Six vehicles from the private collection of METALLICA's James Hetfield are being displayed at the American Automobile Experience in Kearney, Nebraska. The cars were transported from the Peterson Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.

Blueprint Engines and local Kearney donors reached out to the Los Angeles car museum and struck a deal to have Hetfield's cars on loan for a year.

Pete Stout, director of business for Blueprint Engines, said about Hetfield: "He is a huge car guy and he wanted to be able to share some of his private collection with the world. Here at the American Automobile Experience here in Kearney, we're excited to have this fabulous display of vehicles here for a year."

The six cars from the collection are:

1932 Ford Roadster - "Blackjack"
1936 Auburn 852 Speedster - "Slow Burn"
1936 Ford Coupe - "Iron Fist"
1937 Ford Coupe - "Crimson Ghost"
1937 Lincoln Zephyr - "Voodoo Priest"
1956 Ford F-100 - "Str8 Edge"

In 2019, Hetfield donated his car collection to the Petersen Automotive Museum. James has always been a car guy and shares his car journey to one of the coolest custom car collections around. Hetfield has described seeing cars in the same way he sees music: as forms of freedom and expression that convey the passions of their creator.

Best known as a co-founder, songwriter, singer and guitarist for the heavy metal band METALLICA, Hetfield has also gained recognition in the automotive world for his unique collection of entirely bespoke vehicles. While the vast majority of collectors acquire vehicles by purchasing pre-existing examples, Hetfield elected instead to build his from scratch, channeling creativity often reserved for his music into the production of rolling sculptures.

Speaking to MotorTrend about his decision to donate the cars, Hetfield said: "I had a vision of not having to take care of these cars anymore because at some point... when I have these cars, at some point they have me. It takes a lot of time and effort to keep these things up and running, and in good condition. They were going to be either auctioned or donated or something. Then that did actually happen.

"I'm super grateful that the Petersen Museum was able to take the collection and keep it all together. That's the one thing that I was really disappointed about, the fact that if they went to auction and they all went off somewhere different they wouldn't be living together anymore, and it wouldn't be as a collection. I think word got around to them, and they offered to take the collection. I was stoked. As far as the prestige of the Petersen Museum, and my collection being in there, it's a huge honor. It really is."

Asked if he misses the cars yet, Hetfield said: "I get to look at them every day in my book, man. Yeah, I miss driving certain cars and just being around them but, you know, they served their purpose. I got to get creative. I got to help other people get creative, all the different guys: Robert Roling, and Scott Mugford, and Josh Mills, the De Leys. I got to work with some awesome, historical people. Art Himsl, who did the paint on the Skylark. Darryl Hollenbeck. I met a lot of great people who have some old-school craftwork in their blood, which I love. I got to do these things. Now other people get to look at them."

A book about Hetfield's cars, "Reclaimed Rust: The Four-Wheeled Creations Of James Hetfield", was released in July 2020 via Insight Editions. In the book, Hetfield opened up his garage for an exclusive tour of the highlights of his incredible collection of restored and customized classic cars.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Visit Kearney Nebraska (@visitkearney)

STRYPER frontman Michael Sweet has blasted the common misconception that "all rock stars are rich."

The 61-year-old musician, who was born in California but currently resides in Massachusetts, addressed the challenges facing musicians and songwriters in today's competitive music industry in a social media post on Friday (July 5). He wrote:
"Music is an extremely tough business. If you're not tough, you'll never make it in this business. Or at least, you won't go far.
It takes hard work, disipline and determination. Relentless. Even then, it's not easy. A constant up and down battle of trying to balance everything. Spending money to make money, making money to spend money. Balancing budgets and trying to constantly and continuously makes things work financially. And even if you are very successful, you must still be very cautious and smart. Invest, save, budget. Don't make the mistake of 'living like a rock star'. Live modestly and think about the future.

"Success in the music business is seasonal," he continued. "On and off. This is why you must have great management. People who know how to direct you on your path but more importantly, keep you from going bankrupt.

"Most musicians don't think about finances. They overspend and under save. Eventually you'll find yourself in a disastrous situation. You have to be smart with your success. There is also a huge misconception that all rock stars are rich and wealthy. It's all relative to what you invest (time, effort, labor) back into it but it's really not a 'big return' business. The pay off for me is to get to do what I love! That's my return! Regarding finances? I'm blessed to have a smart wife and great management so I don't spend all my money on guitars and amps. But at the same time, we don't make a lot comparatively. For the time and effort we put into everything it's probably less than minimum wage to be honest.

"What's my point? If you're in music or getting into music - Be smart," he added. "Be wise. Be frugal. It won't be an easy journey or a smooth road. You will feel bumps along the way and even fall into some deep holes (wondering how you will get out). If you have a calling on your life and you know that you're put on this earth to bless people with music, never give up. Never stop. Keep investing back into that calling and you will be blessed for doing so. You'll thank me later".

One of Sweet's Facebook followers seemingly questioned the singer/guitarist's claims, writing in the comments section below Michael's post: "Celebrity net worth has you worth 3 million dollars , well and truly out of the ordinary guys range , enjoy it , but us fans working a 9 to 5 grind could only dream of that". This prompted Sweet to respond: "And you believe that? They have Perry [Richardson, STRYPER and ex-FIREHOUSE bassist] listed as being worth millions and millions. We laugh at that all the time. We're not loaded pal."

Last month, STRYPER released a new single, "End Of Days". It is the first new music from STRYPER since the arrival of 2022's "The Final Battle" album.

The band's 40th-anniversary tour will 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 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.

Music is an extremely tough business. If you're not tough, you'll never make it in this business. Or at least, you won't...

Posted by Michael Sweet on Friday, July 5, 2024

Almost a month after the release of their first video clip/single “My Insane”, Greek modern heavy metallers Heavenblack are striking back with their second single. This one is for the track “Orphan”.


Bassist Giannis Verios comments: “Our character manages the Herculean task of taking over the world, though within his satisfaction he felt a gap that he could not ignore. On his newfound mission to seek a solution he starts looking back on his life, a task even harder for him since he was an orphan.”


The cover art for the “Orphan”, which can be found below, has been made by Dimitris Varvarigos, based on the concept of Kosmas Hiolos.




Heavenblack’s upcoming debut album entitled Blindfolded is a concept album and it is set for release on August 9, 2024 via Sleaszy Rider Records.





“My Insane”:





Heavenblack is:
Marios Kouroupis – Vocals
Ioannis Patakakis – Guitars
Dimitris Varvarigos – Guitars, Vocals
Mantalena Krikelli – Drums
Giannis Verios – Bass

Lausanne-based instrumental psych-rock act, Monkey3, have released a visualizer for "Collapse", featured on their new studio album, Welcome To The Machine, out now on Napalm Records. Watch below:





The Welcome To The Machine album was recorded and mixed by Raphaël Bovey at Blend Studio and MyRoom Studio, and was mastered by Lad Agabekov at Caduceus Studios in Switzerland. The incredible cover artwork was created by Sebastian Jerke.




Order here.





Welcome To The Machine tracklisting:


"Ignition"
"Collision"
"Kali Yuga"
"Rackman"
"Collapse"


"Ignition" visualizer:






"Kali Yuga" video:





"Rackman" visualizer:





Monkey3 is:


Walter - Drums
Jalil - Bass
Boris - Guitars
dB - Keys and Sounds


(Photo - Giuseppe Aufiero)

This summer, hot on the heels of last year’s bombastic studio album The Passion Of Dionysus, the first two Virgin Steele albums will be reissued and hitting the streets on August 23.


Main man David DeFeis has dubbed each new release "The Anniversary Edition." He completely remixed each album from the original multi-tracks and included new liner notes and previously unreleased photos creating exceptional editions of these landmark albums.


Regarding the first album DeFeis comments: ”I added that additional title because one, this is indeed a very special re-issue. And two…this is a celebration. Every song on the album has been lovingly restored, with faith, heart & Steele. Incredibly for the most part, the original multi-track tapes held up quite well, but now and again some creative decisions had to be made, which not only did not at all hinder the record’s resurrection, but in the end, actually resulted in making the album stronger, and the songs even more interesting. The original fire has been kept…enhanced, and sonically there is greater definition all around. You can really appreciate the explosive performances from everyone. It’s like being back in the studio the day it was recorded.




"In addition to the inclusion of the early demos, we were also able to include several new bonus tracks including a new thrashing doom-type song called 'Hell From Beyond The Stars', plus an alternate version of 'The Fire God,' and a new over the top version of the song 'Virgin Steele' (New Orchestral Version).”.





Virgin Steele I - The Anniversary Edition tracklisting:


"Minuet In G Minor" - (Anniversary Re-Mix)
"Danger Zone" - (Anniversary Re-Mix)
"American Girl" - (Anniversary Re-Mix)
"Dead End Kids" - (Anniversary Re-Mix)
"Drive On Thru" - (Anniversary Re-Mix)
"Lothlorien" (Orchestral Version) - (Anniversary Re-Mix)
"Still In Love With You" - (Anniversary Re-Mix)
"Children Of The Storm" - (Anniversary Re-Mix)
"Pictures On You" - (Anniversary Re-Mix)
"Pulverizer" - (Anniversary Re-Mix)
"Living In Sin" - (Anniversary Re-Mix)
"Virgin Steele" - (Anniversary Re-Mix)
"The Lesson" (Demo) - (Anniversary Re-Mix)
"Life Of Crime" (Demo) - (Anniversary Re-Mix)


About Guardians Of The Flame - The Anniversary Edition, DeFeis had this to share: "It was a joy to go back to the original multi-tracks, listen and find all the various outtakes, studio chatter, and even a long-forgotten piano solo that I had done. In resurrecting this album, I did my best to try to preserve the original feel and integrity of what we were trying to achieve, while at the same time hoping to make it sonically clearer and more direct. The original energy and exuberant fire remain…and there is greater definition all around.


