Social Disorder have released a a lyric video for the title track of their upcoming album, Love 2 Be Hated, out June 18 via AFM Records. Pre-order the album here, and watch the video below.

Social Disorder combine in a very famous lineup the years of experience of the band members to a great sound of pure hard rock with an unmistakable personal touch.

Social Disorder are an explosive, tough mixture of prestigious musicians with an unknown diamond on the mic. Honest and direct, bandleader Anders LA Rönnblom (Killer Bee, X-Romance, Wolfpakk) describes on this extremely personal album his experiences in the music business from depression and alcohol addiction to discovering a new zest for life.

He is supported, among others, by Thomas Nordin - Vocals, Tracii Guns - Lead & Rhythm Guitar (Guns N' Roses, L.A. Guns), Shawn Duncan - Drums (DC4, Odin), Rudy Sarzo - Bass Guitar (Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake), Jeff Duncan - Lead & Rhythm Guitar (Armored Saint, Odin), Snowy Shaw - Drums (King Diamond, Dream Evil, Mercyful Fate), Dave Stone - Keyboard (Rainbow, Max Webster), Leif Ehlin - Keyboards (Perfect Plan), Johan Niskanen - Lead & Rhythm Guitar (Dust), Fredrik Tjerneld - Lead Guitar (X-Romance), Thomas Widmark - Keyboard (X-Romance) and finally Kenta Karlbom - Drums (X-Romance, Goatess).

Tracklisting:

"Windy Road"
"Dreaming"
"Scars"
"Love 2 Be Hated"
"Raise A Glass"
"Sail Away"
"Down On My Knees"
"Out Of Love"
"The One"
"Wings Of Serenity"

"Love 2 Be Hated" lyric video:

"Windy Road" video:

Lineup:

Anders LA Rönnblom - Bass & Rhythm Guitar (Killer Bee, X-Romance, Wolfpakk)
Thomas Nordin - Vocals
Tracii Guns - Lead & Rhythm Guitar (Guns N’ Roses, L.A. Guns)
Shawn Duncan - Drums (DC4, Odin)
Rudy Sarzo - Bass Guitar (Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake)
Jeff Duncan - Lead & Rhythm Guitar (Armored Saint, Odin)
Snowy Shaw -  Drums (King Diamond, Dream Evil, Mercyful Fate)
Dave Stone - Keyboard (Rainbow, Max Webster)
Leif Ehlin - Keyboard (Perfect Plan)
Johan Niskanen - Lead & Rhythm Guitar (Dust)
Fredrik Tjerneld - Lead Guitar (X-Romance)
Thomas Widmark - Keyboard (X-Romance)
Kenta Karlbom - Drums (X-Romance, Goatess)




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Nuclear Blast has a long-standing history of supporting its artists, treating them with the utmost respect and integrity. This included Lucas Mann and Rings Of Saturn. Nuclear Blast is proud to provide this support and strives to make all its artists feel comfortable that they have a transparent, honest relationship with their label.

Sadly, Lucas Mann on behalf of Rings Of Saturn has brazenly threatened to issue public statements “condemning Nuclear Blast in the strongest terms possible” if the label does not give in to his baseless demands. While Nuclear Blast is truly shocked and saddened by Lucas Mann’s actions, Nuclear Blast also does not tolerate threats.  Accordingly, Rings Of Saturn have been dropped from the label.

(Photo - Brian Delumpa)




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Following the recent release of the debut track “Overdrive” from Riot V vocalist Todd Michael Hall, Todd is releasing another video from the upcoming debut solo album, Sonic Healing. The track “Let Loose Tonight” is a classic-sounding rocker that talks about the uplifting feeling of unwinding with live music after a long day. This message couldn’t be more appropriate as the touring world comes back to life after the recent global pandemic.

The video centers around a pool party that Todd Michael Hall, Metal Church’s Kurdt Vanderhoof and bandmates play at as they share the lyrics “Come on, Let Loose Tonight.” The video for the song can be seen below.

“No matter how blessed you are or how much you love your job and your life, we all still have days that drain our energy. ‘Let Loose Tonight’ is about the power live music has to rejuvenate us and transform a tough day into a great night,” explains Todd Michael Hall.

Written as the world shut down during the recent pandemic, Todd connected with Metal Church guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof to write the tracks that would become Sonic Healing. The results of those sessions are the foundation for the album that will be released on May 7 via Rat Pak Records.

Vanderhoof also produced the album that is now available for pre-order here.

“Music has a healing effect to get you up and running,” he explains. “People use it to console themselves on a daily basis. It’s such a weird time right now. So, Sonic Healing is meant to be good positive rock. We definitely paid homage to our favorite bands, but we added a new twist. There’s a hunger for this music, and there aren’t many artists trying to scratch the itch. We’re here to scratch the itch and bring the energy.”

From the infectious guitar riffs of the opening track “Overdrive”, to the anthemic album finale of ”Long Lost Rock & Rollers,” Todd showcases his vocal range and passion for rock music. Songs like “Let Loose Tonight,” “Running After You” and “Like No Other” are testaments to the magic that was created when Todd and Kurdt began to focus on their deep love of classic rock icons like Boston, Rush, Styx, Foreigner and REO Speedwagon. Todd’s multi-octave voice and Kurdt’s riff writing capabilities create memorable songs that are reminiscent of the artists that inspired them to pursue a career in music. With thought provoking lyrics and rock solid guitar riffs, Sonic Healing delivers all the power and punch that one would expect from these high-level players.  

An EPK showing Todd and Kurdt discussing their approach to Sonic Healing can be seen below.

Sonic Healing tracklisting:

"Overdrive"
"Let Loose Tonight"
"All On The Line"
"Running After You"
"Love Rain Down"
"Sonic Healing"
"Like No Other"
"Somebody’s Fool"
"To The Bone"
"Long Lost Rock & Rollers"

"Overdrive" video:

EPK:

Of all the antidotes, therapies, and remedies, nothing cures quite like rock ‘n’ roll does. Todd Michael Hall projects this restorative power in his music. Whether fronting Riot V, appearing in front of millions on NBC’s The Voice, or recording as a solo artist, the Michigan-born singer and songwriter uplifts audiences with towering range and knockout delivery. He exudes this energy on his 2021 full-length debut for Rat Pak Records - the aptly titled Sonic Healing.

(Photo - Doug Julian)




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Suzi Quatro has released a video for "Do Ya Dance", featured on her new record, The Devil In Me, out now via SPV. Watch the clip below.

Suzi says about the new song and video: "My son Richard presented me with this track. It was an unusual one, a bit of a James Brown vibe, who I always loved. I worked on it till I found the exact right melody, which was not obvious, and the right words to sing that I could relate to. I always have to tell a story, and it all came together very nicely. The lyrics are a little naughty, which at my age, I am certainly allowed to be. We made this video in my garage complete with dancing, confetti, and mask-wearing muso's and dancers. I must say it was a little strange looking into all those Suzi's faces...very surreal. The track and video can be summed up with one word... FUN!"

Tracklisting:

"The Devil In Me"
"Hey Queenie"
"Betty Who?"
"You Can‘t Dream It"
"My Heart And Soul"
"Get Outta Jail"
"Do Ya Dance"
"Isolation Blues"
"I Sold My Soul Today"
"Love‘s Gone Bad"
"In The Dark"
"Motor City Riders"

"Do Ya Dance" video:

"The Devil In Me" video:

"I Sold My Soul Today" video:




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Metal band, A Sound Of Thunder, has announced their forthcoming album, entitled The Krimson Kult. A crowdfunding campaign for the recording of the album was launched on the Kickstarter platform on April 28 with a $40,000 fundraising goal. The band’s fans surpassed the fundraising goal in less than 48 hours. Now fully funded, the the album recording is scheduled to commence in June with a target release date of October. The campaign, which offers backers exclusive perks and merchandise, will continue to run until May 28 on Kickstarter.

