Frontiers Music Srl recently announced the signing of Inner Stream to the label for a multi-album deal. The band's new album, Stain The Sea, will be released on July 16. Watch a lyric video for the song "Last Drink" below, and pre-order/save Stain The Sea here.

Inner Stream blends elements of different sub-genres and styles like symphonic metal, electronic, goth, and nü metal, among others. Pushing musical boundaries, the songs hold rich varieties of climates and textures, heavy riffs, powerful melodies, and emotional moments.

"The musical influences for this album are  symphonic metal, electronic, goth, and nü metal, among others. Bands like Lacuna Coil, Evanescence, and Within Temptation are maybe the more related bands I can name, but as a  big metal fan, my personal song list is full of different things that always inspired me. Korn, Deathstars, Disturbed, The Birthday Massacre, Portishead, Massive Attack, Symphony X, Angra, Sonata Arctica, Queensrÿche, Bring Me The Horizon, and so on," says vocalist Inés Vera Ortiz of her musical influences.

"'Massive Drain' is the last song I did for the album and this happened during lockdown, in a very strange moment of humanity. Like many other people, I found myself in an extremely introspective moment that coincided with the album recording. The concept, the lyrics, and the music came together in two days alone at my place in Spain. The message was clear from the beginning and a kindly reminder for me. The pain that carries the awakening is a birth, a relief. Intuition is a compass to go through it,” says Vera Ortiz of the first single from the album.

Label President Serafino Perugino wanted to highlight the talents of vocalist Inés Vera Ortiz and sought to pair her with producer Alessandro Del Vecchio to highlight her songs and voice.  Inner Stream started off in 2008 as a project concocted by Vera Ortiz and her brother Jorge in Buenos Aires, Argentina. At that time, Inés was the vocalist for some local power metal bands, but her songwriting was headed in a different direction. Subsequently, Inés and Jorge recorded a three song demo that was more in a goth metal direction. Afterward, Inés continued composing music on her own and attempted to put a band together, but ultimately decided to set aside the idea for a while. She continued to work on other projects for both Argentinian and international bands while biding her time. In 2017, she teamed up with Guillermo De Medio, an Argentinian keyboard player and producer (Tarja Turunen, Full Nothing, Barilari, etc.), who was undoubtedly the right fit to help Inés work on her songs and bring the vision of Inner Stream together. Now, in 2021, Inés and Inner stream have joined forces with Frontiers Music Srl for the release of their upcoming album, “Stain The Sea”  as well as future releases.

"I am very excited and proud to be a part of the Frontiers family," says Vera Ortiz. "This opportunity came at the right time in which the concept of the project reached a peak of maturity and clear vision. While my songwriting is varied, my heart is very close to metal and I will never look away from it. The first album will include songs written during the last few years and I feel they represent well this long journey through lots of different, important, and emotional moments of my life. I am very happy to be able to share those personal moments with everyone.”

Tracklisting:

"Massive Drain"
"Fair War"
"Hunt You"
"Aftermath"
"Dance With Shades"
"Drown Me"
"If You Dare"
"Stain The Sea"
"The Bridge"
"Last Drink"
"Real"

"Last Drink" lyric video:

"Massive Drain" video:

Lineup:

Vocals - Inés Vera Ortiz
Keyboards and programming - Guillermo de Medio
Drums - Nicholas Papapicco
Guitars - Andrea Seveso
Bass - Mitia Maccaferri




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Subway To Sally have released the second video from their new live Blu-Ray, Eisheilige Nacht - Back To Lindenpark. This special, intimate version of the fan-favorite "Kleid aus Rosen" (EN: Dress of Roses) offers an absolute world premiere: Ally Storch, as well as Saskia and Birgit from Schandmaul, intonate the legendary three-part polyphony at the beginning of the song for the first time ever live.

This version of "Kleid aus Rosen" stands for what Eisheilige Nacht - Back To Lindenpark is all about: an intimate setting, special guests and unique production.

Bodenski on "Kleid aus Rosen": "There are lyrics that you write in one ride. I can still remember exactly how I put this story on paper. In my mind's eye I saw a balladeer standing in the marketplace with a display board and telling his audience this gruesome story, perhaps as a lesson and warning for young girls. I actually believed at the time that the lyrics would not be suitable for Subway To Sally. I was so wrong. When I heard Ingo's brilliant composition to this text, I was thrilled. It is rightly one of our most popular songs. Everything about this song is just right. In the studio, Sigrid Hausen, better known as Syrah, helped us to sing the three-part intro. Until the Eisheilige Nacht Online, this intro was always recorded. It was a special experience for us to hear it live for the first time!"

Subway To Sally on Eisheilige Nacht - Back To Lindenpark: “After 11 years of our "Eisheilige Nacht-tradition", we definitely did not want that 2020 will be seen as a red "X" in the history of our festival series. So we thought about how we could provide our fans with the Eisheilige Nacht feeling at their homes, when we weren't allowed to tour ourselves. An online concert wasn't enough for us: Eisheilige Nacht is not only about meeting friends, but also being a highlight of the year - with several befriended bands performing live on stage. We wanted to implement all of this in one experience. We wanted to record this very special event where the Eisheilige Nacht originally began. Instead of playing a concert in an empty hall, we used the size of the hall, lined up in a circle and placed our guest musicians into our midst. This created new insights that have never been seen before in any Subway To Sally concert film! We are very pleased that we can now, as requested by countless fans, record this event for eternity as a special concert film!"

This unique experience will be available in the following formats:

- Deluxe-Bundle (incl. Deluxe Fan Gym Bag, Mediabook, Pendant, Lanyard, Pass) – strictly limited to 300 copies
- BD/DVD/2-CD Mediabook (vertical format)
- 3-LP Gatefold BLACK (incl. DVD)
- Digital Album
[Deluxe-Bundle (incl. Deluxe Fan Gym Bag, Mediabook, Pendant, Lanyard, Pass)
– strictly limited to 300 copies]

Pre-order Eisheilige Nacht – Back To Lindenpark here.

Eisheilige Nacht - Back To Lindenpark tracklisting:

CD 1
Intro
"Messias"
"Königin der Käfer"
"Unsterblich"
"Imperator Rex Graecourm"
"Dein Anblick"
"Kleid aus Rosen"
"Das Elfte Gebot"
"Sieben"
"Kalte Winde"
"Minne" (FAUN Version)
"Henkersbraut"
"Falscher Heiland"
"Tanz auf dem Vulkan"

CD 2
"Drag Me to Hell"
"Island"
"Kein Meer zu Tief"
"Arme Ellen Schmitt"
"Eisblumen"
"Sie tanzt allein"
"IX"
"Veitstanz (2014 Version)
"Grausame Schwester""
"Alles was das Herz will"
"Aufgewacht"
"Ausgeträumt"
Outro
"Julia und die Räuber"

“IX” video:

"Veitstanz" (2014 Version) video:

Trailer:

Subway To Sally are:

Eric Fish - vocals
Ally Storch - violine
Ingo Hampf - guitar
Bodenski - guitar, vocals, hurdy-gurdy
Simon - guitar, vocals
Sugar Ray - bass
Simon Michael - drums

(Photo - Alexander Schlesier)




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Ritchie Blackmore's official YouTube channel has released a short video clip of the legendary DEEP PURPLE and RAINBOW guitarist talking about his life in quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic. He said: "I wanted last year off completely from touring. I hate traveling, because I've done it so much through my life. I getting into planes and trying to be somewhere. So, to me, I thought, 'Great. We'll take the year off.' But it has gone on a bit too long."

BLACKMORE'S NIGHT, Ritchie's collaborative project with his wife Candice Night, released its eleventh studio album and the first in six years, "Nature's Light", on March 12 via earMUSIC.

Blackmore stepped away from his Renaissance-inspired brand of music with BLACKMORE'S NIGHT in 2016 to perform a handful of shows with a brand-new lineup of RAINBOW, the band he had formed after quitting DEEP PURPLE.

Although Ritchie initially said that he had no plans to make new RAINBOW music — explaining in early 2016 that he wanted to "just get back to playing the old songs one more time" — he later revealed to Japan's Burrn! magazine that he had changed his mind.

In addition to Blackmore, the current incarnation of RAINBOW includes singer Ronnie Romero, who is originally from Chile but is now settled in Romania after living in Madrid, Spain for a number of years, STRATOVARIUS keyboardist Jens Johansson, BLACKMORE'S NIGHT drummer David Keith, bassist Bob Nouveau (a.k.a. Robert "Bob" Curiano, ex-BLACKMORE'S NIGHT), and backing singers Candice Night and Lady Lynn.

Vocalist, actor and author Davey Havok is excited to announce his first NFT, a photo collaboration with esteemed photographer Nedda Afsari. The NFT, titled "A Strange Year: Day 293", is now up for auction via Ephimera.com. The image captures Havok at his most stylishly unkempt during the pandemic-related lockdown, a look known all too well by those who observed these guidelines over the course of the last year. Read more about the project in each artist's own words here.

"When quarantine hit, we had to come up with different ways to express ourselves in isolation," Afsari explains. "Dave approached me with the idea of documenting him in his personal space, untethered. Meaning, Dave in his unkempt environment."

"After having first shot with Nedda, I longed to get back in front of her lens," adds Havok. "Before I could, the pandemic hit, and without safe beautification options, I fell into disarray. My hair went uncut for months. My mustache grew serpentine and obscene. Needless to say, I needed documentation. Thankfully, Nedda was ready for the sordid task. Amidst the quiescence of my home, she captured me at, what traditionally would be construed as, my most masculine. What I call my ''70s porn coke dealer moment' felt too sensational for the archives. The photos were just too alluring. Thus, another excuse to work with Nedda was born. I asked if she'd consider doing a third shoot to document the post-porn look, suggesting we combine three starkly different shoots, capturing varied versions of myself, into a single show: A Strange Year."

The lead singer of AFI, BLAQK AUDIO, XTRMST and DREAMCAR, Havok has released over sixteen records, acted on-screen and performed on Broadway. He is also a published author ("Pop Kids", "Love Fast Los Angeles") and a weekly co-host on SiriusXM's Volume West with Lÿndsey Parker. Born in New York, raised east of the San Francisco Bay by vegan nonbelievers, Havok currently resides amidst watchful livestock and diaphanous garments in a Southern Californian institution of higher learning.