“ ...for me, it feels like being back in those days again only with the knowledge gained from having lived several lives since then. The full album is represented in its original entirety, plus we have included the tracks from the extended play single we had issued right after Guardians, which featured the songs 'I Am The One,' 'Go Down Fighting' and 'Wait For The Night' and… in addition, we were also able to include several new bonus tracks, such as the lost diabolical piano solo…'Chaos Caprice,' (from the original Guardians sessions), a new alternate version of the song 'Desert Plains', a brand new track called 'Dirty Blonde Angel,' (that I had actually written for the Age Of Consent album but we had never recorded until now), and there is also another bonus track in the form of 'The Heaven's Door Suite,' which contains a re-written cover of the song 'Knockin' On Heaven's Door' combined with new music that I crafted…”





Guardians Of The Flame - The Anniversary Edition tracklisting:


"Don’t Say Goodbye (Tonight)" - (Anniversary Re-Mix)
"Burn The Sun" - (Anniversary Re-Mix)
"Life Of Crime" - (Anniversary Re-Mix)
"The Redeemer" - (Anniversary Re-Mix)
"Birth Through Fire" - (Anniversary Re-Mix)
"Guardians Of The Flame" - (Anniversary Re-Mix)
"Metal City" - (Anniversary Re-Mix)
"Hell Or High Water" - (Anniversary Re-Mix)
"Go All The Way" - (Anniversary Re-Mix)
"Chaos Caprice" - (Piano Solo From The Original 'guardians' Sessions)
"A Cry In The Night" - (Anniversary Re-Mix)
"I Am The One" - (Anniversary Re-Mix, Bonus Ep Track)
"Go Down Fighting" - (Anniversary Re-Mix, Bonus Ep Track)
"Wait For The Night" - (Anniversary Re-Mix, Bonus Ep Track)
"Desert Plains" - (Alternate Version Bonus Track)
"Dirty Blonde Angel" - (New Bonus Track)
"The Heaven’s Door Suite" - (New Bonus Track)


Both reissues will be released on August 23 in the following formats:


- CD DigiPak
- 2LP Gatefold (in black vinyl)
- Download & Stream
 
Pre-Order Virgin Steele I - The Anniversary Edition here. Pre-Order Guardians Of The Flame - The Anniversary Edition here.

Vixen performed a free show on Saturday (July 6) at Wolf Den at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut, and YouTube user Alan Selavka has uploaded video from the show. Watch below.


The concert was Vixen's second show with new singer, Rosa Laricchiuta, who replaces Lorraine Lewis in the band lineup. It was revealed in late May that Vixen and Lewis had gone their separate ways.













Vixen are scheduled to perform next on July 13 at Spirit Mountain Casino in Grand Ronde, OR. Find the band's tour itinerary here.

Following the explosive acclaim and surprise release of their first new single in five years, "Burden", Grammy-nominated metallers AS I LAY DYING return with another brand-new single. Coinciding with today's kick-off of their USA headline tour in northern California, the new single, "The Cave We Fear To Enter", is available to stream now via Napalm Records and impacts with a new music video directed by Tom Flynn.

The lyrical concept behind "The Cave We Fear To Enter" began with an idea from bass player/vocalist Ryan Neff, inspiring vocalist Tim Lambesis to develop the lyrical message further. The balladic track begins pensively before charging into an emotive melodic metalcore opus. Like "Burden", the new track was co-produced by guitarist Phil Sgrosso and Hiram Hernandez, mixed by Aaron Chaparian and mastered by Ted Jensen.

Lambesis states about "The Cave We Fear To Enter": "This is the first time I've written lyrics based on an idea started by someone else in the band. Sometimes when we try out different melodies, we'll temporarily use words that just happen to fit as a placeholder. But on this song, Ryan chose words that he felt represented what he had been processing leading up to the demo. It felt right for me leave that therapeutic expression in place. So, when I took over, the imagery of a cave where you face your fears came to mind. While I only know a little of Joseph Campbell's work, the imagery brought to mind a quote of his that I remembered and used for inspiration as well."

Sgrosso adds: "'The Cave We Fear To Enter' may be one of our most adventurous songs to date. We broke out of a lot of old habits and formulaic moves to create something that touches on a lot of emotional elements we haven't explored so deeply before. From its inception, it was instantly a favorite for all of us.

"We really enjoyed collaborating with Tom Flynn on the video to combine the storylines between 'Burden' and 'The Cave We Fear to Enter', continuing the journey of the character through new environments and circumstances. It was a lot of fun to take new creative risks to tell this story visually alongside the somber and uplifting nature of the song."

AS I LAY DYING's USA tour with support from CHELSEA GRIN and ENTHEOS will launch tonight in Santa Cruz, California. This fall, European fans can catch AS I LAY DYING on their "Through Storms Ahead Tour" tour, beginning November 15 in Würzburg, Germany.

During an appearance on the Loaded Radio podcast, Lambesis was asked about the status of AS I LAY DYING's recently recorded new studio album. He said: "We've had this back and forth mixing the record, where the record has been done for quite a while and we're just trying to find the right representation of the sound. With modern music, there's so many… 'Cause classically, as an example, there used to be five or six guys that were great at mixing metal and now you have so many different approaches to it. And we're just really trying to find that sound where it marries together the nostalgic sound AS I LAY DYING is known for with a little bit of a modern twist to it. And for whatever reason, that part's been delaying the process, but the record's actually done. [It] just needs to finish the mix."

As if an album title has already been decided upon, Tim said: "Shoot. I wish I could actually give you the title. Unfortunately, Phil, our guitar player, and I have a slight disagreement over what the album title should be. We both love the same concept and we're just sort of toying with the words a little bit."

Regarding the sound of the upcoming AS I LAY DYING album, Tim said: "I wrote one of the heavy-leaning songs in the record. I feel like it's one of the heaviest songs that's ever been in the AS I LAY DYING catalog, and then Phil wrote a lot of melodic songs that are sort of… Both of us worked on some songs that are sort of in the middle, I guess you could say. And then he worked on a couple, I think, that stretch in a new sense of melody for us. It's not necessarily anything groundbreaking — it's not gonna shatter people's minds, like, 'Oh, my gosh. It barely sounds like AS I LAY DYING.' But just kind of stretch our sound a little bit in each direction."

Asked if working with this new lineup for AS I LAY DYING is "a breath of fresh air" for him, Tim said: "Yeah, a breath of fresh air is really the best way to describe it because you have this situation where Phil and I have been writing songs together for 20 years, or a little more than 20 years at this point, or, actually, about 20 exactly right now. And we have our method down, and that's been the same regardless of who's been in the band in terms of… When it comes to writing an album, the two of us feel a lot of pressures on our shoulders. And then sometimes you get guys in the band that, over time, and it's not a complaint, this just happens, this is natural, it's just, over time, they're not in the primary songwriting role and so they feel a little bit uninterested or fatigued or lose their passion over time because they're not part of the core songwriting. And I think what happens when these new guys have come in, not only are they able to kind of contribute to the way that they put their stamp on each song, but for Phil and I, we're thinking… Knowing how Nick Pierce plays drums, as an example, we can write songs around his ability as a drummer. And it kind of gives Phil and I this excitement for writing again. And then thinking about Ryan's voice, being a voice that's never been on an AS I LAY DYING record before as a second vocalist, and I start to think, like, 'Wow, I can really experiment and try all these different things.' And he's just down to do everything to try… Not all my ideas are good, but he's down to try a hundred different things. And he has just an incredible work ethic. So those are a couple of examples of why it feels refreshed and very exciting for Phil and I, even though the process is sort of the same in a lot of ways as well."

Asked if he still sometimes wishes that the classic lineup of AS I LAY DYING had stuck together and managed to move forward, Tim said: "Well, I will always owe a lot to the years of hard work we spent in a van in some of the earlier days and then, of course, in a bus touring together for so many years. And so for that reason, I do appreciate and have a great sense of gratitude for, I guess, what people call the classic lineup. In a behind-the-scenes kind of situation, I do feel like I don't really miss some of the behind-the-scenes stuff, and not because I have anything more to say, but I think over time people just, they can't keep the same sense of excitement about something when they're not putting their stamp on the sound creatively. And it's not that we were ever like closing the door for Nick [Hipa, former AS I LAY DYING guitarist] or Jordan [Mancino, former AS I LAY DYING drummer] to be able to write songs, as an example, but in reality, that just never happened. They weren't really a big part of the creative contribution. I think it just connects people differently. And so Phil and I end up more passionately connected because every song that comes out, there's a huge part of our creative output that's in that song. And I think it just makes us connected more uniquely. And with those guys, I think they lost the connection to the band over time. And then it just became more about like interpersonal issues that every band has. And that's not fun to focus on. So I enjoy this new era where everybody just shows up to the studio shows up to a live show and is just excited to be there. And, it makes me feel like I'm in my twenties again."

