The Swedish melodic metal project 7days have released a lyric video for "You Hold The Key", the first single from their upcoming remixed and remastered album Into Forever.

Their debut album Weight Of The World was originally released in 2006, and the second album Into Forever in 2010. Remixed and remastered versions of both albums will be released on CD and digital on May 28 via Ulterium Records.

7days was founded by guitar player Markus Sigfridsson (Darkwater, Harmony, All Things Fallen) and also features Thomas Vikström (Therion, ex- Candlemass) on vocals, Andreas Passmark (Royal Hunt, ex-Narnia, Harmony) on bass and Daniel Flores (The Murder Of My Sweet, Mind's Eye) on drums.

Both new versions features updated artwork by Markus Sigfridsson. The Weight Of The World features the bonus track "Equinox" originally included on the Japanese version of the album and "Into Forever" features the bonus track "Frontier".

Kaspar Dahlqvist (ShadowQuest, Dionysus) performs keyboard solos on both releases, and guests on "Into Forever" also includes Christian Liljegren (Narnia, DivineFire, Audiovision), Erik Tordsson (All Things Fallen, End of September) and Caroline Sigfridsson.

"Redeemer" lyric video:




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"Red Brick City", the first music video from HEAVY WATER, the new project featuring SAXON's Biff Byford and son Seb Byford of NAKED SIX, can be seen below. The song is the title track of HEAVY WATER's debut album, which will be released on July 23 via Silver Lining Music.

Soaked in gritty, riff-baked blues, yet rich with the sound and metre of classic hard rock, "Red Brick City"'s ten songs refuses to let you go. From the taut, elastic swing of the "Solution" riff to the rich, layered balladic strains of "Tree In The Wind", the LP moves with the class and cadence of a cracking journey uniting vintage rock 'n' roll sensibilities with the crackle and excitement of a fresh, youthful perspective.

With Seb on guitar and Biff on bass duties and both providing their vocal talents, the foundations for HEAVY WATER's sound are set in both that incredible father-and-son chemistry and a lifetime of know-how and experiences. Take the title track — and first single — "Red Brick City", all steam and smoulder wrapped around a riff SOUNDGARDEN would've been proud of, and then there's the sun-soaked smile of "Follow This Moment" with harmonies evoking the BEACH BOYS relayed through LED ZEPPELIN, a gorgeous 1970s trip right down to the fadeout.

"We decided to do something together in these dark times and the family came together to help get this album off the ground," explained Seb and Biff.

Seb Byford recorded and engineered "Red Brick City" at the Big Silver Barn in York, U.K., while the drums were recorded by Ben Hammond at Reel Recording Studio in York. Seb produced the album with Biff, and Jacky Lehmann mastered. "Red Brick City" sees Seb take the reins on guitar and vocals, with Biff taking up the bass and vocal mantle. Tom Witts plays the drums, while Dave Kemp rounds out the HEAVY WATER lineup on keyboards and saxophone. To cap off this family affair, the packaging photos were taken by Steph Byford.

"We had great fun doing this album, working together on the songs and recording during lockdown," concluded Biff and Seb. "It's all recorded without samples or profiles... just loud and proud!"

This past March, Biff told Sweden's RockSverige that HEAVY WATER is musically similar to that of Byford's first solo album, "School Of Hard Knocks", which came out in February 2020. "The songs are also, stylistically, very similar to the [SACXON's] 'Inspirations' album," he explained. "There's some laid-back stuff and there's some heavy stuff. I wouldn't say there's any prog rock on there, but there are definitely two or three metal tracks on there. Seb's a great songwriter, and he likes to play heavy guitar riffs, so I'm sure people will be interested."

Asked what it's like working with his son, Biff said: "It's pretty cool. We're both pretty set in our ways, so it's working really well. It's great for me and for him, really. I'm getting off on his excitement and his first time doing things, and he gets off on my that wisdom that I've learned over the years."

"Inspirations" was released in March via Silver Lining Music. The 11-track effort contains some of the classic rock songs that influenced Biff and the rest of SAXON.

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

The lords of darkness have dug deep and reflected their influences to create a musical odyssey that shows them multifaceted in several ways.

For this goal, cover versions of bands like DISCHARGE, DEAD KENNEDYS, RUDIMENTARY PENI and RAMONES were chosen, which in typical MAYHEM manner impressively fit into their bursting and darkened sound. The band also recruited Billy Messiah and Maniac, who took over vocal performances on two songs!

In addition to the named cover versions, a previously unreleased track called "Voces Ab Alta" is featured on the EP, which continues the musical journey alongside "Black Glass Communion" and "Everlasting Dying Flame", which were used as bonus tracks for the 2019 album "Daemon".

The EP thus closes the capital, which was opened with the release of "Daemon" back in 2019 and illuminates the band once again in typical unusual and surprising-sounding way.

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

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

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

Track listing:

Side A

01. Voces Ab Alta

02. Black Glass Communion

03. Everlasting Dying Flame

Side B

01. In Defense Of Our Future (DISCHARGE cover)

02. Hellnation (DEAD KENNEDYS cover)

03. Only Death (RUDIMENTARY PENI cover)

04. Commando (RAMONES cover)

MAYHEM is:

Necrobutcher - Bass

Hellhammer - Drums

Attila - Vocals

Teloch - Guitar

Ghul - Guitar

Icelandic tech death battalion Ophidian I will be releasing their new album, Desolate, on July 16, making it their debut to Season Of Mist. The band is now sharing the explosive first single, "Diamonds," along with a music video, which was created by Guilherme Henriques.

Ophidian I comments, "With Desolate, we set out to create a very technical album but with a strong emphasis on harmony and songwriting. With ‘Diamonds’ being written late in the process and at a point where we had become comfortable with the direction and sound of the band; it came together very quickly and truly embodied the spirit of what we’d been going for. We spoke to Guilherme about making a video for this song and he was quick to get on board with the concepts we brought to him. The end result came out fantastic and we are ecstatic to bring you ‘Diamonds.’"

Preorder at the Season Of Mist webshop.

Artwork by Eliran Kantor:

Tracklisting:

“Diamonds”
“Spiral To Oblivion”
“Storm Aglow”
“Unfurling The Crescent Moon”
“Sequential Descent”
“Captive Infinity”
“Enslaved In A Desolate Swarm”
“Dominion Eyes”
“Jupiter”
“Wither On The Vine”

“Diamonds” video:




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Styx drummer Todd Sucherman and Overkill skinsman Jason Bittner teamed up for a drum duet.

Sucherman says: “My pal Jason Bittner asked me about doing a duet with him during this quarantine time in 2020, so I wrote this little samba based piece for us to play. We both had some fun, and hope you all out there enjoy some drumming brotherhood camaraderie!  Thanks for asking me, Jason— and thanks to Eric Dorris for the editing too.”

Sucherman released his debut solo album, Last Flight Home, via Aqua Pulse Records back in May. Below is the official video for the song "Ad Lib Everything":

Paying homage to Todd’s deep well of musical influences, Last Flight Home is a melodic and deeply personal expression of the human experience. Each of the 10 compositions features Todd’s vocals and deep pocket drumming.

