Rising new rock outfit Crossbone Skully have released the thought-provoking new track, "Money, Sex, or God” today, May 10, via Better Noise Music. The band’s mastermind/frontman Tommy Henriksen (guitarist & musical director for Alice Cooper’s band and member of Hollywood Vampires) and guitarist Anna Cara announced the song’s release in late April following the surprise reveal of the music video for the howl-inducing song “I Am The Wolf.”


“The song ‘Money, Sex, or God’ was inspired by a conversation I had while watching a tv show,” elaborates Henriksen. “On the show, they were saying everything always comes down to three things you should never talk about in life: financials, sexual preference, and religion. I immediately thought...well that's easy...Money, $ex, or God. It was one of those songs where it rarely happens with me, that the lyrics just fell right out: ‘Pick your prize, what you gonna choose? / I bet you God, he's gonna lose / But then...if it was up to me? You're all gonna lose’… thank you, universe!”







The video introduces the inspirational figure behind the band’s music, ‘Crossbone Skully’—an avenging superhero who was tasked with the mission to save humanity and fight the age-old battle of good vs evil. 


Here's a special message from Crossbone Skully: “In the chaos of life, we're faced with choices. Between ‘Money, Sex, or God,’ beware...for in my world, you're all gonna lose! Because the true prize lies behind the Otherworld!”


Crossbone Skully’s plight was initially shared in the ashcan comic “Thing #1” which is included and signed with all orders for Crossbone Skully’s first offering of a series of limited-edition 7” vinyl and includes their explosive single “The Boom Went The Boom (feat. Phil Collen of Def Leppard)” and their uplifting and anthemic track “I’m Unbreakable” as its B-side. Proceeds from the sale of the limited edition 7” vinyl will be donated to the 501(c)(3) charity MusiCares. Limited copies are available here.


He is also the main character in the upcoming animated film of the same name, “Thing #1,” which includes voiceovers from A-list actor Johnny Depp and rock icons including Alice Cooper, Nikki Sixx, Joe Perry and Kane Roberts.


“I Am The Wolf”





“I’m Unbreakable”:





“The Boom Went The Boom” feat. Phil Collen:





(Photo – Jason Mayer)

Death metal pioneers Autopsy celebrate the 35-year anniversary of their legendary debut album Severed Survival this year. To mark the occasion, Peaceville will be reissuing the album on Limited Edition Red/Black Gore Marble vinyl with two variations available; one featuring the original controversial "Hooks" cover artwork (Kent Mathieu) which was initially banned, and a version containing the replacement "Surgeons" cover (Kev Walker). Both editions include a four-page booklet with a new in-depth interview with the band conducted by Dennis Dread.


The reissue is out on June 28, preorder at the Peaceville Records webstore.


“What can you say about Severed Survival? It’s got heavy, it’s got guts, it’s got blood…LOTS of blood, it’s got a band of freaks trying their best to make their mark and those freaks still stand by this slab of slime 100%.” - Chris Reifert




One of the early death metal acts, & no stranger to controversy over the years, Autopsy formed in 1987 in San Francisco, & released 4 albums on Peaceville Records before disbanding in 1995. Autopsy subsequently re-emerged after an almost 15-year hiatus with the ‘The Tomb Within’ EP, leading to a string of high-calibre releases, showing none of the fire had been extinguished, & continuing a longstanding and lasting legacy.


The band features legendary drummer Chris Reifert, who began his recording career with US metal greats, Death, before taking on the unusual duty of handling drums & vocals for Autopsy, alongside longstanding riff-masters Eric Cutler & Danny Coralles.





Tracklisting:


Side A
“Charred Remains”
“Service For A Vacant Coffin”
“Disembowel”
“Gasping For Air”
“Ridden With Disease”
“Pagan Survivor”


Side B
“Impending Dread”
“Severed Survival”
“Critical Madness”
“Embalmed”
“Stillborn”





Autopsy live:


May
17 – Milwaukee, WI – Milwaukee Metal Fest


July
3-7 – Czech Republic Obscene Extreme


August
24 – Philadelphia, PA – Brooklyn Bowl


September
21 – Los Angeles, CA – 1720 

Swedish heavy metal band, Lion's Share, has made a new song, "We Will Rock", available on streaming services and digital service providers. Stream/download the song here, and watch a video below.


Lion's Share singer Nils Patrik Johansson commented: "Get ready to ignite your summer soundtrack with a turbocharged anthem that demands to be cranked up! Whether you're cruising in your car or rocking out at a beach party, this song is your ticket to joining the worldwide family of heavy metal maniacs in a whirlwind of joy and unstoppable fun!"


Lion's Share guitarist Lars Chriss adds: "We are thrilled to unveil a video created by our longtime collaborator Niklas Nieminen, finally shedding light on how our iconic mascot 'Chain Child' came to sport the Lion's Share logo symbol on his forehead."







Lion's Share is a is set to perform four electrifying tracks at the Stargazer Alliance - A Ronnie James Dio memorial concert. This non-profit charitable event, benefiting the Swedish Cancer Society, will take place on May 16 in Stockholm, Sweden.


Says the band: "Joining us onstage will be an array of esteemed musicians, including Jens Johansson (Dio, Rainbow, Rising Force), Ronnie Atkins (Pretty Maids), John Levén & Ian Haugland (Europe), Fredrik Åkesson & Joakim Svalberg (Opeth), our former bassist Pontus Egberg (King Diamond), Anders Johansson (Rising Force, Manowar, HammerFall), Åge Sten Nilsen (Wig Wam), Nils Molin (Amaranthe, Dynazty), Nalle Påhlsson (Therion, Treat), guitar icon Janne Schaffer (Abba) and many more."


In late 2018, Lion's Share released a new five-track EP, plus its complete catalog - remastered with new artwork - on streaming services and digital service providers for the first time. The band have since released a few more digital singles, some of which will and some of which won't end up on the forthcoming full-length album.


Both Johansson and Chriss remark that they have always worked very well together, and at this point it feels the most natural to keep Lion's Share as a duo, with friends helping out wherever needed.

Led Zeppelin News is reporting that Robert Plant has created a new mix of Led Zeppelin songs, remixing “Kashmir” and “Whole Lotta Love” into a new combination of the two songs for Wolverhampton Wanderers football club.


Says LedZepNews: "LedZepNews broke the news on April 25 that Plant was in the studio last month working on a “reimagined version” of a “classic Led Zeppelin song”. Now we know what that project is: It’s a new mix of “Kashmir” and “Whole Lotta Love” that debuted on May 10 and will be played every time the football team walks out on the pitch in Wolverhampton."


Wolverhampton Wanderers football club shared the video below, writing: "Go inside the studio as our vice-president and rock legend Robert Plant creates a new pre-match mix for Molineux. Plant, Led Zeppelin lead singer and life-long Old Gold supporter, has been long-associated with the football club and the rock band’s world-famous songs are regularly heard inside Molineux on a matchday. Led Zeppelin tracks, including 'Stairway To Heaven', 'Kashmir' and 'Whole Lotta Love', have serenaded Molineux on a matchday, while, in his vice-presidency role, Plant has been a regular presence at Wolves events and matchdays."

Fan-filmed video of ANTHRAX's May 9 performance at the Welcome To Rockville festival in Daytona Beach, Florida can be seen below.

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

01. Among The Living
02. Caught In A Mosh
03. Madhouse
04. Metal Thrashing Mad
05. Efilnikufesin (N.F.L.)
06. Antisocial (TRUST cover)
07. I Am The Law
08. A.I.R.
09. Got The Time (Joe Jackson cover)
10. Indians

In late March, ANTHRAX announced that, due to personal reasons, bassist Frank Bello would not be able to accompany the band on its South American tour, which kicked off on April 13 at MXMF The Metal Fest in Mexico City. Filling in on those dates, as well as two U.S. festival shows in May, is ANTHRAX founding member and original bassist Dan Lilker, marking his first appearance with the band in 40 years. Lilker, who co-wrote and played on ANTHRAX's debut album "Fistful Of Metal", was also a member of STORMTROOPERS OF DEATH with ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante and guitarist Scott Ian.

A couple of days after the announcement, Lilker was asked in an interview with Metal Mayhem ROC when he was first approached about reuniting with ANTHRAX for the aforementioned shows. Lilker said: "I was actually contacted, I guess, [in late February or early March]… I had a lot more advance notice than when everybody just found out a couple of days ago. It was just that's when the press release went public. So, yeah, about a month, 'cause I needed some time to learn some of the material, obviously, to play it correctly and play it with authority, too. You don't wanna just learn it; you wanna play it with confidence and look like you're up there being metal and not tentative. So, yeah, you could say late February, early March, something like that."

Pressed about whether there was a reason given as to why Bello isn't able to commit to these shows, Dan said: "Well, we're just saying personal reasons. I am not at liberty to say. But Frank is fine and the picture of health, and it's nothing like that. But [it's] nothing I can go into; it's not my place."