Pressed about whether he still communicates with Jordan or Nick at all, Tim said: "We actually all live in the same city — well, the greater San Diego area. And surprisingly, we don't run into each other much. My door is open. I'm probably an overcommunicator [laughs], so if they ever wanted to talk. I'd probably be willing to talk, or listen or whatever — just in terms of just general communication. I'm just interested… 'Cause I think that if you haven't talked to somebody in a year, as an example — I haven't talked to either of those guys in a year, as an example — and so much happens in life. People can have drastic life events and things that have affected them personally. And even if we feel like we've gotten to the bottom of everything, we have no reason to really keep rehashing or talking about old issues, I think there's always something new and exciting to talk about. So my door's open. But we haven't talked in quite a while."

In June 2023, Tim told Graspop Metal Meeting about AS I LAY DYING's upcoming LP: "We partly self-produced [it], and then we also worked with another producer. So we spent about a year working on the album by ourselves before we gave it to the producer."

Regarding how the addition of new members Pierce, Neff and Susi has affected AS I LAY DYING's sound, Tim said: "Well, [Nick, Ryan and Ken are] new for us, but, obviously, the guys have been around playing music for 20 years themselves. We're familiar, just having spent so much time with UNEARTH, and then MISS MAY I having a pretty similar sound.

"The songwriting within AS I LAY DYING has historically been mostlyPhil and I," he continued. "Josh [Gilbert], our previous bass player, helped. But the core of the songwriting is the same. So this additional layer that we get from these new guys is almost like breathing fresh new air… a breath of fresh air."

In September 2022, Lambesis addressed AS I LAY DYING's lineup changes in an interview with Metalshop TV. He said: "I think for our fans, they think that the changes happened all in a very short period of time, but they actually happened over [a period of] two years. The first change was on guitar we invited Ken Susi to fill in for us. And that was [around 2020] that we invited him. But then, of course, the pandemic happened and so we had a lot of breaks until we had a tour again. So Ken's been rehearsing with us, or talking about rehearsing with us, for [a] couple of years. And on drums we have Nick Pierce, who joined us. Nick Pierce was previously in UNEARTH; Ken is from UNEARTH as well. And Nick stopped playing with UNEARTH and coincidentally at the same time we needed a drummer, because our previous drummer hadn't been communicating with us; he went very isolated once the pandemic hit. And so there wasn't an argument or anything like that; it was just a situation where when the pandemic hit, he decided to take a new direction in life and kind of cut himself off from the rest of us. And we decided we wanted to keep going forward. Phil and I had been the ones writing the songs all these years, so when Nick Pierce left UNEARTH, we thought it was the perfect opportunity to have him perform with us. And then Ryan came from MISS MAY I. He was the last guy to come in. And he didn't come in until a couple of months ago. Our bass player, Josh, previously left, and he's with SPIRITBOX now. And when he decided to go perform with SPIRITBOX, we called up Ryan, who was with MISS MAY I. And Ryan Neff was on tour at the time. And then we asked him, 'Can you start touring with us as soon as this tour is over?' And he said, 'Well, I'm only gonna have three days off to rehearse in between tours.' He said, 'If you guys want me to do it, I'll make sure I come prepared.' And he had a lot to learn in three days, but he pulled it together. He's a very, very hard-working guy."

AS I LAY DYING's new album will be the follow-up to "Shaped By Fire", which came out in September 2019 via Nuclear Blast.

In June 2022, Mancino announced that he would sit out AS I LAY DYING's tour due to "a number of ongoing internal issues" that "have not yet been resolved."

Mancino's announcement came less than a month after Josh revealed that he was leaving the band. In a statement, the remaining members of AS I LAY DYING said that Gilbert "decided to exit" the group "to pursue other musical opportunities."

Josh was the second AS I LAY DYING member to leave the band in less than a year. In August 2021, Hipa confirmed his exit from AS I LAY DYING, explaining that he could no longer justify being part of "a superficial pursuit" of the "story and meaning" that the band's 2018 reunion was built upon.

Lambesis was famously convicted in 2014 for his role in a murder-for-hire plot against his estranged wife.

In May 2014, Lambesis was sentenced to six years in jail after pleading guilty to paying a San Diego police officer posing as a hitman $1,000 to kill his wife. Approximately two and a half years later — on December 17, 2016 — he was discharged from a California detention facility and was transferred to the Division of Adult Parole Operations.

In June 2018, AS I LAY DYING played its first show with Lambesis in five years and released a new single. Lambesis also owned up to his crimes in a long apology on the band's Facebook page after his release.

The return of AS I LAY DYING raised some questions, particularly since Hipa categorically denounced the band's disgraced frontman as a "sociopathic narcissist in definite need of rehabilitation" in a social-media post back in 2014.

In September 2021, AS I LAY DYING released a new song called "Roots Below" which was originally a B-side leftover from when the sessions for "Shaped By Fire".

Photo credit: Ben Alexis

Riotous Indignation has announced the release of their new single “Wheel Of Misfortune,” that is available on all digital service providers today, July 5, 2024. The single is the #3 most added track on metal radio shows this week as reported by the Metal Contraband Charts.


What makes "Wheel Of Misfortune" unique is that the intro section of the song is old-timey country arrangement that builds up to a full-bore thrash metal onslaught that abruptly smacks you in the face and then follows with some moshable breakdowns as well.


While the writer and front man Mike Repel admits that he is unaware of a song composition like this ever being done before, he states that when combined with the subject matter of the lyrics, the cross-genre build-up of the song arrangement gives you the unexpected punch in the face that you want and deserve.




Music and lyrics written, performed, recorded, mixed, and produced by Mike Repel. Mastered by Doug McBride at Gravity Studios.

In a new interview with former THE HOURGLASS guitarist Rudi Messiah, new MEGADETH guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari spoke about what it has been like to perform material originally recorded by previous MEGADETH guitarists Chris Poland, Jeff Young, Marty Friedman, Chris Broderick and Kiko Loureiro. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'm very relaxed about it. I mean, of course it feels great to be in a band that you've been a fan of and get to play the solos of these guys that you've looked up to for years. So, that just feels really great. And I don't feel like there's any limit to my creativity here. And we've been talking about coming up with riff ideas [for new MEGADETH music], and Dave [Mustaine, MEGADETH leader] has been very open about us, the band guys, offering ideas as well. And that's what we're gonna start doing very soon. And so far I've had my hands full learning the back catalog, which we're still doing. We're adding more songs as go along. So that has been a lot of fun."

He continued: "We're always working in the jam room backstage and putting more songs to the setlist that maybe the guys even haven't played in 10, 15 years. So it's kind of a learning experience for them as well, relearning some of the songs that they haven't played maybe ever or in a long time. So far we've been concentrating on that, and we've added quite a lot of songs from when I stepped in. So that has been a lot of fun and it has to be really inspiring as well and educational as well. So I get to kind of have a better picture of the back catalog, the different kinds of songs that they've done previously. Of course I've listened to the albums previously, but I haven't really like learned the songs in detail."

Teemu previously talked about playing material originally recorded by some of the former MEGADETH guitarists in a June 2024 interview with Finland's Chaoszine. At the time, he said:  "There's, of course, challenges in every guitarist's parts, different kinds of challenges. But the kind of good thing is that I've been a fan of the band and I've known the previous guitarists and their styles in some capacity already in the past. I've studied quite a bit of Marty Friedman's style and even Kiko's style before I stepped into the band. I have to say I didn't study that much Chris Poland, but I knew kind of what kind of style he plays, and then I was really curious to find out that he has some of these more bluesy and fusion-y things, which I also learned before. So it has been really interesting and enjoyable to have not only one style that you need to handle and play well, but kind of from all these different guitarists — Dave's [Mustaine, MEGADETH leader] rhythm playing, of course, and then all the solo guitarists, the lead guitarists who have been in the band. I try to pay respect to everybody, not necessarily try to imitate 100 percent each one of them… I do wanna respect the songs, and if I think of myself as a fan, if I go see a band that I like, I like to hear the solos as they are on the record, because that's how I know them. Of course, it depends on the style of music, but in this style of music, I think that's what fits and that's what I try to do. I try to play them as much original as I can with my own little nuances maybe."

Asked if there are some former MEGADETH guitarists whose parts are more difficult to learn and play, perhaps because they are more outside of his own style, Teemu said: "Yeah, I'd say probably Jeff Young and Chris Poland. Chris Poland has a quite special style with his special intonation, very special vibrato and the whammy-bar use. So that's probably more out of my comfort zone, but it has been also very nice to be able to then learn some of those things."

