Canadian rocker Danko Jones says that he is not surprised to learn that James Hetfield is skeptical of getting the COVID-19 vaccine.

This past March, the METALLICA frontman told "The Fierce Life" podcast that he was in no rush to get inoculated. "I'm a little skeptical of getting the vaccine, but it seems to be rolling out and people are getting it and I've got lots of friends that have done it," he said. "I'm not totally sure about it."

He continued: "But I hope it doesn't come to a point where you have to have that COVID stamp in your passport or something to go everywhere. But if it comes down to that, then I'll make a decision then. We got vaccinated to go to Africa, so it's not like I've never been vaccinated before. But as a kid, I never got vaccinations 'cause of our religion [Christian Science]. So that was the only time I got one — when we were going on safari in Africa."

Earlier today, Danko tweeted out a BLABBERMOUTH.NET story about Hetfield's comments, and he included the following message: "FIRSTLY, not surprised. SECONDLY, you already need proof of vaccination against Yellow Fever, Polio & Meningococcal meningitis when traveling to certain countries. How does James Hetfield, with all his years of touring, not know this already?"

Danko added in a separate tweet: "Let me double down here because I'm getting a bunch of METALLICA fans tweeting me... Hetfield publicly stating he's 'skeptical' of Covid vaccines, given his elevated platform is dangerously irresponsible and helps create even more vaccine hesitancy than there already is."

According to ABC News, Christian Scientists are a group that tends not to vaccinate for religious reasons. The church teaches healing through prayer. The official web site of the Christian Science Church includes testimony from members of the church who say they have ridden themselves of lupus, cancerous tumors and depression through the power of prayer. They say 80,000 healings through prayer have been recorded in the past 130 years. But in 1994, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a measles outbreak among Christian Scientists in the Midwest.

More than 115 million Americans are fully vaccinated, and nearly 153 million have received at least one dose, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The White House estimates that 90% of Americans live within five miles of a vaccination site.

Earlier this month, the European Union announced it plans to reopen this summer to tourists, including travelers from the U.S. who are fully vaccinated.

Lots of countries already require vaccination for yellow fever and recommend it for other diseases.




FIRSTLY, not surprised.

SECONDLY, you already need proof of vaccination against Yellow Fever, Polio & Meningococcal meningitis when traveling to certain countries.

How does James Hetfield, with all his years of touring, not know this already? https://t.co/4Y9ZJ10D1g

— Danko Jones (@dankojones) May 11, 2021








Let me double down here because I’m getting a bunch of Metallica fans tweeting me...

Hetfield publicly stating he’s “skeptical” of Covid vaccines, given his elevated platform is dangerously irresponsible and helps create even more vaccine hesitancy than there already is. https://t.co/4Y9ZJ10D1g

— Danko Jones (@dankojones) May 11, 2021

ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante was recently interiewed on "Drum For The Song", the podcast hosted by Dane Campbell, son of ex-MOTÖRHEAD guitarist Phil Campbell. Asked about his recent comment that he was "tired" of not being recognized as a pioneer of the "blast beat," Benante said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I have to clarify this. I didn't say I invented it. It was the first time that it appeared on a record; it was on the S.O.D. [STORMTROOPERS OF DEATH] record. And other people had said that yes, of course, it's the first time it appeared on a record. And basically, what it was was the bass player in the band S.O.D., we had this song called 'Milk', and we basically collaborated on this drum beat, and it turned out to be called the blast beat. There was another band from New York, a hardcore band called NYC MAYHEM, and they would have these short bursts in their songs — kind of like D.R.I. or this other band called ADRENALINE OVERDOSE [A.O.D.] from New Jersey. And, yeah, they were doing something similar. And then on the first S.O.D. record, on the song 'Milk', is where that beat is. And it became very popular to this day. And that's it."

He continued: "But I never actually said that I was sitting in my room and I… We just kind of created this thing and we put it on the record, but other people were doing little bursts like that too. And it's funny — someone put a picture or they showed a video of a jazz drummer back in 1964 or something doing something similar, and it's, like, all right, dude, I get it. Do you think all of a sudden everybody was doing these blast beats because of this jazz drummer? No. A lot of it was because of that S.O.D. record. So, that's it. I just wanted to clarify it."

A type of fast drum beat characteristic of extreme heavy metal styles such as black metal, death metal and grindcore, a blast beat is basically a single stroke roll broken up between the snare drum and the bass drum, with the hi-hat/ride hand playing unison strokes with the bass drum.

Benante previously discussed his role in developing the blast beat during an August 2019 interview with Drumtalk, the video podcast by German drummer and videographer Philipp Koch. At the time, he said: "There's this style of beat called 'blast beat,' and I will say that the first time ever that type of beat was recorded and played on a record was on this S.O.D. record that we did in 1985. And I'm tired of people not crediting that that was the first time. And, of course, people perfected it and play it way better, but that was the first time that a blast beat was on record. If you can prove me wrong, prove me wrong, but I believe that that was the first time. And, like I said, other people have mastered it and done it way better, and I never took it any further — that was it. It fit in that song 'Milk'. Like, when we would play it live, the more I played it, the more I started to develop a different way of playing it. Because I would always play it with a single kick drum, and I would either reverse it, which I think Paul [Mazurkiewicz] from CANNIBAL CORPSE played more of that style of blast beat. I would play it either with the ride or I would play it with the hat, reversing it. When S.O.D. would play more and more shows, I would always develop it and not just do a single kick — I would throw in a double. And then I discovered that some of the black metal bands, later on, were doing it [slightly differently]. So it was being developed even more. And then when I heard the DIMMU BORGIR record 'Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia', Nick Barker's drumming on that record was, to me, one of those moments where another door opened and he took the blast beat style to a whole other level."

Asked if it felt like he was doing something new when he first came up with the drum beat for "Milk", Charlie told Drumtalk: "I remember when that song came out, 'Milk', with the blast beat in it, and many people were saying, 'What are you doing here? What are you doing?' And there was a part of me that was, like, 'I can't really tell you what I'm doing.' [Laughs] When we would play it, I would always see people watching me play it. And S.O.D. didn't play many shows, of course, but when we did play, we played the whole record. And it was never at the same speed that the record was recorded — it was live and it was just fast, so it was always moving forward."

STORMTROOPERS OF DEATH was a satirical 1980s metal band which consisted of Benante, ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian, NUCLEAR ASSAULT/ex-ANTHRAX bassist Dan Lilker and M.O.D.'s Billy Milano (vocals).

STORMTROOPERS OF DEATH are commonly credited as being among the first bands to fuse hardcore punk with thrash metal into a style sometimes called "crossover thrash." The track "March Of The S.O.D." from the group's debut LP, "Speak English Or Die", was the "Headbangers Ball" intro song for many years.

STORMTROOPERS OF DEATH was formed shortly after Ian finished his guitar tracks on the ANTHRAX album "Spreading The Disease". He would draw pictures of the face of a character known as "Sargent D," and the pictures would be accompanied by slogans such as "I'm not racist; I hate everyone" and "Speak English Or Die." Ian would then wrote lyrics about this character. He decided to form a hardcore band based on Sargent D, so he recruited Benante, Lilker and Milano.

The 30th-anniversary edition of "Speak English Or Die" was made available in November 2015 via Megaforce. The set included the original album as well as the demo recordings from the pre-STROMTROOPERS OF DEATH project CRAB SOCIETY NORTH.




And really… who gives a fuck? https://t.co/ZVf0F3t4sg

— Charlie Benante (@skisum) May 6, 2021







=

Former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman has told The Oakland Press that he had no involvement in last year's 30th-anniversary celebrations for the Grammy Award-nominated "Rust In Peace", Friedman's first album with the band. "I don't really follow those things," he said. "I'm more interested in the future rather than celebrating something that's been celebrated in the past. Of course I'm extremely proud of the legacy of anything, and if anybody likes it, that's great. I'm the biggest fan of the band out there. I just try to make music I enjoy and hopefully other people enjoy. You don't have control over what people are going to pick up on, but if you like it you can hope somebody else will, too."

Last year, Friedman admitted that money was a major motivator for him when he was approached about taking part in a reunion of MEGADETH's "Rust In Peace" lineup.

Friedman had met with vocalist/guitarist Dave Mustaine and bassist David Ellefson at the 2015 NAMM show in Anaheim, California to discuss the reunion, which would have seen him and drummer Nick Menza back in the mix.

