In a new interview with Germany's Rock Antenne, Rob Halford spoke about the status of his long-in-the-works debut blues solo album. The JUDAS PRIEST singer is collaborating with the same team that assisted him during the making of his 2019 Christmas LP "Celestial", including his brother Nigel and his nephew Alex (son of PRIEST bassist Ian Hill).

Rob said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "You may have heard occasionally here and there that I've had this ambition at least to make a blues album. Because metal, all rock and roll comes from the blues; everything in music comes from the blues to a great extent. And so, because I'm a blues fan, I've always wanted to explore that territory. And so, going back a few years, my brother and my nephew Alex, Ian Hill's son on bass, and a friend of ours, we did the 'Celestial' Christmas album together. And then, towards the end of those sessions, I said to the guys, 'Why don't we just make a blues album?' Okay, that's a simple idea, isn't it? So we have the music ready, we have all of these songs ready to go, and it's just about timing. Timing and planning is so important in our world, in music. So that's one thing I would really like to do, and when I get the time to do it, I shall do it."

Two years ago, Rob explained the inspiration for his blues album, telling Joe Rock of Long Island, New York's 102.3 WBAB radio station: "I love the blues. Without the blues, we wouldn't have rock and roll. The blues was born here in the United States and then slowly mutated into all these incredible styles and different dynamics and variations. Man, I think back to those originators, like Little Richard, Bill Haley, the anchor of the blues like Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Bessie Smith, all these great people. So I was listening to those great performers as I was growing up as a kid. I love the blues, man. And I think most metal musicians would acknowledge the blues for playing such an important role."

Halford continued: "So, here's the deal. I made a Christmas album with my brother and my nephew and some friends recently called 'Celestial', and while we were there, I was saying to the guys, 'I've got this thing about knocking around some blues ideas.' And that's all the guys needed. So they went away while I've been busy with PRIEST and we put together a substantial amount of material. And when I find time, we're gonna bang it out. I'd love us to play in a room live together, 'cause they're really talented. My brother is a drummer. My nephew is a bass player; he's the son of the great bass god, Ian Hill [of JUDAS PRIEST]. And then we've got J.B. [Jon Blakey] on guitar, who was with us on 'Celestial'. So we're gonna keep it simple. But I'm excited. I've got all the stuff on my phone, like we do — that's a danger — and I listen to it, and I get stoked about the possibility. So it'll happen eventually, I'm sure."

In May 2021, Halford told Kyle Meredith that he already had "enough material to make a [blues] record." He added: "The only thing that I threw at the guys was do what you feel you wanna do in terms of ideas. I did give 'em a list of some of my favorite blues styles and blues performers as a little bit of a template for the guys to bounce off of."

Rob reiterated that his upcoming blues album will be a varied effort covering a host of different styles and sounds. "You could go into one specific area and stay in that place and focus [on that and make] little subtle changes here and there, but much like the 'Celestial' album, I think this effort should just be a little texture of every taste of all these different blues flavors," he explained to Kyle Meredith.

As for how his lyrical approach will be different for his blues album compared to the songs he writes for PRIEST, Halford said: "The blues is the blues. We all feel the blues, but you can have the happy blues as well as the sad blues, and you can have all of these characters in blues. The opportunities for stories for some of them, similar to the PRIEST inventions of fantasy, like the Sentinel or the Painkiller or any of those great characters that were created. You can throw your lyrics wherever you wanna throw them if they're connecting with the music.

"Messages in music are vital, 'cause we like to hear stories that we can relate to or attach ourselves to, in reality or in fantasy," he continued. "So that's gonna be an adventure for me. I love to sit down with a pencil and a piece of paper, 'cause that's how I do it, and just think. I have an idea, and I just throw some bullet words down instantly, and that's how the seeds start to grow."

A few years ago, Rob stated about his interest in making a blues record: "When I first became a musician in my late teens, I started to hear the extraordinary roots of the blues — Bessie Smith, Little Walter, Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters. They gave me the buzz… It's something I want to do because I want to explore what my voice can do in that wonderful world. That's how I learned to do a lot of that soaring, sweeping, and screeching. And also I discovered that I've got a voice that can go in different octaves, directions, and different kinds of projections. It's a combination of a sense of adventure and just being inspired by those guys, those wonderful singers. It's a mixture of everything but mainly a discovery of what the voice can do."

Back in 2015, Halford told Newsday.com that he was interested in recording a blues album and pursuing other non-heavy metal projects because he wanted to find out what his voice can do. He said: "I've always felt that [the blues is] very much a part of my background and musical roots. I don't know what kind of blues album I could do because there are so many different facets [to explore]. Maybe I'll just mix it up. As far as stuff out of the metal world, I'm a fan of people like Michael Bublé and Michael Feinstein. I've always been a fan of [Frank] Sinatra and Tony Bennett and Elvis [Presley]. I'd love to hear what my voice would sound like in that kind of musical mix, with wind instruments, trumpets and sax, piano, just that big-band sound."

Halford credited his vocal versatility and ability to take his voice in "different directions" as the main reason he was "so interested in trying these other opportunities." He said: I think if I had a voice that was different to what it is and was a little more in one focus, maybe I wouldn't be as adventurous about my ideas. But because my voice is able to do those different things, it's instinctive and natural to see what else I can do."

Halford released his autobiography, "Confess", in September 2020 via Hachette Books.

Priest has released "Just A Game," the second single off of their fourth studio album Dark Pulse set for release on May 31, 2024 via Label Blue Nine.


"Just A Game" is a pulsating rave anthem delving into virtual realms and thrilling encounters. With intoxicating lyrics and a bassline harking back to 80’s EBM, it's a reminder that it's all just a game—but the excitement feels anything but ordinary. 







In addition, Priest will be headlining The Neon Chronicles Tour with Julien-K & September Mourning that kicks off on March 26 at Bossanova Ballroom in Portland, Oregon.


Dark Pulse is Priest’s fourth studio album and is produced by Simon Söderberg (ex-Ghost). It’s a dark synth pop album with rave elements and heavy industrial notes.





Heavily inspired by cyberpunk and Goth culture, it dives into the dark and seductive night life that can be found specifically in Berlin. Dark Pulse explores themes like alcohol addiction, surviving narcissism, forbidden love etc. connected to a past flamboyant lifestyle that just won't let go. With a signature blend of eerie synthesizers and pulsating hardware, Priest delves deeper into the shadows of dystopia and human-machine symbiosis. 


Priest is a synth band that creates music rooted in the vastness of electronic dreams. The goal of their multifaceted prophecy is to safely guide humanity unto the next evolutionary step – the merging with machines.





The occult techno-pop act from Sweden, containing ex-members from Ghost, will throw you into the neon lights of 80 ́s sci-fi mixed with gothic soundscapes. With several praised global tours and critically acclaimed releases like New Flesh and Body Machine they’ve successfully generated an ever growing fanbase worldwide.


Priest has toured with bands like Nitzer Ebb, Die Krupps, Combichrist, Deathstars and Front Line Assembly among others. Priest is also featured on Cleopatra Records tribute albums for Rammstein, Depeche Mode and The Cure and has remixed tracks for Pure Obsessions & Red Nights, Aux Animaux and Sjöblom.







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Following the release of their debut album Eminence Or Disgrace on December 8, 2023, French groove/nu-metal thrash monsters Rage Behind have returned with a relentless new single. “The Hands Of Revenge,” which can also be found as one of two bonus tracks on the CD digipak version of the aforementioned record.





The band comment, "'The Hands Of Revenge' is one heavy song we love to play live. With its mid-tempo groove and those lyrics calling to move forward, there's a special vibe that makes us really connect with the audience. It always feels great sharing all this energy."







Order Eminence Or Disgrace here.







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In a new interview with AndrewHaug.com conducted on March 21 at Knotfest Australia in Melbourne, Australia, PANTERA bassist Rex Brown was asked if he is open to writing new music with the reformed version of the band, also featuring fellow surviving member Philip Anselmo (vocals),alongside Zakk Wylde (BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, OZZY OSBOURNE) on guitar and Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX) on drums. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Oh, absolutely. Yeah, I could tell you more but I'm not going to."

Earlier in the chat, Brown talked about what is has been like to go out and perform as PANTERA to a whole new generation of fans.

"You can't see it on the YouTube. You can't feel that vibe until you actually come to the show," he explained. "And we haven't been doing interviews just for the fact we want people just to come to the show. It's not about anything prior past or present that I wanna talk about today — just the show tonight.

"We're pinching ourselves over these new fans that have never seen this before, and it's a whole another generation that we either didn't know a) that were out there, b) that were still listening to us, and the turnout has just been unbelievable," Rex continued. "Of course, at first you had the naysayers and all that stuff, and as we played gig by gig, it's made us tighter. And I've been trying to rehearse this band as much as I can within schedules, and we'll just go down for no fucking reason and just jam. That's what makes a band tight."

The reformed PANTERA is headlining a number of major festivals across North America, South America and Europe and staging some of its own headline concerts. They are also supporting METALLICA on a massive stadium tour in 2024.

It was first reported in July 2022 that Anselmo and Brown would unite with Wylde and Benante for a world tour under the PANTERA banner.

According to Billboard, the lineup has been given a green light by the estates of Vinnie Paul and Dimebag, as well as Brown, who in 2021 said Wylde wouldn't tour with PANTERA if a reunion were to happen. It's unclear what changed his mind.

Asked how it feels playing those "timeless" songs again, Rex told AndrewHaug.com: "You just said it — they're timeless. So getting to play them again is a… These were a big part of Philip and I's songs too. Of course, respect to the brothers. I think that looking down on us and giving us a big — and they're with us. It's just uncanny. That's the glue. Those guys are hanging around with us.

"Look, I'm not some crazy old man, man. I know that we're here for reasons," Rex added. "And this time he gave us a heavy load, and we have come through in spades. And I'm very proud of Charlie and Zakk and Phillip for stepping up… All of us [were very close back in the day]. We were intertwined. There was a close-knit family of friends — Jerry Cantrell and all those guys, ALICE IN CHAINS. We were all brothers and we all had each other's backs — even as fucked up as we got. We're fine now, I'll put it that way. But it's just such a different time and we're older men and can appreciate this more. And I feel 25 years younger, man. It's just insane."

Addressing complaints from some fans that Brown and Anselmo are going out and touring under the PANTERA name even though Dimebag and Vinnie Paul are not involved, Rex said: "I don't call it anything. I call it PANTERA. The show itself is a celebration of the lives of all four of us. Two are sadly not with us, and we cannot bring them back. God, do I want them back. But that's just not possible. So we're doing the best thing that we can to keep our music alive. And I think they're smiling down and saying, 'You guys are doing all right, man.' And they're with us. And I'm not shittin' you."

Asked what his initial thoughts were when he was first approached about relaunching PANTERA as a touring act, Rex said: "Philip and I talked for several months before. He got on the phone and said, 'Hey, man, you wanna do it? I didn't have — maybe a six-second… not a hesitation, but just to wrap my head around the full gravity of the enormity of it. I went, 'Okay, I've got a couple of questions.' And, man, ever since that call we've worked really, really hard to get this thing going. And we've jumped over a lot of mountains."