Teemu also talked about meeting Marty at last year's Wacken Open Air festival in Germany and being influenced by Friedman's playing. He said: "Like [Marty] mentioned also in the interview [he gave to Chaoszine earlier this year], we met briefly [at Wacken]. This was the first time that I actually met all the guys in MEGADETH, Wacken last year. And then he was there as well. And we got to chat just a little bit. And, of course, I got to see the guys jamming backstage and that was really cool. And seeing the show also, I was on the side of the stage and filming everything there and trying to take as much like study material as I can. But yeah, Marty's style is such a special style, exotic style. I think he has a lot of this jazzy approach, but not necessarily jazzy vocabulary… But, yeah, I've loved his style all the way from the CACOPHONY and then his solo albums and then, obviously, all the MEGADETH stuff. So I've been following him for a long time and, yeah, try to play some of his things every once in a while."

Mäntysaari stepped in last September for MEGADETH's longtime axeman Loureiro, who announced earlier that month that he would sit out the next leg of MEGADETH's "Crush The World" tour in order to stay home with his children back in Finland. It was later revealed that the 37-year-old Finnish musician would continue to play guitar for MEGADETH for the foreseeable future, with Loureiro seemingly having no plans to return.

Mäntysaari was born in Tampere, Finland and began playing guitar at the age of 12. In 2004, he joined the band WINTERSUN. He has also been a member of SMACKBOUND since 2015.

In a recent interview with Sakis Fragos of Rock Hard Greece, Mustaine was asked if he thinks Mäntysaari, will contribute to the songwriting process on MEGADETH's next studio album. Mustaine responded: "Yes, I do. I think he's gonna be a great addition to MEGADETH. He already has. We're playing more songs now than we were playing before. And that has nothing negative to say about any of the previous lineups. It just says that he knew more about the band and understands the metal backbone of so many of these songs more than some of the other people would understand it."

He continued: "When you're a metal guy, I think you understand metal compositions more than somebody who, say for example, knows progressive rock like Chris Broderick does, or somebody who knows bossa nova, which Kiko does, or somebody that plays jazzy, like Glen Drover would play, maybe Al Pitrelli. These guys all have their strengths."

Mustaine added: "I've often thought, although I've never said it, I do believe that when somebody gets singled out by me, that's pretty much it for them. They've been indoctrinated into the world of great guitar players, and from that moment on, their life will change."

Asked if he saw any signs that Kiko would leave MEGADETH permanently or if it came as a surprise to him, Dave said: "Well, it wasn't really a surprise, because it started to become clear that his family was gonna need him. And I'm a dad too, so I saw it and I knew that his wife and babies all needed their daddy. And Kiko is a good husband, he's a good dad, and he needed to do what was right for him and for his family. And I applaud him for doing what he did. A lot of people would not have the guts to walk away from being a rock and roll star to take care of their kids. They would somehow sacrifice something, and it probably would not be their family."

Mustaine also once again seemingly ruled out the possibility of Friedman, who made a couple of guest appearances with the band last year, rejoining MEGADETH at some point in the future.

"We played together for a couple of tracks, which was fun, and it was a very natural feeling," Mustaine said. "But I know that Marty, when we got together in Japan and we talked, Marty's changed a lot; he's a different man. And it'd be really fun to play with him every once in a while, see what's going on. But the problem is a lot of fans will misunderstand us doing something with Marty and think that there's some hope of Marty joining MEGADETH again, and there's not, that there wouldn't be, because Marty is doing his own thing in Japan and I am 100 percent satisfied with Teemu right now, and I've already told the world that he's our new guitar player."

In May, Teemu told Italy's Poisoned Rock webzine about his addition to MEGADETH: "I definitely was aware of MEGADETH for a very long time. They were one of the first bands that I got into when I discovered metal. I think, for most people, at least my generation or our generation, when they get into metal, it's usually the biggest bands, and MEGADETH, of course, being one of them."

Regarding his first show with MEGADETH, which took place on September 6, 2023 at Revel in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Mäntysaari said: "That was a very nice venue. We had a day there before, before the show, for production rehearsals, to rehearse on stage, and then on the next day we had the show. So that was nice and relaxed. I think we played through the whole setlist once before the show, the day before, and then played the show. And yeah, it felt very good from the beginning. And I felt like I was prepared. I was confident with my skills and confident with everything. The guys were so helpful and welcoming and, yeah, everything felt to kind of click and fall in the right place. So, it was really nice."

Earlier this year, Teemu told Guitar World magazine about his addition to MEGADETH: "I never thought something like this would happen to me. But at the same time, I've always felt like being prepared was important in case a big band like this did call me.

"I have a specific skillset where I can learn fast, jump into new situations, and be comfortable," he added. "I've always liked doing that. I love teaching, and I've been on many cover projects, so being detail-oriented is part of my skillset."

Regarding his preparation for the way he approached playing the MEGADETH material, Teemu said: "[We'd] look at the small details of how they groove, the moods, and the technical side. We talked a lot about what Dave wants to project, picking directions, being very aware of down-picking, alternate picking, and, in many of the songs, being aware of both. We also talked about things like dampening, the flow of songs, creating contrast, hand positions, and trying to get things right fingering-wise, all of which I enjoy doing. There's a bit of detective work involved, and to get that information from the source in Dave was amazing."

This past February, Mustaine told Brazil's A Rádio Rock about how Teemu ended up landing the MEGADETH gig: "Kiko had recommended Teemu, and Teemu is an exceptional guitar player. Kiko was at the top of his game when this happened, so we were obviously disappointed, but it is what it is. If Kiko would have said, 'I don't know anybody, and you're on your own,' that would have been a lot harder. But Teemu is the right guy for MEGADETH. And Kiko knows that Teemu is the right guy for me. So, he actually did us a really big favor, and I love him and I wish him the best with everything that he does."

In early October, Mustaine told Shaggy of the 94.9 and 104.5 The Pick radio station in Idaho Falls, Idaho about Teemu's addition to MEGADETH: "People are losing their minds over how things are going right now 'cause we have a really good chemistry together."

In September, Mustaine was equally full of praise for Mäntysaari, telling Wes Styles in a separate interview: "He's really great. And I'm super excited with what Teemu has brought. And it's uncanny because he plays a lot like Marty. And it's really exciting. At certain times I just close my eyes during the set and I just hear these songs played, whether like Kiko in the past or Teemu now, it just sounds really magic because these guys have learned these songs and they're not just going out there and just banging their guitar around; they actually learned the solos from some of the virtuosos that I've played with over my career."

Loureiro officially joined MEGADETH in April 2015, about five months after Broderick's exit from the group.

Newfoundland, Canada's black metal duo, Artach, returns to unleash their experimental trial to rapture fans of both black thrash and industrial metal. Entitled Sgrios, the four-track record is an appetizer to keep fans at bay while they work on completing their third full-length this coming fall (to be released on vinyl via Adirondack Black Mass), and will once again feature their signature sound.


Sgrios might surprise some listeners as the band took on an avant-garde approach to incorporate a more black metal twist on industrial metal that the duo hadn’t heard much of and felt was something fresh and original. Bands like Rammstein, Fear Factory, and Pain for example. However, it’s still them and still has all the elements from their previous releases.


"Although Artach is, and remains, a black metal (blackened thrash) band, we wanted to take an experimental direction for the Sgrios EP. That direction explores industrial metal through the lens of our already-defined style. This is something fresh and original. Not a ton of black metal bands will have Rammstein-esque synth guitar sounds, tremolo-picked riffs, and harsh black metal vocals," says Sruthán (Guitar/Bass).




Lyrically, the topics explored on the Sgrios EP cover technology, apocalyptic themes, and some tongue-in-cheek suggestive topics ('Sgrios" translates to English as destroy, ruin, ravage, annihilate, etc.). The Sgrios cover artwork has the duo in robot form in a frozen industrial wasteland. It fits with the lyrical topics for the EP perfectly.


Due out on July 6, Sgrios is available at the following links:


- Bandcamp
- Spotify





Tracklisting:


"Frozen Factory"
"The Black Hole"
"Super-Cybernetic"
"Atomic Cabaret"


"Frozen Factory" lyric video:





EP credits:


- All songs performed, written, produced, mixed and mastered by Artach.
- Album cover art by Inneal and Artach.


Artach are:


Fíochmhar: Drums/Vocals
Sruthán: Guitar/Bass

South African  extreme metal titans, Vulvodynia, have released their new album, Entabani, via Unique Leader Records. Alongside the album launch, the band has unveiled a visualizer for “Isandlwana”, a track that delves deep into the harrowing tale of the Anglo-Zulu War’s first battle.


Describing the inspiration behind “Isandlwana”, Vulvodynia’s vocalist and guitarist, Lwandile Prusent, shares, "Isandlwana, the first engagement of the Anglo-Zulu war against The British. A brutal and gruesome tale of war, struggle and triumph. Musically we tried to invoke a more tech-death approach in our writing. This song features many signature changes, modulation and mind bending polyrhythms.”







Entabeni marks a pivotal moment for Vulvodynia, as they weave together their most ambitious work to date. The album showcases a fusion of African folklore and extreme metal, a thematic exploration deeply rooted in the band’s heritage and collective creativity.


Reflecting on the album’s significance, Vulvodynia states, “Entabeni is a very important album for us, it sees us at crossroads in our career. We’ve fully embraced the idea of writing as a collective, exploring every member’s ideas, experiences and formed them all together to create what we think is our most ambitious album yet. We wanted to explore the concept of African folklore on this album and based a lot of the songs off of old stories found in poems, books and even through word of mouth from our vocalist Lwandile’s older family members.”


