Greek album cover artist Ioannis (Deep Purple, Fates Warning, Uriah Heep, Dream Theater) took to social media to pay tribute to William "Bill" Tsamis, guitarist and mainstay of the ‘80s band Warlord, who recently passed away at 60 years of age.

Says Ioannis: "To all my friends, I just found out today the sad news of the passing of William (Vasilis) Tsamis, founder, gifted lead guitarist and composer of early pioneers of power metal band, Warlord. Around the time I did the art for Fates Warning in 1986, Brian Slagel asked me if I would like to do the art for their album Thy Kingdom Come. I really liked what I had heard and happily agreed. My heart bleeds for my fallen Greek brother, R.I.P."




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UK alt-metal upstarts, Vexed, will release their debut full-length, Culling Culture, on Friday, May 21 via Napalm Records. Combining both visually cinematic and oppressively honest material with a refined symbiosis of technically adept hardness and droning heavy instrumentality, Vexed convince with their new single "Fake", released today aside a disturbingly intense official music video.  

Facing very personal experiences, Culling Culture is a tribute to hate, betrayal and anger, whilst also reflecting post-modern society with strikingly honest songwriting and heavy groove. Moreover, for as confident as they are musically, Vexed is as poignant lyrically. The title of the album, Culling Culture, and portions of its contents deliver the band’s unfiltered response to the world’s latest social phenomena of public ostracism, “cancel culture”.

Unrelenting lead vocalist Megan Targett’s vicious vocal assault blending venomously low growls, soaring cleans and razor-sharp rap-like deliveries (see “Fake” and “Weaponise”) is backed by the pure technical proficiency of bandmates Willem Mason-Geraghty (drums), Jay Bacon (guitar) and Al Harper (bass). The warning instrumental “Ignorant” prefaces the record’s menacing atmosphere and provides a flawless basis for smashing wake up call “Hideous” and fiery, threatening tracks “Fake” and “Narcissist”. Ghostly “Aurora” and disrespectfully heavy album-closer “Lazarus” showcase Targett’s multi-faceted clean vocal delivery while clashing otherworldly auras with resonating, melodic rhythms. “Epiphany” blends both, offering a bold message of moving past self-loathing, while superciliously weighty offering “Weaponise” seethes between violent hatred and ambient darkness.

Pre-order Vexed’s debut album Culling Culture here.

Culling Culture will be available in the following formats:

- 1-CD Digipak
- 1-LP Gatefold Vinyl (Black)
- 1-LP Gatefold Vinyl (Orange transparent, strictly limited to 100 copies)
- 1-CD Digipak + T-Shirt Bundle
- Digital Album

Tracklisting:

"Ignorant"
"Hideous"
"Fake"
"Epiphany"
"Misery"
"Narcissist"
"Weaponise"
"Purity"
"Drift"
"Aurora"
"Lazarus"

“Epiphany” video:

"Hideous" video:

"Misery"

(Photo - Andy Ford)




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Old school death metal band Nefariym is set to release their debut album Morbid Delusions on September 24th via Inverse Records. The band was formed in Melbourne, Australia in 2019 by Mark Kelson and Richie Poate, both of the melodic doom band The Eternal. What started as an idea to pay homage to the golden era of early 90’s death metal formed in a fully fledged band and the crushing album Morbid Delusions was forged.

First single "A Morbid Delusion" is released today and Mark Kelson comments: "Mankind’s demise is nearing completion. As the fabric of society disintegrates society approaches is impending doom. A festering depravity of sickness and filth will be all your children ever know."
 
Pre-order Morbid Delusions here.

Tracklist:
 
"Veiled In Death" (Intro)
"Succubus"
"A Morbid Delusion"
"Tearing The Flesh From The Bone"
"Wallow In The Filth"
"Monolithic Dread"
"Humanity Falls"
"Endless Decay"
"The Seeds Of Hate"
"Into The Blackened Abyss"
"Circle Of The Tyrants" (Celtic Frost cover)




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Swiss hard rock band, King Zebra, have released their brand new single and music video for ‘Wall Of Confusion‘, featuring Thundermother singer Guernica Mancini. The track is taken from their new album, which will be released later in 2021.

The song was produced and mixed by Oscar Nilsson (Hank Von Hell, Engel, We Sell The Dead) at Crehate Studios. Mastered by Thomas "Plec" Johansson (Thundermother, Soilwork, Firewind) at Panic Room Studio.

King Zebra is Eric St. Michaels (China), Roman Lauer, Jerry Napitupulu, Manu Judge and Ben Grimm. In early 2017, the band released their first song called "Bad Idea", followed by three Singles and an EP in 2019.

During the last three years, King Zebra played Rock The Ring and Rock Of Ages feativals and opened up for Lynyrd Skynyrd, Uriah Heep, and Rose Tattoo just to name a few. They toured through Eastern Europe and played sold out shows abroad and in their home country Switzerland.

In the pandemic year 2020, the band spent three weeks in Gothenburg, Sweden working on their upcoming album.

 




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Dutch death metal legends, Pestilence, have released a bass playthrough video for their single, "Morbvs Propagationem". It's the first song taken off the band's new album, Exitivm, which is set to be released on June 25 via Agonia Records. Watch below:

Check out guitar and drum playthrough videos for "Morbvs Propagationem":

A new album, on a new label armed with a whole new lineup and a new dynamic: no matter what, Pestilence - or more specifically their maestro Patrizio Mameli - is like the phoenix, rising from the ashes, over and over again. An official website has been launched for Exitivm, providing access to all relevant information surrounding the new album, here.

Back in 1986, in the small town of Enschede in the Netherlands, nearby the German border, a true metal phenomenon was born. More than three decades later, not only is Pestilence alive and well, but about to once again reaffirm their place in the extreme metal pantheon, with their ninth studio album entitled Exitivm, which is Latin for "total destruction".

As controversial as he can be to some, nobody will ever deny the band’s undisputable driving force, Patrizio Mameli, and his constant ability to reinvent himself. Unlike most of the bands in the scene, Pestilence just keeps evolving. From the raging thrash leanings of their cult 1988 debut Malleus Maleficarum to the jazz-infused versatility of 1993’s Spheres or 2009’s Resurrection Macabre frontal assault, not to mention the fans’ favorite and Scott Burns-produced Testimony Of The Ancients from 1991, he never did the same record twice. No matter who playes with him on any Pestilence album, Mameli always gets the best out of the musicians he is working with. But first and foremost, the man has a one-of-a-kind vision, instantly recognizable style and yet always stretching musical boundaries. And it’s never more true than on Exitivm.  

After a vast reissue campaign in between 2015 and 2018 and an acclaimed new album Hadeon, the band got seemingly stopped in their mission to conquer the death metal scene in early 2020, like everybody else, by the global pandemic, going as far as forcing some of the band’s Hadeon line-up members to drop the towel. But what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger and instead of letting that whole situation drag him down, Mameli chose to do the exact opposite and write the best and darkest album possible to date. And he just did that. With its ambitious lyrical concept about "global domination", "induced mental illness", "inner and outer demons" and  malicious external entities, Exitivm is propelling the band one again to the forefront of the death metal movement with yet another original and brilliant artistic overhaul.

Mind you, as soon as you’re past the very cinematic introduction "In Omnibvs", you’re instantly caught up by "Morbvs Propagationem" whose intense riffing will take back to the Testimony days. Except that their core sound has been revived, with now extra layers of ominous soundscapes ingeniously suggesting an atmosphere of suspence and horror, boosted by Mameli’s jazz-fusion impressive solo works and a renewed sense of urgency. This rejuvenation, with emphasis on "new musical landscapes but also sick and twisted riffs" as stated by Mameli himself, is no accident though. Not only has Mameli been extremely inspired by the turmoil humanity had to face since March 2020 but with a line-up once again, entirely based in the Netherlands and made up of only super-seasoned players – besides former Dew Scented and Creepmime Joost van der Graaf on bass and Bleeding Gods’ Rutger van Noordenburg on lead guitar, former God Dethroned Michiel van der Plicht joined on drums last year – Pestilence is more than ever a BAND where everybody feeds off of each other's musical talent. And it definitely shows.