Friedman, who moved from America to Japan in 2003, opened up about about his reasons for turning down the MEGADETH reunion in Mustaine's latest book, "Rust In Peace: The Inside Story Of The Megadeth Masterpiece", which details the making of the iconic record "Rust In Peace".

"My main thing was I'd be happy to do it, but I'm not going to take less money than I'm already making to do it," Marty said in part.

"I'd been in Japan for more than ten years cultivating a career with solid rewards. I was making money not only for myself but also for my management and staff. My manager has been with me fifteen years.

"Everything was sound and solid professionally, and when the offer came up to all of a sudden join MEGADETH again, as long as I would not be making less money, I was ready to go," he said. "But I was certainly not going to take a loss to join a band that, frankly, at that point, didn't seem like they had too much to offer musically. A couple of members of the band had recently quit, and musically I hadn't heard anything that they've done in a long time. I didn't know about how relevant they continued to be in the music business. It wasn't like MEGADETH was on the tip of people's tongues, at least not in Japan. I had reached the point where people stopped immediately connecting me to MEGADETH and were talking about the things that I had done in Japan."

According to Friedman, part of the reason he turned down the MEGADETH reunion is the fact that the group is largely seen as Mustaine's solo project, with members coming and going every couple of albums.

"Had it been more of a band situation and not such a one-man, Dave Mustaine-main-man party, I might have considered doing it for a little less," Marty said. "But, at the end of the day, MEGADETH is so much Mustaine because that's the way he engineered it. I didn't feel that kind of camaraderie, the four-man diamond, THE BEATLES, KISS, METALLICA. I felt like I would be going out there and tour and it was going to be Mustaine's big success. If I'm going to do that, I'm certainly not going to lose money to do that; I was doing great on my own in Japan."

Mustaine told Loudwire that he was put off by Friedman's financial demands when the topic of a "Rust In Peace" reunion was broached.

"Marty has a really successful career in Japan where he makes quite a lot of money," Dave said. "And this is the part where I thought it was a little weird, where he said he said that he has to pay all his team while he's gone instead of just himself. 'Cause I thought we'll pay you what you're making so that's switching horses in the middle of the river — it's no big deal unless you fall off. And then when we found out that he wanted to sell his merch, his this, his that, his this, his that, then he wanted this crazy amount of money and he wanted to fly first class everywhere. I said to our management, 'I can't deal with this.'"

In a 2016 interview with the "Eddie Trunk Podcast", Mustaine confirmed that MEGADETH didn't hold any rehearsals with Friedman while attempting a reunion of the "Rust In Peace" lineup.

"Marty had sent some e-mails saying, 'Oh, man, you know, the fans have this self-inflated importance of 'Rust In Peace' beyond what it really is. And I was, like, 'Huh?'" Dave said. 'So I didn't know if that was a backhand to the face of the fans or not, but he had basically said that if we were gonna do anything, it had to be better than 'Rust In Peace'. And he sent me over some links to some songs that he thought should be the direction that we were going in, and one of it was this J-Pop band with some Japanese girl singing, and I was, like, 'Uh-uh. This ain't gonna work.' More power to [Marty for being into that stuff]. Do what you want, Marty. He's a great guitar player. But I'm not gonna sing like a Japanese gi

MACHINE HEAD's Robb Flynn and Jared MacEachern held the latest "Electric Happy Hour" on Friday, May 14 during which they performed around a dozen and a half songs, including MH tunes "Davidian", "Ten Ton Hammer" and "Now We Die", plus covers of STONE SOUR's "Bother" and JUDAS PRIEST's "The Sentinel". You can now watch the session below.

Featured songs:

00:00 Beers Up And Welcome

05:00 Bulletproof

10:31 Davidian

18:40 Hope Begets Hope

23:17 Ten Ton Hammer

28:19 Is There Anybody Out There?

34:45 Still Loving You

42:38 Slanderous

48:29 Now We Die

1:00:21 Children Of The Grave (acoustic) (snippet)

1:04:18 Bastards (acoustic) (intro)

1:06:39 Bastards (acoustic)

1:12:45 Say It Ain't So (acoustic) (snippet)

1:15:29 Bother (acoustic)

1:23:30 Behind A Mask (acoustic) (intro)

1:24:31 Behind A Mask (acoustic)

1:31:52 Aesthetics Of Hate

1:38:10 Blood For Blood

1:42:12 The Sentinel (snippet)

1:51:45 Darkness Within (acoustic) (intro)

1:56:55 Darkness Within (acoustic)

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, Flynn has been staging "Acoustic Happy Hour" solo sessions every Friday, during which he has performed a number of MH tunes as well as covers of other artists' songs.

Flynn told Kerrang! magazine about "Acoustic Happy Hour": "It's just basically a free show on Facebook. I try to learn two new songs every Friday. I take requests, and I try to play MACHINE HEAD songs that have never been played live acoustic. Last week I covered MUSE, TOOL and LYNYRD SKYNYRD. It's been fucking awesome. The first three or four were horrible — I knew they were — but I knew that if I kept sucking for six weeks I would get past it.

"For the first 20 years of my career, I never took singing lessons," he continued. "Then I did some about 10 years ago. With these acoustic shows, I've been back in contact with my old singing teacher to try and figure out why I can do a three-and-a-half hour MACHINE HEAD show, but this clean singing is kicking my ass. It's been an opportunity to un-learn all the wrong shit and get an opportunity to do things right."

In November, MACHINE HEAD released a new single, "My Hands Are Empty", via Nuclear Blast. The song marked the first musical collaboration between Flynn and original "Burn My Eyes" guitarist Logan Mader in 24 years.

"My Hands Are Empty" was the latest in a line of singles to be released by MACHINE HEAD, which issued "Do Or Die" in October 2019, "Circle The Drain" in February, and the two-song digital single "Civil Unrest", consisting of "Stop The Bleeding" and "Bulletproof", in June. "Stop The Bleeding" featured guest vocals from KILLSWITCH ENGAGE frontman Jesse Leach, and was written and recorded just days after the murders of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery.

In July, MACHINE HEAD canceled its previously announced rescheduled 2020 tour dates for Europe and Australia due to the coronavirus pandemic which is sweeping the globe.

Each show on MACHINE HEAD's "Burn My Eyes" 25th-anniversary tour consisted of two parts: part one saw Flynn and MacEachern performing alongside new recruits, guitarist Wacław "Vogg" Kiełtyka (DECAPITATED) and British drummer Matt Alston (DEVILMENT, EASTERN FRONT); while part two featured "Burn My Eyes" played in its entirety for the first time ever, with original "Burn My Eyes"-era drummer Chris Kontos and Mader joining in.

One of The Big Four turns the Big 4-0 this year and is celebrating with a number of special activities and events to honor the landmark anniversary. Formed by guitarist Scott Ian and bassist Dan Lilker in Queens, NY on July 18, 1981, Anthrax was one of the first thrash metal bands to emerge from the East Coast and quickly became regarded as a leader in the genre alongside Metallica, Slayer, and Megadeth.

Active over the past five decades, Anthrax has released 11 studio albums, been awarded multiple Gold and Platinum certifications, received six Grammy nominations, toured the world since 1984 playing thousands of shows, including headlining Madison Square Garden and playing Yankee Stadium with The Big 4. The band has built a strong reputation with fans as well as the record industry. With the lineup including Ian, bassist Frank Bello, drummer Charlie Benante, singer Joey Belladonna, and guitarist Jon Donais, the band is being feted on their 40th anniversary by a wide range of friends and music contemporaries.

Each week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and wrapping on the band's official founding anniversary of July 18, Anthrax's social media accounts will offer a series of video testimonials sent in by former band members, fellow musicians, colleagues, and industry veterans sharing behind-the-scenes stories of working with the band and what Anthrax's legacy has meant all these years on. These videos will honor each album in chronological order beginning with the original release, Fistful of Metal. Go here for the full schedule, and watch the first six below.

The 11-week series will include video contributions from Chuck D, Corey Taylor, Dave Grohl, Dave Mustaine, Gary Holt, Gene Simmons, Henry Rollins, John Carpenter, Kerry King, Mike Patton, Nergal, Norman Reedus, Michael Poulsen, Rob Zombie, Robert Trujillo, Roger Miret, Darryl McDaniels (Run DMC), Slash, Tom Morello and more. There will also be video clips from former Anthrax band members Dan Lilker, Dan Spitz, John Bush, Neil Turbin, and Rob Caggiano.