Says Todd: "This record was something I didn’t know I could do on many levels and I’m thrilled to be able to put this out, even at this difficult time. Voluminous thanks to you all for the support, kind words, and the inspiration to move full steam ahead!"

"The Damage" video:

"Last Flight Home" video:

"Sacred Book Of Favorite Days":




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TWISTED SISTER singer Dee Snider will perform at Stereo Garden in Patchogue, New York to a limited-capacity crowd on June 11. According to Dee, the capacity for the concert, which will be filmed for a future release, will be limited to 200 vaccinated or tested people due to COVID-19 restrictions. However, those unable to attend will get a chance to watch it in the near future.

Tickets ($40-$75) for the show are available via Eventbrite. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Melissa's Wish, a not-for-profit organization founded with the purpose of providing short term, non-medical financial aid, in the form of a grant, to the caregivers assisting those afflicted with a serious illness, injury or end of life event.

As previously reported, Napalm Records has set a July 30 release date for Snider's upcoming solo album, "Leave A Scar". The follow-up to "For The Love Of Metal" was once again produced by HATEBREED vocalist Jamey Jasta and will include a duet with CANNIBAL CORPSE frontman George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher.

This past March, Snider told New York's Q104.3 radio station that his new LP will be "very heavy," but added that "there are some surprises on there that I think people are gonna really be excited about."

Released in July 2018, "For The Love Of Metal" featured contributions from Howard Jones (ex-KILLSWITCH ENGAGE), Mark Morton (LAMB OF GOD), Alissa White-Gluz (ARCH ENEMY), Joel Grind and Nick Bellmore (TOXIC HOLOCAUST), and Charlie Bellmore (KINGDOM OF SORROW).

Snider previously spoke about his upcoming solo LP during an October 2020 interview with Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show. At the time, he said: "[I'm] working with the same amazing team — the Bellmore brothers, Charlie [on guitar] and Nickey. Nickey plays drums, but also is the engineer and mixer — an amazing, talented guy. And Jamey Jasta is the producer and curator. He is the gatekeeper, the master. As all ideas are brought in, they're filtered through Jamey, his ears, and have to get a thumbs-up from him before it makes it to the record. But now we no longer have to do that 'Is this gonna work?' thing. And for me, it's, 'Do I trust these guys?' I mean, I trusted them in the sense that they were friends, but when Jamey challenged me to do the metal record, I had my doubts. I don't wanna say it's doubts, but [I thought], 'How is this gonna work?' So there was an initial thing where we were all feeling each other out. Now, after two years of working together, touring with the Bellmore brothers, locking in a band with Nick 'Taz' Petrino on guitar and Russ Pizzuto on bass guitar, we come in and we don't have to waste any time with that. There is trust, we do know our direction, we do know what works for Dee Snider and for this project, and we just go full steam ahead."

Snider's latest release was "For The Love Of Metal Live!", which came out in July 2020 via Napalm Records. The DVD/Blu-ray and accompanying live album (available in various formats) features audio captured from several Snider festival performances worldwide — from the United States to Europe, Australia and beyond. In addition to tracks from Snider's solo catalog, like "I Am The Hurricane" and "For The Love Of Metal", TWISTED SISTER favorites such as "I Wanna Rock" and "We're Not Gonna Take It", and even a cover of AC/DC's "Highway To Hell", the audio portion of "For The Love Of Metal Live!" also features a brand new original studio track, "Prove Me Wrong".

TWISTED SISTER called it quits in 2016 after completing a farewell 40th-anniversary tour.




Don't wait to get your tickets. As of now they are limited to 200 vaccinated or tested people. With any luck they will release more tickets as the date gets closer. https://t.co/yqHBRSghOt

— Dee Snider?? (@deesnider) May 9, 2021

MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson has pushed back against allegations of impropriety involving "private" and "adult interactions" he had with a female other than his wife.

David apparently decided to address the allegations after a series of intimate conversations and explicit videos were leaked online over the weekend.

Earlier this morning, Ellefson's verified Instagram account, as well as his personal Facebook account, were updated with the following statement from the 56-year-old musician:

"Dear Fans & Friends,

"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.

"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.

"Humbly Yours,

"David Ellefson"

In the statement Ellefson shared that was apparently made by the other involved party, the woman in question wrote: "I'm the girl people are talking about in the posts about David Ellefson right now and I just want to tell my side of the story because people are sharing misinformation and the situation is getting out of hand without the truth being out there.

"Yes, those video calls did happen, but I was the one to initate them 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. I was just naive enough to record him and share it with a friend without his permission. In the end, it was all consensual and all online.

"I don't know how it got to this point, but a lot of information is being left out by the people purposely trying to harm him.

"I would ask that anyone sharing these personal private videos or any misinformation about them to please stop."

David, who became a Lutheran pastor nearly a decade ago, and his wife Julie Ellefson have been married for 27 years. They were 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).
























View this post on Instagram









































A post shared by David Ellefson (@davidellefsonbass)

In November 2020, Lindemann - the duo of Rammstein frontman Till Lindemann and Pain / Hypocrisy mastermind Peter Tägtgren - announced they have decided to go their separate ways:

"As Till Lindemann and Peter Tägtgren confirm today, the two artists have ended their collaboration on the project Lindemann. Both will be pursuing their own plans in the future. Till Lindemann will be active under the name Lindemann within a new set-up in the future.

Lindemann and Tägtgren will say goodbye with the release of Live In Moscow on CD and Blu-Ray on May 21st, showcasing their March 15th, 2020 performance at the VTB Arena in Moscow, Russia. Check out the official video for "Home Sweet Home" from the show below.

The tracklist is as follows:

"Skills In Pills" 
"Lady Boy" 
"Fat" 
"Frau & Mann" 
"Ich Weiss Es Nicht" 
"Allesfresser" 
"Knebel" 
"Home Sweet Home" 
"Cowboy" 
"Golden Shower" 
"Blut" 
"Platz Eins" 
"Praise Abort" 
"Fish On" 
"Ach So Gern" 
"Gummi" 
"Steh Auf"

"Home Sweet Home"

"Praise Abort"

"Allesfresser"

Till Lindemann and Peter Tägtgren released two album under the Lindemann moniker; Skills In Pills (2015) and F & M (2019). They released a total of seven singles and eight videos.




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Scott Rockenfield has launched a cryptic new QUEENSRŸCHE-centric web site that implies he is plotting his return to the music scene.

The drummer, who hasn't performed with QUEENSRŸCHE in more than four years, took to his Facebook page earlier today to write: "R ya READY TO F***in' ROCK !!!?? ....I AM !!!!!!! -- bruhahahha... www.queensryche2021.com *Welcome to the New World * Join the Legion".

Rockenfield's latest social media activity comes four months after he shot down suggestions that he quit QUEENSRŸCHE or retired from playing music. In January, the drummer shared an update on Facebook in which he said that fans "have not been given the facts by any means" and implied that he would offer more details at a later date.