With the exception of the drums - tracked down by van der Plicht himself at his home studio - the album was recorded over a period of two months in between June and August 2020 at Pitchnote Productions. The album has been produced, like all Pestilence albums, by Mameli and is co produced, recorded, mixed and mastered by Jory Hogeveen (Shinigami and Ancient Rites). Last March, the band filmed their second ever official video – three decades after Land Of Tears – for the song "Morbvs Propagationem". Exitivm will be available in various formats, including supra-limited picture, pin-wheel, "firebreath" and clear vinyl versions. The cover artwork once again brought the band’s iconic sphere and was done by Michal "Xaay" Loranc, known for his various cover for Nile, God Detheroned or Evocation and who had already worked on "Hadeon".

Both a reinvention and a confirmation of everything the band has been standing for since 1986, thirty-five years later Pestilence are more than ever breaking new grounds and exploring the further outposts of the extreme metal sound on Exitivm.

Formats:

- Jewelcase CD
- Digi CD
- Box CD
- Black LP
- Ultra Clear LP
- Blood Vanilla LP*
- Picture LP**
- Pinwheel LP***
- Firebreath LP***
- Digital

* Bandcamp exclusive
** With antistatic all-print slipmat only at Agonia Webshop
*** Agonia Webshop exclusive

Pre-order here.

Tracklisting:

"In Omnibvs" (Intro)
"Morbvs Propagationem"
"Deificvs"
"Sempiternvs"
"Internicionem"
"Mortifervm"
"Dominatvi Svbmissa"
"Pericvlvm Externvm"
"Inficiat"
"Exitivm"
"Immortvos"
"Personatvs Mortem" (Outro)

"Morbvs Propagationem" video:

Lineup:

Patrizio Mameli - vocals, lead guitars
Rvtger van Noordenbvrg - lead guitars
Joost van den Berg - bass
Michiel van der Plicht - drums

(Photo - Marc van Peski)

 




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Argentinian melodic death metal artist Plaguestorm has announced the release of his brand new full-length album. Purifying Fire will be out on June 4 via Noble Demon. An animated lyric video for the title track is available below. Find pre-order options here.

"The title track of the album is a song with many changes of rhythm and full of melodies," comments songwriter Sebastián Pastor. "It begins with quite an epic introduction, but soon everything gets out of control and the speed and blast beats arrive. It is a fast and aggressive song, but at the same time quite emotional, since it's packed with melancholic melodies and many clean, but also fierce vocals. The lyrics are about the fires that have occurred in recent years in many parts of the world. Sometimes I do think that those who cause these great fires will make everything burn, burning ourselves, some people do not understand that their own actions are counterproductive for ourselves. Beyond all the damage, nature always prevails."  

Founded by Sebastián Pastor in early 2014, Plaguestorm delivers a wide range of furious and raging melodic death metal. Sweeping melodies, heavy, dark and melancholic arrangements, mixing the old and new Scandinavian sound of death metal, as if it were based on a Swedish manufacturing standard. With nine brand new tracks full of anger and rage, desolation and sadness, Purifying Fire is in fact Pastor's most mature release to date.

As on his previous releases, Sebastián Pastor was in charge of composing and writing all the lyrics and music (as well as recording the acoustic and electric guitars, bass, drum prog, and keyboards / synthesizers / strings), while the vocals do come from Mikael Sehlin (Engel). For the guitar solos Plaguestorm got the support of Diego Martinez, as well as Pablo Roman, and a wonderful orchestral arrangement for the song "Purifying Fire" was made by Sebastián Nuñez Szymanski.

Tracklisting:

“Evolution Towards The Edge”
“Back To Zero”
“Purifying Fire”
“Never Learn”
“You Against The World”
“Close To Nowhere”
“No Farewell”
“Blind And Weak”
“Burning Paradise”

“Evolution Towards The Edge”:

 




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As cult Polish grindcore act Schismopathic prepares for the May 28th release of The Human Legacy – the band’s first full-length album since its inception in 1988 – through Selfmadegod Records, they have debuted the “Vote For Me” lyric video.

The band comments on "Vote For Me": "Generally, the lyrics are about the naivety of people and unfulfilled promises of politicians. The text was inspired by observations of the election processes in Poland and the rest of the world and irritation of the stupidity of societies that behave like a crowd of fools. People believe in election promises of the candidates, which are often unrealistic. In fact, most politicians can promise anything, just to be elected and have a career. After the elections, politicians mostly argue among themselves, and that focuses the attention of stupid society."

Founded in 1987 under the name Schismopathic Torment, in 1988 the band changed its name to Schismopathic under the lineup of bassist Jacek B., guitarist Robert F., and vocalist/drummer Robert G. A year later, they released their debut demo, Kharkharamapathic Regurgitator, resulting in a plethora of shows throughout Poland with bands from the top tier of their country’s underground. In 1991, Schismopathic recorded their debut album, D.E.M.O.C.R.A.C.Y., which, due to the band's suspension, was released with the first demo and live recordings in 2013 on CD, and then a few years later on LP via Selfmadegod Records.

The band’s reactivation in 2020 was preceded by a split 7” EP with Antigama, also released through Selfmadegod. The band reactivated in the original lineup but without Robert G., who was replaced on drums by Janek (ex-Psychoneurosis, ex-Bottom) and new vocalist Adrian. With this lineup, Schismopathic composed and recorded material for the full album, The Human Legacy, which will now see release through Selfmadegod Records in May of 2021.

The Human Legacy was recorded and mixed at 125 Studio between May 2020 and March 2021, produced by Michal “Maly” Kwiecień. The record’s intro features Kwiecień and Artur “Janek” Jasiński, and the outro features Sebastian “Stecyk” Steć. The cover art and layout were handled by Jasiński and DIY Zrup Leprzy Prod. The track “Proof Of Ignorance” is a new version of the 1989 track “Construction Of Ignorance,” here re-recorded in a new arrangement with new lyrics.

Selfmadegod Records will release The Human Legacy on CD and digital formats on May 28th. Find pre-orders at the Selfmadegod webshop.

Tracklisting:

“Intro – The Beginning Of The End”
“Faithful Slaves Of The System”
“Vote For Me”
“What Can You Say Then?”
“Technological Addiction”
“Deviated And Devoted”
“Proof Of Ignorance”
“Single-Use Existence”
“Landfill Site For Human Trash”
“Cut Their Ropes”
“Time Of History”
“Outro – The Human Legacy”

“Time Of History”:

 




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Tysondog has signed a deal with the newborn Danish record label From The Vaults, a traditional record company specializing in heavy metal including the NWOBHM.

"Part of Target Group Denmark, the label will help us take Tysondog further than before," says the band. From The Vaults will release our upcoming, fourth studio album and we can't wait for you to hear it."

"It's been a long time in the making and we are ready to return with even more bite! We are now part of the label's roster and we are looking forward to a great relationship for years to come! Thanks for your support as always."

 




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British death metal titans Ingested have announced the release of The Surreption II -  a reimagined recording of their vital second album, The Surreption, to celebrate its 10 year anniversary - out July 30th via Unique Leader.

