American blackened death metal icons, Pessimist (ft. Kelly McLauchlin of Death, Possessed, I Am Morbid, etc.), will be issuing their first three albums on vinyl for the first time ever. Cult Of The Initiated (1997), Blood For The Gods (1999), and Slaughtering The Faithful (2002) will all contain never-before-heard bonus tracks and other extras as well, such as new layouts and rare, archival band photos.

The release dates are as follows:

Cult Of Initiated - May 14
Blood For The Gods - June 11
Slaughtering The Faithful - July 16

A trailer for the reissues can be seen below.

Founding member and guitarist Kelly Mclaughin comments, "About the reissues, there is so much to say - the albums sound amazing! They have all been remastered, and it's the best they have ever sounded. 'Cult' features completely new artwork, and will be a 25th-Anniversary release. Each reissue includes previously-unreleased bonus tracks, even the song order has been updated. All the reissues feature new layouts, rare and never-before seen band pics from early eras of the band. Some will be surprised to see our newly-revamped Pessimist logo, as well. Everything has been done to make these reissues something really cool and special for the fans, and absolutely the best they can be."

The trilogy is now available for pre-order here.

One of the premiere bands to emerge out of the early Baltimore, MD death metal scene, with their 1993 demo Dark Reality, Pessimist played their first shows opening for national acts Incantation, Deicide, and Malevolent Creation. In 1995, the band self-released the EP Absence of Light on cassette  and landed gigs opening for Testament, Forbidden, Suffocation, and Napalm Death.

In 1997 Pessimist signed to Lost Disciple Records and released their debut CD Cult of the Initiated, which charted on CMJ Top 40 Loud Rock Charts, and received acclaim from around the world. The band continued to play shows in the Mid-Atlantic region, opening for Cryptopsy, Nile, Gorguts, Dying Fetus, Vader, Monstrosity, and festival appearances at Milwaukee Metalfest XII, New England Metal and Hardcore Fest - and the band's first European tour with Fleshless (Cz) in 1999.

Pessimist released their second CD, Blood For The Gods, in 1999, which soared into the CMJ Top 30. Pessimist became recognized for their unique brand of brutal and technical black/death metal, with old-school thrash influences, an emphasis on quality songwriting, powerful live shows and a dark, evil sound.

In 2001, the band traveled to Tampa, FL to record with producer Erik Rutan, for their third CD, Slaughtering The Faithful, which featured a re-vamped lineup and a faster, more extreme musical direction. More shows followed with Morbid Angel, Hate Eternal, Krisiun, Immolation, Cannibal Corpse, Dark Funeral, festival appearances at March Metal Meltdown, New England Metal and Hardcore Fest, and November To Dismember.

Pessimist returned in 2008 with the Evolution Unto Evil CD, a compilation of rare/live demo recordings and tributes to Kreator, Death, Megadeth, and Possessed, which was co-released on Pathos Prod and Deathgasm Recs. This was followed by appearances at New England Deathfest and Hostile City Deathfest. In 2009, the band returned to Europe for their second European tour with label-mates Pandemia (CZ).

In between downtime with the band, founder/guitarist Kelly McLauchlin had also been a member of bands such as Unholy Ghost, Diabolic, filled in live with Angelcorpse, and had later joined Death Metal legends Possessed, touring with the band from 2011-2013.

In 2018, Pessimist returned to the stage at Maryland Deathfest, headlining Las Vegas Deathfest, Rage of Armageddon Fest (NY), and Ruinfest (CA), and in 2019 released a new single, "Keys To The Underworld", which featured studio drummer Kevin Talley (Dying Fetus, Suffocation) and bassist Kelly Conlon (Monstrosity, Death).

Now, in their latest incarnation, the current Pessimist lineup includes founder/guitarist Kelly McLauchlin (I Am Morbid, Possessed, Death, etc.), drummer Pat Shea (Master), new bassist recruit Andrew Bowen (Carnal Necrosis) ,and vocalist Ivan Alison aka "The Evil One" (Black Mass).