Scott's January 2021 comments marked the first time he had publicly addressed his status with QUEENSRŸCHE, which has used former KAMELOT drummer Casey Grillo for touring purposes since April 2017.

This past February, QUEENSRŸCHE singer Todd La Torre was asked during an appearance on "The Eddie Trunk Podcast" if anybody in QUEENSRŸCHE has heard directly from Scott regarding his status with the group. He responded: "Not to my knowledge. All I can tell you is he took paternity leave, saying he would be gone for about six months, and that was four years ago. [Laughs] Casey shows up every day. He shows up to songwrite, he shows up to record, if needed, and he shows up for the live gigs. So that's all that I can tell you. I haven't communicated with [Scott] in years. So I have no idea what he's up to. I couldn't even tell you."

When DJ Eddie Trunk said that he heard from Rockenfield two years ago and that the drummer expressed an interest at the time in telling his story, La Torre replied: "I don't know what story there is to tell. People ask, but, honestly, it is literally like déjà vu. Go play the answer I gave you four years ago, because, literally, nothing has changed.

"As far as I understand, there really isn't communication [between Scott and the QUEENSRŸCHE camp]. And I couldn't tell you anything more than that. Some people think, 'They're not telling us more.' I don't have anything to say, 'cause I don't talk to him; he doesn't talk to me. Casey's been playing with us for four years — going on four years — and he shows up. The guy is doing an awesome job.

"I guess I'd revert back to you," Todd continued. "If you left your radio show saying that you needed six months paternity leave but you never communicated when you were coming back for four years, would the radio station stop running because you quit showing up to work? And keep in mind, you weren't fired, and you didn't give official written notice that you're never gonna come back; you just don't come back or communicate. Does your key still work? Is your name on the door? Or are they gonna find adequate talent replacement to keep things going?

"So I don't have anything bad to say," La Torre clarified. "I don't really have anything to say, other than he asked for paternity leave and just hasn't come back."

The drum tracks on QUEENSRŸCHE's latest album, 2019's "The Verdict", were laid down by La Torre.

Last year, former QUEENSRŸCHE singer Geoff Tate expressed his doubt that Rockenfield will ever play drums again, telling Metal Rules that Scott "has a lot of medical problems and things like that now." In 2019, Tate told 88.1FM WESU's weekly syndicated radio show "Noize In The Attic" that he was "pretty sure" Scott "didn't leave" QUEENSRŸCHE of his own accord. "I can tell you that there's lawsuits involved; I know that," he said. "He's in kind of a really dark place, and I hope he gets some help, 'cause he's really unraveled, you know? In my opinion. It's too bad — he's an incredibly talented drummer, and unfortunately, he never was happy with that. It wasn't good enough for him."


R ya READY TO F***in' ROCK !!!?? ....I AM !!!!!!! -- bruhahahha...

www.queensryche2021.com

*Welcome to the New World *

Join the Legion

Posted by Scott Rockenfield on Sunday, May 9, 2021

Helsinki-based Oceanhoarse have released their new single, "Reaching Skywards". With its in-your-face metal riffing, '90s style psychedelia and astral beauty of the chorus, this is quite possibly the most versatile Oceanhoarse song to date.

"'Reaching Skywards' is my favorite track from our upcoming album” drummer Oskari Niemi says. “It kicks off with some eardrum-slapping metal before the verse brings a dose of funk to your afternoon, and finally the chorus lifts you up into the skies. This has to be the most twisted combination of grooves so far in our catalog! I rarely get emotional, but Joonas' (Kosonen, vocals) screams in the second half of the song always give me chills."

"It's a never-ending source of amazement to me how some people have no issues exploiting others and watch the world burn around them while they keep getting wealthier and more powerful. There's nothing scarier than inhumanity and lack of compassion. I find myself leaning towards these topics time and again when writing lyrics” guitarist Ben Varon continues.

Watch the lyric video for "Reaching Skywards" below

The band's as-yet-untitled debut studio album is scheduled to be released in August 2021 via Noble Demon.

"One With The Gun"




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German powerhouse Brainstorm will release their new opus, Wall Of Skulls, on August 20th via AFM Records. The band has revealed the cover art and tracklisting for Wall Of Skulls (both can be found below), while also launching a pre-sale at this location.

Two special guests appear on Wall Of Skulls - Rage frontman Peavy Wagner, and Orden Ogan mastermind Seeb Levermann, who is also responsible for the top-notch and vital sound of the new album.

Wall Of Skulls will be available as CD, Digibook-CD (incl. Live BluRay), Ltd. Vinyl (different colours), Ltd. Boxset (contains: headscarf, sticker, patch, autograph, digibook + live bluray), and Digital.

"Chamber Thirteen"
"Where Ravens Fly"
"Solitude"
"Escape The Silence" (feat. Peavy Wagner)
"Turn Off The Light" (feat. Seeb Levermann)
"Glory Disappears"
"My Dystopia"
"End Of My Innocence"
"Stigmatized (Shadows Fall)"
"Holding On"
"I, The Deceiver"

With the upcoming No Walls, Just Skulls Tour, Brianstorm will extensively present the new songs and hopefully ring in the end of the pandemic. The first confirmed dates are as listed.

September
22 - Regensburg, Germany
23 - Augsburg , Germany
24 - Budapest, Hungary
25 - Bratislava, Slovakia
26 - Praha, Czech Republic
28 - Hamburg, Germany
29 - Berlin, Germany
30 - Cologne, Germany

October
1 - Essen, Germany
2 - Übach Palenberg, Germany
3 - London, England
4 - Osnabrück, Germany
5 - Siegburg, Germany
6 - Trier, Germany
7 - Pratteln CH
9 - Weiher, Germany
10 - Stuttgart, Germany

November
3 - Lisbon, Portugal
4 - Sevilla, Spain
5 - Valladolid, Spain
6 - Donosti, Spain
7 - Oviedo, Spain

 




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KK'S PRIEST has set "Sermons Of The Sinner" as the title of its debut album, due later in the year via via Explorer1 Music Group. Pre-orders for the LP will begin on Wednesday, May 12.

A snippet of the official music video for what is apparently the "Sermons Of The Sinner" title track is available below.

KK'S PRIEST consists of former JUDAS PRIEST members K.K. Downing (guitar), Tim "Ripper" Owens (vocals) and Les Binks (drums), along with guitarist A.J. Mills (HOSTILE) and bassist Tony Newton (VOODOO SIX).

KK'S PRIEST, which pays homage to Downing's past, will play select shows to mark the 50th anniversary of PRIEST and Downing's career as a founding member. KK'S PRIEST's setlist will consist of PRIEST classics and new songs.

Owens joined PRIEST in 1996 and recorded two studio albums with the band — 1997's "Jugulator" and 2001's "Demolition" — before PRIEST reunited with Rob Halford in 2003.

Downing left PRIEST in 2011 amid claims of band conflict, shoddy management and declining quality of performance. He was replaced by Richie Faulkner, nearly three decades his junior.

In 2019, Downing said that he reached out to JUDAS PRIEST about taking part in the band's upcoming 50th-anniversary tour but that their response was that they were not interested in including him in the celebrations.