The band posted the following comments regarding The Krimson Kult on the Kickstarter page: "The past year has been one of the darkest and most difficult of our lives, and we've channeled all those feelings into a dark, heavy and dynamic album. The lyrics were inspired by the world around us, but interpreted through the lexicon of heavy metal, which means you're still going to get monsters, cults, wizards, and more! To capture the right feeling and heaviness for these songs we're tuning down for the first time in our career, and using vintage tones and gear."

The Krimson Kult will be available in these formats:

- CD digipak
- Limited splatter vinyl (with glow-in-the-dark jacket)
- Limited cassette tape
- Digital download

A large-format album book is also available exclusively through the Kickstarter campaign. The book will contain additional artwork based on each song from the album by artist Joseph Schmalke (The Electric Black, Cherry Blackbird).

Longtime collaborator Kevin ‘131’ Gutierrez (Shinedown, While Heaven Wept) will return to produce the album.

The Krimson Kult is available exclusively on Kickstarter through May 28.

A Sound of Thunder was formed in Washington, DC in 2008. The band recently celebrated the 10th anniversary of their permanent lineup of Nina Osegueda (vocals), Josh Schwartz (guitar), Jesse Keen (bass), and Chris Haren (drums). The occasion was marked with the release of the band’s 8th album Parallel Eternity, a collaboration with composer Brad Charles of Magic Giraffe Soundworks featuring orchestral versions of new songs and fan-favorite songs from the band’s back catalog.




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Legendary FLEETWOOD MAC guitarist Peter Green passed away, peacefully in his sleep, on July 25, 2020. For the last four years of his life, Peter worked directly with Rufus Publications to produce a huge, illustrated visual book of his life and career. During this time, a book of rare images, memorabilia, lyrics and notes from his time in FLEETWOOD MAC and beyond was assembled, with Peter having full control over the book's direction and details.

During the evolution of the book, it was decided to include some unique music as part of the project. A newly discovered vocal take by Peter, recorded in the late sixties in his mother's house on a tape recorder, of "Need Your Love So Bad" formed the basis of the first song with guitars provided by PINK FLOYD's David Gilmour, a huge fan of Peter's work. The track was produced by Laurie Latham. Peter heard and approved mixes of the track.

The second track chosen was "Man Of The World", and Kirk Hammett of METALLICA, another huge Peter Green fan and current owner of the legendary Greeny guitar, was approached and quickly joined the project. He flew into London and on January 6, 2020 he went into London's Abbey Road with producer Rob Cass to record the guitar parts for his revised vision of the song, all using Greeny. The following day, Kirk went down to Canvey Island to meet with Peter and hand him Greeny once more but also to play him the guitar parts to "Man Of The World". Again, Peter approved the music and approach. The track has now been mixed and finished in Los Angeles with legendary producer Bob Rock, and also features Mick Fleetwood on drums. Both tracks have been recorded for the book project and offer widely different interpretations of Peter's work.

The book will go on pre-sale from the end of April, and ship on what would have been Peter's 75th birthday, October 29, 2021.




























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Germany's electro-core "porno metal" allstars Eskimo Callboy collaborated with medieval metal outfit Saltatio Mortis for a "Hypa Hypa" cover version from the highly anticipated MMXX – Hypa Hypa Edition EP.  The band took the chance to completely reinterpret their party hit with Saltatio Mortis, who put it into medieval garb with massive bagpipe power. 

Eskimo Callboy vocalist Kevin Ratajczak comments: "Our friends from Saltatio Mortis did a great job and brought our song 'Hypa Hypa' into their world. Absolute energy, total fun, especially on bagpipes!"




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In a new interview with Consequence Of Sound, SYSTEM OF A DOWN singer Serj Tankian once again touched upon his band's inability to record a full-length follow-up to its "Mezmerize" and "Hypnotize" LPs, which came out in 2005.

The Los Angeles-based outfit has toured intermittently since ending its hiatus in 2011, but has only managed to record two songs in the last 16 years, "Protect The Land" and "Genocidal Humanoidz". Released last November, the tracks were motivated by the recently erupted conflict between Artsakh and Azerbaijan, with all proceeds supporting humanitarian efforts in SYSTEM OF A DOWN's ancestral homeland of Armenia. Along with other donations from fans on their social pages, they have raised over $600,000.

Speaking about whether it was rewarding recording the aforementioned two songs with SYSTEM, Serj said: "Honestly, I'm extremely proud of us getting together for our people and the cause, at a time where Azerbaijan and Turkey not only attacked Armenians in Artsakh with military equipment, but they also attacked the Armenian nation with disinformation around the world, using caviar diplomacy over the years. Azerbaijan bought off a lot of politicians and they tried to create false parody in journalism and in the media — and it succeeded for a little while. So, I'm proud to say that our songs coming out, especially the video for 'Protect The Land', really kind of bit into that all in one day — just kind of boom, let the world know that these are people living on their own indigenous land, they're being attacked, they're trying to protect their families, and they're dying because you got the second largest NATO ally Turkey basically attacking them along with Azerbaijan — both dictatorships attacking a democratic, progressive, first Christian nation society."

He later added: "So, I'm really proud of the work that we've done with SYSTEM OF A DOWN, and it does give me hope that one day we might be able to get it together and do something again together. I think we were able to do it because we were able to put aside our philosophies and our creative differences even, and just go, 'Who's got a song that'll work?,' because at this point it's just a weapon for truth and not about us. And it worked."

In 2018, SYSTEM guitarist/vocalist Daron Malakian publicly accused Tankian of not wanting to record, with Tankian responding that creative and financial issues with Malakian led to the stalemate. In a message on Facebook, Tankian wrote that Malakian wanted to control SYSTEM's creative process, take more of the publishing money and be the only band member to speak to the press.

Last month, Tankian released the "Elasticity" EP, the SYSTEM OF A DOWN singer's first solo release since 2013's "Orca".

In a recent interview with Guitar World magazine, Malakian was asked about the chances of more new music from SYSTEM OF A DOWN in the near future. He responded: "I never say never, but at the same time, I'm not expecting to do any more with SYSTEM OF A DOWN right away or immediately after [these two songs]. It really does seem like our fans like these new songs. That's important to me.

"We've added two new songs to the SYSTEM catalog that are on the level with everything else that we've put out and our fans have accepted it that way, which means a lot to me. That's kinda where we're gonna leave it for now. If more happens later on, then we'll talk about that, but for now I will continue doing what I'm doing and everyone else will just continue what they're doing. It's all cool though, I'm really pleased with the response we g

LIVING WRECKAGE, the new band featuring members of ANTHRAX, SHADOWS FALL, ACT OF DEFIANCE, DEATH RAY VISION, DOWNPOUR and LET US PREY, has released its first single and video, "Breaking Point". The clip was produced by Jarvis and DEƎM at Punchdance Studios.

"It's basically a middle finger to the powers that be and to the people that blindly follow them to whatever doom awaits," says vocalist Jeff Gard, who is known for his work as frontman for Massachusetts-based hardcore band DEATH RAY VISION. "Whether it's politics, the media, or people you know, there seems to be a recurring theme of fear and everything 'hitting the fan.' 'Breaking Point' is about how it is going to happen one way or another so screw it."

The "Breaking Point" single is available today via digital providers at www.livingwreckage.com.

With LIVING WRECKAGE, guitarist Jon Donais (ANTHRAX, SHADOWS FALL), guitarist Matt LeBreton (DOWNPOUR), bassist Matt Bachand (SHADOWS FALL, ACT OF DEFIANCE), drummer Jon Morency (LET US PREY) and Gard have the spirit of the 1980s and blended them with a modern sound, resulting in a high energy hybrid of hard rock and metal, that sits not-so-neatly between SKID ROW and PANTERA.

Although Donais has played guitar beside Bachand since the inception of luminaries SHADOWS FALL in 1996, LIVING WRECKAGE sees Bachand trading the six-string for the four-string in this new endeavor, with LeBreton sharing the band's dueling leads with Donais. For his part, vocalist Gard alternates an unexpected John Bush-esque style with classic PANTERA-style roars, completing the quintet's modernized homage to their influences.