Known for their unique, uncompromising blend of technical proficiency and straight-up deacthcore brutality, Vulvodynia has carved a significant niche in the global metal world. ‘Entabeni’ promises to propel them even further, providing listeners with an innovative blend of visceral intensity and rich, cultural storytelling.


Buy/stream the new album here.





Tracklisting


"Imbawula"
"Devil Tree"
"Randlord "
"It Follows"
"Isandlwana" (feat. David Simonich of Signs of The Swarm)
"Mamlambo"
"Adamaster" (feat. Kyle Medina of Bodysnatcher)
"Entabeni" (feat. Damonteal Harris of Peeling Flesh)
"Mangled and Maimed"
"Generational Segregation"


"Entabeni" lyric video:

Deathless Legacy will release the gold marbled vinyl version (300 copies) of Mater Larvarum on July 19 via Scarlet Records. Pre-order here.


Originally released in 2022 as the sixth studio album of the Italian horror metal visionaries, Mater Larvarum will be available for the first time on vinyl celebrating Deathless Legacy's unstoppable creepy march.







Mater Larvarum tracklisting:


"Ora Pro Nobis"
"Nightfall"
"Hollow"
"Fade Into The Dark"
"The Coven"
"Absolution"
"Moonless Night"
"Queen Of The Infernal Pantheon"
"Altar Of Bones"
"Run"
"Mater Larvarum"








Deathless Legacy are:


Steva - vocals
Sgt. Bones - guitar
Alex van Eden - keyboards
Deadwood Nick - bass
Frater Orion - drums
Revyla - performances





(Photo - Andrea Falaschi)

In his just-released memoir "Desolation: A Heavy Metal Memoir", LAMB OF GOD's Mark Morton credits Slash for making "sobriety look cool" and helping him along his recovery journey. Speaking to the GUNS N' ROSES-centric podcast "Appetite For Distortion" about how the GN'R guitarist was instrumental in getting Morton to stay sober, Mark said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I didn't actually check with Slash before I wrote that part of the book, so I hope he doesn't mind me sharing that story. Maybe I should have reached out, but I don't think it's anything…

"Slash has been pretty open about his experience with some of these things," Morton, who celebrated five years of sobriety last December, continued. "And so when I was trying to get sober and well before I was able to accomplish any kind of sustained sobriety or recovery, Slash was very helpful. He was very compassionate, very kind and made himself available to me with some insight and perspective that he shared.

"Let me add to that, that I think Slash and some other people who have been open about their experience with addiction… I'm the kind of person that has to think something's cool to wanna pursue it, because, see, I have a low self-esteem, so I want you to think I'm cool," Mark explained. "'Cause I'm not sure that I am. So when something's cool, I'm gonna chase it 'cause I wanna be that. And people like Slash, who's cool and people that put themselves out there and shared their story and shared their experience made it look cool, made sobriety look cool to me. And I'm grateful for that. 'Cause that's part of what it took. I'm just being genuine.

"It's not an intellectual decision," Morton added. "Addiction's not an intellectual issue. Some of the smartest people I know are addicts and alcoholics. People that aren't addicts and alcoholics tend to overlook that. It's not a matter of reason or, in my experience, rational thinking or intellect. It's something deeper than that. And so, for me, having an example of people that I admired that I said, 'Hey, there's something on the other side of this that can still be cool.' Because, see, I thought being a drug addict and an alcoholic was what rock and roll was [and was] part of what it was supposed to be. And it turns out it's not."

"Desolation: A Heavy Metal Memoir" was released in June via Hachette Books. Co-written with Ben Opipari, the book explores both Mark's life in music and his tumultuous path through addiction and into recovery.

Morton addressed his sobriety in the lyrics to the song "All I Had To Lose", which appeared on his "Ether" solo EP, released in 2020.

"When I was in that kind of mindset of drinking and drugs and all that, I tended to have this sort of negative filter," Morton told ABC Audio about the track, which he described as among the "most personal" songs he's ever written. "I could make anything 'woe is me,' or 'it should be this way,' just entitled, very addict sort of viewpoint on things."

He continued: "You get a little bit of clarity and you get a little bit of gratitude, and you start seeing, like, 'Wow, I still have so much going on. It's amazing that I didn't mess this up.'"

"Desolation" was described by the publisher as "the story of Morton's lifelong quest for clarity and self-acceptance, and shows how the pressures of career success and personal battles eventually came into conflict with Morton's dedication to the creative process. Intertwined with addiction, self-destruction, and the path to eventual surrender and recovery, Morton also reveals the greatest personal tragedy of his life: the death of his two-day old daughter, plunging Morton further into hopelessness. Surrounded by bandmates living their wildest dreams, Morton wanted nothing more than to disappear, ingesting potentially lethal cocktails of drugs and alcohol into his system on a daily basis.

"And yet, amidst the harrowing heartbreak, there were moments of triumph, hope, and incredible personal connection. Morton developed close relationships with his bandmates and crew members, sharing experiences that have made for some strange and hilarious tales. He's also gained a greater sense of purpose through interactions with his fans, who remind him that his work reaches people on a deeply personal level. Through the highs and the lows, Morton learns how to find presence and gratitude where he once found fear and resentment, a process that he considers a gift of spiritual awakening.

"'Desolation' is, at its core, about Morton's journey as a musician navigating self-doubt, anxiety and the progressive disease of addiction, and ultimately finding relative serenity. Perfect for fans, new and old, as well as anyone who has ever been tested and brought to their limits, "Desolation" is a highly satisfying, full-throttle investigation of the human experience."

When the book was first announced, Morton commented: "Initially, I started writing this book just to see if I could do it. But as the writing process unfolded, it quickly took on much more meaning. Unpacking my story, I was able to observe events in my life with an objectivity that I hadn't experienced while I'd lived them in real time.

"Through a lens of hindsight and recovery, I made friends with my past and found value in my most difficult days," he continued. "I hope that by offering my experiences, I can create a point of connection and commonality. There are a lot of fun stories in here and a few really sad ones. I'm grateful to have the opportunity to share them."

Morton co-founded LAMB OF GOD, which was initially called BURN THE PRIEST, in 1994.

In 2019, Morton released his debut solo album, "Anesthetic".

LAMB OF GOD's latest LP, "Omens", came out in 2022.

Morton and the rest of LAMB OF GOD will embark on the "Ashes Of Leviathan" tour with MASTODON this summer.

Slash photo credit: Gene Kirkland

In a new interview with Abe Kanan, the afternoon host of "The Abe Kanan Show" on Sacramento, California's 98 Rock (KRXQ-FM) radio station, GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash spoke about reuniting with GUNS singer Axl Rose for the first time in two decades for the "Not In This Lifetime" reunion tour, which kicked off in April 2016. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, it was great. I mean, God, it's a long story, but it was great when Axl and I started talking again, 'cause I missed him. We had so much developed so much animosity that it just got worse and worse as time went on. So when we finally spoke and I started talking about playing, God, it was a huge kind of weight lifted off of our shoulders and it was exciting to get back together. And there was that chemistry that happens that you sort of forget about — how intense that is when you get on stage together or just working together. So, yeah, it's really cool, and I'm really happy that we managed to get past all that."

Back in 2021, Slash told Revolver magazine about his working relationship with Axl: "I'd worked with different singers, on and off, for a while, and then when I met Axl and we started jamming together, he was the only singer that ever brought an emotional content to it that affected me on an emotional level, on an energy level. A song all of a sudden went to a whole new level, and I felt it. And that's when I realized where music and vocals really meet. Because prior to that, everybody that I'd worked with sucked and I had no use for it, and I would just rather play instrumentally. But that's when I first really arrived at that poignant feeling that you get when things connect on a lyrical and the vocal level and the music level."

GUNS launched its long-rumored and long-awaited reunion tour with an April 2016 club show in Hollywood and appearances in Las Vegas and at California's Coachella festival.

GUNS N' ROSES' reunion features classic-lineup members Slash, Rose and bassist Duff McKagan backed by guitarist Richard Fortus, drummer Frank Ferrer, keyboardist Dizzy Reed and second keyboardist Melissa Reese.

In a 2020 interview with Guitar Player's "No Guitar Is Safe" podcast, Slash spoke about what it felt like for him to step back out on stage with GUNS N' ROSES for the first time in over two decades at the band's concert at the Troubadour in West Hollywood, California.

"That was our first gig back," Slash said. "I think probably the last time that we ever played there was in 1985. I don't think we even played there in 1986. Probably '85 was the last time we played there. "[The April 2016 concert was] our first show together after 20 years. We obviously had more gear and more crew than we did back in the day, I'll tell you that much. And it was loud. But it was a lot of fun. It was an almost poignant moment to fucking stand there and look at that crowd in that sort of room and have that kind of nostalgic feeling."

In 2019, Slash told Guitar.com that his first concert back with GUNS N' ROSES was an "overwhelming" experience. "It was so cool," he said. "Because it was a long time — we're talking more than 20 years from the last show in 1994… it was 22 years since the last time we'd played together. And obviously I'd played with Duff [since then] but there's a certain dynamic in the three of us together. It was awesome, and it's a really great experience."