Regarding what his initial reaction was to being asked to play these ANTHRAX shows, Lilker said: "I got a text from Scott when he was in Japan on tour with MR. BUNGLE. And I was actually at work. I work in precision optics [at the Rochester, New York-based company called Sydor Optics], because I've realized that playing the type of music I played for the most part wasn't lucrative enough to not have a job. But point being that, yeah, I was just [having] a little smoke break at work at, like, 8:13 a.m. on a Monday or something, and I got a message from Scott going, 'Do you think yo'd be able to do some shows with us next month?' So, yeah, it would have been the very beginning of March. And it's funny. I just looked at my boss who's also a metalhead — that's that's how I ended up working for the company — and said, 'Hey, I just got asked to be do some ANTHRAX shows next month.' And he goes, 'You'd be fucking crazy not to.' And so I knew it would be cool there. And I said, 'Sure. Sounds like fun.' I looked at the tour dates and said, 'I've never been to Uruguay before,' so I can cross that off the list.' Everybody at [the] company [I work for] has been really super supportive about that. So I'm very lucky in that aspect."

On the topic of how long it took him to accept the invitation, Lilker said: "Oh, I just pretty much said, 'Sure, that sounds cool.' I informed my wife, but I can't imagine that she would have said, 'No, don't do that. That's crazy.' So, I'm pretty sure the order of things was replied and said, 'Yeah, that sounds cool.' And then I went about clearing it with the people I have to talk to here [at home and at work]."

Asked what he is most excited about when it comes to playing with ANTHRAX again, Lilker said: "Well, one thing that's cool is since we haven't done S.O.D. for a while, it was always fun jamming with Scott and Charlie, because the other guys are cool, but remember in 'Fistful Of Metal', that was pre-Joey [Belladonna, current ANTHRAX singer] and everything like that. So we were like the nucleus of the early, early ANTHRAX and, of course, S.O.D., which had one guitar, so in that aspect, jamming with those guys. But also the other dudes — I've never been on stage with Joey or anything like that. And, of course, Jon [Donais], the new [ANTHRAX guitarist], who's been very helpful with showing me riffs. So it'll be that. And also, some of the stuff on [ANTHRAX's third album, 1987's] 'Among The Living', it's real heavy, fast thrash metal — I actually have a couple of riffs I wrote on some of that stuff — so it'll be fun to actually play that stuff too. And, of course, the latter-day stuff from the '90s is fun because it was actually really easy to learn because it was more kind of slow. So, obviously, for me, playing grindcore and death metal and black metal, some of this stuff is going to be nice and easy. I have to make sure I don't start daydreaming."

Regarding what fans can expect from the setlist for the ANTHRAX shows that he is a part of, Dan said: "I would just say that if you look at recent ANTHRAX setlists, subtract a song or two and add another song or two, that would be pretty close. And as far as subtracting songs, nobody's going to be rapping on stage too much."

After one of the interviewers expressed hope that ANTHRAX would play a "Fistful Of Metal" deep cut like "Subjugator", Dan said: "That's a pretty deep fucking cut, dude. You might get something else that ends with an 'R.'"

Lilker later confirmed that ANTHRAX would perform some material from "Fistful Of Metal" at the April/May shows. "I mean, that's not many beans to spill there," he said. "They've always played 'Metal Thrashing Mad', and since I already [said] we'll be doing another song that ends in 'R', that would be the song before it ['Deathrider'] on 'Fistful Of Metal'. And, yeah, that's kind of our one thing toward acknowledging me doing the stuff, because that was a pretty primitive album for what ANTHRAX ended up progressing into, some of that having to do with my writing style."

Asked about his current relationship with Scott, Charlie and Frank, having attended Ian's 60th-birthday party this past New Year's Eve in Van Nuys, California, Dan said: "Well, we've always had a relationship. It's just been more kind of like one of those off-on things because you're not traveling in the same circles or whatever; they're out doing something and I'm doing something else. So [at Scott's birthday party], it was more just kind of like getting to see old friends again, catching up with them. Frank, I hadn't seen Frank for a long time; I've seen Scott more recently than that, I believe. And, yeah, it was a really good time going out there with my wife and celebrating his birthday and playing a few tunes."

He added: "But, in general, yeah, I'm looking forward to sharing a stage with those guys, helping them out and having some fun, playing some metal. 'Cause I'm not really playing in bands anymore, which is by choice, and so just getting to do occasional little forays like that are cool with me."

Asked if there are any long-term future plans for him to play with ANTHRAX again, Lilker said: "Well, as far as I know, I'm just doing the 10 shows that I was asked to do — the eight that are in Central and South America and then the two U.S. fests. It's just filling in for Frank — I wanna make sure and stress that. I am not [rejoining] the band, even though I formed it before. This isn't gonna be, 'Finally after 40 years, my plan…' I'm doing my friends a favor. And if that situation changes in the future, it will not have anything to do with me taking any steps to do so, let's put it that way."

Lilker has not been idle over the past four decades, having played in a wide variety of bands. He was the bassist for the thrash/metal band NUCLEAR ASSAULT and the grindcore band BRUTAL TRUTH. He also plays bass for EXIT-13, MALFORMED EARTHBORN, THE RAVENOUS, OVERLORD EXTERMINATOR, VENOMOUS CONCEPT, and more.

Remaining ANTHRAX show with Lilker:

May 17 - Sonic Temple Festival, Columbus, OH

To celebrate ANTHRAX's 40th anniversary in 2021, the band's social media accounts offered a series of video testimonials sent in by former bandmembers, fellow musicians, colleagues, and industry veterans sharing behind-the-scenes stories of working with the band and what ANTHRAX's legacy has meant all these years on. These videos honored each album in chronological order beginning with the original release, "Fistful Of Metal". The 11-week series included video contributions from former ANTHRAX bandmembers Lilker, Dan Spitz, John Bush, Neil Turbin and Rob Caggiano.

Lilker, who played bass on "Fistful Of Metal" and wrote most of the music for the record, told Knotfest about ANTHRAX's 40th anniversary: "I'm definitely proud of that whole thing. I think it's great that those guys are still going… That was real good memories back then. I know people go, 'Oh, they fucking threw you out after that,' and blah blah blah. But, obviously, I got over that and formed NUCLEAR ASSAULT. And next year we were doing S.O.D. So I'm not the kind of guy who stays bitter forever. But, yeah, the memories of those times, writing that record and recording it and everything was... 'Cause there was no blueprint or anything; we just had influences and just tried to put our own stamp on 'em back then. So, yeah, it kind of sucks being thrown out three days before [it got] released, but it gave me an excuse to do something else."

When interviewer Daniel Dekay noted that it was "really cool" of ANTHRAX to allow Lilker to tell his side of the story in the above-mentioned documentary series, Dan said: "There was times in the past where I might have been a little neglected on some of the stuff. So I think they wanted to make sure to just have a nice, inclusive vibe and not forget any particular details. Like the fact that I wrote 75 percent of 'Fistful Of Metal'. You know, a minor detail."

A number of years ago, Lilker told Voices From The Darkside that he was fired from ANTHRAX due to "a conflict" with the band's then-vocalist Neil Turbin. "He was an egotist (like most singers, haha) and it bothered him that I was taller than him," Lilker explained. "Also, he had no sense of humor, so if you busted his balls he took it seriously. So, he told the other members, 'I can't take Lilker anymore. It's him or me.' They decided he was more important as a familiar frontman to the fans, so they threw me out, even though I wrote 75 percent of the music on 'Fistful…'. Oh well. He was, of course, thrown out seven months later, and I played with Scott and Charlie in S.O.D. the next year."

In his 2014 autobiography "I'm The Man: The Story Of That Guy From Anthrax", Ian described Lilker's dismissal from ANTHRAX 30 years earlier as "the worst moment for me in the history" of the band. He went on to say that the decision to kick Dan out ANTHRAX was made by Turbin and not the other members of the group.

"The biggest dick move Neil ever pulled was when he fired Danny Lilker behind our backs after 'Fistful…' came out in January 1984," Ian wrote. "The main reason he did it, in my opinion, was because Danny is taller than him. He honestly didn't think someone should be taller than the frontman onstage. He thought it made him look bad, so he tried to stand as far away from Danny as possible, which was hard when we were playing stages the size of ping-pong tables."

In recent years, Ian has voiced his appreciation for the role "Fistful Of Metal" played in giving ANTHRAX its start, telling Metal Hammer: "Let's face it, 'Fistful Of Metal' gave us our career. It got the band some attention, made people all over the world aware of what we could do — and for that reason alone I have to be grateful to everyone involved. The record was vital in launching us, and everything we've done, and become, since stems from that debut record. I may be critical of it in some ways, but I could never do anything other than admit we owe it all to 'Fistful Of Metal'. If that had never happened… well, perhaps you would never have heard of ANTHRAX."