The debut from LIVING WRECKAGE was produced and engineered by Shane Frisby (UNEARTH, BURY YOUR DEAD) and mixed by Pete Rutcho (REVOCATION, FALLING IN REVERSE), and is slated for release this year.

LIVING WRECKAGE is in the process of lining up live shows (COVID-19 permitting). Confirmed dates so far are May 29 at Geraldines in Chicopee, Massachusetts and June 26 at Dingbatz in Clifton, New Jersey.

LIVING WRECKAGE is:

Jeff Gard (DEATH RAY VISION) - Vocals

Jon Donais (ANTHRAX, SHADOWS FALL) - Guitar

Matt LeBreton - (DOWNPOUR) - Guitar

Matt Bachand (SHADOWS FALL, ACT OF DEFIANCE) - Bass

Jon Morency (LET US PREY) – Drums

Serj Tankian has released a video for the song "Rumi", a tribute to both the 13th century Sufi poet and Tankian's six-year-old son of the same name.

"Lyrical specificity in music is generally discouraged because less people internalize them as they have less of a personal connection," explains the SYSTEM OF A DOWN frontman of his out-of-character decision to share the lyrics to the track. "But there are cases where it is vital if the inspiration and muse is specific. In this case, a father talking to his son and reverence to the poet that inspired the son's name could not be re-written so one can generalize."

The Craig Ray-directed and -produced video is the fourth song from the widely praised five-track "Elasticity" EP (Alchemy Recordings/BMG) to receive a visual companion, with the Los Angeles- and New Zealand-based musician previously releasing clips for "Your Mom", "Elasticity" and "Electric Yerevan".

Regarding how the idea for "Elasticity" came about, Serj said: "When I conceived possibly doing another record with the guys from SYSTEM OF A DOWN a few years back, I started working on a set of songs that I arranged in rock format for that purpose. As we weren't able to see eye to eye on the vision going forward with an SOAD album, I decided to release these songs under my moniker." With his trademark eclecticism and one-of-a-kind vocal style, Serj delivers a collection that runs the gamut from hard-driving, electronically enhanced anthems like the title track, a rallying cry for his beloved Armenia ("Electric Yerevan"), the piano-laden "How Many Times?" and "Rumi".

SYSTEM OF A DOWN hasn't released a full-length album since the "Mezmerize" and "Hypnotize" LPs, which came out in 2005.

In 2018, guitarist Daron Malakian publicly accused Tankian of not wanting to record, with Tankian responding that creative and financial issues with Malakian led to the stalemate. In a message on Facebook, Tankian wrote that Malakian wanted to control SYSTEM's creative process, take more of the publishing money and be the only band member to speak to the press.

Photo credit: Travis Shinn

Zakk Wylde says that he has no involvement with Ozzy Osbourne's upcoming album.

Ozzy recently revealed that he was working on a new LP with producer Andrew Watt, who previously helmed the legendary BLACK SABBATH singer's 12th solo effort, last year's "Ordinary Man".

Wylde, who didn't appear on "Ordinary Man", told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" on Thursday (April 29) that he isn't bothered by the fact that hasn't been approached about taking part in the sessions for Ozzy's next release. "I always support the boss," Zakk said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "My relationship with him's bigger than the music. If Barb [Zakk's wife Barbaranne] just said, 'Zakk, [Ozzy] and Sharon are gonna go out and have dinner with friends or whatever.' If he said, 'Zakk, can you do me a favor? Come over here and feed the dogs. I'm gonna be gone for three days.' [I would say] 'Yeah, whatever you want. And I'll bring some milk and eggs on the way over as well.' Yeah, that's my relationship with him. We're still talking and everything like that — texting each other. It's all good."

Zakk went on to say that he is ready to go on tour with Ozzy as soon as the singer is ready to return to the road.

"If Ozz calls me up and he's, like, 'Zakk, we'll jam on Tuesday. We've got rehearsals on Tuesday,' I'd go down there, and then we'd go over the tunes," Wylde said. "And then off we go."

Zakk also said that he checked out some of the songs on "Ordinary Man" and liked what he heard. "It came out cool," he said. "I saw the videos and everything like that. It's cool, man. And Andrew and everything like that — yeah, it was rocking.

Watt connected with Osbourne after meeting Ozzy's daughter Kelly at a friend's party and pitching her on the idea of Post Malone and Ozzy collaborating together.

Earlier this month, Ozzy told U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine that he and Andrew had completed "15 tracks" for his next studio LP.

"My only concern right now is finishing the bloody thing," he said. "We've got the same production time as the last time, so there's definitely going to be some similarities. But you'll just have to wait and see what you think."

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

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

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

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

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

Photo credit: Mark Weiss Photography

Reverb, the largest online marketplace dedicated to buying and selling new, used, and vintage musical instruments, has released "The Pedal Movie" on iTunes, Google Play and Vudu. Through conversations with Peter Frampton, Patrick Carney, Billy Corgan, Graham Coxon, Kevin Shields, Steve Vai, Sarah Lipstate, J Mascis, Nels Cline, Steve Albini and more, Reverb's first-ever feature-length film is the most comprehensive look at how effects pedals have influenced the sound of popular music as we know it.

"You think about someone like the Edge. You hear a U2 song and if you turn off all the effects, you're just playing a couple notes, and it's probably not a great riff. You put all those effects on, and all of a sudden, you're filling up an arena. You're filling up a stadium with a wall of sound," MINUS THE BEAR's David Knudson tells Reverb in the film. "So, effects add the dynamics and the intensity and sometimes make the song. Sometimes it writes the song for you."

Through nearly 100 interviews, "The Pedal Movie" explores how an accidental sound made by a faulty recording console on a 1961 country song led to the creation of the first widely-produced fuzz pedal, which rose to fame with THE ROLLING STONES' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" and kickstarted the effects pedal revolution. The film follows how effects and popular music have influenced each other over time, from the pedals that inspired Jimi Hendrix's playing and the tones that defined LED ZEPPELIN and classic rock to the rhythmic wah sounds of 1970s soul and funk, the shimmering stadium rock of VAN HALEN, the effects that helped spawn shoegaze and alternative forms of rock music in the 1990s, and beyond.

"Over the years, effects pedals have shaped our favorite songs. Despite the wide-reaching influences of these tiny boxes, the full story of how they were created and how they evolved alongside the music they shaped has been largely untold," said Reverb's Michael Lux, co-director of "The Pedal Movie". "Effects pedals have not only been a source of inspiration for countless players over the years, but also they've provided a source of income for an entire industry of mostly small businesses working alongside their musical heroes. It's an important part of music history that Reverb is uniquely positioned to tell based on our centrality to the builders, artists, and more who make up the pedal community."

Today, there are thousands of effects and pedal brands on Reverb alone, and in 2020, Reverb saw nearly 50,000 searches a day for effects pedals. "The Pedal Movie" explores how the industry grew from a handful of companies several decades ago to a vibrant community that has helped create not only new songs and genres of music, but also new jobs for an industry of musicians and music fans.

"There are bands that I grew up listening to that are using [my] pedal," Johnny Wator of Daredevil Pedals tells Reverb in the film. "It's still just crazy for me to wrap my head around AEROSMITH or HIGH ON FIRE using something that I made and designed in my basement."

Through conversations with builders and leaders from more than 50 brands — including Chase Bliss Audio, EarthQuaker Devices, Frantone Electronics, Gamechanger Audio, JHS Pedals, Meris, Strymon, Walrus Audio, Wampler Pedals, Way Huge Electronics, Dogman Devices, ZVEX Effects, ThorpyFX, Fuzzrocious, Caroline Guitar Company, and many more — "The Pedal Movie" seeks to answer the question: "How did pedals get so big?"

"The initial inspiration for 'The Pedal Movie' was us asking how this strange little pocket of the music world grew into this massive community, with new pedals and companies continuously entering the fold," said Dan Orkin, co-director of "The Pedal Movie". "Today, there are thousands of builders churning out hundreds of thousands of pedals every year to an ever-growing community of music makers always on the lookout for new ways to express themselves. These little boxes have changed how people make music and ultimately, changed the course of popular music forever."