Afsari is an L.A.-based, Iranian-raised photographer and creative director. She explores themes of power, liberation and self awareness; all while celebrating and traversing the diverse realms of the divine feminine and human sexuality. Afsari often combines her love of music and film to create intense and fascinating dreamscapes for her subjects to explore. She photographed St. Vincent's album "Masseduction" which won the 2019 Grammy Award for best recording package, works closely with the record label Dais and was featured by Playboy magazine who described her work as a celebration of "the space between fetish and fragility." In February 2020, Afsari released her debut photography book, titled "Unmuted", encompassing her body of work from 2014 to 2019.

Vulture recently released their new album, Dealin' Death, via Metal Blade Records. A drum playthrough video for album track "Count Your Blessings" is streaming below.

When it comes to contemporary thrash, there are few bands that can stand toe-to-toe with Germany's Vulture. Establishing their status with 2016's Victim To The Blade EP and 2017's The Guillotine, then cementing their reputation with 2019's Ghastly Waves And Battered Graves, they now return with the mighty Dealin' Death, one of the most ruthless records the genre has seen.

"Take all our key elements - fierce riffing, halftone-shifts, aggressive vocals, huge toms, changing dynamics, horror-synths and classical twin guitar harmonies and cast it in a mould, then you have 'Dealin' Death'," says guitarist Stefan Castevet. "The result sounds a little 'back to the EP-ish' to my ears, yet it contains new approaches that we've never included in our sound so far, like choirs with harmonies."

When it was time for the band to head into the studio, the recording process was handled by two separate collaborators: the album recorded at Monkey Moon Studios in Dortmund by Alexander Stöcker, the guitarist of Stallion, while the production was once more handled by Marco Brinkmann at Hellforge Studio.

"This cooperation turned out great!" enthuses vocalist Leo Steeler. "Alex's way of recording and the whole studio atmosphere was pretty motivating and inspiring for all of us. Marco, on the other hand, knows exactly how we should sound and already became literally the sixth member of the band."

Working twelve-hour days for ten days straight was pretty grueling, their daily schedule "get up, track, sleep", but the effort paid off. "I think 'Dealin' Death' is the best we've ever sounded. The mix itself is absolutely flawless to my ears," says Castevet. "It's way more direct and less reverb-soaked than its predecessor. It was very important for us this time, to take advice from Marco and make all key elements audible for the listener. The vocals sound piercing, the bass is present, delivering warmth throughout the whole mix, and the guitars have the best sound we've ever had, and the same goes for drums. It's very natural and dynamic, but straight to the point."

And now with everything done, the band are eager to get it out there. "We can't wait to get feedback for it, hopefully people will admire it as much as we do! Once the pandemic is over, we also can't wait to play shows and even tour again."

Dealin' Death can be ordered here in the following formats:

- jewelcase-CD
- ltd. digipak-CD (incl. sticker)
- 180g black vinyl (EU exclusive)
- slate grey marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 500 copies)
- blood red / black marbled deluxe edition vinyl w/ flag, tape, and sticker (EU exclusive - limited to 300 copies)
- leaf green marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- black w/ red splash vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- dark teal marbled vinyl (US exclusive)

Dealin' Death tracklisting:

"Danger Is Imminent"
"Malicious Souls"
"Count Your Blessings"
"Gorgon"
"Star-Crossed City"
"Flee The Phantom"
"Below The Mausoleum"
"Dealin' Death"
"Multitudes Of Terror"
"The Court Of Caligula"

"Star-Crossed City" video:

"Malicious Souls" video:

Vulture lineup:

L. Steeler - Vocals
S. Castevet - Guitars
M. Outlaw - Guitars
A. Axetinctör - Bass
G. Deceiver - Drums

(Photo - Lea Heindl)




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In a new interview with "Waste Some Time With Jason Green", former GRIM REAPER guitarist Nick Bowcott recalled how he nearly tried out for a fellow New Wave Of British Heavy Metal band more than four decades ago. "I actually applied for the IRON MAIDEN [guitarist slot]," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "I went to see IRON MAIDEN [when they were still] unsigned. And when they advertised for a guitar player [in 1979], I sent — I think I sent [GRIM REAPER's] demo tape called 'Bleed 'Em Dry', which is gonna be released by a label very shortly, 'cause we found some okay versions of the cassette and we remastered it. And I've still got the letter from IRON MAIDEN which was handwritten with a rubber stamp, saying, 'Hey, thanks for the application. The position is already filled.' And it went to Dennis Stratton. And I kept that letter."

He continued: "It's funny, all those years later, I'm friends with [IRON MAIDEN drummer] Nicko McBrain, and I haven't shown him that letter yet, but I found it recently, and so I posted it on Facebook, just 'cause I thought it was funny."

Stratton was a member of MAIDEN for less than a year, but he nonetheless made a vital contribution to the band's classic first album.

In recent years, Bowcott has worked at Marshall amps (for over two decades) and Jackson/Charvel/EVH in the marketing and artist relations departments. He's also had several books published, including ones co-written with METALLICA's Kirk Hammett and the late PANTERA guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott. He now works for Sweetwater as a writer and videomaker.

Bowcott's GRIM REAPER bandmate Steve Grimmett (vocals) has spent the last decade and a half fronting STEVE GRIMMETT'S GRIM REAPER, with which he has released one EP, "Alive And Kicking" (2011) and two full-length albums, "Walking In The Shadows" (2016) and "At The Gates" (2019).

In 2014, Bowcott joined STEVE GRIMMETT'S GRIM REAPER on stage, marking the first time Steve and Nick performed together in more than 25 years.

Photo courtesy of Sweetwater

France's Avaland's are sharing their latest music video "Never Let Me Walk Alone" in support of their symphonic and operatic metal adventure "Theater of Sorcery" released this past April viaRockshots Records. The album features guests Ralf Scheepers (Primal Fear), Zak Stevens (Savatage/TSO), Zaher Zorgati (Myrath), Emmanuelson (Rising Steel), Stéphan Forté (Adagio), Madie (Nightmare) among many other great musicians. 

The music video for "Never Let Me Walk Alone" features Madie (Nightmare) and Ayman Mokdad (Venus Syndrome/Alien Encounters) and can be viewed below.

Band founder Adrien G. Gzagg adds about the track:

"I love singing this one! Madie (Nightmare) made an incredible performance on this track as The Guardian Angel! Ayman Mokdad also played solos with a great feeling on that song! I put a lot of my own in this Progy/AOR song. This song is about the fear of being alone with ourselves and our inner demons. We all sometimes need someone to help us go head in our lives."

Inspired by heroic fantasy, history, mythologies, and esoterism, Avaland band founder Adrien G. Gzagg decided to create the epic story album Theater Of Sorcery with eight characters. The debut is a theatrical metal world that tells the story of a young sorcerer Adam Wilstorm who could be the salvation of bringing back the light to the kingdom of Avaland and during his journey, he must learn to control his powers linked to the Storm.

"This album was a long and tiring, but incredible experience. We could record in a good mood and we were well surrounded by amazing people. Despite of our youth, we could approach a professional atmosphere during studio time. We all surpassed ourselves and we are very proud of the result. We are impatient to share Theater Of Sorcery to the world and very honored to sign with Rockshots for our very first album." adds Adrien G. Gzagg.

 

“Theatre Of Sorcery” video:

Album Teaser:




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Dallas based active rock quintet have been setting radio charts on fire recently with their current single, “California,” one of the more mainstream leaning tracks from current album, Beautiful Chaos. A video for the new single is streaming below.

Directed by Alan Collins, the band headed to Atlanta to shoot the video earlier this year. Brokenrail frontman Blake Clawson says, “The video was shot with our longtime director Alan Collins and his wonderful team back in February of this year at a professional movie warehouse we rented in Atlanta, Georgia. We wanted to capture the dreamlike allure that California has always provided to young musicians in search of purpose and fame. The song is almost a nod to the chase itself and the sacrifices made to continuously move towards those goals even after time has yielded the dream isn’t quite what we had imagined. 

“It had been months since we had all seen one another and so the night prior to the shoot got a little out of hand haha. We had the best of times but were paying for it early on setting up the shoot. As always though, the second the lights turn on and the director yells ‘ACTION’ it’s game on. We packed a lot over 3 days in ATL as we also shot the video for our heavier song ‘The Haunted’. Building two sets and sharing those memories with such an amazing musical family is always so rewarding. We really needed it after what 2020 put us all through. This really set the tone for 2021 and kick started some crazy moves on our part that are truly paying off. It’s shaping up to be a very busy year for Brokenrail!”  

“California” comes from the band’s new album, Beautiful Chaos which was produced by Joseph McQueen (As I Lay Dying, Bad Wolves) and recorded in Los Angeles at Sparrow Sound.  

A recording session the band showed up a few days early for so they bring in the New Year in LA. Clawson recalls NYE and the sessions: “Between The Rainbow and The Viper Room out in Hollywood it was certainly a night! We also had our good friend Michael out in LA take us out on some amazing adventures from rooftop bars, the Santa Monica boardwalk, the Edison downtown. Amazing times for sure! We also went out to NAMM after we finished the record where we met with some great industry reps and spent time with our label reps. We finished the night back at The Rainbow to celebrate the completion of the album. Another great night!” However, not everything was constant wine and roses for certain members of the quintet. “Dave and I got very sick about halfway in and halted recording for almost 5 days. That was brutal. Had to have plenty of bedrest and fight some hoarseness on some of the songs to finish the vocals. It all turned out great though in the end.”




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STYX will release its new studio album, "Crash Of The Crown", on June 18 via the band's label, Alpha Dog 2T/UMe. The official lyric video for the LP's title track — directed by Jay and Trevor Ziebarth with Renee Trotier — can be seen below.

The legendary rockers — James "JY" Young (lead vocals, guitars), Tommy Shaw (lead vocals, guitars), Chuck Panozzo (bass, vocals), Todd Sucherman (drums, percussion), Lawrence Gowan (lead vocals, keyboards) and Ricky Phillips (bass, guitar, vocals — wrote "Crash Of The Crown" pre-pandemic and recorded it during the trying times of the coronavirus crisis.