UFO fans, rejoice! The legendary British rock band's rare 1988 EP, Ain't Misbehavin', is making a triumphant return in a Deluxe Bonus Track Edition reissue, promising a treasure trove of sonic delights for enthusiasts and collectors alike. Recorded in the wake of the band's electrifying 1987 tour in support of their '85 album Misdemeanor, this EP marked the final collaboration between UFO frontman Phil Mogg and the virtuosic Japanese-born guitarist Atomik Tommy M. 


Much like its predecessor, Ain't Misbehavin' goes full throttle from beginning to end with Mogg matching his vocal prowess to the pyrotechnic playing of guitarist Tommy alongside superstar bassist Paul Gray (The Damned) and former Magnum drummer Jim Simpson. The brilliant lead off track, “Between A Rock And A Hard Place,” ranks up there with some of the band’s best rockers.


This deluxe reissue not only reintroduces the original EP in all its glory but also treats fans to a selection of bonus tracks, including vintage live performances and other rarities that showcase UFO's dynamic live energy and musical evolution. The artwork has been revamped with an even sexier front cover image, and the whole thing is being released on all formats this June 14.




Purchase the EP at the Cleopatra Records webstore.





Tracklisting:


“Between A Rock & A Hard Place”
“Another Saturday Night”
“At War With The World”
“Hunger In The Night”
“Easy Money”
“Rock Boyz, Rock”
“Lonely Cities (Of The Heart)”
“Only You Can Rock Me” (Live In Milwaukee 1986)*
“The Chase” (Live In Milwaukee 1986)*
“Night Run” (Live In Milwaukee 1986)*
“Doctor Doctor (Live In Milwaukee 1986)*
“Between A Rock & A Hard Place” (Instrumental Version)*


*bonus tracks


“Between A Rock & A Hard Place”:

Mexican Ape-Lord’s third full-length album, Blunt Instrument, is now available via Unable Music Group’s new label imprint, 10-31 Records. Order rder here.


Today, the band share a lyric video for the track, "Worm Moon". Check it out below:







From the impact crater of its opening chords to the final subterranean refrain, Blunt Instrument is an exercise in mayhem and madness. The record features the original lineup, with producer Peter Rutcho once again at the controls.





Check out the tracklisting with commentary below:


“Blunt Instrument”: “Evolution, extinction… and sleep paralysis.”
“Kentucky Meat Shower”: “A maniac, inspired by the real Kentucky meat shower of 1876, plans an explosion.”
“Highway 88”: “Alien abduction, the Pig Man, and a demonic hearse.”
“Worm Moon”: “New England settlers bury their winter dead.”
“Down The Mine”: “Desperate men in a hostile landscape.”
“Day Of The Hunt”: “Wild hogs and moonshine in the Smoky Mountains.”
“The Shovel”: “The homicidal caretaker of an abandoned insane asylum is having a bad day.”
“Faraday Cage”: “Havana syndrome meets Theremin's infamous listening device “The Thing.” It ends with a guy guarding a frozen head deep underground because ROCK.”


"Kentucky Meat Shower":





"Blunt Instrument":






In 2012 Meliah Rage guitarist/songwriter Anthony Nichols and The Bags vocalist/bassist Jon Hardy teamed up with drummer Steve Fry and lead guitarist Dan Dykes to form Mexican Ape-Lord. The band’s debut album, The Late Heavy Bombardment (Unable Records, 2014) made a slew of top ten lists. BraveWords called it “a balls-out metal album” and True Metal Lives declared “It proudly stands up and gives genre labeling the big middle finger.”


Friends since high school, Nichols and Hardy found success in different branches of the Boston rock scene in the late eighties. After signing to Epic Records in 1988, Meliah Rage went on to release nine albums and built a loyal following over the course of numerous international tours. The Bags won the Boston Rock ’n’ Roll Rumble in 1989, released six albums, and had their song “Cavemen Rejoice” featured on the PlayStation 2 game Guitar Hero.


Just days after completing work on The Late Heavy Bombardment, Nichols suffered a brutal wrist injury and was told he would never play guitar again. After multiple surgeries and years of rehab he returned to writing music and gradually worked his way back into top form. That material became the basis for Mexican Ape-Lord’s second album, Survival Cannibalism (Unable Records, 2020).


The songs on Survival Cannibalism were inspired by a true story of shipwreck and cannibalism that took place on Boon Island, Maine in 1710. “I wanted to get inside the heads of these tormented guys, whose suffering drove them to do the unthinkable,” says Hardy. “It’s an grim subject, obviously, but a great one for Tony, Dan, and Steve, because they are masterful at covering the full range, musically – from utter darkness to the thrill of cheating Death.”


In 2022 the band released Burn Pit (Unable Records), a four song EP exploring some classic Mexican Ape-Lord themes: inner demons, dangerous work, ritualistic bloodshed, and apex predators. “We weren’t about to stop making music just because the world was coming to an end,” says Nichols.

During a new appearance on the "Riki Rachtman's Cathouse" podcast, former MOTÖRHEAD drummer Mikkey Dee reflected on the band's final tour, which concluded on December 11, 2015, just two weeks before the passing of MOTÖRHEAD frontman Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, that was a tough one. See, I was trying to make us postpone that. We were struggling a little bit, and I said, 'Maybe we should just take a break,' but the one that did not want to break was Lemmy. He said, 'Absolutely not. We've gotta do this tour.' And he wanted to be on stage all the time. And that's how he was. But we had some trouble with Lemmy starting to get a little sick — more sick than [before] — and he was more tired and stuff. And that was a tough tour."

He continued: "Here's the thing: if I had to give 150 percent out there, and [MOTÖRHEAD guitarist] Phil [Campbell did as well], now afterwards, I can't even imagine. Lemmy must've given 500 percent to be able to get through these shows. I mean, we played the 11th of December [of 2015] as the last show in Berlin, and then [Lemmy] passed away the 28th, just a few weeks later. And the guy was rocking his ass off. So, for me, it's impossible to even think back that you can actually do that. So can you imagine how much effort it took for him to stay on that stage? I came up with all kinds of ideas… 'Cause he had a back problem, too, and he said 'the bass is so heavy, the back is on fire.' But that must have been parts of his disease, now [thinking about it] afterwards. But he had a back problem. So he said he had to stand on one leg at a time. And it was like fire on his back. And I said, 'Maybe you should take a barstool and maybe…' And he goes, 'No way, Mikkey. Are you crazy? I will never sit down at the show.' And again, not compromising, not changing anything. So all the credit to Lem right there. He really died with his boots on."

Mikkey added: "I think back about that tour a little bit sometimes, and it was just unbelievable that we could go through with it."

Dee previously reflected on MOTÖRHEAD's final tour in an interview with Finland's Chaoszine. He said: "[Lemmy] was very excited. He loved doing this stuff. And I do remember that we were having a pretty tough time. Lemmy was sick. He was tired. And we could not get him off the road. Both me and Phil said, 'Look, let's break.' … Let's go back to [Lemmy's hometown of Los Angeles], rest, eat and we pick up the European tour again. But he said, 'No, no, no, no, no. We've gotta play.' 'Okay.' So me and Phil were talking, and we said, 'Instead of argue with Lemmy, trying to get him off the road, let's just help him instead.' And I remember, the shows, we had to adjust a lot of stuff, but I think we and he did fantastic. I mean, the last show was 11th of December in Berlin, and then a couple of weeks later, the man is gone. So, trust me, me and Phil put in 150 percent and Lemmy must have put in 300 percent to get through the set."

Dee was also once again asked if he and Campbell would ever go out and perform MOTÖRHEAD music together, with someone else stepping in to play Lemmy's parts. He responded: "Well, you never know. I mean, me and Phil wrote great music. But he's fully involved with his boys. And I'm fully involved with SCORPIONS. We're touring a lot. Not right now, obviously, but we're on the road all the time with the SCORPS. So I don't say no; there's always possibilities. But, of course, as I explained in, I think a podcast, I said, and some people misunderstood this, or actually, they didn't — actually the press wrote the wrong things. I said, 'We will never, ever get back together and replace Lemmy. That's impossible.' I said, 'But doing little constellations, doing some tribute stuff, that's great.' That's very, very different. And I think they said something, 'Mikkey will never play MOTÖRHEAD again.' That was the main headline on Blabbermouth. I said that's not what I said at all. [Editor's note: Contrary to Mikkey's assertion, the actual headline for the February 2023 BLABBERMOUTH.NET story that he is referring to was 'MIKKEY DEE: 'We Will Never Tour' Under MOTÖRHEAD Name Again'.] Of course I will play MOTÖRHEAD. But I will never be a part of trying to put MOTÖRHEAD as a band out there again with some other fucking idiot supposed to take Lemmy's place. So that's all I said. But to do this ['Mikkey Dee With Friends' thing], [it's] fantastic. And, of course, we'd like to plan something bigger than this in the future, hopefully."

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

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

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

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

Image credit: Paiste Cymbals

THE DEAD DAISIES have released "Light 'Em Up", the first single and title track of their upcoming album. The full-length disc will follow on September 6 via Germany's SPV and Japan's Ward Records.