For more information, visit www.thepedalmovie.com.

Previously unreleased drum-cam footage of late MEGADETH drummer Nick Menza playing along to the band's classic song "The Conjuring" can be seen below.

The HD video was filmed in March 2014 at Uberbeatz Studios in Seattle, Washington and is believed to be some of the final studio drum recordings of Menza before he passed away more than two years later.

The footage was supposed to be used for the late drummer's first-ever instructional DVD, "Intense Mega Drumming", that was to feature 10 re-recorded classic MEGADETH drum tracks with tons of tips and tricks from Menza's arsenal to help teach anybody out there become a better player. The DVD, which was produced and directed by Kari Pearson and Menza's manager, Robert Bolger, has since been shelved.

The unreleased video footage and audio from the session will be a featured highlight in the recently announced official Menza documentary film "This Was My Life - The Story of Nick Menza". It is described in a press release as "an unflinching exploration into the life of one of the most successful thrash-metal drummers of all time, authorized by the Menza family. From his childhood all the way through to the end of his life including a true blow-by-blow account of the repeated failed attempts of the classic 'Rust In Peace' lineup."

"This Was My Life" will feature rare and never-before-seen photos and video footage from Nick's archived VHS tape collection, personally filmed by Menza himself from 1988 through 1991. Included will be exclusive content showcasing Nick working at the studio, personal home movies, casual time and party time with his fellow bandmembers, as well as other well-known artists of the era that Nick toured with.

Bolger said: "I am very excited to be working with Screaming Butterfly Entertainment on Nick's official documentary.

"There's a lot of published misinformation out there about Nick that isn't true and I am very happy to bring the truth forth.

"Nick loved his fans and always said without the fans none this would be possible. I really think Nick's fans will enjoy this journey through his life."

Executive producer Holly Mollohan from Screaming Butterfly Entertainment added: "As both a filmmaker, and fellow metalhead who deeply values the metal community, I am honored and excited to go on this journey alongside all of you."

Menza's official autobiography, "Megalife: The Autobiography Of Nick Menza" by J. Marshall Craig, was released in December 2018 via Post Hill Press.

Late in the evening on May 21, 2016, Nick collapsed after suffering a heart attack during a concert with Chris Poland and Robertino "Pag" Pagliari in their band OHM: at The Baked Potato in Studio City, California and was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital. The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner said Menza died of hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

Nick rightfully earned his place as one of heavy metal's fiercest drummers during MEGADETH's 10-year commercial peak. The highlight of his career, Nick said, was playing Rock In Rio before more than 100,000 people. The lowest point was being fired by MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine while he was still in a hospital bed after surgery to remove what doctors feared was a cancerous growth.

Founding JUDAS PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing has paid tribute to the band's former drummer John Hinch, who died on Thursday, April 29 at the age of 73.

Downing said in a statement: "I am extremely saddened to hear that John has passed away as he played his part so well in the creation and the history of JUDAS PRIEST.

"There are so many memories of crazy and fun times we all shared together.

"John was always so dependable and did everything to the best of his ability, including his drumming which looking back can only be described as faultless. The fact that he continued to play to his very last day is testimony to his ability and dedication to his love of the drums.

"I wish to give my sincere condolences to John's family and loved ones from myself and all of you forever.

"Rest in peace, John."

Hinch played in several Birmingham, U.K. rock bands, including THE PINCH, THE GENERATION, and THE BAKERLOO BLUES LINE, later BAKERLOO. With singer Rob Halford, he played in the band HIROSHIMA from 1972 to 1973.

In May 1973, Downing and bassist Ian Hill, the founding members of JUDAS PRIEST, were looking for other musicians to complete the lineup for their band, vocalist Alan Atkins and various temporary drummers having left to pursue other musical projects. They approached Halford and Hinch after they saw them playing live with HIROSHIMA. Glenn Tipton joined as second guitarist, and in 1974, they recorded PRIEST's debut album, "Rocka Rolla".

Hinch was reportedly dismissed from PRIEST in 1975 over musical differences and personal conflicts, particularly with Tipton.

"We were developing musically," Halford explained in his autobiography "Confess", "and we wanted a more adventurous drummer to complement what we were doing.

"Rehearsals had got frustrating. John was trying his best, but he just wasn't doing what we wanted or, if I am honest, sounding like he ever would."

Hinch later pursued a career in music management, working with several musicians, including Uli Jon Roth of SCORPIONS fame.

Drummer John Hinch, who played on JUDAS PRIEST's debut album, 1974's "Rocka Rolla", has died. He was 73 years old.

Hinch's passing was confirmed by PRIEST singer Rob Halford on Instagram Stories earlier today. Rob shared a photo of Hinch, along with the caption "RIP" and a series of emojis, including the "devil's horns" and a snare drum.

According to Wikipedia, Hinch played in several Birmingham, U.K. rock bands, including THE PINCH, THE GENERATION, and THE BAKERLOO BLUES LINE, later BAKERLOO. With Halford, he played in the band HIROSHIMA from 1972 to 1973.

In May 1973, guitarist K.K. Downing and bassist Ian Hill, the founding members of JUDAS PRIEST, were looking for other musicians to complete the lineup for their band, vocalist Alan Atkins and various temporary drummers having left to pursue other musical projects. They approached Halford and Hinch after they saw them playing live with HIROSHIMA. Glenn Tipton joined as second guitarist, and in 1974, they recorded "Rocka Rolla".

Hinch was reportedly dismissed from PRIEST in 1975 over musical differences and personal conflicts, particularly with Tipton.

"We were developing musically," Halford explained in his autobiography "Confess", "and we wanted a more adventurous drummer to complement what we were doing.

"Rehearsals had got frustrating. John was trying his best, but he just wasn't doing what we wanted or, if I am honest, sounding like he ever would."

Hinch later pursued a career in music management.

KILLER BE KILLED has released a music video for the song "Animus", created by Bryan Bankovich and featuring band footage by Jim Louvau. The track is taken from the supergroup's sophomore album, "Reluctant Hero", which came out last November via Nuclear Blast.

KILLER BE KILLED, which is comprised of Max Cavalera (SOULFLY, ex-SEPULTURA), Troy Sanders (MASTODON) Greg Puciato (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN), and drummer Ben Koller (CONVERGE, ALL PIGS MUST DIE, MUTOID MAN), previously released its self-titled debut album in 2014 via Nuclear Blast Entertainment.

Cavalera stated about "Animus": "This song is the barbaric side of KILLER BE KILLED; two chords, raw as fuck! Take no prisoners!"

Sanders added: "A cursory homage to the barbaric conquerors, the Huns!"

Regarding KILLER BE KILLED's continued working relationship with producer Josh Wilbur, Puciato told Good Call Live: "On the first record, I'd never met him, I didn't know anything about him. We don't live too far apart and we've become friends in the real world now. We play basketball and shit, and he mixed the last DILLINGER album, and I contact him sometimes if I have to do one day of vocal tracking that I don't want to do myself. He was passionate about KILLER BE KILLED from the get-go; I mean, he was really amped. We have the kind of relationship where it's more of a collaboration. You can treat the mix as a creative tool too. I can't imagine us ever doing this without him now, because I think he crushed it. He got some of the best drum sounds that I've ever heard in metal, and he pushes us to get the best vocal performances we can. When you have a close relationship with someone as a person, you want to keep working with them and keep exploring. I'm stoked."

Drummer Dave Elitch (ex-THE MARS VOLTA) played on KILLER BE KILLED's first CD but was unable to continue with the band due to scheduling conflicts with his other group, ANTEMASQUE.

For their live debut at the 2015 Soundwave festival in Australia, Cavalera, Sanders, Puciato and Koller were joined by Juan Montoya (MONSTRO, ex-TORCHE), who also performed on the KILLER BE KILLED debut album.