In 2018, Downing revealed that he sent two resignation letters to his bandmates when he decided to quit JUDAS PRIEST. The first was described as "a graceful exit note, implying a smooth retirement from music," while the second was "angrier, laying out all of his frustrations with specific parties."

Downing later said that he believed the second letter was "a key reason" he wasn't invited to rejoin PRIEST after Glenn Tipton's decision to retire from touring.

Downing, Binks and Owens performed a full-length set of PRIEST classics with MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson in November 2019 in Wolverhampton, United Kingdom. Joining them on second guitar was Mills of HOSTILE, the British metal band whose two albums, "Eve Of Destruction" and "The New World Disorder", were both produced by Downing.

Binks played drums on PRIEST's "Stained Class", "Hell Bent For Leather" (released as "Killing Machine" in the United Kingdom) and "Unleashed In The East" albums.




Announcing ‘Sermons of the Sinner’ - the new album from @judaspriest founder KK Downing.

Pre-order May 12th to get your sermons!?? ? #kkspriest #metaldefenders pic.twitter.com/90T3bA9GVk

— KKs Priest (@KKsPriest) May 10, 2021

"This weekend we want to wish all of the moms a Happy Mother's Day," says Union. "To celebrate, here's a rare clip of Bruce Kulick and John Corabi doing one of our more mellow tunes, 'October Morning Wind', in Munich on German television in May of 1998 as part of the promo tour for our debut album."

Union, along with Lindsley Records and Blackbird Entertainment, have announced an exclusive license with eOne Music to release both their self-titled debut album and The Blue Room on 180 gram remastered vinyl. There will be multiple formats, limited color vinyl, and tons of extras. Stay tuned for more details and release dates as they become available.

Union is comprised of vocalist / guitarist John Corabi (Mötley Crüe, The Scream), guitarist Bruce Kulick (KISS, Grand Funk Railroad), bassist Jamie Hunting (David Lee Roth, Vince Neil), and drummer Brent Fitz (Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators, Vince Neil).

Formed in Los Angeles, California in 1997, Union released two studio albums and one live album: Union (1998), Live In The Galaxy (1999), and The Blue Room (2000).

 

 




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During the latest episode of the "Ted Nugent Spirit Campfire" show, legendary rocker Ted Nugent spoke about the possibility of a reunion of the DAMN YANKEES, the supergroup he formed more than three decades ago with Jack Blades, Tommy Shaw and Michael Cartellone. He said (see video below): "Nothing is impossible. I've never said, 'No way. The DAMN YANKEES are never getting back together.' I've never declined it affirmatively. In fact, I've always done just what I think Tom and Jack and Michael have always done, [which] is that we would cherish the opportunity to collide somewhere geographically and unleash the inner DAMN YANKEE beast, because the inner DAMN YANKEE music is a beast… We had nothing but a damn riot together."

Shaw has consistently left the door open to a DAMN YANKEES reunion, telling told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" in early June: "Well, we never broke up… We are all still best of friends. [So] who knows? It's hard, because with STYX, we work so much, and to do that [a DAMN YANKEES reunion], it would mean putting [the members of STYX] out of work for a while. So it's a tough one. But every once in a while, we wind up on the same stage."

Asked if he feels there is some "unfinished business" with DAMN YANKEES creatively and whether he would like to do a record or a song with the band to "put a button on it," Shaw said: "Well, we can always do more. I don't think you can ever put a 'we're done' button on any of the members of the DAMN YANKEES. Who knows? Never say never. And we haven't said never."

DAMN YANKEES formed in 1989 and released two albums, an eponymous debut and the 1992 follow-up "Don't Tread". Hit singles included "Come Again", "High Enough" and "Coming Of Age".

DAMN YANKEES has reunited twice since its early-'90s heyday — in 1998 and 2010.

In 1999, A&R guru John Kalodner tried to reunite the DAMN YANKEES for a new album for the Portrait Records imprint, but Shaw's commitments to STYX prevented him from taking a major part in the writing and the recording. Kalodner later told Melodic Rock about the aborted effort: "I didn't think it was quite good enough, and at the time with 80's style rock, you'd have to come up with something pretty spectacular. I was disappointed in the record mostly because of Tommy Shaw's non-participation. I say that was probably the greatest problem. Tommy was totally an integral part of it. He was busy with STYX and it was sort of my mistake because I just couldn't control him. It's one of those projects that I failed on. I mean the buck stops here. It lacked the input of Tommy Shaw."

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 three 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:

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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Following the success of the 2020 EP Wings Of Agony, melodic death metallers Lutharö are back in the studio recording for their upcoming full-length album. Hailing from Hamilton, Canada, the band formed in 2013 and have been growing from strength to strength. From the release of their debut EP Unleash The Beast in 2018, to sharing stages with the likes of Unleash The Archers, Alestorm, The Agonist, Battlecross, Nervosa, Exmortus, and Striker, they are just getting started!

Lutharö are directing their efforts to deliver an unprecedented take on heavy metal with their music. The quintet draws upon aspects of power metal and death metal to produce a fierce, hard hitting sound with an epic quality. Guitarists Victor Bucur and John Raposo perform intricate leads that slice through the intense lower tones, enhanced by Chris Pacey on bass. With dynamic rhythms and blast beats from drummer Duval Gabraiel, the instruments combine to produce an unforgiving power which erupts into the heaviness that is their sound. Krista Shipperbottom’s lead vocals deliver everything from soaring melodies with a likeness to a siren’s alluring call, through to demonic guttural growls. Lutharö’s distinctive edge brings an impressive sound to the extreme metal scene.

Lutharö thrive on combining their compositional and performance skills with the engaging nature of their music. Appealing to a wide scope of extreme metal audiences, they expertly balance an ethereal element of beauty with raw power and aggression to produce an enticing sound. The new album is expected to be released in late summer/Early fall of 2021.

Watch some behind the scenes footage of both drum and guitar tracking:

(Photo by Lisa Thompson of Dark Moon Productions)

 




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The At The Movies project - launched by Pretty Maids guitarist Chris Laney due to the COVID-19 pandemic - caught fire over the course of 2020, and project has now moved on to movie soundtrack covers from the '90s. Check out their take on the Bananarama / Shocking Blue hit "Venus", which comes with a message from the At The Movies crew:

"Since we messed up last time we now have a track that is in at least SEVEN movies! Taken from the movies: Grumpier Old Men (1997), Romy and Michelle's High School reunion!(1999), The Brady Bunch (1995), Alles Nur Tarnung (1996), True Love and Chaos (1996), Outside Providence (1999), Forever Fabulous (1999)... 'Venus' performed by Bananarama."

"Venus" is a song by Dutch rock band Shocking Blue, initially released as a single in the Netherlands in the summer of 1969. Written by Robbie van Leeuwen, it topped the charts in nine countries. In 1986, Bananarama covered "Venus" for their third studio album, True Confessions, which reached #1 in six countries.

