Norway’s Order are back in the studio recording a new album and the follow-up to 2017’s debut Lex Amentiae. 

Originally formed in 2013, the members of Order pledged to the task of restoring a form of filthy, raw Nordic black death metal.

Order’s lineup includes Manheim (ex-Mayhem) / Billy Messiah (ex-Mayhem, Cockroach Clan) and Anders Odden and Rene Jansen (Cadaver).

Stu Manx of Gluciefer, took over the bass duties in 2014 Anders Odden has been the live guitarist for Celtic Frost and now also handles the bass duties in Satyricon.

Manheim elaborates: “It definitely sounds closer to the early stages of Norwegian black metal like 'Deathcrush' era than later variations of the genre. It is dirtier, rawer and more brutal and unpolished. The reason why we went in that musical direction is difficult to say. It has not been something we planned, it just happened naturally. The energy is now more intense than it has been for years. 

Order’s new album is planned for a fall / winter 2021 release date.




window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-rr',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

"Hardware", the third solo album from ZZ TOP frontman Billy Gibbons, has wrapped recording and post-production and is set for release June 4 by Concord Records. The album was recorded at Escape Studio in California's high desert, near Palm Springs, and was produced by Gibbons along with Matt Sorum and Mike Fiorentino, with engineer Chad Shlosser providing additional production. The album's release is preceded by the release of the second single, "Desert High".

Sorum, veteran of GUNS 'N' ROSES, VELVET REVOLVER and THE CULT, also serves as "Hardware"'s drummer and was joined in the album's core band by guitarist Austin Hanks. The same Gibbons-Sorum-Hanks aggregation recorded "The Big Bad Blues", Gibbons's earlier solo effort for Concord and winner of the Blues Foundation's Blues Music Award.

In contrast to "The Big Bad Blues" and "Perfectamundo", Gibbons's debut solo album, almost all of the "Hardware" repertoire is original and rock-oriented with eleven of the album's twelve songs written by Gibbons, Sorum, Fiorentino and Shlosser. The sole exception is "Hey Baby, Que Paso", originally recorded by the TEXAS TORNADOS. The album's title is a tribute to legendary recording engineer the late Joe Hardy who worked with Gibbons and ZZ TOP dating back to the mid-1980s. Sonically, the album was influenced by the high desert circumstance of its recording. Says Gibbons: "The desert settings, replete with shifting sands, cacti and rattlesnakes makes for the kind of backdrop that lends an element of intrigue reflected in the sounds created out there."

"Stackin' Bones", one of the album's standouts, features a guest appearance by LARKIN POE, with whom Gibbons has been familiar and friendly for quite a while. He initially met them through the good offices of Tyler Bryant, husband of LARKIN POE's Megan Lovell; he had toured extensively with ZZ TOP in the past. LARKIN POE also shared a bill with Billy at New York's "Love Rocks NYC" benefit in 2019 and the "Hardware" collaboration grew from there.

While a truly broad spectrum of approaches is notable on the album's hard driving tracks there is, to be sure, no mistaking the remarkable tone and growling vocals that are hallmarks of Billy Gibbons's artistry. Elements of traditional hard rock, neo-metal, country rock, new wave, blues and even surf music make "Hardware" difficult to categorize and it would be a fool's game to do so. In fact, "Desert High", the album's last track, is a spoken-word piece accompanied by a sinewy guitar that evokes the legend Graham Parsons, whose death 48 years ago took place very close to where "Hardware" was recorded.

Billy sums up the album's ecumenical construct: "We holed up in the desert for a few weeks in the heat of the summer and that in itself was pretty intense. To let off steam we just 'let it rock' and that's what Hardware is really all about. For the most part, it's a raging rocker but always mindful of the desert's implicit mystery."

"Hardware" track listing:

01. My Lucky Card

02. She's On Fire

03. More-More-More

04. Shuffle, Step & Slide

05. Vagabond Man

06. Spanish Fly

07. West Coast Junkie

08. Stackin' Bones (featuring LARKIN POE)

09. I Was A Highway

10. S-G-L-M-B-B-R

11. Hey Baby, Que Paso

12. Desert High

Photo credit: Blain Clausen

Rolling Stone's interview series Unknown Legends features long-form conversations between senior writer Andy Greene and veteran musicians who have toured and recorded alongside icons for years, if not decades. All are renowned in the business, but some are less well known to the general public. These artists tell their complete stories, giving an up-close look at life on music’s A list. 

The latest edition features keyboardist David Rosenthal, who has worked with Billy Joel, Ritchie Blackmore, Cyndi Lauper, Steve Van Zandt, Robert Palmer and more. Following is an excerpt from the feature. 

Rolling Stone: Were there any key rock albums you heard when you were young that really scrambled your brain?

Rosenthal: "Absolutely. The first time I heard Yes’ Close to the Edge I almost flipped over backwards. It just blew my mind. I listened to that record a million times. I listened to Uriah Heep a lot. Ken Hensley was a huge influence. And, of course, Rick Wakeman in Yes. Keith Emerson in those days … lots of prog bands. I really loved that stuff. I was always listening to it. But I started listening pretty early on to Chick Corea and more progressive music like that."

Rolling Stone: Before you joined Rainbow, what were some of your earlier groups?

Rosenthal: "I had a lot of high-school bands and stuff like that. But when I got to Berklee, I was in a band with Steve Vai called Morning Thunder. He and I met in the first few days at school. We did a lot of playing together and we still keep in touch to this day. I’ve played on a couple of his albums. He used to write stuff that was impossible to play, but we’d try to find a way to play it anyway. I’d write stuff. He’d write stuff. And we’d cover some Zappa tunes and we covered 'Happy TZhe Man'. We covered some of the most difficult music you could possibly imagine. It was just a lot of fun. It was challenging. We pushed each other and grew a lot through the whole thing. And then he eventually left to join Frank Zappa’s band."

Rolling Stone: Do you recall much about making "Stone Cold" (from 1982 album Straight Between The Eyes)?

Rosenthal: "I do. I recall that whole record. It was such a great experience for me. Here I am, 20 years old, and I’m up in the studio. We recorded at Le Studio in Morin-Heights (Quebec). It was really exciting. I had never made an album before. I knew what a lot of the equipment in the studio did since I studied it, but I never really had a chance to be there throughout the whole process. Ritchie (Blackmore / guitar) saw that I was fascinated by it and that I loved to learn. He let me sit in the control room most of the time, which he never did with anyone else, and let me watch. I kept my mouth shut while they did a lot of things that didn’t involve me, but I made friends with the engineer, Nick Blagona, and he gave me all the manuals to all the gear in the studio. Every night, I’d go back and read and learn from them. Then I’d go back to the house where we were staying and stay up late reading manuals. The next day, I’d watch more. Aside from just my keyboard duties, it was an incredible learning experience."

Read the complete interview here.

Back in July 2020, Steve Vai shared the following post via social media:

"While I was attending Berklee College of Music in 1978-79, I was in various bands with some outrageously talented young musicians. The first band I formed with my friend Dave Rosenthal was called Morning Thunder. Great name for a group, eh?