Last month, Zakk spoke about the possibility of the reformed lineup of PANTERA making new music during an appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". Asked if he would be open to working on new material with PANTERA, Zakk responded: "No. I think you would have to call it something else. You know what I mean? PANTERA is those four guys. So, yeah, you can't replace that."

Pressed about whether he would want to do it under an altered name rather than calling it PANTERA, Wylde said: "Yeah. If that was ever a bridge we crossed, we'd have to wait until we get there. But right now, it's just the four of us celebrating what the fellas [from the classic lineup] created."

Zakk went on to say that he was open to making new music with Anselmo, Brown and Benante, provided that it was presented differently than just PANTERA. "Yeah, of course," he said. "I mean, how could you call it PANTERA unless it was just pre-existing material and we were gonna record it — stuff that was in demo state or whatever, and it is songs that the guys wrote. But as far as new songs, it would have to be — you'd call it something else."

Back in January 2023, longtime PANTERA producer Sterling Winfield, who is reportedly one of the people who control PANTERA drummer Vincent "Vinnie Paul" Abbott's estate, told Reckless Rock Radio 89.3 KNON FM about the possibility of the reformed PANTERA recording new music: "It's not unheard of, it's not blasphemous. I will say that it is entirely plausible, it is entirely possible, but at this point in time, I don't know that anybody's looking that far down the road. They've got a world tour to tackle, man, for the next two years, and they are gonna be busy doing that. Now, could it happen? Yes."

Asked if he "would be cool" with Brown, Anselmo, Wylde and Benante making new music together, Sterling said: "It depends, man. Again, it has to be done right, like this whole thing; the whole tour that's happening has to be done properly. And I don't really feel comfortable — if it were to happen, I would not feel comfortable calling it PANTERA. I don't think that would be classy. I'll put it that way. And I'll just leave it at that for now. [But] this lineup could make some very badass music. And the music is all that matters."

In 2016, Vinnie Paul said that he would eventually release music that was planned for DAMAGEPLAN's second album.

The drummer formed DAMAGEPLAN with his brother "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott after PANTERA's split in 2003 and released the debut DAMAGEPLAN album, "New Found Power", a year later.

Vinnie Paul told "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk": "The first [DAMAGEPLAN] record, I think, was pretty diverse. We wanted to do something that didn't sound exactly like PANTERA, and with [the material that was written for] the second record, it was really focused, man. I've got the demos and someday they'll come out. But I really feel like we had turned a corner. We'd been out, the fans had seen us, and they'd accepted the fact that this was our new thing at this point."

Anselmo and Brown spoke about PANTERA's return to the stage during an appearance on the seventeenth episode of "The Metallica Report", the recently launched podcast offering weekly insider updates on all things METALLICA. Philip said: "It's empowering. It is incredibly beautiful, and you feel so much love when you're up there. And if you take it in, it's a great feeling, man. These days, man, that's where me and Rex, you know, we get to dig the shows more."

He continued: "When we were younger, we were at war and when we were on stage; we were just angry and at war, man. Now it's — the songs are there. I can concentrate on singing the fricking songs, number one. Geez, that's a relief for me, man. I don't have to break my fricking body in part anymore."

Anselmo and Brown also talked about Charlie and Zakk being part of the PANTERA team. Philip said: "Them two dudes, so enthusiastic. And they got their damn thing and they got their own damn legacy, both of them, without us. It's an honor to play with them. They're the nicest frickin guys in the world, man. I'm just so... [Laughs] Zakk, he's a crack-up, man. He's a sweetheart. And fricking Charlie, we've known Charlie since '87, man. It's a long time."

Rex chimed in: "The way [Charlie] plays Vinnie's parts is uncanny. I don't think there's any drummer out there that could play the way that Vinnie did. I would close my eyes, because I was trying to get tight, and sometimes if I close my eyes, I can hear a little better; I think I can. And there'd be a tear of joy just coming down, because that was so close to what Vinnie and I used to play. So you have the foundation."

Philip concurred, saying: "The low end sounds so PANTERA, man. It's freaking me out."

When the interviewer suggested that PANTERA in 2023 had Vinnie Paul and Dimebag's "spirit inside it", Philip said: "Only thing I can say is, man, I know for a damn fact Vince and Dime would want us to do this, hands down. They would want the PANTERA brand or the legacy to go on. And I don't know what you believe in, but sometimes, you know, you would like to think that them old fellas are looking down on us, giving us the thumbs-up."

While he was alive, Vinnie Paul had repeatedly dismissed talks of a PANTERA reunion, telling Germany's EMP Rock Invasion in 2014: "People are selfish, man. They want what they want; they don't care what you want. And it's unfortunate that people go, 'Oh, wow, man, they can get Zakk Wylde to jump up there on stage and it's PANTERA again.' No, it's not, you know. It's not that simple. If Eddie Van Halen was to get shot in the head four times next week, would everybody be going, 'Hey, man, Zakk, go play for VAN HALEN. Just call it VAN HALEN.' You see what I'm saying? I mean, it's really selfish for people to think that, and it's stupid. It's not right at all."

He continued: "They call it a reunion for a reason. It's called bringing the original members back to what it was. So there's a lot of these things that they call reunions that aren't really reunions. They've got one dude from the band floating around in them, you know. That's not a true reunion. With PANTERA, it'll never be possible."

He repeated those same sentiments a few months later, telling PlanetMosh in a separate interview: "Without Dimebag Darrell, there is no [PANTERA] reunion. And that's all there is to it. We were a very influential band, and we touched millions and millions of people with that band, but it's over. People really have to come to grips with that, and that's all there is to it. If all of us were still here, then the possibility would truly be there, but since it's not, you know… It's selfish of the fans to want something that they can't have. And they don't ever understand that, and I get it. There's things I want in this world too. You know, people in fucking hell want ice water, but they're not gonna get it."

Up until his passing in June 2018, Vinnie remained on non-speaking terms with Anselmo, whom the drummer indirectly blamed for Dimebag's death.

Vinnie Paul and Dimebag co-founded PANTERA. On December 8, 2004, while performing with DAMAGEPLAN at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio, Dimebag was shot and killed onstage by a troubled schizophrenic who believed that the members of PANTERA were stealing his thoughts.

Dimebag's longtime girlfriend Rita Haney in 2011 called on Vinnie and Philip to settle their differences in honor of Dimebag.

Vinnie, who was Dimebag's brother, and Anselmo had not spoken since PANTERA split in 2003. But the relationship got even more acrimonious when Vinnie suggested that some remarks the vocalist had made about Dimebag in print just weeks earlier might have incited Dimebag's killer.

Haney told the producers of "Behind The Music Remastered: Pantera" that she forgave the singer after they found themselves unexpectedly face to face at a concert in California.

Photo courtesy of Epiphone

Working class rockers Freedom have shared "This Is Gonna Hurt," the first single off of their upcoming new studio album Stay Free! due out May 17 via Sound Pollution.


About the track, Freedom had this to say:


"Have you ever fallen head over heels in love with something or someone you know is bad for you? The warning signs are there, and there’s this voice in your head saying 'This is gonna hurt.'




"So what do you do? Dive in head first of course.”


Deeply rooted in the working-class rock of the 70’s and 80’s, Freedom brings a sound like no other. With meaningful lyrics, robust power chords, and mighty choruses, Freedom creates soundtracks to the journey of life itself. Sometimes compared to Springsteen or Petty - these Swedish rockers make music meant to follow you through thick and thin, far into those endless summer nights and beyond.


The band's 2021 popular self-titled debut album left an indelible mark on the rock world of Sweden and finally, the second album is upon us. Entitled Stay Free!, the new album is once again produced by Martin “Konie” Ehrencrona (Viagra Boys, Håkan Hellström, Les Big Byrd).


Since they first started in 2019, Freedom has established itself as an amazing live act, filling clubs throughout Sweden with both energy and fans. In 2022 they were even honorably chosen to play at The Hellacopters' official release party at the notorious Hamburger Börs in Stockholm.


The band recently added two new members to the crew: Ola Göransson (Heavy Feather, Stacie Collins) and Matte Gustafsson (In Solitude, Siena Root, Heavy Feather). Their stellar stage presence and experience in heavy roots-rock combine to help make Freedom consistently one of Sweden's strongest live bands.


About the sophomore album, Freedom had this to say:


“Ah, the difficult second album. We are extremely happy, and a bit nervous, to finally have it see the light of day. We knew we wanted to do things a bit differently this time, and when we knew we wanted to work with a label the choice was pretty easy. The good folks at Wild Kingdom/Sound Pollution are friends of ours and have been avid supporters since day one. It’s a bit scary handing your newborn over to someone but with their long experience and deep love for music we feel it’s in pretty good hands.


"Enjoy, and stay free!"


Preorder here.





Tracklisting:


“Tonight”
“Love Reaction”
“Eye Of The Storm”
“I’m Going To Leave You”
“Freedom Song”
“This Is Gonna Hurt”
“Johnny, You’re Electric!”
“Melanie”
“Gone”
“Generation”


"This Is Gonna Hurt":










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KELEVRA - "The Distance"




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Hammerheart Records has announced they have signed Castle for a worldwide release of the new album in September 2024 to coincide with a European tour, their first since 2018.


Castle guitarist Mat Davis states “We’re thrilled to sign with Hammerheart Records and partner together for the release of Evil Remains. It’s our best album to date, the production is huge and really captures the power and nuance of Liz’s vocal performance. We can’t wait to get it out there and start playing these songs live.”


Heavy metal/doom trio Castle have completed recording their new album Evil Remains at Rain City Recorders in Vancouver, BC with producer Jesse Gander (Anciients, Brutus, 3 Inches Of Blood).




Evil Remains, the band’s sixth full length follows 2018’s Deal Thy Fate and 2016’s Welcome To The Graveyard.





Dates:


September
9 – Bamberg, Germany – Live Club
10 – Karlsruhe, Germany – Kohi
11 – Freiburg, Germany – Slow Club
12 – Marburg, Germany – Knubbel
13 – Weikersheim, Germany – Club W71
14 – Leipzig, Germany – Black Label
15 – Munich, Germany – Backstage
17 – Dusseldorf, Germany – Pitcher
18 – Hamburg, Germany – Logo
19 – Malmo, Sweden – Plan B
20 – Oslo, Norway – Vaterland
21 – Gothenburg, Sweden – The Abyss
22 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Rahus
23 – Berlin, Germany – Reset
24 – Prague, Czech Republic – Modra Vopice
25 – Vienna, Austria – Viper Room
26 – Ljubljana, Slovenia – Channel Zero
27 – Bologna, Italy – Freakout Club 







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SiX By SiX, the progressive power trio comprising Ian Crichton (Saga), Nigel Glockler (Saxon) and Robert Berry (3.2), recently announced the release of their sophomore album. Beyond Shadowland will be available via InsideOutMusic on April 26.


The band reconvened in Berry’s own Soundtek Studios in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2023 to bend, shape, hammer and caress their diverse musical talents into 11 impressive new tracks.  With this album, they continue to define and build upon their unique melodic space, welding guitar-driven rock, metal and prog into a unique and powerful sonic setting.


Today they launch the album’s second single, and you can watch the video for "Obiliex" below.