The core At The Movies players are:

Björn "Speed" Strid (Soilwork) - lead / backing vocals
Linnéa Vikström Egg (Therion) - lead / backing vocals
Chris Laney (Pretty Maids) - guitars
Allan Sørensen (Royal Hunt, Pretty Maids) - drums
Morten Sandager (Pretty Maids) - keyboards
Pontus Norgren (HammerFall) - guitars
Pontus Egberg (King Diamond) - bass

Stay tuned for more.




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Hardcore/thrash crossover band CAGE FIGHT, featuring TESSERACT guitarist James Monteith and former ETHS vocalist Rachel Aspe, has unveiled its debut song "Hope Castrated".

Formed early 2021, the CAGE FIGHT lineup is completed by bassist Jon Reid of hip-hop/punk crossover band and London hardcore scene staples BROKEN CHAKRA, and drummer Nick Plews of London death metal bands CORPSING and AGHAST. The four members combine a wide range of heavy influences to make their unique style of crossover, resulting in a furious barrage of pure aggression.

Monteith comments: "I'm really excited to announce CAGE FIGHT and release our first track, 'Hope Castrated'. We're making raw heavy music with no frills or pretensions; just pure aggression and energy. It's also a cathartic release for all the frustration and anger we have about the ills of the world today."

Aspe comments: "This project is musically packed full of visceral rage, but there's also an underlying message of positivity and unity. I can't wait to take these songs to the stage later in 2021. Be ready!"

CAGE FIGHT is currently working on its debut album.

CAGE FIGHT is:

Rachel Aspe - vocals

James Monteith - guitar

Jon Reid - bass

Nick Plews - drums

A new era of hope, survival, and prosperity comes calling with the release of "Crash Of The Crown", STYX's new studio album, which was written pre-pandemic and recorded during the trying times of the pandemic.

The legendary rockers — James "JY" Young (lead vocals, guitars), Tommy Shaw (lead vocals, guitars), Chuck Panozzo (bass, vocals), Todd Sucherman (drums, percussion), Lawrence Gowan (lead vocals, keyboards) and Ricky Phillips (bass, guitar, vocals — will release their 17th album June 18 on the band's label, Alpha Dog 2T/UMe, which will be sold as clear vinyl, black vinyl, CD, and on digital platforms. Fans can pre-order it here and at Styxworld.com starting Thursday, May 6.

The title track to "Crash Of The Crown" was released today — premiering exclusively during SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" program — and is now available to stream and download with pre-orders on digital platforms. Fans can listen to the new song below.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson joined FOO FIGHTERS on stage during the May 2 filming of Global Citizen's "Vax Live: The Concert To Reunite The World" at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California to perform the AC/DC classic "Back In Black". Professionally filmed video footage of his appearance can be seen below.

"Vax Live: The Concert To Reunite The World" aired on Saturday, May 8 on ABC, ABC News Live, CBS, YouTube, iHeartMedia broadcast radio stations and the iHeartRadio app. With support from the World Health Organization (WHO), European Commission president Ursula Von Der Leyen, prime minister of Italy and G20 chair Mario Draghi, and president Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, prime minister of Norway Erna Solberg, prime minister of Spain Pedro Sanchez, and the State of California, the special, hosted by multi-platinum recording artist, actress and producer Selena Gomez, included a night of musical performances by Jennifer Lopez, Eddie Vedder, FOO FIGHTERS, J Balvin and H.E.R.

Two months ago, FOO FIGHTERS frontman Dave Grohl told "Anders Bøtters Tiny TV" about the first time he met AC/DC. He said: "I wasn't performing at the Grammys; I was presenting an award or something. I'm lucky to say that Paul McCartney is a friend, and I love him very much. As much as he's a hero of mine, he's also a very sweet man and a friend. And so he was in town too. And he called and said, 'What are you doing after the Grammys?' I said, 'I think maybe me and [FOO FIGHTERS bandmates] Pat and Taylor are just gonna have dinner.' And he said, 'Do you mind if me and Nancy [Paul's wife] come?' I'm, like, 'No. That'd be great.' So then he bumps into AC/DC in a hotel or something. And then they say, 'What are you doing after the show?' And he says, 'I'm gonna go have dinner with the FOO FIGHTERS.' And Paul said, 'Do you wanna come?' So Paul's wife calls my wife, and then my wife says, 'Hey, do you mind if AC/DC comes to dinner?' And I had never met AC/DC.

"When I was maybe — I don't know — 10 years old, I went to see that movie 'Let There Be Rock', the [AC/DC] live concert film, in a movie theater," Dave continued. "This is before I was punk rock. That was the first time I saw a performance and heard music that made me wanna fucking break something. And still to this day, I use that as reference for how I like to play a show. I wanna be like AC/DC 'Let There Be Rock'. That's a live band."

Circling back to the first time he met AC/DC, Dave concluded: "So then we had this beautiful night. And there was this jazz band. And it was one of the greatest nights of my entire life."

After Malcolm Young died in November 2017, Grohl posted a touching tribute to AC/DC's founding rhythm guitarist on social media. He wrote: "37 years ago, my friend Larry Hinkle and I went to see a midnight movie on a Friday night at the Uptown Theater in Washington D.C. It was 1980. We were 11 years old. The movie was 'Let There Be Rock'. And it changed my life.

"That film, a live AC/DC performance from Paris [in] 1979, is everything that live [rock] and roll should be. Sweaty. Loose. Loud. A relentless performance from the perfect band. It was the first time I lost control to music. The first time I wanted to be in a band. I didn't want to play my guitar anymore, I wanted to smash it.

"Thank you, Malcolm, for the songs, and the feel, and the cool, and the years of losing control to your rock and roll."

FOO FIGHTERS are continuing to promote their latest album, "Medicine At Midnight", which recently landed at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Album Sales chart with first-week sales of 64,000 copies in the U.S.

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

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

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

KIX has announced that guitarist Ronnie Younkins is unable to perform with the band for the foreseeable future. He will be temporarily replaced by Bob Paré, an accomplished musician who studied at the Music Institute in Los Angeles and taught music theory and guitar at several institutions, including Western Maryland College and Maryland Institute of Music. Bob was a session musician for several independent label releases, and has spent most of his long career performing live in the Maryland and Washington, D.C. area with various bands, including FORCER, EVER RISE, PROJECT: EUPHORIA and, most recently, the RUSH tribute band SUN DOGS with KIX bassist Mark Schenker.

Says KIX: "We wish Ronnie all the best, and we hope for his speedy return to the band. Please join KIX in welcoming Bob to the family, while we await Ronnie's eventual return."

Four years ago, Younkins opened up about his drug addiction, saying that his "disease had gotten worse" after he relapsed several years earlier following two decades of sobriety.

Younkins missed a KIX concert in Pennsylvania in March 2017 when the rest of the group was unable to reach him. He was eventually found "not in great condition and very upset," according to TMZ. A month later, his bandmates revealed that he was "headed to a rehab facility" and promised that his spot in KIX would be "waiting for him" once he was ready to resume playing with the group.

While Younkins was in rehab, he took time out to join his KIX bandmates for a performance in June 2017 at the Sweden Rock Festival, where he gave a wide-ranging interview to Metal Rules that also touched upon his continued battle against substance abuse.

