DREAM THEATER keyboardist Jordan Rudess has announced his brand new solo album, "Permission To Fly", due on September 6, 2024 via InsideOut Music.

No stranger to experimentation, known for leading the charge in pushing creative, sonic, and technological boundaries, Rudess's latest endeavor epitomizes this ethos, delving into the complexities of human existence within our multifaceted world.

As Jordan explains: "The essence of the album is deeply informed by the tumultuous events of 2023-2024, with motifs of peace and anti-violence woven throughout many of the songs."

To mark the announcement, Rudess has launched the epic new track "The Alchemist", with a video by Wayne Joyner. Check it out below.

While some previous releases were true solo pursuits, this time, Rudess assembled a core group of musicians to support and elevate his vision. The album features Jordan alongside That Joe Payne on vocals, Darby Todd (DEVIN TOWNSEND) on drums and Steve Dadaian on guitar, as well as guest guitar solos from Bastian Martinez.

With the music in capable hands, Rudess wanted to make sure to give the lyrics their proper attention. For that, he turned to a source close to home, his daughter.

"All the lyrics on the album were written by my daughter, Ariana," Jordan says. "While I enjoy writing lyrics myself, my primary focus tends to be on the sonic quality of the words. For this album, I wanted to delve deeper and offer something that resonated on a more profound and cerebral level. Ari did an exceptional job."

"Permission To Fly" will be available as a limited CD digipak and gatefold 180g 2LP (both including bonus material),as well as digitally.

01. The Final Threshold (04:08)
02. Into The Lair (09:31)
03. Haunted Reverie (05:14)
04. The Alchemist (08:36)
05. Embers (04:03)
06. Shadow Of The Moon (05:29)
07. Eternal (08:53)
08. Footstep In The Snow (04:02)
09. Dreamer (05:03)
10. Incarnation (03:31) (bonus track)
11. Chopin Fm (05:33) (bonus track)

Listen to the previously released track "Embers" below.

Jordan recently made his live debut with Darby Todd and That Joe Payne, with two rapturously received sets on the 2024 edition of Cruise To The Edge, also marking the live premiere of "Embers".

Renowned as the "Best Keyboardist Of All Time" by Music Radar magazine, Rudess stands out as the extraordinary keyboardist and multi-instrumentalist for the platinum-selling, Grammy Award-winning progressive rock band DREAM THEATER. Embarking on his musical journey as a classical prodigy, Jordan initiated his studies at the illustrious Juilliard School Of Music at the age of 9, laying the foundation for a career marked by a distinctive fusion of classical and rock influences.

Beyond his role in DREAM THEATER and the power group LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT, Jordan's musical prowess has resonated across a diverse spectrum of collaborations. From DEEP PURPLE and David Bowie to Steven Wilson and Jan Hammer, he has left an indelible mark on the industry. Notable projects such as LMR (his side venture with Tony Levin and Marco Minneman),Steven Wilson's BLACKFIELD, guest appearances with DEEP PURPLE and THE DIXIE DREGS and collaborations with artists like Enrique Iglesias, THE PAUL WINTER CONSORT, Annie Haslam, and many others, underscore the breadth of his musical reach.

Venturing into the realm of cutting-edge technology, Jordan has emerged as a pioneer with a focus on state-of-the-art keyboard controllers and music apps. As the owner of the highly successful iOS app development company Wizdom Music, he has spearheaded the creation of award-winning apps, including GeoShred, MorphWiz, SampleWiz, Vythm, Polywave, Jam With Jordan and SampleWiz 2. GeoShred, Wizdom Music's latest triumph, was a collaborative effort with moForte, founding members of Stanford University's Sondius team. Rudess is currently working on an AI interactive project as Visiting Artist at MIT's Media Lab in the Responsive Environments group.

At last weekend's Download festival in the United Kingdom, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello spoke to Neil Jones of TotalRock about his upcoming solo single, "Soldier In The Army Of Love". Due on June 28, the song, which was co-written with his "guitar wizard son" Roman Morello, was described by Tom as "a generational rock anthem from the Morellos." "Soldier In The Army Of Love" is the first single from Tom's first-ever full-length solo rock album, due later in the year.

Asked why now was the right time to release a full-length solo rock album, Tom told TotalRock (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, one of the things that was very inspiring was I have a 13-year-old guitar prodigy son, Roman, who we wrote this song together. And his riffs are heavier than mine, and I've been relegated to the rhythm guitar player status in the family. So we did this song, 'Soldier In The Army Of Love', together, and it was just so rocking. It was sort of the genesis of this whole idea."

He continued: "I've done a lot of records — collaborative records, records laced with hip-hop, electronica, acoustic records, and this is really the first Tom Morello solo rock album, and this song, 'Soldier In The Army Of Love', really sort of encapsulates what it's about."

Tom went on to praise his son's musical talents, saying: "Well, it's nice to see the DNA has flowed in the right direction, and I think that rock's in a pretty good place, 'cause there's another Morello coming."

Asked if the upcoming solo album will be "all riffs", Tom said: "No. There's certainly a heavy dose of the Morellian RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE/AUDIOSLAVE riffs — maybe it's got two feet in that world and one foot in [Bruce Springsteen's 1978 album] 'Darkness On The Edge Of Town', too."

Last year, Tom Morello shared footage to Instagram of Roman playing RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE's "Killing In The Name" with Tom's RAGE bandmates Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk while the band was on tour in 2022.

"Upon our Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction I'd like to say thank you to all the RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE fans who over the course of 30+ years have been the heart and soul of the music," Morello wrote in the clip's accompanying caption.

"One of my favorite memories is my son Roman (who became a fan on tour) rocking Killing In The Name with Tim & Brad at a soundcheck in 2022."

In March 2023, Tom told Rolling Stone magazine that Roman could already outplay him when it came to lead guitar, despite the fact that he was only 11 at the time.

"I've been very inspired by my 11-year-old son," Tom told the magazine. "I've been relegated to being the rhythm guitar player in my family now because my 11-year-old can shred circles around me. I've been inspired by him. He's been writing some riffs, and I've been writing some riffs. It's been fun."

Roman Morello previously recorded a solo on fellow child prodigy Nandi Bushell's 2021 single "The Children Will Rise Up". The pair worked with the elder Morello to write the original anthem on which a swell of children's voices promised that they would not be silenced when it came to shouting from the rooftops about environmental injustice.

Tom was the sole member of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE who attended the band's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony last November at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE's Rock Hall induction came after the band appeared on six ballots.

In October 2022, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE canceled its North American tour, three months after singer Zack De La Rocha severed his left Achilles tendon, leaving a mere eight inches of the tendon intact.

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE's comeback tour, which was first announced in 2019 and then delayed several times due to the pandemic, marked the first time the reunited rap-metal quartet had hit the road together since 2011.

Excited to announce that SOLDIER IN THE ARMY OF LOVE, the debut single from my first ever full length solo rock album,...

Posted by Tom Morello on Wednesday, June 12, 2024

At the world premiere of GHOST's debut film, "Rite Here Rite Now", on June 18 at London, United Kingdom's Picturehouse Central, GHOST leader Tobias Forge told Rock Sound about the making of the movie (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "As any semi-gargantuan task, as fun as it is, it's also draining. I'm used to working towards deadlines, but filmmaking is definitely a lot… You can release records into the society and people will buy it or not, whereas tickets you have to sell too, but cinemas are a little bit like venues. So you can't just release a film or move it like a week. If you don't deliver on time, it would be delayed, like, months. So we've been sort of zoning in on this date, basically today, for the last nine months. So it feels like a giant relief because at points during the making of the film, there was definitely a sense of urgency, especially for everyone who had to answer to someone, which I guess I had to too, but I also understood the urgency of things having to be delivered on time. But now we're finally here, against all odds."

Director Alex Ross Perry stated about working with Forge and GHOST: "I am a fan. I was first and foremost a fan. If anything keeps me humble and honest about working with him several times on various different projects, I'm just happy to be there. I'm not there to make a name for myself or build up my resume as a great rock/metal filmmaker, get other jobs. It's really just, I'm a fan. If I can be of service here, I am ready to be of service. I think that's a good attitude to bring to something that there's room for a lot of other voices and a lot of collaboration, but you don't need two bosses in that. You just need one boss, and then someone who's happy to be there. It's just about translating what he wants, because what he wants is vast, visual, creative but not always practical or possible. He's the first one to admit that, and he knows that. So it's never, 'Here's what I want. Do it.' It's, 'Here's what I want,' and then me saying, 'Well, here's a version of that we can do. If we had all the time and money in the world, we could do exactly what you just said, but we don't.' And I'm here to say, 'Well, if we did it this way, is that good enough? Is that basically correct?' And, 'Yeah, yeah, we can do that.' And then sometimes there's ideas that were in place from our first conversation, moments that never changed, and then there's things in the movie that we thought of five minutes before we started filming, or I thought of 20 minutes before we started filming and said, 'Something like this?' 'Yeah, let's do that. Let's try that this time.' So it's just being there to sort of be open and say, 'Tell me exactly what you want and tell me where there's room to be flexible.' If you had an ego about it, that would be very difficult, but I'm just happy to help out."

Due to the overwhelming demand, further theatrical dates have been added to the worldwide launch of "Rite Here Rite Now", which will now premiere in cinemas over four days on June 20, June 21, June 22 and June 23. Tickets are available here.