Robert Berry comments of the track: “Ian, Nigel and myself discussed if we should take a chance releasing a slower song with one of the most passionate and raw guitar solos ever? Our joint conclusion was….YES! 'Obiliex' has become a favourite of the band, with the beauty of the guitar, the depth of the lyric, the power of its tranquil groove. We hope you enjoy the calm, the depth, the sheer raw energy of the song.”





Ian Crichton comments: “On the new record we kept our style but have written stylistically some quite different tunes. I gave Robert a lot of parts, sections, licks, middle 8's, etc. He added verses, bridges, etc... and vocals! He's a brilliant arranger. Of course, Nigel is a powerhouse. As always, he played great on this record.”
 
Nigel Glockler adds: “Playing with Ian and Robert is always terrific. Making this album was a productive time. Ultimately, we narrowed things down to eleven tunes. Good ones too! I left the sessions feeling very pleased. I think everybody’s going to be impressed with the new album.”
 
Robert Berry continues: “I’ve always believed that music has the power to bring people together. This record is a testament to that notion. As always, working with Ian and Nigel on an actual second album was a moving experience for me. Truly special.”


Beyond Shadowland will be available as a Limited CD Digipak, Gatefold 180g Black 2LP (featuring 4 exclusive bonus tracks) & as a Digital Album. Pre-order here.


The artwork was once again created by Rob Fowler.





Tracklisting:


“Wren”
“The Arms Of A Word”
“Can’t Live Like This”
“Obiliex”
“Only You Can Decide”
“Titans”
“Outside Looking In”
“Spectre”
“Sympathise”
“One Step”
“The Mission”


Vinyl-only bonus tracks:


“Six By Six Orchestra Medley”
“The Arms Of A Word” (Instrumental)
“Honor Bridge”
“The Mission” (Instrumental)


“The Arms Of A Word”





(Photo - Dave Lepori)

Finland's Post Pulse will release their latest creation, Return To The Halls, through Inverse Records on May 31. Watch the brand new music video for "Taste of Freedom" below.


"Taste Of Freedom" is an intense song that discusses the contrast between social norms and the natural human desire to break them. The music video for 'Taste of Freedom' reflects that contrast with high-impact lighting that showcases this contrast visually. The video's director, Joona Mäki, pushed the band to its limit, demanding every ounce of energy from each performance. The result is a powerful visual statement that compliments the song's purpose.







Return To The Halls represents a bold leap for modern death metal, blending its signature intensity with diverse musical influences in all the right ways. It is a testament to Post Pulse's evolutionary journey. It marries aggression and beauty in a way that challenges and captivates listeners.


 Sam Roon (bass, synths) "Antti's vision for this record was so inspiring that we decided to break away from seven years of releasing singles and EPs to ensure it would come to life. The music on Return To The Halls is different from anything you may have heard from Post Pulse over the years. Hell, one listen through the new single, 'Taste Of Freedom', will show you that we've got much more to offer the world." 


Listen to the single on digital services found here.

CRYPTOPSY was honored in the "Metal/Hard Music Album Of The Year" category at this year's Juno Awards (the Canadian equivalent of the Grammy Awards).

The 2024 Juno Awards kicked off on Saturday evening (March 23) at the Opening Night Awards in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where 42 trophies were handed out.

To be considered for a nomination at the 2024 Juno Awards, national music release dates had to fall between the eligibility period of September 1, 2022 and November 2, 2023.

This year's "Metal/Hard Music Album Of The Year" nominees were as follows:

* CRYPTOPSY - "As Gomorrah Burns"
* DANKO JONES - "Electric Sounds"
* KATAKLYSM - "Goliath"
* KEN MODE - "Void"
* VOIVOD - "Morgöth Tales"

Earlier today, CRYPTOPSY, which has been on the road in Europe with ATHEIST since late February, shared the following statement via social media: "What a killer way to end a tour! We stepped off stage last night in Derby 🇬🇧 to discover that we WON the The JUNO Awards for 'Best Metal Album of the Year'!!! We are beyond excited and thank everyone involved for making this a reality. Massive cheers to DANKO JONES x KATAKLYSM x KEN MODE x VOIVOD for keeping Canada weird with us."

In 2023, VOIVOD won the "Metal/Hard Music Album Of The Year" award for "Synchro Anarchy".

CRYPTOPSY's first full-length album in over a decade, "As Gomorrah Burns" arrived last September via Nuclear Blast Records. Vocalist Matt McGachy stated about the LP: "It's an album that we have been crafting for the past five years. A meticulous endeavor that we are proud of. It's the perfect medley of old-school CRYPTOPSY with a few modern twists. We've leaned heavily into the grooves and let some of the riffs breathe just a little more than we have on the past few releases. I'm really stoked about the new era of CRYPTOPSY."

"As Gomorrah Burns" is CRYPTOPSY's first album for Nuclear Blast. The initial sessions for the LP took place in a cabin in the forests of Quebec. McGachy called the horror-like backdrop "surreal," but, as with everything CRYPTOPSY, the songwriting process was expectedly arduous. CRYPTOPSY's Christian Donaldson was the primary motivator behind "As Gomorrah Burns". The guitarist and producer served as taskmaster and advocate, grinding out of his bandmates in McGachy, drummer Flo Mounier and bassist Olivier "Oli" Pinard eight slabs of unadulterated barbarity.

Conceptually, "As Gomorrah Burns" pits the Biblical story of Sodom and Gomorrah against the modern-day Internet. McGachy's idea was to show how it's both the birthplace of invention and a cesspool of exploitation. The stories are based on real-life incidences — online stalkers, cults, misinformation, isolation, and intimidation — but ornamented deviously to enhance their potency. CRYPTOPSY commissioned Italian artist Paolo Girardi (POWER TRIP, TEMPLE OF VOID) to complement the old-world lyrical themes. If

As with "The Unspoken King" (2008) and the self-titled (2012),CRYPTOPSY enlisted Donaldson to helm the production, mixing, and mastering of "As Gomorrah Burns". Dom Grimard, of ION DISSONANCE fame, also came into the production fold. McGachy says the time in the studio took much longer than anticipated, but with Donaldson directing and everyone finally in the same room again post-pandemic, CRYPTOPSY were able to capture newfound vigor (and velocity) on "As Gomorrah Burns". Tracks such as "Godless Deceiver", "Ill Ender" and "Praise The Filth" demonstrate Donaldson's death metal mastery.

Photo credit: Mihaela Petrescu

What a killer way to end a tour!

We stepped off stage last night in Derby 🇬🇧 to discover that we 🏆WON the The JUNO...

Posted by Cryptopsy on Sunday, March 24, 2024

Video of DISTURBED performing the "Divisive" album track "Don't Tell Me", featuring a guest appearance by HALESTORM's Lzzy Hale, on March 21 at Knotfest Australia in Melbourne, Australia can be seen below.

A short time later, DISTURBED singer David Draiman shared a couple of backstage and onstage photos of him with Lzzy and he included the following message: "Thanks so much to @officiallzzyhale of @halestormrocks for absolutely nailing @annwilson 's part in #donttellme last night at @knotfestau".

In January, DISTURBED released the Matt Mahurin-directed music video for "Don't Tell Me". The song, an epic emotionally charged duet with HEART's Ann Wilson, marked the first time the band had included a guest feature on an LP.

Regarding how the collaboration with Wilson came about, DISTURBED drummer Mike Wengren told Terrie Carr of WDHA-FM 105.5 FM: "That was always supposed to be the 'power ballad,' per se. And as we were tracking it in the studio, David just threw out the idea, 'Hey, let's do a duet on this song.' We've tossed around the idea before, but there wasn't ever either the right material or the right time. So in this particular case, we kind of said, 'Well, who you've got in mind?' And he didn't even have a list; he just had one person, and that was Ann. It was a no-brainer. 'Hey, let's hit up Ann. Let's see if she'd be into it.' And she was on board right away; we didn't have to convince her."

Mike continued: "[David and Ann] sort of struck up a bit of a friendship, a little bit of a rapport. When [DISTURBED cover version of] 'The Sound Of Silence' came out years back and had its success, she was one of many artists and celebrities that took it up themselves to go on Twitter and praise the song and praise our version of it, which we couldn't have been more honored. Iconic, legendary Ann Wilson thinks that we did a great job with a SIMON & GARFUNKEL cover. That's pretty incredible, a pretty great honor. So when we reached out to her, she was more than willing to jump on board. And she came in and she killed it… And she's super cool and down to earth too, and just incredibly talented. It's such an honor to have her be on our record. And to me, the blending of her voice and David's voice, they really, really work so well together. I'm so proud of David and just so honored to have her a part of our record."

In September 2022, DISTURBED guitarist Dan Donegan, whose divorce inspired "Don't Tell Me", told Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station about the band's collaboration with Wilson: "Early in our career, we wanted to really establish ourselves without having any guests. We didn't really talk about it much, but just [felt], 'This is the band.' Not that we were ever against it, but this far along in our career… We're always pushing ourselves, trying to do stuff that's different musically. And there's so much talent out there and so many people we would love to do collaborations with now or later in our career.

"Ann Wilson had mentioned before — she tweeted about us before," he continued. "A few years back, somebody asked her in an interview or whatever if there's anything new out there, or newer, musically that she's heard that she's fan of, and she mentioned she really loved our version of 'The Sound Of Silence'. And that kind of opened the door to a social media friendship between her and David a bit. And then when we wrote this song, it just seemed like it would lend itself to Ann's voice and then trying to see that merge between her and David's voices together. She jumped on the opportunity. Immediately she responded, and we were, like, 'Holy shit. She just said yes to this.'"

Asked by Meltdown if "Don't Tell Me" is a more mellow track than the standard DISTURBED fare, Dan said: "I can't give it away, but their voices, it's like Fergie and Jesus — a little 'Step Brothers' [2008 movie] quote there… It was a pretty magical moment to be in the room and to hear the two of them harmonize together.

"We tracked David's vocals in Nashville, and we wanted to make it easy and convenient for her, 'cause we were, like, she said yes, she's gonna do it," Donegan continued. "Let's make it as easy as possible on her.' We flew out to California to meet with her. We went into a studio out there for just a couple of hours, and she sang against David's tracks. And he was there kind of going over the harmonies with her and stuff too. So it was kind of a really magical moment to see the two of them working on those harmonies together. It was pretty impressive. And she's such a pro, and she's so damn good. She's a legend. So it was pretty exciting. And it's not like she sits there and jumps on people's albums either, so we take that as a badge of honor to think that there's not many times where somebody as big a legend as she is that she would jump on any album. She doesn't have to, and she chose to be on this one. And she loves the track. And it just came together great."

Released in November 2022, "Divisive" was recorded earlier that year with producer Drew Fulk (MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, LIL PEEP, HIGHLY SUSPECT) in Nashville, Tennessee.

According to Billboard, "Divisive" sold 26,000 equivalent album units in its first week of release, with 22,000 units via album sales.

On the all-format Billboard 200 chart, "Divisive" debuted at No. 13.

DISTURBED has had five No. 1s on the all-genre chart, beginning with "Believe" in 2002.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by David Draiman (@davidmdraiman)



𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐀𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐚
𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐜, 𝐀𝐫𝐭 & 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐃𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫

Tɪᴄᴋᴇᴛs ᴏɴ Sᴀʟᴇ Nᴏᴡ
🎪...