(Photo - Ember Lorraine Contreras)




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After recently signing with Napalm Records and Napalm Events, German based melodic death metal unit, Hiraes, is set to drop its first sonic monster with ultimate strength: Their debut offering, Solitary, will be released on June 25.

Hiraes impressively combines the full force of all four instrumentalists formerly of Dawn Of Disease (Lukas Kerk, Oliver Kirchner, Christian Wösten and Mathias Blässe) with the powerful vocals of Britta Görtz (Critical Mess, ex-Cripper) to create an exciting new melodic death emergence. Brutally rising like a thunderous maelstrom comprised of boisterous riffs and blaring, relentless drums, and backed by massive vocals and a chorus that causes goosebumps with its heavy and meaningful lyricism, today, the five-piece has unleashed the furious first single “Under Fire”. Together with a highly explosive official music video, Hiraes is ready to take their monumental sonic attack out into the world.

Hiraes on the new single: “We are more than proud to finally present you our first single. 'Under Fire' is a monumental melodic death metal neckbreaker that combines a mixture of very different elements of our music: from catchy and melodic-melancholic parts to groovy headbang passages and fast up-tempo drumming - there's something for everyone here. Together with the very cool video, 'Under Fire' is guaranteed to blow you away!”

Watch the video for “Under Fire” below.

Hiraes already established its own remarkable identity built upon a smashing femme vocal attack, intense melodies and charging guitars, led by guitarist Lukas Kerk as main songwriter. An atmospheric, instrumental intro introduces the album opener “Shadows Break'', whilst showcasing the impressive vocal onslaught of seasoned frontwoman Britta Görtz shortly after. “Grain Of Sand” sets the next exclamation mark while delivering an unrelenting attack of smashing riffs along with an inexorable vocal performance, followed by standouts such as brutal “1000 Lights”, razor-sharp “Eyes Over Black'' and fast-twitching title-track “Solitary”, proving that Hiraes don’t decelerate for a second.

This massive melodic death metal assault leaves no scope for weakness and serves an exciting take on the genre with hymnlike melodies, enthralling drums and guitar riffing as well as breathtaking hooklines. Topped with the distinctive and versatile performance of Britta Görtz, this powerful new formation and its debut, Solitary, is a must have for fans of bands like Insomnium, At The Gates, Arch Enemy and Amon Amarth.

Hiraes say about the album: “Our debut album Solitary is the result of the collaboration of five musicians who burn with passion for melodic death metal. With its incredible emotional energy, it will captivate fans of the genre in no time. Hymn-like melodies and catchy riffing meet versatile drumming and the very varied growls of our singer Britta. The result is a unique blend of the best that melodic death metal has to offer. Rounded off by stunning sound, refined at Fascination Street Studios under the direction of Jens Bogren, and strong artwork by Costin Chioreanu, we are really more than satisfied with our first album. We can't wait to finally present Solitary to the metal community on June 25, 2021!”

Solitary will be available in the following formats:

- 1 LP Gatefold Silver
- 1 LP Gatefold Black
- 1 CD Jewel Case
- Digital Album

Pre-order here.

Solitary tracklisting:

"Shadows Break"
"Under Fire"
"Grain Of Sand"
"1000 Lights"
"Eyes Over Black"
"Outshine"
"Solitary"
"Strangers"
"Running Out Of Time"

"Under Fire" video:

Hiraes are:

Britta Görtz - vocals
Lukas Kerk - guitars
Oliver Kirchner - guitars
Christian Wösten - bass
Mathias Blässe - drums




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CANNIBAL CORPSE drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz has spoken out against the rise of political correctness in the social media era, saying "everybody seems to be offended by everything" these days.