THE DEAD DAISIES frontman John Corabi said: "Hey, gang. We are releasing our first single 'Light 'Em Up', from our new record, aptly titled 'Light 'Em Up' as well! It's a kick-ass, straight-ahead rock and roll tune, just how we like it!!! Turn it up, and get ready to bang your head and break shit!!! Hope ya like it!!! Love you guys!!"

Produced by Marti Frederiksen in Nashville, the "Light 'Em Up" album consists of in-your-face rock tiunes packed with huge hooks, Doug Aldrich's giant intense guitar riffs and John's distinctive vocals that will leave no audience in their seats when played live.

June 6 will see THE DEAD DAISIES kick off their global touring for the year, with a limited run of their favorite markets and venues in the U.S. THE DEAD DAISIES' most ambitious and biggest U.K. tour to date will launch on Friday, September 6, with special guests THE TREATMENT and THE BITES. The band will then embark on a run of mainland Europe, kicking off on Friday, November 1 with the final show of the year in Frankfurt, Germany. Special guests for these shows are BEASTO BLANCO and Mike Tramp (performing the songs of WHITE LION).

Aldrich said: "Our 2024 tour has been locked and we're gonna have some great nights of kick-ass rock!!!! Can't wait to play the new songs for you guys! See ya there!!"

In March, THE DEAD DAISIES announced the return of drummer Tommy Clufetos (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK SABBATH).

Twelve years ago, THE DEAD DAISIES burst on to the music scene with a mission to gather some of the finest musicians in the world and simply put, play some good old-fashioned, no-bullshit rock and roll. After more than a decade of recording and touring the planet, there have been some incredible one-offs and special highlights including sharing stages with some of the world's biggest rock bands. To mark this milestone, a collection of songs from six of the band's previous studio albums have been chosen. The "Best Of" album, which was made available in August 2023, includes some of the collective's favorite tracks and others that have become a staple part of every DAISIES touring setlist. Two previously unreleased tracks from the last recording session are also included.

A year ago, it was announced that Corabi, former lead singer of MÖTLEY CRÜE, THE SCREAM and UNION, had officially rejoined THE DEAD DAISIES.

Corabi joined THE DEAD DAISIES in early 2015 and remained in the group until January 2019, during which time he recorded three studio albums with the band: "Revolución" (2015),"Make Some Noise" (2016) and "Burn It Down" (2018). In the summer of 2019, THE DEAD DAISES announced that they were being joined by legendary DEEP PURPLE bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes, who appeared on the band's last two studio albums, 2021's "Holy Ground" and 2022's "Radiance".

Last August, Corabi told Metal Talk about how he came to rejoin THE DEAD DAISIES: "We talked through the whole time that they had Glenn in the band. At one point, they were getting ready to tour with Glenn, and he was sick. I don't know if he had COVID or what his deal was, but he wasn't feeling well. I went up to New York for a week with the guys, and I helped them. I sang with them to help them prepare for their tour with Glenn, just to get their music together."

John went on to say that it was April or May of 2023 that Lowy visited him in Nashville. "He basically told me that Glenn was going back to do his DEEP PURPLE thing and BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION," John said. "He asked me if I was rested and said, 'We'd love to have you come back and keep this train moving.' So I said, 'All right. All good.'"

In an interview with Jerry Kurunen of Finland's Rauta conducted at this year's Inferno festival, which took place in March 2024 in Oslo, Norway, DIMMU BORGIR guitarist Silenoz spoke about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's long-awaited new studio album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "Well, we are working on new stuff. We have been working on, on and off, new stuff for quite a while. Also during the pandemic, there was some downtime where we worked on stuff on our own, individually, and then we meet and try to concoct a new brew, so to speak.

"I think the fans are, like, 'Ah, you have to get out a new album,' and blah, blah, blah, blah, but the thing is that we rather take our time and even take one year extra to make it better than good, if you know what I mean," he explained. "Obviously, we would also like to have an album out as soon as we can, but we're not gonna do that just to have it out."

Asked about DIMMU BORGIR's stylistic changes over the years, particularly as it pertains to veering away from traditional Norwegian black metal, Silenoz said: "I think even on the first album, we started to drift off from the traditional so-called underground black metal thing. And we've always looked upon ourselves as something more than just that term. And it's better to not be able to be labeled as this or that. It's better that either you like the music, it gives you something, or it doesn't touch you — it's 'either or', basically. So, we always wanted to do different, new stuff on every album — that's very important for us — but the thing is that it comes naturally. We don't sit down and decide, 'Oh, today we're gonna make this and this type of song.' It just comes in. And then if we like it, then we keep it. It's pretty much that simple. But [2018's] 'Eonian' is probably more orchestrated, which kind of started with 'Abrahadabra' in 2010. I mean, we always had that element, but we took it as far as we felt we could take it. Now maybe — who knows what the next one will sound like? It just takes on its own life, basically."

On the topic of DIMMU BORGIR's lineup changes over the years, particularly in the band's earlier days, Silenoz said: "I think after so many years, you kind of get to know yourself better. So that opens up for knowing the person around you better as well. I know that sounds weird. But I think age has definitely something to do with it. And it's also important not only to be good in the writing moment, off stage you also have to get along really well. And I think that the age thing comes in there. So, yeah, it's good to have a more stable lineup."

DIMMU BORGIR's current lineup is officially a trio comprising Shagrath (Stian Tomt Thoresen) on lead vocals, Silenoz (Sven Atle Kopperud) on rhythm guitar and Galder (Tom Rune Anderson) on lead guitar. They are joined by session musicians Dariusz "Daray" Brzozowski on drums (since 2008),Geir "Gerlioz" Bratland on keyboards (since 2010) and Victor Brandt on bass (since 2018).

DIMMU BORGIR's latest album, "Eonian", came out in 2018. The LP was released right in time for the band's 25th anniversary in 2018, about eight years after its predecessor, "Abrahadabra". Since then, the infernal core trio consisting of Shagrath, Silenoz and Galder has played various tours all around the world, including shows at leading metal festivals such as Wacken Open Air and Hellfest.

DIMMU BORGIR released a collection of its cover songs, "Inspiratio Profanus", in December 2023 via Nuclear Blast Records. "Inspiratio Profanus" features the thunderous first single, "Black Metal" by the extreme metal pioneers VENOM, the genre-defining "Perfect Strangers" (DEEP PURPLE),fan favorite "Burn In Hell" (TWISTED SISTER),and electrifying renditions from the legendary CELTIC FROST, as well as other immensely influential artists.

At Inferno festival, three former members of DIMMU BORGIR — bassist/clean vocalist ICS Vortex (real name: Simen Hestnæs),keyboardist Mustis (real name: Øyvind Mustaparta) and drummer Tjodalv (real name: Ian Kenneth Åkesson) — rejoined the Norwegian symphonic black metallers on stage during their set at the Rockefeller Music Hall in Oslo to perform the song "The Insight And The Catharsis" from their 1999 album " Spiritual Black Dimensions".

Trafalgar Releasing has released the official trailer for "Rite Here Rite Now". The unique feature-length film combines never-before-seen 2023 concert footage of Grammy Award-winning rock band GHOST with a narrative story that picks up plot threads from the band's long-running "Chapters" series. Directed by GHOST's Tobias Forge and Alex Ross Perry ("Her Smell"),"Rite Here Rite Now" will launch in cinemas globally on June 20 and June 22 only. Tickets go on sale today, available here. Additional screenings may vary by territory.

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.

Forge explained: "Over a decade ago when GHOST got signed to Loma Vista, Tom Whalley (owner and CEO) asked what the story of the band was. He felt telling a story was vital in order to get new fans engaged. I said that because we were a new 'baby' band and more importantly we were an anonymous baby band, there wasn't really a compelling story to tell. Not yet anyway. But I told him that if he wanted a story, I could come up with one. This film is the fruit of that conversation."

Director Alex Ross Perry said: "Collaborating with Tobias to expand the saga of GHOST into a feature film has been a wicked delight. This movie allowed us to be inspired by everything from silent horror to 'The Great Rock N' Roll Swindle', from Ralph Bakshi to KISS 'Alive II'. The influences were many, but above all, the ultimate goal was to make a one-of-a-kind feast not only for GHOST fans, but all lovers of the cinematic alchemy between rock spectacle and spooky delights."

Kymberli Frueh, SVP of programming and content acquisitions at Trafalgar Releasing, added: "The mystery, mystique, and musical style of GHOST has created such a dedicated allegiance to the band. Our cinemas provide the perfect immersive experience to unite fans as a community and experience GHOST's elaborate performances with big screens and big sound."

"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 went on to say that GHOST was "essentially shooting a film. And we used two nights of crowds as extras," he explained. "It's going to be a film with a concert element. So a lot of what you experienced [at the two L.A. shows] is going to be part of this project."

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.