We used to write intense and complex fusion type music with a twist. The band was very bonded and we played with some unbridled youthful chops and insanity. The band was:

Steve Vai - Guitar
Randy Coven - Bass
Dave Rosenthal - Keyboards
Eddie Rogers - Drums

Unfortunately, there are not any good recordings that the band did, but we sure did have a great time playing out in the Boston and sometimes New York areas.

The song on the set list 'Printed Spirit' turned into 'Lights Are On' off of Modern Primitive."




window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-rr',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

DEFTONES have tapped Leigh Whannell, writer of the original "Saw" and "Insidious" movies and writer-director of 2018's "Upgrade", to direct the official music video for their song "Ceremony". Cleopatra Coleman, who co-starred in Fox's "The Last Man On Earth" comedy series, stars in the clip, which can be seen below.

Whannell, who more recently wrote and directed a new take on "The Invisible Man", previously expressed his appreciation for DEFTONES' latest album, "Ohms", on social media last November. At the time, he tweeted: "Hello this album is excellent (probably my favourite DEFTONES ever) and you should listen to it if you like music that is heavy and beautiful simultaneously."

This past Monday (April 19), after DEFTONES shared a poster for the "Ceremony" video, with Whannell's name listed as the director, he took to his Twitter to write: "One day I wrote on Twitter that I was loving the new @deftones album. The next day their manager sent me a DM asking if I wanted to direct a music video for them. I said yes. The moral of the story is talk about the things you love on Twitter, not the things you hate. Specifically I mean talk about the ART and pop culture you love, not the art and pop culture you hate. When it comes to politicians and their stupidity and insanity, all bets are obviously off."

DEFTONES singer Chino Moreno said: "When Leigh tweeted that he was a fan, we immediately thought it would be cool to collaborate with him given the chance. We're fans of his as well, so it made sense that we should reach out. One moment we're DM'ing each other on Twitter, and the next we're on set making 'Ceremony'. This has always been the best way for us to collaborate: organically, collaboratively and in this case, expeditiously. We hope everyone enjoys it as much as we had making it."

Whannell added: "I've been a huge DEFTONES fan for over 20 years and have always admired the devotion they have dedicated to every aspect of their art — from music videos to album covers to their cryptic and intriguing lyrics. To get a chance to be a part of that art was a dream come true."

"Ceremony" is taken from DEFTONES' ninth album, "Ohms", which arrived in September. The LP was recorded at Henson Studios in Los Angeles, California and Trainwreck Studios in Woodinville, Washington with veteran producer and engineer Terry Date, who previously worked on 1995's "Adrenaline", 1997's "Around The Fur" and 2000's "White Pony".

Moreno told BBC Radio 1's "Rock Show With Daniel P. Carter" about "Ceremony": "That was one of the first songs that we wrote. But a lot of the stuff kind of comes from jamming. So 'Ceremony' was one of those ones where someone was just playing something, and then everybody just kind of picks up their instrument, like, Oh,' [and] starts reacting to each other, and then it just starts to build.

"I feel like I really connected with the song," he continued. "Lyrically, that song is pretty dark. I kind of tether with the true meaning of that song, 'cause it’s really, really, really bad. It's not good. That's a hard one to talk about. But as far as the music and the whole vibe, the whole song, to me, I think that it's a special one on this record, for sure."

DEFTONES is Moreno, guitarist Stephen Carpenter, drummer Abe Cunningham, programmer Frank Delgado and bassist Sergio Vega.






One day I wrote on Twitter that I was loving the new @deftones album. The next day their manager sent me a DM asking if I wanted to direct a music video for them. I said yes. The moral of the story is talk about the things you love on Twitter, not the things you hate.

— Leigh Whannell (@LWhannell) April 19, 2021








Specifically I mean talk about the ART and pop culture you love, not the art and pop culture you hate. When it comes to politicians and their stupidity and insanity, all bets are obviously off.

— Leigh Whannell (@LWhannell) April 19, 2021








Hello this album is excellent (probably my favourite Deftones ever) and you should listen to it if you like music that is heavy and beautiful simultaneously. this tweet has been brought to you by screenwriters procrastination x https://t.co/6o53CP0Kyi

— Leigh Whannell (@LWhannell) November 24, 2020

Taking to social media on April 20th, Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt looked back on the band's live Queen medley performed in 1992 at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert for AIDS Awareness at Wembley Stadium. It is widely regarded as one the greatest tributes to Freddie Mercury and Queen ever.

Bettencourt: "On this day... April 20, 1992, Extreme were so blessed by being asked to pay tribute to the one and only Freddie Mercury the only way we knew how... by putting away our egos and our own music and through our hearts, unbeknownst to anyone including Brian, Roger or John, curating and performing a Queen Medley to celebrate with 90,000 passionate Queen fans in the house that Queen built, Wembley Stadium, while being broadcast live on television and radio in 76 countries to well over 1 Billion who tuned in for the greatest Rock and Roll send off fit for a Queen.

4-20-1992 would be one of the greatest days of my life. 

We Love You Freddie... forever."  

The medley featured the following Queen classics:

"Mustapha" 
"Bohemian Rhapsody" 
"Keep Yourself Alive" 
"I Want To Break Free" 
"Fat Bottomed Girls" 
"Bicycle Race"
"Another One Bites The Dust" 
"We Will Rock You" 
"Stone Cold Crazy" 
"Radio Ga Ga"

The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert for AIDS Awareness was a benefit concert held on Easter Monday, April 20th,  1992 at Wembley Stadium in London, England for an audience of 72,000. The concert was broadcast live on television and radio to 76 countries around the world, with an audience of up to one billion. It was a tribute to Queen's lead vocalist, Freddie Mercury, who died of AIDS on November 24th, 1991. The show marked Queen bassist John Deacon's final full-length concert with Queen. The profits from the concert were used to launch The Mercury Phoenix Trust, an AIDS charity organisation.




window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-rr',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Back in March 2019, Jason Newsted - who played bass for Metallica from 1986 to 2001 - and The Chophouse Band played a benefit show at the Lighthouse ArtCenter in Tequesta, FL. Newsted has uploaded video of their performance of the Johnny Cash classic, "Folsom Prison Blues". Watch below:

Previously released footage from the benefit can be seen below:




window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-rr',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Ted Nugent has denied ever saying COVID-19 was a hoax — months after he said the virus was "not a real pandemic."

The outspoken conservative rocker, a staunch supporter of former U.S. president Donald Trump, fired back at media reports one day after announcing he had contracted the novel coronavirus.

Nugent, who tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday, took to Facebook Live earlier today (Tuesday, April 20) to call out the mainstream media for allegedly distorting his previous comments about the virus.

"The lies I've seen that I've been doing these public appearances knowing I had the COVID-19. False," Ted said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "Saying that I claimed COVID-19 was a hoax. False. I've always said… We have actually footage of me saying, if not hundreds, thousands of times… Of course there's a Chinese virus. Hello? Who thinks that I claimed there's no Chinese… There's a Chinese virus. They call it COVID-19. I'm well aware of that."

Nugent also addressed the fact that he previously blasted lockdowns on social media, publicly wondering why we "werent we shut down for COVID 1 through 18." (The number refers to 2019 — the year in which the disease was discovered. There was no COVID 1-18.)