The finale will come as a very special Livestream performance from Anthrax on Friday, July 16, featuring a deep cuts set that will pull from the band's entire career-spanning catalog. All details including ticketing information will be announced shortly.

Fans will also be able to get their hands on a special 40th anniversary-edition bottle of Anthrax bourbon to enjoy during the Livestream and keep as a commemorative keepsake. More details will be coming soon.

Episode #1:

Episode #2:

Episode #3:

Episode #4:

Episode #5:

Episode #6:

Twenty-twenty-one marks Anthrax's 40th anniversary, during which time the band has released 11 studio albums, been awarded multiple Gold and Platinum certifications, six Grammy nominations, and a host of other accolades from the media, the music industry, and fans. In 1991, the band helped break down race and genre barriers when they collaborated with Public Enemy on the track "Bring The Noise," and was the first metal band to have its music heard on Mars when NASA played "Got The Time" to wake up the Mars Rover in 2012.

Along with Metallica, Slayer, and Megadeth, Anthrax is a card-carrying member of The Big Four, the four bands that defined the speed/thrash/metal genre. Anthrax has also introduced a series now sold-out signature whiskeys and bourbons and partnered with the Stockholm-based NEZUMI Studios for a high-end, limited-edition Baleine dive watch.

Twenty-twenty-one will see the release of Z2 Comics' "Among The Living" graphic novel with a track-by-track storyline inspired by Anthrax's iconic 1987 album, Among The Living. The book pulls together a "who's who" of names from the worlds of comics and music who created "bubble dialogue" and original artwork to express what the songs meant to them. Taking advantage of COVID-19's prohibition of concert touring, the band has been hard at work writing the next Anthrax album.

(Photo - Jimmy Hubbard)




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Spain-based rock outfit, Bala, have released a lyric video for "Rituais", featured on their new album, Maleza, out now via Century Media. Watch the clip below, and order the new album here.

Maleza tracklisting:

"Agitar"
"Hoy No"
"X"
"Mi Orden"
"Cien Obstáculos"
"Quieres Entrar"
"Rituais"
"Bessie"
"Una Selva"

"Rituais" lyric video:

"Agitar" video:

Lineup:

Anxela Baltar - Vocals, Guitars  
Violeta Mosquera - Vocals, Drums

(Photo - Mattias Monsterkid)




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Chthonic has revealed a second clip, “Oceanquake”, from the symphonic extreme metal masters’ upcoming live album and video, Chthonic Megaport 2021, scheduled for release on May 19.

“Oceanquake” features an appearance by Audrey Tang, a longtime Chthonic fan who currently holds the seat of Digital Minister in Taiwan's cabinet. “Audrey’s voice has been added with Machine Effect,” explains frontman Freddy Lim. “I’ve never known anybody’s voice that fit in so well with this kind of effect. It makes this Chthonic DrumNBass remix so unique!”

Fans who missed symphonic extreme metal masters Chthonic’s triumphant return to the stage to headline Taiwan’s massive Megaport Festival in March will have the opportunity to experience the show with the release of the Chthonic Megaport 2021 live album and video.

Chthonic Megaport 2021 will be available digitally and as a special limited “anti-epidemic bundle” including a physical CD, Chthonic medical-quality mask, a Chthonic mask lanyard, large and small Chthonic mask containers and a small Chthonic spray can for sanitizer will be available. Pre-orders are available here.

After making history by successfully managing the COVID-19 pandemic, Taiwan was able to move forward with the Megaport Festival, the first large-scale rock festival since the unprecedented global lockdown. Taking place March 27-28 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, the festival featured more than 100 artists on 10 stages. Founded in 2006 by Chthonic’s Freddy Lim, who left the organizing team after being elected as a member of Taiwanese Parliament in 2016, Megaport Festival attracts tens of thousands of people every year, with this year’s festival selling out its 20,000 tickets within five minutes. For their performance, Chthonic was joined by Audrey Tang, a longtime Chthonic fan who currently holds the seat of Digital Minister in Taiwan's cabinet.

“I felt very excited and grateful when I stood on the stage,” Lim says. “I cherished the connection between the crowd and me, and I also wanted to cheer up the people around the world who watched the show through the live broadcast so much.”

Lim also used the Megaport appearance as an excuse to reclaim his once-fit body, which he shows off on the album’s cover and in the “Set Fire to the Island” video. “I have always been fit in the past,” he says. “But after entering politics and having a baby, I didn't have enough time to exercise, so I was a little out of shape. Last year I promised the fans that if the Megaport Festival was held as scheduled, I will get my fit body back and take off my shirt in this show. So, I take off my shirt later in the song! Good to have my fit body back!”




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Sabaton have released an official lyric video for their latest single "Defense Of Moscow", which can be found below, alongside the official music video. You can listen to the song here.

"Defense Of Moscow" is a cover from Russian superstar Radio Tapok. It follows last year's successful collaboration between Sabaton and Radio Tapok on the live version of "The Attack Of The Dead Men". Covering the song in English and giving the song their unique Sabaton style, the band released another epic masterpiece that once again highlights an important turning point in European war history. In order to give "Defense Of Moscow" the salute it deserves, Sabaton created an extraordinary and strictly limited 7" vinyl in red with a beautifully etched B-side.  This rarity was only available for pre-order between May 7 and May 9 and will be officially released on July 9.

Sabaton's Pär Sundstrom comments:  "May 9 is celebrated as V-Day in Russia, the day to commemorate the victory over the Nazis in WW2.  This year, we participate in the memory of this event by releasing a song dedicated to the brave men who fought in the Battle of Moscow.  This track was originally written in Russian by our friend Radio Tapok.  It's a very strong song and we thought it made sense that Sabaton should give it a try to make an honorable cover of this song."  

In regards to the video, he adds, "We are excited to also share the music video with you which shows the story of the Battle of Moscow in 1941."




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Lost Symphony - launched by multi-instrumentalist and producer Benny Goodman - has checked in with the following update:

"New album, Chapter III, featuring guests Marty Friedman, Nuno Bettencourt, Alex Skolnick, Richard Shaw, Angel Vivaldi, David Ellefson, Jimi Bell, Matt LaPierre, Joey Concepcion, Oli Herbert, and Ryan Formato drops July 9th! Check out the first single 'Take Another Piece' (feat. Marty Friedman, Nuno Bettencourt, Alex Skolnick and Richard Shaw) and pre-order the album here."

Friedman: "The friendly folks in the Lost Symphony project have a deep love for guitar. Let me rephrase that, they are dangerously obsessed with it! Whenever I am invited to participate in their music, it is exciting to be around their tireless enthusiasm, and cool things always seem to happen because of it. The newest song, 'Take Another Piece,' may be my favorite of all the LS songs I've been a part of."

Adds Skolnick: "It is humbling to share guest guitar duties with Marty and Nuno, two guitarists I consider to be champions among our generation of players, and an overall honor to be brought in to participate." 

Chapter III tracklist:

"Denial Of Anger" (feat. Marty Friedman, David Ellefson, Jimi Bell & Matt LaPierre)        
"Bargaining Depression" (feat. Marty Friedman, David Ellefson, Jimi Bell & Joey Concepcion)        
"Acceptance" (feat. Alex Skolnick, Angel Vivaldi & Richard Shaw)        
"Decomposing Composers" (feat. Jeff Loomis, Jimi Bell, Matt LaPierre & Joey Concepcion)        
"Take Another Piece" (feat. Marty Friedman, Nuno Bettencourt, Alex Skolnick & Richard Shaw)    
"My Last Goodbye" (feat. Oli Herbert, Matt LaPierre & Ryan Formatto)

Lost Symphony also includes Brian Goodman (compositions, arrangement), Kelly Kereliuk (guitar), Cory Paza (bass, guitar), Paul Lourenco (drums) and Siobhán Cronin (violin, viola, electric violin).




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On April 16th, German rockers Hartmann - featuring Avantasia guitarist Oliver Hartmann - performed a livestream show at the Colos-Saal in Aschaffenburg, Germany. They have shared another clip from the evening below.

Oliver: "'Still The Same' - originally recorded for Shadows & Silhouettes in 2016 - has also been filmed during our Hartmann live stream at Colos-Saal Aschaffenburg. Without getting too political but looking at some parts this world this one unfortunately fits a hundred percent. Again and again."

Check out "Don't Want Back Down" and "Simple Man" from the livestream below, taken from Hartmann's Hands On The Wheel album, released in 2018.




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A Charvel EVH Art Series electric guitar which was played on stage and signed by iconic VAN HALEN guitarist Eddie Van Halen has gone up for auction at Iconic Auctions.