Back in 2019, Forge told Revolver that there was a GHOST feature film in the works. He added, however, that this wouldn't be your typical "rockumentary" or even a concert film, but something else entirely.

"Most films about bands are biographical, and I see no reason to tell our story yet," Forge said. "It's a little bit like premature ejaculation. You have to have a career first and then you can tell the real story, so that was never an option. And when you yank away that, what do you have? Well, that would be a fictional story."

When Forge spoke to Revolver about the GHOST film four years ago, he explained that it would be a while before the project came to fruition.

"The cog wheels are turning on that one," he said. "We're just trying to figure out a lot of the practicalities. Making a film is a big endeavor. Another problem that I have had over the course of my career is that I don't have a shit-ton of time. I've learned over the years that it's really important not to do everything at once."

During a recent appearance on "The Adamantium Podcast", QUEENSRŸCHE guitarist Michael Wilton reflected on the making of one of the band's most acclaimed albums, 1988's conceptual effort "Operation: Mindcrime". He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "['Operation: Mindcrime'] was a major project for us and a major time in our career. We had just signed with a new management, and things were set in motion and everything came out. But it wasn't until MTV started playing the video of 'Eyes Of A Stranger' that things took off for us. And that kind of opened the door for a lot of bands. So, the whole video thing that happened, every kid was glued to 'Headbangers Ball' and checking out all the new metal bands. And then, from there it was just a progression, a stepping stone of what do we do next."

As for how the 1990 follow-up LP, "Empire", came together, Wilton said: "We wanted to do something different than a conceptual album like 'Operation: Mindcrime', we wanted to do something that just was more song oriented. And we went up into Vancouver, Canada and recorded 'Empire'. And that took off. We collided with public taste, the average person. We were at award shows, we won MTV music awards, American Music Award. It was mindblowing. And we were touring almost two years straight. So it's been great, but a lot of it, it's timing. Now it's so tech heavy, and it's been — I don't know — I think, split apart. Nobody knows where to get their news like they did back when you had magazines, guitar magazines and rock magazines and teen magazines and all that stuff. You could see really easily who was coming to town, who was on tour. Now you've gotta dig, you've gotta search, and then there's lots of distractions attacking you on the Internet."

Released in 1990, "Empire" included the hit ballad "Silent Lucidity", which reached No. 9 on the Billboard singles chart, helped propel "Empire" to No. 7 on the album chart and earned two Grammy Award nominations.

QUEENSRŸCHE is performing the band's 1983 EP and 1984's "The Warning" album in their entirety as part of "The Origins Tour". Launching on March 22 at the Hell's Heroes festival in Houston, Texas and running until May 12 in Ft. Meyers, Florida, the trek sees QUEENSRŸCHE — singer Todd La Torre, guitarists Michael Wilton and Mike Stone, bassist Eddie Jackson and drummer Casey Grillo — joined on most dates by another highly respected/influential band that also launched in the '80s, ARMORED SAINT.

Early last year, QUEENSRŸCHE completed its 2023 U.S. headlining tour with support from former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman and TRAUMA. On that tour, QUEENSRŸCHE's 18-song set included no less than five songs from the band's sixteenth studio album, "Digital Noise Alliance", which came out in October 2022 via Century Media. The record was once again helmed by Chris "Zeuss" Harris, who previously worked with QUEENSRŸCHE on 2015's "Condition Hüman" and 2019's "The Verdict" LPs.

Stone, who rejoined QUEENSRŸCHE in 2021, contributed guitar solos to the band's latest studio album.

Since late May 2021, Stone has been handling second-guitar duties in QUEENSRŸCHE, which announced in July 2021 that longtime guitarist Parker Lundgren was exiting the group to focus on "other business ventures."

Stone originally joined QUEENSRŸCHE for the 2003 album "Tribe" and stayed with the band for six years before leaving the group.

For the past seven years, drummer Casey Grillo has been filling in for original QUEENSRŸCHE drummer Scott Rockenfield, who stepped away from the band's touring activities in early 2017 to spend time with his young son.

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

Conception guitarist Tore Østby has released a summery follow up to the well received piece, "Snowflake”, just before heading on tour to Latin America with the band. The instrumental track, "Nordic Soul Spanish Heart", is released on all digital platforms.


With his love for Spanish music and culture, Tore Østby’s virtuoso guitar takes you on a journey originating in the Nordic melancholy to the heat and passion in Spain with promises of future memories, letting the cultures meet and merge in beautiful harmonies and playful guitar melodies. 


Østby: ”In this track I let the two most influential cultures for my music tell a tale together, and it’s a piece close to my heart!”




Østby is known from Norwegian metal band Conception and Norwegian/American progressive metal band, ARK. Known for his virtuoso guitar with his signature influence from Spanish guitars, his solo project is landing well with his fans, and this piece will leave no one disappointed.





guitarist Tore Østby


Last year, Conception released their long-awaited State Of Deception deluxe box set (triple vinyl, triple CD, book, poster, signed pic). Order here.


The box set includes the book, Retrospect - A Brief History From 1989 To 1997, by Gwynyth H. Moaven, poster, a signed photo and a letter of authenticity.


In conjunction with this release, the band have released a video for the song "Monument In Time”, with a collage of private videos from recording studio, live and off stage from 1991 to now, edited by John Wins. The soundtrack is one of the new studio recordings, only available on the deluxe edition. Watch below.


Singer Roy Khan states: ”The new video shows various snippets from our career all the way from the beginning. It’s a nice link to what the song is actually about; long lasting companionship and the very journey of Conception.”


The book is based on old and new interviews and lets the reader follow Conception through the nineties and learn about their success and challenges, including the events leading up to the long break from 1997. The book also includes private photos on and off stage.


Says guitarist Tore Østby: ”Revisiting the story of the nineties triggered a lot of great memories. We worked hard to offer our loyal fans a special and unique package, and we are proud to finally have put this together."


The box set is only available through Conception!s website and sold at Conception's concerts. All dates and ticket info here.

Robinsons Brewery and Iron Maiden have launched a brand-new Trooper beer on its 11th birthday. Following the astounding success of Trooper X, last year’s limited edition anniversary beer, the collaboration continues with the introduction of a new core beer, Trooper Pale Ale.


The 3.4% ABV session beer is a light and easy drinking pale ale packed with Citra Hops, delivering a subtly sweet and citrusy flavour profile. The introduction of Trooper Pale adds a new dimension to the existing beer range, enticing ABV conscious drinkers to enjoy a bottle of Trooper. This new beer enters the collection as the lowest strength ABV, contrasting the highest strength (10% ABV) limited edition beer released last year.


“I set Director of Brewing and Operations, Martyn Weeks, his hardest challenge yet,” admitted Iron Maiden lead singer, Bruce Dickinson. “Brew a proper sessionable beer for us without compromising on taste – and do you know what? He’s only gone and done it – as we all knew he would! It’s Trooper…but without the headache!”




The bottle launches a fresh new look for the brand and introduces a unique new Trooper Eddie, which nods to the band’s current The Future Past World Tour imagery. The bottle tops continue the Singles Collection date stamped artwork that form a special historic timeline and display.


Trooper Pale Ale launches across 321 ASDA stores in England, including the brewer’s home-town store of Stockport. The new beer will also be available from Robinsons Brewery’s online store and from their Visitors Centre. Trooper Pale Ale will be available in export markets via our partners, Sovereign Beverage Co. later this month.


Oliver Robinson, Managing Director of Beer Division at Robinsons Brewery said: “We’re delighted to continue our collaboration with Bruce Dickinson and Iron Maiden after 11 years of success together. Trooper Pale is an exciting new launch as we take inspiration from the beer industry’s market trends and introduce a lower ABV beer as the category of ‘low and no’ continues to grow."

Simone Simons has been a pioneering force within the world of metal for over two decades as part of Epica. Now, alongside her musical partner and longtime collaborator, Arjen Lucassen (Ayreon), she embarks on the journey of her debut solo record, Vermillion.


Arjen has shared a short video message offering his thoughts on the project.







Arjen is no stranger to Simone's soaring operatic voice, one that can stir even a gargoyle’s stone heart to tears. Together they have crafted a sonic universe that befits the influential figure she is. Vermillion emerges as a gargantuan goose-bump generator, a universally touching, stellar tour de force. Vermillion will be released on August 23 via Nuclear Blast Records.


Alongside the announcement of her debut solo record, Simone has released a video for the album's first single, "Aeterna".


Simone and Arjen state: "'Aeterna' is the big, epic opener of the album and it comes with this amazing video too, directed by Patric Ullaeus. It definitely sounds the closest to  Epica and Ayreon, blending powerful Latin lyrics with a touch of an oriental feel. We’ve tried to strike a balance between the mighty, bombastic sounds and the more atmospheric parts. Since it’s the first track people will hear from this album, it’s super important to us and we’re really excited for people to hear it!