"You know, comfortably numb is actually uncomfortably dumb, because when I said, 'What about COVID-1 through 18?', they missed the whole point," Ted insisted in today's Facebook Live stream. "I know there was not a COVID-1 through 18, but there were past COVIDs prior to COVID-19 that nobody ever shut down any mom-and-pop businesses, never encouraged the economic destruction of the entrepreneur engine that drives America. So I was merely commenting that prior to COVID-19, nobody ever shut down anything — not for Ebola [virus], not for the Spanish Flu, not for AIDS, not for the Black Plague. But they're doing it for COVID-19. So I was referencing those past epidemics-slash-pandemics as maybe a generalization of COVID-1 through -18."

He continued: "You stupid motherfuckers. The left is such a great source of comedy. Keep it up. Richard Pryor isn't around anymore. We can't rely on him for the ultimate comedy, so we rely on the comfortably numb nuts, uncomfortably dumb nuts."

When Nugent revealed his COVID-19 diagnosis, he said that he has never felt so sick in his entire life. He also said many people warned him against announcing his diagnosis.

"I have had flu symptoms for the last 10 days and I thought I was dying. Just a clusterfuck," he said.

"Today is the 19th of April 2021 during clusterfuck pandemic... I was tested positive today. I got the Chinese shit. My god, what a pain in the ass," he added, describing his symptoms.

Despite saying he "literally could hardly crawl out of bed the last few days", Ted said he still won't take the vaccine because "nobody knows what's in it".

In the past, Nugent had repeated a narrative pushed by conservative media and disputed by health experts that suggests the official death count from the coronavirus is inflated.

In December, Nugent expressed skepticism that coronavirus was as dangerous as health officials said it was, calling it a "scamming pandemic" and vowing not to take any vaccine.

"It's not a real pandemic and that's not a real vaccine. I'm sorry, I ain't taking no vaccine," Nugent said in another Facebook Live stream.

"You come at me with a needle and I will be in fear of my life. You know what I'll do if you come at me with a needle. 'Hi, I'm from the government. This needle's good for you.' Fuck you."

Nugent has also mocked people who wear face masks, despite that both the CDC and World Health Organization have urged their universal use.




Posted by Ted Nugent on Tuesday, April 20, 2021

Finnish Rocking Corpses is a putrid mix of rock, death metal, zombies, other horror themes and some really black humour. The band is set to release their second studio album, Death Blues, on July 2nd via Inverse Records. A new single and video "War For Doom" is released today. CHeck out the official lyric video below.

 
The band comments: "'War for Doom' was created in dawn of our studio sessions. We were listening to our demos and thinking that the album may be lacking one faster song so we geared up and this tune was ready before sundown. Vocals were finished by Laze during sessions and while the song may be a bit out of the general line of the album, it successfully finishes the loose story of the album. 'War For Doom' was considered as a single before but we ended up with the three earlier singles ('Buried', 'Another Day In Casket', 'Body') but when the deal with Inverse Records was made, the first suggestion for a single was this song. Well, here it is!"

 

Tracklist:

"There Will Be Death" (intro)
"Body"
"Buried"
"As High As You Can Get"
"Rocking Corpses Part II"
"Derailed"
"Drinking With The Dead"
"Another Day In Casket"
"Losing Day"
"Necrophilove"
"Death Is Something To Die For"
"War For Doom"

"Buried"

"Another Day In Casket"

Line-Up:

Leper Laze - Vocals
Tony Decay - guitar, dirty vocals
Pestilence Pete - guitar
Maggot Mike - bass
Tom Bones - drums

Photo by Väinö Hörkkä. Album cover by Joni Takomo




window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-rr',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

The Scottish Celtic / atmospheric black metal band Ruadh have announced their third studio album which will be called Eternal. The album will be released via Northern Silence Production at a soon to be announced date in 2021.

The artwork is once again done by the amazingly talented Joan Llopis Doménech and the booklet art provided by the equally talented Olga Kann Art / Design.

Eternal is a five track full-length album, each song represents different points of the wheel of the year and one to tie it all together.

“This is album is the most adventurous album I've ever written, it's still Ruadh but as with the other 2 releases you will see changes which I hope you will enjoy as much as I enjoyed creating it. CD is expected to be released before the vinyl of all albums which have been affected by long lead times as a result of Covid 19 so these will be available in the coming months after the initial CD release,” says Tom Perrett, the mastermind behind the project.

The album was recorded and mixed at “Red Glen Studios” in Scotland by Tom Perrett, drums engineered by Phillip Morrison and performed by Mihai Puscasu, female vocals provided by Ceiti, backing vocals on "The Wheel" by Tom O'Dell, Bagpipes by Kevin Murphy, bass duties by Kim Copland, mastered by Addz 'Vindicare' Milner.

Check out “Embers” from Ruadh’s 2020 album, The Rock Of  The Clyde.




window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-rr',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Midwestern post-black metal outfit Chrome Waves has signed with Transcending Records for the release of the band’s newly completed third LP.

Transcending Records’ owner Mike Ramirez offers, "We've worked with James Benson on several projects already (Comatose, Amiensus, and Fail To Decay), and I've been enamored with Chrome Waves for a while, so I'm really excited that we were able to hook up again. Shoegaze and shoegaze-infused metal is where my ear is at, and this album really fits the labels direction like a glove. I believe it has the potential to be a landmark release for the band."

Watch for updates on Chrome Waves’ upcoming album to see release over the months ahead.

Chrome Waves was formed in the summer of 2010 by Jeff Wilson (ex-Nachtmystium, ex-Wolvhammer, ex-Abigail Williams) with Bob Fouts (The Gates Of Slumber), after which Stavros Giannopoulos (The Atlas Moth) was brought into the mix in early 2011. The band self-produced their eponymous debut EP in July 2012. The vinyl quickly sold out in preorder and received critical acclaim and mentions outside the typical metal media, appearing in outlets like SPIN, Billboard, and others. They headlined a tour of the Midwest and East Coast US in August of that year, performing alongside Skeletonwitch, Morne, The Gates Of Slumber, and others.

Chrome Waves began writing their debut album in 2014, however, the members’ other projects kept the band from becoming the full-time project as planned. While the band remained mostly silent behind the scenes, Foreign Sounds reissued the debut EP on cassette in May 2015, and then reissued it on vinyl in September 2016.

After departing Wolvhammer and Abigail Williams in 2018, Jeff Wilson set out to finally make Chrome Waves a full-time endeavor and brought in new guitarist/vocalist James Benson (Amiensus) alongside the returning Bob Fouts on drums. With a renewed sense of inspiration, the revamped lineup immediately released several singles and their long-awaited debut full-length, A Grief Observed, on Wilson’s Disorder Recordings in early 2019. Less than eight months after the debut LP, the band issued The Cold Light Of Despair, collecting several new tracks and cover songs. In March of 2020, Chrome Waves released a split album with Gridfailure, and while they were immersed in the recording of what would become their second LP, the band tragically lost their friend and bandmate, Bob Fouts.

The group again revamped itself and delivered their most powerful work to date on their second LP, Where We Live, released via Disorder Recordings in September of 2020. Yet, while the album was still in its pre-release promotion phase, Chrome Waves was already in the studio, tracking album number three, which is now being sorted for release via Transcending Records late in the summer months of 2021.

(Photo by: Gus Matracia)




window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-rr',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Coming May 7, the release of the brand new Save The World album, Two. Frontiers will also reissue their debut album, One, on the same date. New single "Miss Muse", from the Two album, is streaming below.