Posted by Knotfest Australia on Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Swedish symphonic dark metal five-piece Eleine has unveiled a visualizer video for their latest single, “Promise Of Apocalypse.” The song is taken from the band's fourth studio album, We Shall Remain, which was released on July 14, 2023 and supported by many live activities across Europe and North America, while the digital version of the single comes with a previously unheard instrumental version as second track.





Guitarist/vocalist Rikard Ekberg explains its meaning, "Years will pass and you will gain nothing unless you take charge of your own life. You can rise again and stand on your own, even if you've never been this broken before. 'Promise Of Apocalypse' is about an apocalyptic event of your own life, if you don't change that which consumes you."




Stream/purchase “Promise Of Apocalypse” here.










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Featured Video

Legendary vocalist/bassist Glenn Hughes will enter the studio in June to record the long-awaited follow-up to his 2016 solo album "Resonate".

The 72-year-old Glenn, who just played a couple of shows with his supergroup BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, confirmed his recording plans in a social media post on Saturday (March 23). He wrote: "Currently at home in Los Angeles, but the road is calling me… Very busy year ahead, touring Europe & the United States, & more continents, announcing soon. Touring until November 25th. It's also time for me to record a GH solo album , to center me, & create new songs.

"New music is vital for me , it is the Healer.

"I will be in Copenhagen in June, recording in the studio.

"It's time for me to release new music in 2025, and play my solo material and retrospective songs of my career live. To be present in the moment, and to stay free, is all I (we) need.

"Sharing good loving vibrations with you all... See you soon. Playing my Orange Amplifiers GH Signature Bass Guitar At every show."

Glenn previously discussed his plans to record a new solo album last October 2023 in an interview with Brazilian music journalist Igor Miranda. At the time, he said: "I am preparing to go in the studio next year, sometime in the summer. I'm preparing the songs in the next couple of months. I have a few ideas, and when I go in the studio, I'll be ready to go."

Asked how "Resonate" has aged for him musically since its release eight years ago, Glenn said: "I love the album. It's one of my favorite albums. I think a lot of people across the world, the rock fans love that album. I was at home writing that album and I went to Copenhagen and I had a really great time making that album. And the next one hopefully will be as strong."

In September 2023, Glenn told the "Iron City Rocks" podcast about where he draws his lyrical inspiration from nowadays: "I don't write about politics. I write about the human condition. I write about how are we feeling, what are we going through, are we going to get through this — you know, acceptance, staying in the present moment. This is the big thing for me. People call it woke, awakening, if you will… For me, it's all about staying present in this moment right now, and I'm writing about that."

"Resonate" was released in November 2016 via Frontiers Music Srl. It featured Glenn's then-live solo band members, Søren Andersen (guitars and co-producer),Pontus Engborg (drums) and Lachy Doley (keyboards),in addition to longtime friend Chad Smith (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS),who joined them in the studio for the opening and closing numbers.

Last year, Hughes launched his solo tour under the banner "Glenn Hughes Performs Classic Deep Purple Live – Celebrating The 50th Anniversary Of The Album Burn". Glenn performed DEEP PURPLE's legendary rock album "Burn" and also ran through DEEP PURPLE MKIII and MKIV songs.

Hughes spent key years of his career as the beloved bassist and vocalist of DEEP PURPLE, appearing on the classic albums "Burn", "Stormbringer" and "Come Taste The Band".

Glenn's current solo band features Søren Andersen (guitar),Ash Sheehan (drums) and Bob Fridzema (keyboards).

Hughes, who was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2016 along with fellow DEEP PURPLE members Ritchie Blackmore, David Coverdale, Jon Lord, Rod Evans, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover and Ian Paice, spent more than three years recording and touring as the frontman of the supergroup THE DEAD DAISIES.

Glenn's BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION supergroup with guitarist Joe Bonamassa, drummer Jason Bonham (LED ZEPPELIN) and keyboardist Derek Sherinian (DREAM THEATER, ALICE COOPER, BILLY IDOL) will release its fifth album, "V", in June.

Currently at home in Los Angeles, but the road is calling me…

Very busy year ahead, touring Europe & the United...

Posted by Glenn Hughes on Saturday, March 23, 2024

Finnish goth 'n' rollers THE 69 EYES have finally unleashed the stunning result of their collaboration with American songwriter Diane Warren. The soulful power ballad titled "Fade To Grey", with music and lyrics by Warren, is out now via Reigning Phoenix Music (RPM). Watch the visualizer video below.

THE 69 EYES frontman Jyrki 69 comments: "The magic of Diane Warren songs, which is often told, is that her songs speak to their performers in a way as if she knew what's going in their live. So does 'Fade To Grey': It sounded like straightly taken from my own personal life when I heard its demo version for the first time!"

The song will additionally be available on a brand new vinyl variant of THE 69 EYES' current album "Death Of Darkness", which will be released in April 26.

Warren, often referred to as "the most important songwriter in the world," wrote an impressive list of timeless hits, collaborating with iconic pop stars like Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga alongside legends such as Cher ("If I Could Turn Back Time"),Celine Dion ("Because You Loved Me") and Whitney Houston. She is also known for her works with rock icons such as AEROSMITH ("I Don't Want To Miss A Thing"),THE CULT ("Painted On My Heart") and Meat Loaf ("I'd Lie For You (And That's The Truth)"). She is a Grammy winner with 15 nominations, has two Golden Globe awards and is a 15-time Oscar nominee who received an "Honorary Oscar" as voted by the Academy's Board of Governors in 2022.

"Fade To Grey" combines Diane's conspicuous artistic signature with the group's trademark soundscapes with both melting into an epic power ballad. This creative collaboration is not only a highlight in music, but also pushes the boundaries of handmade music.

Diane says: "The year before last I walked into a store and saw someone so cool who just epitomized rock 'n' roll. That was Jyrki, the amazing singer from THE 69 EYES. Now here we are with my song with them, 'Fade To Grey', about to be released. I am very excited for everyone to hear it!"

Jyrki 69, THE 69 EYES' charismatic frontman, also shares his excitement about the collaboration: "This was exactly like one of those Hollywood dreams: I was hanging on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills when a lady asked me who I was out of the blue. I got confused, and that's about it. Later on, I realized that the lady was Diane Warren, the ultimately greatest songwriter on earth and writer of my favorite THE CULT song, 'Painted On My Heart'. That was my opportunity to start a musical collaboration with her but I missed my once-in-a-lifetime chance! A year passed by and her hits were following me everywhere. Then I was watching the presentation of the Oscars and she was performing there! I encouraged myself getting in touch with her and here's the result: an epic power ballad called 'Fade To Grey' which this world and THE 69 EYES needed!"

"Fade To Grey" was produced by Erno Laitinen at Inkfish Studios in Helsinki, Finland and mixed by Miles Walker at Westside Studios in Atlanta, Georgia before Björn Engelmann put his finishing touches to the song at Stockholm, Sweden's Cutting Room. The single artwork was created by Marcelo Vasco (SLAYER, KERRY KING, DIMMU BORGIR).

THE 69 EYES earned platinum status with the albums "Blessed Be" (2000) and "Paris Kills" (2022) and not only reached No. 1 of the single and album charts in their home country of Finland, but also plunged the world into a sinful cosmos of love, death, and melancholy, while outliving any other band emerging from the goth hype of the early 2000s. By developing their sound further into sleaze rock on "Devils" (2004) and "Angels" (2007) and not shying away from pitch-black Elvis allusions in singer Jyrki 69's dark voice and unique onstage dance moves, the band has established a worldwide following. Over the course of more than three decades, the band has toured relentlessly throughout Europe, America, Asia, and Australia and released twelve full-length studio albums.

Sprawling across ten lavishly dark, effortlessly cool tracks, THE 69 EYES' "Death Of Darkness" is one of their most flawless and consistent offerings bearing a title that's, of course, both stylish and symbolic, much like the music they create. 2024 is a far cry from the early days of the new millennium when gothic rock bands emerged from every graveyard and Finnish vampires stormed the charts around the world. However, the spirit of a world-class record like "Death Of Darkness", the sheer passion and the enticing mystery, the suspense, and the smirk, are still very much alive.

Photo credit: Marek Sabogal

German thrash legends Kreator have announced a new boxset featuring Enemy Of God / Hordes Of Chaos Remastered including Kreator comics and a Kreator Demon mask.


The set is due out on May 24 via Nuclear Blast Records. Preorder at the Nuclear Blast webshop.


Enemy Of God was originally released in 2005 via Steamhammer and Hordes Of Chaos in 2009 through Steamhammer.







Box contents:
1x Demon Mask
1x Comic #2
1x Comic #3
2LP Gatefold 4p Booklet (Remaster)
2CD Digipak Remaster + WOA 2005
1LP Gatefold Remaster + Bonus Tracks
2CD Digipak Remaster + Bonus Tracks + Remix Album


 



Hordes Of Chaos (A Necrologue For The Elite) Moses Schneider Remix - OUT NOW 🔥🔥

We are very excited to announce our Enemy of God / Hordes of Chaos Remastered Boxset including Kreator comics and our Kreator Demon mask!! 💪

Pre-order/ pre-save here - https://t.co/jMB8uv70Tc pic.twitter.com/2CTSnvs4jp
— Kreator (@kreator) March 21, 2024





 







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With 2024 proving to be a breakout year for the band, Los Angeles quartet The Effect are releasing the opening track from their self-titled debut album that is set to release later in 2024. “Toxic Envy” is a mid-tempo rocker that allows the band comprised of Trev Lukather (son of Toto’s Steve Lukather) on guitars, Nic Collins (son of Phil Collins) on drums, Steve Maggiora (Toto) on keyboards and newcomer Emmett Stang on vocals to showcase their individual talents throughout the track. 


Opening with a driving drum beat by Collins and ethereal keyboards from Maggiora, the intro builds until Stang’s scream gives way to  Lukather’s guitar riff taking the listener on a rock-n-roll journey. The song was produced by Trev Lukather and the music video marks the return of director Madison Leigh Lukather - who has directed all of the band’s videos – and features styling by The Sisters Closet. The track is available for streaming here and the music video can be seen below:







“’Toxic Envy’ is probably the most hard-rock tune on the record. And it’s definitely my favorite drum song on the record too. Trev’s riffs and arrangement ideas made it a field day for me when writing the parts and I wanted to match that energy with what I was doing behind the kit. After laying my parts down, I couldn’t have been happier with what Steve and Emmett laid down on top. It’s another example of The Effect being able to write heavy songs with big riffs, while having a memorable melody and pop sensibility,” explains Nic Collins. 


“The song shines light on the dark side of people. Those that want to throw you off your path. Those who dream bash and project their own insecurities on to you. People you feel don’t want you to succeed because they are not where they want to be in their own life. If they are not happy, you are not allowed to be happy. We have all encountered people like that and That is Toxic Envy,” adds Trev Lukather. 


After the success of their first-ever live show last October and the response to their debut song “Unwanted” and follow up “Something Wrong,” The Effect have done a lot to develop their brand in less than six short months. The band has recently found mainstream attention with media partners like People Magazine, American Songwriter, Loudwire, and others all talking about the newcomers and their unique sound. The band even had the video for “Unwanted” reach #1 on the season finale of AXS TV’s flagship music program on Thursday nights – The Power Hour. The Effect has done a few shows opening for Steel Panther and most-recently with Evan Stanley and will be taking their music to Europe this June where they will open for Toto on a bunch of dates along with festival and headline shows.