Ingested have also unveiled a music video for "Manifesting Obscenity" from The Surreption II:

Quote from vocalist Jason Evans: "As some of you may know, the tenth anniversary of our second album The Surreption is fast approaching, and what better way to celebrate than to unleash this beast upon the world once more? That's right, we have been holed up in the Ingested lockdown bunker hard at work to bring to you our second album the way we always wanted it to be. This isn't a remix, or a remaster, this is a complete re-recording, a reimagining of an important, but often forgotten step in the path of Ingested. We never got to do a music video for the original release of The Surreption and we think that's a shame, so feast your eyes and ears on our video for 'Manifesting Obscenity', and fire up the pre-orders for The Surreption II, because this bad motherf**ker is available July 30th on Unique Leader Records."

Tracklisting:

"Crowning The Abomination"
"Decline" 
"The Consequence" 
"A Coming Unperceived" 
"This Disgusting Revelation" 
"Castigation And Rebirth" 
"Manifesting Obscenity" 
"22"
"Kingmaker" 
"The Alpha And Omega" 

The news follows Ingested being announced as support for Bleed From Within's 'The Fracture Tour', commencing November 2nd 2021 in Cologne, Germany. Kill The Lights have been announced as openers. Confirmed venues can be found in the official poster below.






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Heaven & Earth, a band who released their debut album in 2000, will return on July 16 with their fifth studio album, the aptly titled V. Today, fans can get their first taste of the album (and the band's new lineup) via the video for the single "Drive". Watch the clip below, and pre-order/save V here.

Heaven & Earth's lineup now includes Gianluca Petralia (vocals), Stuart Smith (guitars), Lynn Sorensen (bass), George Barabas (Hammond organ and keyboard), and Simon Wright (drums, percussion). They have become an international band with an Italian singer, a Hungary-based keyboardist, and two British transplants living in the US amongst their ranks. These five incredible rock musicians have banded together to record this magnificent new album, V.

"Personally, I feel that this is our best album yet. It has a much harder edge than the previous albums. The chemistry between the new musicians was amazing," says guitarist Stuart Smith.

"It’s been an incredible five-month ride made of impulsive writing and recording with outstanding musicians I’m now honored to call friends. From the very beginning, it felt like this album was already there. It just needed to be delivered…it was like a scream to exorcise the bleak reality we’re living right now,” says vocalist Gianluca Petralia.

"I've been a big fan of Heaven & Earth since their first album so when Stuart asked me to join the band it was like something any fan or musician could dream of. I enjoyed the whole recording process and we had lay down some serious hard rock songs for this new record," adds keyboardist George Barabas.

"Heaven & Earth V is rock before it became polished like jewelry. It's attitude with dirt on its face. As two of our members were in different countries it was logistically challenging to record, but everyone rallied together like a great band should," says bassist Lynn Sorensen.

"I'm glad I had the opportunity to play on this Heaven and Earth album. Incredible musicians and some classy songwriting," says drummer Simon Wright.

V is an absolute must hear for all lovers of Rainbow, early Whitesnake, and Bad Company and that general era of amazing hard rock.

Tracklisting:

"Drive"
"Beautiful"
"Never Dream Of Dying"
"Ship Of Fools"
"Poverty"
"Flim Flam Man"
"One In A Million Men"
"Little Black Dress"
"Big Money Little Man"
"Running From The Shadows"
"Nothing To Me"
"At The End Of The Day"

"Drive" video:

Lineup:

Vocals: Gianluca Petralia
Guitar: Stuart Smith
Bass & Vocals: Lynn Sorensen
Drums: Simon Wright
Keyboards: George Barabas
Additional Keyboards: Mike Mangan




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Funko, the world’s leading pop culture consumer products brand and creators of the wildly popular Pop! Vinyl collection, have partnered with legendary pop culture and music superstar Bret Michaels to create his first-ever, limited edition Pop! Vinyl figure. The Bret Michaels collectible Pop! reflects Michaels’ iconic likeness and style.

Michaels shows off his figure below:

With consumer demand for Michaels’ products always at a high, there will also be a coveted “Chase Pop!” figure, in addition to the planned primary Funko Pop!. This unique collectible, sought after by both hardcore Funko collectors and pop culture fans alike, will see an adaptation and inclusion of Bret’s signature cowboy hat look.

As Michaels has done with previous brand partners, he remained hands-on throughout the creation and design process with Funko, who collaborated with Epic Rights, the licensing agent.

Michaels’ Pop! Vinyl will be available in June. The limited-edition figures, and the Chase Pops, will be available directly on ShopBretMichaels.com. Michaels’ online store is the only place to find gift bundles, including Bret’s bestselling book Auto-Scrap-Ography, as well as personally signed figurines which are sure to create a collecting frenzy for an even more limited version of the highly desired Pop! Vinyl.

Speaking with Bionic Buzz, Michaels commented on the collaboration: "I feel like I'm a human Addams Family, a Munster. I'm, like, I look like that every day. You know the Munsters thought they were totally normal? The Addams Family? I'm like a Halloween costume that actually looks like this every day. Honest to God, it's an honour."




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Season Of Mist announces the signing of Obsidious. The extreme metal outfit will be releasing their debut album via the label early 2022. In celebration, Obsidious release a first new track, "Iconic", for which a music video can be viewed below. Pre-save the single on digital platforms here.

Obsidious comments: "We are beyond excited to finally share our first song 'Iconic', with the world! This release is the true beginning of our journey as Obsidious that started 14 months ago. As the first-ever song we wrote with Obsidious, 'Iconic' is all about our mission to push the boundaries of metal music while showcasing all the different aspects and nuances representing us as a group. We pour our hearts and minds into this band to leave our mark with the wonderful global modern metal community."

Season Of Mist CEO Michael Berberian comments on the signing: "As a long life long obscura fan, it was obsious that I had to sign Obsidious, a band that is fresh and not obsolete, and I will observe how things will progress, without any of the 2020 touring obstruction and fingers crossed no new obscene new disease."

In April 2020 guitarist Rafael Trujillo, bassist Linus Klausenitzer and drummer Sebastian Lanser decided to move on from their former band Obscura to continue their musical path with the completely new band Obsidious. Free from former boundaries, Obsidious merge extreme metal with other genres of music into a unique style that people will somehow find familiar, but haven‘t heard yet. Together with their singer Javi Perera they set out to create a musical evolution: With a fresh name, reaching for new fan groups utilizing modern marketing ideas. Obsidious’ band members have many facets and influences to build upon, using virtuosity & technique to write great songs.

Rafael Trujillo, Linus Klausenitzer and Sebastian Lanser built a strong bond after years of worldwide touring and recording together with Obscura. With their last record Diluvium, that was primarily composed by the trio, the band celebrated their biggest success to date. Formerly unseen chart positions alongside massive praise by prominent media outlets & magazines document the success of this team. Obsidious aims to expand the existing fan base that they’ve gained: All (ex-)formations of the Obsidious members were defined through their musical characters.

The four band members that are based in Europe are known for their high musicianship and virtuosity. Their advanced technical level is an essential and unique part of their compositions. Guitarist Rafael Trujillo has a multicultural background and studied music in different countries all around the globe. Linus Klausenitzer is one of the busiest session bassists in the scene and renowned for his 7-string fretless bass sound. Strong drum independence skills and stylistic diversity make Sebastian Lanser one of the most influential drummers of the new generation. The web community shares the Ex-Obscura members’ excitement about singer Javi Perera being celebrated for his diverse and charismatic vocal skills.

Obsidious' music consists of modern riffs, strong decisive energetic melodies, virtuosity and epic unison lines. They love music that’s heavy, catchy, fast, and wild. The brand new album is currently being recorded and will be released via Season Of Mist early 2022.

Lineup:

Linus Klausenitzer - Bass
Rafael Tujillo - Guitar
Javi Perera - Vocals
Sebastian Lanser - Drums




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Metal Blade Records welcomes Entheos to its worldwide roster.

Originally formed in 2015, since 2020, the lineup has been stripped down to core founding members drummer Navene Koperweis - who has now also taken on guitar duties - and vocalist Chaney Crabb, and they have never been more vital. Armed with a sound that amalgamates death metal, groove, grunge, electronica, slam, gothic rock, jazz, prog and more, they are a wholly unpredictable beast that has evolved over the course of their career.