The "Crash Of The Crown" song breaks some brave new world ground for STYX. Actually, it's the first cut in the band's storied canon to feature three lead vocalists, seeing how it has Young unleashed at the starting gate, Shaw heading up the heroic stacked-vocal middle section, and Gowan leading the vocal charge for the final verse.

"I'm always looking for the one different thing we can do and still have it be STYX," the ever-ebullient Gowan notes, "and that's the song I'm most proud of. The beauty of it is that it's the culmination of all our talents crammed together into one song, 'Abbey Road'-style. I also got to use some gear I never thought I'd have the chance to play on a STYX record like Tommy's Hammond B3 organ, my Minimoog, and my Mellotron."

Efforts to record "Crash Of The Crown" began in earnest at Shaw's home studio in Nashville during the fall of 2019, with Gowan — STYX's criminally minded showman extraordinaire and keyboardist/vocalist since 1999 — in the room together with Shaw and the album's producer, Will Evankovich, as he conjured up the album's first song to be recorded, with cosmetic flourishes that reign over the insistent, yearning call for togetherness, "Common Ground". But the global pandemic that inevitably transformed the way we all wound up living in 2020 changed the course for how many of the band's home-and-away recording sessions ultimately had to set socially distanced sail. Safety precautions took precedent for all involved STYX bandmembers and production compatriots with much diligent quarantining and testing required before any one of them could travel to Shaw's tranquility homebase to spread the uniquely ingrained STYX stardust that's been duly sprinkled across the album's cosmically chosen 15 tracks.

Of all those who made the trek to Nashville, original STYX bassist Chuck Panozzo — who, along with his late twin brother, drummer John Panozzo, formed the initial nucleus of STYX when they began jamming together in their basement on the south side of Chicago in 1961 — is hands down the most effusive about the experience.

"I'm constantly amazed at how Tommy's songwriting continues to connect with the social consciousness that spans across generations," marvels Chuck, who plays on "Our Wonderful Lives" and "Lost At Sea". Lawrence's all-too-brief aquatic fever dream. "Both he and Will have been able to tap into the core elements of the human condition, which is something that's not going to change that much in 50 years — or even 500 years. That's why STYX remains relevant after all this time, because we're part of the human condition."

Whether it's the heady rush of the groundwork-laying opening track "The Fight of Our Lives", the wistfully observational treatise of "Reveries", the cautionary extended hand of comfort and redemption that frames "Hold Back The Darkness", the undeniable uplift of "Our Wonderful Lives" (a beautiful sentiment further embellished by a most welcome, first-ever appearance by a banjo on a STYX album!), or the elegiac clarion call for shared grace in "To Those", "Crash Of The Crown" is music that is both concurrently of its time and truly timeless all at once. Although the official release date for this landmark album may be time-stamped as 2021, the omnisciently observational content of "Crash Of The Crown" readily brings to mind an amalgamation of historical events that occurred in 1066, 1455, 1775, 1861, 1941, and even 2001 without citing any of them by name — Winston Churchill's prescient wartime observations that permeate the pervasive pleas of "Save Us From Ourselves" notwithstanding. In essence, "Crash Of The Crown" is a modern-day sonic chronograph of the endless regenerative cycle of the rise and fall — and rise again — of our shared human experience.

"We've never been a protest band. We're more like a gospel caravan trying to send out positive messages wherever we go," observes Shaw, who joined STYX in December 1975 as a guitarist/vocalist and instantly became one of the band's most important songwriters. "In order to share those positive messages, you have to look at what the problems are first to figure out all the ways you can help make sure everything's going to be alright. That's a very important part of how we do what we do."

Though "Crash Of The Crown" takes a hard look at some inherently dark subjects, the prevalent light at the end of the tunnel eventually becomes each song's focal point — a persistent fervor to keep moving forward and achieve the greater good.

STYX's holy mission for cutting "Crash Of The Crown" was crystal-clear to its co-creator from the get-go. "Absolutely no obstacles were going to get in the way of how we approached creating this album," Shaw concludes about the herculean recording efforts of his fellow "Crash Of The Crown" makers. "And everything came out exactly the way we wanted to hear it."

"Crash Of The Crown" is the follow-up to STYX's 16th studio album, "The Mission" (their first in 14 years at the time, which critics called "a masterpiece") which was released June 16, 2017 on the band's label, Alpha Dog 2T/UMe. The highly anticipated two-disc reissue of "The Mission" was released on July 27, 2018 via Alpha Dog 2T/UMe, which includes a CD of the original album, as well as a Blu-ray of the album mixed in 5.1 surround sound accompanied by stunning visualizations for each of the album's 14 songs based on the album artwork. It originally debuted on various Billboard charts, including: #6 Top Rock Albums, #11 Physical Albums, #11 Vinyl Albums, #13 Current Albums, #14 Billboard Top Albums, #16 Retail, #17 Mass Merch/Non-Traditional, #29 Digital Albums, and #45 Billboard 200 (includes catalog and streaming).

Additionally, for Record Store Day on Saturday, June 12, STYX will release "The Same Stardust" EP on blue 180-gram 12-inch vinyl only, which will feature two brand-new songs on side one ("The Same Stardust" and "Age Of Entropia"), as well as five live performances on side two of some of STYX's classic hits previously heard during their "Styx Fix" livestreams that have been keeping fans company during the pandemic on their official YouTube page, including "Mr. Roboto", "Man In The Wilderness", "Miss America", "Radio Silence" and "Renegade".

In touring news, STYX and COLLECTIVE SOUL are rested, healthy, and ready to hit the road for their first-ever multiple city tour together. STYX had previously announced their return to Las Vegas with a three-night sold-out engagement at The Venetian Theatre inside The Venetian Resort Las Vegas on September 24, 25, and 26, which will include an exclusive set list and brand-new stage production. Tickets for various cities, as well as exclusive VIP packages from each band, are available now at StyxWorld.com and CollectiveSoul.com.

GOJIRA drummer Mario Duplantier has released a video for his latest drum solo "Cyclone". The clip, which was directed by Anne Deguehegny, can be seen below.

In a recent interview with the "Behind The Vinyl" podcast, GOJIRA frontman Joseph Duplantier was asked if he ever has arguments with Mario, who is also his brother. He responded: "Sometimes, but we're pretty patient. We have anger. I wouldn't say we have anger issues, but sometimes I wonder. We respect and love each other very much. We're aware that we're dealing with a project that is very life-defining for us, and there's a lot of people around us. So we're pretty patient. Sometimes I can feel and I can tell — and he would say the same — that sometimes we just can't stand each other. For a little bit — for, like, an hour or two hours. And then we'll be, like, 'You know what? I'm outta here.' We will not start screaming, for example, if something is not happening. Maybe once a year or twice a year we'll raise our voice on each other and it's pretty nasty, but it's very short. So, yeah, we're not punching each other in the face or anything like that."

Joseph also talked about the musical chemistry and connection between him and Mario, saying: "Sometimes he starts just playing something and I'll follow him directly. And then something grows. Or we'll stop and say, 'Hey, I have this vision of something. It goes a bit like this.' And then we start… We build together. It's pretty incredible. I actually never really experienced that with anybody — making art together without being, like, 'Oh my God. What is he doing? That's not what I wanna do.' There's always a connection in something. And I'm very comfortable on the creative process, 'cause I know we're looking for the same thing — sort of. He has his world, I have my own world, of course — we're not the same… But sometimes we get together, and the common area is what defines what the band is, pretty much. So when we're in that zone, where we connect, and there's this thing where we're both… And we know — we just look at each other; we raise an eyebrow or something, and, boom. We don't need to talk. We just play, play, play."

Last month, GOJIRA announced details of a fall U.S. headline tour. The new dates, which will feature special guests KNOCKED LOOSE and ALIEN WEAPONRY, are set to kick of October 11 in Salt Lake City, Utah at The Union and continue through a performance at Cleveland, Ohio's The Agora on October 29.

The new headline dates will follow GOJIRA's summer run supporting DEFTONES which gets underway August 12 at The Armory in Minneapolis, Minnesota and includes two GOJIRA-only headline dates on September 3 in Chattanooga, Tennessee and September 20 in Boise, Idaho.

GOJIRA's new album, "Fortitude", was released on April 30 via Roadrunner Records. The disc was recorded and produced by Joseph Duplantier at Silver Cord Studio — GOJIRA's Ridgewood, Queens, headquarters — and mixed by Andy Wallace (NIRVANA, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE).

"Hate Cloak", a new song from black metal pioneers DARKTHRONE, can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's upcoming album, "Eternal Hails……", which will be released on June 25 via Peaceville.

"Hate Cloak" is a nine-minute, 17-second Fenriz-penned hallowed epic which is steeped in the majestic thunder of vintage heavy doom metal.

Fenriz comments: "'Hate Cloak' is certainly the slowest song on the album. There are plenty of 'fast' parts on Ted's songs, middle tempos and slow as well. The whole point of us having long songs is variation in tempos/pace, hence the epicness."

Since forming in 1986 as BLACK DEATH in Kolboton, Norway, DARKTHRONE have been masters of their art. Dropping the death metal of 1991's "Soulside Journey" debut album in favor of a more primitive, black metal sound on the following year's "A Blaze In The Northern Sky", they helped define black metal in the '90s through albums like 1993's "Under A Funeral Moon" and its follow-up "Transilvanian Hunger". Truly, though, DARKTHRONE remain unique, even in their own canon.

On "Eternal Hails……", the longer, doomier songs reflect drummer Fenriz's love of doom, taking their time to make their point. For Fenriz, what he and co-conspirator Nocturno Culto have concocted stretches back even further than discovering black metal, to the sounds of the '70s and the more freewheeling sounds of bands playing with more expansive themes. This didn't just make the songs longer, it made them an entirely different beast from the ground up.

"When I was a kid growing up with metal I kept looking for bands with long songs. BLACK SABBATH had many, and CELTIC FROST's 'Dawn Of Meggido' had a long song, so I put that on in the record store and discovered another dimension of metal. CANDLEMASS's 'Epicus Doomicus Metallicus' had only long songs, so I think I bought that without even listening, and it was one of my best buys ever — an eternal inspiration for my entire career."