Directed by Forge and Perry ("Her Smell"),"Rite Here Rite Now" combines never-before-seen 2023 concert footage of GHOST with a narrative story that picks up plot threads from the band's long-running "Chapters" series.

Shot over the course of GHOST's two sold-out shows at Los Angeles's hallowed Kia Forum, "Rite Here Rite Now" fully immerses viewers in the technicolor melodrama of the vaunted live ritual that has helped to propel Sweden's foremost theatrical rock export to Grammy-winning, chart-topping, arena-headlining status the world over.

"Rite Here Rite Now" is, however, so much more than a concert movie. GHOST's debut feature film combines live performance from the two-night finale of the band's "Re-Imperatour" U.S.A. 2023 with a narrative story that picks up plot threads from the band's long-running "Chapters" series. The result is an utterly unique phantasmagorical blend: Flesh and bone renditions of favorites from all five of GHOST's albums as well as the RIAA platinum-certified "Mary On A Cross" and more are interwoven with the silver screen debuts of a few faces familiar to the band's legions of fans — all interacting behind the scenes with GHOST's Papa Emeritus IV, as his future and fate lay in the hands of the Ministry.

Whether you're a devoted disciple looking to relive treasured memories of the GHOST live spectacle or among the curious uninitiated, "Rite Here Rite Now" will put you right there: putting your phones down and living in the moment — as a shadow of uncertainty looms — completely spellbound and in the thrall of this bombastic yet intimate cinematic portrait of GHOST.

The original motion picture soundtrack to "Rite Here Rite Now" will be released on July 26 via Loma Vista Recordings. A fitting 18-song complement to GHOST's debut feature film, the band's first-ever original soundtrack will be available on all formats (digital, CD, 2xLP). Pre-orders are live now, and include the soundtrack's live version of "Absolution", captured at that now-legendary two-night stand at the Forum, as an instant grat track available on YouTube.

"Rite Here Rite Now" is produced by Popecorn Cinematic Pictures. Producers include Kristen Mulderig, Rick Sales, Craig Butta and Jonas Åkerlund.

Last October, Forge confirmed that footage from the band's September 2023 two shows at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California would be used as part of the film.

"When I first started putting it together, I was, like, 'Oh my god, I'm going to faint because there's so much to think about,'" Forge told Metal Hammer magazine. "Then it was, like, 'No, no, just don't think about it at all.'"

Both GHOST shows at the Forum were device-free experiences. Use of phones and smart watches was not permitted in the performance space. Upon arrival at the venue, devices were secured in individual Yondr pouches that were opened at the end of the event.

"I have never seen a crowd interact the way that they did since I was in a club band," Forge said. "They were the best shows I've ever done with GHOST, just because I didn't have to see those fucking mobile phones."

Tobias was also asked if the GHOST film will be similar to METALLICA's "Through The Never", which starred members of the iconic rock band and Dane DeHaan ("Chronicle", "The Amazing Spider-Man 2"). DeHaan played a young band crew member who is sent out on an urgent mission while the band is playing a rousing live set in front of a sold-out crowd and unexpectedly finds his world turned completely upside down. Forge replied: "In the sense that it's a concert with something else combined."

At the Forum shows, GHOST performed the song "Twenties" live for the very first time live. They also played their cover of Roky Erikson's "If You Have Ghosts", which was originally reimagined by GHOST for their 2013 EP "If You Have Ghost". The band's version of the track at the Forum featured two cellists with a piano playing, and it was performed on a separate stage from the rest of the set.

During an appearance on the latest episode of the Appetite For Distortion podcast, Scott Weiland's widow spoke about his legacy, more than eight years after the late STONE TEMPLE PILOTS frontman's death. Photographer Jamie Wachtel Weiland said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I feel like he really does not have the accolades and the respect and the recognition that he absolutely deserves. I feel like when he died, everybody was kind of, like, that's tragic, but, of course, he overdosed, which he didn't fucking overdose, which I tried to get that point across. He didn't. Because he had drugs in his system, the coroner had to rule it an overdose. But the truth is Scott died because the main artery in his left ventricle was 95 percent blocked. That came from 10 years of heroin use, that came from an entire adult life of chain smoking. His heart stopped. Did he have trace amounts of drugs in his system? He did. Did I know he was using? No, I didn't, because he lied to me, because I had caught him before and it would always be this huge fight and I would be furious at him. And to be doing this stuff, but to also to lie to me about it… And I remember even talking to the coroner in Minnesota when everything happened and saying, like, 'How could he lie to me about this again?' And the coroner was so kind. And he said, 'I think he just really didn't wanna disappoint you.' But, yeah, I really wanna clear up, that was not an overdose — it was not. He was not using heroin. He did not overdose on drugs. His heart stopped because his heart had been through so much abuse because of prior drug use in his life and smoking and heavy drinking."

Weiland was found dead on his tour bus in December 2015 at the age of 48 from a toxic mix of drugs and alcohol. The vocalist, who was on the road with his solo band THE WILDABOUTS, was also dealing with self-medication, estrangement from his children, financial difficulties and a steadily increasing drinking problem.

Regarding the criticism that she has received from some of Scott's fans for her role in the circumstances that led to the singer's death, Jamie told Appetite For Distortion: "People can say whatever the fuck they want about things that I did or didn't do. But the truth was I did pretty much all the heavy lifting myself with him. I was alone with him trying to keep him safe and keep him calm and get him to the right doctors and get him on stage, get him to rehearsals. It was just me. I was the gatekeeper for everything. And that was really, really fucking hard. So when we talk about the comments that people make about me, about Scott, about our marriage, I basically wanna tell everybody to go fuck off, 'cause they weren't there. They didn't know. And to judge and comment on it is just so low and ignorant. It's just ignorance. And that's why… the horrible things that people have said about Scott, the use of [the word] 'junkie', all of that, I honestly stopped looking at all of this years ago. I just stopped looking. I don't read any of the comments. I don't read the articles about him. I don't even look because it's so upsetting to me, that ignorance and that negativity and that judgment. It makes me sick. It gives me anxiety. It depresses me. So I just don't look. I just don't look."

A January 2016 report from Billboard revealed that Scott was dealing with hepatitis C, mental illness and the knowledge that both his parents had cancer in the final months of his life. The article featured interviews with Jamie, his mother Sharon, his WILDABOUTS bandmates Tommy Black and Nick Maybury, tour manager Aaron Mohler and others.

Jamie told Billboard that Scott had been experiencing episodes of paranoia and mania caused by bipolar disorder. She explained: "At one point, it was so bad I had to move out because he was unstable." Eventually they found a medication that leveled him out, with Jamie adding "For the last couple of years, he was doing pretty great."

In addition to STONE TEMPLE PILOTS, Scott fronted VELVET REVOLVER from 2004 through 2008. He rejoined STP in 2008 after a six-year hiatus, but was dismissed from the group in 2013 due to his erratic behavior.

More than seven years ago, Jamie filed a claim against Scott's estate, saying he owed her $64,406. Jamie said she and Scott signed a prenuptial agreement before their 2013 wedding which provided that the musician would put $2,000 into a separate account each month that they were married, with a provision that the amount would increase by seven percent annually. But Jamie said Scott had only made two deposits by the time he died in December 2015.

TMZ said that the document was "cut and dried," stating "what was his before the marriage remained his, and vice versa." In addition, the agreement waived Jamie's right to spousal support.

According to court documents obtained by The Blast, Jamie Weiland's creditor's claim against the estate was denied in August 2019.

Mary Forsberg was Weiland's second wife and mother to his children, Noah and Lucy. His first marriage to Janina Castenada lasted from 1994 to 2000.

Forsberg posted a brutally candid letter about Scott at RollingStone.com following his death, writing that his children "lost their father years ago. What they truly lost on December 3rd [2015] was hope."

Image courtesy of 102.1 The Edge

Artist Worldwide, the international booking agency for some of the most respected artists in heavy metal and punk, has announced the signing of British based international heavy metal band Venom Inc., reports Arrow Lords Of Metal.


Venom Inc. reunites former Venom and Atomkraft singer/bassist Tony “Demolition Man” Dolan and Venom founding guitarist Jeffrey “Mantas” Dunn, alongside their former M:Pire Of Evil bandmate Marc “JXN” Jackson on drums.


Says Demolition Man: “I’m proud to announce to have signed with Artist Worldwide in LA, joining artists I admire and with a history of superb musical value.. including Udo, The Dead Daisies, Loudness, Yngwie Malmsteen, Doyle, Primal Fear, Glen Hughes, Frank Marino etc etc.. and to be artist rostered with The Dickies seems to complete my circle from my beginning in 1978!! Honoured, humbled, greatful! Here’s to Chuck Bernal CEO for the faith and belief”




Find more info at artistww.com.

This Charming Man Records will release Tokyo’s Hebi Katana’s III album on vinyl on August 28. Preorder at thischarmingmanrecords.de. The pressing is limited to 300 copies (100 purple/black dot, 200 crystal clear wax).


The classic doom riff and mellow and dark melody reminiscent of The Obsessed and Trouble have become a hot topic mainly overseas. Both works have been released on CD/LP/cassette by domestic and international labels. Their dark yet melodious doom sound attracted attention, especially among doom/stoner enthusiasts around the world.