Navene Koperweis and Chaney Crabb comment: "We are incredibly excited to announce that we have signed with Metal Blade Records. Metal Blade is a pillar in the metal community and consistently releases music from many of the world's greatest bands. We are proud to be associated with such a label and look forward to our future working together."

The progressive death metal genre is a diverse movement, but even within this, Entheos stand out as a unique entity. Taking their name from a Greek word that translates to "the god within", the band's philosophy can be drawn from its meaning.

"The English word 'enthusiasm' is derived from this word. We chose this name originally because of both the enthusiasm that we felt for embarking on this new journey as a band and our collective belief in 'the god within' - the idea that reality manifests itself from within us."

Their debut EP Primal was dropped in 2015, first full-length The Infinite Nothing following in 2016, with their most recent release - 2017's more progressive-oriented Dark Future - being their deepest and darkest record, lyrically influenced by the suicide of a close friend of Crabb's. In support of these records, the band have toured with the likes of The Black Dahlia Murder, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Veil of Maya, Revocation, The Contortionist, Intronaut, Goatwhore, Between The Buried And Me, Born Of Osiris, Rivers of Nihil, Beyond Creation, Conjurer, Iron Reagan and many more, building a steady following and carving out a niche for themselves, but it is only now that they are truly coming into their own.

Hard at work on a new album that explores a broad musical spectrum, they plan to drop their currently untitled full-length in early 2022. The bond between Crabb and Koperweis - which extends into their personal life, having been a couple since before Entheos was even formed - contributes to the uniqueness of the band.

"We respect each other greatly - not only as artists, but as people. Our relationship and the mutual passion that we have for Entheos has consistently been the backbone of this band. We share a vision that we are unwilling to compromise - in music, art, live shows and beyond. Having been together romantically for ten years, we are very aware of how to play to each other's strengths. In the creative process, we don't just write for the sake of our own voice being heard, but what would complement both of our musical voices and vision. We don't want anything about this project to be an afterthought, so in the creative and planning stages, it is crucial for us to see it together as a whole and understand how we both fit in."

They dropped the track "Remember You Are Dust" in 2020 to introduce fans to the new era of the band, with Koperweis taking on guitar duty for the first time, and after its release, dove back into writing the next Entheos full-length.

"We took the pandemic as an opportunity to reimagine every aspect of the band and plan on re-emerging stronger and more focused than ever with a new release. With this record, we are pushing beyond the boundaries of what we believe this band is. It is by far the heaviest and fastest record we've made, while simultaneously being the most dynamic and diverse showcase of genre-bending musicianship, melody and progressive themes. We are also more focused than ever on vocal performance, and Chaney will be incorporating pitched screaming and singing along with a more diverse metal vocal range."

Confident as they are, at this stage in the game, they feel that they have something to prove.

"Six years, two albums and many tours later, it is just the two of us, and we want to prove that the heart and soul of Entheos is not only far from gone, but that in this iteration, we can still deliver the best and most passionate release that we have created."

Stay tuned for Entheos' upcoming album - and Metal Blade Records debut - coming in 2022. In the meantime, fans can watch a new teaser video from Navene Koperweis and Chaney Crabb:




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Nashville underground trio, Yautja, will make their Relapse Records debut with their new album, The Lurch, set for release this Friday, May 21. The band has released a video for the song, "The Weight", which can be found below.

Yautja's The Lurch amalgamates metal, punk, and noise rock into a ferocious hybrid that has propelled them from the obscurity of the American South onto the international stage. The Lurch was recorded by Scott Evans at Steve Albini's legendary Electrical Audio studio in Chicago and marks another step forward for the innovative band.

Yautja comments, “We’ve spent a lot of time working on these songs and after sitting on this recording for a clusterfuck pandemic of a year, we couldn’t be more ready to share this with the world.”

The Lurch, which features artwork by Brandon Guerts (Pig Destroyer, Melt Banana), will be released on CD, LP, and digital formats. Physical pre-orders are available via Relapse.com. Digital downloads/streaming services are available here.

From the opening roar of “A Killing Joke” and the ominous noise waves of “Undesirables” to the churning cannonade of “Before The Foal,” The Lurch conveys the personal frustrations and sociopolitical observations of its creators. “We’ve got our bubble of friends and artists and businesses, but you drive 30 minutes out of town, and you see confederate flags or people wearing t-shirts that say, ‘Redneck Lives Matter,’” bassist/vocalist Kayhan Vaziri explains, “so there’s a lot of frustration there, and some the lyrics pertain to that.”

Elsewhere on the album, tracks such as "Tethered" and "Wired Depths" discuss the various technologies and systems in place befalling the great populace. Rampant displacement of local communities fuel Vaziri's opening screams in the track aptly titled “Catastrophic” - “Forced under society!”

Featuring members of several other musical projects including Thou, Coliseum, Mutilation Rites, and more, Yautja's collective experiences across the underground and experimental subgenres drive their unique sound. The band's palpable malaise, malcontent, and sharpened edges are matched by the album's production - the attack of noisy, whirring guitars constantly veering on dissonance are met with a destructive, mangled low end, as they march on to some of the most creative drumming in the genre. The Lurch showcases a band that is daring, experimental, and unrelenting.

Tracklisting:

“A Killing Joke”
“The Spectacle”
“Wired Depths”
“Undesirables”
“Tethered”
“Clock Cleaner”
“Catastrophic”
“The Weight”
“Before The Foal”

“The Weight” video:

“Tethered” video:

(Photo - Chappy Hull)




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Toby Hitchcock (Pride Of Lions) will release his new solo album, Changes, on July 9. Listen to the song "Before I Met You (Xano Esena)" below, and pre-order/save the new album here.

Powerhouse American vocalist Toby Hitchcock is one of the most recognizable, powerful, and charismatic voices in the current melodic rock/AOR scene. As frontman of Pride Of Lions, he has been the voice behind some of the best new classics of the genre, always delivering passionate and outstanding performances. Vocally, he has often been compared to legendary figures like Bobby Kimball (Toto), Jimi Jamison (Survivor), or Lou Gramm (Foreigner), which is astounding company to be in. Hitchcock's voice has the depth, feeling, and extension of each of them, while still maintaining his own identity and trademark style. In short, he is an absolute star in the current melodic rock scene.

While Jim Peterik is preparing a new Jim Peterik's World Stage album, Toby took the time to commence work on another solo record. Following the excellent results that Mercury's Down and The Reckoning received, this will be another welcome entry in Hitchcock's growing discography. This time, Toby hooked up with Frontiers in-house producer Alessandro Del Vecchio, who has created an outstanding collection of songs highlighting the skills of Toby’s tenor voice. Greek music fans may also recognize an outstanding and rocking international version of Despina Vandi’s hit “Xano Esena,” here entitled “Before I Met You".

Tracklisting:

"Forward"
"Before I Met You (Xano Esena)"
"Changes"
"Tonight Again"
"Garden Of Eden"
"Don't Say Goodbye"
"Say No More"
"Run Away Again (From Love)"
"Two Hearts On The Run"
"On The Edge Of Falling"
"Losing You"

"Before I Met You (Xano Esena)":

"Forward" video:

Lineup:

Toby Hitchcock - Vocals
Martin Jepsen Andersen - Guitars
Alessandro Del Vecchio - Bass, keyboards, backing vocals
Nicholas Papapicco – Drums




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Earlier this year, Inhuman Condition announced their arrival on the scene. The group, comprised of former Massacre members as well as current members of Obituary, The Absence, Goregäng, and Fore, have since released two singles from their upcoming album, Rat°God, and now debut their third, entitled "Killing Pace".