Mazurkiewicz, whose band has been the subject of much controversy over its horrifically graphic cover art and lyrical content, discussed what some believe is selective censorship of nonviolent free speech during a new interview with Australia's Wall Of Sound.

Asked for his opinion of the so-called "cancel culture," which is the idea that someone, usually a celebrity or a public figure, whose ideas or comments are considered offensive should be boycotted, Paul said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "That's ridiculous. Just like the censorship — that's always been ridiculous to us. I mean, come on, we're a band; we're a fictional horror band. Look at our album covers — they're not real; they're artwork, and it's pretty crazy fantasy art, for the most part. Come on, people, these things can't happen. It's like a horror movie, or a short story, or whatever, or a book for that matter. So it's always been ridiculous to us, stuff like that. And then this cancel culture thing. I just heard about that not that long ago, and I'm, like, 'What's going on here?' Everybody seems to be offended by everything. If it's not 100 percent P.C. [politically correct] these days, then people have a problem with stuff. And it's getting out of hand, I think. So, yeah, it's pretty ridiculous."

Mazurkiewicz is not the first metal musician to speak out against cancel culture. Last week, TWISTED SISTER frontman Dee Snider, who was famously called to testify before the U.S. Senate against the proposition to have warning labels be placed on albums deemed "offensive" to listeners, said that "censorship has changed quite a bit" over the last few decades. "Now censorship still exists, but it's gone from the right more to the left," he told NewsNation's "Banfield". "We're in this P.C. world where we have to be careful about what we say and who we offend, and it's a very odd thing."

Dee previously spoke about political correctness last year when he told Canada's The Metal Voice that a movie like "Blazing Saddles", the 1974 American satirical Western black comedy film directed by Mel Brooks "could not be made today — it literally could not be made, because it would offend too many people."

Republicans have for a long time used the phrase "cancel culture" to criticize the left, even though there's a long list of supposedly left-leaning associates who have been targeted or boycotted by conservatives, including Colin Kaepernick, Nike, Campbell's Soup, THE DIXIE CHICKS and Kathy Griffin.

CANNIBAL CORPSE's new album, "Violence Unimagined", will be released on April 16 via Metal Blade Records.

Mick Jagger today unveils an exciting surprise for his fans worldwide in the form of the instant release of a track titled "Eazy Sleazy". The hard-rocking tune written by THE ROLLING STONES singer in lockdown features Jagger on vocals and guitar in collaboration with FOO FIGHTERS mainman Dave Grohl providing his signature powerhouse drums, guitar and bass too. The song was produced by Jagger's longtime musical collaborator Matt Clifford, who also produced Mick's two 2017 songs, "Gotta Get A Grip" and "England Lost".

The infectious "Eazy Sleazy" is every inch a song of our times, full of caged energy, a rock 'n' roll attitude and tongue in cheek, satirical messaging. Jagger muses about the life we've all been living with deliciously dark sardonic humor. He reflects on a world of "Zoom calls," "home in these prison walls," poncey books, fake applause and too much TV. With optimism and change in sight, he looks forward to the world beyond lockdown and the "garden of earthly delights" that lies beyond.

A performance video for "Eazy Sleazy", produced by Matt Clifford, featuring Jagger at home and Grohl in the FOO FIGHTERS studio, can be seen below.

Regarding how he decided to approach Grohl to work with him on the song, Jagger told Consequence Of Sound: "I thought, 'Who is very experienced in working from home, and I could work from a distance with, and could really get into it?' And I thought Dave would be a great person to do that, as he's such a great drummer. I really wanted some live drums, so that's why I thought Dave would be great on it. I just got him up, and he said, 'I'm going in tomorrow to do it.' I said, 'Okay.' He did bass and some guitar parts, and I had done some guitar parts. So, we did it pretty quickly."