Eddie played the guitar during a VAN HALEN concert at Tacoma Dome, Washington on May 5, 2012 as part of the band's "A Different Kind Of Truth" tour. In addition to playing the guitar, Van Halen certified the guitar's usage with a bold silver pen marker signature and inscription on the body that reads: "Tacoma WA 5-5-2012, Eddie Van Halen, VH 2012."

Designed by the master himself, the Charvel EVH Art Series guitar is based on Eddie Van Halen's original Frankenstein guitar, which was the musician's attempt to merge the sound of a classic Gibson guitar with the physical attributes and tremolo bar functionality of a Fender Stratocaster. The striped finish was the result of Van Halen painting the guitar differing colors, applying strips of masking tape after each coat, and then peeling to reveal his Shelleyan monstrosity.

Video of Eddie Van Halen using the guitar for a live rendition of "I'll Wait" can be seen below.

Bidding for the guitar ends Saturday, May 15. The current bid is $13,310.

Last December, Eddie Van Halen's son Wolfgang criticized an auction of three of his late father's guitars. The instruments were sold for a total of $422,050 through Julien's Auctions as part of a larger music memorabilia event called "Icons & Idols". The 30-year-old said the sellers were "taking advantage of my father's passing", and he had "nothing to do with" the sale. "I don't EVER plan on selling any of my father's iconic guitars," he said.

PSYCHOSEXUAL, featuring former FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH drummer Jeremy Spencer on vocals as the Devil Daddy character, will release its second album, "Unholy Hymns For The Children", on July 2.

"'Unholy Hymns For The Children' is just as unholy for everyone else, but we wanted to piss off Walmart, so we named it that," Spencer says. "This record is the first of many, so haters get ready to hate and fans get ready to experience what's been missing from rock 'n' roll for a long time."

Last month, PSYCHOSEXUAL released the official music video for its latest single, "Devil From Hell".

"It announces we're basically coming here to kill it as much as we can," Spencer said about the track. "I found my own way and made my stance. This is the best way to introduce the world to this band. We're ready to make a fucking wave."

In March, Spencer spoke to "Drag The Waters: The Pantera Podcast" about his decision to remove all the previously released music and videos from PSYCHOSEXUAL ahead of the arrival of "Devil From Hell".

"When you make records, they're like snapshots in time," Jeremy explained. "We made the first thing pretty fast, and I just threw it out independently. And we had started the next record right away, and 'Devil From Hell' happened. And I'm, like, 'Fuck, man. I really like this. I wish this would have been the first thing that we dropped.' So it's, like, you know what? Nobody even really knows much about the other music, which I do like, but I think this is more appropriate of where we kind of wanna debut; this is what I wanted to be the first thing. So it's kind of like a reboot — we're starting over. I'll release the other music down the road again, but this second record will technically be our first. [Laughs]"

Regarding "Devil From Hell", Jeremy said: "It's a little different than the previous material that we've been working on. It's a little heavier. We do all kinds of stuff — it's not just metal or whatever; it's kind of eclectic. But this one's definitely a stomper. I'm pretty happy with it. The video turned out really cool too."

Spencer, who handles lead vocals in PSYCHOSEXUAL, also addressed the negative reaction the band's early music videos received from the FIVE FINGER fans, some of whom were turned off by the new project's theatrical presentation and goth-flavored sound.

"That's okay," Jeremy said. "Not everyone's gonna dig what you do. I mean, it's how it is in DEATH PUNCH too; we would release stuff, and you get hated on. You can't please everyone. We always made records for ourselves, and then you hope people like it. You can't control it. And we were fortunate enough to have a large fanbase that did appreciate what we did. And I think we'll find the audience for this as well. It's not for everyone, but I'm doing what I love to do, and I'm a big fan of theatrics. I do like goth music, I do love metal. I'm gonna put it all in a blender, [and] it's gonna be a lot of fun. And I hope that people wanna join us on the journey. And when we finally get to play freakin' shows, hopefully people can come out and have a good time and see what we're all about."

PSYCHOSEXUAL released its debut album, "Torch The Faith", last July. It was co-produced by Spencer and Shawn McGhee (DROWNING POOL) and released via Spencer's 6eX Records. The debut premiered at No. 150 on the Billboard 200 chart, reaching No. 5 on the Hard Music Albums, No. 12 on Top New Artist Albums and No. 30 on Current Rock Albums.

Prior to the arrival of "Devil From Hell", PSYCHOSEXUAL's last release was the covers EP "Songs To Stalk You By", which came out last November. The EP reunited Spencer with former FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH guitarist Jason Hook, who contributed solos on the KISS classic "Watchin' You" and QUEENSRŸCHE's "Gonna Get Close To You". The recordings marked the first time the pair had worked together since both parted ways with FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH.

Spencer, who sports a Mephistophelian mask as Devil Daddy, is joined in PSYCHOSEXUAL by guitarist Crucifer, bassist Astaroth and drummer Volac.

Jeremy, who co-founded FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH with guitarist Zoltan Bathory, left the band so that he could undergo back surgery in the fall of 2018 that required a significant recovery period.

Spencer's replacement in FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH is Charlie "The Engine" Engen. Engen made his recording debut with the band on the "F8" album, which came out in February 2020.

Canadian black metal mavericks Panzerfaust have returned with anofficial video for "Promethean Fire", taken from their album The Suns Of Perdition II: Render Unto Eden, released in August 2020. Check it out below.

For the better part of 15 years, Canada's Panzerfaust have been steadily crafting some of the finest, most thought-provoking black metal. With their The Winds Will Lead Us... debut album in 2006 onward, their obsidian flower forever kept blossoming, culminating in 2013's pivotal Jevohah-Jireh: The Divine Anti-logos, which signaled a significant (and fortuitous) shift in the band's aesthetic. In 2016, Panzerfaust released The Lucifer Principle EP, pushing their adventurous spirit yet further, perhaps most forecasted by the closing Johnny Cash cover.

However, it was 2019's The Suns Of Perdition - Chapter I: War, Horrid War where Panzerfaust truly had their watershed moment. This staggering work brimmed with daring and dynamics - a kaleidoscopic fury, if you will - that vivaciously and viciously displayed a band hitting their creative peak. The album was the first chapter of the band's tetralogy examining the malign episodes of this past century, shining a light on difficult subject matter using a begrimed philosophical lens. The resulting synthesis is what George Orwell once described as [a vision of the future] "a boot stamping on a human face forever."

Alas, Panzerfaust waste no time in delivering the next chapter of that tetralogy - and equally keep a fever pitch to that creative peak - with The Suns Of Perdition II: Render Unto Eden. Recorded at BWC Studios with Greg Dawson and with mastering by Sergei Lazar at CDM Records, Render Unto Eden is an altogether more somber record: here do Panzerfaust more fully work with light and shade, their darkness displaying far more hues than previously deemed imaginable. Whereas the five-song first chapter was taut 'n' terrorizing, The Suns Of Perdition II likewise features five songs but in a more expansive 44-minute runtime. As such, massive vistas of molten melancholy unfold, the inexorable push-and-pull patient but persistent; layers upon layers of understanding are packed into each of these scintillating minutes. The violence is more carefully doled out, in kind, and the sum effect is nothing short of hypnotic, particularly the track "Promethean Fire", which features guest vocals from Maria Arkhipova of Russia's Arkona. The Suns Of Perdition II: Render Unto Eden echoes within the mind and spirit long after the record's over...

Ominous and omnipotent, here rises Panzerfaust's The Suns Of Perdition II: Render Unto Eden. Cover art and tracklisting are as follows:

"Promethean Fire" 
"The Faustian Pact" 
"Areopagitic" 
"The Snare Of The Fowler" 
"Pascal's Wager"

"The Faustian Pact":

"The Snare Of The Fowler" 




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Finnish Viitasaari-based melodic death / doom band Shadecrown have released their new single, 'The Loss", from their upcoming third studio album, Solitarian, which is set to be released later this year via Inverse Records. Check out the official video for the track below.

Keyboardist Saku Tammelin comments: "The loss of a loved one can cause a major emotional crisis. You might stop living your life - feel dead inside. That's what this song is all about."

Shadecrown (founded in 2012) is a melodic death metal band from the heart of Finland. The band consists of Jari Hokka on vocals, Tomi Tikka and Joonas Vesamäki on guitars, Saku Tammelin on keyboards, Janne Salmelin on bass / backing vocals and Kalle Varonen on drums. To date the band has released one self-titled demo, the Chained EP, and 2 full length albums, Agonia (2016) and Riven (2019). Third full-lenght album, Solitarian, will be released later this year.