The lyrics for "Killing Pace" were written by Cannibal Corpse drummer/lyricist Paul Mazurkiewicz. The video was filmed and edited by drummer Jeramie Kling, with additional footage being supplied with permission by "The Abomination" directed by Max Raven.

"This song turned out to be such a ripper! Once we got Paul to write some gnarly lyrics and catchy vocal patterns, it really developed into a bit of an anthemic song, and it's very mosh-able. It was also so cool that Jeramie was able to talk to director Max Raven and get permission to use the footage from "The Abomination", it's just a classic slasher video!," Nordberg said.

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”

"Euphoriphobia" video:

“Tyrantula” video:

Inhuman Condition is:

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




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Portuguese dark metal giants, Moonspell, who recently released their13th studio album Hermitage via Napalm Records, have released a bass playthrough video for the song "Common Prayers". Watch below:

Moonspell will join Paradise Lost on their 2022 UK tour. While the world is waiting to see the return of live shows, there is no better way to celebrate a 30th band anniversary as Moonspell will when back on the road next year. Following both of their latest releases, Paradise Lost’s magnum opus Obsidian in May 2020 and Moonspell’s exceptional epos Hermitage, the world will finally see this high class band package bring their masterpieces live on stage in February 2022.

Tour dates:

February
5 - Leeds, England - The Warehouse (Obsidian Album Show)
6 - Colchester, England - Arts Centre
7 - Norwich, England - Waterfront
8 - Brighton, England - Concorde 2
9 - Stoke, England - Sugarmill
11 - Glasgow, Scotland - The Garage *
12 - Newcastle, England - Riverside *
13 - Wolverhampton, England - KK's Steel Mill *
14 - Nottingham, England - Rescue Rooms *
16 - Manchester, England - Club Academy *
17 - Bristol, England - SWX *
18 - London, England - Electric Ballroom *

* with Moonspell




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Featuring members of Alestorm, Gloryhammer, Aether Realm, Forlorn Citadel, Nekrogoblikon and more, international supergroup Wizardthrone recently announced their debut album, Hypercube Necrodimensions, out July 16 via Napalm Records. Today, the blistering group have launched their new, second single, “Forbidden Equations Deep Within The Epimethean Wasteland”, along with a lyric video.

On “Forbidden Equations Deep Within The Epimethean Wasteland”, rich horn compositions meet power metal arrangements, topped with multi-layered synths. Wizardthrone truly mirror the sonic soundscape of their album, Hypercube Necrodimensions - a spacey, otherworldly dimension light-years away from Earth in the depths of the Epimethean wasteland. This is an intergalactic journey you’d better buckle up for.

Keyboard wizard extraordinaire C. Hyperiax Bowes declares: "With this track, we voyage deep within the crystalline mists of Epimetheus to unlock the horrific transcendental elucidation of the cosmos. However, such arcane knowledge comes at a terrible price. Keen students of the necrosophic arts will recognize the influence of visionary masters Bal-Sagoth, alongside enigmatic proto-wizard metal pioneers Emperor, upon this particular piece. Eternal supplications to Xhul and his immortal heralds!"

Featuring guest appearances from Aleksi Munter (Swallow The Sun, Insomnium), Florian Magnus Maier (Dark Fortress, Aldaloid ) and Evan Berry (Wilderun), Hypercube Microdimensions is a spectacular display of Wizardthrone’s musical finesse, constantly pushing the boundaries of heavy metal and thus offering a one-of-a-kind extreme wizard metal listening experience.

Hypercube Necrodimensions will be available on digipack CD bundled with an exclusive shirt and as a black gatefold LP, as well as marbled curacao/green vinyl (limited to 300) and as a digital album. Pre-order here.

Tracklisting:

"Black Hole Quantum Thermodynamics"
"Frozen Winds Of Thyraxia"
"Incantation Of The Red Order"
"Forbidden Equations Deep Within The Epimethean Wasteland"
"The Coalescence Of Nine Stars In The System Once Known As Markarian-231"
"Of Tesseractual Gateways And The Grand Duplicity Of Xhul"
"Hypercube Necrodimensions"
"Beyond The Wizardthrone (Cryptopharmalogical Revelations Of The Riemann Zeta Function)"

"Frozen Winds Of Thyraxia" video:

Wizardthrone is:

V. Morbistopheles Jones // Vincent "Jake" Jones (Aether Realm) - Bass/Lead Vocals
M. Archistrategos Barber // Mike Barber (Gloryhammer, Deathcode Society) - Guitar/Vocals
M. Xaviculus Bell // Matthew Bell (Forlorn Citadel) - Guitar
C. Hyperiax Bowes // Chris Bowes (Alestorm) - Keys/Narration
E. Wizardthrone Brown // Eric Brown (Nekrogoblikon, Vale Of Pnath) - Drums

(Photo Credit: Triumph 3 Obliterator-XXT, Tina Korhonen, Randy Edwards, Ann-Marie Bell, Bryce Chapman)




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Finland’s hottest new metal export, Blind Channel, have signed a worldwide deal with Century Media Records. Energetic live performances across Europe supporting the likes of Hollywood Undead, Enter Shikari, Simple Plan and Amaranthe have seen the Finnish Grammy (2019) nominees amass an impressive fanbase, with over half a million monthly listeners on Spotify. Their latest single “Dark Side” already made millions of streams, went number #1 of the charts in Finland and reached platinum status in their home country. Now, together with Century Media, they are set to take on the rest of the world with their unique brand of “violent pop”.

Blind Channel comments: ”We’re extremely excited and grateful to join the Century Media/Sony Music family. To join forces with one of the world’s biggest rock/ metal labels is a great honour to us. We’ve been working hard for almost 8 years and now it’s time for yet another level up. We can’t wait to start working with these awesome people to show everyone what Blind Channel and violent pop is all about. This week we’ll start with Europe. Next: the whole planet.”

Philipp Schulte, Century Media Director says: ”No doubt, Blind Channel are the most promising Finnish rock/metal act right now. More than ever, world class bands need to deliver a package of superior songs and live performances, outstanding visuals, constant activity on all fronts as well as highest commitment. We see all this in Blind Channel, that’s why we are committed to doing the best job possible for this great band.Welcome Blind Channel to Century Media Records and Sony Music. Let’s do this!”

The band will perform their latest single “Dark Side” at the Eurovision Song Contest semi final in Rotterdam tomorrow. Check out the official Eurovision entry video:




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Former Society 1 bassist, DV Karloff, recently passed away at 48. Society 1's Matt Zane, has shared the video below, along with the following message:

"This is the final song I co-wrote and recorded with DV Karloff before he left the band and moved back to the midwest. It's never been released or heard until now. In honor of all that we created and his life I felt it was the right time.

"This was recorded during the Black Level Six sessions as well as two other co-written songs between DV and I but this was the very last one. The images and video featured here were taken from the 15 years we toured and recorded together."

DV established himself joining Society 1 in 2003 after replacing Paul Raven (Killing Joke, Prong, Ministry), recording and touring with the group throughout its most commercially successful period. This culminated in their record breaking body suspension show at The Download Festival in 2005.

After leaving Society 1 in 2018, DV joined forces with former Ministry guitarist Sin Quirin in a new project, 3 Headed Snake, which debuted at the Bloodstock Festival in 2019. The band is currently signed to Cleopatra Records. DV was also a member of the band Hatesong which is signed to Metal Assault Records. Their next release, Chapel Rats is planned for June 4, 2021.




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Metal powerhouse BORN OF OSIRIS has unleashed its latest video, "Angel Or Alien". Not only that, but the band has also announced its eagerly awaited album, "Angel Or Alien", which will be out on July 2 via Sumerian Records. With crushing vocals and intricate guitar work laced with electronic twists and turns, "Angel Or Alien" is the follow-up to 2019's "The Simulation".