This work, which is the third album, maintains the classic doom/hard rock sound that has been created up to now, but it also has a strong jam feeling honed through expeditions including overseas tours, and the band ensemble is truly impressive. It is a work of art. Coupled with member changes, the content gives a sense of significant growth and progress. In addition, the songs created through collaboration with seasoned live acts have a more vivid finish. Through songwriting that involves everyone’s participation, each band’s colors and characters are strongly reflected, and it can be said that the band is exploring a unique sound based on the doom/stoner sound.




“Hallelujah Anyway” is a straightforward attack with a classic heavy riff and mellow chorus, “Depressed Blues” is a combination of a mid-tempo heavy riff and dark vocals In the second half, “Darkest Priest” develops into a more doomy shuffle boogie, and “Lost” drifts from a dark arpeggio-driven melody to a heavy and sinking development, and the songs included are rich and fulfilling. The yellowtail is something to behold.





Tracklisting:


“Hallelujah Anyway”
“The Debtor”
“Depressed Blues”
“No Sorrow”
“Pennsylvania Blood”
“The Hole”
“Darkest Priest”
“Lost”


Hebi Katana - III by this charming man records

Slovakian blackened death metal horde, Ceremony Of Silencehas premiered the visualizer video for "Primaeval Sacrifice," the second single from forthcoming album, Hálios.


"Primaeval Sacrifice" will be available everywhere on June 21 Willowtip Records will release Hálios July 19 on CD, cassette, vinyl, and digital formats. Pre-orders available at the following locations. Preorder on Bandcamp.


Building upon the foundation laid by their debut album, this new release delves even deeper into the band's unique blend of brutality and atmosphere. The album radiates with suffocating intensity, introducing a richer, more atmospheric dimension to the band's sound, while retaining some of the band's signature aspects of haunting melodies, or breathtaking gradations.




Unborn, all-pervading and radiant. The immutable light of the Universe, our fundamental inherent nature, and a bridge to the mythical time. Hálios represents a breakthrough of the sacred into the temporal world, and sets forth on an eerie journey reenacting old stories inspired by the essence of the ancient Indo-European mythology, entwined in obscure visions and dreams.





Tracklisting:


“Primaeval Sacrifice”
“Serpent Slayer”
“Moon Vessel”
“Eternal Return”
“Light Runs Through Light”
“Perennial Incantation”
“King In The Mountain”


“Primaeval Sacrifice”:





“Serpent Slayer”:

KnuckleBonz has announced the release of a new statue of Black Label Society / Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Zakk Wylde.


The Zakk Wylde II Rock Iconz KnuckleBonz statue is currently in production and now available for preorder. Reserve yours now at Knucklebonz.com. Slated to ship Early 2025. 







The statue is limited edition –  3000 are made. Officially Licensed.


Each piece is hand-crafted. This is a fine-arts process where each statue is hand-cast, painted and numbered on the base.

Hamilton, Ontario-based punishing death/doom outfit Absorb will release their Smog EP on July 26 via Hypaethral Records.


Forged in 2013, Absorb — Jeff Luckel (lead guitar), David Eckmeier (rhythm guitar), Jason Luckel (bass), and Aaron Barthe (drums) — set out to cultivate a sound that was slow, dissonant, and quakingly heavy. After cycling through a number of vocalists, the final piece of the puzzle fell into place with the addition of vocalist Erik Thorkildsen in 2022. Since then, Absorb has found its true sound, a perfect fit with Thorkildsen’s dominating vocal delivery.


Following the band’s 2023’s Rot EP, Smog marks a profound evolution for the band, embracing denser, more atmospheric compositions that add new layers of depth to their monolithically heavy sound. Absorb's music is a full-body visceral encounter, drawing from influences such as Primitive Man, Thou, and Cough, yet forging a sound that leaves listeners stunned. A three-track, twenty-five-minute aural assault, Smog is the next chapter in the band's inexorable voyage to push their music beyond the limitations of death and doom.




“This is our second release with Absorb's current lineup,” elaborates Thorkildsen. “Smog envelops the listener in a dense, thunderous, buzzsaw fuzz-laced journey that rings in your head like tinnitus long after the last note. Combining soul-crushing riffs and intense, varied vocal delivery, it delivers a cathartic punch, leaving you feeling raw and contemplative with its weight.


"'Dissociated' is the first song that I've written with Absorb from top to bottom," he continues of the opening track and first single from the EP. "The Rot EP had already been completed by the time I joined the band. Lyrically, 'Dissociated' is a mix of being at the end of a two-year COVID bender and fantasizing about losing everyone in my life when the cell network(s) went down for twenty-four+ hours. It feels like isolation that just buries you further and further."


Smog was produced, engineered, and mixed by Nick Ginn and mastered by Jamie King. Guitars were engineered and recorded by Andy Dmytryshyn. The EP will be released on limited CD (100 x four-panel digipak), limited 12” vinyl (100 Smog, 100 Black) and digital formats. 


Preorder at hypaethralrecords.com.





Tracklisting:


“Dissociated”
“Smog”
“Cecilia”


“Dissociated”:


Smog by Absorb


(Photo – Brittany Vaughan)

FOO FIGHTERS were joined by Shane Hawkins, the son of their late drummer Taylor Hawkins, for a surprise performance of "I'll Stick Around" during their concert Thursday night (June 20) at at London Stadium in London, United Kingdom.

Prior to launching into the second single from FOO FIGHTERS' self-titled 1995 debut album, frontman Dave Grohl told the 17-year-old Hawkins: "Hi, Shane. Thank you for waiting three hours to come play drums with us."

This was not the first time that Shane has played with FOO FIGHTERS. He previously honored his late father with the FOO FIGHTERS at a pair of tribute concerts in London and Los Angeles in September 2022. He also joined FOO FIGHTERS at the Boston Calling festival in May 2023 to perform "I'll Stick Around".

Taylor Hawkins died in March 2022 in Bogota, Colombia due to a reported cardiovascular collapse at the age of 50.

He left behind his wife Alison Hawkins and three children — Oliver Shane, Annabelle and Everleigh.

In July 2022, Shane teamed up with the California band THE ALIVE to play drums on "My Hero" during a Fourth Of July Laguna Beach block party.

In 2018, Shane joined his father and Grohl on drums for a cover of THE ROLLING STONES' "Miss You" at a CHEVY METAL show in 2018.

FOO FIGHTERS played their first official concert with new drummer Josh Freese in May 2023 at Bank Of New Hampshire Pavilion At Meadowbrook in Gilford, New Hampshire.

FOO FIGHTERS will play London Stadium once again tomorrow night (Saturday, June 22),before closing their U.K. stadium tour with a headlining concert at Cardiff's Principality Stadium on Tuesday, June 25. FOO FIGHTERS will then finish out their European tour and return to the U.S. for shows in Boston, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, and more later this summer.

Theatrical emo rock group THE FUNERAL PORTRAIT delivers massive riffs and a driving chorus while evoking a sense of fear on its new track "Suffocate City" featuring guest vocals from Spencer Charnas of horror-themed active rock outfit ICE NINE KILLS. Out digitally today (Friday, June 21),"Suffocate City" is the second sample of new music from THE FUNERAL PORTRAIT's upcoming album, due via Better Noise Music later this year. It follows the track "You're So Ugly When You Cry" — an upbeat anthemic pop-punk song which features Bert McCracken of two-times-RIAA-platinum-certified group THE USED.

"'Suffocate City' speaks to our listeners' sense of fear," says THE FUNERAL PORTRAIT vocalist Lee Jennings. "The fear of being stuck in a dead-end job, a dead-end relationship, or a dead-end financial situation. The fear of 'never getting out' is a ubiquitous experience that anyone can connect and relate to."

Charnas comments: "Thrilled to team up with our good friends THE FUNERAL PORTRAIT on their track 'Suffocate City'. We had a killer time working with them on the song and the accompanying music video. Check it out now."

Lauded as one of Alternative Press's "100 Bands You Need to Know," THE FUNERAL PORTRAIT have relentlessly toured across the country building an unwavering fanbase with their extravagant theatrics, stage décor and even costumed actors while opening for acts including SHINEDOWN, ICE NINE KILLS, UNDEROATH, SKILLET, FROM ASHES TO NEW, STARSET, PVRIS and ISSUES. This summer/fall, they'll hit the road on an arena tour with FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, MARILYN MANSON and SLAUGHTER TO PREVAIL from August 2 to September 19. THE FUNERAL PORTRAIT will also appear at a handful of one-off shows as direct support to MARILYN MANSON and will conclude the run with festival appearances at Louder Than Life and Aftershock.

Photo credit: Aaron Mash

In a new interview with Canada's The Metal Voice, former IRON MAIDEN frontman Paul Di'Anno, who has been performing in a wheelchair as a result of serious health problems for most of the past decade, discussed the progress of his treatment, nearly two years after he underwent major knee surgery in Croatia. He said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "The fault [for the slow progress] is mine, because we keep breaking off, going to tour. And sometimes we've got to do that, because the fucking bills are astronomical, for medical care and that. It's actually cheaper doing it [the treatment] privately over here [in Croatia], because you won't get nothing done in England. So anyway, so you've gotta do what you can, but we've taken these couple of months off to get me going, I think for my sanity's sake as well, because I've been suicidal over this over the last few years. It's just too much. I'm not one of those people who should be sitting around all fucking day."