He continued: "I had done the demo, and it was pretty much set the way it was going to be. We worked on the way I'd done the demo. Then I said, 'Just play to that.' So, he did the drums first, and he totally got the vibe of it straight away. He just likes to rock hard. It's what I like. It's to the point where we're not messing around, and it's very incisive. He's a really easy, very enthusiastic guy to work with, so I enjoyed that. It didn't take long. In a couple sessions, it was done."

Dave commented: "It's hard to put into words what recording this song with Sir Mick means to me. It's beyond a dream come true. Just when I thought life couldn't get any crazier… and it's the song of the summer, without a doubt!!"

New York City post-hardcore band QUICKSAND has made its long-awaited return with the new single "Inversion". The track follows the band's successful album from 2017, "Interiors". Thoughtful, driving, and powerful, like the long-lived band itself, the song has an emotional resonance that is only amplified by the events of the past stressed-out, locked-down year.

"The music to 'Inversion' was very squatter punk at first," says frontman Walter Schreifels. "To get something going vocally, I started singing in an English Neil NAUSEA kind of vibe (NAUSEA are a peace/squatter punk band from the lower east side of Manhattan). The lyrics reflect the push and pull of being very connected through technology while at the same time being the most emotionally isolated group of humans to ever walk the planet and fun stuff like that."

Today, the band has launched a colorful video with artwork by Japanese artist Tetsunori Tawaraya animated by Los Angeles-based artist Rob Fidel. Check it out below.

Formed in 1990, QUICKSAND made its full-length debut with "Slip" — a 1993 release praised by The A.V. Club as "a nearly flawless record that combines the irony and heaviness of HELMET with FUGAZI's penchant to dismantle sound in the most energetic ways." Arriving in 1995, their sophomore album, "Manic Compression", appeared at No. 1 on the Top Five Best Post-Hardcore Records list from LA Weekly (which noted that "if there were any justice in the world, QUICKSAND would have been the biggest underground band of the '90s").

Throughout the early '90s, QUICKSAND toured with bands like HELMET, FUGAZI, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and ANTHRAX. After disbanding in late 1995, they reunited for a one-night performance in June 2012. They've since appeared at festivals like FYF Fest and Pukkelpop, and in 2013 embarked on their first North American tour in 15 years. In 2017, the band released their long-awaited third-studio album "Interiors", which saw Consequence Of Sound praise the band for their sound "that nobody else has been able to replicate in all the time they've been gone."

QUICKSAND is frontman/guitarist Walter Schreifels, bassist Sergio Vega and drummer Alan Cage.

SUNBOMB, the project featuring L.A. GUNS' Tracii Guns and STRYPER's Michael Sweet, will release its debut album, "Evil And Divine", on May 14 via Frontiers Music Srl. The official music video for the third single, "Better End", can be seen below.

According to a press release, "Evil And Divine" is "an absolute blinder of a heavy metal album, melding influences of classic metal bands such as BLACK SABBATH and JUDAS PRIEST, with Tracii's love of metal subgenres, specifically doom metal."

Initiated and conceived after Serafino Perugino, president and A&R director of Frontiers Music Srl, reached out to Tracii about working on a new musical project for the label, the idea of a classic heavy metal-sounding album was born. The music style on "Evil And Divine" is much heavier than what one would expect from these two musicians and is firmly planted in the "metal" category. While Tracii wrote the music for the album, the fact that Michael Sweet has been writing/playing in an increasingly heavier style in the latter era, and extremely well-received STRYPER albums made him a very logical choice to sing for the band. And since doom metal, often known for having powerful singers like Messiah Marcolin from CANDLEMASS, was a massive influence on Tracii's songwriting here, Sweet's ability and range were a perfect match.

Tracii told Talking Metal about SUNBOMB: "The greatest thing about Michael and I is that we have the same influences in music, we're great friends, and we have completely opposite ideologies — completely; on every level. And we laugh about it. We are two guys, when put together, we do discuss these things without any judgment. It's just, like, 'Hey, I respect your opinion. Cool.' Whether it's religion, politics — it doesn't matter; we get along.