Save The World pens emotionally charged songs with rich, melodic choruses, playing music that forgoes genre conventions in favor of a signature sound that’s modern, anthemic, and refreshingly dynamic. The band features chief songwriter Dan Tracey (Alan Parsons) on guitar, vocals, keyboards and Robert Wright on bass, vocals, keyboards, Taurus pedals, percussion, and drums.

Two tracklisting:

"Camera Obscura"
"Bones"
"Miss Muse"
"Defenders Of The Faith"
"Daphne Blue"
"When Amanda Hits The Stage"
"Man On An Island"
"Longer"
"Denslow Park"
"Automaton"
"Illuminati"
"Who's That Girl"

"Miss Muse" lyric video:

"Defenders Of The Faith" video:

One tracklisting:

"Bleed"
"Comic Con"
"In Pieces"
"Circus Maximus"
"This Little Pill"
"Let Love Win"
"I Wish"
"Black Pearl"
"Cecilia Weiss"
"Princes & Thieves"
"Cern"
"The Light"

"Bleed" video:

"Circus Maximus" video:




window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-rr',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Thrash ‘n' roll band Leach have released a video for “D.O.D.”, the first single from their upcoming album Lovely Light Of Life and features Soilwork vocalist Björn “Speed” Strid.

Leach comments: “Getting Björn to feature on one of our songs is of course a big deal. Us growing up in Sweden, Soilwork were such a big influence on us — still are. And Björn, being the pro he is, absolutely nailed it on the first try. Stoked to have him on one of our songs and definitely something we now can check off our bucket list.”

Lovely Light Of Life is their third major rodeo and, straight out of the gate, it's a thrash, hardcore and rock 'n' roll mission statement. Leach have established a style and sound which is wholly theirs and which makes them stand out from the crowd. Lovely Light of Life will be released worldwide on May 21 on the American label Brutal Records.

The record features a varied yet cohesive collection of relentlessly chugging grooves and anthemic riffs carved out of the foundation of rock itself. The band is anything but a one-trick pony and has a distinctive knack of using dynamic changes and sonic shifts to keep listeners captivated. Leach know how to get the pit started and can keep their audience hooked in until the very last track.

To top it off, the production strikes a perfect balance between crisp and rough-'n'-ready - a tip to the skills of Christian Silver at Studiomega (Arch Enemy, Kreator, Soilwork, Dragonforce).

Tracklisting:

“Prelude”
“Serenade (For The Broken Brave)”
“Carry The Stigma”
“Trench Walk”
“Scorched Earth Tactics”
“Aniara”
“True North”
“Down For Counting”
“Vultures”
“Gaslighting”
“Sweet Blasphemy”
“D.O.D.” (Feat. Björn “Speed” Strid) (Bonus Track)

“D.O.D.” video:




window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-rr',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Season Of Mist has announced the signing of blackened heavy metal band Nite. The San Francisco outfit will be releasing its second full-length via the label at a later date.

Nite comments, "All of us in the circle of Nite are very excited to announce our signing with Season Of Mist. We look forward to working with their talented and experienced team to bring our music to the unsuspecting masses. We are thrilled to join the label's echelon of innovative artists whose legacy looms large over the history of modern heavy music."

The San Francisco Bay Area has a history steeped in forward-thinking, technically dazzling metal, and Nite carries that torch with pride. Founded in 2018, their blackened heavy metal brand barrels towards the peril of an unknown future, while keeping one eye on the days when blistering leads once ruled the land. Guitarists Van Labrakis (Satan’s Wrath, Mencea) and Scott Hoffman (Dawnbringer, High Spirits) let loose galloping riffs and harmonies that evoke the classic sounds of the N.W.O.B.H.M., with Labrakis’ grizzled voice driving their dark, melodic metal into the modern era.

With Avinash Mittur (Wild Hunt) replacing founding bassist Bryan Coons in early 2021, he and drummer Patrick Crawford (Serpents of Dawn, Older Sun) make up a rhythm section that’s fierce yet breathlessly precise: a freewheel pounding reminiscent of the early days of heavy metal, with a Rickenbacker-powered roar fueling the low end. Nite’s debut full-length Darkness Silence Mirror Flame, released in March 2020 by Creator-Destructor Records, earned widespread praise. It showcased their fist-raising classic heavy metal that nearly every fan of the genre once fell in love with, but with a twisted and shadowy edge that the titans of old could never imagine. Nite is the flame of the past illuminating the darkness of tomorrow.

Darkness Silence Mirror Flame by Nite

(Photo by: Michelle Nisbet)




window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-rr',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Sweetwater’s Nick Bowcott shows you how to play Black Sabbath's “Paranoid” in this new video:

Bowcott previously offered lessons on Def Leppard's "Hysteria", the Jimi Hendrix classic, “Purple Haze”, Pantera's "Cowboys From Hell", the Rush track "Tom Sawyer", KISS' "Hotter Than Hell", and "Them Bones" by Alice In Chains:




window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-rr',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Canada's Ice War has released a lyric video for "Sacred Land", the title track of the upcoming album, which will be released on May 18 via Fighter Records on CD, 12" LP, Cassette and Digital formats. Watch the new clip below, and pre-order the album here.

Ice War is formed solely by Jo Capitalicide (also in Aphrodite), and although his previous four albums followed a style closer to speed metal, on this new album Jo has decided to make a turn towards more epic sounds with some Black Sabbath at times.

 
Tracklisting:

"Sacred Land"
"Crystal Mirror"
"Nuclear Gods"
"So Far Away"
"Black Horse"
"Blood And Flames"
"Slay The Beast"

"Sacred Land" lyric video:




window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-rr',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Thirty-five years ago, on April 21, 1986, Peter Gabriel released his video “Sledgehammer”, from his album So. The video for this track was revolutionary, garnering it several awards and becoming an instant classic. Now, to celebrate this coral anniversary, Canada’s Vinyl Hero has covered the song and is releasing its own music video to pay tribute.

Like Gabriel, Vinyl Hero strives to push the envelope when it comes to creativity in their releases. In their rendition of the video, Vinyl Hero uses high contrast simplicity to echo the artistic flair present in the original.

The band explains their reasoning for choosing this song: “This is a personal favourite of the band and has been part of our live set for a long time and through that time we have really made it feel like it was our own. We’re a rock band, a power trio, and we wanted to make our version sound like a rock band wrote it. It’s more of a rendition than a cover!”

Overall, Vinyl Hero creates music that is gusty, heartfelt, and deep, and every music lover with interests in different genres will appreciate the diversity that they contribute to every single song they produce. For them, creating music was never an issue but when push came to shove, they learned that there’s more to a successful and productive band than just a killer song. To date, they have released two EPs and a single. More will be on the way.

Even as a three-piece, they manage to bring enough ambiance from the intro to hard-hitting and sing-along choruses to make fans of the original and modern-day rock listeners alike throw some horns in the air.




window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-rr',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Renaissance have announced the release of their Blu-ray/DVD/2CD set of the 50th Anniversary Concert at The Keswick Theatre in Glenside PA, USA on October 12, 2019, featuring their own 10-piece Renaissance Chamber Orchestra and with special guest Renaissance co-founder Jim McCarty.