Austrian/German post-metal heroes OCEANS have just released their new digital EP "We Are Nøt Okay" via Nuclear Blast. They have also revealed their fourth single, "Everyone I Love Is Broken", for which the band teamed up with none other than the Robb Flynn (MACHINE HEAD) to call out the dangers of rashly prescribed antidepressants. The accompanying music video, which can be seen below, graphically displays the effects of pill addiction.

OCEANS vocalist/guitarist Timo Rotten commented: "Working with Robb and all the other amazing people that contributed to this EP was an experience I will never forget. Everyone was so positive about it and we all put so much energy into this without the slightest hint of hesitation. It's just absolutely mind-blowing to me and I couldn't be happier about how it all turned out. Together we can make a difference and end the stigma of mental health once and for all!"

Flynn added: "The OCEANS team reached out to me with a really unique idea for a song. There was a public blog about depression that anyone could add their story to, the band partnered with the blog and took bits of peoples stories, and from that concept came the lyrics for this song.

"As someone who has battled and written about depression, I know how powerful music can be to fight off the feeling. This song has a powerful message, I'm honored to be a part of this great song."

OCEANS recently announced a special livestream that — just like their new EP — focuses on various topics surrounding mental health. For this stream, the band will join forces with famous moderator and YouTuber Alex Prinz a.k.a. Der Dunkle Parabelritter as their host and special guests Andy Dörner (CALIBAN), Lena Scissorhands (INFECTED RAIN) and Christoph Wieczorek (ANNISOKAY), who were all involved as guest singers on the new EP. The stream will start on May 2 at 20:00 CEST on the Twitch channel Der Dunkle Parabelritter. During the stream, fans will have the chance to communicate directly with the band via a chat and all donations made during the event will go to the German NPO The Ocean In Your Mind, which will also participate in the stream and whose work is dedicated to those who struggle with their mental health. During this special occasion, OCEANS will also be play acoustic versions of the songs from "We Are Nøt Okay" and reveal more details about the release.

The "We Are Nøt Okay" EP contains four different songs dealing with all aspects of mental illness. Each track features a special guest adding his or her very own style.

The Quireboys vocalist Spike is currently accepting pre-orders for Spike's Late Night Songbook - a limited edition signed and numbered CD/DVD set featuring 14 solo acoustic performances. The bonus DVD includes Spike’s first live stream lockdown acoustic show. Secure your copy now at this location.

Tracklisting:

"So Far So Good"
"Let Me Down Easy"
"7/11 Roses"
"Hesitation Blues"
"Love Me Tender"
"Stubborn Kinda Heart"
"Seven Spanish Angels"
"First Song"
"She"
"Over The Rainbow"
"Edelweiss"
"Little Old Wine Drinker Me"
"Streets Of London"
"Hates To Please"

Catch Spike's solo tour throughout The UK in May and June. Billed as an intimate evening of music and stories from his colourful life in rock 'n' roll, all of these shows will be seated and socially distanced, with strictly limited numbers. For further details, visit spikequireboys.com.

(Picture courtesy of Spike's Facebook page)

 

 




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Veteran Arizona thrashers FLOTSAM AND JETSAM will release their 14th album, "Blood In The Water", on June 4 via AFM Records.

With the unveiling of the previously released single "Burn The Sky", FLOTSAM AND JETSAM gave a first and impressive sneak peek of the forthcoming LP. Now, the thrash heavyweights have unleashed the thunderous album opener and title track with a brand new video. "Blood In The Water" lets you know right off that these guys aren't messing around as the song comes screaming out of the speakers with a frenzied rhythm section, passionate vocals by Eric "A.K." Knutson and guitars blazing on ten.

"This last year was a very different year for many of us, and we will say that the tragedy and difficulty had an impact on this song and this new album," says drummer Ken Mary. "'Blood In The Water' is one of the most aggressive FLOTSAM songs ever, but that wasn't planned. We just tried to pour everything we were feeling into each song. We didn't want to analyze it or qualify it, and we just let the song be what it was going to be. What you're hearing is the result of what I'd say is the closest you can get to looking at the inside of Flotzilla's brain!"

It's been 35 years since FLOTSAM AND JETSAM, formed in Phoenix, Arizona, released its landmark debut, "Doomsday For The Deceiver", the only album to ever receive a 6K rating from the influential British magazine Kerrang! Bassist Jason Newsted would jump ship to METALLICA while the band released "No Place for Disgrace" in 1988. "Cuatro" (1992), "Drift" (1995), "High" (1997) and "My God" (2001) all still rank extremely high in heavy metal circles. But it was the first part of this unofficial trilogy in 2016's self-titled "Flotsam And Jetsam", followed by the the crushing 2019 successor "The End Of Chaos" that a certain rejuvenation and reset was clearly felt. Fast forward to a planet that was forced to its knees: While spending most of the past year in a holding pattern like the rest of the world, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM made the best of a struggling situation and just let those creative juices and angst flow. What emerged was 12 brand new blistering tracks under the moniker "Blood In The Water".

"We really had a hell of a time figuring out which songs to actually include in this album, because we don't feel we had any fillers," says Steve Conley about the new songs, which clock in at nearly 55 minutes of thrashing glory.

Knutson adds: "We've seen our fan base increasing, and we've seen the response to the last two albums getting louder and louder. We have some of the most committed and crazy fans in the world. We charted higher on our last album than at any point in our career. Maybe our career path will run similar to MOTÖRHEAD's, who, although was always considered iconic, didn't really break through in a big way until later in their career. We feel our time is now... We're like that dog that's been kicked...we're ready to break the door down and take what's ours."

And the FLOTSAM lineup has never been stronger. A.K. keeps bringing the magic every album and tour, and oddly seems to be getting better and better as time goes on. He's backed by the incredibly talented, exceptionally brilliant guitar duo of co-founder Michael Gilbert and Steve Conley, the powerful, precise and lightning-fast engine of drummer Ken Mary (whose Hall Of Fame resume includes over five million albums sold with artists such as ALICE COOPER, HOUSE OF LORDS and ACCEPT), and the "fresh blood" and extraordinary technical skills and prowess of bassist Bill Bodily.

"Blood In The Water" was once again mixed and mastered by Jacob Hansen (U.D.O., VOLBEAT, AMARANTHE, POWERWOLF) and sees FLOTSAM AND JETSAM exploding with creativity, moving forward but nodding to their past.

"Following up 'The End of Chaos' was no easy task," Gilbert said. "We weren't really sure what we had left in the tank, as we put so much work, sweat, and blood into that album. As it turns out, we had plenty left to say. With everything that's happened in the world, the friends we lost this last year, and not being able to perform or tour… you hear all of that in our music. It's angry, it's aggressive, and our emotions pour out all over this album."

The track listing for the effort is as follows:

01. Blood In The Water

02. Burn The Sky

03. Brace For Impact

04. A Place To Die

05. The Walls

06. Cry For The Dead

07. The Wicked Hour

08. Too Many Lives

09. Grey Dragon

10. Reaggression

11. Undone

12. Seven Seconds 'Til The End Of The World

FLOTSAM AND JETSAM is:

Eric "A.K." Knutson - Vocals

Steve Conley - Guitar

Michael Gilbert - Guitar

Bill Bodily - Bass

Ken K Mary - Drums

May 28 will see the release of GWAR's "The Disc With No Name" via Pit Records. The EP is a limited-edition 12-inch picture disc, which is sold out at GWAR.net, but limited quantities will be available at indie retail stores in the U.S. starting at the end of next month.

"The Disc With No Name" features unplugged versions of four GWAR classics, completely reimagined and rearranged with acoustic instruments.

Today, your Lords and Masters have unveiled a new epic video for the acoustic version of "Fuck This Place".

Guitarist Pustulus Maximus confessed: "I forgot to pay my electric bill so we were forced to rehearse acoustically and this is the result. The GWAR, the bad, and the ugly."

Singer Blóthar the Berserker had a somewhat more confusing take: "This isn't what I thought they meant by 'unplugged.' I haven't been able to muster a turd for years."