"The Awakening"

Photo by Susanna Ossi and edited by Saku Tammelin




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Continuing the label’s deep obsession with Finnish metal, 20 Buck Spin is preparing Ghastly’s third LP, Mercurial Passages, in late May. The album’s horrifying new single “Perdition” has now been laid out for public display.

All the elements that made Ghastly’s praised Death Velour album a rarefied jewel return in full splendor on Mercurial Passages; the memorably eerie slow burn buildups, the frantically vivid outbursts of speed, and dramatic trance inducing doom fragments that create a hypnotic psychedelia akin to being lost in infinite labyrinthine corridors perpetually folding in on themselves. Death metal for altered states of consciousness and mystifying wonder, rather than corporeal rot and earthbound materialism.

An album to be consumed as a contemplative whole, Mercurial Passages burrows into the deep recesses of the psyche exposing the dark subconscious to the edges of madness.

Mercurial Passages was recorded and mixed at Parasite Dune Studios by the band’s Ian J. D’Waters and mastered at Redmount Studios by Magnus Lindberg. As with its predecessor, Mercurial Passages is graced with hauntingly cerebral artwork from Riikka Pesonen, whose visual elegance provides the perfect accompaniment to Ghastly’s sinister eccentricity. Fans of Obliteration, Bedsore, Morbus Chron, Edge Of Sanity, Tribulation, Venenum, and the death metal era of Darkthrone should not miss this.

With the “Perdition” single, Ghastly lyricist Andy Gordon reveals, “Writing the lyrics on this record, I tried to push myself to a sort of liminal state, to blur the line between being awake and asleep. This was also the vibe I got listening to the demo versions of the songs on this album. As a result, this song, like most on this record, is a fairly unfiltered stream of consciousness. Needless to say, there are many ways to look at this song. Partly, it tells about the strong disconnect I feel with the modern way of life. It also borrows elements from a very lucid dream during which I felt actual physical pain but also weirdly felt revitalized unlike after an ordinary night of sleep.”

Songwriter Ian J. D’Waters writes, “Musically, ‘Perdition’ is a song where uncomfortable aggression shakes hands with mental illness in an asylum called your brain. It has twists already presented in our earlier albums, and you can see these twists and turns like a gift to an old friend. In a way it is a classic Ghastly song that stands in the right place on a surrealistic ride called Mercurial Passages.”

Tracklisting:

“Ouroborus”
“Out Of The Psychic Blue”
“Sea Of Light”
“Perdition”
“Parasites”
“Dawnless Dreams”
“Mirror Horizon”

"Perdition":

“Parasites”:

(Photo: S. Kujansuu)




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German epic death metal brigade, Kambrium, will release of their fifth studio album, Synthetic ERA, on July 9 via Reaper Entertainment. Second album trailer is streaming below.

First album trailer:

Kambrium are not bound by stereotypes within the metal genre; they prefer instead to tread between these expectations and find themselves equally and comfortably at home within each of the styles that they have chosen to embrace. The result is a sound, crafted with elements of death, melodic and symphonic metal - everything the heart of a metal fan desires.

The album was produced in 2020 by the band, recorded at the Kohlekeller Studio in Germany and was mastered by Tom Porcell. Pre-order the new album here.

Tracklist:

"Neon Death" (Intro)
"Cybernetic Overload"
"Shadow Construct"
"Creator Of Dreams"
"Nature, Error: 404"
"Ghost Of The Machine"
"To The Core"
"Holographic Satisfaction"
"Synthetic ERA"
"Nightly Beast Mode"
"Transcendence"
"After It All"

"Cybernetic Overload" video:




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New York instrumental prog-metal outfit Valence has partnered with the folks at Metal Injection to premiere their new music video. Fans can check out the video for their new single "If You're Not Into the Whole Brevity Thing" below.

Speaking about the new, 'Big Lebowski' inspired video, Geoff Schaefer (guitar/keys) comments, “Obviously we’re all Big Lebowski devotees—I’m actually a Dudist priest—so it only felt right to make an homage to what’s clearly the greatest movie of all time.”

Chris Romano (drums) adds, “If anyone was wondering if we're into the whole brevity thing, the answer is no.”




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Starting today (May 12), a Bandcamp exclusive version of Revocation's classic album - Deathless (2014) - is available for purchase here for the next 30 days only. Estimated to ship September 2021, the vinyl is transparent royal blue with opaque white and black splatter, and it features a gatefold jacket (semi-gloss), color labels, and poly bag.

Revocation's David Davidson (vocals/guitar) comments: "Deathless was a pivotal record for us in many ways. It was our first release on Metal Blade, our first time working with Zeuss on a full-length record and it marked more of a shift in focus of our style. While we still maintained a solid thrash metal influence, we decided to further embrace the death metal elements of our music and brought them to the forefront of our sound. We've always been a band that likes to take risks, thankfully our fans have been very supportive which has further inspired us to continue down darker and more adventurous paths."

Tracklisting:

Side A
“A Debt Owed To The Grave”
“Deathless”

Side B
“Labyrinth Of Eyes”
“Madness Opus”
“Scorched Earth Policy”

Side C
“The Blackest Reaches”
“The Fix”
“United In Helotry”

Side D
“Apex”
“Witch Trials”
“Sworn To The Black” (Bonus Track)




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FILTER has announced a worldwide deal with Golden Robot Records. The band's new album, tentatively titled "Murica", is expected before the end of the year. The cover art for the disc, which was created by Mister Sam Shearon, can be seen below.

Commented FILTER mainman Richard Patrick: "The new FILTER record is less political and more of an examination of the human mind. We are way more inward after being locked up during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are happy to be signed with Golden Robot Records because we think they have a great future in music. We were meant for each other."

Added Mark Alexander-Erber, president and founder of Golden Robot: "We are over the moon to sign Richard and FILTER to Golden Robot Records for new music, and working with him and his manager Marc Pollack is an honor. I'm more than excited to let the world hear the new music that's currently being produced."

Last October, FILTER released the official music video for the "Murica" title track. Patrick is recording the LP with such players as original FILTER member Brian Liesegang and guitarists Jonny Radtke and Alex Crescioni.

Speaking to Alternative Press about the "Murica" clip, Patrick said: "The character in the video is a Trump-supporting, gun-loving, unmedicated, super-freak 'merican unhinged and at his wits' end. And he's trying to take control of something that is not out of control. And he's afraid. He's the super-afraid white male. The Trump-supporting nutbag that I hope I can reach.

"These guys that are so far right that they think CNN, NBC, ABC, MSNBC [and] BBC are all out to get our President Trump. Like they're all in a conspiracy to be super-left-wing, crazy liars. I'm trying to make an attempt to show them what they look like. These are the guys that can only listen to Fox News and Breitbart and that type of news outlet. They believe every fucking thing that the Rush Limbaughs, the Alex Joneses [say] and listen to only the right wing, 'the truth, man.' They do their 'own research' and believe 9/11 was an inside job, President Obama wasn't a real citizen and the lunar landings were faked. Hillary Clinton personally went out and killed people in Benghazi and it's her fault, she's [a] criminal and 'lock her up.' It's those people that I'm portraying in the video.

"Who is the character aiming at at the end of the video? He's aiming at anyone from the left and at anyone from the normal middle. The regular folks who make up the country that are pretty much normal and just want to raise their kids and stay COVID-19-free and try and make a living."

Asked if he thinks "Murica" is going to piss people off or it's going to be a rallying point, Patrick said: "I just wanted to show this surreal, crazy side of what America looks like. I literally am doing it just so the record shows that someone was willing to fuckin' say something about the right. Something about how crazy they are.

"A lot of my fans are from the right, and they're, like, 'Man, I like 'Hey Man, Nice Shot'. Why are you fucking talking about politics?' Because it has to be done. Someone has to say it. I'm not hearing a lot of hip-hop guys sayin' it. Country music represents the right. I'm not hearing anyone from the left say anything. Let the public record show that I tried something during this time period that at least maybe 100,000 fans are going to see on YouTube. At least I know that I said something, and I tried, and that's it.

"I don't make music to try and get rich. I have built up my scoring career, and I can make money other ways other than just selling records. For me, FILTER are my mouthpiece.