After interviewer Jimmy Kay suggested that going on tour is "probably better" for Paul's health than sitting at home, Di'Anno clarified: "It's bad for my health. It's not good for me, because I'm not getting the physio done or the lymphatic drainage I need. Or you can sometimes, but not all the time. It's very difficult. And, obviously, transferring from A to B, to airplanes and onto buses and that. But playing live does you a lot of good [mentally]."

Elaborating on his state of mind while trying to get to the point in his recovery where he can walk on his own again, Paul said: "Yeah, I spend a lot of time in isolation, especially where I live, 'cause I live out in the countryside and I don't get many people come to visit. And I've been really ill the last couple of months with infection after infection after infection, 'cause I caught pneumonia last year in Mexico. I was over there doing physio after I finished a tour."

Di'Anno went on to say that his 2015 battle with sepsis resulted in long-term alterations in his immune function, creating a cycle where his weakened immune system struggles to ward off new threats, leading to a greater risk of recurrent infections. "Somebody sneezes on me, I'll probably go down with [a severe illness]," he said. "But that's what you get from a sepsis. It just weakens your system."

Di'Anno recorded two classic albums with IRON MAIDEN — a self-titled effort in 1980 and "Killers" in 1981 — before being fired and replaced by Bruce Dickinson. He went on to front a number of other bands, including KILLERS and BATTLEZONE, and released several solo records.

In December 2022, Di'Anno spent time in Split, Croatia recording an album with his new project called WARHORSE. The band was formed earlier that year by Di'Anno and two guitarists/authors, Hrvoje Madiraca and Ante "Pupi" Pupačić. The resulting LP will be made available in July 2024 under the PAUL DI'ANNO'S WARHORSE banner.

WARHORSE previously recorded three songs, two of which — "Stop The War" and "The Doubt Within" — were released in May 2022 as a special DVD single along with Paul's video message to all fans who bought the single and thus helped raise funds for his knee operation.

The WARHORSE single marked Di'Anno's first music release after a seven-year hiatus due to severe health issues.

Di'Anno, who finally underwent his knee surgery in September 2022, played the first show since the operation on October 1, 2022 at the Keep It True Rising II festival in Würzburg, Germany.

In May 2022, Di'Anno came face to face with MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris for the first time in three decades before the band's concert in Croatia.

Harris, whose group kicked off the 2022 leg of its "Legacy Of The Beast" world tour at the 22,000-capacity Arena Zagreb, came out before the show to greet a wheelchair-bound Di'Anno and chat with him for a few minutes.

After his friendly meeting with Harris, Di'Anno stuck around long enough to watch some of MAIDEN's performance before leaving near the end of the set to avoid a huge traffic jam after the show.

Also in May 2022, Paul played his first full solo concert in seven years at the Bikers Beer Factory in Zagreb. The show was filmed and parts of it will be included in a documentary about Di'Anno, which is being directed by Wes Orshoski, co-director and producer of the acclaimed 2010 film "Lemmy" about the MOTÖRHEAD icon.

Former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson has weighed in on the never-ending debate about how the rise of grunge in the early 1990s forced most hard rock bands off the radio and MTV, with album and tour sales plummeting. Speaking to the X5 Podcast, he said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I lived in L.A. So, coming off [MEGADETH's] 'Rust In Peace' [album — this is in 1991; we're starting to write 'Countdown To Extinction', and I remember driving down the freeway, and KNAC was the big rock station. And I remember hearing — is it a song called 'Breed'? And I was, like, 'That is fucking badass. What a great song.' And then it turns out it was NIRVANA. And I liked NIRVANA. I thought they were cool. I loved their sound. I totally got it. And it was basically illegal for a metal guy to say you liked NIRVANA. I mean, you could be basically crucified and shot execution-style if you said that. So it was not allowed for any of us to say that."

He continued: "Look, they changed… It went from hair-band stuff right over to Seattle, especially, with MTV and media outlets and stuff. And I guess we got caught a little bit in it. When we put out the 'Youthanasia' record, our first single 'Train Of Consequences' was well received. 'À Tout Le Monde' was not. And then they just basically turned the channel. Of course, METALLICA cut their hair. They started altering their sound a little bit — mostly their image. They remained a metal band for the most part. METALLICA and MEGADETH, for sure, survived it. We adapted and survived it. Some of our contemporaries, they just stayed the course and, as a result, their business got smaller for another 10 years, until the 2000s came around.

"So, yeah, the '90s were rough, especially for thrash metal bands. Because there was Seattle, then came nu metal — you know, the KORN, COAL CHAMBER, LIMP BIZKIT."

Reflecting on how the "nu metal" scene affected MEGADETH's business, especially related to touring opportunities, Ellefson said: "Dude, I remember doing fuckin' Ozzfest '98. And this was the moment for me. So you talk about Seattle moment. But for me, the moment was Ozzfest '98. So our showtime was usually 6 p.m. every night. And headliners, obviously, was Ozzy [Osbourne], then it was TOOL, then MEGADETH, and then right before us was LIMP BIZKIT, and I forgot who else before us, but definitely the tides were turning. And so, LIMP BIZKIT was up there flushing [cardboard cutouts of] SPICE GIRLS down their big toilet that they had as a stage prop, everybody's got baggy clothes and they're kind of doing, kind of the KORN… The body language moved, it changed big time — kind of more gangster, hip-hop kind of thing. And then we come out in our skinny jeans and we're headbanging, and it's, like, 'This just feels very weird.' We're sandwiched between LIMP BIZKIT and TOOL. And I remember, me and [then-MEGADETH guitarist] Marty Freeman, we'd go out and watch TOOL. I loved them. I thought they were great. It was mesmerizing. To me, they were like the modern-day RUSH '2112' kind of vibe. It was very non-mainstream, kind of almost PINK FLOYD-ish. I was mesmerized by it, just how fricking cool it was. So, I got it. I've always adapted to new stuff that was coming out. So I thought it was really cool. Then, of course, Ozzy would come out. But it was just this weird cultural shift that was happening during that time.

"I think going back to the grunge thing, the band that we can all agree on, I think anybody, but especially metalheads and guitar-player kind of bands, was ALICE IN CHAINS," Ellefson added. "They were just cool no matter what. They sort of won everyone over, whereas SOUNDGARDEN, I liked them. I didn't love them. I love TEMPLE OF THE DOG. [Chris] Cornell, him and Eddie Vedder dueting on that track. And also, before PEARL JAM, MOTHER LOVE BONE. What a cool band that was. And, of course, they only had that moment, and then it was over once the singer died. But I thought PEARL JAM 'Ten' was great. I mean, that was one of those great, great albums. Top to bottom, it's just a great record. I think probably for our genre, you have to sort of take your metal hat off and just listen to it as music."

Last month, Ellefson was asked by Greg Prato of Ultimate Guitar how he and the rest of MEGADETH were affected by the downfall of the 1980s heavy metal scene during the grunge era. He said: "I loved grunge music. And I know that was not cool for a heavy metal guy to say that, especially a thrash metal guy. Because a lot of careers were pretty much upended because of Seattle music. And look, MEGADETH, we had to make some transitions. 'Cryptic Writings', in particular, was an album that was designed to reinvent the band at American Active Rock radio. Or we'd just go tour, tour, tour, and, like some of our contemporaries, took us back down to clubs and theaters. Whereas with 'Cryptic Writings', it kept us as an arena rock band. We got to headline radio station events, which were big festivals at that time. So I'm glad we did what we did, because I liked the direction that we went in, as opposed to, 'We're just going to stay true to the old school.' We kept the old school and then did what we did, which was add all the other flavors and layers that our band was capable of doing."

He continued: "So, MEGADETH, along with METALLICA for sure, not only survived it, but we thrived in it. And it still kept us at the top of the charts and the top of the bill, as young bands like CREED, GODSMACK, DISTURBED, and the new generation of nu metal stuff was coming up. Because I think that was as much of it for us. It wasn't just grunge."

"Grunge may have affected MTV, but I think overall as a hard rock, heavy metal genre, the grunge thing didn't affect us as much as you had to be aware of what was coming up behind us. And we saw it because we took KORN on tour with us on the 'Youthanasia' tour in 1995. We saw first-hand on stage that KORN, this was either going to go away tomorrow or it was going to change the world. And it changed the world. Just like when we took ALICE IN CHAINS out, when we took STONE TEMPLE PILOTS out. We took bands out with us in the '90s that were 'tomorrow's music.' We took a chance on those and we probably ushered them into their careers, which I thought was great. Because they weren't really 'heavy metal bands.' They were bands of a different flavor. I think, for us — we were able to see it coming, so we sort of adapted a bit. But we also weren't a band that was a one-trick pony. We weren't really threatened by grunge, to be honest with you."

Upon release in September 1991, NIRVANA's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" wreaked confusion upon the hair metal vanguard, putting an end to an era dominated by glamorous, androgynous and sparkly rock stars who absolutely saturated the radio waves and were almost exclusively what aired on MTV.