"For us, it has become a bit logical, hard to explain, but you get to build up for a different kind of listening," says Nocturno Culto. "A three-minute song is nothing we think of at the moment. We like it this way. For now."

Even a change of studio hasn't really changed anything in DARKTHRONE's DNA. Having recorded all albums since 2004 using their own Necrohell II studio — a portable 8-track recorder housed in an old bomb shelter, itself a replacement for the original Necrohell 4-track used for "Transilvanian Hunger" and "Panzerfaust", until it became "too necro" and broke — for "Eternal Hails……", the band went to Chaka Khan Studio in Oslo for the first time.

Though the material was almost all finished ahead of the session, something the new studio and new way of working did allow for on "Eternal Hails……", was the opportunity to experiment with ideas on the hoof.

In a world changing too fast for anything to stick, DARKTHRONE are both able to stay fresh, but also reassuringly reliable. And no matter where they record, what they do or what gear the use to do it — Fenriz actually ended up using a drum kit belonging to Carmine Appice when he was in Rod Stewart's band this time around — this, it seems, will never and can never change.

As Fenriz himself puts it: "No matter what happens we will still sound like us, it seems!"

The cover artwork features the piece "Pluto And Charon" (1972), from renowned science-fiction artist David A. Hardy; a hugely inspirational image for both Fenriz and Nocturno Culto spanning several decades, and this also stands as a symbolic link between the genre-bending styles apparent on DARKTHRONE's earliest works, to those same traits evident on "Eternal Hails……".

Track listing:

01. His Master's Voice [07:17]

02. Hate Cloak [09:16]

03. Wake Of The Awakened [08:24]

04. Voyage To A North Pole Adrift [09:24]

05. Lost Arcane City Of Uppakra [07:02]

Photo credit: Jørn Steen

Norwegian black metallers MAYHEM return this year with an EP called "Atavistic Black Disorder / Kommando" with additional material from the "Daemon" session, including a homage to bands that laid the foundation for what was to come. The EP will be released on July 9.

The official music video for the song "Voces Ab Alta", created by visual artist Costin Chioreanu (GHOST, OPETH, NAPALM DEATH), can be seen below. "Voces Ab Alta" was initially recorded during MAYHEM's "Daemon" sessions but has remained previously unreleased.

The seven-song EP features three original tracks ("Voces Ab Alta", "Black Glass Communion" and "Everlasting Dying Flame") as well as covers of classic punk tracks from DISCHARGE ("In Defense Of Our Future"), DEAD KENNEDYS ("Hellnation"), RUDIMENTARY PENI ("Only Death") and the RAMONES ("Commando"). The band also recruited Billy Messiah and Maniac, who took over vocal performances on two songs.

The visual concept was once again handled by Italian designer Daniele Valeriani (LUCIFER'S CHILD, DARK FUNERAL) who already took care of the artwork for their previous long player "Daemon".

"I always had some punk influences," says vocalist Attila. "I guess it comes from my childhood when we were constantly looking for more extreme music. That's how I discovered DEAD KENNEDYS, GBH, THE EXPLOITED, SEX PISTOLS, U.K. SUBS, DISCHARGE, RUDIMENTARY PENI and so on, in the early '80s, alongside heavy metal. But then I discovered VENOM. That was a game changer!"

Necrobutcher adds: "We got some extra time in the studio recording the 'Daemon' album two years ago, all band members were asked to punch in two cover tracks for some extra material. I chose songs by DEATHSTRIKE ('The Truth') and DEATH ('Evil Dead') which were both used as the bonus tracks on the album. My other contribution was to bring in two old members because of their obvious connection with punk: Maniac on the DEAD KENNEDYS track and Billy (Messiah) on the DISCHARGE track and some of the others."

Track listing:

Side A

01. Voces Ab Alta

02. Black Glass Communion

03. Everlasting Dying Flame

Side B

01. In Defense Of Our Future (DISCHARGE cover)

02. Hellnation (DEAD KENNEDYS cover)

03. Only Death (RUDIMENTARY PENI cover)

04. Commando (RAMONES cover)

MAYHEM is:

Necrobutcher - Bass

Hellhammer - Drums

Attila - Vocals

Teloch - Guitar

Ghul - Guitar

Florida death/thrash outfit Inhuman Condition have released their fourth and final single from their anticipated debut album Rat°God, before it comes out June 4 on Listenable Insanity Records. The video for “The Neck Step” can be viewed below.

The trio announced their formation earlier this year and have since won the hearts and ears of death metal and thrash metal fans around the globe. The band consists of former Massacre members Terry Butler (also of Obituary, former Death/Six Feet Under) on bass, Jeramie Kling (Venom Inc, The Absence, Goregäng, Fore) on vocals and drums, and Taylor Nordberg (The Absence, Goregäng, Fore) on guitar.

“‘The Neck Step’ is one of my favorite songs on Rat°God. It’s a rifftastic, neck-stepping hell-ride, chock-full of devilish hooks!” Butler says about the new song. The video for “The Neck Step” was filmed and edited by Frank McMahon at Revolt Entertainment.

Rat°God was mixed by Kling and mastered by Nordberg at their own Smoke & Mirrors Productions in Spring Hill, Florida, where the album was written and recorded. The artwork for the album was done by Dan Goldsworthy (Accept, Cradle Of Filth, Alestorm, Xentrix).

The album will be out on June 4 via Listenable Insanity Records, with a vinyl release set for August 6 via Black Serpent Records. Pre-orders are available here.

Tracklisting:

“Euphoriphobia”
“The Neck Step”
“Planetary Paroxysm”
“Killing Pace”
“Gravebound”
“Tyrantula”
“Rat God”
“Crown Of Mediocrity”
“Fait Accompli”

"The Next Step" video:

"Euphoriphobia" video:

“Tyrantula” video:

Inhuman Condition is:

Terry Butler - bass
Jeramie Kling - drums/vocals
Taylor Nordberg - guitar




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According to the Helsinki Times, the first of NIGHTWISH's two interactive experiences drew 150,000 viewers, setting the record for the largest paid virtual concert in Finland's history. Most of the viewers came from Europe and North America, but the performance was a truly global event, with fans in 108 countries purchasing tickets to the show and the box office gross exceeding one million euro.

NIGHTWISH performed in a tavern called "The Islanders Arms" built in a virtual world for two nights — Friday, May 28 and Saturday, May 29. On both nights, the fans experienced a one-and-a-half-hour performance, hearing songs live off "Human. :II: Nature." for the first time ever. Each of the two nights had its own slightly different setlist.

Program agency Fullsteam Agency, Zoan, which was responsible for the technical implementation, and the management company Till Dawn They Count produced "An Evening With Nightwish In A Virtual World", which took six months to prepare. Zoan's crew consisted of about 30 people from seven different countries, making it possible for the fans to interact with other fans as well as experience 3D imaginative worlds built based on the band's vision.

"This is definitely one of the coolest things we've gotten to do with the band," NIGHTWISH drummer drummer Kai Hahto said. "When visuals, technology and music meet so well, it becomes a unique experience."

Friday's concert marked NIGHTWISH's live debut with session bassist Jukka Koskinen (WINTERSUN), who joined the band as the replacement for Marco Hietala. Marco announced his departure from NIGHTWISH in January, explaining in a statement that he hadn't "been able to feel validated by this life for a quite a few years now."

Earlier this month, NIGHTWISH keyboardist and main songwriter Tuomas Holopainen said that Hietala's decision to leave the band "came as a bit of a surprise." He told Finland's Kaaos TV: "Marco informed us in December last year [that he was leaving the band]. And even though he has been very open about his state and problems during the past years, it still came as a bit of a surprise for us. So it was a really tough pill to swallow. And for a few days, I was actually quite confident that there's no coming back, that this is it. I remember talking to Emppu [Vuorinen], the guitar player, and we were, like, 'You think this is it?' 'Yeah, I think this is it.' I mean, enough is enough. So much has happened in the past. Something that broke the camel's back, as they say. Then, after some time had passed — a few days — we started to think that it's been such a ride of 25 years, with so many ups also, that this is not the way to end it."

"Human. :II: Nature." was released in April 2020. The follow-up to 2015's "Endless Forms Most Beautiful", "Human. :II: Nature." is a double album containing nine tracks on the main CD and one long track, divided into eight chapters, on CD 2.




Lukuisia ennätyksiä jo aiemminkin urallaan rikkonut Nightwish järjesti faneilleen ainutlaatuisen kokemuksen perjantaina 28.5. 3D-virtuaalimaailmaan sijoittunut ”An Evening with Nightwish in a Virtual World” -konsertti keräsi ensimmäisen päivän aikana ennätyksellisen 150 000 katsojan yleisön. Lipunmyynti lauantain konserttiin on yhä käynnissä, ja molemmat konsertit ovat katsottavissa lipun ostaneille 48 tunnin ajan konserttien jälkeen. Liikevaihdoltaan Nightwishin virtuaalispektaakkelin lippukassa vastaa suurta stadionkonserttia ja on täten moninkertainen verrattuna yhdenkään suomalaisartistin stream- tai virtuaalikeikkaan aikaisemmin. Konsertit ovat keränneet katsojia yhteensä jo 108 eri maasta, valtaosa Euroopasta ja Pohjois-Amerikasta.

Posted by Fullsteam Agency on Friday, May 28, 2021

Немецкие электрокорщики WE BUTTER THE BREAD WITH BUTTER выпустят свой новый долгожданный альбом, названный просто "Das Album", 24 сентября этого года на AFM Records. Релиз выйдет в диджипак варианте, лимитированном бокс-сете и на розовом, голубом и золотом виниле, а также в цифровом варианте.

Das Album - это возвращение к корням коллектива, который был создан в 2007 году гитаристом Марселем Нойманом и вокалистом Тобиасом Шульткой, и носил шуточный характер – музыканты занялись прочтением детских стихов и сказок через призму экстремальных музыкальных стилей.