"I just wanted to make a video that was like what MINISTRY in 1988 might've done right now. From my earliest upbringings, something like U2's 'New Year's Day'. They were a political band. They wrote 'Sunday Bloody Sunday', and they were talking about things that were important to them in Ireland. I just feel like there's no other choice for me right now than to examine the craziness of America. This place known as Murica."

Richard has successfully led and spearheaded FILTER for the last 20 years, releasing many platinum records, including "Title of Record" and "The Almagamut".

The reunion of Patrick and Liesegang reportedly happened after they were challenged from the stage in mid-performance by their mutual friend Louise Post of VERUCA SALT, who stopped her concert to admonish them "to bury any bullshit, forget the crap, and get their shit together." The two had an interesting conversation on the drive home. After initially treating their renewed collaboration as an experiment to see what "might happen," they rediscovered not only their friendship, but also their unique "yin and yang" working style.

FILTER's most recent LP, "Crazy Eyes", came out in April 2016 via Wind-Up Records.




























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#murica album art by @mistersamshearon

A post shared by Richard Patrick (@filter_richard_patrick) on Nov 2, 2020 at 10:01pm PST

In November 1981, rock 'n' roll legends MÖTLEY CRÜE stormed into the cultural zeitgeist with the release of their debut album "Too Fast For Love", setting the stage for what would become one of the most iconic careers ever in music. This year, the band is celebrating its 40th anniversary with a special series of music re-releases and fan activations, revisiting its globally acclaimed catalogue. The first release will be a digital remastering of MÖTLEY CRÜE's smash 1987 album "Girls, Girls, Girls". The groundbreaking body of work features hits "Wild Side", "You're All I Need" and the title track "Girls Girls Girls", which became a global success, despite the original uncensored video being banned by MTV. True to the band's play-by-their-own-rules ideology that has given a safe space for millions of fans all over the world to express themselves freely, the video was named "one of the most NSFW (not safe for work) videos of all time" by Rolling Stone in 2011.

Fans can now pre-order this special remastered digital edition of "Girls, Girls, Girls" album ahead of its release on Friday, June 11, 2021. Further releases to be announced soon.

It was January 17, 1981 when bassist Nikki Sixx first jammed with drummer Tommy Lee and vocalist/guitarist Greg Leon. Leon left, and Mick Mars and Vince Neil were recruited. The rest, as they say, is history…

Nikki recently said about CRÜE's 40th anniversary: "In 'Kickstart My Heart', the lyrics say, 'When we started this band / All we needed, needed was a laugh / Years gone by, I'd say we've kicked some ass.'

"It's always been about great songs and over-the-top live shows for us. The fans were always right by our side. I don't know where all of the years went. It went by in a flash. What I can't forget are the four decades of fans who have counted themselves as Crüeheads from day one, supporting us through thick and thin. To them we are in debt and thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

"Happy 40th birthday to us all.”

Neil, Sixx, Mars and Lee are firmly ingrained in the fabric of rock history. MÖTLEY CRÜE has sold over 100 million albums worldwide, achieving seven USA platinum and multi-platinum albums, 22 Top 40 mainstream rock hits, six Top 20 pop singles and three Grammy nominations.

The band has had 1.6 billion streams across digital providers and has over 8 million social media followers. In 2006, the band was inducted into the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.

A stunning live act, MÖTLEY CRÜE has taken its incendiary show across the world, selling over 100 million tickets globally.

The band's biography "The Dirt: Confessions Of The World's Most Notorious Rock Band", first published in 2001, became a New York Times best-seller and has sold over one million copies worldwide. In addition, the band members have authored three other New York Times best-sellers.

2019 saw "The Dirt" released as a feature-length biopic. The film became one of the biggest releases of that year and scored a 94% positive audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

The band remains a huge global draw. MÖTLEY CRÜE is set to co-headline a nearly sold-out North American stadium tour with DEF LEPPARD, POISON and Joan Jett.

MÖTLEY CRÜE's legacy and influence in the global music scene cannot be underestimated. 2021 is the year to celebrate the achievements of this extraordinary band.

On May 14th, the Emma Gaala Awards - the most prestigious music awards ceremony in Finland - took place at the Hartwall Arena in Helsinki, Finland.  Nightwish won Metal Album Of The Year award for Hmman. :II: Nature. This is the band's 16th Emma award, which is the highest number of these awards any artist has won in the Emma Gaala history.

Nightwish recently released a new trailer for their upcoming livestream show, An Evening With Nightwish In A Virtual World. Watch below:

The interactive An Evening With Nightwish In a Virtual World concert experiences that will kick off the Human. :II: Nature. World Tour has been rescheduled from March to May due to changes in the band’s touring schedule. The new dates are Friday, May 28th and Saturday, May 29th.

Nightwish will perform in a tavern called The Islanders Arms built in a virtual world for two nights in May. On both nights, the fans will experience an unforgettable 1.5-hour performance, hearing songs live off the latest album, Human. :II: Nature. for the first time ever. These two nights will have their own, slightly different setlists.

- Friday, May 28th: Europe: 8pm CET / 7pm GMT, duration approx. 90min
- Saturday, May 29th: North and South America: 8pm ET (UTC-5) / 5pm PT (UTC -8) / 10pm BRT (UTC-3) / 7pm CST (UTC -6), duration approx. 90min

Virtual VIP sessions with the bass player will be held on both dates before the show (schedule to be confirmed later).

The live events to be experienced at Burst.fi. A recording of the concert will be available for 48 hours after the event for all the ticket holders. More details and tickets at Nightwish.com.

Tickets purchased for the original March dates are automatically valid for the new May dates and do not need to be exchanged.

If you have purchased a two evening ticket and would like to upgrade to a VIP package:

Choose the addition option VIP Europe upgrade or VIP World upgrade on www.nightwish.com. Customers in Europe can choose either one of the options. VIP packages will go on sale February 15th. Limited quantity.

If you have purchased a two evening ticket + t-shirt bundle and would like to upgrade to a VIP package:

The t-shirt sold with the VIP package is different from the one in the prior ticket + t-shirt bundle (additional print on the back). It is not possible to cancel or exchange a previously purchased t-shirt for the shirt sold with the VIP Europe package. You can complement your order by choosing the addition option VIP Europe upgrade (in addition to a two evening ticket and a virtual session, you will receive 2 different shirts and a VIP pass) or VIP World upgrade (you will receive a two evening ticket and a virtual session, but not the VIP shirt or a VIP pass) on www.nightwish.com. Customers living in Europe can purchase either one of the options. VIP packages on sale February 15th. Limited quantity.

The t-shirts and VIP passes will be mailed during the spring.




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Scorpions & Brandon Niederauer performed "No One Like You" live in Brooklyn, New York in September 2015 as part of their Return To Forever Tour. Watch below:

Scorpions recently announced that their Sin City Nights Vegas Residency dates, scheduled for May 8 - 30, 2021 at Zappos Theater, have been rescheduled to March 26 - April 16, 2022 with special guests Queensrÿche.

"We can’t wait to be reunited with all of you then," says the band.

Fans who have purchased tickets to an affected performance will have their tickets automatically transferred to a new date with the exact same seats, including VIP packages where applicable. If you are unable to attend that date, please visit your original point of purchase for a refund. Those interested in purchasing tickets for the new dates can do so at ticketmaster.com/scorpionsvegas.




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San Diego-based heavy psych rock trio, Earthless, have released a new record, Live In The Mojave Desert, via Nuclear Blast (digital) and Giant Rock Records (physical). Inspired by Pink Floyd's Live At Pompeil, the album was recorded live and filmed throughout day and night in the natural amphitheater of California’s Mojave Desert.

“Having the opportunity to set up out in the desert and play how we do was one of the best experiences ever actually,” says Earthless drummer Mario Rubalcaba. “Adding to it the Mad Alchemy liquid lights and the surroundings made for a very satisfying day/night of jamming. Thankful for Giant Rock Records preserving the night by filming and recording this. I hope people can enjoy the release as much as we did doing it.”

Watch a video trailer below featuring four minutes excerpted of Earthless’ 21-minute-long song “Sonic Prayer” below.

“In October 2020 we filmed and recorded five bands in four days, deep in the deep sand and iconic rocks of the desert,” shares Live In The Mojave Desert producer Ryan Jones. “It was a major undertaking to bring this many people and this much gear out to a very remote desert location. Including the bands, we had 25 people onsite daily. With only one road in, everyone and all the gear had to come up a half mile long hill of deep sand--30 miles from nowhere. We had to hire local desert guys with huge 4x4 pickups to help. The Mad Alchemy Liquid Light Show projected on a four-story high, double pyramid of boulders and we had a crack squad of filmmakers, photographers and recording engineers there to capture it all. It was insane, but it was worth it to see our favorite bands play again!”