The legendary hard rock outfit has not released a full-length effort since 2008's "Chinese Democracy", which included only Rose from the band's classic lineup. Slash and bassist Duff McKagan reunited with Axl eight years agp and have since released several standalone singles — "Absurd" (stylized as "ABSUЯD"),"Hard Skool", "Perhaps" and "The General" — but have not made any announcements about another LP.

GUNS N' ROSES released a four-song EP, "Hard Skool", in February 2022. The effort, which was exclusive to the GUNS N' ROSES' official store, contained the two new songs the band released in 2021 — the title track and "Absurd" — as well as live versions of "Don't Cry" and "You're Crazy".

Today, Kayas has unleashed another new single taken from their forthcoming album, By The Moon And The Stars. On "Terminus", the band showcases their strikingly polished, unique brand of melodic death metal.


With a sonic landscape that is distinctly Kayas, but pleasantly reminiscent of bands like Be'lakor, Insomnium, and other big players in the melodeath scene, the aptly titled new single "captures the overwhelming loss brought by the destruction of our natural world,” the band says.


Listen to the single here, and below:







By The Moon And The Stars will see its worldwide release on August 2. Pre-order here, and pre-save here.


Capturing the essence of their sound, By The Moon And The Stars marks the eagerly anticipated full-length debut of Kayas. The record incorporates elements drawn from the full spectrum of metal that imbues triumphant power through melodic movement interwoven with crushing harsh vocals and thunderous basslines. Listeners are taken on a journey through themes of nature, human existence, and fantasy, delivered with compelling melodies and lucid riffs that will make their hearts soar over ancient forests and still valleys.





Tracklisting:


"Tempest"
"Span Of Time"
"The Winter Curse"
"Deadwood"
"For A Star"
"Lightless"
"The Harvester"
"Reflections In The Water"
"Terminus"
"The Grand Magus"


"Reflections In The Water" video:





Kayas is a four-piece melodic death metal band hailing from Vancouver, BC. Channeling influences such as Kalmah and Insomnium, Kayas crafts their music with an emphasis on powerful, harmonized guitar riffs and captivating melodies. Drawing inspiration from the untamed wonder of the Pacific Northwest, listeners are invited to experience the power of the natural world through their art. First emerging in the Vancouver scene in the fall of 2018, they have shared the stage with bands such as Omnium Gatherum, Allegaeon, and Wake.


Kayas is:


Devan Howes – vocals, guitar
Jessica Yang – guitar
JP Sauvé – vocals, bass
Weston Philp – drums

In a new interview with Barbara Caserta of Italy's Linea Rock, THE CULT frontman Ian Astbury spoke about the tour celebrating the band's 40th anniversary. The trek will see the long-running British rock outfit perform songs spanning its 11-album discography.

"We're in a renaissance," the 62-year-old singer said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "It's like we set the clock. Nobody told us we could do that. That's not in many bands' playbooks. They just keep going and then they get to greatest hits and then they get fat and old and die or whatever. For us, it's different. We're like Benjamin Button. I train Muay Thai [Thai boxing]. I fight, I spar. I put on a lot of weight one time when I had a hip surgery. It was very difficult, very depressing. And then I had to fight like a revenant to get back in the room, and I worked really hard, and it took a lot."

He continued: "We've got [bassist] Charlie Jones in the band. He's played with us for the last few years. He comes in [before the recording of 2022's] 'Under The Midnight Sun' [album], and all of a sudden it's a different band. It's rejuvenated. And the passion — there's so much passion in the room for this band, with us. We look at each other with passion. It's not, like, 'Oh, we're gonna play this song again? Boring.' There's passion. It's visceral. It's so visceral."

Astbury also talked about the task of still performing the hit songs that cemented him and his THE CULT bandmate Billy Duffy as rock music icons.

"Well, some songs are an albatross, but they follow us around," Ian explained. "Like, for me, 'Fire Woman', it's a weird song. To me, it's like an albatross. It was such a massive hit song. Everybody thinks that is it. That's THE CULT. But then you step around and go like, 'Oh, '[She Sells] Sanctuary'. Oh, wait a minute, 'Honey From A Knife'. That's interesting.' That's kind of a little bit more dark. It's noir.

"You talk about a hit. What is a hit?" he asked rhetorically. "To me, does commercial terms of what culture says is a hit 'cause it's commercially successful? But then there's songs that resonate because of the essence of the song, and I feel that we play in in the light and in the dark as a group. Sometimes we're playing songs that are very popular, sometimes we're playing songs that people don't know. But the visceral component, the emotional component is the spirit that drives the band, the chemistry of these songs.

"It's a very different thing to go from your everyday life and then you step into this environment where you're in ritual space with three other guys," Astbury added. "And just between the three, you can create this emotional moment that thousands of people can experience."

THE CULT's 40th-anniversary tour kicks off in July with the band's first wave of European dates before heading to Canada, and back to the band's native U.K.

THE CULT holds a significant place in musical history due to its pioneering use of post-punk, hard rock, and experimentalism, pushing boundaries and influencing countless bands across multiple genres. With their musical prowess, uncompromising attitude and captivating stage presence, they forged a distinct identity while charting new territory for bands to explore. From Duffy's formative, and influential, years in the Manchester underground, to Astbury's groundbreaking "Gathering Of The Tribes", the duo has left an indelible mark on modern music, shaping its trajectory in profound ways.

"Under The Midnight Sun" arrived in October 2022 via Black Hill Records. The LP was produced by Tom Dalgety (PIXIES, GHOST, ROYAL BLOOD). Dalgety is the first British producer THE CULT has worked with since its second album, "Love" (1985).

Born out of the ashes of the U.K. post-punk scene, THE CULT evolved to become one of the most influential and controversial rock bands of the late 20th century, selling millions of albums, headlining arenas and stadiums around the world, infusing innovative possibilities into the worlds of music and art, and quickly ascending through the ranks of the indie music world to achieve global status. THE CULT, whose music transformed from punk rock to post-punk, psychedelia, heavy dance music and transcendental hard rock, became one of the handful of important bands in the U.S. post-modern and hard rock communities, and was embraced by a generation that was waking up to the influence of 1960s and 1970s rock icons like LED ZEPPELIN, THE NEW YORK DOLLS and David Bowie.

The constant core of THE CULT is the "head and heart" of the band, Astbury and Duffy. Attitude incarnate, the chemistry between these two vastly different artists — equal parts genuine affection and palpable tension — remains the source of their long-standing partnership. Duffy grounds Astbury's esoteric side with a hard rock perspective, and there is no doubt that at all times, these two have each other's back. THE CULT's current lineup also includes former WHITE ZOMBIE, EXODUS and TESTAMENT drummer John Tempesta.

In a new interview with Finland's Chaoszine, WHITESNAKE and Bruce Dickinson bassist Tanya O'Callaghan was asked if the David Coverdale-fronted outfit will ever resume its farewell tour, nearly two years after WHITESNAKE pulled out of its previously announced North American run with the SCORPIONS due to what was described at the time as Coverdale's "continued treatment for a persistent upper respiratory infection. She said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We're hoping… We're hoping to finish the cycle at least, but I can't really speak fully for David because he's, as he says himself, never say never. But he's still recovering a little bit because that was a pretty intense tour run. And between rehearsals and everything, he had gotten sick and a lot of health stuff unfolded for him. But he's doing pretty good. He's really excited about doing the farewell DVD and the book, and all that will be hopefully next year, which is fantastic. And, as he says, never say never. Maybe we'll go out around that, but he wants to write and record some stuff. So WHITESNAKE is not finished… It's not over by any means. But I don't know what iteration it will be that is next. Maybe, hopefully, I hope we finish the tour cycle. I really, really hope we do 'cause it's a great group of people to work with."

In November 2021, Tanya officially joined WHITESNAKE as the replacement for longtime bassist Michael Devin whose departure was revealed a few days earlier.

Last October, Coverdale told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about WHITESNAKE's future plans: "Well, my band and I are in touch all the time. There is still a WHITESNAKE and there are still offers coming. I can't entertain anything until I get my physical aspect together.

"I had a fall recently, which I don't think helped my… I've got two torn rotator cuffs, which would certainly compromise my performance," he explained. "But arthritis, all this kind of stuff's kicking in.

"My heart goes out to Steven [Tyler] after the [2023 AEROSMITH tour] cancelation. It's so awful, getting older and having this burden of responsibility to try to be as good as you can so you don't disappoint anybody. And I know how he feels and I sent my love to him through our friends, mutual friends.

"But I can't commit to anything until I know how my health is," David added. "The last thing I wanna do is go on tour and have to do what happened last year, which was come home, tail between my legs. It was heartbreaking. And being sick for a year didn't really help matters."

In May 2023, Coverdale told Rockonteurs about his respiratory infection: "That was really bad. When these things get on your cords, that just closes you down entirely.

"I spent a fortune keeping the guys [in my band] as safe as we could; we called it the 'COVID bubble.' Private jet wherever we went. And still COVID came in and took some of the crew out. It was really challenging."

Coverdale also shot down the suggestion that the WHITESNAKE farewell tour will drag on for many years to come. "I know contemporaries of mine that have been doing a farewell tour for 20 years," he said. "That's not it. I'm [72]. It's a number that I see and go, 'Really?' Because most of the time I certainly don't feel like that kind of age that would be the perspective we had growing up, when 20 looked old, 25 was ancient. 30? You're kidding. It's just fascinating to look at."