Speaking about his health, Ronnie said: "My disease has gotten worse. I had 21 years of sobriety at one point. Got sober and cleaned up in 1989, but I'd get on… A long story short, what led me back out was complacency in my program. I wasn't doing enough of my work for the AA program like I did in the early years. Then,I went on Hepatitis C treatment, or they should call it punishment, the old one that has many side effects, in 2010. One of them being insomnia, and the doctor put me on Ambien, and it fucked me up. It's a sleep drug, and I got hooked on it, and then I wasn't working the program, like with my mom's death — I worked through that at ten years sober. I worked through that with my sponsor. [My] dad died, like, in 2012. Some other shit had happened, and I worked through [it], and some serious things happened.

"We all have issues," he continued. "We all have shit happen in our lives and, you know, I worked through them in the program, but my when my father died, and I was complacent in the program, and I was already high on this fucking Ambien. I said, 'Fuck it.' And, I went out, and I started doing heroin and cocaine again within a month after my dad's death, and it's been nothing but downhill since. I've been through two rehabs, [in] 2014 [and] 2015."

Drug and alcohol rehab statistics show that the percentage of people who will relapse after rehab and even a period of some recovery ranges from 50% to 90%.

Most people do not manage to quit their addiction with their first attempt. They may try and fail a number of times before they manage to secure lasting sobriety.

For addicts that fall back into drug use, there is no guarantee that they will ever be able to stop again; their relapse may turn out to be a death sentence.

Over time, the life of the addict tends to deteriorate. This means that when people relapse, they may be going back to a life that is even worse than before.

Younkins added that he was "grateful" to his bandmates for standing by him through all his problems. "I love those guys in the band," he said. "They've been my brothers, all of them, and [KIX guitarist [Brian's [Forsythe] been a big help, because he's in the program as well, and yeah… So, I just want to get my shit together once and for all on a daily basis."


KIX regrets to announce that our friend and brother guitarist Ronnie "10/10" Younkins is temporarily unable to perform...

Posted by Kix Band on Wednesday, May 5, 2021

In the new video below, classical guitar virtuoso Thomas Zwijsen performs acoustic classical fingerstyle guitar covers of Iron Maiden's "Fear Of The Dark", Rainbow's "Temple Of The King", Deep Purple's "Smoke On The Water", Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" and Survivor's "Eye Of The Tiger".

Thomas Zwijsen is most known for his arrangements of Iron Maiden on classical guitar; Nylon Maiden. Tabs and tutorial videos for all these songs are available here.




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It's time to dust off the champagne flutes, pour a sparkling drink and dance through your living rooms again. Today, Sweden's one and only classic rock cabin crew embrace the first sun rays of a promising summer with their new single, "White Jeans".

Together with the sweet tunes of a summer anthem-to-be, Sweden's one and only classic rock cabin crew shares a video featuring the well-known Swedish TV personality Frederik Lexfors. Check out the video below.

The band states: "If this song doesn't make you wanna get up from your worn out brown velvet couch and throw on your crisp snow white jeans and throw a dance-off in the streets with your neighbors, nothing will! Spring is here, time to strut!"

The Night Flight Orchestra released their last album, Aeromantic, in February 2020 via Nuclear Blast Records.

Lineup:

Björn Strid – Lead and Backing vocals
David Andersson – Guitars
Sharlee D’Angelo – Bass
Sebastian Forslund – Guitars, percussion
Jonas Källsbäck – Drums
John Manhattan Lönnmyr – Keyboards
Anna Brygård – Backing Vocals
AnnaMia Bonde – Backing Vocals




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Artillery have released their tenth full-length, X, via Metal Blade Records. For a new preview of X, a video for the album track "In Your Mind", produced by Morten S. Madsen / Popshit Film, can be viewed below.

In the mid-1980s, Denmark's Artillery established themselves as being at the cutting edge of the thrash movement, and nearly forty years later, they continue to destroy. Returning with their tenth - and aptly titled - full-length X, they prove once again that they have not missed a step, delivering a record that's ruthlessly heavy, catchy and pure molten metal.

"We wanted to have the typical Artillery trademarks, like the riffs and hook lines in the usual combination together with aggression and melody. We always try to combine melodic thrash metal with elements from the heavy sounds of the 70s and the 80s, and this time with new elements in some of the songs," says guitarist Michael Stützer. "We don't have to push ourselves hard when we're writing a record because we love what we're doing."

Sadly, guitarist - and Stützer's brother - Morten Stützer passed in 2019, which understandably affected the band. Having played a big part in shaping Artillery's songs and appearing on every album up to 2018's riveting The Face Of Fear, his loss is a real blow. "It was tough, even if he did not play live with us since 2016, he was always supporting us. Morten was a unique musician and writer and a very humorous guy, and following his death was the first time ever I thought about stopping playing music. But, he always said that I had to go on with Artillery and continue playing if he was not there anymore. He will be missed so much." Admitting it was very strange entering into the writing process without him, the brothers typically playing off each other a lot, they still managed to pull things together, helped by the contributions of new guitarist Kræn Meier, who has been playing live with the band since 2017.

X was tracked in Medley Studio in Copenhagen, Denmark with producer Søren Andersen, who the band have worked with on every record since 2009's When Death Comes. As well as his production work, Andersen contributed some keyboards to "The Ghost Of Me", also adding some effects to a few other songs, and the band recruited their drivers/merch men to contribute some backing vocals on four tracks. With the record in the can, the band are able to start to look toward what is next, hoping the Coronavirus pandemic passes soon so that they can get back on the road, but now is also a good time for reflecting on what they have achieved at this point in their lengthy career. "It feels great and awesome to have been going for nearly forty years. I'm so glad, and I am so lucky that I can do what I love the most, making albums and touring for our awesome fans. If anyone had told me forty years ago that I would have made ten albums and played in over sixty different countries, I wouldn't have believed it."

The album can be ordered here in the following formats:

- ltd. digipak-CD (incl. 2 bonus tracks)
- 180g black vinyl (EU exclusive)
- blood red / blue marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 300 copies)
- viole(n)t blue marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- blue / red / white melt splatter vinyl (limited to 200 copies)

X tracklisting:

"The Devils Symphony"
"In Thrash We Trust"
"Turn Up The Rage"
"Silver Cross"
"In Your Mind"
"The Ghost Of Me"
"Force Of Indifference"
"Varg I Veum"
"Mors Ontologica"
"Eternal Night"
"Beggars In Black Suits"

"In Your Mind" video:

"Turn Up The Rage" video:

"In Thrash We Trust":

Unboxing video:

Artillery lineup:

Michael Bastholm Dahl - vocals
Michael Stützer - guitars
Kræn Meier - guitars
Peter Thorslund - bass
Josua Madsen - drums

(Photo - John Mortensson)




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Yngwie Malmsteen will release his new studio album titled "Parabellum" on July 23 via Music Theories Recordings/Mascot Label Group. The lyric video for the disc's first single, "Wolves At The Door", can be seen below.