"It kind of came to be where when we did 'The Devil You Know' record, which is [L.A. GUNS'] last studio album, I wanted to tour with STRYPER," he continued. "Of course I wanted to tour with STRYPER — it's like the 'Heaven And Hell' tour. And Michael wanted to do it too. We couldn't get promoters to okay it. They were just, like, 'Oh, man. C'mon.' It's, like, what happened to the music industry? It's, like, this is fun. This is great. This is literally combining two rock audiences that love the same style of music, but two separate audiences; a great opportunity. So, anyways, we couldn't make it happen. So Michael and I just kept talking. And then I got a solo deal with Frontiers, who L.A. GUNS is on, and STRYPER has done records with Frontiers. And I started writing this stuff that's super metal, man. It's awesome; I totally love this album. And I sent Michael a couple of tunes and said, 'Hey, I want you to sing on this stuff.' I go, 'It's a great opportunity for us to do something together after talking about it for two years.' And he goes, 'Yeah. Totally. This is insane. This music is insane.' And I'm, like, 'All right. Cool.' So, a lot of time went by, and finally I started getting the tracks back from him, with his vocal. And it's mindblowing."

Regarding SUNBOMB's musical direction, Guns said: "I compare it — in my catalog, my personal catalog — to BLACK SABBATH's 'Born Again' album. That album is so different than any other BLACK SABBATH album, yet it's BLACK SABBATH. It's a hundred percent Tony Iommi, but Ian Gillan is singing. That's what this record is like — I hear my riffs and my style times a hundred; it's what I do normally, but extra strength. And Michael's voice is insane, man — he's so good."

Tracii leaked the news of the new project in a March 2019 tweet, where he described the project's debut LP as "the metal record I would have made when I was 17 years old."

Drums on the album were handled by Tracii's old L.A. GUNS bandmate Adam Hamilton, and bass was recorded by Mitch Davis, with the exception of the track "They Fought", which features current L.A. GUNS bassist Johnny Martin.

Michael said: "Hard to believe that I met Tracii for the first time just a few years ago. We hit it off right away and we obviously share the same love for metal.

"Tracii sent me a song and I loved the vibe and then he eventually asked me to sing on the entire album.

"What I love about it is it's definitely different not only for me, but for Tracii as well. I think fans will love this album, and although it's reminiscent of some of the greatest metal bands of the past, it also has a fresh spin to it. I can't wait for everyone to hear it! I'm honored to be a part of it."

"Evil And Divine" track listing:

01. Life

02. Take Me Away

03. Better End

04. No Tomorrows

05. Born To Win

06. Evil And Divine

07. Been Said And Done

08. Stronger Than Before

09. Story Of The Blind

10. World Gone Wrong

11. They Fought

Recording lineup:

Tracii Guns - Guitars

Michael Sweet - Vocals

Adam Hamilton - Drums

Mitch Davis - Bass

Johnny Martin - Bass (on "We Fought")

David Lee Roth has shared a new piece of original artwork featuring what he calls a "true story" about one of his recent bike rides around his hometown of Pasadena, California. Check it out below.

For most of the last year, the VAN HALEN singer has been posting paintings on his Twitter account that reflect the times and channel the mass anxiety around the novel coronavirus.

This is not the first time Roth has shared some of his visual art with the public. Back in 2009, Roth released dozens of his own drawings and artwork, which he called at the time "authentic originals and incompetent imitations." He offered them up as "an official answer to the question 'what do you do in your spare time?'"

According to the Van Halen News Desk, the VAN HALEN frontman always been into art. Throughout his whole life, while touring the world, you could find him doodling on just about anything — setlists, tour riders, female body parts, etc. He was always a major part of the visual side of VAN HALEN, and always tried to make the stage show "look like the music sounds." He designed stage clothes, orchestrated photo shoots, came up with the stage choreography, etc. He also had a hand in designing VAN HALEN's early tourbooks and a few of their t-shirts.