More shows to be announced in the near future and ticket information for all shows can be found at theeffectband.com.


The Effect live:


June
8 – Puilacher, France – Coop Live Festival 2024
14 – Hoofddorp, Netherlands – Venue Duycker
15 – Hertogenbosch, Netherlands – Willem Twee Poppodium
16 – Zoetermeer, Netherlands – Cultuurpodium Boerderij
24 – Munich, Germany – Tollwood Music Festival*
25 – Hamburg, Germany – Stadtpark*
27 – Haltern am See, Germany – Seebad Haltern*
28 – Buren, Germany – Almeauen Park*
29 – Zwickau, Germany – Freilichtbuhne Zwickau*
30 – Bruchsal, Germany – Castle of Bruchsal*


July
2 – Berlin, Germany – Spandauer Zitadelle*


*with Toto 


(Photo – Michelle Weber and The Sisters Closet)







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Featured Video

Iconic British metal band, earthtone9, has announced their return, signing to Candlelight, and detailing the release of the new album, In Resonance Nexus, out on June 21.


Commenting on signing to Candlelight, the band said, "Candlelight feels like the perfect home for us. They’ve released so many earth-shaking albums, and to be part of that history is both thrilling and a privilege. It’s magic to continue the next chapter of et9 working with trusted comrades, and we couldn't be more excited."


Ahead of the release date, earthtone9 has shared the pulsating lead single, "Oceanic Drift", with an accompanying video filmed by Shaun Hudson at Loki Films.




As an example of how the band has distilled its core while also reaching out to new creative pastures, the first single "Oceanic Drift" feels perfect. Its lyrics, meanwhile, of things not always being what they appear, also serve as a metaphor for the record, when taken at a literal value.


“I was thinking about the Joker movie and the idea of him being the unreliable witness. So it just seemed like a really funny opening line, ‘what you see is what you get,’ because that's never been the case,” says vocalist Karl Middleton. “Also, the idea of oceanic drift is, in geological time, an incredibly slow process. That’s partially a reflection on how our last record was over a decade ago, the record before that was 12 years before that, so it's just these incredibly slow-moving things.”


Watch the music video for "Oceanic Drift" below; stream the track here.


earthtone9 is rightly hailed by those who know as one of the most forward-thinking, clever, musically wise, and creatively smart in the history of British metal. Emerging in the late ‘90s as nu-metal was beginning to surge, their more nuanced palette and intelligent approach saw them hailed as something special and excitingly against the grain from the very beginning. Making an album a year between 1998 and 2000 – beginning with their expertly crafted Lo-def(inition) Discord debut and culminating in 2000’s staggering Arc’tan’gent – it was a work rate as intense as the music was uniformly brilliant.


After splitting in 2002 the band made a surprise return in 2013 with the crowdfunded album, IV. Following this they made only occasional appearances in the live arena (including at the ArcTanGent Festival, which purloined its name from their third album!), before once again seeming to disappear on hiatus.


Now, 11 years on from their last record, they present In Resonance Nexus, a thrilling work of brains and muscle that not only stokes a fire but sees the band's core members – vocalist Karl Middleton and guitarists Owen Packard and Joe Roberts – rediscovering and reconnecting with what makes them so special. In Resonance Nexus is the heaviest, fiercest, most heightened record they have ever made; a startling combination of almost feral intensity and the latter-day songwriting chops they displayed on the IV album.


“In Resonance Nexus, as a title, is saying that we’ve found the core and the essence of the band again,” says Karl. “We were digging deep to find common musical ground, and between Joe and Owen, and I, it really felt like there was a resonance there. It feels like we've landed on a really legitimate, 21st-century version of the band. We were asking, ‘Why are we doing this?’ and having a very authentic answer.”


Across the 10 featured tracks the band’s signature sound is present and correct but now expanded with touches of everything from doom, to black metal, to shoegaze and deathcore.


Gathering together almost 40 songs before carefully choosing what should make the album, In Resonance Nexus is a record that’s been slowly and patiently crafted and carved out by artists prepared to throw away anything that didn’t quite have the desired effect. The results – with drum duties taken on in the studio by Bullet For My Valentine’s Jason Bowld – are a collection where every dynamic, moment of heaviness, thoughtful passage, and element of aggression is perfectly placed.





In Resonance Nexus tracklisting:


"The Polyphony Of Animals"
"Navison Record"
"Under The Snake"
"Oceanic Drift"
"Black Swan Roulette"
"Lash Of The Tongues"
"Etiquette Of Distortion"
"Observe Your Course" (featuring Malli Malpass of One Dice / "MetalHead" on the BBC Show The Ranganation)
"Third Mutuality"
"Strength Is My Weakness"


"Oceanic Drift" video:





The album was produced by British production master Lewis Johns at The Ranch in Southampton, a collaboration that brought the band’s vision further to life.


“Lewis is unbelievable, super creative, super enthusiastic,” says Karl. “We were attracted to the stuff he’s done with bands like Employed To Serve, Svalbard, and Rolo Tomassi. He has a style, but you can also tell in everything he does that he enhances the vision of the band, rather than just imposing his thing. He was incredible in bringing the intensity and drive back into earthtone9.”


Completing the creative team is Colin Marks of Rain Song Design who created the stunning album art that runs throughout the release.


More than anything, In Resonance Nexus represents the idea that some things are just too good and too special to lie perpetually dormant. With something as pure as earthtone9, that desire to create never truly leaves you. Eventually, even after a decade or more, it wants to come out again.


“For me, this album is about persistence in heart and knowing that you can pursue stuff and do it to a high standard at any point in time,” says Karl. “It’s more vital and urgent - like the absolute distillation of what we do. This feels like a definitive statement.”


Don’t call it a comeback – In Resonance Nexus is simply the next chapter in earthtone9’s story. One that’s worth the decade wait.


(Photo - Andy Ford)







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Canada's The Guess Who have released a video for "Free", a song from their latest album, Plein D’Amour. Watch the clip below:





Band members Derek Sharp, Michael Staertow, Leonard Shaw, Michael Devin, and founding member Garry Peterson have crafted a collection of songs that raises the bar and continues to take it up a notch both musically and sonically.




Artwork for the release was provided by world renowned graphic designer Ioannis (Deep Purple, Allman Brothers Band, Led Zeppelin). Plein D’Amour was recorded at Villa Sound in Singhampton, Ontario, Canada.


Order your copy of Plein D’Amour here.





Plein D’Amour tracklisting:


“The King”
“Across The Line”
“People Around Me”
“Headline”
“Pursuit Of No Regret”
“Spaces”
“Free”
“Plein D’Amour”


"Across The Line" video:





"Pursuit Of No Regret" video:





"Spaces" video:





“Plein D’Amour” video:





"The King" video:










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Featured Video

In a new interview with Robert Cavuoto of Sonic Perspectives, singer Jeff Scott Soto (TALISMAN, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN) was asked if there has been any discussion about the status of his progressive metal supergroup SONS OF APOLLO, which also features guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal (ex-GUNS N' ROSES),bassist Billy Sheehan (MR. BIG, THE WINERY DOGS),keyboardist Derek Sherinian (also of BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION) and drummer Mike Portnoy (DREAM THEATER),especially now that Portnoy is once again a member of DREAM THEATER. Soto responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "First of all, there was no discussion. There still is no discussion that SONS OF APOLLO is over. The tour ended because of COVID. There was no discussion of where we're going, when we're going, how we're gonna do it, blah, blah, blah. There was no even discussion of Mike going back to DREAM THEATER or anybody at that point. Everybody was just focusing on what they were doing."

He continued: "The DREAM THEATER thing truly, from my knowledge, happened in 2023. It nothing to do with the pandemic and nothing to do with 2021 or '22. Where we're at, where he's at, where's WINERY DOGS, it nothing to do with any of that. Whatever his personal discussions with the band were, whatever they were discussing or conceptualizing with it all, [it had] nothing to do with us, nothing to do with any of his other bands. I know that for a fact. Number two, him being with the mothership, he's home. He's where the fans have been waiting for, and as far as I'm concerned, I'm so happy for him, I'm happy for the band, I'm happy for the fans. He belongs back home, as far as I'm concerned. But my personal opinion is I don't think SONS OF APOLLO and DREAM THEATER could exist and kind of on the same atmosphere, I guess, is the only word I can come up with. It's too similar in music. DREAM THEATER, they go to way more intense, crazy levels of what they did and what they still do than SONS OF APOLLO did. But I think it's too close. I don't think it's gonna work."

Soto clarified: "This is just me speaking. [This is] not from any discussion. We haven't had any powwows. 'Well, let's make sure we say this.' There's nothing. We haven't discussed any parameters about this band. So to say that it's over is unfair because we never said it was over. Mike never said, 'Hey, guys, I'm going to DREAM THEATER. SONS OF APOLLO's done.' When Ron and Derek started WHOM GODS DESTROY, they never said, 'Hey, SONS OF APOLLO is over.' We just never discussed it. It's just kind of an open-ended book that we never closed. So I'll go on record by saying we never said it's over. My personal idea is I don't think that both bands will coexist at the same time. Mike's gonna be far too busy with that. I'm sure most of his [other] bands are going to go bye-bye. Maybe WINERY DOGS will continue. Who knows, but I don't know. And that's his business. That's his question. I can't speak for him. I can only speak for me."

SONS OF APOLLO recorded and released two studio albums over the course of a three-year period but has been inactive since completing a South American tour in August 2022.

In some of his recent interviews, Bumblefoot spoke about SONS OF APOLLO in the past tense and said "everything has its lifespan" with regard to the band's future plans, stirring up speculation that SONS OF APOLLO was all but finished. Sherinian and Thal have since formed new progressive metal outfit WHOM GODS DESTROY, while Soto has also joined Thal in ART OF ANARCHY, with both bands releasing new albums within a month of each other.

Bumblefoot addressed SONS OF APOLLO's status in a recent interview with Jimmy Kay of Canada's The Metal Voice. He said: "Well, we were on tour. Shows, we had doubled our attendances. Just everything was going this way [pointing up]. It was going great. And we got four shows into a 20-show tour in Europe. And we had to pull the plug, COVID and all, and went back home. And then Derek and I and Jeff, we wanted to start working on album number three. It was, like, 'We have all this time now to nurture it.' But not everybody was on board to do that; some people had their own plans and things they wanted to do, which they did. And so, what happened was it split into two bands. Jeff, he offered to be the singer for this band that I had with old friends of mine called ART OF ANARCHY. And he knew that we were just, during the pandemic, we'd get together and record songs. And he said, 'You've had all these problematic singers. You should have just worked with me from the beginning and everything would have been fine.' And I was, like, 'I agree.' So he offered to be the singer. And, of course, the band all said, 'Hell yeah.' So now I have ART OF ANARCHY with Jeff. And Derek and I just continued writing as we did with SONS OF APOLLO where we just write; we write the music. And we kept doing that, and we realized that with certain members not interested, we couldn't really continue with SONS OF APOLLO. I mean, Jeff was interested; he would have loved to do a third [album]. But we found new bandmembers… So [WHOM GODS DESTROY] really started from the ashes of SONS OF APOLLO. We crawled out and we continued writing what could've become a third SONS OF APOLLO album, but it wasn't gonna happen."