In a 2023 interview with Guitar World, MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine reflected on the band's fifth album, "Countdown To Extinction", which arrived just months after a series of landmark alt-rock releases from NIRVANA, PEARL JAM, SOUNDGARDEN and more effectively transformed the music landscape. He said: "It was our biggest record. That's pretty much the way I measure it. A lot of it was because of the timing; it came out in '92, and '92 was when everything was imploding because of alternative music. You had PEARL JAM, NIRVANA, SOUNDGARDEN, MOTHER LOVE BONE and BLIND MELON fucking things up, and radio gravitated toward that. They thought the yuppies would listen to alternative music while drinking their Stella Artois. [Laughs] The types who don't drink Miller High Life and definitely don't listen to metal. And the advertisers who handled brands like Lexus, BMW and shit like that would advertise on alternative stations, which fucked metal. So, as these metal stations went the way of the great white buffalo, we had to decide, 'Are we going to be alternative? Are we going to change like every other band?' METALLICA cut their hair off, put makeup on and all that stuff, and I got little haircuts during that time, but I never chopped it off. We decided we wouldn't change to fit the trend and would tough it out. Sure, we made some minor changes at the behest of the record label, but that was as far as it went. The fact that 'Countdown' succeeded despite the shifts in popular music showed that the music was more potent than any trend. We didn't sell out like other bands. We didn't change who we were. I think that's the greatest measure of 'Countdown''s importance."

Ellefson was fired from MEGADETH in May 2021, days after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter.

David was in MEGADETH from the band's inception in 1983 to 2002, and again from 2010 until his latest exit.

Photo credit: Maciej Pieloch

The German music magazine Metal Hammer celebrates its golden jubilee with its 500th issue, on newsstands from Friday, June 21, 2024. In this special edition, the magazine ranks the 500 greatest metal albums of all time, voted on by a nearly 100-member jury of editors, musicians, industry professionals, and notable metal fans. METALLICA's "Master Of Puppets" takes the top spot: "Complex structures, musical depth, yet massive sing-along potential — and guitar solos for the ages," says the magazine's laudatory review. "The compositional lessons instilled in [James] Hetfield and [Lars] Ulrich by Cliff Burton since the band's inception reach their full bloom here. For Metal Hammer, this is now officially the best opus in metal history!"

METALLICA appears five times on the Metal Hammer list of the 500 best metal albums. Other heavy metal pioneers such as MOTÖRHEAD, AC/DC, BLACK SABBATH, IRON MAIDEN, MANOWAR and SLAYER are also present, alongside modern acts like SLIPKNOT, TOOL, NIGHTWISH, GHOST, IN FLAMES and SLEEP TOKEN.

"Compiling this list was certainly a mammoth task — but one we gladly took on for the extra-thick 500th issue," says Metal Hammer editor-in-chief Sebastian Kessler. "What an intense trip through the history of metal; perfect for celebrating Metal Hammer's 40th anniversary! There's rarely been so much discussion, philosophy, weighing, and argumentation. And with the release of the results, it's likely just the beginning."

The full list can be found in Metal Hammer issue 07/2024, featuring a golden cover and 32 extra pages. Other topics include concert reviews from METALLICA, AC/DC and I PREVAIL, exclusive features on new albums from DEEP PURPLE, KISSIN' DYNAMITE, ORDEN OGAN and NEAERA, and a report on the inclusive metal festival Rock In Rautheim.

In 2024, Metal Hammer celebrates its 40th anniversary, culminating in the Metal Hammer Awards ceremony on August 31 in Berlin.

Released on March 3, 1986, "Master Of Puppets" was METALLICA's third album — recorded in Denmark with producer Flemming Rasmussen — and it went on to sell over six million copies in the U.S. alone.

"Master Of Puppets" proved to be Burton's swansong with METALLICA. The bassist sadly died on September 27, 1986 in a coach accident while on tour promoting the album.

Nearly 40 years after it was first released, "Master Of Puppets" is an acknowledged classic of the thrash genre and proudly sits in the U.S. Library Of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry on account of being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

Die METAL HAMMER-Juliausgabe 2024: Die 500 besten Metal-Alben, Kissin‘ Dynamite u.a.

Wir machen tatsächlich die halben...

Posted by Metal Hammer on Wednesday, June 19, 2024

According to Metal Journal, ELEGANT WEAPONS bandmates Richie Faulkner (also of JUDAS PRIEST) and Ronnie Romero (also of RAINBOW) joined URIAH HEEP on stage yesterday (Wednesday, June 19) at the Rock Imperium Festival at Parque El Batel in Cartagena, Spain to perform the URIAH HEEP classic "Easy Livin'". Fan-filmed video of their appearance can be seen below.

ELEGANT WEAPONS features Faulkner on guitar and Romero on vocals, alongside Dave Rimmer (URIAH HEEP) on bass and Christopher Williams (ACCEPT) on drums.

ELEGANT WEAPONS' debut album, "Horns For A Halo", was released on May 26, 2023 via Nuclear Blast. The LP was recorded with bassist Rex Brown (PANTERA, DOWN) and drummer Scott Travis (JUDAS PRIEST) and was helmed by acclaimed British producer Andy Sneap, who has previously worked with JUDAS PRIEST, ACCEPT, EXODUS and MEGADETH, among many others.

In a recent interview with Jorge Botas of Portugal's Metal Global, Faulkner spoke about a possible second album from ELEGANT WEAPONS. He said: "We've already started. We've recorded drums for the second record. We got together in March, I think, of [2023]; I think it was March — I'm not sure. We got together in the studio and played together to record the drums, get the drums recorded. So it's been started."

Asked if the second ELEGANT WEAPONS LP will arrive in 2024 or 2025, Richie said: "I don't know. Maybe [in 2024]. Back in the day, bands used to release a record every year, sometimes two in a year. I know we don't do things under the same cycle anymore. But the ideas are there for the songs. We all were together, and we thought why not get at least the drums going. We got the drums and we got the guitars, and stuff like that, so why not start the process?

"It was important for me, really, when I started the band… It was a band that it wasn't just a one-record type thing," Faulkner explained. "It was a band that plays live and records — hopefully — multiple records and grows and evolves together moving into the future. So the next record is just a part of that sort of process, really."

Richie went on to say that he plans on focusing on ELEGANT WEAPONS full-time once PRIEST has officially called it a day.

"PRIEST music is gonna be around a lot longer than we are," he said. "It's legendary music. They're genre-defining musicians and it's a genre-defining band. It will be around for a long time. But none of us gets out of this alive. That's just the reality of it. So if one day that call comes in and that's the last tour or the last album, whatever it is… I mean, I joined the band on what was the farewell tour. Luckily it wasn't, and we're still here 12 years later. [It's] fantastic. But at the time, I think I would have been silly not to consider what I was gonna do after the band, because of the circumstances of the tour. It was a farewell tour — it was [supposed to be] the last tour — so what am I gonna do after? So it's always been in the back of my mind. And this is a band that seems natural to me to continue with if that call ever came in."

ELEGANT WEAPONS played a number of shows in Europe in June and July 2023, including performances with PANTERA, festival appearances and headlining gigs.

ELEGANT WEAPONS made its first two festival appearances on June 16, 2023 at Hellfest in Clisson, France and on June 18, 2023 at Graspop Metal Meeting in Dessel, Belgium.

According to Deadline, a SCORPIONS biopic, "Wind Of Change", is currently being developed and produced by ESX Entertainment, the company founded by actor, producer and former race car driver Ali Afshar.

ESX Entertainment is a a prolific indie film and TV production company that made its name in recent years pumping Yuletide content to streamers amid the pandemic.

"Wind Of Change" will tell the story of "three unlikely friends whose passion for rock 'n' roll fueled their rise from the ashes of post-World War II Germany to the global stardom in the 1980s as the multi-platinum rock band SCORPIONS," according to Deadline. French-born filmmaker Alex Ranarivelo ("American Wrestler: The Wizard") will direct.

Afshar says: "The SCORPIONS' music has penetrated our culture in a big way. There is an evocative quality to their sound that is unmatched in the genre, which is one of the reasons hits like 'Rock You Like A Hurricane' and 'Still Loving You' continue to get so much airplay and fill movie soundtracks, and their music continues to connect with a new generation of fans across the globe.

"When my family fled Iran and came to the United States, the SCORPIONS' music changed my life — if not saved it," he continued. "I'm hoping that by telling the SCORPIONS' story, we can bring some of that same inspiration to the world."

"Wind Of Change" is being produced by ESX Entertainment's Christina Moore and Daniel Aspromonte ("Bennett's War", "American Fighter"). The film is tentatively due in 2025 to coincide with the SCORPIONS' 60th-anniversary celebrations.

SCORPIONS wrote their classic ballad "Wind Of Change" after performing at 1989's Moscow Music Peace Festival in Moscow, where they shared the stage with other hard rock acts like BON JOVI and MÖTLEY CRÜE. The song was inspired by the sight of thousands of Russians cheering them on in 1988 — when they became the first hard rock band to play in Russia — and in 1989, at the aforementioned festival, even though they were a German band.

When the Berlin Wall fell in November 1989, "Wind Of Change" accompanied the moving scenes of East Germans passing through the Brandenburg Gate and entering the West for the first time.

In May 2020, a theory that "Wind Of Change" was actually penned by the CIA as a piece of late Cold War propaganda was raised in an eight-part podcast series, also called "Wind Of Change", which premiered on Spotify. The podcast was hosted by New Yorker journalist Patrick Radden Keefe, who said he launched the investigation after hearing a second-hand story from a friend who used to work for the CIA — that "Wind Of Change" was actually written by the CIA to encourage change throughout the Soviet Union.