Speaking about the album and new music video, guitarist Lee McKinney said: "After what has been an extremely trying year for the world, we couldn't be more excited to bring you our new album, 'Angel Or Alien'. We feel like we brought the best elements from each album in our discography and combined them into what you will hear on 'Angel Or Alien'. So, no matter what album you favor in our discography, this one should shine. We tried to refine and improve on each aspect that makes us BORN OF OSIRIS, and I think it's apparent on this record.

"The 'Angel Or Alien' music video was actually extremely challenging for the band and crew. We wanted to walk out into the desert where there were no footprints and find the right spot for the performance shots. I'm sure you can imagine everyone loading guitars, drums, cabs, cameras, power, etc. across the desert with each step you take sinking six inches into the sand. It all lead up to a moment I'll never forget — everything set up on top of a dune in the desert, performing with my best friends and a great crew of amazing people filming, and looking over the desert in between takes as the sun set. I'll never forget the moments we shared that day. I think I can speak for the band AND camera crew when I say that we truly hope you love the final product, it was both a challenge and a pleasure to create."

BORN OF OSIRIS keyboardist and vocalist Joe Buras also commented: "There is a longing for connection. It’s not always easy and we crave it whether we know it or sometimes not. We get lost in thought at times but we always have to end up facing the world, exposed to the earth. You can shine like an Angel or hide like an Alien. Either way your heart and time are going towards the future and the end."

Written and produced by BORN OF OSIRIS, "Angel Or Alien" was mixed by Jeff Dunne with additional producing and engineering by Josh Strock. The band previously released "White Nile", the first track from the upcoming album.

"Angel Or Alien" track listing:

01. Poster Child

02. White Nile

03. Angel Or Alien

04. Waves

05. Oathbreaker

06. Threat Of Your Presence

07. Love Story

08. Crossface

09. Echobreather

10. Lost Souls

11. In For The Kill

12. You Are The Narrative

13. Truth And Denial

14. Shadowmourne

In a new interview with Rocking With Jam Man, NONPOINT singer Elias Soriano was asked for his opinion on the so-called cancel culture — where public figures are torn down after publicly judged for transgressions, perceived or real. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "The Internet wields its power, and it's random how it chooses to do it. It just takes one comment from somebody having a bad day to snowball into somebody getting canceled or some business being closed down or people being called out. It's something that you have to be aware of when it comes to your being on the stratosphere of the Internet. It's a very volatile, very unforgiving place. And people have to tread lightly."

Soriano was then asked to comment specifically on the controversy surrounding MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson's intimate involvement in communications with a woman other than his wife. Over the weekend, sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the 56-year-old Ellefson were leaked on Twitter. The longtime MEGADETH member later released a statement on Instagram denying all social media chatter that he "groomed" an underage fan.

Elias said: "People are gonna put stuff up on the Internet, and people are gonna judge it. You can't expect no reaction. So when something like that happens, you have to expect a reaction. So when that does happen… Again, the Internet is a really unforgiving place. I've been thrown in the midst of it — right in the middle of the pandemic, we were all over headlines — so I don't envy Dave at all. He's one of the sweetest guys in the world. I've met Dave a million times. I've done interviews with him. He's a good person. So I hope he sees himself out of this."

Merriam-Webster broadly defines "cancel culture" as "to withdraw one's support for (someone, such as a celebrity, or something, such as a company) publicly and especially on social media," particularly after they have displayed objectionable opinions or actions.

In his statement on Monday, Ellefson wrote: "As you may or not know, some private and personal conversations and interactions have surfaced online, released with ill intention by a third party who was not authorized to have them or share them. While certainly embarrassing, I want to address it as openly and honestly as possible.

"As much as it's not something I'm proud of, these were private, adult interactions that were taken out of context and manipulated to inflict maximum damage to my reputation, my career and family," he continued. "The other party involved has made a statement which you can see below. I thank her for doing so and hope that this clarifies that the situation was not at all as presented."

Ellefson's statement was accompanied by a screenshot of a social media post from the woman involved, who denied any suggestions that she was underage at the time. The woman also revealed she recorded the intimate moments and shared them with a friend without Ellefson's permission, calling herself "naïve" for doing so and claiming that the contact between her and the musician was "all consensual and all online." She also called assumptions that she was "groomed" by Ellefson "misinformation".

"Yes, those video calls did happen, but I was the one to initiate it and never was I underage, I was always a consenting adult. Nothing inappropriate ever happened before that. It was all consensual, I'm not a victim and I have not been groomed in the slightest as I was the one to initiate it," the woman stated.

David, who became a Lutheran pastor nearly a decade ago, and his wife Julie Ellefson have been married for 27 years. They reportedly dated for six years after getting together in 1988. After two days of engagement, they married on April 2, 1994. They have two children, Roman Alexander (25) and Athena Grace (22).

Ellefson, who has lived in Scottsdale, Arizona since 1994, is also an author and entrepreneur, holding the reins of EMP Label Group, Combat Records, Ellefson Coffee Co., and more, in addition to a diverse portfolio of brands and signature products. Ellefson was also inducted into the 2018 class of the Iowa Rock N' Roll Hall Of Fame, just over the border from Jackson in Spirit Lake, Iowa.

SLIPKNOT percussionist M. Shawn "Clown" Crahan and Murphy Quint, the head distiller at Cedar Ridge Winery & Distillery, recently answered a number of questions submitted by members of the band's fan club, Outside The 9. Part four of the question-and-answer session can be seen below.

Asked about SLIPKNOT's art direction going forward, Crahan said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "For me, I spend a lot of time looking at society, listening to society, putting my ear to the street, staring at the sky, watching people on the phone, watching people at dinner, picking up little bits of information here or there. And when you do that, and you don't do it with a strict hand, you just kind of massage it, things start connecting themselves to each other. But if you force it, you can't get 'em to adhere to one another. But if you just open your eyes, pay attention and understand where you're at and maybe what you're getting into, which could be an album a year from now. But the direction is always what's going on with the beat of the world, what's happening with everyone. And it usually filters into me and somehow it gets to a larger place, and then more people get involved, and then the direction starts showing itself. But you never just wake up and admit to yourself it's gonna go one way because there's so many people involved, and you want everybody involved, and you want everybody's opinion and you want it to be beautiful for everyone. So the direction, especially on a stage, even the masks, even the music, we take this probably the most serious — absolutely the most serious. You never know where the direction's gonna go. Right now we're writing, and I'm still trying to connect dots between songs and understand where we're going; it just hasn't quite hit yet. We have a plan, but all the dots have not adhered to each other to point to a direction yet."

Last October, Crahan confirmed that SLIPKNOT had been using some of the downtime during the coronavirus crisis to work on new material.

SLIPKNOT's latest album, "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.

In a brand new interview with Anne Erickson of Audio Ink Radio, Myles Kennedy spoke about the camaraderie and respect between him and GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash. Kennedy sang lead vocals on a pair of songs that appeared on Slash's eponymous solo debut album in 2010 before taking a more central role — under the SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS banner — on 2012's "Apocalyptic Love", 2014's "World On Fire" and 2018's "Living The Dream".

Asked if Slash is as intimidating to work with as he appears to be, Myles said: "He's really cool. I mean, he's very easy to work with. There's no intimidating whatsoever, actually, as far as writing with him, because of the fact that he's not precious with his ideas. That's one of the downfalls with a lot of creative people, is you tend to get kind of protective and territorial, and you let your ego come into the fold. And with him, what I learned early on in the process was that he was open to whatever. So, having that ability and knowing that he's gonna do what's best for the song is very liberating. He's a very cool guy. He's just a really mellow cat who loves to play music more than anything in the world. So, it's fun."