Tracklisting:

"Violence Of The Red Sea"
"Sonic Prayer"
"Lost In The Cold Sun"

Earthless lineup:

Isaiah Mitchell – Guitar & Vocals
Mike Eginton – Bass
Mario Rubalcaba – Drums

(Photo - Miroslav Peric)




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Last month, the reunited expanded classic lineup of German power metallers HELLOWEEN released a new single, "Skyfall". The track is taken from the band's much-anticipated new, self-titled album, which is due on June 18 via Nuclear Blast Records.

A five-minute video in which guitarist/vocalist Kai Hansen discusses the songwriting process for "Skyfall" can be seen below.

The cover artwork for "Helloween" was painted by artist Eliran Kantor, who has previously worked with HATEBREED, SOULFLY, TESTAMENT, ICED EARTH and SODOM, among others.

The "Pumpkins United" lineup features returning singer Michael Kiske and Hansen alongside current singer Andi Deris, guitarists Michael Weikath and Sascha Gerstner, bassist Markus Grosskopf and drummer Daniel Löble.

Produced by Charlie Bauerfeind and Dennis Ward, the new HELLOWEEN LP was recorded in part at the H.O.M.E. Studios in Hamburg (where everything started in 1984). The same recording console used for such HELLOWEEN albums as "Master Of The Rings", "Time Of The Oath" and "Better Than Raw" was utilized to record the band's new material. The effort was mixed at the Valhalla Studios of Ronald Prent (IRON MAIDEN, DEF LEPPARD, RAMMSTEIN).

Said Löble: "This record is the coronation of the 'Pumpkins United' journey. I have always been fascinated by the different character traits and facets of HELLOWEEN's history. For example, the legendary voices of Michi, Andi and Kai. To enjoy them now together on one record, under one flag, is the ultimate HELLOWEEN experience."

"Skyfall" begins with a bang. The epic track describes an alien landing on earth and a dramatic chase, while Kiske, Deris and Hansen duel with each other in a truly breathtaking manner. Produced by Martin Häusler, it is the most elaborate video clip in the history of the band. Portrayed via truly cinematic 3-D animation, this clip is a real high-end experience.

Bauerfeind said: "After 30 years with different lineups of the band, I really thought I was well prepared for another extreme challenge, but I was wrong. My expectations were highly exceeded in every way with this super-sized package of creativity."

Musical dexterity aside, it is also the immense passion of the band that defines HELLOWEEN. Weikath describes it thusly: "It is the incomprehensible encounter of seven musicians who are working as friends and even family who have created something that no one would have thought could be possible. It is like awaking from a sleep but still being in an incredible dream."

Hansen reflects: "Being in the studio with my old companions after 30 years away was very emotional for me. But at the same time, it was a completely different experience with the 'new' boys. The collaboration of different songwriters, each of them strong characters in their own right, has made the album very special. A unique mix which draws from all chapters of the band's history.

"HELLOWEEN is a big part of my life and I am looking forward to celebrating the songs live for and with our fans!"

Grosskopf agrees: "For me, being one of the last 'survivors' who played every note from the beginning, it was a fantastic experience and a very emotional process. I think everyone can hear it on this album. I love it."

HELLOWEEN's new album saw the legendary German power metallers going "back to the roots," with the band recording fully analogue and Löble playing the drum kit previously used by HELLOWEEN's original drummer, the late Ingo Schwichtenberg, on the legendary "Keeper Of The Seven Keys" recordings.

Track listing:

01. Out For The Glory

02. Fear Of The Fallen

03. Best Time

04. Mass Pollution

05. Angels

06. Rise Without Chains

07. Indestructible

08. Robot King

09. Cyanide

10. Down In The Dumps

11. Orbit

12. Skyfall

"Skyfall" will be available on CD, digitally and in two different vinyl versions.

Single 1: Vinyl, CD, digital:

"Skyfall" (single edit) + "Skyfall" (exclusive alternative vocals mix). Both are exclusive single versions and will not be on the album. Around 20 minutes playing time.

Single 2: Vinyl only

"Skyfall" (single edit) + "Indestructible" (exclusive album track). This is a strictly limited version of the new single with one exclusive album track.

The "Pumpkins United" tour marked the first time Kiske had played live with HELLOWEEN since 1993. Hansen, who departed HELLOWEEN in 1988, had been joining the band onstage on various tours and festival appearances throughout the years. The set featured several duets with Kiske and his replacement, Deris, along with many rarely played songs, including "Kids Of The Century", "Rise And Fall" and "Livin' Ain't No Crime". Hansen — who fronted HELLOWEEN until late 1986 — sang a medley of several early HELLOWEEN classics, including "Ride The Sky", "Judas", "Starlight" and "Heavy Metal (Is The Law)".

HELLOWEEN's European "United Alive World Tour Part II", which was originally scheduled to take place in September and October will now take place next year.

The "Pumpkins United" lineup of HELLOWEEN previously already released one new song — aptly titled "Pumpkins United" — in October 2017.

Former STYX singer Dennis DeYoung will release his final studio album, "26 East, Vol 2", on June 11 via Frontiers Music Srl.

The official lyric video for the latest single and video from the album, "The Last Guitar Hero", featuring a guest appearance by RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello, is available below.

As with the preceding volume, "26 East, Vol 2" once again hints strongly at DeYoung's rock roots with STYX. The production and musicianship are epic, and those timeless vocal arrangements get delivered in spades. A fitting goodbye and a final signature on an outstanding body of work which will stand the test of time.

"Vol 2" picks up where "Vol 1" left off, with DeYoung mining similar musical territory. With direct links to the classic STYX sound, as only he can provide, along with some straight-ahead rock, the breadth of the album is illustrated on tracks like "The Last Guitar Hero", to two signature DeYoung ballads, "Your Saving Grace" and "Made For Each Other" to the piece de resistance, the first single, the "Isle Of Misanthrope", an eight-minute masterpiece with a surprise finish.

"My musical goals for this album are the same as they have always been and that's to write the best songs possible and make great-sounding records out of them," says DeYoung. "By now, STYX fans know pretty much what they can expect and I hope they will be pleased. I am.

"When people ask 'What's the first single 'Isle Of Misanthrope' about?', I reply 'About 6 minutes.' Not to be too cute, but the lyrics are a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. Wait that’s Winston Churchill's statement about the Soviet Union. Sorry. 'Misanthrope', metaphorically speaking (ooooh look, big words) is a commentary on the contemporary state of mankind under the guise of ancient times. The more things change the more they remain the same. Also, 'Isle Of Misanthrope' is my musical journey back to the days of STYX's 'Equinox' and 'Suite Madame Blue', as I attempt to explain the exasperating and confounding nature of mankind through metaphor. It's got a good beat, but won’t be a hit at the disco."

DeYoung has previously stated that "26 East" will mark his retirement from the world of recorded music. It was thanks to Frontiers president and head of A&R, Serafino Perugino, that given the abundance of material, Dennis agreed to split the album in two parts. This second half starts where the previous one left off and sees DeYoung collaborate again with fellow Chicagoan and Grammy Award-winning songwriter Jim Peterik. The process that brought forth these two albums in the first place started when Peterik, DeYoung's friend and neighbor, sent a song to Dennis that he thought would suit his vocals perfectly. That song became the catalyst for ten more collaborations from the pair, of which four appear on this new release.

"The last album was supposed to be my final album, but there were so many songs written that Serafino of Frontiers suggested dividing it into two albums rather than one," DeYoung states.

"26 East" was the address where DeYoung grew up in Roseland, Illinois on the far south side of Chicago. Across the street lived the Panozzo twins, John and Chuck, who along with DeYoung would go on to form the nucleus of STYX in DeYoung's basement in 1962.

"26 East, Vol 2" track listing:

01. Hello Goodbye

02. Land Of The Living

03. The Last Guitar Hero (featuring Tom Morello)

04. Your Saving Grace

05. Proof Of Heaven

06. Made For Each Other

07. There's No Turning Back Time

08. St. Quarantine

09. Little Did We Know

10. Always Time

11. The Isle Of Misanthrope

12. Grand Finale

Israeli progressive metal outfit Subterranean Masquerade has released the official video for “Somewhere I Sadly Belong.” The song precedes the arrival of the band’s fourth LP, Mountain Fever, which sees release Friday through American prog powerhouse, Sensory Records.