SCORPIONS' only continuous member has been guitarist Rudolf Schenker, although singer Klaus Meine has appeared on all of the band's studio albums, while guitarist Matthias Jabs has been a consistent member since 1978, and bassist Paweł Mąciwoda and drummer Mikkey Dee have been in the band since 2003 and 2016, respectively.

SCORPIONS' latest album, "Rock Believer", was released in February 2022. The album was recorded primarily at Peppermint Park Studios in Hannover, Germany and was mixed at the legendary Hansa Studios in Berlin, Germany with engineer Michael Ilbert, who has earned multiple Grammy nominations for his mix work with producer Max Martin on albums by Taylor Swift and Katy Perry.

Closing the conceptual quadrophony of releases, Shane Embury is happy to announce the release of the newest chapter of his experimental project, Dark Star Burial, entitled Solve Et Coagula.


Marking the last part of the Maze Quadrilogy, Solve Et Coagula represents what Shane Embury calls “signifying wholeness” that hides behind the purpose of its’ creator. Solve Et Coagula ends a very experimental chapter for DSB – Embury continues: “But for endings are beginnings and another horizon is just around the Door if we all dare to enter.”


Going through the angular landscapes and rough passages, Shane Embury, leads the listener through the world where pulse and your wide-fantasy are two main constants creating the outstanding echoes of what Dark Sky Burial is.




While questioning himself about the conceptual side of Dark Sky Burial’s series of releases, Shane explains the meaning of this series of releases: “Four is the number of wholeness…So maybe I am symbolizing my desire for personal wholeness through the album’s journey? From prehistoric times, the number four was employed to signify what was solid, what could be touched and felt. Its relationship to the cross (four points) made it an outstanding symbol of wholeness and universality, a symbol which drew all to itself.”


While most of project’s back-catalogue symbolizes a personal journey, Solve Et Coagula became the most collaborative work for Dark Sky Burial featuring four tracks written in collaboration with Mirai Kawashima (Sigh) back in 2005.


“Composing for dark sky burial seems much more multi-dimensional,” explains Shame discussing a meditative journey opposed to the well-recognizable aggressivity of Napalm Death.


Closing the themes of hope, sadness, search and lost, dreams and nightmares, Shane Embury unites all these topics in the final piece of the Quadrology. Solve Et Coagula is coming out this July 18. Pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


"The Jewel In The Toads Head"
"Vexations To The Spirit"
"Island Of The Dead"
"The Cage Where You Live Is In Your Thoughts" (feat. Mirai Kawashima)
"A Forest Within A Biscuit Tin" (feat. Mirai Kawashima)
"The Harbringer Of Discipline"
"Veiled Energies Inherent"
"Vulnavia" (feat. Mirai Kawashima)
"To Set Free The Invisible Shape" (feat. Mirai Kawashima)
"Solve Et Coagula"


"Life for anyone can be a struggle at times," explains Shane Embury. An honoured veteran of heavy music looks back at both sides of his artistic personality. On the one hand – Napalm Death, Brujeria, Tronos among other projects featuring Embury’s notable bass that became synonymous to the adjective “grinding”. On the other hand – Dark Sky Burial. Not just another project. But a different one. Coming through personal tragedies, Embury believes It all ignited a quest to find meaning and also rediscover just who he is.


(Photo - Gobhinder Jhitta)

Following this year’s Cruise To The Edge, Big Big Train travelled to Sweetwater Studios in Fort Wayne, Indiana to take part in a recording and mixing session run by Sweetwater chief engineer Shawn Dealey. This session gave the band an opportunity to record an alternative version of "Last Eleven", the closing song on this year’s The Likes Of Us studio album.


You can listen to the Sweetwater version of "Last Eleven", which has been mixed by Shawn, here. Watch the video below.


Shawn has previously worked with artists including Steve Hackett, Spock’s Beard, Animals As Leaders, Counting Crows, Jared James Nichols, Bootsy Collins, Beth Hart and many more. You can read more about Shawn here.




Lead vocalist Alberto Bravin comments: “Having rehearsed at Sweetwater before our USA shows and Cruise To The Edge in March, it was wonderful to return there for a recording session. It was interesting to take an alternative approach to 'Last Eleven', which differs significantly from the version released on The Likes Of Us album. We really enjoyed working with Shawn in Sweetwater’s amazing studios and hope to return there again in the future.”


Drummer Nick D’Virgilio adds: “I really get into how songs make me feel and this version of 'Last Eleven', with its mellow beginning, has such a great vibe to it. Not that the original has anything wrong with it at all! I just like how the story in the song now comes across. It starts mellow, revs up and gets powerful, then ends mellow again. It also showcases some wonderful vocals.”


Guitarist/keyboardist Rikard Sjöblom says: “We had this idea to take it down in the first verse, which I think turned out really sweet! I ended up doing the intro on acoustic guitar, with Oskar [Holldorff, keyboards] on Fender Rhodes and Clare [Lindley] adding some nice violin lines, which turned 'Last Eleven' into a different song for me. I also played some electric baritone guitar later in the song too, which added some further flavour to the overall sound. I think I like this new version even better than the original!”





Big Big Train released their 15th studio album, The Likes Of Us, back in March. The album is available on several different formats, including for the first time as Dolby Atmos mixed by The Pineapple Thief’s Bruce Soord, while the stereo mixes were undertaken by the band’s regular engineer Rob Aubrey together with Alberto Bravin. The Dolby Atmos mix comes as part of the Limited CD & Blu-ray Mediabook edition that also contains the album as 5.1 Surround Sound & 24-bit high-resolution stereo.


The album is also available as a Gatefold 180g 2LP (available in black, sky blue, olive green and orange formats), Standard CD Jewelcase and Digital Album. The stunning artwork was created by the band’s longstanding collaborator Sarah Louise Ewing, with layouts by Steve Vantsis.


Order here.





Tracklisting:


“Light Left In The Day”
“Oblivion”
“Beneath The Masts”
“Skates On”
“Miramare”
“Love Is The Light”
“Bookmarks”
“Last Eleven”


"Love Is The Light" video:





"Miramare" video:





“Oblivion” video:





Big Big Train headline the final Night Of The Prog festival in Germany on July 21 before making their debut at the renowned Cropredy Festival in the UK on August 9. The band then undertake their own headline tour in September and October, playing 13 shows across the UK and Europe, before returning to co-headline Cruise To The Edge in April next year.


July
21 - Loreley, Germany - Night Of The Prog


August
9 - Oxfordshire, UK - Cropredy Festival


September
17 - Swindon, UK - Wyvern Theatre
18 - Newport, UK - The Riverfront
19 - Whitley Bay, UK - Playhouse Theatre
21 - Edinburgh, UK - Queens Hall
22 - Newark, UK - Palace Theatre
24 - Milton Keynes, UK - Stables Theatre
25 - Manchester, UK - The Stoller Hall
27 - Weinheim, Germany - Stadthalle
28 - Zoetermeer, Netherlands - Boerderij
29 - Zoetermeer, Netherlands - Boerderij


October
1 - Oslo, Norway - Cosmopolite
2 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Viften
5 - London, UK - Cadogan Hall


Lineup:


Alberto Bravin - Lead vocals, guitar, keyboards
Nick D’Virgilio - Drums, percussion, vocals, 12-string acoustic guitar, vocals
Dave Foster - Guitars
Oskar Holldorff - Keyboards, vocals
Clare Lindley - Violin, vocals
Rikard Sjöblom - Guitars, keyboards, vocals
Gregory Spawton - Bass guitar, bass pedals, 12-string acoustic guitar, Mellotron


(Photo - Michael Heller)

Loud buzzing is music to the ear of most metalheads. But Megadeth drummer Dirk Verbeuren and guitarist Sylvain Demercastel are so enraged by the sound of chainsaws destroying Costa Rica's ecosystem that they've started Savage Lands, a musician-run 501 (c) 3 non-profit.


Savage Lands have protected 60,000 square feet of Costa Rican rainforest using royalties from their music. Next week, they're planting their ecological flag at Hellfest with a little help from some of their famous friends.







Savage Lands Live at Hellfest (Main Stage 02)
Friday, June 28 - 5:35 - 6:30 PM CEST


Featuring special guests:


- Andreas Kisser (Sepultura)
- Shane Embury (Napalm Death)
- Vincent Dennis (Body Count)
- Daniel de Jongh (Textures)
- Silje Wergeland (The Gathering)
- Jesper Liveröd (Nasum)
- Alejandro Montoya (Cultura tres)
- Chloe Trujilo


During their hour-long set at Hellfest, Savage Lands will perform classic metal covers along with other songs off their upcoming album, including new single "No Remedy", which features Heilung's Maria Franz.  


Watch the chilling video for "No Remedy" below, stream the track here.


Whether they're planting trees or holed away in the studio, Savage Lands foster the spirit of collaboration. Recently, they made history by signing a joint manifesto that addresses the need for forest and wildlife preservation. This marks the first time that three active Costa Rican / US-based non-profits have officially banded together over a shared mission statement.


"No Remedy" follows the same approach, though to different results than Savage Land's first two singles. Sylvain still comes speeding out the gate with another burning riff that will ignite the crowd at Hellfest, but this is the most melodic song they've ever written. When the band hit the chorus, the guitars don't crunch but crest into warm, washed-out power chords.  


"That's one of the beautiful things about Savage Lands", Sylvain says. "As a band, we're not limited to just one genre. We can adapt to boost the strengths of whoever is joining us".