'Aeterna' takes the point of view of a star about to go supernova to explore how everything in the universe is interconnected, like a cosmic web made from stardust. It deals with our deep emotions, consciousness, and other mysteries of life that science still can’t fully explain. Essentially it’s a reflection on our place in the vast universe and the connections that bind us together, as we’re all, to quote Carl Sagan, “made of starstuff"."


Watch the video below, and pre-order / pre-save Vermillion here.





Vermillion tracklisting:


"Aeterna"
"In Love We Rust"
"Cradle To The Grave" (feat. Alyssa White-Gluz)
"Fight Or Flight"
"Weight Of My World"
"Vermillion Dreams"
"The Core"
"Dystopia"
"R.E.D."
"Dark Night Of The Soul"


"Aeterna" video:

Canadian rock legend, Aldo Nova, performed at the M3 Festival in Columbia, Maryland on May 4th. Fan-filmed video of his short set can be viewed below.


Setlist:


"Heart to Heart"
"Under the Gun"
"Foolin' Yourself"
"Ball and Chain"
"Blood on the Bricks"
"Fantasy"







The 2024 edition of the Time To Rock Festival is scheduled for July 5-8 at Knislinge Folkets Park in Knislinge, Sweden.


Organizers have issued the following:


"If you grew up as a hard rocker in the 80s, then it''s pretty certain that you listened to the Canadian, Aldo Nova. Singer, guitarist and keyboardist who has been an active musician in melodic rock since 1979.


The first, self-titled record was released in the early 80s and in total there were three albums in that decade before a few years' break and then two in the 90s. Nova's Dream was released in 1997, but after that it was delayed with new material until 2018.


The latest creation is the incredibly good concept album, The Life And Times Of Eddie Gage, which came out in 2022. Aldo has also produced and been a songwriter for other artists. His CV includes Blue Öyster Cult as well as Jon Bon Jovi, Faith Hill as well as Celine Dion. He even co-wrote one of the songs on Idol winner Agnes Carlsson''s debut album in 2005, which may not feel so rock, but it can be mentioned as it's a slightly odd combo.


As I said, it's mainly about melodic rock when we talk about Aldo Nova and who doesn't remember songs like 'Fantasy', 'Monkey On Your Back', 'Hey Operator' and 'Blood On The Bricks'?


Now he comes to our part of the world for the first time and does the only gig in Sweden, well, the only show in Europe, at Time To Rock. A must for all fans of melodic rock and hard rock. Welcome!"


Time To Rock Festival details can be found here.

Marking the third track from their new album, Dream Chaser, Norwegian progressive metal masters, Rendezvous Point, share a new single, "Utopia". Along with a lyric video, "Utopia" follows previous singles "Don't Look Up" and "Oslo Syndrome."


Following in the footsteps of their sophomore album, Universal Chaos, Rendezvous Point's third full-length album, Dream Chaser, is out June 21 via Long Branch Records. The 5-piece around Leprous drummer Baard Kolstad, keyboardist Nicolay Tangen Svennæs, singer Geirmund Hansen, guitarist Petter Hallaråker and bass player Gunn-Hilde Erstad continues to push boundaries with more concise songwriting and a wider focus on groove, riffs, melodies, and hooks.


Singer Geirmund Hansen comments on "Utopia": "As a child, you often search for ideals and someone to look up to. Very often, you can find those ideals in close family relations, and they become your guide. Later in life, there’s a breaking point where you must find your own path and that sometimes can lead to a lacking feeling of belonging and you end up in the middle of two different spheres, Dystopia."




Watch the lyric video for "Utopia" below.





Dream Chaser tracklisting:


"Don’t Look Up"
"Oslo Syndrome"
"Utopia"
"Fireflies"
"Presence"
"Wildflower"
"The Tormented"
"Still Water"


"Utopia" lyric video:





"Oslo Syndrome" video:





"Don't Look Up" video:





Rendezvous Point is:


Geirmund Hansen - Vocals
Baard Kolstad - Drums
Nicolay Tangen Svennæs - Keyboards
Petter Hallaråker - Guitar
Gunn-Hilde Erstad - Bass


(Photo - Jonathan Vivaas Kise)

In the video below, guitar virtuoso Uli Jon Roth revisits his legendary classics from his time with the Scorpions as well as a few solo efforts. LiveCuttz shot the video live at Sharkey's Event Center in Syracuse, NY on May 3rd during his Interstellar Sky Guitar North American Tour 2024.


Setlist:


"Longing For Fire"
"Sun In My Hand"
"Land Of Dawn"
"Don't Tell The Wind" 
"We'll Burn The Sky"
"In Trance"
"Fly To The Rainbow"
"Pictured Life" 
"Catch Your Train" 
"The Sails Of Charon"







Remaining tour dates are as follows:


May
8 - Montreal, QC - Fairmount Theatre
9 - Ottawa, ON - Overflow Brewery
10 - Toronto, ON - Lee’s Palace
16 - Lubbock, TX - Cactus Theater
17 - Arlington, TX - Arlington Music Hall
18 - Houston, TX - Dosey Doe

Shumaun, the internationally acclaimed progressive rock sensation known for their dynamic sound and introspective lyrics, is expanding their discography this year with their fourth album, “Opposing Mirrors,” set to release at the end of June 2024. Prior to this release, they will have a couple of singles to whet the palettes of rock fanatics around the world, the first being “Some Memories,” premiered exclusively through BraveWords.


This track is a departure from their regular sound as the band explains:


“It has a modern edge with its choppy guitar rhythms under the verses, but I believe the chorus brings it back to the classic Shumaun sound with its big hook and open chords," says bassist Jose Mora. Singer/guitarist Farhad Hossain provided more insight into the lyrical theme: "Lyrically, it addresses the phenomenon of cancel culture, exploring how individuals can face consequences for past actions or statements, even if they have since grown and evolved as people.”




“Some Memories” possesses a remarkably potent and dynamic sound. "The guitars seamlessly transition between low and high tones, heavy and light textures, slow and fast tempos, and chords and notes, adding depth to the composition. There is incredible drumming throughout the song by Marco Minnemann. The bass serves as an embellishment, enhancing the overall musical landscape. The vocals and synths are intricately layered atop the instrumentation to give the song its various shapes and colors," guitarist Tyler Kim further noted.





Initially conceived as a solo project by Farhad Hossain, Shumaun quickly evolved into a collaborative powerhouse with the addition of talented musicians. They believe the album is best experienced when played in sequence. While not a traditional concept album, it maintains a thematic coherence, much like their previous releases. “Opposing Mirrors” is recommended for fans of Rush, Porcupine Tree, and Fates Warning.


Opposing Mirrors is due out June 27; preorder on Bandcamp.





Tracklisting:


“The Perils Of Amnesia”
“Balance”
“Opposing Mirrors”
“Anxiety And Daydreams”
“That Which Turns”
“Beyond Reflection”
“Some Memories”
“Porcelain Trees”


Album Band Lineup 
Farhad Hossain — Vocals, Guitars, Keyboards 
Jose Mora — Bass 
Tyler Kim — Guitars 
Drums: 
Thomas Lang (Tracks 1, 3, 8) 
Marco Minnemann (Tracks 4, 7) 
Leo Margarit (Tracks 5, 6) 
Farhad Hossain (Track 2)

Blackened / technical death metal band Burn Down Eden have unleashed another absolute belter! “Blood Splattered Symphony” tells the tale of a baroque piano virtuoso, who draws his inspiration from killing people, and keeping their body parts as trophies and a source of creativity.


Watch as this twisted pianist performs himself into ecstasy, and proceeds to rage through the theater, in search of his next muse. A living nightmare has been composed!







With its high tempo, lethal blast beats, and epic neoclassical guitar shredding, “Blood Splattered Symphony” stands out as the wildest track on Dismal, the new EP, available now, from Burn Down Eden.


Dismal artwork and tracklisting:





"Reap The Apocalypse"
"Death Of A Songbird"
"Blood Splattered Symphony"
"Aim For The Stars"
"The War Within"








For further details, visit Burn Down Eden on Facebook.


 

KnuckleBonz Inc. and The Cliff Burton Estate are announcing they will launch a Cliff Burton KnuckleBonz Limited Edition Collectible Statue, with a portion of all proceeds going to the Cliff Burton Music Scholarship Fund for Rising Youth Musicians.


Pre-sales now available at KnuckleBonz.com; only 3000 available worldwide. The ship date is estimated for early 2025.







The Burton Family has issued this statement: "The Burton Family is proud to have Cliff featured a second time in the KnuckleBonz Rock Iconz Series. Continuing the mission of Cliff’s father, the late Ray Burton, the Cliff Burton family fosters the next generation of musical talent by awarding scholarships to rising youth musicians. We handpick individuals from around the world with the same enthusiasm for music and dedication to their craft as the late bassist Cliff Burton."


The Cliff Burton Rock Iconz Statue is hand-crafted by KnuckleBonz artists using a fine-arts process where each figure is hand-cast, painted and numbered. Each statue comes with a certificate of authenticity on the base. 