Asked if it's easy keeping a supergroup like SONS OF APOLLO together, Thal said: "Nothing is easy. It can be easy if everyone just shuts the fuck up and does their job and, yeah, if people think about the hive and not just their bee-self. If you have the mentality of being a team player and not just a selfish fuck, then a band can easily work and last for decades."

He clarified: "I'm not calling anyone in particular a selfish fuck. I'm just saying that in bands, in every band, you're gonna have the narcissist, usually a drug-addict narcissist, you're gonna have the conspiring, greedy asshole, you're gonna have the one that is just riddled with depression and thinks that every note is the most important thing that happened. And also you have people that forget that if you have four or five people in the band, you should only be getting 25 or 20 percent of your ideas going through, and if you're hogging it up, you're taking away from everyone else. And it's not a fair scenario and someone is gonna feel like they're left out and not being heard and not feel like an equal. So I always say in a band, in a band of five unemployable dysfunctional dudes, if only one out of five of your ideas makes it through, then everything is fair and you have to be able to be okay with that. 20 percent times five — that's how it should be. You have to accept that mentality, and anything beyond that, think of as a bonus and don't look at it like…"

Thal added: "Bands are a really fucked-up marriage."

After Bumblefoot's remarks were published on the Prog web site and the article was shared on the magazine's Facebook page, Portnoy took to the comments section to write: "Obviously Ron is (discreetly) pointing the finger at me (and possibly Billy as well?),but I must publicly squash this rhetoric that is implying SONS OF APOLLO's demise had anything to do with me rejoining DREAM THEATER. That didn't happen until Oct 2023…

"The reality is when the SOA tour got cancelled because of Covid in 2020, by the time there was any talk of writing new stuff and a possible 3rd album, I already had commitments with TRANSATLANTIC, NMB [NEAL MORSE BAND] and THE WINERY DOGS (w Billy as well). I can understand Ron, Derek & Jeff's frustration with this, but the reality is the ONLY way I was ever able to juggle and balance all my bands all these years was to block certain windows in my schedule for each band or project to have time for an album/tour cycle. Sadly, SOA's album/tour cycle window got killed by Covid and by the time the world reopened again, I already was booked with my other bands and projects.

"Anyways, I'm happy for those guys that they were able to continue working together in other musical capacity's…but make no mistake, at the time, it had nothing to with me rejoining DT!"

Sheehan was unable to join his SONS OF APOLLO bandmates on the aforementioned South American tour due to COVID-19 vaccine-related travel restrictions. His replacement on the trek was ANGRA's Felipe Andreoli.

SONS OF APOLLO's second album, "MMXX", was released in January 2020 via InsideOut Music/Sony.

The follow-up to 2017's "Psychotic Symphony" debuted on multiple Billboard charts dated, including Tastemakers (No. 10),Heatseekers Albums (No. 11) and Hard Rock Albums (No. 21).

At the time of "MMXX"'s release, Soto told Billboard: "We absolutely jumped into this as an ongoing commitment from all of us that we were going to follow up on and treat it, with all intents and purposes, as a real band. With the caliber of who we have and what we could come up with, we knew we wanted to dive into this thing fully committed, and not as a one-off."

Regarding the differences in the musical direction between the two albums, Soto said: "I don't think we strayed too far. If you put both albums together as a double album, it would work. The only difference is that I feel that I put a little more personality into the vocal parts. It was a little homogenized on the first album, in terms of playing it safe. I didn't toy around too much with straying from the main ideas.

"On [the second] album, I knew exactly what I wanted to do," he continued. "I knew where we were headed as a band. This time, it was a no-brainer that I should just go for it. The first album was, again, the foundation and the skeletal embryonic stage of the band. Now it's solid and I’ve watched it flourish, and I went in knowing what to do."

Six years ago, Portnoy told Let's Rock about SONS OF APOLLO's chemistry: "I'd like to say that I was surprised by how easy it came together, but, to be honest, I kind of expected that. That wasn't really a surprise. I knew it would work. I knew it would be easy once once we started playing just because I know the guys involved. So, I can't really say there were many surprises. Everything kind of went according to plan. Everybody was kind of chosen for the band because I knew their personalities. And Jeff and Bumblefoot in particular are the two most easy-going guys, and [laughs] that's very rare for a guitar player and a singer. But in this case, you couldn't ask for two sweeter guys. That's a huge part of [the] importance in picking band chemistry. A lot of times, it's well beyond the music. It's more about the personalities and in this case, it's a great group of guys."

Photo credit: Hristo Shindov

2024 marks twenty years of BLOODBOUND. Twenty years in which the Swedish power metal export has left a lasting impression on fans and the worldwide metal scene. The band can call ten studio albums their own, as well as numerous frenetically-acclaimed festival appearances and tours. Last year alone, the band played a major gig at Masters of Rock Festival, which is featured on their upcoming anniversary live album and Blu-Ray, entitled "The Tales of Nosferatu - Two Decades of Blood (2004 - 2024)"! Due out on April 19, 2024 via powerhouse label AFM Records, you can pre-order your copy of the band's must-have anniversary epos right here: https://bloodbound.bfan.link/the-tales-of-nosferatu

"What a ride it has been! 10 studio albums, shows in over 25 countries and chart entries from all over the world. When I look back at the last 20 years, I can only say how proud I am of what we have created!” Keyboard player Fredrik Bergh recently said. "We're super excited to celebrate 20 years of Bloodbound with this release - together with YOU - our fans! Without you we're nothing!"

With songs like "Nosferatu", "The Warlock's Trail", "Battle in the Sky", or new songs of the band's discography like "Drink with the Gods", BLOODBOUND – who were formed in 2004 by Bergh and guitarist Tomas Olsson – have quickly established their sound in the world of heavy music. Not only because of their immense talent, but also because of their own affiliation to the metal scene, a dedication that comes with it and the skills to write incredibly good power metal songs.

Following a live version of the band's classic "The Warlock's Trail", today, BLOODBOUND are premiering a new video clip for their latest single "Slayer of Kings".

In a new interview with Riff X's "Metal XS", MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist Mick Mars touched upon the fact that he is waging a legal battle with the iconic hard rockers, alleging that the group is pushing him out after he announced his retirement from touring. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'm not upset or any kind of thing like that. It's normal. It just happens. It just happens."

Regarding his current status with MÖTLEY CRÜE, Mars said: "I can't say it's the end of my association or even being in the band. When I retired, I still made myself available for new songs, short tours, one-offs or residencies and stuff like that. But I had this ankylosing spondylitis, and that intense touring, at my age, just got to be pretty rough. And that's about it. It's gonna be what it is, and I have to leave it at that. But you'll follow it and know what's going on."

On the topic of what he wants his legacy to be, Mick said: "Being a musician was the most important thing for me. There's a lot of bands that do that all jumping, theatrical stuff all over the stage. But I wasn't that guy. I was the guy that goes, like, 'I wanna play music. I really wanna play music. I really wanna write some serious stuff. I wanna do this. I wanna hear myself.' This is when I'm a teenager, right? 'I wanna hear myself on the radio. I wanna see my music in commercials,' or whatever. And that's what I wanted to do forever and ever and ever, and still do. And if I get a little bit upstaged or overlooked, because MÖTLEY was very theatrical, that's okay, that's okay. I'm about the music."

Mick's debut solo album, "The Other Side Of Mars", has just been released via his own label 1313, LLC, in partnership with MRI.

Birmingham, Alabama rocker Jacob Bunton collaborated extensively with Mars on "The Other Side Of Mars".

Bunton had previously worked with former GUNS N' ROSES drummer Steven Adler and CINDERELLA frontman Tom Keifer, and has songwriting credits with Mariah Carey, Steven Tyler and Smokey Robinson, among others.

Bunton sings lead on all but two of the 12 songs on "The Other Side Of Mars".

Other guests on the LP include WINGER/ALICE COOPER keyboardist Paul Taylor, KORN drummer Ray Luzier, and Brion Gamboa, who handled lead vocals on the songs "Undone" and "Killing Breed".

Bunton previously fronted the Alabama bands MARS ELECTRIC and LYNAM.

When Mars announced his retirement from touring with MÖTLEY CRÜE in October 2022 as a result of worsening health issues, he maintained that he would remain a member of the band, with John 5 taking his place on the road. However, he has since filed a lawsuit against MÖTLEY CRÜE in Los Angeles County's Superior Court, claiming that, after his announcement, the rest of CRÜE tried to remove him as a significant stakeholder in the group's corporation and business holdings via a shareholders' meeting.

Mars — whose real name is Robert Alan Deal — served as MÖTLEY CRÜE's lead guitarist since the band's inception in 1981.

Last month, Mars told Audacy Check In that it took him more than four decades since MÖTLEY CRÜE's inception to release his debut solo album because "MÖTLEY was priority… and now that I'm retired, I'm just me. I mean, if MÖTLEY wanted me to write songs with them again, of course I would… But right now, I'm just me, so I'm writing, and it's not MÖTLEY, and it's how I feel — my ideas and my kind of thing and kind of trying to reinvent myself or bring myself up to date."

Although CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx is responsible for penning the lion's share of the band's material, Mars did have a hand in co-writing some of the group's most famous tracks, including "Same Ol' Situation (S.O.S.)", "Girls, Girls, Girls" and "Dr. Feelgood".

The only credit Mars has on the first two MÖTLEY CRÜE albums is the instrumental "God Bless The Children Of The Beast" on 1983's "Shout At The Devil".

Drum legend Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater, The Winery Dogs) recently visited the Drumeo studios. Below is another video from their studio.


Drumeo: "Watch Mike Portnoy perform 'Panic Attack' by Dream Theater. This song is featured on Dream Theater's ninth studio album, Octavarium, released in 2005. 'Panic Attack' features some of Mike Portnoy's most iconic drum parts – particularly the double bass intro groove."







Check out a previously released Drumeo video featuring Portnoy below.


Portnoy: "Fun fact: You’re not gonna believe this, but this track was NOT on the list of discussed songs/content before I arrived at Drumeo to shoot. Brandon Toews asked me on the spot if I’d be willing to do it, and I said I was willing to give it a try but that I hadn’t played it in YEARS (since the Shattered Fortress tour in 2017). We decided to give it a whirl without me even listening to the track to review it… hit record and this is what came out! 'Like riding a bicycle! Well, more like a unicycle…'."


"The Dance Of Eternity" is arguably one of the most iconic (and difficult) progressive rock songs of all time. Watch below as the one and only Mike Portnoy breaks down how he plays this incredible song.

In a new interview with Marko Syrjala of Metal Rules, BULLETBOYS frontman Marq Torien said that he has been collaborating with METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo on a new project. "We cut a track… and I'm going to go start finishing it up and stuff," he said.

Torien went on to say that it was "quite an honor" getting a call from Trujillo asking him to sing in his new project.

"Robert is like my number one favorite bass player ever," Marq said. "He's an amazing man, just such a sweetheart. I love him so dearly. But I was very emotional when he called me because I don't get those calls very often. I get people talking about my musical skills and that I'm at this really high level, but I never get people like to call me, and it was hard for him to find my number. He couldn't find anybody to get my number. He goes, 'I couldn't find anybody. Can I get Marq's number? I need him to see. Come on. Let's go.' So, it's been fun with him, and we didn't really know each other too well, but through certain… His best friend and Ira [Black, current BULLETBOYS guitarist] helped get my phone number to people. And I just love chatting with him because he's one of the most down-to-earth, loving souls that I've ever been around. He just has a big heart, and he's all about music. And I think that's why we click; I'm the same way."