It is time to celebrate the culmination of the bands widespread touring and recording over the past 50 years with their first high-definition concert film and Blu-ray release. Watch the video for “Day Of Dreamer” below.

Renaissance featuring lead singer Annie Haslam performed an impressive concert of high quality musicianship alongside a magical backdrop of paintings for each song in the show, created by Annie. The combination was stunning. The concert film is a retrospective celebration of Renaissance classics songs, some of which have never been orchestrated before, including their most notably “Ashes Are Burning”.

Annie Haslam says: I am so proud I was chosen to be lead singer in this incredibly unique band and to have witnessed all the musicians that have been a part of our history, each person adding something extra into the mix and life of the band. Particularly the band that we are now, who have put their hearts and souls into this music. Rave Tesar, our keyboardist and MD has taken the band to a new level by creating our own orchestra of hand-picked musicians... when we go touring now it’s like a 16-piece band, and to have them with us on our 50th Anniversary tour was so natural and perfect. Personally, I have come full circle with our special guest and friend Renaissance co-founder Jim McCarty who was at my audition on December 31st 1970! He added such special moments and memories as we performed ‘Island’, written by Keith Relf and Jim, the song that got me the job!"

Renaissance is a band with a rich history unique unto themselves as progressive rock pioneers who rose from the ashes of the seminal UK rock band, The Yardbirds. Acclaimed for their unique blending of progressive rock with classical and symphonic influences, the band's career has now spanned fifty years spearheaded by the 5 octave voice of Annie Haslam and the masterful songwriting skills of Michael Dunford. They are widely considered to be the band that most successfully and routinely utilized the sound of a full orchestra in their recordings.

The band has toured throughout the world and has performed at Carnegie Hall with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and additionally at the Royal Albert Hall with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Royal Chorale Society. Renaissance had a top ten hit in the UK with their song “Northern Lights” that still demands airplay to this day.

Retail release will follow through Symphonic Rock Recordings in the United States, Canada and South America on April 23 other territories will be distributed through Cherry Red Records on April 30. Pre-order here.

Renaissance are:

Annie Haslam - lead vocals
Rave Tesar - keyboards
Mark Lambert - guitars/vocals
Geoffrey Langley - keyboards/vocals
Leo Traversa - bass guitar/vocals
Frank Pagano - drums/percussion/vocals




window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-rr',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Solus Ex Inferis is a trans-continental, technical death metal band founded by long-time musician and guitar player, Dave Sevenstrings alongside Marco Pitruzzella aka Lord Marco (Six Feet Under, Sleep Terror, The Faceless), Sahil Makhija aka Demonstealer (Demonic Resurrection, Reptilian Death), Ollie Morgan (Necropathy) and Mauricio Catalán. The band's debut  album, Daemones Ceramici, is scheduled for release on July 9.

The track "Constructing The Great Divide", which features an excellent guitar solo by Bleak Flesh guitarist Matias Quiroz (who features on five out of the total seven songs on the album), is available for streaming below.

When asked about the song, the band's frontman Sahil Makhija states, "'Constructing The Great Divide' is a song about human exploitation. How people are divided by religion, race, and other parameters. It's about how man created the illusion of God and used that as a tool to control the masses. It's about how propaganda is used to create hate and spread lies which is exploited by politicians and religious leaders to feed their lust for power and greed for wealth. It questions war and how national pride is sold to us."

Right from the band’s inception, it has been Dave Sevenstrings’ constant endeavour to write music that combined fast-paced, blast-beat style death metal with melodic lead elements and simultaneously was informed by the sounds of celebrated bands in the genre like Vital Remains, Hypocrisy, Deeds Of Flesh, and Psycroptic. It started to evolve into its own thing once all the members started participating in the writing process and started to contribute some of their own musical influences from the different regions they came from. Hence, the music on Daemones Ceramici, while being devastatingly fast-paced and razor-sharp technical, “still retains the core of any good song, (and includes) solid riffs that you can headbang to,” says Dave.

If you thought the last EP was any indication of how brutal or extreme Solus Ex Inferis could sound, the full-length quashes all of that point-blank and strives to push all known boundaries within the tech-death realm. Named after the malevolent spirits in Greek mythology, Solus Ex Inferis’ debut full-length plays around concepts of demonology and the occult; often re-contextualizing it for the terrible state of the world as we know it today. “The album reflects on human beings as the real demons, it reflects the hypocrisy and hatred fueled by religion” adds Makhija, the band’s frontman and lyricist.

Pre-orders for the digital release and merchandise are now available on the band’s Bandcamp, here. The album will be available to stream on all streaming services including YouTube, Spotify and Apple Music.

Tracklisting:

"The Myth Creation"
"Constructing The Great Divide"
"Shattering Divinity"
"Destroying Malevolence"
"Set Ablaze The Books Of Deception"
"Destroying False Gods"
"The Black Gate"

"Destroying Malevolence" lyric video:




window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-rr',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Wednesday 13 has released a video for "Screwdriver 2 - The Return", from the band's recently release EP, Necrophaze: Antidote (Nuclear Blast Records). Watch the video below, and download / listen to the four song EP at this location.

A quote from the Duke of Spook, himself: "While recording the last record we had a couple of extra tracks that we didn’t know what to do with; re-recorded versions of two songs from my former band Frankenstein Drag Queens, and two cover songs. The idea of putting out an EP tied in with Necrophaze with these songs seemed like the best way to get them out to the fans. The new recorded version of 'Screwdriver' is as loud and energetic as the original from 1998. 'Your Mother Still Sucks Cocks In Hell' was another classic that needed to be heard again."

Necrophaze: Antidote was recorded and mixed by Michael Spreitzer, with artwork by Jonny Bush.

Tracklisting:

"Your Mother Still Sucks Cocks In Hell"
"Screwdriver 2 - The Return"
"Devil Inside" (Inxs cover)
"Films" (Gary Numan cover featuring Calico Cooper)

"Screwdriver 2 - The Return" video:

"Devil Inside" video:

"Films" audio:




window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-rr',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

The Dead Daisies have released a new video, in which guitarist Doug Aldrich offers a lesson for the song "Song And A Prayer", from the band's 2016 album, Make Some Noise. Watch below:

Monsters Of Rock, the gold standard of hard rock for over 40 years, welcomes The Dead Daisies to the radio airwaves. Their first radio show entitled Live From Daisyland with host Doug Aldrich is live today, Wednesday April 21, at 3PM, PST.

Influenced by 70’s rock, The Dead Daisies have gone from strength to strength since their debut album in 2013, releasing five studio albums and playing live to a growing army of fans worldwide. With the likes of Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple, Black Country Communion), Doug Aldrich (Whitesnake, Dio), Tommy Clufetos (Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne) and David Lowy (Red Phoenix, MINK), this band is up there alongside the pantheon of legendary rock bands.

Listeners of Live From Daisyland will get insider accessto all things Daisies with a band member or two being in-studioeach week. You’ll be able to listen to some amazing rock tunes along with some great stories, the latest Daisies news, new releases, tour gossip, all live from either the studio or out on the road...

Aldrich: "We’re thrilled to be partnering with Monsters Of Rock Radio and I’m honoured to be the show's debut DJ. This is a first for us, there’s lots of surprises and kick ass playlists every week !! We really hope you enjoy listening and as always, thanks for all your support !"