В 2010 году Шультка покинул группу, чтобы посвятить все свое время разработке софта для iOS, а вместо него к микрофону встал Пауль Барц. Несмотря на перемены WBTBWB становились все более и более популярны, приезжали с гастролями в Россию. На сегодняшний день музыканты выпустили четыре альбома, последний из них, «Wieder Geil!», увидел свет в 2015 году. Далее несколько лет группа держала своих поклонников в режиме ожидания, балуя редкими синглами. В 2019 году Тоби вернулся к проекту и музыканты выпустили сингл Dreh Auf!

Трек-лист:
01 Das Album Intro
02 Dreh Auf!
03 20 km/h
04 N!CE
05 Schreibwarenfachverkäufer
06 Läuft
07 Jump 'n' Run
08 Sprich Sie Einfach An
09 Meine Finger Sind Zu Klein
10 Piks Mich
11 Metal
12 Angriff Der Dönerteller
13 Letzter Song

Former METALLICA bassist Jason Newsted will not join MEGADETH as David Ellefson's replacement.

Ever since MEGADETH officially fired Ellefson last Monday (May 24), speculation has been rife that Newsted will step in to fill the bassist role on the band's upcoming summer tour with LAMB OF GOD.

Earlier today (Sunday, May 30), Jason's wife Nicole took to her Instagram to pour cold water on fans' hopes of seeing her husband share the stage with Dave Mustaine and company.

She wrote: "Hi guys! Two things

"1. Jason is not joining MEGADETH. peace to them. Listen to metal

"2. Jason does not have social media accounts; this includes but is not limited to TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Onlyfans and Tinder. "If you are receiving dm's from the Jason Newsted music account or any other account claiming to be Jason please know this is not Jason and proceed at your own risk".

Newsted performed the classic METALLICA song "Phantom Lord" with MEGADETH on August 11, 2013 at the final show of that summer's Gigantour in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Newsted, who quit METALLICA in February 2001, was the frontman of NEWSTED, which took part in the 2013 edition of Gigantour, the critically acclaimed package festival founded in 2005 by Mustaine.

Mustaine, who was one of the original members of METALLICA, was fired from the band by drummer Lars Ulrich in 1983. He was replaced by Kirk Hammett and went on to form MEGADETH and achieve worldwide success on his own.

Three years ago, Ellefson said that he was considered for the bassist position in METALLICA after Newsted left the band two decades ago.

Newsted exited METALLICA after he clashed with James Hetfield over the release of an album by ECHOBRAIN, Jason's side project. He was replaced by producer Bob Rock in the studio, for the recording of 2003's "St. Anger" album, and then permanently by former OZZY OSBOURNE bassist Robert Trujillo.

In an interview with The Metal Voice, Ellefson was asked if there was any talk about him playing with METALLICA once it was announced that Newsted had split with the group. "They didn't call me," David said. "I know that there was a conversation about considering me. I know Lars and Dave [Mustaine] had chatted, 'cause [METALLICA] were putting their short list together. And, to be honest with you… I mean, look, METALLICA are great, and I'm a fan of theirs and friends with them, and I would be there to be of service with them in whatever way, but they, I think, made their decision right around the time when MEGADETH had disbanded in 2002."

MEGADETH is currently scheduled to take part in "The Metal Tour Of The Year" with LAMB OF GOD, beginning on August 20 in Austin. MEGADETH is also slated to appear at the SLIPKNOT-curated Knotfest in September in Iowa.

MEGADETH has yet to announce a replacement for Ellefson, who was in the band from its inception in 1983 to 2002, and again from 2010 until his latest departure.
























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Former QUEENSRŸCHE singer Geoff Tate performed the band's classic albums "Rage For Order" and "Empire" in their entirety at this past Friday's (May 28) stop of the "Empire 30th Anniversary Tour" at the Historic Everett Theatre in Everett, Washington. Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below.

For this show, COVID-19 restrictions were still in effect. Therefore, seating was assigned by date the tickets were purchased and group size (maximum of six), utilizing social distancing requirements. Masks were required while moving about the theatre.

1986's "Rage For Order" introduced a much more polished look and sound for QUEENSRŸCHE. The album featured keyboards as prominently as guitars, and the group adopted an image more closely associated with glam rock or glam metal than with heavy metal (of which glam metal was a subgenre). A video was filmed for the song "Gonna Get Close to You", originally recorded in 1984 by DALBELLO.

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

Prior to the launch of the trek in early 2020, Tate told MisplacedStraws.com that he would take the "Empire 30th Anniversary Tour" to "as many countries as I can and playing the album in its entirety, which I've never done before. So that'll be real fun. In fact, I think there's some songs on that album that I've never, ever played live before, so it'll be a treat — for me, as well, I think, for the audience too," the former QUEENSRŸCHE singer said. "I'm really looking forward to that."

Tate told Eonmusic that one song from "Empire" that was rarely performed live is "Anybody Listening?" "When QUEENSRŸCHE was together, we never really put that song in our set," he said. "We just had a hard time playing it, for some reason; it just never jelled or felt right. And I'd really like to play that song again, and play it right."

In April 2014, Tate and QUEENSRŸCHE announced that a settlement had been reached after a nearly two-year legal battle where the singer sued over the rights to the QUEENSRŸCHE name after being fired in 2012. Original QUEENSRŸCHE members Michael Wilton (guitar), Scott Rockenfield (drums) and Eddie Jackson (bass) responded with a countersuit. The settlement included an agreement that Wilton, Rockenfield and Jackson would continue as QUEENSRŸCHE, while Tate would have the sole right to perform the albums "Operation: Mindcrime" and "Operation: Mindcrime II" in their entirety live.

Tate has been replaced in QUEENSRŸCHE by former CRIMSON GLORY singer Todd La Torre.

Geoff recently celebrated the 30th anniversary of "Operation: Mindcrime" on European and U.S. tours.






Geoff Tate Silent Lucidity. Everett Theater 5/28/21

Posted by Greg Wilson on Saturday, May 29, 2021



Posted by Paul Davidson on Friday, May 28, 2021



Posted by Laura Melix on Saturday, May 29, 2021



Posted by Leandre Dexter Waller on Saturday, May 29, 2021



Back stage meet and greet last night with Geoff Tate (original singer of Queensryche) in the historic Everett theater in Washington. Wonderful man, incredible night!

Posted by Derek Schenck on Saturday, May 29, 2021

Former DELAIN singer and songwriter Charlotte Wessels will release her first solo endeavor, "Tales From Six Feet Under", on September 17, 2021 via Napalm Records.

Unable to perform live due to the pandemic, Wessels spent most of last year buried in her Six Feet Under home studio, writing, performing and producing an eclectic wealth of songs. "Tales From Six Feet Under" offers her favorites out of the bunch. All instruments and vocals on these ten intimate and honest songs were performed or programmed by Wessels herself — except for the exciting collaboration with Alissa White-Gluz (ARCH ENEMY) on the haunting track "Lizzie" — showcasing the multifaceted nature of Wessels, including her exceptional ability to express the most sincere feelings and emotions within her art.

Wessels states: "In May 2020, I started releasing a song every month on Patreon as an outlet for my surplus of music, and tracks I wrote that didn't fit my band. The year that followed was an absolute roller coaster, from living through a global pandemic to closing a chapter so dear to me. It shows through these songs, made right here in my Six Feet Under home studio. Producing these songs with the support of a wonderful community has been a lifesaver during such turbulent times, and I'm happy to bring them out of the basement and into the world with this release. Let me tell you the 'Tales From Six Feet Under'."

"Tales From Six Feet Under" is an electrifying collection with gems ranging from melancholic indie pop to synth-infused rock. The record features Wessels's rendition of goth classic "Cry Little Sister", as well as a beautiful synergy of the stunning voices of Wessels and White-Gluz on "Lizzie". It also debuts a song in Wessels's native language with the Dutch rocker "Afkicken". The mesmerizing and haunting "Victor" was released in April this year along with a visually palpable music video. "Soft Revolution" showcases the artist right where the magic happens; in her Six Feet Under studio. The song — part sweet sorrow, part soaring call to action — is quickly becoming a fan favorite.

Wessels stated about "Soft Revolution": "'Soft Revolution' was such a cathartic song to write, and it means so much to me to learn how it resonates with people. Working on the song, I hoped it would become a piece of music that made listeners less alone in their feelings, but I never expected it would end up doing that for me as well."

Vinyl track listing:

Side A

01. Superhuman

02. Afkicken

03. Masterpiece

04. Victor

05. New Mythology

06. Source Of The Flame

Side B

07. Cry Little Sister

08. Lizzie (a duet with Alissa White-Gluz)

09. FSU (2020)

10. Soft Revolution

Having confirmed their appearances atop the 2021 lineups of Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo and Bottlerock, FOO FIGHTERS are answering the burning question of "Are they doing any of their own shows?" with a resounding "fuck yes."

Tickets will go on sale June 4 at 10 a.m. local time for the first confirmed U.S. headline dates of FOO FIGHTERS' "26th Anniversary Tour", which will take place as follows:

July 28 - The Andrew J Brady ICON Music Center -Cincinnati, OH

July 30 - American Family Insurance Amphitheater -Milwaukee, WI

August 03 - Hollywood Casino Amphitheater -St. Louis, MO

August 05 - Azura Amphitheater -Bonner Springs, KS

August 07 - The Zoo Amphitheater -Oklahoma City, OK

August 09 - Isleta Amphitheater -Albuquerque, NM

* RADKEY supports on all dates

The six newly announced dates are the first FOO FIGHTERS headlining shows to be confirmed since the February release of "Medicine At Midnight" (Roswell/RCA). This means the FF faithful in six more cities will finally have the chance to sing along to "Shame Shame", "No Son of Mine", "Waiting On A War" and more from the album that's been hailed as "brighter and more optimistic than anything they’ve ever done" (Rolling Stone)" and "one of FOO FIGHTERS' best albums of this century" (The Wall Street Journal).

FOO FIGHTERS fans are advised to keep a watchful eye on foofighters.com and the band's socials for a crapload more shows to be announced.

Citi is the official presale credit card of the FOO FIGHTERS tour. As such, Citi cardmembers will have access to purchase presale tickets beginning Tuesday, June 1 at 12 p.m. ET until Thursday, June 3 at 10 p.m. local time through Citi Entertainment.