 

American war metal entity, Primitive Warfare, is now unleashing an advanced stream of their debut onslaught, Extinction Protocol. Listen to the assault in its entirety ahead of tomorrow's release, below.


The band comments, “Extinction Protocol is inevitable. In this is found no tranquility. Where once primitive warfare reigned it shall reign again.”


Extinction Protocol will be unleashed on May 10 on vinyl format in limited edition Black Phosphorous and White Phosphorous variants to be released in undisclosed quantities by Stygian Black Hand. The record will also be made available on compact disc format by Godz ov War Productions.




Pre-order here.





Extinction Protocol tracklisting:


"Pulpit of the Conqueror (Mutually Assured Desecration)"
"Nuclear Regression"
"Engulfed By Satanic Might"
"Spears of Emission"
"Witness!"
"Extinction Protocol"
"Iron Sight Omnipotence"
"Heretic Crusade"


Album stream:





"Heretic Crusade" video:





(Photo - Jeff Howlett)

In a new interview with Atlanta's 99X radio station, THE OFFSPRING guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman and singer Bryan "Dexter" Holland confirmed that the band's eleventh studio album is completed. "It's done. It's mastered," Noodles said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "All the guys were on the bus and we just listened to the masters of the new record. It's just done."

When the interviewer noted that the new OFFSPRING LP was recorded, on and off, over quite a long period of time, Noodles said: "It's kind of how we work these days. We don't go in and just lock ourselves in the studio for six months. We kind of do it piecemeal — a couple of weeks here, a couple of weeks there."

Noodles previously discussed the progress of the recording sessions for the band's follow-up to 2021's "Let The Bad Times Roll" album two months ago in an interview with Colombia's Radioacktiva. At the time, he said: "It's not like we go in and work for a whole bunch of months with [longtime producer] Bob [Rock] and then don't see each other for a couple years. We get together every couple of months and go in the studio and work for a week to two weeks. That's just how we like to work. And it's always fun hanging out with Bob. He's just a great guy. And we just talk about music, talk about ideas, what makes a song great — that sort of thing."

Bob Rock previously helmed three THE OFFSPRING LPs, including "Let The Bad Times Roll".

Last October, Noodles was asked by Rock Sound if there was anything he and his THE OFFSPRING bandmates learned from the making "Let The Bad Times Roll" that they wanted to "lean more into" this time around. Noodles said: "What we learned is when we are not able to go out and play live, we really miss it. And we learned to make the most of our time in the studio and just have fun. It was a really, really creative time for us, actually. Right at the end of making 'Let The Bad Times Roll', ideas were just coming, and we've just been having a good time in the studio since then — and on the road too. It's so good to be back playing live music again."

In September 2023, Noodles was asked by "The Jesea Lee Show" if the new OFFSPRING material follows an "old-school" vein or if it represents "a new era of OFFSPRING". He said: "It's a little bit of both — all that. The last song we did definitely sounds like an old-school — sounds kind of like 'Come Out Swinging'. Definitely some old-school stuff and then some rocking stuff and then some kind of poppy punk stuff too, for sure."

In August 2023, Holland told The Orange County Register about the overall musical and lyrical direction of the new THE OFFSPRING material: "Sometimes you just start writing songs and you don't realize how an album is coming together until it's almost there. Like on 'Americana'. 'Americana' was one of the last songs I wrote because I didn't realize until then all the other songs like 'Why Don't You Get A Job?' and 'Pretty Fly', they were describing American society. I didn't really realize that's what the album was about until I got almost done and thought well, I'll call it 'Americana' because that's like 'Americana' means American culture. This was my vision of what I thought American culture was doing in the late '90s. We're kind of still in that phase with the songs, but we've always liked the energy of punk music and the rebelliousness. What I'm focusing right now on is just melody. I want the songs to be really good."

"Let The Bad Times Roll" was a huge global success, hitting career-high chart debuts with seven Top 5 and ten Top 10 international debuts and nine Top 10 debuts in the U.S. The album peaked at No. 3 on the U.K. chart and hit No. 1 on the Alternative Albums chart in the U.S.

THE OFFSPRING first achieved worldwide success in the 1990s with the release of their album "Smash", which sold over 11 million copies. Following "Smash", they continued to release hit after hit, popularizing rock at a mainstream level.

Throughout THE OFFSPRING's career, they've sold over a staggering 40 million albums, and toured arenas, and built a global fan base. "Let The Bad Times Roll" marked the band's tenth studio album and third album produced by Rock.

Originally formed under the name MANIC SUBSIDAL, THE OFFSPRING's lineup consists of Holland, Wasserman and bassist Todd Morse.

ATREYU has released the official music video for "Insomnia". The clip, which can be seen below, was helmed by the St. Louis, Missouri-based music video director J.T. Ibanez, known for his work with SEVENDUST, HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS, P.O.D., Orianthi and many more.

"Insomnia" is taken from ATREYU's latest album, "The Beautiful Dark Of Life", which came out last December via Spinefarm.

"The Beautiful Dark Of Life" is an emotional journey through three distinct phases accompanying ATREYU's previously released three-part EP series — capturing the essence of despair on "The Hope Of A Spark", the pursuit of hope on "The Moment You Find Your Flame" and the triumphant self-discovery and purpose on "A Torch In The Dark".

The album features sonic numbers that touch every corner of the heavy music sphere — from metal to punk and alternative, via '80s classic rock and with shades of industrial, hip-hop, and unashamed pop — speaking more than ever to a generation of music fans who care little for the traditional constraints of genre.

Through the expression of deeply personal feelings and emotions, the album is soul-baring and empathetic and offers escapism, and empowerment through songs that speak openly about anxiety, depression, self-belief, love, and identity that includes three new songs, "Dancing With My Demons", "Insomnia" and the title track.

"'The Beautiful Dark Of Life' is the journey we are all on," said frontman Brandon Saller. "It is the journey we have taken the audience on through the three EPs: the highs, lows, and lessons of life. And much like living through them, you don't gain a full understanding of what it all means without the whole picture. This album is that picture."

Bassist/vocalist Marc "Porter" McKnight said: "We wanted each EP to have its own space to exist, for every song to find its audience and connect with people in its own right. But then when those songs are later collected together in the shape of the album, it will be an 'A-ha!' moment where we hope people will rediscover them in a new light, and find something in them all over again."

"I was walking with my young daughter one day when we went under a bridge," said Saller. "She pointed at something and said, 'Daddy, what's that?' I told her, 'That's a shadow, honey.' And she turned to me and said, 'Shadows are the beautiful dark of life,'" in discussing the album title.

"The Beautiful Dark Of Life" track listing:

01. Drowning
02. Insomnia
03. Capital F
04. God/Devil
05. Watch Me Burn
06. Good Enough
07. Dancing With My Demons
08. Gone
09. I Don't Wanna Die
10. Immortal
11. (i)
12. Death Or Glory
13. Forevermore
14. Come Down
15. The Beautiful Dark Of Life

In an interview with Rock 100.5 The KATT's Cameron Buchholtz conducted at last September's Rocklahoma festival in Pryor, Oklahoma, Saller spoke about ATREYU's decision to shift their focus away from releasing albums to putting out a series of EPs.Saller said: "The whole project as a whole kind of tells sort of the same story in repeat. And we just wanted a way to kind of just be able to shine a light on the songs a little bit more individually. I feel like a lot of times you put out albums these days and you get three or four songs that get any sort of attention. The rest of them just go by the wayside, which sucks when you're creating art and putting everything you have into art."

He continued: "Each EP goes through the cycles of life, the seasons of life, if you will, to tell one big story at the end. So it's kind of a way that we can get a little bit more in depth with a kind of a story and also a way that we can have our audience really be able to focus on smaller portions of songs at a time."

Asked if he and his bandmates are seeing that sort of engagement and fans following the story, Brandon said: "Absolutely. I feel like, you just see it, just when [you look at] the [streaming] numbers, you see each song kind of getting a little bit more of a limelight and having a little bit more of kind of a day in the sun. So that feels nice for us."

Saller previously talked about ATREYU's decision to release a series of EPs last July in an interview with the "Brutally Delicious" podcast. At the time, he said: "I care less and less about the traditional kind of methods of things and more about, how do we actually get people to have the opportunity to digest all of the art? … You put out an album, put out 12 songs on an album and four of 'em get a light shined on them and are in the tens of millions of streams and have all this attention and then the other eight are in the hundreds of thousands, if that — maybe they hit a million. They're in the dark and you spent all this time on these songs.

"We're not a band that has historically put out records with a bunch of filler; it's hard to get songs past us," he explained. "So, for us, it's, like, 'Oh, well, man, it just didn't have opportunity to get shown.'

"I'm all about alternative methods of release," Saller added. "I think that physical release really only lies in vinyl and cool, like, collectors' kind of stuff these days. I don't care about CDs. I couldn't play a CD if I wanted to. I don't have a CD [player] in my car. I don't have a CD player in my computer. But as far as just releasing things, I just wanna release things that make it more accessible and easy to actually consume and digest them. And I think that that potentially is in singles and EPs. I don't know everything or anything. So we'll see how it goes."