Harlan Hendrickson (Monsters Of Rock Radio CEO); "I’m excited to bring one of the most authentic bands in rock to the biggest and most authentic brand in live digital radio”. Our partnership with Dash Radio gives rock fans global access to the best rock for free, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and unencumbered by commercials."

Scott Keeney (Dash Radio CEO): "Giving brands as iconic as Monsters Of Rock and The Dead Daisies a 24/7 home to deliver the best audio programming live directly to fans is why we built Dash, I can’t wait to welcome the members of The Dead Daisies to Dash Radio and expand both brands."

The party starts at 3 PM, PST today, Wednesday, April 21, and then every Wednesday same time, same channel. Live From Daisyland will re-air on Sunday nights from 8 PM to 10 PM, PST immediately following Rudy Sarzo’s award winning show, Six Degrees of Sarzo.

You can listen here or go to Dash Radio here.

Monsters Of Rock is currently heard by over 600,000 listeners a day on the Dash Radio Network.

The Dead Daisies' new album, Holy Ground, is available via SPV. Get it here.

Tracklisting:

"Holy Ground (Shake The Memory)"
"Like No Other (Bassline)"
"Come Alive"
"Bustle And Flow"
"My Fate"
"Chosen And Justified"
"Saving Grace"
"Unspoken"
"30 Days In The Hole"
"Righteous Days"
"Far Away"

"Holy Ground (Shake The Memory)" video:

“Bustle And Flow” video:

"Unspoken" lyric video:




window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-rr',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Norway's Chris Wicked has released his album, Aleine, via Apollon Records. The debut album from the former Malice In Wonderland frontman features melancholic and melodic rock with dark lyrics in his native language.

Back in Bergen, Malice In Wonderland was eventually disbanded, and Chris has spent the last few years creating a new sound singing in his own language - now as a solo artist. The recent time has been spent in Polyfon Studio and the debut album has now been released.

Although parts of the black metal elite such as Gaahl (Gaahls Wyrd), Hoest (Taake, Gorgoroth), V'gandr (Helheim, Taake) and Niklas Kvarforth (Shining) contributes on the album, it is in no way extreme music we are talking about. This is melancholic and catchy, at times low-key, with a dark, beautiful, and unique expression, inspired by artists such as Sisters Of Mercy, Nick Cave, David Bowie and Depeche Mode.

After the first single, the title track "Aleine", where black metal legend Gaahl contributed as a guest vocalist, Chris released the beautiful video single, "Sørgebånd", which is the most stripped-down song on the album.

The debut album, available worldwide via Apollon Records, is available in LP (ltd. white vinyl) and CD format in addition to the digital release. Listen to the album here.

Tracklisting:

"Ravneprins"
"Aleine" feat. Kristian “Gaahl” Espedal
"Eg Går Der Ingen Engler våger"
"Sørgebånd"
"Når Allting Svartner" feat. Niklas Kvarforth
"Bare Deg Og Meg Og Natten"
"Bergen, Bergen"
"Aleine" (The Sprawl Remix) LP Bonus Track

"Sørgebånd" video:

"Aleine" lyric video:

"Aleine" (The Sprawl Remix):

Band lineup:

Chris Wicked - Vocals
Rune Nordahl-Pedersen - Guitars
Eskil Sæter - Bass
Marius Mathisen - Drums

(Photo - Mathis Backe)




window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-rr',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Todd La Torre (QUEENSRŸCHE), Vernon Reid (LIVING COLOUR), Mark Morton (LAMB OF GOD), Robb Flynn (MACHINE HEAD), Zach Myers (SHINEDOWN), Piggy D. (ROB ZOMBIE), and Ice-T (BODY COUNT) are among the musicians who have reacted on social media to the news that the jury has found former police officer Derek Chauvin guilty on all counts in the murder of George Floyd last May.

After hours of jury deliberations, the 45-year-old was found guilty of second- and third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

On May 25, 2020, Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, was killed in an incident caught on camera. Chauvin kneeled on his neck for nearly ten minutes while Floyd was handcuffed after police responded to a report that Floyd used a counterfeit $20 bill. Chauvin's attorneys argued that he acted on his training from the Minneapolis Police Department in the use of a "Maximal Restraint Technique" and did so out of concern that Floyd might harm himself or the officers struggling to arrest him. The attorney also cited the autopsy conducted on Floyd that found fentanyl and methamphetamine in his system, a combination of drugs the attorney said is known as a speedball.

A few days after Floyd's death, Reid took to his Twitter to write: " Of all the shocking mobile phone recorded extra judicial Police killings, the murder of George Floyd is the most depraved exercise in contemptuous disregard for human life I've ever seen. Next time you see it- if you can stomach it- pay attention to the hand in pocket posture."

The jury had deliberated for about 10 hours over two days, following closing arguments.

Floyd's death sparked protests across cities in the U.S. and around the world.

This is a developing story. Please refresh here for updates.




What’d I Say?!!! https://t.co/JcIBcouOB6

— Vernon Reid (@vurnt22) April 20, 2021








Guilty

— Living Colour (@LivingColour) April 20, 2021








pic.twitter.com/sfHxpw46kJ

— ICE T (@FINALLEVEL) April 20, 2021








That moment when you realize.... https://t.co/sbUrMwDU2T

— ICE T (@FINALLEVEL) April 20, 2021








Great verdicts!!! Finally justice is being served.

— Todd La Torre (@ToddLaTorre) April 20, 2021








Justice has prevailed. #BlackLivesMatter

— Andy Biersack (@andyblack) April 20, 2021








No fucking shit. Glad our eyes weren’t wrong.

— Brian Posehn (@thebrianposehn) April 20, 2021








I feel like a bird pic.twitter.com/Do5tIA7rm3

— Stephen Perkins (@stephenperkins) April 20, 2021








??????

— Nick Martin (@nodirectioncasa) April 20, 2021








Rest in power George Floyd!

— Sam Carter (@samarchitects) April 20, 2021








Justice for Black America is justice for all America ??

— Count D. (@PiggyD) April 20, 2021








??❤️??

— Mark Morton ?? (@MarkDuaneMorton) April 20, 2021








??????????????????

— Zach Myers (@ZMyersOfficial) April 20, 2021








This feels appropriate today https://t.co/af2f79mMNr

— Zach Myers (@ZMyersOfficial) April 20, 2021








You fucking batshit crazy lunatic. . . I don’t think that was what he signed up for

You fucking pastel suited turd https://t.co/hWJqqFjZ3w

— Zach Myers (@ZMyersOfficial) April 20, 2021








??

— Robb Flynn (@TheGeneralMH) April 20, 2021








I see that ROT IN HELL is trending. One down. ✊✊?✊?✊?✊? #GeorgeFloyd #DefundThePolice

— Sacred Reich (@SacredReich) April 20, 2021








Regardless of your opinion on the Chauvin trial verdict, he at no point was a “good” cop. He had something like 13 complaints filed against him. He’s not the guy you want to throw your support behind.