He added: "I have a feeling 72 is gonna be a really super year for me. Not 1972 — my age."

On June 28, 2022, WHITESNAKE scrapped three shows on its spring/summer European tour due to Coverdale's infection of the sinus and trachea. Three days later, the rest of the trek was also called off. At the time, David blamed the decision on "continuing health challenges, doctor's orders, and our concern for everyone's health and safety."

David was not the first member of WHITESNAKE to fall ill during the group's spring/summer 2022 European tour. Guitarist Reb Beach missed several shows on the trek in June 2022 after being "under the weather." On June 25, 2022, WHITESNAKE canceled its show at the Rock Imperium festival in Spain due to the fact that drummer Tommy Aldridge "went down" and "was bad enough at the time to have missed the first show ever in his career," according to Coverdale.

In April 2023, Coverdale told "Rock Of Nations With Dave Kinchen And Shane McEachern" regarding the possibility of WHITESNAKE resuming its farewell tour in 2024: "It's not really a professional decision. It's literally a health decision.

"[In 2022] it took me seven months to get rid of a sinus infection that went so deep into my body… And then we discovered a secondary one, which is why I had to cancel the U.S. tour," he explained. "So all of that appalling antibiotics I had for three months, all the damage it did to my system, was a waste of time because this other infection was canceling it out. So I had to go on to heavier medications and steroids, and at the same time ignoring a torn rotator cuff.

"When I was onstage with Steve Vai at Hellfest [in France in June 2022], which turned out to be the last WHITESNAKE show — hopefully not the last WHITESNAKE show [ever] — underneath my shirt, my shoulder was taped up like I was going into the arena to face another gladiator," Coverdale revealed. "And you couldn't really tell. And thank God I could still fling the mic stand around. But as soon as I got signed off back in January, the infection had gone, I realized that we had to sort out the shoulder, 'cause that had been of secondary importance — minor compared to this, 'Am I ever gonna be able to sing again?' That's a big deal. It's something you wake up and almost take for granted.

"So, I'm getting a lot of approaches [regarding Las] Vegas residencies. I'm not quite sure about that. I feel I owe Japan. I feel I owe the U.S. I feel I owe South America. 'Cause I've been pretty successful for 50 years, and you can't buy that. It's people who've supported you to be in this position. It was a personal choice. I didn't wanna do a video going, 'Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, brothers and sisters of the 'SNAKE, thank you for 50 years. I'm done.' I wanted to be there.

"I wanted to retire in 2020," David added. "I thought the appropriate age for the singer of WHITESNAKE to step down was 69. But, of course, bloody COVID came [and ruined those plans].

"We have three to five years of projects here at my studio. So I'm certainly not finished with music. But my health will dictate whether I can take on [a full tour]. 'Cause it's incredibly physically demanding for me. I don't wanna do a half-assed [tour], standing-there stuff. I love telling my stories and moving and working."

Also in April 2023, Coverdale told Ultimate Classic Rock that the illness that forced him off the road in 2022 was "the worst sinus infection I've ever had in my life. And as a singer, I know them like fucking relatives of mine," Coverdale said. "This was one of the ugliest illnesses I think I've [ever] had. For seven months, I was taking ever-increasingly strong antibiotics and horrifying prednisone steroids."

WHITESNAKE launched its farewell tour on May 10, 2022 at Dublin, Ireland's 3Arena. The band's 14-song set, which was part of a European tour with special guests EUROPE and co-headliners FOREIGNER, marked WHITESNAKE's inaugural performance with the group's two latest two additions, keyboardist, guitarist and backing vocalist Dino Jelusick and O'Callaghan.

Coverdale had both his knees replaced with titanium in 2017 after suffering from degenerative arthritis. He later explained that he was in so much pain with arthritis in his knees that it hampered his ability to perform live.

Prior to the pandemic, WHITESNAKE had been touring in support of its latest album, "Flesh & Blood", which was released in May 2019 via Frontiers Music Srl.

Image courtesy of Fred concerts

Abramorama recently announced that they have acquired global theatrical distribution rights to the full-length documentary, Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision, from Experience Hendrix L.L.C. Abramorama previously distributed two other Jimi Hendrix documentaries, Electric Church, and the 2022 Grammy nominated Music, Money, Madness: Jimi Hendrix Live In Maui. An August release is planned, starting in New York City at the Quad on August 9, 2024, followed by a global roll out.


A new video trailer for Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision can be found below.







Evan Saxon, Abramorama’s President and Head of International Distribution states, “Abramorama is honored to once again collaborate with Experience Hendrix L.L.C, this time to share an insightful and never before seen documentary about one of the most famous recording studios in the world. Listen to an hour’s worth of music on your favorite playlist, DSP or radio station and odds are at least one of the songs was recorded at Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Lady Studios.”


Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision chronicles the creation of the studio, rising from the rubble of a bankrupt Manhattan nightclub to becoming a state-of-the-art recording facility inspired by Hendrix’s desire for a permanent studio. Electric Lady Studios was the first ever artist owned commercial recording studio. Hendrix had first envisioned creating an experiential nightclub. He was inspired by the short-lived Greenwich Village nightspot Cerebrum whose patrons donned flowing robes and were inundated by flashing lights, spectral images and swirling sound. Hendrix so enjoyed the Cerebrum experience that he asked its architect John Storyk to work with him and his manager Michael Jeffery. Hendrix and Jeffery wanted to transform what had once been the Generation Club into ‘an electric studio of participation’. Shortly after acquiring the Generation Club lease however, Hendrix was steered from building a nightclub to creating a commercial recording studio.


The documentary includes never-before-seen footage and photos as well as track breakdowns of Hendrix classics such as “Freedom,” “Angel” and “Dolly Dagger” by recording engineer Eddie Kramer who was awarded an Emmy for his work on the film "Jimi Hendrix: Hear My Train A Comin'."


An award-winning producer / engineer and longtime Jimi Hendrix collaborator, Eddie Kramer stated, “Jimi loved jamming at The Generation night club in the Village and when it went bankrupt, he and [manager] Mike Jeffery purchased it with a view to making it a place for him and his friends to relax and possibly record their jams on an 8-track tape machine in the corner. Soon thereafter I was asked to evaluate the space. I remember walking down the stairs to a demolition site as they had started to tear stuff down to see how much bigger they could make it. I knew at once that a club would be disastrous. I remember saying something like “You guys must be out your #$%^&ing minds! Do you have any idea of what Jimi spends in studio time in a year? Let’s build the best studio in the world for him so when he walks in, he can relax and record whenever he wants. The club idea was scratched, and Electric Lady Studios was born. By June of the next year (1970) Studio A was completed and after a few test sessions Jimi came in to record in HIS studio. Man was he proud of it. He loved the way it sounded and its vibe. We recorded many tracks for a new album over the next 4 months which became Cry of Love. The legacy of what Jimi wanted endures to this day: a place where one could create without being interrupted. Every artist who comes to Electric Lady Studios feels the spirit of Jimi Hendrix, a spirit that helps them create their own music!”


Directed by John McDermott and produced by Janie Hendrix, George Scott and McDermott, the film features exclusive interviews with Steve Winwood (who joined Hendrix on the first night of recording at the new studio), Experience bassist Billy Cox and original Electric Lady staff members who helped Hendrix realize his dream. The documentary includes never-before-seen footage and photos as well as track breakdowns of Hendrix classics such as “Freedom,” “Angel” and “Dolly Dagger” by recording engineer Eddie Kramer.


The documentary explains in depth that while Jimi Hendrix’s death robbed the public of so much potential music, the continued success of his recording studio provides a lasting legacy beyond his own music. John Lennon, The Clash, AC/DC, Chic, David Bowie, Stevie Wonder, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Beyonce and hundreds more made records at Electric Lady Studios, which speaks to one of Jimi’s lasting achievements in an industry that has radically changed over the course of the last half century.


Janie Hendrix reflects, “Jimi’s creative mind was always filled with next level ideas. He was never content with the ordinary but was driven by the burning desire to create something incredible that hadn’t been done before. That was the catalyst for Electric Lady Studios. The film, Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision, brings to light just how forward-thinking and inventive Jimi was in every aspect of his music, including production and recording. It was at Electric Lady Studios where he pushed beyond the musical limits of what was known, and he then opened the door to other musicians, allowing them the space to realize their own artistic hopes and dreams. My brother conceived something so amazing and so big that it has lived on for decades since its inception, serving as a passageway for hundreds of artists to bring their creativity to a waiting world audience. This is what Jimi envisioned when he founded the New York brainchild, and his prophecy is fulfilled through the countless, brilliant musicians who have tapped into the energy of the studio Jimi created. Legendary artists such as Stevie Wonder, John Lennon, David Bowie, U2, Prince, Jon Batiste, Lana Del Rey, Beyoncé, Jay-Z, D’Angelo and so many others have produced their finest work in the inspired recording house. This film tells the story of how the dream of a visionary, who dared to think outside the musical box, can have a limitless reach, generation after generation. It tells Jimi’s story with his Electric Lady.”





For the first time in five years, The Experience Hendrix Tour, the critically acclaimed multi-artist celebration of Jimi Hendrix's musical genius, returns to the concert trail with a slate of concert dates that offer the musical excellence of numerous topflight artists in celebration of the life and legacy of Jimi Hendrix.