The idea to release the EP came during last year's quarantine following the band's heart wrenching, emotional and ridiculous acoustic performance for The A.V. Club during their quarantine sessions. With this release, the band looks back wistfully on eons of murderous rock and roll and the lonesome time of the great Gwarantine of 2020.

Blóthar had this to say: "During the quarantine of 2020 I spent long, lonely days with my hand down my pants, hiding out in a fortress made entirely of rolls of toilet paper, drinking hand sanitizer and watching '1000-Lb Sisters'... which is business as usual for me. So I was relieved when I got the call to lay down some vocals on 'The Disc With No Name'. We recorded this record over the telephone, which was fine with me, because I can't stand to be in the same room as the other members of GWAR."

"The Disc With No Name" track listing:

Side A:

01. Fuck This Place

02. Gonna Kill You

Side B:

01. I'll Be Your Monster

02. The Road Behind

Dave Brockie, who fronted GWAR under the name Oderus Urungus, was found dead in his home in Richmond, Virginia in March 2014. According to Virginia's State Medical Examiner's Office, he died from acute heroin toxicity by accidental means.

Brockie was last remaining original member of GWAR, which was founded 37 years ago. He was 50 years old.

The satirical metal band earned a following for its macabre, over-the-top costumes, offensive lyrics and graphic, gore-soaked shows, in which the bandmembers performed as the descendants of alien warriors who arrived on Earth to enslave and slaughter the human race.

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello has collaborated with the Russian feminist protest punk collective PUSSY RIOT on a new single, "Weather Strike". A lyric video was for the track, directed by filmmaker Ksti Hu, can be seen below.

In a statement, Morello said: "PUSSY RIOT is one of the most radical and important activist musical groups of all time. Their fearless blending of art and confrontation is a constant inspiration and it’s an honor to combine forces on this powerful, revolutionary track 'Weather Strike'."

PUSSY RIOT co-founder Nadya Tolokonnikova added: "Both for Tom and me, politics have been always closely intertwined with our music, like two sides of a Möbius strip. It's an honor to collaborate and be friends with Tom. I feel strong, empowered, supported, seen, respected, when I work with Tom, I feel that we're forming a good part of a revolutionary art army together, true allies and comrades.

"'Weather Strike' is a dreamy, utopian track for me, we loudly proclaim the future we want to see: alternative systems of public safety where police violence is no longer an issue, an ultimate joy of rebellion and rejecting injustice, and also I sing about my dream to turn the main FSB (ex-KGB) building into an immersive museum where we're going to learn about dark moments of Russian history — I'll make it happen when Putin is no longer in power."

PUSSY RIOT, which will release its debut album later in 2021, has made countless mainstream news headlines for its radical protest actions, which often target President Vladimir Putin's policies. The group rose to worldwide fame after a protest in Moscow's Cathedral Of Christ The Savior in February 2012.

California metallers ATREYU have released the official visualizer for their new song "Catastrophe". The track is taken from the band's upcoming album, "Baptize", which is due on June 4 via Spinefarm Records. The clip arrives six months after the release of "Save Us", which was the first taste of the band's music since the departure of vocalist Alex Varkatzas in September.

"'Catastrophe' is, in essence, an apocalyptic love song," ATREYU reveals. "We took a more imaginative approach to the feelings about that we as individuals and the rest of the planet were going through. The world felt like it was falling apart around us. Nothing was certain, and stress and darkness were coming in from every angle. But living through it all with someone who you truly love somehow made it all okay."

"Catastrophe" showcases ATREYU's current lineup consisting of drummer Brandon Saller focusing completely on singing after previously sharing lead vocals with Varkatzas for most of the band's two-decade-plus existence. Sitting behind the kit is Saller's HELL OR HIGHWATER bandmate Kyle Rosa, who had filled in for Saller on drums in 2019 after Varkatzas bowed out of the band's European tour while dealing with serious back and hernia issues.

"Baptize" track listing:

01. Strange Powers Of Prophecy

02. Baptize

03. Save Us

04. Underrated

05. Broken Again

06. Weed

07. Dead Weight

08. Catastrophe

09. Fucked Up

10. Sabotage Me

11. Untouchable (feat. Jacoby Shaddix)

12. No Matter What

13. Oblivion (feat. Matt Heafy)

14. Stay

15. Warrior (feat. Travis Barker)

Asked in a recent interview with the "RRBG Podcast"if fans have responded positively to ATREYU's lineup change, guitarist Travis Miguel said: "For the most part, yeah. There's obviously naysayers and people who are bummed out. And that's totally fine — I mean, we all expected that. Because change in any shape or form, really, can be very uncomfortable. Especially for a band that loses their frontman, a lot of bands, they either thrive or it just doesn't resonate the same with the listeners. But luckily, it's not like we got a complete stranger coming in and moving up to the frontman spot. Brandon, obviously, did just about 50 percent of the vocals on all ATREYU stuff anyway. And he's been working his ass off kind of transitioning from literally the dude from behind the drums to into the front of the stage.

"That being said, not this past summer, but in 2019, we did a tour in Europe, and Alex, at the time, he had injured his back and he literally couldn't sit on a plane for 11, 12 hours to fly over to Europe, so he had to sit that one out," he continued. "So we went over to Europe with this lineup that we have now. So there wasn't a whole lot of thought [put into it]. It was kind of a no-brainer. Kyle Rosa, who is now playing drums for us, it was almost like that was his tryout, and we didn't even know it. So it's just kind of weird how things pan out."

Speaking about the musical direction of the new ATREYU material, Travis said: "There are definite heavy bangers on there. It's definitely ATREYU, which that could mean just about anything, really. A lot of people would consider that complete shitty music. Some people think it's the greatest thing on earth. It's all over the place, really, which is kind of what we've always done."

ATREYU spent the first couple of months of 2020 working on material for its eighth album with producer John Feldmann, who previously helmed 2018's "In Our Wake" and 2007's breakout LP "Lead Sails, Paper Anchor".

In August 2019, ATREYU released a deluxe edition of "In Our Wake" via Spinefarm Records. The new version featured the original "In Our Wake" album, along with seven additional tracks. The bonus material included B-sides from the sessions for both "In Our Wake" and 2015's "Long Live", along with alternate versions of the title track and "The Time Is Now" from "In Our Wake". The deluxe edition featured completely redesigned artwork and a total of 19 songs.

French progressive metallers GOJIRA have dropped the official music video for "The Chant", the latest single from the band's new album, "Fortitude", which is being released today (Friday, April 30) via Roadrunner Records.

The centerpiece of an album-long call to action, "The Chant" is a slow-burning track featuring some of GOJIRA's most melodic material to date. Where past anthems were driven by nuanced dynamics and technical guitar arrangements, "The Chant" is what the GOJIRA members describe as a "healing ritual" emanating primordial warmth, culminating in a harmony-stacked chorus that bridges the gap between ancient hymnals and contemporary rock.

Vocalist / guitarist Joseph Duplantier elaborated on "The Chant" stating: "Let this chant ring in your bones and lift you up."

"The Chant" follows early album singles "Another World", "Born For One Thing", "Into The Storm" and "Amazonia", the latter of which was launched alongside a fundraising initiative to benefit the indigenous owned NGO The Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB) who advocate for environmental and cultural rights of indigenous tribes in the Amazon.

Working with the social good-focused digital platform Propeller, GOJIRA is curating a charitable campaign featuring an auction of one-of-a-kind items from the band and their friends, as well as a raffle were fans can donate to be entered for a chance to win a hand customized signature Joseph Duplantier guitar and a hand painted drum head by GOJIRA's Mario Duplantier. Having already raised over $250,000 to date for APIB, new auction listings include a Slash autographed top hat and "Appetite" signature Les Paul guitar, a signed Fender Precision bass from GOJIRA's Jean-Michel Labadie used to record the band's seminal album "From Mars To Sirius", and more, with bidding on the final round of auction items ending April 29 at 3 p.m. PST (11 p.m. GMT). To see the current auction listings, visit propeller.la/gojira. Furthermore, GOJIRA have also launched a limited-edition art print to benefit the APIB, which is available at gojira.lnk.to/poster.