Asked if they have a name for that project, Marq said: "No, not yet. I'm really excited about that. And his writing partner, Armand [Sabal-Lecco], who has worked with him and they've had the stuff for now a couple of years, but they had a couple of singers, he told me, but the guy's just kind of fell out and didn't really want to do it. And I was, like, 'Well, how is that possible with what I'm listening to?' He goes, 'I know. See, because you know what's up.' I said, 'Yeah, dude, gimme that mic. Let's go.' I mean, the first time he played me the song, we're listening to the studio, and I go, 'You mind if I start singing some, you know, some stuff?' He goes, 'Oh, please,' so I start singing melodies and stuff. He's going, 'Oh shit.' You know, he is just going, 'Yeah. Yeah.' So, it's just one of those things."

Torien clarified: "It's a side project for him. A labor of love. And I'm just really excited about it. It's very, very funky. It's very funk orientated. A little bit of punk rock. A little bit of R&B but very funky."

Back in August 2022, Torien recalled hanging out with members of METALLICA in the 1980s while both BULLETBOYS and METALLICA were on the rise on the California hard rock and metal scene.

"I love [METALLICA frontman] James Hetfield," Marq told Radioactive MikeZ, host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM program "Wired In The Empire". "He was a big champion for the BULLETBOYS when we first started playing and would come to all of our shows when we played up north. He would come walking in, and he would hang with us, love on us, drink some whisky and beer with us and stay there through the whole show."

He continued: "When we started playing up in 'Frisco, we played at a place called The Stone, and he was always there to come and see us. He said that [the first BULLETBOYS] record [blew] his mind because he didn't think a band could come out and have that sound. He goes, 'The sound that you have and Ted Templeman.' And he said, 'This record is gonna last forever.' We laughed, 'cause he goes, 'No, no. no. Listen to me.' And that's young James — with his moustache, handlebar moustache, full of piss and vinegar. He's looking at us with that look in his eyes, and it was kind of scary. He goes, 'Dudes, I'm telling you right now. Don't eff this off. This will be for the rest of time, this album. I know you idiots don't know it right now, but I'm telling you, this is one of the greatest rock records that I've ever heard.'

"I love METALLICA," Marq added. "Back in the day, my place to go was The Troubadour because at the front bar you'd get the hottest chicks. We were all young, and all the big stars would hang out there. And when METALLICA was first starting, that's where they would hang out… They used to hang out with all of our friends. And everybody at one point used to hang out with them, and they were really good people. They were a full thrash band, though, when they first came out. It was like something that you'd never heard before. It was very, very dangerous. They didn't care. Cliff Burton [bass] was in the band, and Cliff, for all intents and purposes, he was the guy writing the songs with James."

In June 2022, the new BULLETBOYS lineup, featuring Torien, guitarist Ira Black (OF GODS & MONSTERS, LIZZY BORDEN, METAL CHURCH), bassist Brad Lang (Y&T, BURNING RAIN) and drummer Fred Aching (POWERFLO, BILLYBIO), released the official music video for its first single, "Holy F*ck". The track, which was written by Black and Torien, produced and mixed by Black, and mastered by multi-Grammy Award-winning mastering engineer Howie Weinberg, was made available via Rock Avenue Records USA. The clip was co-produced and co-directed by Black and Arron Kinser from Studio Vista.

BULLETBOYS' latest lineup made its live debut in January 2022 at RokIsland Fest in Key West, Florida. Torien launched the new version of BULLETBOYS after the band's original lineup fell apart following a two-year reunion. Original bassist Lonnie Vencent failed to show up for a scheduled BULLETBOYS performance at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California in December 2021, forcing the gig to be canceled. Torien instead delivered an acoustic set with Black. It was later announced by guitarist Mick Sweda and drummer Jimmy D'Anda that they would not be returning to the band.

The original BULLETBOYS lineup made its live return in December 2019 with a sold-out performance at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California.

Aside from one show in 2011, original BULLETBOYS members D'Anda, Sweda, bassist Lonnie Vencent and Torien had not performed together since 1993.

BULLETBOYS formed in 1988 at the very peak of the Los Angeles glam metal movement. As a collection of talented musicians, BULLETBOYS were able to quickly capture the attention of music fans around the world. Unlike other rockers of the day, the BULLETBOYS possessed more hard rock-blues fusion than pure hair metal. Thanks to comparisons to the likes of AEROSMITH and VAN HALEN, talent scouts came running and the band quickly received their first major label contract.

BULLETBOYS' self-titled debut was released in 1988 via Warner Bros. and peaked at number 34 on the Billboard 200. The album spawned two hit singles, a cover of the O'JAYS classic "For The Love Of Money" and "Smooth Up in Ya", both of which charted on the Mainstream Rock chart and saw regular airplay on MTV. BULLETBOYS went on to release two more albums, 1991's "Freakshow" and 1993's "Za-Za", before splitting up.

Ancient Settlers has released a video for "Wounded Heart", first single taken from the new album "Oblivion's Legacy" to be released on May 17 by Scarlet Records.


"Wounded Heart" evokes a visceral journey through the tumultuous currents of existence, where time's relentless march leaves shattered dreams and non-stop haste in its wake. A song to remember that each scar becomes a badge of resilience amidst the ashes of adversity, as the wounded heart remains steadfast in the face of hopelessness and isolation, enduring the toll that time exacts on soul.


The sophomore record of the Venezuelan/Spanish band was produced, mixed and mastered by Fredrick Nordstrom at Studio Fredman; Jon Toussas (Suicidal Angels, Nightrage, W.E.B.) took care of the shining artwork.




Ancient Settlers quickly gained a fierce reputation in the melodic death metal European scene thanks to a relentless live activity, and are now eager to raise the bar with their second studio album.


Guided by the demoniac vocals of frontwoman Argen Death, they master the melodeath subject with absolute confidence through storming heavy riffs, thick grooves and catchy hooks (just like the Swedish godfathers taught us all).


Oblivion's Legacy is a conceptual work that delves into the profound depths of human existence, exploring the legacy we leave behind as individuals and as a species. The lyrics contemplate the impact of our actions, the struggles we face, and the ultimate fate that awaits us all.


Set against a backdrop of cosmic wonder and existential introspection, each song serves as a chapter in the unfolding narrative of humanity's journey through time and space.


Oblivion's Legacy will be released in the following formats:
- jewel case CD
- vinyl LP
- digital


Preorder/pre-save here.





Tracklisting:


“The Circle Of Misanthropy”
“Oblivion’s Legacy”
“Stardust Odyssey”
“Wounded Heart”
“Subversive”
“Coven Garden”
“The Mechanical Threats Paradox”
“The Last Battle In The Earth”
“Cosmic Farewell”
“Redemption”


"Wounded Heart" video:





Tour dates:


July
5 – Lucerne, Switzerland – Brunch Brothers
7 – Prachatice, Czech Republic – South Of Heaven Open Air


September
7 – Bree, Belgium – Metal Babes & Queens Festival
8 – Paris, France – Le Klub 


(Photo – Juan Lopez)

UK sludge trio, Iron Monkey, return with their new album, Spleen & Goad, available on April 5 through Relapse Records. Listen to the album track, "Concrete Shock", below.


On Spleen & Goad, the legendary band are as uncompromising as ever, churning out some of the grittiest sounding sludge doom in their twenty-five-plus year history. Dubbed a "doom sludge vanguard" by The Sludgelord, Iron Monkey lives up to their legacy, absolutely pummeling through each of the nine tracks on their new album.


From the two-ton, heavier-than-anything-else riff opening "Concrete Shock”, Iron Monkey shows no signs of easing up; fuzzed out guitars crash against pulse-pounding drums, set against vicious, misanthropic snarls and barks. Elsewhere, tracks like the aptly titled "Rat Flag" kicks the band into high gear with palpable fury and malaise.




Recorded in their native Nottingham, Spleen & Goad was mastered stateside by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege. Pre-orders on LP / CD / Digital can be placed now via Relapse.com.





Tracklisting:


"Misanthropizer"
"Concrete Shock"
"C.S.P."
"Off Switch"
"Rat Flag"
"Lead Transfusion"
"Exlexed"
"The Gurges"
"O.D. Rose"


"Concrete Shock":





"Off Switch":





"Misanthropizer" video:





Iron Monkey was formed in the year 1994AD in the city of Nottingham, England. The original members were J.P. Morrow, J. Rushby, D. Dalziel, S. Watson, and J. Greaves. Iron Monkey released six tracks of raw sludge-core via the label Union Mill that were later re-released on Earache Records. During this period S. Watson was replaced by D. Berry.


1998 saw the release of the album Our Problem, widely regarded as a masterpiece of negative rock. This was succeeded by a split EP on Man's Ruin Records with Church Of Misery from Japan.


Iron Monkey destroyed itself sometime in 1999. Vocalist J. Morrow died from heart failure in June 2002. Rest In Noise...


The band reformed in the winter of 2016 with original members J. Rushby and S. Watson with the addition of the then Chaos UK drummer Brigga. As of 2023, Iron Monkey are back with a new lineup featuring founding member J. Rushby and D. Berry from the Our Problem sessions and ex-Widows drummer Z. Big.


For further details, visit Iron Monkey on Facebook.

Guitarist Thomas Zwijsen is back with another acoustic performance, this time of the Scorpions’ Crazy World classic “Send Me An Angel” with violin. Zwijsen has previously covered other Scorpions tracks “Wind Of Change” and “Still Loving You”.





Find the tabs and Thomas’ acoustic guitar arrangements at kingofthestrings.com.




Zwijsen previously shared acoustic guitar covers of of Metallica's "Enter Sandman", Bruce Dickinson's new solo song, "Rain On The Graves", and Guns N' Roses' "Sweet Child O' Mine". Check them out below:

“Pathway To Charon” is the new video by New York City-based death metal quintet Hypoxia, taken from the band’s new album Defiance, which saw release in February on Selfmadegod Records.


2024 sees Hypoxia returning with several lineup changes since the prior record, now prepared to deploy their most merciless material to date with Defiance. The apocalyptic riffage and divebombing solos by guitarists Carlos Acboleda (Non Eternal, ex-Secrecy, ex-Aether) and new guitarist Ryan Moll (Rumpelstiltskin Grinder, Azure Emote, Total Fucking Destruction) are constructed atop the earthmoving rhythm section of Carolina Perez (Castrator, ex-Aether) and new bassist Mike Poggione (Omnipotence, ex-Monstrosity, ex-Capharnaum), the relentless roars of Mike Hrubovcak (Azure Emote, Imperial Crystalline Entombment, ex-Monstrosity, ex-Vile) ripping their way through the savagery.


Recorded by Hypoxia, Defiance was mixed and mastered by Noah Buchanan at Mercinary Studios (Midnight, Embalmer, Nunslaughter) and completed with cover art by Daemorph (The Black Dahlia Murder, Pyrexia, Avulsed).




The new video for “Pathway To Charon” was conceptualized by vocalist Mike Hrubovcak and filmed/directed by Bob Vigna of death metal legends Immolation.