While there was a one-off event date in Austin, TX in 2022, the last full-fledged (pre-pandemic) EH tour took place in 2019. The concept for the Experience Hendrix Tour dates back more than 25 years; what started as a single concert at San Diego's Street Scene in 2001 and 2002 expanded by 2004 into a full-fledged national tour.


This year's outing marks the 20th anniversary of the Experience Hendrix Tour. This year's tour bring the music of Jimi Hendrix to audiences in the Pacific Northwest, California, Nevada, Arizona New Mexico and eastward through Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Tennessee concluding in Georgia and Florida. Most fittingly, the tour kicks off on September 19 in Seattle, Jimi Hendrix's hometown, at the Paramount Theater.


The tour presents a host of great artists collaborating and interpreting Hendrix's legendary songs as part of a powerhouse, three-hour concert experience. The wide range of multi-generational artists who participate in a reflection of the ecumenicism of Jimi Hendrix's classic repertoire and the diversity of those whose lives have been indelibly affected by his music. Kenny Wayne Shepherd is one of the major players in forthcoming edition of the Experience Hendrix Tour and a veteran of previous EH's outings. Shepherd, a five-time Grammy nominee and recipient of two Billboard Music Awards commented, "I'm excited to rejoin the Experience Hendrix tour this year. It's always been a great tour with exceptional artists honoring Jimi Hendrix, the greatest guitar player of all time, and his amazing and expansive catalog of songs. Being able to do a tour with friends always makes for a great time and this show is not to be missed."


Other notable artists who are part of the tour this time out include the legendary blues icon Taj Mahal, Zakk Wylde, founder of Black Label Society and most recently part of the reformed Pantera, Mississippi-born blues wunderkind Christone "Kingfish" Ingram who is both a Grammy Award winner and was named Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year at least year's Blues Music Awards, guitar greats Eric Johnson and Dweezil Zappa, Mato Nanji from Indigenous, Calvin Cooke and Chuck Campbell of the Slide Brothers, standard bearers of the "sacred steel" musical tradition, and vocalist Henri Brown. Participating artists vary for performance dates so Experience Hendrix concert goers are encouraged to visit experiencehendrixtour.com for specifics about each of the tour stops.


This year's tour will also present a host of rising stars including Texas born and raised blues sensation Ally Venable, who headlined the 60-date European Blues Caravan tour when she was just 20 years old, vocalist Dylan Triplett, Seattle guitarist Ayron Jones, young Brazilian blues rock guitarist Arthur Menezes and 20-year-old Mathias Lattin, winner of the Blues Foundation's 2023 International Blues Challenge. Other artists joining the tour for select dates (see below include Blues Music Award winner Samantha Fish, and Stanley Jordan, the noted jazz guitarist who is an exponent of the two-handed tapping technique. Beyond these artists, special guests will drop in over the course of the tour. These include country music sensation Hunter Hayes, legendary Doors guitarist Robby Krieger and many others to be announced.


The 2024 Experience Hendrix Tour is sponsored by Marshall, Fender, Dunlop, Hal Leonard, JMH Productions, Experience Hendrix, and Authentic Hendrix. Marshall amps have long been associated with Jimi Hendrix and were his amplifiers of choice during his career. Fender is now celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Fender Stratocaster, the guitar most often associated with Jimi Hendrix. Dunlop makers of gear and accessories, recently launched line of Authentic Hendrix '68 Shrine Series of stomp boxes/effects pedals while Hal Leonard, the world's largest print music publisher, has long had an association with Experience Hendrix, L.L.C.





Dates:


September
19 - Seattle WA - Paramount Theatre
20 - Spokane WA - First Interstate Center for the Arts
21 - Forest Grove OR - Grand Lodge
22 - Reno NV - Grand Theatre/Grand Sierra Resort
25 - Santa Rosa CA - Luther Burbank Center for the Arts
26 - Saratoga, CA - The Mountain Winery
27 - Las Vegas NV - Smith Center
28 - Highland CA - Yaamaya Theater
29 - Tucson AZ - Fox Theatre


October
1 - Anaheim CA - City National Grove
3 - San Diego CA - Rady Shell
4 - Mesa AZ - Mesa Arts Center/Ikeda Theater
5 - Albuquerque NM - Kiva Auditorium
6 - Colorado Springs CO - Pikes Peak Center
9 - San Antonio TX - Majestic Theatre
10 - Houston TX - Bayou Music Center
11 - Ft. Worth TX - Will Rogers Auditorium
12 - Tulsa OK - River Spirit Casino
13 - Shreveport LA - Shreveport Municipal Auditorium
15 - Nashville TN - Ryman Auditorium
16 - Evans GA - Columbia Country Performing Arts Center
17 - Clearwater FL - Ruth Eckerd Hall
18 - Pompano Beach FL - Pompano Beach Amphitheater
19 - St. Augustine, FL - St. Augustine Amphitheater


For further details, visit the Experience Hendrix Tour page, here. Watch a video trailer below:

Italian power metallers, Frozen Crown, have shared a new video featuring guitarist Alessia Lanzone playing "Netherstorm" from the band's 2018 debut, The Fallen King. Check it out below. 





Frozen Crown recently issued the following update:




"New album complete!


Dear friends, many of you asked us what we were doing behind the scenes during the last months. Now, after some hints here and there, we can say we're happy and proud beyond words to finally be able to listen to this new material. It's the best stuff we ever recorded and yes, we know, all bands say this about their latest album, but this time it couldn't be truer. Not only cause this is the first material recorded as a 6-piece band, but also cause this is the very first time every single Frozen Crown member actively contributed to the final result.


Once again we worked with the best, who has been the hidden additional band member for all these years: Andrea 'Fusix' Fusini, which crafted the sound of all our albums since the beloved debut The Fallen King. You may have listened to some of his latest work on Napalm Records if you happened to check the latest Delain album!"





Frozen Crown inked a worldwide contract with Napalm Records in June 2023. The five-piece was founded in 2018, and have since become one of the most influential Italian metal bands in the current scene.


So far, Frozen Crown have released four albums - The Fallen King (2018), Crowned In Frost (2019), Winterbane (2021) and this year’s Call Of The North - which have brought the band huge media exposure, millions of streams and video views, and big European tours with the likes of Dragonforce and Nanowar Of Steel, as well as two headlining tours in Japan.


Their current album, Call Of The North, is Frozen Crown’s most mature work so far, showcasing the best of the band’s unique power metal style infused with classic heavy metal, melodic death metal and speed metal influences, all topped with bombastic production highlighting opulent orchestrations and harmonies.


Frozen Crown on the signing: "We're happy and honored to join the Napalm Records family and we're ready for our next big step together. Since we founded this band in 2018 we worked hard incessantly, day after day, not only trying to put our best in our studio albums and live, but also managing the band all by ourselves, conquering every single little accomplishment with our DIY attitude, always keeping loyal to our (extremely) small entourage. Thanks to the support of our lovely fans, Frozen Crown eventually grew bigger, and got to a point where we were not able to handle it all by ourselves anymore. At the same time, we knew we needed more firepower to push the band further and bring it to the next level. And speaking of firepower, Napalm Records was just the best record label to start this new chapter with... We're excited beyond words to be part of the best metal label in the world, and we can't wait to start working together on our new album, joining forces with this huge team of professionals."


Sebastian Muench, Senior A&R Napalm Records, adds: “Frozen Crown are simply one of the most creative power metal bands to emerge in the last five years. Their previous releases, Winterbane and Call Of The North, are brilliant. We look forward to working with Frozen Crown to reach the next level in their career.”


Frozen Crown are:


Giada “Jade” Etro - Vocals
Federico Mondelli - Vocals, Guitar
Fabiola Bellomo - Guitar
Francesco Zof - Bass
Niso Tomasini - Drums

Known for their electrifying performances, Thunder Horse is set to reignite a cherished tradition with the July 5th release of their latest album, Dead Alive in Texas. Evoking the spirit of rock's golden era, Thunder Horse channels the energy and raw power of live performances into a captivating nine-track record. Get your copy of Dead Alive in Texas on CD and/or Vinyl now at this location.


In homage to the revered practices of the 1970s, where legendary bands would unleash three studio albums before delivering a monumental live experience, Thunder Horse follows suit with Dead Alive in Texas. Recorded live in Cibolo, TX, the album captures the essence of Thunder Horse's exhilarating live shows, bringing fans closer to the heart of the music than ever before.


Dead Alive in Texas offers a visceral, in-your-face experience that harkens back to the glory days of rock 'n' roll. "Thunder Horse is proud to keep the flame of live rock music burning bright," says lead guitarist Todd “The Bird” Connally. "With Dead Alive In Texas, we invite our listeners to join us on a journey back to the roots of rock, where every riff and every beat pulses with the raw energy of the stage."




Artwork and tracklisting:





"Let Them Bleed"
"New Normal"
"Rememberance Demon"
"Demons Speak"
"Song For The Ferryman"
"Monolith"
"Liber Ad Christ Milites Temple"
"Chosen One"
"Ace Of Spades"


Check out the video for "Monolith":





For further details, visit Thunder Horse on Facebook.