Slash told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that his partnership with Kennedy has been easy from the start. "We work really well together," he said. "I never really thought about how that's progressing. It's real natural. So it's like any kind of sort of close relationship, where I think we established it really, really early on and now we're just sort of doing our thing, you know. Yeah, I don't know what else to say — it's just a really cool kind of synergy that we've got."

"Living The Dream" was released in September 2018 via Slash's own label Snakepit Records, in partnership with Roadrunner Records. The disc is Slash's fourth solo album, and third with Slash and his bandmates Kennedy (vocals), Brent Fitz (drums), Todd Kerns (bass and vocals) and Frank Sidoris (guitar and vocals). The artwork was created by renowned visual artist Ron English.

The "Living The Dream" sessions saw the band reunite with producer Michael "Elvis" Baskette, who also helmed "World On Fire".

Bassist Gabe Crisp of Knoxville, Tennessee death metallers WHITECHAPEL recently spoke with DJ Chewy of WSOU 89.5 FM — the South Orange, New Jersey-based college radio station of Seton Hall University — about the band's forthcoming new studio album, "The Valley". You can listen to the entire chat via the SoundCloud widget below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On how "The Valley" differs and is similar to the band's previous studio output:

Gabe: "The only way I describe stuff like that to me is we're maturing, so I think the sound is maturing. I don't know if it's a great representation of it. For us, we're diving into some clean-singing stuff, a little more atmospheric, a lot more melody. For us, it's impossible to write the same thing, and we always try to bring something new to the table. The last couple of records have been teasing this and we've kind of went for it this time."

On using clean vocals for the new song "Third Depth":

Gabe: "We've always thought about it. It was track-specific. We knew Phil [Bozeman, vocals] could sing — we didn't know how good, but we knew he could sing. We just knew if we started writing stuff that called for singing, we would just let it happen. He was down and it was one those things where it came out way better than we ever imagined. We wrote stuff that sounded like it should have it and we didn't hold back. We went for it."

On whether there were any "roadblocks" for WHITECHAPEL during the writing of "The Valley":

Gabe: "Honestly, man, there's always time restraints and you always need more time no matter how much time you set aside for it, but it was a pretty good experience overall. We kind of stick to the same plan and we build off of it every record. We keep the good stuff and whatever works. We were able to get together a lot more this time since we were home. We were in a room together as a band a lot more for this record and it made things a lot easier. A lot more fun."

On the reasoning behind naming the album "The Valley":

Gabe: "'The Valley' is in reference to where Phil grew up, which is in Hardin Valley [Tennessee]. He still lives there, actually, but instead of calling it that, the idea was 'The Valley' is more universal. Where we live in Tennessee is kind of a valley outside of the [Great] Smoky Mountains, so it's specific to him, specific to us. It's kind of cool. Deeper than just saying 'The Valley'. It's cool to us."

On the "Based on true events" text that appears on the album's cover:

Gabe: "It's all Phil. He grew up in a rough household and I don't think the lyrics are literal — it's not meant to be like that, but it's inspired by true events, I guess you could say."

On why WHITECHAPEL has experienced a revolving door of drummers:

Gabe: "For us, since we've been doing this as a career or even full-time, whatever you want to call it, for the last ten years, we only had what we call two drummers actually be in the band. Ben Harclerode left and since then, we've had touring musicians. At the same time, it's not a tryout, but at the same time, if someone wants to be in the band, we're not going to let them be in the band overnight. If they want to be in the band, they want to play some shows and see if it works out — we want a sixth member. We're looking for a new drummer all the time, right now we're just waiting for the guy that's the one."

"The Valley" will be released on March 29 via Metal Blade Records.

This spring, WHITECHAPEL will co-headline the 2019 edition of the "Chaos & Carnage" U.S. tour with DYING FETUS. Support on the trek will come from REVOCATION, FALLUJAH, SPITE, UNCURED and BURIED ABOVE GROUND.

In a new interview with Rocking With Jam Man, BLACK SABBATH's touring drummer Tommy Clufetos was asked if he thinks the band's original drummer Bill Ward should have joined the rest of the group on stage for a song or two during the final show of SABBATH's "The End" tour in February 2017 in Birmingham, England. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'm the last guy in the world who has any idea of what goes on there, so I can't say 'should he?' [or] 'shouldn't he?' 'cause I don't know what was really going on. All I know is that I was asked to play drums. So I don't really concern myself with things that aren't in my control. That's between him and the band. So you're asking the wrong guy the question, 'cause I'm just a drummer and I keep my mouth shut."

Clufetos went on to say that "it was a wonderful feeling" to be asked to play with SABBATH on the band's last-ever tour. "And it was even more wonderful, and it was an honor and a privilege to go on stage and be the guy [who was asked] to carry the torch to bring the music to the fans," he said. "And I really tried hard, my best that I could, to do justice to the great music that they created together — the four guys: Ozzy [Osbourne], Tony [Iommi], Bill and Geezer [Butler]. So I just tried to revere the music and bring the same vibe that the fans were expecting. And I was proud of what I did with those guys onstage. So it was a thrill and an honor for me."

Asked what emotions he felt while playing SABBATH's final show ever, Tommy said: "That whole tour was great. And the last gig of any tour is always a little more unnerving — people are packing their bags, and there's distractions, let along playing with BLACK SABBATH in their hometown of supposedly their last gig that they're ever gonna do. So there was a lot of hustle and bustle going on. But we provided what was necessary on stage that day, and they were recording it, and they filmed it. And it was a great night."

Two months ago, Ward said that he no longer has physical capability to perform live with BLACK SABBATH but he would love to join them in the recording studio. He told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk": "As far as touring with BLACK SABBATH, I don't have the chops, and I don't have the ability to drive a band like that on stage. I have to be back to 60 years old to be able to do that."

Ward continued: "I would love to do a studio album with SABBATH, with all the original members. I'm just saying that — I'm just floating that out there. I haven't talked to anybody about that or anything else. But I'm not done. So, the other three might be done, and I respect that, but no, I'm not done. I think as long as we all exist [laughs] and we're still breathing in air, I think we have every possibility of making some great music together."

Bill went on to reiterate his desire to make a new studio album with BLACK SABBATH but confirmed that he no longer wishes to play live with the legendary heavy metal act.

"I'm being honest," he said. "I'll be 73 next birthday [in May], and I know what kind of energy it takes to drive that band."

Bill was on board for the SABBATH reunion when it was first announced nine years ago, but backed out soon after. The drummer later claimed that he sat out the recording and touring sessions because of unfair contractual terms, although the members of SABBATH have hinted in other interviews that he wasn't physically up to the task.

All four original members of SABBATH were present when the band announced its reunion in late 2011. But Ward split from the group in 2012, citing an "unsignable" contract, and Osbourne, Iommi and Butler carried on with their Rick Rubin–produced "13" LP and extensive international touring without him.

It was rumored that SABBATH wanted to bring a second drummer on the road to share duties with Ward, something that Iommi confirmed in 2017 during a question-and-answer session about SABBATH's "Ten Year War" box set.

"The End" was SABBATH's last tour because Iommi — who was diagnosed with lymphoma in late 2011 — can no longer travel for extended amounts of time.

Clufetos's new band TOMMY'S ROCKTRIP, where he offers his take on the rock 'n roll influences that made him one of the most sought-after drummers in the current hard rock scene, will release its debut album, "Beat Up By Rock 'N' Roll", on May 7 via Frontiers Music Srl. Eric Dover, known for singing and playing guitar with JELLYFISH, SLASH'S SNAKEPIT and Alice Cooper, handles lead vocals on the LP (though Tommy grabs the mic for three tracks). Eliot Lorengo (bass), Hank Schneekluth (guitar) and Nao Nakashima (guitar) round out the supporting cast.

After the extremely successful launch of Joe Satriani's debut comic book series, "Crystal Planet", in January, issue #2 is now set to release this June. Created by Joe Satriani and Ned Evett, the series is released in conjunction with Incendium and Heavy Metal magazine under the all-new music-focused Opus imprint.