In March 2020, Roth postponed the final six shows of his Las Vegas residency due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Roth performed as the opening act for the February/March 2020 North American leg of KISS's "End Of The Road" farewell tour.

VAN HALEN guitarist Eddie Van Halen died of cancer in October at age 65.

Roth, who performed with VAN HALEN for the last time in 2015, tweeted shortly after Eddie's death: "What a long great trip it's been."




pic.twitter.com/EviE4zdxEM

— David Lee Roth (@DavidLeeRoth) April 12, 2021

Strap in and enjoy a super-slice of what MOTÖRHEAD's forthcoming "Louder Than Noise… Live In Berlin" will be offering, with the single and video for "Rock It". Hailing from the band's sixth studio album (1983's "Another Perfect Day"), "Rock It" combines the drive, balls, roar, groove and bluesy swagger which underscores the core Motörsound, and, combined with the accompanying visceral live footage, courtesy of filmmaker Herwig Meyszner, fans will enjoy a robust re-blast of the live MOTÖRHEAD experience.

Featuring Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister, Phil Campbell and Mikkey Dee, and recorded on December 5, 2012, at the Berlin Velodrom, "Louder Than Noise… Live In Berlin" is a crowning, definitive statement as to the power the trio had long held, with longtime producer Cameron Webb bringing his mixing skills to the party as well as doing a 5.1 mix of the DVD.

Throughout "Louder Than Noise… Live In Berlin", the band's powerful synergy boots its way through the speakers with the boisterous charm and dirty, dangerous, sweaty gusto that was the Kilmister/Campbell/Dee trademark. Highlights include the unapologetically furious "I Know How To Die", a deliciously raucous "Going To Brazil", a rudely raunchy "You Better Run" and a classic one-two haymaker of "Ace Of Spades" and "Overkill". "Louder Than Noise… Live In Berlin" is all about the thick, raw and liberating power of MOTÖRHEAD live!

In so many ways, "Louder Than Noise… Live In Berlin" is a joyous celebration of Lemmy, Phil, Mikkey and this special night in Germany, and whether a collector completist or newbie to MOTÖRHEAD's music, "Louder Than Noise… Live In Berlin" is a welcome reminder of what real rock 'n' roll is truly about. "Louder Than Noise… Live In Berlin" will be available on CD with bonus DVD, double vinyl and via your favored streaming platforms on April 23.

Track listing:

01. I Know How To Die

02. Damage Case

03. Stay Clean

04. Metropolis

05. Over The Top

06. Doctor Rock

07. String Theory

08. The Chase Is Better Than The Catch

09. Rock It

10. You Better Run

11. The One To Sing The Blues

12. Going To Brazil

13. Killed By Death

14. Ace Of Spades

15. Overkill

LIGHT THE TORCH — Howard Jones (vocals), Francesco Artusato (guitar), and Ryan Wombacher (bass) — will release its second full-length album, "You Will Be The Death Of Me", on June 25 via Nuclear Blast.

The band has dropped the video for the first track, "Wilting In The Light", which was directed by Ramon Boutviseth in Los Angeles.

"'You Will Be The Death Of Me' has been a journey — even without the pandemic," says Jones. "This album has been emotional and rewarding in every way, and we couldn't be more excited to finally release it. Maybe there was a bit of desperation writing and recording these songs."

He shares: "Going through personal turmoil and watching Francesco deal with injuries, we knew this could change things drastically for us. The album was a welcome distraction, and we dumped every emotion we had into 'You Will Be The Death Of Me'. To watch Fran heal and become an even more complete artist in front of my eyes has been amazing to watch. Everything we went through individually and together with this album drew Fran, Ryan, and I together. I couldn't be more proud of this album knowing I made it with my family."