"Medicine At Midnight" landed at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Album Sales chart with first-week sales of 64,000 copies in the U.S.

FOO FIGHTERS previously topped the chart with 2017's "Concrete And Gold" and 2011's "Wasting Light".

23,000 of "Medicine At Midnight"'s first-week sales came from vinyl LP sales, with CDs and digital albums registering 20,000 each.

"Medicine At Midnight" came out on February 5 via Roswell Records/RCA Records. The LP is a nine-song, 37-minute effort which was produced by the FOO FIGHTERS and Greg Kurstin.

The first single from the disc, "Shame Shame", was released in November. An accompanying music video for the song was directed by Paola Kudacki and co-stars FOO FIGHTERS frontman Dave Grohl and Sofia Boutella. "Shame Shame" renders in stunning black and white an interpretation of a recurring dream that's haunted Grohl since his childhood days.

Photo credit: Danny Clinch

BUCKCHERRY singer Josh Todd spoke to Rodolfo Roman of "The Roman Show" about the band's new album, "Hellbound", which will be released on June 25 via Round Hill Records. The follow-up to 2019's "Warpaint" was recorded last fall in Nashville, Tennessee with producer and songwriter-for-hire Marti Frederiksen, who has previously collaborated with AEROSMITH, DEF LEPPARD, Jonny Lang and Sheryl Crow, among many others.

Asked how he and his bandmates stayed busy during the coronavirus pandemic, Josh said: "We really had to focus on something creative to get our minds off of it. Because, as you know, living in the United States, there was a lot more than just the pandemic going on. It was chaos. It was the election, COVID, racism, riots — the list goes on. The gun violence — all that kind of stuff.

"Whenever there's a lot of adversity, this band really writes its best records, I have to say," he continued. "'Hellbound', our new record that's gonna drop June 25th, it's gotta be the best BC record, and I'm not saying that just 'cause we're about to drop it. It's really amazing. We worked really hard on it. We just channeled all that energy into writing songs. Yeah, we wrote a lot of songs. We wrote about almost 30 songs for a 10-song record. So it just goes to show you how thorough we were, and it really paid off."

As for what will happen to the remaining 20 or so songs that didn't make the cut this time around, Todd said: "I think some of 'em are good enough to make a record — maybe two or three. Sometimes songs, they never get to that point where they're good enough to be on a record. That's why you've gotta write a lot of them. We don't wanna put out just filler. That's really important to us. So that's why we write a lot of songs."

Regarding how he and his bandmates go about deciding which songs to put on an album, Josh said: "You kind of know. The cream rises to the top. We create a little playlist — we'll have password-protected playlists while we're writing demos — and it only goes out to the band and our manager and our producer. And then we just continue to write and add songs and write and add songs. And before you know it, when it gets closer and we feel like we've exhausted the songwriting process, there's usually always eight songs that are undeniable, or seven, and then you've kind of gotta start really finetuning the last three or four. That's kind of how we do it. We know when we've got it.

"On BUCKCHERRY records, you wanna have a lot of dynamics — you don't wanna have just all rock songs; you don't wanna have all just super-fast-tempo songs; you don't wanna have all ballads; you don't wanna have all midtempo songs," he explained. "So when you're writing songs, sometimes you'll have five midtempo songs, and you only want one or two for the record. And then you'll have a few slow songs, and you only want one for the record. And then you'll have a bunch of rockers. Like I said, there'll be good ones and then there'll be mediocre songs; maybe it's a good chorus, but the rest of the song isn't good. Stuff like that. Sometimes you go back and rewrite stuff.

"We just were in a zone on this record," he added. "We co-wrote a lot of songs with Marti Frederkisen as well, the guy who produced the record. We'd written songs with him in the past. He's a really talented guy. And five of those songs made the record. So it just goes to show you how good that was. We wrote with him for a week. We wrote six songs in five days, and five of 'em made the record. And then we took five of the remaining 22 that [guitarist] Stevie [Dacanay, a.k.a. Stevie D.] and I had written prior to getting in a room with Marti. And there you have 'Hellbound', the record. And it's amazing."

Last summer, BUCKCHERRY recruited JETBOY's Billy Rowe as its new guitarist. He joined the group as the replacement for Kevin Roentgen, who left BUCKCHERRY in July 2020.

Roentgen, who joined the California-based band in 2017, made his exit official in a social media post. He wrote: "Bottom line, I made this decision to come off the road and spend more time with my family. The guys understood this, and for that I'm thankful. Though my wife and daughter always one hundred percent supported me in this gig, they are quite happy now to have me home."

Roentgen joined BUCKCHERRY as the replacement for original guitarist Keith Nelson. Roentgen can be heard on "Warpaint", which was released in March 2019 via Century Media/RED Music. The 12-song record was produced by Mike Plotnikoff, whose previous collaboration with the band was BUCKCHERRY's multi-platinum third album, 2005's "15".

In 2019, BUCKCHERRY recruited Francis Ruiz as its new drummer. He joined the group as the replacement for Sean Winchester, who exited BUCKCHERRY after laying down the drum tracks on "Warpaint".

Imonolith features drummer Ryan Van Poederooyen (Devin Townsend Project), guitarist Brian ‘Beav’ Wadell (Devin Townsend Project), Jon Howard (Threat Signal), guitarist Kai Huppunen (Methods of Mayhem, Noise Therapy) and Scott Whalen (Econoline Crush). They released the new single "Angevil" from their forthcoming Progressions EP on May 28th. Check out the official lyric video below.

The band recently issued the folllowing update:

"We’ll confirm now that Imonolith will be releasing a 5 song EP called Progressions in 2021. All newly recorded music with some surprises. The first single will be released soon (date announcement coming up), along with a special plan to keep you guys entertained! Thanks for the support, stay posted. We’re excited to release our evolved sound to you all!"

Imonolith's 2021 European tour schedule is curently as follows:

November
3 - Stoke, UK - Underground
4 - Glasgow, UK - Broadcast
5 - Edinburgh, UK - Bannerman
6 - Newcastle, UK - Underground
7 - Bristol, UK - Exchange
8 - Sheffield, UK - Corporation
9 - Leeds, UK - The Key Club
10 - Bournemouth, UK - The Anvil
11 - London, UK - The Black Heart
12 - Bilzen, Belgium - South of Heaven
13 - Lyon, France - Rock n Eat
15 - Madrid, Spain - Rockville
16 - Portugalete, Spain - Groove
17 - Montpellier, France - Secret Place
18 - Martigny, Switzerland - Sunset Bar
19 - Mainz, Germany - Schon Schon
20 - Cham, Germany - L.A. Live Club Cafe
21 - Modena, Italy - MK Live
23 - Brasov, Romania - Rockstadt
24 - Budapest, Hungary - ROBOT
25 - Salzburg, Austria - Rockhouse Bar
26 - Geislingen, Germany - MieV
27 - Dobeln, Germany - KL17
28 - Prague, Czech Republic - Rock Cafe
29 - Munich, Germany - Backstage
30 - Bochum, Germany - Die Trompete

December
1 - Hamburg, Germany - Goldener Salon
3 - Stockholm, Sweden - Hus 7
5 - Helsinki, Finland - On The Rocks
6 - Tallin, Estonia - Rockclub Tapper
8 - Riga, Latvia - Melna Piektdiena
9 - Vilnius Lithuania - Club Narauti




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3 DOORS DOWN will celebrate the 20th anniversary of its debut album, "The Better Life", this summer by hitting major markets in amphitheaters across the U.S. for "The Better Life 20th Anniversary Tour". "Kryptonite", which launched 3 DOORS DOWN's career, has become a juggernaut hit across the globe that generations now sing. 2020 marked the 20th anniversary of the band's debut, and for the first time ever, the group will play "The Better Life" in its entirety, front to back, along with the rest of their hits on "The Better Life 20th Anniversary Tour". Produced by Live Nation, the tour will feature support on select dates from special guests SEETHER, who currently have the No. 1 record at rock radio.

"Especially after the last year everyone has had, I am really looking forward to rocking out and celebrating with our fans this summer. It's hard to believe it's been 20 years since we released 'The Better Life'," 3 DOORS DOWN's Brad Arnold says. "That album drastically changed our lives, and we are incredibly excited to celebrate the 20th anniversary with our fans by playing 'The Better Life' front to back this summer. It's going to be a blast, and we can't wait to get on the road and see everyone out there."

Earlier this year, 3 DOORS DOWN released a re-mastered 20th-anniversary edition of "The Better Life" album along with the nine-song "Escatawpa Sessions" as a box set on high-quality 3LP vinyl. The "Escatawpa Sessions", recorded in the band's Mississippi hometown in 1996, features seven demo versions from "The Better Life", as well as three previously unreleased tracks. The 3LP box set features a custom lithograph, a six-page booklet with never-before-seen photos and extensive liner notes, and interviews with the band and executives from their label and talent agency. A 2CD and an expanded digital album of "The Better Life" are also available now, and each feature four new bonus tracks including, "The Better Life (XX Mix)", a new mix by Grammy Award-winning Chris Lord-Alge, "Kryptonite (2000 Acoustic)", "Be Like That (2000 Acoustic)" and "Wasted Me (With Harp Version)" .

Tickets for "The Better Life 20th Anniversary Tour" dates go on sale Friday, June 4 at 10 a.m. local time. On select shows, 3 DOORS DOWN will be offering special 20th anniversary VIP packages. All VIP packages will be available starting Wednesday, June 2 at 10 a.m. local time. Citi is the official presale credit card of "The Better Life 20th Anniversary Tour". As such, Citi cardmembers will have access to purchase presale tickets beginning Wednesday, June 2 at 10 a.m. local time until Thursday, June 3 at 10 p.m. local time through Citi Entertainment.

Formed in 1995, Grammy Award-nominated multi-platinum Mississippi rock band 3 DOORS DOWN consistently captivates audiences worldwide. The quintet's many accolades include selling 20 million albums globally, receiving a Grammy nomination, two American Music Awards, and five BMI Pop Awards for songwriting, including "Songwriter Of The Year." Their debut, "The Better Life", became certified seven-times RIAA platinum and was fueled by the success of juggernaut hit "Kryptonite".