Photo credit: Micala Austin

Since 2009, Canada’s Valfreya has been honing their sound bringing in elements from black metal, and folk metal with touches of symphonic metal to create powerful music that has been heard around the world.


With an impressive five albums already under their belts, they are gearing up for the sixth, Dawn Of Reckoning, out May 24. A formidable concept album that tells of the goddess Hel striking back at humanity, it is a gritty, aggressive journey into mythology.


The band comments on the second single “Le Périple” (“The Journey”), which is being released now in lyric video form: “This album marks a significant evolution in our sound. While our earlier works leaned heavily on joyful and folkloric elements, Dawn Of Reckoning takes on a symphonic blackened death metal approach. As for the single, it represents a human’s life: Innocence, discovery, ambition, false ideas, lies... This being slowly realizes that humanity is not virtuous.”







Gone are the days of folk metal and Viking metal. Valfreya invites listeners to embrace dark symphonies intertwined with tumultuous guitar riffs that will leave an indelible mark on their minds. Dawn Of Reckoning promises to guide audiences through a journey of bitterness, nostalgia, and apocalyptic destruction, all set against a backdrop of cold nature and epic melodies.


Valfreya is a Canadian blackened death symphonic metal band hailing from Montreal. With a diverse discography that spans multiple genres, Valfreya continues to push the boundaries of metal music with its innovative sound and uncompromising vision.





Tracklisting:


"Dawn Of Reckoning"
"The Rise"
"Warcry"
"The Fate"
"The Fall"
"Equilibrium"
"The Fallen Kings"
"A New Era"
"Le Périple"
"Reus es"


"The Rise" lyric video:





(Photo - Philippe Quinn)

Finland's Myon will release their new album, Terra Nova, on Friday (May 10) via BrandLoud Entertainment.


Myon is a band that has been releasing popular progressive pop/rock for a quarter of a century. The band has previously released successful singles from the upcoming album, and now is the time to release the full Terra Nova album, which includes the new masterpiece “Karma Corrupted”.


The Terra Nova album is a package of melodies, clever and dramatic lyrics, energetic rock and power pop, and breathtaking ballads. The album includes ten highly catchy choruses, professionally packaged with high production values. The band's strategy is simple: the album should resonate with everyone. Anyone who enjoys music should find something to connect with in Terra Nova.




"Terra Nova didn't come out fast or under pressure. After the previous Vitalworks album, I felt that we as a band were quite burnt out and exhausted from the direction we were heading. Personally, I focused on my studio work and producing other artists' music for several years. It brought refreshing and relatively stress-free change until early 2021, when we felt the time was right to return to the Myon band. From the first note, we knew everything had to change. We completely updated the band's sound," says Mika Pohjola, the band's keyboardist, producer, and songwriter.





Terra Nova tracklisting:


"Height Of Decadence"
"Terra Nova"
"Temptation Calling"
"Halloween In Hollowood"
"Neon At Nine"
"Karma Corrupted"
"Ballad #9"
"Journeyman"
"Perjurer"
"One Last Time"


"Height Of Decadence" video:





"Temptation Calling" video:





"Neon At Nine" video:





- Recorded/Mixed At Soundmix Recording Studio By Mika Pohjola
- Mastered By Henkka Niemistö
- Produced By Mika Pohjola


Myon is:


Marco Mannermaa (Vocals)
Mika Pohjola (Keyboards)
Jyrki Laiho (Guitar)
Keijo Koivikko (Bass)
Matti Torro (Drums)


(Photo - Minna Asp)

AOR sensation Issa, aka Isabell Øversveen, has released a video for "All These Wild Nights", the new single from her upcoming new album, Another World, out on June 7. Find the clip below.


Issa has etched her name as a leading force in the genre, captivating audiences worldwide with her commanding vocals and enthralling melodies. With a remarkable track record of eight albums released under Frontiers Music, Issa consistently delivers music that strikes a chord with fans of melodic rock and AOR.


In discussing her latest musical endeavour, Issa commented: “The new album is my favourite yet, everything was recorded and written in house by Tom and James Martin. We went for a straight up 80s inspired AOR album with a few hard rockers in for good measure, think prime Bon Jovi, Richard Marx and Heart, with even a bit of synthwave in the production. Tom and James really capture the spirit of the 80s and prime melodic Rock. We were lucky to have some great guest musicians get involved, Melvin Brannon Jr, Dennis Butabi Borg, Pete Newdeck, josh Tabbie Williams Leon Winteringham, Phil o' Dea, and Robert Sall to name just a few amazing players.”




Another World follows the global triumph of her seventh studio album, Lights Of Japan, where Issa heralded a 'rebirth' of her sound, seamlessly blending influences from her roots with the evolving musical landscape. Once again, the new album showcases Issa's versatility and artistic growth.


Renowned for her powerhouse vocals, soaring melodies, and infectious hooks, Issa remains steadfast in her commitment to delivering melodic rock brilliance. With each release, Issa's musical evolution continues to captivate audiences, with Another World promising to be yet another jewel in her illustrious career.


Pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


"Armed & Dangerous"
"All These Wild Nights"
"Only In The Dark"
"Never Sleep Alone"
"The Road To Victory"
"Another World"
"Kick Of Fire"
"Got A Hold On Me"
"A Second Life"
"The Hardest Fight"
"Lost & Lonely"


"All These Wild Nights" video:





"Armed & Dangerous" video:





Produced By: Martin Bros Productions
Studio: Revival Studios York
Recorded By: Martin Bros Productions
Mixed By: Martin Bros Productions
Mastered By: Alessandro Del Vecchio At Ivory Tears Music Studios


Band Members:


Issa: Vocals
James Martin: Synths and BVs
Tom Martin: Guitars and Bass and BVs
Leon Robert Winteringham: Guitars and BVs


Additional Musicians:


Melvin Brannon Jr.
Steve Grocott
Dennis Butabi Borg
Josh Tabbie Williams
Robert Sall
Phil O Dea
Colin Parkinson
Pete Newdeck

South African slamming-deathcore powerhouse, Vulvodynia, are thrilled to announce the release of their new album, Entabani, scheduled to drop on July 5 via Unique Leader Records. Celebrating this major milestone and the dawning of a brand new era, the band has also unveiled the official lyric video for the album’s title track, "Entabani". Watch below.


Describing their latest work, the band shares, "Entabani 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.”


The album’s title track is a deep dive into the rich tapestry of African culture. The band explain, “The word Entabeni means 'The Mountain' in the African language Isizulu. It explores the concept of initiation in the different tribes and cultures that practice it. We want this first single to really make a statement and believe this is the most confident we've ever sounded! We hope our fans can accept and embrace the changes we've undergone."




With the release of Entabeni, fans can look forward to a body of work that not only pays homage to the band’s roots but also pushes the boundaries of the deathcore and death metal genres. The album promises to be a landmark release for Vulvodynia, cementing their place at the forefront extreme metal worldwide.


Prepare to scale Entabani with Vulvodynia when the album drops on July 5 and experience the pinnacle of what extreme metal can and should be in 2024





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:

Steve Albini, the legendary record producer, has died of a heart attack. He was 61 years old.

In addition to fronting underground rock acts SHELLAC and BIG BLACK, Albini produced albums by NIRVANA, PIXIES, PJ Harvey and Jimmy Page and Robert Plant. He was an aggressive critic of musicians and others who he felt were in it for the money or popularity rather than the music and he famously refused to take royalties from the recordings he produced for other artists.

In 2004, Albini estimated that he had engineered the recording of around 1,500 albums. According to Mix With The Masters, he continued to work almost entirely in the analog domain, being known for recording "live in the studio" as much as possible. He also placed particular emphasis on the selection and use of microphones in achieving a desired sound, and to best capture the ambience.

"A lot of people making records don't have a grasp of the process," he once told Billboard. "They do it thinking that it's some abstract art form that doesn't need to be comprehended on a technical procedural level. [In those cases] you'll end up with a record that isn't formally completed, but that's finished when the bell rings."

In a separate interview with Musician, Albini lamented what he called the industry's assembly-line mentality. "The sound of contemporary rock records, especially those made with big budgets, is so homogeneous," he said. "You hear exactly the same mix balance, the same dynamic, the same production techniques brought to bear on every single band."

Albini also pointed out that the quality of his own records had improved, largely because he had resisted the "fiddling impulse" with the music.

"In quest of a distinctive sound, people endlessly process things," he told Billboard back in 1995. "But because so many people use that method, those sounds have become quite commonplace. In the last few years, I've learned to leave things alone. Now when I set up a microphone and like the way it sounds, I consider the job done."

Albini was also the founder, owner and principal engineer at Electrical Audio, a recording studio complex in Chicago.

SHELLAC's first album in a decade, "To All Trains", is scheduled for release next week.

Photo credit: Team Coco