The name of Yngwie Malmsteen has always stood for uncompromising excellence. In a career that now spans more than 40 years he has proven himself to be a unique artist. You can try to categorize him in any way you wish. But the manner in which this supreme Swedish craftsman has continually developed his music makes Malmsteen sublimely transcend any definition you attempt to impose.

He now has a catalog of 21 solo studio albums, each of which has much to commend. Moreover, the guitarist played a crucial role in helping to establish ALCATRAZZ as a significant force in the 1980s. Malmsteen's artistry has always clearly incorporated a healthy virtuosity, but his talent goes well beyond a comprehensive control of the guitar. The man is a fine composer and, on recent releases, has also showcased a strong vocal presence.

One aspect of his approach has always shone through, and that is an abidingly deep respect for the music he plays. Malmsteen has constantly done whatever it takes to bring out all of the color, shade and hue embedded in each one of his compositions. Merely doing a very good job isn't an option. He wants to go — and does go — well beyond such limitations, into the rarefied realms inhabited by an elite number of timeless masters. This has never been more focused and informed than on "Parabellum". Malmsteen shares, "I always try to push myself on every album I do, and attempt things which are more extreme than previously. But what has helped this time is that I wasn't able to go on the road because of the pandemic. It meant I could take much longer in the studio, both to write and record. Because I am usually always on tour, which is great, I haven't had the luxury of spending a lot of time working on new music for more than 20 years. But I suddenly had no pressure at all on that front. And I feel the album has benefited enormously as a result."

There are instances when musicians can have so much time available to them for the purposes of recording and writing that what comes out of the process is a little stilted and overthought. But that is never the case here. He reflects: "I am the sort of person who doesn't like to do take after take after take of any track. If something isn't to my satisfaction, I'll move on. But there were occasions with this album when I dismissed something because I thought it was a stinker. I went back a couple of days later, listened to it and wondered why I thought it stank in the first place! That's the beauty of having everything available you've done through Pro Tools. Nothing is lost. Things were changing all the time. Song titles, tempos. Everything was fluid. I would listen to a part I had done for one specific song, and realise it worked better if I transposed it into another track."

Four of the songs here feature vocals. But once more, this wasn't mapped out in advance. Malmsteen offers: "I love to listen back to what I've done in the car. Sometimes I find myself singing along to what was supposed to be an instrumental. That's when I realize this song does need vocals. The opposite happens as well."

On occasion, it does sound as if Malmsteen has surely incorporated keyboards into the fabric of the album's sonic tapestry. But this is not the case. He reveals: "I can assure you that, while it may seem as if there are keyboards, everything has been done by myself on guitar. Even what sounds like a piano intro to 'Wolves At The Door', the opening track, has been played on guitar." This particular composition also includes a clever reference to 19th century classical master Paganini. "It's the sort of thing I love to do. It's my way of paying homage to him. And here it works very well within the flow of the track."

The album title "Parabellum" is Latin, translating as "Prepare For War". "There's a track on the album called '(Si Vis Pacem) Parabellum'," he says. "This translates as 'If you want peace, then prepare for war.' It was a last-minute decision to make this the album title. But I think it fits very well."

The striking portrait on the cover was painted by the accliamed artist David Benegas. Malmsteen states: "That was my wife April's idea. David lives near us in Florida, and we were talking to him about other projects. I did a photo shoot with Mark Weiss, who I think is a great photographer and someone I've worked with for a long time. Then David based the portrait on this. The painting itself is huge, and we've had the idea to use it to raise money for the April Way Children's Foundation ('dedicated to bringing the artists of the world together to give hope to kids, teens, and young adults that have been orphaned or are in foster care all across the world')."

In closing, he shares: "The bottom line for me is that the passion I feel for the music I make has to be obvious. I am the sort of person who lives in the moment. I wanted this album to have a joyous, spontaneous atmosphere. This must never sound as if it's been rehearsed so much that it becomes routine. I hope people will put on this record at the start and listen right through to the end, from start to finish. I recorded this as a singular piece of art. Not as a collection of 10 tracks you can hear in any order you want. I was asked by Mascot what song would be the lead track. The one for which I'd do a video. You know what? I'd like to do videos for everything here. I view this album as having a natural flow from start to finish. It's not to be cut up into little pieces. I want fans to experience the delight I had in making it."

The complete track listing includes "Wolves At The Door", "Presto Vivace in C# Minor", "Relentless Fury", "(Sis Vis Pacem) Parabellum", "Eternal Bliss", "Toccata", "Good Particle", "Magic Bullet", "(Fight) The Good Fight" and "Sea Of Tranquility". The album will be available on CD, red tranparent LP and digital.

MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson has launched a brand new on-demand video podcast called "Backstage With David Ellefson" on Star Worldwide Networks.

The video podcast, which was was created with legendary Phoenix, Arizona morning radio show host Dave "The Mayor" Pratt, will feature both audio and four-camera video production and each episode will be available on demand. Hosted by Ellefson himself, the first episodes include Frank Bello (ANTHRAX, ALTITUDES & ATTITUDE), Joey Vera (ARMORED SAINT, MERCYFUL FATE) and Ellefson's former "Rust In Peace" bass tech-turned-author-chiropractor Dr. Randall Kertz D.C., whose book "The Bassist's Guide To Injury Management, Prevention And Better Health" has become an industry go-to for medical remedies for musicians.

Says Ellefson: "Dave [Pratt] and I have known each other for over three decades as he and I have done many on-air interviews at KUPD over the years. He really is the mayor of all things radio here in Phoenix, Arizona, so I am honored to have a media home here with him."

States Pratt: "As a longtime rock radio personality, I proudly have shared many successful years with my friend David Ellefson. It is appropriate that he founded Ellefson Coffee Co. as the metal icon is pure energy as a musician and an entrepreneur on many levels. Now you get a backstage pass into David's inner circle through a worldwide pro video podcast. Welcome to 'Backstage With David Ellefson' on Star Worldwide Networks!"

Ellefson adds: "I'm aiming to have this podcast serve as a platform for fun and engaging conversations between friends and colleagues on a myriad of topics, both in and out of music. Nothing is off limits and I'm excited to see where our guests and topics will take the conversation."

Ellefson was in MEGADETH from the band's inception in 1983 to 2002, when the group briefly broke up because mainman Dave Mustaine suffered severe nerve damage that left him unable to play.

Mustaine reformed MEGADETH 17 years ago. Originally setting out to record a solo album, Mustaine enlisted studio musicians to play on what ultimately became MEGADETH's 2004 "The System Has Failed" comeback album, subsequently recruiting former ICED EARTH bassist James MacDonough to take Ellefeson's place for the album's touring cycle.

In 2004, Ellefson filed an $18.5-million lawsuit against Mustaine, alleging the frontman shortchanged him on profits and backed out of a deal to turn Megadeth Inc. over to him when the band broke up in 2002. The lawsuit was eventually dismissed and Ellefson rejoined MEGADETH in 2010.

With the release of his sophomore solo album just days away, Myles Kennedy showcases the musical diversity of The Ides Of March (out May 14 via Napalm Records) with the unveiling of the pensive ballad, “Love Rain Down”. The song showcases the softer side of the upcoming album.