Founding drummer Carolina Perez states, “It was so much fun to do the video and get together with the crew, we want to thank Jeff Blanchard from Lucky 13 for the accommodations as well as Jeremy Farfan for helping with lights and sound. Bob Vigna was able to capture Mike’s vision and concept; He delivered a powerful video with the aggression and darkness we were looking for.”


Vocalist Mike Hrubovcak reveals, "Crossing over the River Styx on your way to hell would make for a killer video we thought, plus it's one of the better stand out tracks on the album, so choosing ‘Pathway To Charon’ was an easy decision. I also had a lot of fun dressing up as the Charon character and stumbling around blind in the dark surrounded by smoke and fog. It was a fun shoot for sure, and great to work with Bob from Immolation; he knew exactly what to do to bring everything together."


Immolation’s Bob Vigna delcares, “It was a pleasure to work with Hypoxia on this project, helping them bring their vision of Charon to life! ‘Pathway To Charon’ is a great tune with a powerful production, so with the clip I wanted to do my best to capture the energy of the band’s performance as well as creating a murky, cold and haunting atmosphere that fit the theme of the song. I appreciate Hypoxia for giving me the opportunity and hope everyone enjoys it!”


Order Defiance on Indiemerch.com.





Tracklisting:


“Overture”
“Bleed For Blasphemy”
“Pathway To Charon”
“Correlated Embolism”
“Agonized Asphyxia”
“Drowning In Darkness”
“Too Far Gone”
“Black Omens”
“Serpents Of Gaia”
“Scorched And Skinned”
“Finale”


“Bleed For Blasphemy”:





Hypoxia:
Carlos “Dirty” Arboleda – guitars
Carolina Perez – drums
Mike Hrubovcak – vocals
Ryan Moll – guitars
Mike Poggione – bass

Speaking in an upcoming interview with Guitar World, rock legend Lita Ford discusses the long-held rumour that she almost replaced Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones, revealing that the offer was made after Jimmy Page Page and Robert Plant came to watch her band, The Runaways, perform at The Starwood Nightclub in Los Angeles.


After five albums and years of rigorous touring, Jones was poised to take a step back from Led Zeppelin with the intention of spending more time with his family. Ford was 17 years-old at the time.


Ford: "Robert Plant said, 'We’re looking to replace our bass player, John Paul Jones,' and I thought, 'I’m not hearing this. I refuse to believe that this is really coming out of his mouth.' And I thought, 'He’s got to be joking,' because John Paul Jones is God on bass, as far as I’m concerned. But that’s what he said. And I walked away just thinking, 'Oh, that was nice. That was nice of him to look at me like that,' because, in those days, a lot of people didn’t look at us as musicians because we were female, and we were young." 




Read more via Guitar World here.





Catch Lita Ford live at the following shows:


March 
28 - Motor City Casino - Detroit, MI (with Warrant)


April 
5 - Ground Zero Festival - Bandera, TX
6 - The Vanguard - Tulsa, OK (with Last In Line)
13 - Agave Caliente Terraza Casino - Cathedral City, CA


June 
12 - Kick Up Kountry Music Festival - Karlstad, MN
22 - Westgate Casino - Las Vegas, NV (with Warrant)


Lita Ford's touring band consists of: guitarist Patrick Kennison, bassist Marten Andersson, and drummer Bobby Rock. 


Fan-filmed video of Lita Ford performing "Kiss Me Deadly" live in Sugar Land, Texas at the Smart Financial Centre on December 16, 2023 can be seen below.

PEARL JAM's twelfth studio album, "Dark Matter", will be released on April 19, 2024 via Monkeywrench Records/Republic Records. The LP's second single, "Running", can be streamed below.

"[Bassist] Jeff [Ament] had the main parts for that one, and we worked it over as a band," guitarist Stone Gossard told SPIN. "I love the bridge. I don't know what the hell those chords are that [guitarist] Mike's [McCready] playing, but it sounds original."

"Running" was one of the last songs recorded with producer Andrew Watt at Rick Rubin's Shangri-La Studio in Malibu, California. "It was fun to come up with one more uptempo song," Gossard said, adding that frontman Eddie Vedder's "vocal dexterity here and on a few other spots on the album is just stunning."

In 2023, PEARL JAM retreated to Shangri-La Studios where they simply plugged in and played under Watt's watch. Writing and recording in a burst of inspiration, "Dark Matter" was born in just three weeks. As a result, "Dark Matter" channels the shared spirit of a group of lifelong creative confidants and brothers in one room playing as if their very lives depended on it.

The album's packaging features light painting art by Alexandr Gnezdilov. The album cover art was crafted using a large self-made kaleidoscope. Each letter visible on the cover was individually captured and handwritten midair with a specially designed flashlight to create the pearlescent effect.

To celebrate the release of the new album, PEARL JAM will present an exclusive cinematic engagement, "Pearl Jam - Dark Matter - Global Theatrical Experience - One Night Only", on April 16. Distributed by Abramorama, "Dark Matter" will come to life in over 225 locations nationwide, including AMC, Regal, Cinemark, Landmark, Marcus, Studio Movie Grill, Cinepolis, Harkins, Alamo Drafthouse, Chinese Cineplex, IFC, and more. Additionally, AMC and other cinemas will feature Dolby Atmos showings. Worldwide, it graces theaters in over 30 countries, appearing in more than 300 locations across Mexico, the U.K., Spain, Netherlands, Australia, Brazil, Argentina, New Zealand, and Poland, to name a few. Tickets go on sale today.

PEARL JAM will also celebrate indie record stores with the release of a special edition of "Dark Matter" on April 20, only at participating stores as part of Record Store Day. Get more information and find stores at www.recordstoreday.com.

PEARL JAM reportedly held a listening party for "Dark Matter" in late January at the Troubadour in West Hollywood, during which Vedder told those in attendance that he considered the LP to be "our best work."

"Dark Matter" track listing:

01. Scared Of Fear
02. React, Respond
03. Wreckage
04. Dark Matter
05. Won't Tell
06. Upper Hand
07. Waiting For Stevie
08. Running
09. Something Special
10. Got To Give
11. Setting Sun

In a recent interview with Classic Rock magazine, McCready stated about collaborating with Watt, the multi-Grammy-winning producer who has also worked with Dua Lipa, Post Malone and Justin Bieber, as well as Ozzy Osbourne and THE ROLLING STONES: "When we were in the studio with him this past year, he really kicked our asses, got us focused and playing, song after song. It took a long time to make 'Gigaton', but this new one didn't take long. Andrew was, like, 'You guys take forever to make records. Let's do this, right now.'"

Regarding the musical direction of PEARL JAM's new material, Mike said: "It's a lot heavier than you'd expect. There's the melody and energy of the first couple of records. Andrew pushed us to play as hard and melodic and thoughtful as we've done in a long time. I feel like Matt Cameron's drumming has elements of what he did in SOUNDGARDEN."

He added: "For better or worse, you're gonna hear a lot more lead guitar from me — stuff I haven't done in a long time. I went crazy, like with Chris Cornell and TEMPLE OF THE DOG on 'Reach Down' [1991] all those years ago. I got to do it again. Usually the first or second takes are best. After that I start thinking about it and it doesn't have the feel. But Andrew caught the lightning in a bottle, as they say."

McCready also discussed how the current situation in America has affected Vedder who has had a career full of activism and advocacy for political causes.

"I think Ed has always been very aware of everything that's going on and always fighting for the underdog," the guitarist said. "Certainly America has got so many fucked-up issues. Guns. Racism. That idiot Trump. All that stuff has always been there, but you have to be aware of it and consciously fight it, because you want this to be a better world, if you're a good human. And I see Ed as that, and hopefully we are. We try to be proactive and solution-oriented, and not sit back and do nothing."

Asked what he thinks are the best and worst things that could happen in 2024, Mike said: "Oh god. Well, if Trump got elected, that'd be the worst thing in the world to me. I'd rather think about the best things that can happen. We have to come together. We have to be compassionate. We have to take care of the environment. We have to not be racist. We have to not be idiots. There's all these things we can do. But we have to choose to think that way."

Last September, McCready was also full of praise for Watt, telling Guitar World magazine: "Andrew Watt brought an energy and a youthfulness and a great ear to us that I think we needed. He kind of kicked us in our asses a little bit. Like, 'Okay, let's go, let's go, let's go, let's go go go!' He's the most hyper guy I've ever met besides myself. But he's a giant fan of our band, and he's a really smoking guitar player in his own right. He got us into a room and just pushed us as hard as we could be pushed."

He continued: "You know, it's hard for a quote-unquote outsider to come into our world because we've done things a certain way. We're open to new things, but we are also in our own world. We've done things for 30 years. So we know the dynamics of our band very well. But sometimes we need to get pushed and questioned, and Andrew did a great job of that."

In June 2023, PEARL JAM bassist Jeff Ament told Kyle Meredith about the inspiration for the band's new material: "Well, we've talked a lot about, in the last three or four years, how we've sort of earned the right to do whatever the fuck we want to right now. And so why wouldn't we go all the way with that? Saying, like, 'Everybody, make a list of the 10 things that you wanna do in this band before we're done. Where is the city that you've never played? Or where is the venue you wanna go back to? Or what's the kind of song you wanna write? Or what's the cause you wanna get behind within the context of the band?' Those are sort of the things I talk about.

"It feels like we're sort of at this point where we should be able to turn a big corner," he continued. "We've earned the right to sort of, like… And that's tough, because there's five of us that are pulling the cart. And so sometimes you end up pulling the cart in opposite directions. It's, like, just embracing all of that — embracing everybody's ideas and everybody's hopes and dreams and wishes and styles.

"We have this amazing community as a band and the families within the band, and the people that we work with and the people that have worked with us for, like, 32 years in some cases. It's taken us this long for it to work this efficiently. We should be killing it right now in every way. I think that's what we hope for musically. I think we wanna turn the corner and I think we wanna access all the best parts of each other and we wanna flourish within that. We just wanna support the best parts of each other so we consequently make the best music.

"Sometimes there's a lot of ego involved, and if somebody feels like they're working harder than the other person, or whatever the stuff is, but if you can just leave that stuff behind and focus on how do we support each other so each person brings the best to the song we're working on right now," Ament added. "And I think that's what we're trying to do. The stuff we've been doing the last couple of years, it sort of feels like we've hit on that in a few instances."

2020 officially marked 30 years of PEARL JAM performing live. Eleven studio albums, hundreds of unique live performances and official live concert bootleg releases later, the band continues to be critically acclaimed and commercially successful — with over 85 million albums sold worldwide. PEARL JAM was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2017.

"Gigaton" was released in March 2020. Featuring fan favorites "Dance Of The Clairvoyants", "Superblood Wolfmoon" and "Quick Escape", the album debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Rock Albums, Top Alternative Albums, and Billboard Vinyl Albums Chart. In addition, it hit Top 5 on Billboard 200 chart, No. 2 on Billboard Top Album Sales chart and to date has reached over 200 million global streams. The album was critically acclaimed, with Entertainment Weekly raving, "It's a sturdy rock album from five guys who know what they're doing, took time till they had something to say, are interpolating new influences and sound stoked to be back together in a room."

Photo credit: Danny Clinch