Black Bomb A experts know Poun for his explosive screams, but on "No Remedy", he simmers down in service of guest vocalist Maria Franz. Heilung are also partnering with Savage Lands by donating $1 for every ticket sold on their 2024 US tour to support their reforestation efforts, but their faithful followers might be surprised to hear that her soothing clean singing fits right at home with a heavy metal band.


"Supporting what Savage Lands is doing on the ground in Costa Rica was an easy decision" Maria says. After all, Heilung have a tradition of donating to tree planting initiatives. "But when Sylvain sent me 'No Remedy', there was a sense of melancholy to the song that really resonated with me".


Protecting the environment is the heartbeat of every Savage Lands song. "No Remedy" can be seen as a reflection on destroying the planet. The video was shot in an abandoned, run-down building that was once owned by Napoleon. But the song speaks to other human concerns. "I am locked in my head / And I lost the key", Poun bemoans, his quiet desperation only answered by Maria's haunting echo ("Never, never now").


"We are all helpless to stop the passing of time", Sylvain says. At the end of the video, the band members disappear from the screen, one by one, using an old-school film technique. "Each of us is left with only our memories".    


Still, "No Remedy" does find a silver lining. "What do we need to live together?" Poun and Maria sing, their voices climbing, almost circling each other, before locking into perfect harmony. They might look mad as hell while yelling at each other across the kitchen table, but the whole video crew was in stitches after the sixth take of Maria throwing water on poor Poun. "Whether we're talking about the environment or our friendships, it's vital that we appreciate what we have during our time on this earth", Sylvain says.


Just listening to "No Remedy" helps support Savage Lands. 100% of the song's royalties fund the musician-run non-profit's preservation efforts in Costa Rica. Donations can also be made, here.





(Photo - Gornoss)

VOLA has announced a new studio album, "Friend Of A Phantom", which will be released on November 1 via Mascot Records. In celebration of the announcement, the quartet has revealed the official video for their new song "Break My Lying Tongue". The band will also play festivals over the summer and their headline "Friend Of A Phantom" European tour begins also on November 1.

It has been three years since the release of VOLA's defining album "Witness". It was a sonic assault that captured their signature blend of thoughtful labyrinthine narratives with crushing riffs and experimental sophistication. Heavy/quiet and dark/light were combined with elements of tech-metal, progressive alt-rock, electronica, and stadium-sized choruses. Surpassing an incredible 27.5 million streams, the album was lauded with international acclaim from Metal Hammer, Prog magazine, Distorted Sound and Kerrang! Radio and TV in the U.K., reaching No. 7 in the Rock And Metal Albums chart. SiriusXM picked them up for multiple tracks, also featuring on the SXM Liquid Metal Next Wave Concert Series. The album also reached the Top 20 in the Billboard Current Hard Rock chart, Top 25 in the Billboard New Artist/Heatseekers Album chart, and was named one of Loudwire's albums of the year.

VOLA has since wrapped up two tours of the U.S. with several venues upgraded due to overwhelming demand, as well as sold-out shows in New York, Chicago and the iconic Troubadour in Los Angeles, where the band struck up a friendship with IN FLAMES' Anders Fridén, who features on the new album. Their first tour of Canada resulted in sold-out shows in Toronto and Montreal, and they rounded off the continent with triumphant South American shows in Mexico, Brazil, and a sold-out show in Chile.

The strength of the Danish-Swedish quartet — Asger Mygind (vocals/guitar),Martin Werner (keys),Nicolai Mogensen (bass) and Adam Janzi (drums) — has always been combining a multitude of ideas within a single song, packing it in with a grandiose power that can be as ferocious as it can be delicate.

Talking about their evolution, Janzi says: "We have had the time to internalize 'Witness' and let its aftermath sink in, which has shaped how we approached 'Friend Of A Phantom'. Our personal tastes have changed, the way we approach our instruments and songwriting has changed, our lives have changed, time has passed, and adventures have been had. Whatever piece of melancholy that 'Witness' had, has just grown and become a central part of this new album. I feel that VOLA has grown and reached a new moment in its life, maturing."

With the announcement of the new album, they have revealed the video for "Break My Lying Tongue". The song showcases VOLA's signature blend of introspective lyrics and intricate soundscapes, offering a deep dive into themes of misalignment and emotional vulnerability. With its haunting melodies and thought-provoking lyrics, it stands out as a powerful and evocative piece.

Last year they released the first taster of new material when they dropped "Paper Wolf". Talking about the song, Mygind offers "We never put boundaries on our songwriting but merely search for a direction that feels unexplored and exciting to us. With 'Paper Wolf', we suddenly found ourselves in a territory where an old-school metal atmosphere crept into our blend of sounds. We liked what we heard and then ran with it at full speed."

"Cannibal" kicks off "Friend Of A Phantom". Featuring IN FLAMES' Anders Fridén on vocals, it plants a marker in the ground for what you're about to experience as the album navigates around the hypnotically ethereal "We Will Not Disband" through to "Hollow Kid", with Mogensen "Frankenstein riff," as he explains. "I wanted to blend the essence of METALLICA's 'Enter Sandman' with the low tuning and polyrhythms of MESHUGGAH," he says. "The song's intro riff was the result, and it inspired the rest of the track."

VOLA has been one of Europe's most exciting metal bands in recent years, catapulting them onto the international stage. They've become a formidable live draw that has seen them also tour with Devin Townsend — including playing the Royal Albert Hall London; they've opened for EVANESCENCE and played festivals such as ArcTanGent (U.K.),Graspop Metal Meeting (Belgium),Tuska (Finland),Roskilde (Denmark),Copenhell (Denmark),CL Prog (Chile) and more.

Talking about the touring, Janzi opens up: "It is very tough with all the travelling, short nights, and intense work. But it is so rewarding! Playing music, meeting nice people from all over the world, and seeing these places. Culture is important!"

Known for their innovative approach to progressive metal, VOLA continues to captivate audiences with their blend of intense rhythmic complexity and poignant lyrical narratives. With this perpetual evolution, the pressure doesn't consume them. "There is always the pressure of continuing to climb the mountain," reflects Janzi. "Embracing change and whatever new chapters may wait around the corner is a way to make life more enjoyable."

"Friend Of A Phantom" track listing:

01. Cannibal (feat. Anders Fridén of IN FLAMES)
02. Break My Lying Tongue
03. We Will Not Disband
04. Glass Mannequin
05. Bleed Out
06. Paper Wolf
07. I Don't Know How We Got Here
08. Hollow Kid
09. Tray

Photo credit: Heli Andrea

During a recent appearance on the "Rock Solid With Pat Francis" podcast, Sebastian Bach was asked about why he chose to list "melody" as a separate songwriting credit on various tracks on his latest solo album, "Child Within The Man". The former SKID ROW singer responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "That's interesting, that you're asking that… That's a very interesting question. And man, I've gotta answer that. I believe in giving credit where credit's due — I really do. I'm not one of these guys that says, 'It's my band, so I'm gonna put my name on every song.' It just works out like that. It is my band, and so I want it to sound like me.

"But anyways… What an interesting question," he continued. "I've gotta answer you totally honestly. Sometimes I hear the melody on what to sing to a riff. If it doesn't say any other credit, like any song on there that doesn't have that, or it says 'melody by Sebastian'… Sometimes I do hear what to sing. Here's the challenge for me. My range of my voice, I can sing low, really low — in the mornings anyways — and I can sing super fucking high and I can sing in the middle and I can sing clean and I can sing dirty. So sometimes I'm, like, 'What do I do here?' And sometimes I need help. And so a song like '(Hold On) To The Dream', I heard that right away. 'About To Break', I heard it in my head, what to sing. But the song 'Freedom', [which was co-written by] John 5 [MÖTLEY CRÜE, ROB ZOMBIE, MARILYN MANSON], I had that riff and that chorus for, like, two, three years, and I couldn't fucking think of… I thought of a bunch of melodies for that, and they all sucked. They all were terrible. [Laughs] And I couldn't fucking think of a fucking… Everything I thought of was not half as cool as the music. The music was so cool, I go, 'Oh my God. I've gotta think of something that's fucking as good as this.' And it just did not come to me. And when I got to Orlando [to record 'Child Within The Man' with producer Michael 'Elvis' Baskette]. We all loved that music, and we worked in the music, and Elvis Baskette took me into the bathroom where it had all these tiles. And I go, 'Dude, what do you hear?' And I put the demo on my boom box, and he goes, 'Okay.' And he just started [singing the chorus melody]. And he thought of that. And I go, 'You've gotta be fucking kidding me.' I go, 'Why couldn't I…? Why.' And it's perfect. And so doesn't he deserve credit for that? I think he does… The song would've been terrible without that."

"Child Within The Man" was released on May 10 via Reigning Phoenix Music. The LP was recorded in Orlando, Florida; produced and mixed by Baskette; engineered by Jef Moll, assistant engineered by Josh Saldate and mastered by Robert Ludwig of Gateway Mastering. Bach wrote or co-wrote all the album's 11 tracks and sang all lead and backing vocals.

"Child Within The Man" features guest appearances from John 5, Steve Stevens (BILLY IDOL) and Orianthi (ALICE COOPER, MICHAEL JACKSON) — who all co-wrote their respective tracks with Bach — and two tracks co-written with ALTER BRIDGE's Myles Kennedy ("What Do I Got to Lose?" and "To Live Again"). Devin Bronson (guitars),Todd Kerns (bass) and Jeremy Colson (drums) round out the players on the album.