One of Mountain Fever’s most explosive tracks, “Somewhere I Sadly Belong” features guest vocals from Ashmedi Melechesh of Mesopotamian black metal band Melechesh and gospel choir vocals by British Singer Jackie Hole. The song comes to life through an official video directed and filmed by Yalon Schori and Yoni Sherman Heschel and edited by Yalon Schori.

Subterranean Masquerade’s lead vocalist Davidavi Dolev reveals, "This one is extremely dear to us and might be one of the most personal songs on the album. It's about history, but also about history in the making. The song is dedicated to all people in refuge and exile. I would also like to dedicate it to my grandmother. We used sign language in the chorus of the video to symbolize the deafness of our society towards those who are in need. It's about roots, identity, love, guilt, trauma, immigration, and wars. Are we going to make it? In order to bring our complete vision to life we were extremely honored to host Ashmedi Melechesh, who is the original source of extreme metal in the Middle East, who really brought to the song the spirit we were looking for."

Boasting ten new songs which encompass nearly fifty-five minutes of material, Mountain Fever sees Subterranean Masquerade continuing to push the balance between pioneering experimentalism to their own take on modern pop culture and its manifestation in the Middle East. Revealing an album composed of African and Balkan brass sections, Arabic violins, extended vocal techniques, and several special guest appearances, the band explores radio friendly hooks that emerge out of heavy riffs and polychromatic arrangements.

Mountain Fever was recorded in Golan Heights, Israel with engineer David Castillo, after which it was sent to Fascination Street in Örebro, Sweden (Leprous, Katatonia, Opeth) where it was mixed by Jens Bogren and mastered by Tony Lindgren, then completed with artwork and layout by Costin Chioreanu of Twilight 13 Media. The record features several notable guest contributions, including drums from Matan Shmuely (Orphaned Land), bouzouki and lead guitars on "Mångata" by Idan Amsalem (Orphaned Land), and vocals on "Somewhere I Sadly Belong" by Melechesh Ashmedi (Melechesh) and Jackie Hole (The Super Things).

Lasers Edge division Sensory Records will release Mountain Fever worldwide on May 14 across all digital platforms, on CD, and pressed on vinyl as a double LP cut at 45RPM.  Find pre-orders for the CD, the Black vinyl, and the Yellow vinyl here, the standard digital here, the Hi​-​Rez 24 Bit digital here, and an array of new mech items at the band’s webshop here.

Tracklisting:

“Snake Charmer”
“Diaspora, My Love”
“Mountain Fever”
“Inwards”
“Somewhere I Sadly Belong”
“The Stillnox Oratory”
“Ascend”
“Ya Shema Evyonecha”
“For The Leader, With Strings Music”
“Mångata”

"Somewhere I Sadly Belong":

“Ascend” video:

(Photo by: Yalon Schori)




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For years, FASTER PUSSYCAT's aggressive touring schedule made it difficult for the band to work on new material. So when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and there were no live shows for the foreseeable future, the group immediately shifted gears and entered the studio.

The new single, "NOLA", is a song inspired by the fabulous city of New Orleans, a city that fronman Taime Downe holds dear to his heart.

When the band started working on making new music for a release, "NOLA" was the obvious choice to lead with. Downe and guitarist Sam Bam Koltun began working together in the studio, tracking guitars on what would be the first new song from the band since 2006's "The Power And The Glory Hole".

The B-side of the single is "Pirate Love" a cover of the JOHNNY THUNDERS & THE HEARTBREAKERS song, which was goes back to FASTER PUSSYCAT's club days, also Inspired by the New Orleans theme, as Thunders passed away in New Orleans in 1991, and has had a major influence on Downe and the whole band.

The single will be released on May 21 in two formats: digital and a seven-inch vinyl single. The vinyl will be available exclusively via the band's web site, www.fasterpussycat.com.

To celebrate the release, FASTER PUSSYCAT and ENUFF Z'NUFF are pairing up and coming "Straight Outta Quarantine" throughout North America, showing all the warts, scars and tattoos that only a package like this can, which have only grown deeper over the past year.

Featuring the MTV smash hits "House Of Pain", "New Thing", "Bathroom Wall" and "Fly High Michelle", the "Straight Outta Quarantine" tour — which has been booked and re-booked with careful consideration of each venue's COVID-19 regulations and the safety of all involved — is without question going to be one of the most long-overdue rock and roll parties of our lifetime.

Jun. 18 - Fremont Street Country Club - Las Vegas, NV *

Jun. 19 - Leatherheads - Salt Lake City, UT *

Jun. 24 - Edith Lucielle's - Cedar Rapids, IA

Jun. 25 - The Scene Rock Bar - Kansas City, MO

Jun. 26 - Diamond Music Hall - St. Peters, MO

Jun. 27 - The Arcada Theatre - St. Charles, IL

Jun. 29 - Live At 1175 - Kansasville, WI

Jun. 30 - Phat Heads II - Green Bay, WI

Jul. 01 - Hobart Art Theatre - Hobart, IN *

Jul. 02 - Diesel Concert Theatre - Chesterfield, MI

Jul. 03 - Big Indian Drive-In - Irving, NY

Jul. 04 - M3 Festival - Columbia, MD

Jul. 05 - The Vault - New Bedford, MA

Jul. 06 - Reverb - Reading, PA

Jul. 07 - Jergel's Rhythm Grille - Warrendale, PA

Jul. 08 - Peecox - Erlanger, KY *

Jul. 10 - King Of Clubs - Columbus, OH

Jul. 11 - Thelma's Sport Nook - Sharpsville, PA

Jul. 14 - Tally Ho Theatre - Leesburg, VA

Jul. 16 - Amos Southend Music Hall - Charlotte, NC

Jul. 17 - 37 Main Street - Buford, GA

Jul. 18 - Hal & Mal's - Jackson, MS

Jul. 19 - Drew & Willies Sports Bar - Denham Springs, LA

Jul. 21 - The Rail Club - Fort Worth, TX

Jul. 23 - Sunshine Studios Live - Colorado Springs, CO

Jul. 24 - The Venue - Denver, CO

Jul. 27 - Diamond Ballroom - Oklahoma City, OK

Jul. 29 - Cooters - Eagle Pass, TX

Jul. 30 - Sam's Burger Joint - San Antonio, TX

Jul. 31 - Warehouse Live - Houston, TX

* FASTER PUSSYCAT only

STRYPER frontman Michael Sweet has just received his second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. On Thursday (May 13), the 57-year-old guitarist/vocalist, who lives in Massachusetts, took to his Instagram to share a picture of him holding up a card that reads "Thanks! For Getting Vaccinated" at Gillette Stadium after he got the shot, and he wrote in an accompanying message: "Second one down. I remember not being able to get from South America to Puerto Rico without a Yellow Fever vaccine a few years back. I got one in Brazil and had to show my vaccine card when I landed in Puerto Rico and when I got back to Boston. Nothing new. Been doing vaccines for years to travel. I've got a lot more traveling to do;-) And I'm tired of wearing a mask".

Last December, Sweet admitted that he was a little wary of the new, rapidly developed COVID-19 vaccines. Asked in an interview with "Rocking With Jam Man" if he would get the vaccine once it became available, Sweet responded: "I don't know. To be honest with you, I'm not sure. It's one of those things where I wanna wait at least a little while just to make sure that they've got all the — for lack of a better way of putting it — bugs worked out. And I'll be honest with you too — I'm a little apprehensive, 'cause I'm one of those guys, whenever I get a flu shot, I get sick. So I don't do well with vaccines. And I'm a little concerned. I heard a story about someone in Brazil who got a COVID vaccine and they got sick and they died. Now, I don't know if that was related directly to the vaccine itself.

"I'm a little nervous about rushing out to get the vaccine, but I think in time I will most certainly get the vaccine," he added. "I just don't know exactly when."

More than 337 million vaccine doses have been distributed in the U.S. and more than 264.6 million have been administered, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 117.6 million Americans have been fully vaccinated — 35.4% of the population.

A recent NPR/Marist poll found that one in four Americans said they would refuse a coronavirus vaccine if offered. Another 5% are "undecided" about whether they would get the shot. 49% of Republican men said they would not take the vaccine when it's available to them.

The U.S. has more than 32.8 million confirmed coronavirus cases and 583,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. The global totals: 160 million cases and 3.33 million deaths.

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.
























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