SLIPKNOT has announced a return to the road for its incendiary 2021 incarnation of the "Knotfest Roadshow". Support will come from three Grammy-nominated heavy music luminaries, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, FEVER 333 and CODE ORANGE.

The 28-date run, produced by Live Nation, kicks off following the band's previously announced Knotfest Iowa hometown show in Des Moines on September 25. The "Knotfest Roadshow"'s first official date happens at Tinley Park, Illinois on September 28, with the tour then snaking its way across the U.S., wrapping up in Arizona in early November.

SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor states: "With the world opening up, it's time to get excited about LIFE again. To get back to LIFE again. This tour is a long time coming and we hope you're as excited to see it as we are to play it. Stay safe, stay (sic) and we'll see you soon."

Tickets will be available on pre-sale to Knotfest subscribers from 10 a.m. local time on June 2, with a general on-sale from 10 a.m. local on June 4, over at KnotfestRoadshow.com.

"Knotfest Roadshow" 2021 tour dates:

Sep. 25 - Des Moines, IA - National Balloon Classic Field*

Sep. 28 - Tinley Park, IL - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre

Sep. 29 - Milwaukee, WI - American Family Insurance Amphitheater

Oct. 01 - Noblesville, IN - Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center

Oct. 02 - Clarkston, MI - DTE Energy Music Theatre

Oct. 03 - Darien Center, NY - Darien Lake Amphitheater

Oct. 05 - Syracuse, NY - Lakeview Amphitheater - Syracuse

Oct. 08 - Mansfield, MA - Xfinity Center

Oct. 09 - Hartford, CT - XFINITY Theatre

Oct. 10 - Holmdel, NJ - PNC Bank Arts Center

Oct. 12 - Camden, NJ - BB&T Pavilion

Oct. 13 - Bristow, VA - Jiffy Lube Live

Oct. 15 - Burgettstown, PA - S&T Bank Music Park

Oct. 17 - Charlotte, NC - PNC Music Pavilion

Oct. 19 - Tampa, FL - MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre

Oct. 20 - West Palm Beach, FL - iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre

Oct. 22 - Raleigh, NC - Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek

Oct. 23 - Alpharetta, GA - Ameris Bank Amphitheatre

Oct. 24 - Pelham, AL - Oak Mountain Amphitheatre

Oct. 26 - Rogers, AR - Walmart AMP

Oct. 28 - Del Valle, TX - Germania Insurance Amphitheater

Oct. 29 - The Woodlands, TX - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion**

Oct. 30 - Dallas, TX - Dos Equis Pavilion

Nov. 01 - Albuquerque, NM - Isleta Amphitheater

Nov. 02 - Phoenix, AZ - Ak-Chin Pavilion

* Knotfest festival

** No CODE ORANGE

Twenty-two years ago, nine inspired musicians from Des Moines, Iowa, shattered the scope of what was possible in rock music. From the moment SLIPKNOT emerged in 1999 with their self-titled debut, it was clear they were like nothing the world had seen before. Where a similarly creative act may have burned out or lost their relevance chasing mainstream acceptance, SLIPKNOT has only proven that an enduring commitment to constant evolution, their craft, and their fans can allow a rock band to not only continue — but flourish and push the envelope on what defines heavy metal and rock music in general. With "We Are Not Your Kind", SLIPKNOT's first new album in five years, the band delivered when they were needed most. Meanwhile, SLIPKNOT's annual Knotfest festival has evolved into the biggest hard rock and metal festival in the world, expanding to four continents. Over 550,000 fans have attended these massive festivals, which are as cultural as they are music-based, mixing heavy rock with hip hop, world music, visual art, experiential installations, and much more. Recorded music and live performances aside, SLIPKNOT has always permeated mainstream culture in ways that defy expectations. Recently, SLIPKNOT partnered with Amazon Studios' advertising campaign for their smash hit series "The Boys", and have launched SLIPKNOT No. 9 Whiskey in a partnership with Cedar Ridge Distillery (American Distilling Institute's "2017 Distiller Of The Year").

"We Are Not Your Kind" came out in August 2019. The disc sold 118,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in its first week of release to land at position No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. Furthermore, the album made an impact worldwide with No. 1 debuts in the United Kingdom, Mexico, Australia, Canada, Japan, Ireland, Belgium, Portugal and Finland, as well as Top 5 debuts in Germany, France, Norway, Italy, Austria, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Poland, Spain and New Zealand.

"We Are Not Your Kind"'s sales in the U.S. were boosted by a concert ticket/album sale redemption offer with SLIPKNOT's summer 2019 tour.

Former ILL NIÑO members Cristian Machado (vocals), Ahrue "Luster" Ilustre (guitar) and Diego Verduzco (guitar) have launched a new band called LIONS AT THE GATE. The group's lineup is completed by bassist Stephen Brewer (WESTFIELD MASSACRE) and drummer Fern Lemus.

LIONS AT THE GATE's debut single, "Not Even Human", will be released on Friday, June 4. A teaser for the track is available below.

Ilustre discussed his renewed collaboration with Machado and Verduzco in a recent interview with Pierre Gutierrez of Rock Talks. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I can't even explain how happy I am with how this came out. It sounds, in my opinion, better than anything that Cristian and I have ever done together, and that includes all the ILL NIÑO records that we've done together."

Asked about the musical direction of LIONS AT THE GATE, Ahrue said: "It's a very polished sound, similar to… I don't wanna say it sounds like [ILL NIÑO's 2003 album] 'Confession', but there's a lot of singing on it, there's a lot of production. But at the same time, there's heaviness to it. But the songs are better than anything we've written. And the crazy thing was the process of writing 'em was way easier than it has ever been for us. Usually an ILL NIÑO record would take us three to six months to finish. We finished this record in 20 days, and we believe it sounds better than anything we've ever done in the past."

According to Ahrue, the debut album from LIONS AT THE GATE was produced by Kyle Odell. "He's worked with BAD WOLVES," he said. "I think he may have co-wrote with them. But he has a huge resume, and he's had, like, five Number One hits last year. And he was amazing to work with. I've worked with Ross Robinson, I've worked with Johnny K, I've worked with Terry Date, as a mixer, and I've worked with some other big names in the industry that have all had platinum records, and I'll say, hands down, Kyle Odell is amazing. I would say, second to [MACHINE HEAD's] 'The Burning Red', it was an amazing experience. It was a different way. As far as Ross Robinson was really into the emotion and getting the emotion out of the players and the music, Odell is very musical and he's really able to help with the songs, and he has a great ear and a great vision."

In March 2020, Machado, Ilustre, Verduzco, drummer Dave Chavarri and bassist Laz Pina announced that they had "reached a mutual, amicable and binding agreement" that will allow Chavarri and Pina to continue with ILL NIÑO while Machado, Verduzco and Ilustre will move on with new projects. According to a joint statement release by the five musicians, "No party has admitted fault and there has been no court judgment on the merits. The parties entered into a confidential settlement agreement."

Back in January 2019, Chavarri and Pina said that they had recruited vocalist Marcos Leal (SHATTERED SUN), lead guitarist Jes DeHoyos (SONS OF TEXAS) and rhythm guitarist Sal Dominguez (UPON A BURNING BODY) to be in their new incarnation of ILL NIÑO. The Chavarri-led ILL NIÑO also issued a new single, "Sangre". A day later, Machado, Ilustre and Verduzco dismissed reports that they had left ILL NIÑO and vowed to continue with their own version of the band. Two months later, the trio filed a lawsuit against Chavarri and Pina, accusing the drummer and bassist of failing to pay the band's tour rental company and engineers, slandering Machado by spreading rumors that he has a drug problem, collecting and spending the band's money without consulting in all of the members and refusing the members access to the group's financial records.

In a statement announcing the launch of his new version of ILL NIÑO, Chavarri said about the split with his former bandmates: "Being in a band is much like being married, and sometimes people grow apart, and no longer see eye to eye, and a separation becomes inevitable."

In a new interview with the "Ouch, You're On My Hair" podcast, Canadian rock icon Lee Aaron, who is known primarily as a solo artist and songwriter, was asked if she was ever presented with an opportunity to front a major band during her four-decade career. She responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah. I can't remember when the singer from VIXEN left — I think it was the early '90s. VIXEN pursued me for a singer at one point in time. But my own career was going great. So I was, like, 'I love you guys. I love you girls, but I don't see how…' I just didn't feel that that was what I wanted to do at that time."

VIXEN has gone through a number of lineup changes and periods of inactivity since the 1990s. The band now features FEMME FATALE's Lorraine Lewis on vocals, along with classic-lineup members Roxy Petrucci (drums) and Share Ross (bass). Singer Janet Gardner's most recent departure took place in early 2019.

Aaron was one of the first women in Canada to navigate the male-dominated waters of rock 'n' roll, pioneering the way for a significant number of artists. Her 1989 album, "BodyRock", which was certified double platinum in Canada, was proclaimed by Chart magazine as "one of the 20 most influential Canadian albums of the '80s, with artists like Avril Lavigne, Alanis Morissette and Shania Twain under Aaron's influence."

Lee's 1984 album "Metal Queen" was the first of six albums to appear on leading independent label Attic Records. Aaron's CV also includes ten Juno Award nominations and three Toronto Music Awards for "Best Female Vocalist."

Lee's new studio album "Radio On!", will be released on July 23 via Metalville Records.

CHEAP TRICK bassist Tom Petersson has opened up about his recent operation.

The 71-year-old musician underwent open-heart surgery three months ago, forcing him to sit down during the band's early April appearance on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert".

Petersson offered an update on his health while speaking to Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'm doing a lot better, which is not saying much. I came out of the operation — I had open-heart surgery on March 1st, so I've been convalescing here at home, and I'm feeling much better and just following my doctor's orders. What can I do? Has anything come loose yet? That’s your biggest fear. I do not wanna have to go through that again — now that I know what happens."

Tom said that he felt "all these different things" after going under the knife. "It's a lot of psychological stuff that you don't hear about or think about — post-traumatic stress," he said. "And it's scary. It's kind of like being in an auto accident — you're not thinking of it that much at the time, and later you look back on it and you think, 'Holy shit. That was close.'"

