band, specifically with Daron's [Malakian, SYSTEM OF A DOWN guitarist and vocalist] songwriting and me wanting to bring in music as well, because, over time, he became a better lyricist and I became a better musical songwriter, a better composer, so it became kind of like a push and pull, which is really good for bands, actually, 'cause it's a yin-and-yang kind of thing — two strong, creative forces. And it also broken up so many bands. So, before 'Mezmerize' and 'Hypnotize', I basically told the guys, 'Listen, I'd like to take a hiatus. I'm not saying I never wanna do this, but I'm saying I can't do this right now anymore. And I wanna do my own thing and also take time off and have a life, and all of that stuff.' It wasn't taken well at the time. I won't get into that. But years later, we started touring again in 2011, and it became a fun thing, 'cause it left… Nothing was totally resolved creatively, but it became a fun thing because we at least put everything to the side and said, 'Look, we're friends, we're brothers. We've known each other for a long time. We still respect and love each other. Let's go have fun and tour together.' And we've been doing that since. Not as much as they would like, let's say, or I'm not gonna speak for each and every person of the band, because that wouldn't be fair of me either. But generally I'm the least person that wants to tour. Part of that is physical, because it's tiring. I've done it for 20, 25 years, and I had back surgery a few years ago. I'm much better now and all of that. But part of it is that. Part of it is that it's artistically redundant after a while, because it's 'Groundhog Day'; you're repeating yourself. David Bowie said the first two weeks of every tour is basically — I'm paraphrasing — creative; after that, it's redundant, kind of thing, which is correct. So it's that. But I do enjoy playing with the guys, and when it's a one-off, it's actually fun, 'cause there's no pressure to do this whole rigamarang of a long tour or press or anything. You just rehearse together, make your dumb jokes, have food together, and then go and play that one show and it becomes a hoorah. So that's what we've been doing. And I'm grateful for that."

Tankian, who is promoting his memoir, previously addressed how his relationship with Malakian has evolved over the years, particularly as it relates to their collaborative partnership, in May in an interview with Tom Power, host of "Q" on Canada's CBC Radio One. He said: "Well, changing the dynamic is basically years of time and the progression of the band, the success of the band, everything that happened in between the day that we met and now, basically, so 25, 30 years. A lot changes in that time. And so I think that's a part of it.

"Daron's been a lifer and he's incredibly serious about his music and he's incredibly protective of his music and vulnerable due to his music," Serj explained. "All of those things kind of go together. So it's those things, I think, that created some of the creative differences that we started finding. And it's also our progression. Listen, when Daron and I started working together, I didn't really write a lot of instrumental music — I mostly wrote lyrics; I was the lyricist; I was the singer. And he didn't write any lyrics; he just wrote music. But as time progressed and I played more musical instruments and I started becoming a songwriter/composer and he started writing more lyrics, we started kind of covering each other's territory. And I was okay with that. If he wrote lyrics, I was trying to encourage him to write more, because I believe in artistic growth. I believe in progression. I don't believe in things staying the same way, for music's sake. Otherwise the music becomes the same thing over and over again. That progression is necessary in every artist's life or in every group's life. So I was very encouraging of that. And I just wish that I got some of that back. And so that wasn't the case, and it was disappointing. And it became a creative difference over the band's path, and whatnot, over time."

Asked why he wanted to write about this in his book, Serj said: "A lot of it has been publicized in a very sensationalist format by media, music media mostly, and I kind of wanted to put it in a proper perspective and grounding perspective, but with love and with balance and understanding that these things happen. This is normal. You have a relationship and you have differences in opinion as [to] how you wanna go forward, whether it's a band or a marriage or whatever it is. And these things happen. And so I wanted to take that aspect out, I wanted to take the sensationalist aspect out of the whole thing and be, like, this is not only what happened, but this is how I see things."

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

"We haven't been making new music," Serj said. "We only put out two songs when the invasion of Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh happened in 2020 by Azerbaijan, because we felt like the Azeri trolls, the government-sponsored trolls were taking over social media and the news networks, and the victims of these attacks weren't getting the word out. So we became kind of obsessed with getting the word out, because we were seeing our people suffer. So we put out those two songs because of that and we donated a lot of the proceeds for that to the cause as well."

Asked how he balances the love and obligation he might feel toward his fans, those who love SYSTEM OF A DOWN, and the internal struggles within the band, Tankian said: "That's an incredibly smart question. It's really hard catering — when you're an artist, it's really hard catering. If you're an entertainer, catering is [what you do], but if you're an artist, then you're just creating what comes to you. You're almost unaware of what people want. Yes, if it's something heavier, you know people are gonna like it more. But if you're a good songwriter, you could do both. I do orchestral music, I do film music, I do rock music — I do it all. So I enjoy 'em all, but I know that if I do rock, more people are going to listen to it than a piano, instrumental orchestral piece of music, soundtrack kind of music. But it doesn't mean that you don't do both, as an artist. So it's hard to really cater to people's feelings. What I love is, and I know that I can speak for the rest of the guys in the band, that no matter what's going on with our creative difference or the band not making new music or not touring fully or whatever, everyone's incredibly appreciative of what we have in terms of the love that we get from our fans and the way that people react to our music and the way that we get all these e-mails about how it's changed people's lives and all of that stuff, and that is mind-blowing. It's the biggest honor. And when I meet people on the street, I'm still incredibly honored that someone would pick me out and look at me in a positive light, not knowing who I am personally, but knowing me through my music, through our music, let's say. And I think that's a great fucking honor. I feel blessed for it. But it doesn't mean that that thing should continue forever either."

SYSTEM OF A DOWN played its first live show in 11 months on April 27 as one of the headliners of the Sick New World festival in Las Vegas, Nevada for the second year in a row.

"Down With The System" was released on May 14 via Hachette Books.