Recorded and produced by Joseph Duplantier at Silver Cord Studio — GOJIRA's Ridgewood, Queens, headquarters — and mixed by Andy Wallace (NIRVANA, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE), "Fortitude" is a collection of songs urging humanity to imagine a new world — and then make it happen. The band initially laid the foundation for "Fortitude" last year with the surprise release of the 2020 single "Another World". NPR hailed the track as "an apocalyptic banger," and Stereogum declared, "GOJIRA are one of this century's most important underground metal institutions," while "Fortitude" was voted by fans as the #1 release on Revolver's "Most Anticipated Albums of 2021."

GOJIRA's widely anticipated tour dates supporting DEFTONES have been rescheduled for 2021.

Photo credit: Gabrielle Duplantier

On June 4, Polish tech death metal virtuosos DECAPITATED will release their early demos in a carefully handpicked collection called "The First Damned".

Officially released via Nuclear Blast for the first time, DECAPITATED's early demos have not been remixed, remastered, or messed with in any way. Instead, this is a blistering snapshot of four young men with fire in their bellies and a bright future ahead of them.

Guitarist Waclaw "Vogg" Kieltyka states: "For some of you, the story behind these demos might be an awesome way to learn about the band or refresh your memory on our history.

"Demo tape is at the core of the band's DNA, and when I think about it now, I am really surprised that we were able to record both demos at such a young age.

"I am excited that it was possible to work on this release with a great team and deliver something for our die-hard fans. 'The First Damned' is unique, with an awesome layout and bio, which some of you might not be familiar with.

"If it wasn't for Sauron, who came up with the idea of starting a band, my brother Vitek, who played drums at the age of 12, and Martin, who had the idea of going to the studio to record those tracks, there wouldn't be a band called DECAPITATED. We were just a bunch of young guys who were inspired by thrash and death metal. Now, with the help of great people Dom Lawson, Micah Ulrich, Marcelo Vasco, and all the team who worked on this release, we were able to create — in my opinion — a cool design and honoring the true demo cassette vibe.

"For the first time, this record will be released on LP, and of course, we couldn't forget about cassettes, which are another cool way to keep the memories alive. We didn't change anything with the sound. We took the sound from the original DAT masters, so it's the real, organic sound of the music we recorded back in the days. I hope you will enjoy it the same way I do."

Today, DECAPITATED has released the track "Destiny" as the first appetizer to the band's early works, launching this emotional journey from the past. The single is available on all digital streaming platforms and for download.

Formed in 1996, DECAPITATED built a reputation over the years as one of the international leaders of the "tech death" genre. Over its nearly 20-year career, DECAPITATED has released seven studio albums, which are considered to be some of the most influential death metal releases of the 21st century.

Canadian metal outfit SPIRITBOX has released a brand new song, "Circle With Me", via Rise Records. The track features the glorious combination of ethereal vocals, bombastic riffs and savage screams that make up the utterly unique SPIRITBOX calling card. It is accompanied by a gorgeous music video directed by Orie McGinness that perfectly complements the lyrical theme of the song with a constantly revolving shot around the band as they perform.

Speaking about the new track, singer Courtney LaPlante shares: "This song was written in the studio as a last-minute addition, one of the many reasons we are so grateful to no longer be exclusively working remotely. It captures the spectrum of emotions I've been feeling lately about my music. From the anxiety I feel about messing up to a confidence meant to protect me from self-doubt. Visually, we wanted to present the viewer with the image of us that we miss the most: us performing on stage, with nothing to hide behind: instruments, some lights, and beautiful camera movement."

"Circle With Me" follows the band's two breakout hit singles released last year — the heartbreaking and otherworldly "Constance" and the unrelentingly brutal "Holy Roller". Between them, they have clocked up a staggering 18 million streams to date, with "Holy Roller" debuting at No. 25 on Billboard's Hot Hard Rock Songs and spending seven weeks at No. 1 on SiriusXM Liquid Metal's "Devil's Dozen", with the remix version of the song featuring Ryo Kinoshita of CRYSTAL LAKE spending five weeks at No. 2.

SPIRITBOX recently finished work on its debut album which is slated for release later this year.

The husband-and-wife duo consisting of Courtney LaPlante and Michael Stringer made its debut with an independently released EP in October 2017, quickly building a cult following. In 2018, they found their musical counterpart in bass player Bill Crook and partnered with Pale Chord Music to continue to create and release music in single and EP formats, and in fall of 2020, signed with globally renowned label Rise Records.

Drawing its name from a device that some believe is capable of communing with the dead, SPIRITBOX has a paranormal undertone that runs through everything they do, using EVP (electronic voice phenomena) recordings both at its live shows and within its tracks.

Having toured the world many times over with their previous bands — metal outfit IWRESTLEDABEARONCE (Courtney and Mike) and pop punk band LIVING WITH LIONS (Bill) — SPIRITBOX absorbed the highs and lows of living as working musicians and decided to try a different and more sustainable approach when it came to releasing their music. They took the concept of supply and demand and applied it to their release model, focusing on making fans across the globe by using the social media tools available to them, releasing shorter bodies of music and removing touring from the plan until a demand was built. In doing so they quickly garnered a cult-like online following which has lead to over 66.6 million streams across all platforms and sell outs on every physical release and most merch items they've released to date.

In Febuary 2020, SPIRITBOX jumped on a plane and finally went on tour in support of AFTER THE BURIAL across Europe, which was unfortunately cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite having to return to Canada early, SPIRITBOX has remained busy, recording the two new music, shooting the accompanying videos, launching their Patreon and working on their debut LP.

Photo credit: Travis Shinn

Swedish melodic death metal pioneers AT THE GATES have released the official music video for "Spectre Of Extinction", the first single from their upcoming studio album, "The Nightmare Of Being". The disc will arrive on July 2 via Century Media Records. The track features a guest lead-guitar appearance by KING DIAMOND guitarist Andy La Rocque.

AT THE GATES frontman Tomas Lindberg states: "It is always very hard to choose which song to release to the public first, especially with this album having so many layers and textures. We did feel, however, that this, the opening track of the record, represented the overall feel of the album. It has the musical depths that you would expect from an AT THE GATES track, and still carries that intensity and urgency that we have always tried to get across with our music.

"For the video, it was wonderful to be able to continue the work with the mighty Patric Ullaeus, as he understands our vision with the music and is willing to go all the way to portray the song's inner dimensions. I think he did that excellently with this one and I'm very proud of the result. The lyrics deal with humanity's will and how that clashes with our consciousness, and our knowledge of our mortality. Enjoy!"

While main parts for "The Nightmare Of Being" were recorded in several different Swedish studios — drums at Studio Gröndal with Jens Bogren, guitars and bass with Andy La Rocque at Sonic Train Studio and vocals at Welfare Sounds with Per Stålberg — the LP was mixed and mastered at Fascination Street Studios (AMON AMARTH, OPETH, KREATOR) by Jens Bogren, who has previously worked with AT THE GATES on the "At War With Reality" comeback album in 2014. The album's visual concept was developed by artist Eva Nahon.