— Article V Convention of States please (@philthatremains) April 20, 2021








#verdict

Shot this almost a year ago during NYC protests. Today is a small step in the right direction. ?? #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd #DerekChauvinVerdict #DerekChauvinTrial #GUILTY pic.twitter.com/YDI6dW6qln

— Alex Skolnick (@AlexSkolnick) April 20, 2021








G U I L T Y#JusticeForGeorgeFloyd

— Rage Against The Machine ? (@RATM) April 20, 2021








Justice died when Truth is buried under the infinite layers of Lies. I would rather stand with GOD and be Judged by the World ,Then stand with the World and be Judged by GOD.



— Paul Shortino ?? (@PaulShortino) April 20, 2021








I find it fitting that an alpha-male COSPLAYER like Ted Nugent @TedNugent, who has always said he's drug free, announces he has Covid on 4/20, after a year of calling it a hoax, and on the day Derek Chauvin is found guilty of murder. https://t.co/Xk0CW9lmgi

— Danko Jones (@dankojones) April 20, 2021








Homey is gonna have a wonderful welcome to prison.

The inmates are drawing straws for who's first!

He wont be finding his ' happy place' unless he loves his asshole THAT much.

— Steve Lukather (@stevelukather) April 20, 2021








Holding this guy accountable is a decent first step but a harsh sentence will feel more like justice.

— Jamey Jasta (@jameyjasta) April 20, 2021

In a new interview with Finland's Kaaos TV, DREAM THEATER keyboardist Jordan Rudess was asked if he thinks platforms like Patreon, which allows fans to become direct supporters of content they love, is going to be the way of the future for many musicians, even once the coronavirus pandemic has subsided. "I really think it's moving in that direction more and more," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "I think it makes so much sense. I like it. In general, I feel great about it. The parts that are a little troublesome are when you think about a young artist who doesn't necessarily have a following. How do you develop your career? You don't have the record company putting money behind you to build your career. You have to figure out ways to use the Internet to get your music out there. It's very hard, because we're overwhelmed with music and musicians. There's plenty of ways to put your music out there, but are you gonna get it heard? Is it gonna make a difference? Is it gonna make any money? That's the problem. That's challenging. So some of these companies have to figure out ways to help musicians. And obviously, people are working on it, but to help them get noticed and make those mechanisms more streamlined so it gives people the opportunity to have a music career."

He continued: "I would say to somebody, even if they're extremely talented, I'd say, just realize that the chances of making money with this are very, very small — minute — no matter how good you are. So think about how you can make money without having to rely on the music that you're doing to make that money. It's a much safer way to do it. If somebody has a great brain for more than just music, how can you find something that you make money with that you can also have some time so you can be a happy musician and buy the instruments that you want. And not have to rely on, 'I've gotta get a gig playing in a bar somewhere, 'cause I have no money, and I'm scraping pennies off the floor.' It's not bad advice, and I'm sad to have to say it, because I'd like to have people, young [and] old, who make music think that, 'Okay, I'll just do this, and that's gonna be my life.' And that's getting really, really hard."

Last month, Rudess released a new solo album, "A Chapter In Time".

Jordan has been the full-time keyboardist with DREAM THEATER since the recording of 1999's "Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory". Beyond DREAM THEATER, he has released a number of acclaimed solo works and has also blazed a trail in helping to evolve the art and science of keyboard controllers. He created the successful app development company Wizdom Music, which has developed award-winning apps, including MorphWiz, which won the first-ever Billboard award for "Best Music Creation App". Wizdom Music has also built apps for Intel, Microsoft and RIM.

In a new interview with Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show, LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe was asked how being confrontational about social and political issues has painted an inaccurate picture of his personality and temperament. He responded (hear audio below): "I guess some people would think, 'Oh, this guy is super-duper liberal in all aspects,' and that's not true. In some ways, I'm quite conservative. I think change is definitely necessary in so many ways in our society, but I do think, in many ways, with this rampant spread of technology, there's a lot of good values that are being abandoned. Some people would look at that and say, 'Oh, that's stodgy conservatism,' but I don't care.

"I don't define myself as liberal or conservative or Democratic or Republican," he continued. "Just because you speak on a certain issue... And that's a problem in our country today, on both the left and the right, is this knee-jerk reaction, that if you disagree with some sort of issue, because things are so polarized right now, then automatically you're painted as A or B, and that's idiotic; that's simply moronic.

"We're all human beings, and I think people are existing in these echo chambers, particularly 'cause they're isolated lately. They're sitting in these digital echo chambers of negativity, and it's just sort of reinforcing their biases; they're looking for things to just reinforce their opinions.

"As far as an inaccurate view of my personality, I have no idea of what people really view my personality as," Randy added. "I mean, my friends tell me I'm a pretty mellow guy. I don't really care what people think of my personality; it's not my concern. It's really none of my business. My business is to act in a manner in accordance with my moral compass, which I would like to think is empathetic and correctly calibrated."

Last month, LAMB OF GOD issued a three-disc deluxe edition of 2020's critically acclaimed self-titled album featuring the full record with two bonus tracks and a live version of the album, along with a DVD performance of "Lamb Of God". The live CD and DVD portion of the deluxe edition features the first of LAMB OF GOD's two ultra-successful live stream events from September 2020, in which the band performed "Lamb Of God" in full, plus an encore of four songs, including "Ruin", "Contractor", "512" and the debut live performance of "The Death Of Us", a new song the band wrote and recorded in quarantine for the "Bill & Ted Face The Music" movie and soundtrack. The DVD includes a new director's cut with bonus material.

In April 2020, Blythe told Consequence Of Sound that he didn't write the lyrics for band's self-titled album specifically about Trump. "My disdain for him is no secret," Blythe said. "Before he ever got elected, people would ask me in the press, 'What do you think about Trump being president?' And [I would say], 'The man's a fucking idiot, and he's a criminal.' All you have to do is research his real estate dealings in New York City; it's a matter of public fucking record. So it's not like I'm scared to say, 'Oh, fuck Trump,' or something. But I think he's just a symptom of a larger sociological problem."

Alice Cooper told the Arizona Republic that he and his wife, Sheryl, both came down with COVID-19 last December. "We were wiped out," the 73-year-old singer said. "We didn't have to go to the hospital or anything like that. But I lost 15 pounds. I couldn't sleep. I couldn't eat. Now, I'm feeling pretty good. I'm feeling like I'm at least 95%."

After the initial sickness, "every day you feel two percent better," he said. "Then you get a little bit better, the next day a little bit better, until finally, you're going, 'Oh, wait a minute, I feel almost normal now.' But it does take it out of you. I mean, it's like pneumonia. It takes a while to get your sea legs back under you."

Alice has since been fully vaccinated in his hometown of Phoenix, Arizona. He told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about the experience: "I hate shots. I hate needles more than anything else. And I never felt either shot; it was the most painless thing I'd ever felt in my life. And the second shot, 12 hours later, I went, 'Oh, man. This is nothing.' I got the chills for about two hours. I was under blankets for two [hours], and then it was gone. That was it.

"The funny thing about it was I was watching the people getting the shot, and I didn't even see a grimace," he added. "I didn't see even that. And I went, 'How are these people not reacting?' There was an old lady getting a shot, and see didn't even [flinch]. And I said, 'Man, am I that big of a wimp?' [Laughs]"

Alice and his wife got the COVID-19 vaccine through Team Rubicon, a nonprofit organization that pairs military veterans with first responders to help in times of need.