In an interview with "Whiplash", the KLOS radio show hosted by Full Metal Jackie, Sebastian spoke about the inspiration for the "Child Within The Man" title. He said: "Well, my wife calls me man-child. That's kind of been a theme for me my whole career. I bring a youthful energy to the stage when I get up there. People are smiling and excited and hooting and hollering. But the line 'child within the man' is a line of one of the songs on the record. And I scream it like bloody murder. And it kept haunting me. "

Sebastian also talked about the "Child Within The Man" artwork, which holds special meaning since it was designed by Bach's father, noted visual artist David Bierk.

"I have a lot of my dad's artwork," Bach said. "He's no longer alive. And we all, all of his kids, we got a lot of his art when he passed away. And I unrolled a roll of paintings that I knew had the SKID ROW 'Subhuman Race' painting in it, and I wanna take care of it and make sure it's preserved. But in that roll was this painting that I remember my dad doing of me when I was 10 in a field next to this beat-up old Cadillac car in the field and then behind the car, it's Jesus ascending into heaven, and I'm running next to the car. It looks like an album cover. And then he also did a painting of me from Circus magazine, the first centerfold of me on stage at Giants Stadium. He did a gigantic painting of that, like 12 feet high. And so the cover is gonna be me running as a child into me on stage as a man, and it's child within the man. And it just reminds me of the '70s, like child in time, and it just reminds me of a good '70s album cover. And the fact that I can bring back a painting from the year 1978 and make it into artwork in 2023, 2024, that's really mind-blowing to me."

Bach's "What Do I Got To Lose?" U.S. tour got underway May 10 in Jefferson, Louisiana and will wrap on June 29 in San Diego, California.

Prior to "Child Within The Man"'s arrival, Bach hadn't released a full-length disc since "Give 'Em Hell", which came out in March 2014.

In the video below from AXS TV, Foreigner's Mick Jones performs his band's classic, "Dirty White Boy", with Sammy Hager. Sammy then chats with Foreigner singer Kelly Hansen, as well as Jones.





“Cold As Ice,” “Too Much Time On My Hands,” “Juke Box Hero,” “Renegade” and more. Nothing sounds more like the soundtrack of summer than Styx’s and Foreigner’s biggest hits. Recently announced as inductees to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Foreigner are currently co-headlining the “Renegades & Juke Box Heroes” trek with Styx and special guest John Waite. Adding to the excitement, Styx and Foreigner announce Renegades & Juke Box Heroes, a very special limited-edition companion album, available exclusively at tour stops, and at select retail on July 12.




This must-have collector’s album, available as a picture disc or in elegant silver vinyl, features both bands’ greatest hits and was mastered for vinyl by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound with lacquers cut by Joe Nino-Hernes. Tracks include Foreigner’s most beloved hits including “Feels Like The First Time,” “Cold As Ice”, and the worldwide #1 hit, “I Want To Know What Love Is,” alongside Styx massive hits “Blue Collar Man (Long Nights),” “Come Sail Away” and “Renegade,” and more.


Just 1,000 copies of the picture disc and only 5,000 individually numbered copies of the silver edition are available. With many tour dates already selling out, demand is sure to be high. When they are gone, they’re gone for good. A 13-track CD featuring all three artists and including the vinyl tracks is also available. The songs are available on all digital outlets. The picture disc will be available on Foreigner’s and Styx’s websites, and the silver edition will be available on Amazon on July 12.





Tracklisting (both versions):


Juke Box Heroes side:


"Feels Like The First Time"
"Cold As Ice"
"I Want To Know What Love Is"
"Juke Box Hero"


Renegades side:


"Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)"
"Come Sail Away"
"Too Much Time On My Hands"
"Renegade"





Renegades & Juke Box Heroes tour dates with Foreigner and John Waite (closing act in brackets):


June
19 - Rogers, AR - Walmart AMP (Foreigner)
21 - Dallas, TX - Dos Equis Pavilion (Foreigner)
22 - Woodlands, TX - The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion (Styx)
25 - Denver, CO - Ball Arena (Foreigner)
26 - West Valley City, UT - USANA Amphitheatre (Styx)
28 - Anaheim, CA - Honda Center (Foreigner)
29 - Concord, CA - Toyota Pavilion at Concord (Styx)
30 - Bend, OR - Hayden Homes Amphitheater (Foreigner)


July
12 - Nashville, TN - Ascend Amphitheater (Styx)
13 - Charlotte, NC - PNC Music Pavilion (Foreigner)
15 - Charleston, SC - Credit One Stadium (Foreigner)
17 - Alpharetta, GA - Ameris Bank Amphitheatre (Styx)
19 - West Palm Beach, FL - iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre (Foreigner)
20 - Tampa, FL - MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre (Styx)
23 - Holmdel, NJ - PNC Bank Arts Center (Foreigner)
24 - Bristow, VA - Jiffy Lube Live (Styx)
26 - Noblesville, IN - Ruoff Music Center (Styx)
28 - Camden, NJ - Freedom Mortgage Pavilion (Foreigner)
30 - Saratoga Springs, NY - Broadview Stage at SPAC (Foreigner)
31 - Burgettstown, PA - The Pavilion at Star Lake (Styx)


August
2 - Mansfield, MA - Xfinity Center (Styx)
3 - Bangor, ME - Maine Savings Amphitheater (Foreigner)
4 - Gilford, NH - BankNH Pavilion (Styx)
16 - Orange Beach, AL - The Wharf Amphitheater (Foreigner)
17 - Huntsville, AL - Orion Amphitheater (Styx)
20 - Virginia Beach, VA - Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at VB (Foreigner)
21 - Raleigh, NC - Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek (Styx)
23 - Cincinnati, OH - Riverbend Music Center (Foreigner)
24 - Tinley Park, IL - Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre (Styx)
26 - Omaha, NE - CHI Health Center Omaha (Foreigner)
28 - Sioux Falls, SD - Denny Sanford PREMIER Center (Styx)

TAMA Drums Germany has uploaded video of drummer Jürgen "Ventor" Reil of German extreme metal titans KREATOR performing "Strongest Of The Strong", the second single from the band's fifteenth studio album, "Hate Über Alles", which was released in June 2022. Check it out below.

Last December, KREATOR frontman Mille Petrozza confirmed that the band will enter the studio in early 2025 to begin recording the follow-up to "Hate Über Alles". KREATOR is also working on an official band documentary with Cordula Kablitz-Post, a director, author and producer who specializes in documentaries and feature films for theatrical release and high-quality TV documentaries for public broadcaster ARTE. Her documentary "Die Toten Hosen - You Only Live Once" about the German band DIE TOTEN HOSEN had its premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival.

Petrozza first mentioned the KREATOR documentary last October in an interview with Andrew McKaysmith of the "Scars And Guitars" podcast. At the time, he said: "You're the first one I'm telling this [to] — there will be a movie about the band made by a German director. And we will invite some people in the process to do some collaborations with us. And we haven't thought of who we're gonna work with yet, but there might be some obvious and some surprising guests on that album. It might be coming out along with the next KREATOR studio album, which we scheduled for 2025. It will be part of the movie."

Elaborating on what fans can expect from the KREATOR film, Mille said: "It's a documentary. But it will cover — it will basically focus on the present. We'll also take the director with us. She might come to Japan with us on the next tour and maybe even Australia. And some stuff will be shot in Germany, some more like historic stuff. And we'll see. It's gonna be a full-length cinematic experience."

This fall, the "Klash Of The Titans" makes its triumphant return to North America. Fans will enjoy an epic night of metal with thrash royalty KREATOR and TESTAMENT co-headlining the run. The 33-date trek will kick off on September 12 in Reno making its way across the U.S. and will include seven Canadian dates before concluding in San Francisco on October 27. Joining the night are special guests Bay Area death metal pioneers and labelmates POSSESSED.

KREATOR and ANTHRAX will join forces for a European tour this fall. Support on the trek will come from TESTAMENT.

In May 2023, KREATOR released a music video for the song "Conquer And Destroy" from "Hate Über Alles". The performance footage was filmed on March 4, 2023 in front of 6,000 of KREATOR's mighty hordes in their spiritual home of Essen.

The follow-up to 2017's "Gods Of Violence", "Hate Über Alles" was recorded at Hansa Tonstudio in Berlin, Germany. Helming the sessions was Arthur Rizk, who has previously worked with CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, CODE ORANGE, POWER TRIP and SOULFLY, among others.

The "Hate Über Alles" cover artwork was created by Eliran Kantor, who has previously worked with HATEBREED, SOULFLY, TESTAMENT, ICED EARTH and SODOM, among others.

"Hate Über Alles" marked KREATOR's first album with bassist Frédéric Leclercq, who joined the group in 2019.

In March 2020, KREATOR surprise-released a new single, "666 - World Divided". The song was produced by Andy Sneap and Markus Ganter and was recorded at Hansa Tonstudios.

KREATOR played its first show with Leclercq in October 2019 in Santiago, Chile.

Before joining KREATOR, Leclercq rose to fame with U.K.-based extreme power metallers DRAGONFORCE for whom he handled bass duties from 2005 until August 2019.