The genesis of the track has been around for years and is reminiscent of what fans and critics were drawn to on his debut solo album Year Of The Tiger. The acoustic introduction builds until the band - drummer Zia Uddin and bassist/manager Tim Tournier - joins in on the second verse and rides out the rest of the track. Lyrically, Myles delivers a plea born out of the longing for answers and solace from all of the dark possibilities of the day as he sings “Let your love rain down. Let it wash away the sorrows I’ve found.”

Watch the lyric visualizer for "Love Rain Down":

The Ides Of March will be available in the following formats:

- Digital Album
- 1 CD Jewel Case
- 1 CD Digipack (Napalm mailorder, limited to 500 worldwide)
- 2 LP Gatefold Black Vinyl
- 2 LP Gatefold Grey Vinyl (RoW only)
- 2 LP Gatefold Bottle Green Transparent Vinyl (Napalm mailorder, limited to 400 worldwide)
- Die Hard Limited Edition: 2 LP Gatefold Clear Splatter Mint/Violet/White Vinyl + Aluminium Print (Napalm mailorder, limited to 300 worldwide)
- Limited Deluxe Box: Glow In The Dark Vinyl + Cover Artprint + 7” Glow In The Dark "A Thousand Words” Vinyl Demo Single + Pendant + Slipmat (Napalm mailorder, limited to 700 worldwide)

The Ides Of March tracklisting:

"Get Along"
"A Thousand Words"
"In Stride"
"The Ides Of March"
"Wake Me When It’s Over"
"Love Rain Down"
"Tell It Like It Is"
"Moonshot"
"Wanderlust Begins"
"Sifting Through The Fire"
"Worried Mind"

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, New York 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 Four". 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 beginning today (Monday, May 3), 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 bandmembers, fellow musicians, colleagues, and industry veterans sharing behind-the-scenes stories of working with the band and what ANTHRAX's legacy has meant all these years on. These videos will honor each album in chronological order beginning with the original release, "Fistful Of Metal". Check out the second clip 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 bandmembers 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.

May 03 - "Fistful Of Metal"

May 10 - "Spreading The Disease"

May 17 - "Among The Living"

May 24 - "State Of Euphoria"

May 31 - "Persistence Of Time"

June 07 - "Sound Of White Noise"

June 14 - "Stomp 442"

June 21 - "Volume 8"

June 28 - "We’ve Come For You All"

July 05 - "Worship Music"

July 12 - "For All Kings"

In a new feature by music journalist Joel Gausten, drummer Tommy Clufetos (BLACK SABBATH, OZZY OSBOURNE, ALICE COOPER, ROB ZOMBIE) discusses a variety of topics, including his just-released new album, "Beat Up By Rock 'N' Roll" (with his band, TOMMY'S ROCKTRIP) and his experience filling the shoes of legendary BLACK SABBATH drummer Bill Ward. An excerpt from the feature appears below.

Although he was already well established in industry circles for his percussive skills long before 2012, that was the year truly Clufetos gained international attention by being selected to replace Bill Ward in BLACK SABBATH.

"It's the most I've ever had to dig into the drummer," he recalls of his five-year stint with the group. "Bill has a very unorthodox style. In all really great bands, every musician is very important — whether it's LED ZEPPELIN, THE BEATLES, AC/DC, AEROSMITH, BLACK SABBATH or DEEP PURPLE. Each player really matters. In SABBATH, there's four guys, and each guy had a counterpoint to make that one sound. So, I really had to do my homework and go, 'What makes Bill Ward him? What's making it work or making it different?' I really did a lot of homework and studied. I'm pretty good, but I'm not the world's greatest drummer. I never claimed to be, but I am good about digging into what makes who I'm working for special and trying to be the best drummer they could hope for. That's my goal; I want their musical vision to come out. I want them to feel confident in what I'm doing. When you've got a confident drummer back there, you're free to go do your show and sing or play guitar and just not worry about what's going on back there. When it's shaky back there, it makes you shaky out front, so I want to be solid."

In terms of playing original-era SABBATH material, being "solid" on the drums means being able to get your head around the ebbs and flows of Ward's trademark style — an organic, feel-based explosion of soul that could never occur in the presence of a metronome. While successfully acclimating to such a technique would be daunting for some, Clufetos felt right at home.

"With Bill Ward's thing, even though it may move, symphonies move — but they move in unison," he says. "Fish move in unison. Great things move together. Chuck Berry may waver; Jerry Lee Lewis may waver. None of the music on my album was recorded to a click. We didn't even wear headphones; it was all in one room. I wanted to take that approach of the old-school way. 'Perfect' ruins rock 'n' roll."

Naturally, he sometimes faced the inevitable backlash that comes whenever someone fills the shoes of a beloved band member. In SABBATH's case, added pressure came once various media reports indicated that Ward's departure stemmed from (in his words) an "unsignable contract." So, in walked Clufetos, a guy barely in his 30s at the time who suddenly found himself taking over the drum throne under a cloud of controversy and skepticism. Fortunately, a combination of focus, unquestionable talent and good old-fashioned Detroit grit enabled him to make one of the most revered drum positions in music truly his own.

"I understand the situation," he says. "You're coming in and substituting or filling in for an icon in a band. Somebody's gotta do it. I wanted it to be me, and I wasn't afraid of the challenge. I got asked to do it, and I was proud to do it. I was proud of the job I did, but I understand it from a fan's perspective. I can handle it, and it's a part of the gig. I don't think many people walked out of any concert disappointed, because I was there — and we rocked people. I was part of that; I was part of the four guys up there, and I was very proud of the job I did. It was a total honor; it was my pleasure. To play with those three guys was the musical peak thus far in my career."

The complete feature is available at JoelGausten.com.

In a new interview with New York's Q104.3 radio station, FOO FIGHTERS frontman Dave Grohl said that he believes there is pent-up demand for live performances from music-starved audiences who haven't been able to attend concerts in nearly 15 months.

"In the last year and a half, I've noticed that people are craving live music more than they ever have," he said. "And so it doesn't matter if it's NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK, they're gonna run to a concert to see it when things open up. Because it's what human beings do; I think that human beings need to feel that tangible, communal experience because it makes you feel not alone. When you see a human being on stage and you're a human being in the front row, it's reassuring because you realize, like, 'Oh, this is a big part of why we're alive.'"

Earlier this week, Live Nation, the world's largest live event and ticketing company, said that it has already booked twice as many shows for 2022 as it did in 2019.

Live Nation has confirmed several major tours for 2021, including MEGADETH and LAMB OF GOD's "The Metal Tour Of The Year".

2022 will see the long-awaited reunion tours of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE.

During a call with with investors on Thursday (May 6), Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino said: "Around the world, people are showing the need to get out and socialize once again which reinforces our expectation that a return to concerts will be the logical progression as vaccines are readily available to everyone who wants to get one. This is generally already the case in the U.S. where we are confidently planning our reopenings, particularly for outdoor shows, and we expect many of our other major markets will follow this summer."