Issue #1 introduced us to Satchel Walker, a man out of time who finds himself caught between desperate factions as they battle for resources in the perilous orbit of a dying star in this vivid space odyssey. In a bold and brutal saga of sentient storms and Wingsuit armies, it's music, and more importantly the power and emotion that music can conjure, which could bring an end to the conflict, restore harmony to the timestream, and reveal Walker's true place in the universe. Issue #2 opens with a death in the family that raises even more questions for Satchel Walker as he takes his first perilous steps on the journey to Crystal Planet. Racing through the night in a banged-up station wagon with his father's old guitar and lifelong friend Sarah Fortune at the wheel, their world is about to change forever, and the swarm is hot on their trail.

"Crystal Planet" begins as a five-issue series. The first print edition of each issue will be released as a prestige format limited edition collectible comic book, featuring cardstock covers, specialty foil treatments, glossy pages, and individual numbering. Each first printing will be limited to 1998 copies at $19.98, and available to order here.

Due to fan demand, an exclusive limited-edition bundle is also available to purchase, now. It features issue #1 signed by Satriani plus a sublimated hat, an art print of issue #2's cover and an enamel pin. Only 250 sets are available.

The world of "Crystal Planet" will extend beyond the printed page into toys and collectibles. A Joe Satriani "Crystal Planet" action figure is also available to pre-order for $29.95, featuring Joe in a Tri-Diver suit from the comics with his signature Crystal Planet Ibanez guitar. Shipping summer 2021.

Join Joe Satriani on a journey to Crystal Planet, where desperate factions battle for resources in the perilous orbit of a dying star. In a bold and brutal saga of sentient storms and Wingsuit armies, it's music, and more importantly the power and emotion that music can conjure, which could bring an end to the conflict, restore harmony to the timestream, and reveal the true power of the Time Shredder.

FigBiz officially licensed action figures are the perfect addition to any collection, inspired by the ultimate era of Saturday morning cartoons.

Accessories Include:

* 12 Points of Articulation

* Time Shredder Guitar

* Tri-Diver Helmet

* Alternate Hands

* Sunglasses

Ages 15 and up.

PRIMUS frontman Les Claypool spoke to Kerrang! magazine about auditioning for the then-vacant bassist slot in METALLICA following the September 1986 death of the group's previous bassist, Cliff Burton. Asked if it's true that when he auditioned, METALLICA frontman James Hetfield said something like, "Man, you're much too talented. Go do something wonderfully weird on your own," Les said: "He definitely did not say that. He said that later on in an interview, which was very kind of him. I think they thought I was a freak. They were very nice — Lars [Ulrich, drums] was particularly kind — and, of course, I knew Kirk [Hammett, guitar] from high school. But I think that James thought I was some sort of thug. Put it this way, I definitely didn't look the part."

According to Les, he "wasn't really into metal at the time" of his METALLICA audition. "I just knew that it was my buddy Kirk's band and that they were doing really well," he said. "It wasn't until the audition that I got a sense of what was really going on. It was a bit of a heavy thing, the audition, and I didn't realize until I got there that it was kind of a big deal. Afterwards I fantasized about quitting my carpentry job and touring Japan with them, but I didn't get the gig."

Asked what METALLICA would have sounded like with him as one quarter of the band, Les said: "Well, however it would have sounded, I would have only lasted for a month or two before they kicked me out. They've got enough chefs in the kitchen in that band — they don't need a guy like me. And the guy they have right now is unbelievable. Robert Trujillo is one of the nicest and sweetest guys I've ever met in the industry, and his playing is unbelievable."

Recalling the experience of Claypool trying out for METALLICA, Hetfield said in the band's VH1 "Behind The Music" special that Les was not awarded the job because "he was too good" and that Claypool "should do his own thing."

Claypool later told Citypages about Hetfield's comments: "I'd say, that's an untrue story. I mean, James said on VH1 'Behind The Music' that I was just too good, but ah, he and I were hanging out quite a bit during that time when they did the VH1 interview. And I said, 'What the hell are you guys talking about? You didn't want me. You thought I was a freak!' And he just laughed. Ya know, I showed up with a bleach blonde mohawk and wearing baggy skater pants, and two different colored tennis shoes. They were all in black with tight pants and the whole bit... But they have a great guy now; they've got Robert Trujillo, who's one of the nicest guys in the business."

Burton played on METALLICA's first three studio albums — "Kill 'Em All", "Ride The Lightning" and "Master Of Puppets" — and co-wrote classic songs like "Ride The Lightning", "For Whom The Bell Tolls", "Fade To Black", "Creeping Death" and "Master Of Puppets".

His life was tragically cut short at the age of 24 in a tour bus crash on September 27, 1986 in Sweden.

Burton's initial replacement in the group was Jason Newsted, who stayed in the lineup until 2001. Trujillo joined in 2003 and remains in the band to this

Ozzy Osbourne sat down with co-host Billy Morrison for another episode of "Ozzy Speaks" on SiriusXM's Ozzy's Boneyard. During the chat, Ozzy confirmed that he has spent the last few months working on the follow-up to 2020's "Ordinary Man" LP.

"Some interesting people are gonna be on the album, which I can't really disclose," he said.

Osbourne also spoke about what it's been like to work with Andrew Watt again after previously collaborating with the producer on "Ordinary Man".

"[Andrew] goes in with a band," Ozzy said. "He gets some things going, and I'll go, 'Yeah, I like that,' 'No, I don't like that,' 'That's okay.' We've got, like, 13 [or] 14 really strong songs.

Asked if he still gets excited about making music, Ozzy said: "Of course I get excited. It's something that's creative that I can get my head around. When I get something really special, I go, 'Yes, this is a winner.' There's one [song] called 'Patient Number Nine'. It's one we wrote about Sharon [Osbourne, Ozzy's wife/manager] and I."

In December, Watt told Guitar World that he and the BLACK SABBATH legend were "halfway through" the new LP. "There's some songs on there that are like eight or nine minutes long that are these really crazy journeys. I'm really excited about it," he said.

Like "Ordinary Man", which featured Watt on guitar, Duff McKagan (GUNS N' ROSES) on bass and Chad Smith (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS) on drums, Ozzy's next album will feature guest appearances by a number of notable musicians.

"There's a bunch of people involved," Andrew told Guitar World. "I can't say for sure until the end, but I started doing a bunch of basic tracks with Chad and Robert Trujillo [METALLICA], who used to play in Ozzy's band. And Taylor Hawkins [FOO FIGHTERS] also came in and played a bunch on the record as well, which adds a different flair — it kind of harkened back to Ozzy's '80s era, in a great way. And I think it's so cool for a rock fan to be able to listen to half an album with Chad Smith on drums, and then you flip it over and you get to hear Taylor Hawkins. And you know, the last album was really special for everyone involved. And so there was no point in Ozzy or me doing this again unless we thought we could bring something new to the table. And I feel like we're achieving that."

Last July, Ozzy said that he was still "not back to 100 percent" after suffering from several medical issues last year, including a fall, neck surgery and hospitalization for the flu. Ozzy also said that he was looking forward to performing again once he has regained his health and the coronavirus pandemic has subsided. The BLACK SABBATH singer had previously canceled all his 2019 tour plans, and the rescheduled 2020 shows were also scrapped.

In May 2020, Ozzy's son Jack said that his father will "probably" retire "within the next five to ten years." But Ozzy, who turned 72 in December, has repeatedly said that he is not calling it quits, despite the fact that his "No More Tours 2" — whenever it ends up happening — is being billed as his last major global trek.

Ozzy was also forced to cancel an April 2020 trip to Switzerland to see a doctor who specializes in treatment of Parkinson's disease. The singer revealed early last year that he was diagnosed with the condition.