In March 2020, Cooper told Arizona Republic that he felt "less vulnerable" in his house than he does in a different hotel every day. "You don't know who's been there, what they've touched," he explained. "When I was in Europe, I spent all day doing Purell, washing my hands. Every time you would touch something, you'd realize 'Well, how do you know that wasn't infected?'"

As to whether he was concerned about the possibility of contracting COVID-19, Cooper told Arizona Republic at the time: "I'm not scared of this thing. ... But you've got to consider everybody. You never know what the guy next door's health problems are."

Alice's new studio album, "Detroit Stories", was released in February via earMUSIC

August Burns Red have announced Leveler: 10th Anniversary Edition. The band has re-recorded its fourth album, which was originally released on June 21, 2011, with special guests, brand new guitar solos, alternate tunings, and more.

Leveler: 10th Anniversary Edition will be available digitally May 21 via ABR Records. The release will also be available on CD and a variety of colored vinyl directly from the band. Pre-order here. There will be new merch with the pre-order bundles.

Watch the announcement video below:

Fans can expect guest appearances from Matt Heafy of Trivium, who adds a guitar solo and vocals on "Internal Cannon", while Periphery's Misha Mansoor contributes a guitar solo on "Pangaea". Also, vocalist Ryan Kirby of Fit For A King sings on "Poor Millionaire". Listen to the new version of "Poor Millionaire" below.

Leveler: 10th Anniversary Edition was produced, mixed, and mastered by Carson Slovak and Grant McFarland at Atrium Audio. The vinyl was mastered by Will Putney.

ABR will perform Leveler in full, with an encore of songs from 2009's Constellations, during their next livestream on Saturday, May 22 at 8 PM, ET/5 PM, PT. It will be streaming on demand for 48 hours afterwards. The show will feature the largest and most exciting production the band has ever done. Tickets and merch bundles are available here.

"Leveler is a record we've always been proud of, and we wanted to do something special for its ten-year anniversary," says Brubaker. "We've done some cool remix projects for previous albums when they've turned 10, but with Leveler, we decided to kick things up a notch. COVID has kept us off the road for such a long time that we found ourselves with a rare opportunity to take on this unique project."

He continues, "We dove into this record and dissected the songs, rewriting solos, changing the tunings, adding new textures and elements, and got a few of our friends to do some guest spots as well. Our longtime producers Carson Slovak and Grand McFarland handled the recording/mixing and helped us take Leveler to new sonic heights. I think this is the best-sounding ABR record we've ever made, and it's going to allow people to experience the record in a whole new way. I can't wait to share this with everyone."

Tracklisting:

"X"
"Empire"
"Internal Cannon" (feat. Matthew K. Heafy)
"Divisions"
 "Cutting the Ties"
"Pangaea" (feat. Misha "Bulb" Mansoor)
"Carpe Diem"
"40 Nights"
"Salt & Light"
"Poor Millionaire" (feat. Ryan Kirby)
"1/16/2011"
"Boys of Fall"
"Leveler"

"Poor Millionaire" (feat. Ryan Kirby):




window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-rr',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Frontiers Music Srl has announced the signing of one of the hottest newcomers on the metal scene, Sick N' Beautiful, for a multi album deal. Sick N' Beautiful is the ultimate rock n' roll sideshow from outer space: a unique concoction of hard rock and modern metal infused with industrial, punk, and electro-pop overtones, blending in varying influences from across the musical spectrum to create a sound all their own. Intrigued yet?

In their own words: "We are intergalactic nomads, performing our numbers for the enjoyment of all species we meet in our travels. Rumor has it that sometimes we resort to "questionable" means to make ends meet: all we will say is that life in space is never easy. We fly the BFS9000, a ship that has seen better days. Even so, the recent massive engine failure came totally unexpected. With nowhere else left to go, we crash-landed on Earth, in the vicinities of Rome, Italy. Our ship is stuck here until we can get enough resources to fix it and resume our voyage.”

They continue, "Sick N' Beautiful is absolutely thrilled with signing up with the Frontiers label! They truly appreciate the "madness" of what we do, and they have left us with complete creative freedom. We trust that their experience of over 25 years in hard rock and metal will propel our eclectic spaceship farther than ever before... We also thank Oracle Management especially for their unique love and support in helping us to make all of this possible!"

Live, the band puts together a fission-bomb of a show to wow people with tracks from their self-produced albums Hell Over Hell (2015) and Element Of Sex (2018). In just a few months, Sick N' Beautiful managed to rise from playing the tiniest bars in Rome to the huge stages of Lucca Comics and Eutropia. But whether a small club or a gargantuan concert venue, the group is equally at home, and will take no prisoners! Extreme visuals, make-up and costumes, along with bombshell singer Herma keep the audience involved and nailed to the stage, for a performance that is truly one of a kind.

But of course, all the visuals in the world won't work if inventive, intriguing, catchy music isn't there, so make no mistake, Sick N' Beautiful has substance to their visual stimulation. The videos, the recordings, the outfits, the props and effects, the merchandise design... Sick N' Beautiful produce everything themselves in-house, and everything you see is "homemade" with dedication and painstaking attention to detail. Catchy tunes along with an incendiary stage presence have helped to generate a loyal fan base which is absolutely enamored with the storyline and the characters of the band.

Familiarize yourself with these newcomers via the videos below and get ready for the Frontiers' label debut coming in 2022.




window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-rr',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Arizona groove metal squad, Incite, have released a ferocious new single, "Deadbeat", via minusHEAD Records. Pick up your copy here and check out the video below.

Incite frontman Richie Cavalera states: "Metalheads!!! We’ve all had a shit year but it’s time to get fired up! Our new single, 'Deadbeat' is dropping today for 4/20, along with a badass video! Roll up and get ready to burn and shred!!!"

"Deadbeat" is the first recorded music featuring Incite's new guitarist, Eli Santana (Huntress, Holy Grail), who replaced Dru Rome in 2019 and is the first track from the band's forthcoming EP set for release later this year.

Incite have always been road dogs, having perfected their signature brand of extreme sounds playing live with the likes of DevilDriver, Crowbar, Brujeria, Soulfly, Cavalera Conspiracy, and Six Feet Under. This is a band who can open for Gorgoroth one night and Cancer Bats the next, converting those who grew up on Deftones or Immortal. Their last UK headline run happened in January 2020, just before live music was halted across the globe, but expect to see the band back on these shores later this year in the wake of the EP release.

Incite's most recent album, Built To Destroy (2019 via minusHEAD) is a visceral, urgent distillation of modern heavy metal, showcased over 11 straight-up anthems. They blend the New Wave of American Heavy Metal with injections of thrash, Southwestern groove and aggressive catharsis.




window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-rr',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

German/Celtic death metallers, Suidakra, have just finished working on their new album, Wolfbite, which is set for release on June 25 via MDD Records.

Musically, after more than 25 years of band history, Suidakra has succeeded in presenting a mixture of their entire past work with a decidedly fresh breeze, giving the impression that the band has virtually risen from a fountain of youth.

Wolfbite is bursting with power, uncompromisingness and joy of playing, and from the very first note, any scepticism about whether Suidakra still sound like Suidakra as 2021 vanishes. More information about the nine songs on this upcoming masterpiece will be available soon.

A glimpse of the front cover, which as always is the visual realisation of the album concept by Kris Verwimp, can be seen below.




window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-rr',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});