Lindberg previously stated about the album's concept: "The overall theme deals with the topic of pessimism, and I have been diving deep down in pessimistic philosophers. Trying to understand this way of looking at the world. It is not a negative album, more a gateway into new ideas for me personally, trying out different perspectives. You could call the album an introduction to pessimism as a concept, I guess. It is a very dark album, but not negative…"

And musically, while "The Nightmare Of Being" unveils a newly liberated and adventurous AT THE GATES via some of the bravest and most mesmerizing material they have ever written, Lindberg added: "It still sounds like AT THE GATES, 100 percent. It is just more of everything…"

"The Nightmare Of Being" track listing:

01. Spectre Of Extinction

02. The Paradox

03. The Nightmare Of Being

04. Garden Of Cyrus

05. Touched By The White Hands Of Death

06. The Fall Into Time

07. Cult of Salvation

08. The Abstract Enthroned

09. Cosmic Pessimism

10. Eternal Winter Of Reason

Speaking to MessedUp Magazine, Lindberg stated about the upcoming effort: "We were very excited about [2014's] 'At War With Reality' already before it was released, because it represented our comeback. No one was as excited about it as us, but some time later, I thought it was too slick, too well-produced. 'To Drink From the Night Itself' was a response to that and we wanted it to be dirty and gritty and have loads of classic death metal sounds on it, like a lot of reverb on the vocals and that stuff. It was a record for old-school fans. The upcoming album is somewhere in between, something that continues on the concept we started on the two previous albums where we incorporated much more of our proggy, krauty and avant-gardist influences. Just to give you the picture of how it sounds; one song goes by the nickname 'the Goblin song,' another we call 'the Neu song.' But I promise you we don't take it too far — people wouldn't listen to it if we did. [Laughs] When we were in the studio, we told Jens Bogren [producer] to keep the gritty sound and the attack from the last record and put the overall sound in between the comeback records. And it sounds awesome.

"When we did the Roadburn festival two years ago we did a special set with guest vocalists and string instruments and that stuff on stage and played songs we never played live before. All that was very inspiring because we realized we can do it today, the things we thought we could do as teenagers when we wanted to be the KING CRIMSON of death metal [laughs], but we weren't good enough. After the Roadburn gig, we talked about incorporating more of those elements on record.

"Let's say we're super excited about how people will receive the record because there's stuff on the album never heard on an AT THE GATES record before — a lot of weird things. [Laughs] For old fans, there's at least five or six classic AT THE GATES songs on it, but it's a quite diverse album.

"AT THE GATES have been around for such a long time by now that we don't need to release records to please someone else — we want to do things we like ourselves. It's still death metal, but it has evolved. We just want it to sell enough to get money to record the next album. [Laughs] "

AT THE GATES guitarist Jonas Stålhammar recently told Italy's Poisoned Rock about the music he and his bandmates have written for the upcoming effort: "It's kind of progressing even more from the last album. It's gonna be different than that one too, but still you know it's AT THE GATES. It's evolving even more. All of us are kind of on the same page with why should we do the same record over and over again."

"To Drink From The Night Itself" was produced with Russ Russell (NAPALM DEATH, THE HAUNTED, DIMMU BORGIR) at Parlour Studios in the U.K. The follow-up 2014's "At War With Reality" featured conceptual artwork created by Costin Chioreanu of Twilight13Media, who also worked with AT THE GATES on the band's previous disc.

"To Drink From The Night Itself" was the first AT THE GATES album written and recorded without lead guitarist/primary songwriter Anders Björler, who departed in 2017. He has since been replaced by Stålhammar.

Further details about "The Nightmare Of Being" and its various formats will be revealed on April 30, with the start of the album’s pre-order campaign.

AT THE GATES is:

Adrian Erlandsson - Drums

Jonas Björler - Bass

Tomas Lindberg - Vocals

Jonas Stålhammar - Guitar

Martin Larsson - Guitar

Above photo by Ester Segarra

In a new interview with the "Scars And Guitars" podcast, former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Gilby Clarke reflected on his appearance in Michael Jackson's music video for the song "Give In To Me". The clip was shot in June 1992 in Munich, Germany, just two days before the opening concert of Jackson's "Dangerous" world tour, and it featured Clarke alongside GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash touring keyboardist Teddy "Zig Zag" Andreadis, LIVING COLOUR bassist Muzz Skillings and legendary session drummer Tony Thompson.

Speaking about how he came to be involved with the "Give In To Me" video, Gilby said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "[Slash, Teddy and I] were on tour with GUNS in Europe, and Michael was in Europe, and he said, 'We're gonna do the video for [the song].' So he called Slash, and he goes, 'Put a band together.' And there was a moment when we actually were gonna do a mini-concert when we did that, so it was in front of a live audience. He asked myself and Teddy; Teddy had been playing keys in GN'R and stuff. Michael sent a private jet, and we went to Germany and we did it.

"What I remember is we're standing onstage," he continued. "It was Muzz from LIVING COLOUR, and Tony Thompson on drums. And we actually had our amps plugged up, and we were jamming a little bit and stuff. We actually weren't even playing that song; we were just jamming a little bit. And there was an audience — a real live audience. And Michael walks on stage, and the place just went — you hear that BEATLES scream, that [shriek] that's just so deafening. And Michael came up to me, and he goes, 'What are they screaming at?' in this almost childish voice. And I was looking at him like this: 'Eh, 'cause you're Michael Jackson.' I couldn't believe he didn't get it. But he looked like he didn't know why these people were screaming at him. But it was a really fun experience. I'm so happy that Slash asked us to be a part of it."

"Give In to Me", which featured a guest appearance from Slash, was the tenth track on Jackson's 1991 studio album "Dangerous". The single peaked at No. 1 in New Zealand for four consecutive weeks, and at No. 2 on the U.K. singles chart. It was never released as a single in North America or Asia.

Clarke released his new solo album, "The Gospel Truth", on April 23 via Golden Robot Records. The disc was produced and written by Gilby at his Los Angeles recording studio, Redrum Recording, where he's also helmed records for such artists as L.A. GUNS, THE BRONX, BEAT ANGELS, BULLETS AND OCTANE and many more. The album was mixed by Grammy Award winner Chris Lord-Alge and mastered by Maor Appelbaum. Joining Gilby on the LP are Muddy Stardust on bass, Kenny Aronoff (JOHN MELLENCAMP, JOHN FOGERTY, CHICKENFOOT) on drums, along with Matt Starr (ACE FREHLEY, MR. BIG) and Chad Stewart (FASTER PUSSYCAT, L.A. GUNS) on backing vocals.

Century Media presents a new glimpse into the dark yet uniquely blissful universe of Swedish metal group Vildhjarta, this time with a mesmerizing videographic work of art.

As of midnight you will find the song on all digital platforms and come midnight (CET) click below for the unique video that was produced by Vildhjarta, Riivata Visuals and Solver Productions.

The song delivers another taste of the band's upcoming new material. And there's a lot of it. The band simply comments: “när de du älskar kommer tillbaka från de döda - måsstaden under vatten 2021 (When the ones you love return from the dead - måsstaden under vatten 2021).”




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Svart Records will release Vertigo, the new album from Jess And The Ancient Ones, on May 21. Pre-order Vertigo in various formats here, and listen to the album opener, "Burning Of The Velvet Fires", below.

The Savonian occult rock behemoth Jess And The Ancient Ones have emerged with a new album. Their brand of heavy guitar and organ-led swagger has progressed from the twin guitar metal blast of yesteryear to Jess And The Ancient Ones’ very own take on soulful late sixties garage psychedelia.

What began on the previous record, The Horse & Other Weird Tales is taken further and deeper, towards a conclusion on Vertigo. Songwriter and guitarist Thomas Corpse comments, “To me this album sounds like a dark horse – a brother to the previous album. There’s a strange ominous feeling that hovers upon the entire album, maybe it’s the feeling of nostalgia that’s arising from the lyrics.”

Wrapped in a crude tornado-adorned old school sleeve, the album’s eight tracks bubble in a boiling cauldron of vintage pop culture influence and occult-tinged paranoia. Ranging from the softly fiery opening track ‘Burning of The Velvet Fires’ to the almost heavy metal-ish nihilistic banger “Born To Kill”, Vertigo is a spiraling journey of heavy Finnish psych rock at its finest.

Tracklisting:

“Burning Of The Velvet Fires”
“World Paranormal”
“Talking Board”
“Love Zombi”
“Summer Tripping Man”
“What’s On Your Mind”
“Born To Kill”
“Strange Earth Illusion”

“Burning Of The Velvet Fires”:

“Summer Tripping Man” video:

(Photo by Jarkko Pietarinen)




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