According to Petersson, he "didn't have any problems in addition to" his heart issue, which was good. I was in good shape, and it was something they discovered unexpectedly," he said. "I didn't have any symptoms. But it was the kind of thing where without knowing about it, you would just all a sudden suddenly drop dead. I was, like, 'Okay. I'm in. Open-heart surgery? Sounds good to me.'"

Petersson is one of the three founding members of CHEAP TRICK — alongside singer Robin Zander and guitarist Rick Nielsen — who are still in the band. Drummer Bun E. Carlos stopped touring with the band in 2010 and was replaced by Nielsen's son Daxx.

CHEAP TRICK recently released its 20th studio album, "In Another World", via BMG.

Founded in 1974, CHEAP TRICK are an indisputable American institution, beloved around the globe for their instantly identifiable, hugely influential, brand of pop rock 'n' roll. The band are true pioneers with an unparalleled streak of certifiably classic tunes, from "He's A Whore", "California Man" and "Dream Police" to "Surrender", "I Want You To Want Me" and the worldwide #1 hit single "The Flame".

CHEAP TRICK's nearly five-decade career has earned them more than 40 international gold and platinum certifications, myriad awards and industry honors, featured appearances on over 20 movie soundtracks, and total record sales well in excess of 20 million.

During a recent appearance on "The Itch" rock podcast, NONPOINT drummer Robb Rivera and guitarist Jason Zeilstra revealed that the first of the band's three planned upcoming EPs is complete.

"This particular EP is done," Zeilstra said. "We have songs written and started and we know where we're going with them [for the next EP]. We just have to put all the pieces in the stew and stir it up a little bit."

Last month, NONPOINT debuted the EP's lead single, "Ruthless", the first original track to feature Zeilstra, who joined the band in late 2019.

"I was always asked to be a full participant from the moment I was asked to be a part of the band," Zeilstra told "The Itch". "I've known Rasheed [Thomas, guitarist] for 20 years, 10 years before [he joined] NONPOINT. Our bands played together. And then I met Adam [Woloszyn, bassist]. And even our manager Frank, he booked clubs in the area. Frank had sent my profile to Robb when they were looking for someone, and Rasheed vouched for me, and it was just a cake walk from there."

During the conversation, Rivera also discussed the origin of arguably NONPOINT's most well-known song, a cover of Phil Collins's "In The Air Tonight".

"We were on tour on the 'Development' album, and our old drum tech Scott just blurted that out: 'You guys should do 'In The Air Tonight' by Phil Collins.' And we didn't really think much of it. When we went to the studio to do 'Recoil', that came up, and we gave it a stab. And the first version we did, we played it exactly like it is, and it was, like, 'This is not working.' So what you hear is the fifth version of that song. It's an iconic track, man. And the only thing that we used in the song was the actual melody and that drum fill. Ken [MacMillan, former NONPOINT bassist], the next day he came with the [imitates bass intro] and I started playing the djembe and we built it from there. That song has been a complete blessing to us… Thank you, Phil, by the way. [Laughs] Thank you for the song."

"Ruthless" was made available through NONPOINT's own label 361 Degrees Records LLC and was this year's featured track on AEW's "Blood And Guts" on TNT.

NONPOINT launched its independent record label 361 Degrees Records LLC in January of this year. They filmed the process of starting the label and making new music in a docu-series titled "A Path To Independence" that can be seen on the band's YouTube and official web site.

"The Itch" is a St. Louis rock radio show and podcast. It was founded in 2004, and is produced and hosted by Dan Cardosi, KC Adams and Aaron Brummet.

Photo credit: Francesca Ludikar

Sebastian Bach has thanked U.S. president Joe Biden for "giving us back rock and roll".

The former SKID ROW singer made the comment in the wake of news reports that concerts and events are returning to much of the country as capacity limits are eased and face-covering restrictions are lifted.

Earlier today, Bach took to his Twitter to share an NBC News article about a Florida concert promoter who is charging $18 for tickets to people who are vaccinated and $1,000 to those who are not. Paul Williams of Leadfoot Promotions in Tampa Bay came up with the idea as an incentive for people to get vaccinated. Bach wrote in an accompanying message: "18 + life you got it. Thank you beyond words to @POTUS @JoeBiden for giving us back ROCK N' ROLL. Never has a #vote for #science meant more".

When one fan asked Bach if this is the longest he has been off the road in his adult life, Sebastian responded: "Believe it or not I have actually been on the road for the last couple of weeks now! Just can't tell you where or why".

As of today, the Biden administration said more than half of the country's adults are now fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.

"Now 51% of America adults have been fully vaccinated, 75% of seniors are fully vaccinated, leaving nobody behind," Biden said on Friday afternoon. "Black, white, Hispanic — across the board, they've been getting their vaccinations."

The Biden administration's goal is to vaccinate 70 percent of adults against COVID-19 by July 4 with at least one dose. Ten states have already met his target.

"We still have five weeks left to hit our goal and I know we can do it," Biden said. "Just look at what we've done so far. There's not a single thing… nothing we cannot accomplish if we do it together."

Although the COVID-19 vaccine was produced quickly because of the urgency of the health crisis and the number of clinical trial volunteers, scientists say the vaccine was not rushed, and it relies on years of research.

The nation's top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, has estimated that about 70-85% of Americans would need to be vaccinated to reach herd immunity.

America's two main vaccines have shown 95% efficacy against the coronavirus.




18 + life you got it

Thank you beyond words to @POTUS @JoeBiden for giving us back ROCK N' ROLL ?

Never has a #vote for #science meant more ?? https://t.co/AzKhtAx4SU

— Sebastian Bach (@sebastianbach) May 28, 2021








Right on that is great news the world is coming back thanks to vaccines horrible to think about what life would be like without them but we don't have to think about that because #scienceknows thanks to those in charge who made it happen and we will see you at the show ??? https://t.co/XMQ1sZyPLv

— Sebastian Bach (@sebastianbach) May 27, 2021

The Finnish theatrical metal band Lost in Grey has announced the release of their third studio album, Under The Surface, on July 2nd via Reaper Entertainment. The band has released the new single, "Waves". An official viedo for the track directed, filmed and edited by drummer Teppo Ristola, can be viewed nelow.

The band states: "Greetings all thee! Whilst sailing the stormy seas of life we face some ups and downs. At times we may lose faith that we’ll ever find a shore, and all we can do is scream out our fear and anger. At times we may simply enjoy the sunshine and adventure. Thus we invite you to hop on board and come sailing with us on the 'Waves'. Yours sincerely, Lost in Grey."

Teppo Ristola states: "I wanted to make the music video emphasizing the rock part of Lost in Grey without losing the theatrical side of the band. It felt logical to start off following the rougher base of the song; bass, rhythm guitars and drums. The song itself practically wrote the video, so in that sense making it was a rather fast and effortless process. I think this track summarises what the renewed Lost in Grey is all about."

In recent years these theatrical metal pioneers have proven to be one of the most promising and inspiring acts coming from the Finnish metal scene, electrifying their audiences through their versatile musical storytelling and tremendous sound. Now, Lost in Grey invites you to dive with them "Under the Surface" where music and stories dance hand in hand, and everything is possible. Get prepared for a twisted rollercoaster ride through storms and tides - spiced up with some sparkles of stardust.

Under The Surface tracklist
 
"I"
"Disobedience"
"Waves"
"Shine"
"Varjo"
"Souffrir"
"Stardust - I. The Race"
"Stardust - II. Sand Castles"
"Stardust - III. The Abyss"

The album was produced and recorded by Harri Koskela / Grey Realm Studio, mixed by Juhis Kauppinen / Shedstudios and mastered by Daniel Hagström / Finnvox.

Lost in Grey is:

Harri Koskela (vocals, keyboards and composer)
Anne Lill Rajala (vocals and lyrics)
Emily Leone (vocals and violin)
Miika Haavisto (guitars)
Jarno Suodenjoki (guitars)
Aapo Lindberg (bass)
Teppo Ristola (drums)




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Slovenian heavy metal prodigy, SkyEye, will release their second studio album, Soldiers Of Light, on June 25 via Reaper Entertainment. The official video for their latest single "Soldiers Of Light", can be viewed below. The song is available now on all digital platforms.

The band states: "Soldiers of Light are we the people, who bring joy and positive energy to the world and who treat the people and other living creatures with respect. Yes, we the band members are Soldiers of Light or at least we aspire to become one. There is so much bullshit in the world right now and actually shocking, distorted and negative 'breaking' news are more profitable and are spreading faster than the truth and common sense. Sadly we can see nowadays, that the truth is dying, the world is falling apart and we the people are more divided than ever. That's why we need to let the light back into our lives. SkyEye's torch is glowing in the dark to cast out the shadows from people's lives with music. Because music is the healer and 'We are the soldiers of light with no weapons to fight, just shining, just shining. Knowledge is God, God in us all. Wisdom is heaven on Earth.'  So yeah, the song carries the positive message, the triumph over negativity, the victory of light over dark.

With our music video we want to visualize this battle with the band members being soldiers of light and the five actors, all dressed in black with no visible faces, that are each band member's demonic alter ego. The fight was immense. There were some bruises and broken equipment left after the video shooting, but it was all worth it because the end product is realy great and we are really proud of it because we managed to make the video all by ourselves with the precious help from our friends. Onward Soldiers of Light! ONWARD!"

Unique and powerful vocals combined with raw and melodic guitar riffs give the band its signature heavy metal sound, reminiscent of other major representatives of the genre, like Iron Maiden, Saxon or Judas Priest.

The album was produced in summer 2020 by producer Grega Smola Crnkovič and was mastered by Boban Milunović who is known in the hard & heavy scene for his work with Graveworm, Belphegor, Jack Frost and many more.

Album artwork by Aleksandar Živanov:

Tracklisting:

“The Arrival”
“King Of The Skies”
“Soldiers Of Light”
“Constellation”
“Brothers Under The Same Sun”
“In Saecula Saeculorum”
“Son Of God”
“Detonate”
“Eternal Starlight”
“Chernobyl”

"Constellation":




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