Artusato opens up about his experiences, saying: "This record is special to me in a different way. From writing the music during one of the toughest times of my life while dealing with a bad injury due to a car accident to being obsessively involved with every aspect of its production, recording, and creating the artwork. It's hard to describe how I feel, and to finally see this record getting ready to be released."

He continues about the redemptive power of the album, offering: "We are all very satisfied with how this record showcases the evolution of our band and our evolution as individuals. Without our brotherhood, this music could not have happened. Music is what kept us strong together during our toughest times. There's nothing like art that expresses pure and deep emotions, and that's what I feel when I listen to Howard's performance on this record."

Wombacher concurs: "I think this album shows the growth the band has experienced after years on the road together, and a friendship that has continued to thrive doing what we love together."

The guys returned to Sparrow Sound in Glendale, California to once again work with the production team of Josh Gilbert and Joseph McQueen (BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, AS I LAY DYING, SUICIDE SILENCE). This time around, they also welcomed WHITECHAPEL's Alex Rudinger on drums. "He's incredible," says Artusato. "He was exactly what we needed."

Upheld by head-spinning seven-string virtuosity yet anchored to skyscraping melodies, LIGHT THE TORCH crafted 12 metallic anthems, including an unexpected and awesome cover of the '80s hit "Sign Your Name" by R&B singer Terence Trent D'Arby.

"You Will Be The Death Of Me" track listing:

01. More Than Dreaming

02. Let Me Fall Apart

03. End Of The World

04. Wilting In The Light

05. Death Of Me

06. Living With A Ghost

07. Become The Martyr

08. Something Deep Inside

09. I Hate Myself

10. Denying The Sin

11. Come Back To The Quicksand

12. Sign Your Name

The group shot out of the gate as a contender on their full-length debut, "Revival". It bowed at No. 4 on the Billboard U.S. Independent Albums chart and at #10 on the Hard Rock Albums chart in addition to receiving acclaim from Revolver, Outburn, and many more. "Calm Before The Storm" racked up a staggering 14.5 million Spotify streams, while "The Safety of Disbelief" remains one of SiriusXM Octane's all-time most requested songs. They also crisscrossed North America and Europe on tour with the likes of TRIVIUM, AVATAR, IN FLAMES, ICE NINE KILLS, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE and AUGUST BURNS RED, to name a few.

AC/DC singer Brian Johnson continues to share more rare video footage, in which his band Geordie performs on various television programs in the 1970's. Watch below:

Watch more recently released Geordie performance videos below:

Morrow Avon Books will publish the hardcover edition of AC/DC singer Brian Johnson's new autobiography, The Lives Of Brian: AC/DC, Me, And The Making Of Back In Black, on October 26.

Says Brian: "I’ve had some long nights and some great nights, bad days and a lot of good ones. I’ve gone from choirboy to rock ‘n’ roll singer, and now I’ve gone and written a bloody book about it…  The Lives of Brian is coming October 26th."

Pre-order here, and watch a video trailer below:




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Frontiers Music Srl will release the fourth album from TIMO TOLKKI'S AVALON, "The Enigma Birth", on June 18. Again featuring a slew of talented guest vocalists, the album sees the Finnish guitar maestro's skills on display once again. Today, the first single from the album, "Master Of Hell", featuring up-and-coming Brazilian vocalist Raphael Mendes (ICON OF SIN) has been released. Watch the video below.

Over the past year, Timo started working on songs and once again connected with Aldo Lonobile (SECRET SPHERE, ARCHON ANGEL, SWEET OBLIVION) to craft music for a new album. The new record, "The Enigma Birth", as with previous AVALON albums, features an absolutely awesome cast of vocalists, including James LaBrie (DREAM THEATER), Jake E (ex-AMARANTHE, CYRHA), Marina La Torraca (PHANTOM ELITE, EXIT EDEN), Brittney Slayes (UNLEASH THE ARCHERS), Raphael Mendes (ICON OF SIN), Fabio Lione (RHAPSODY, ANGRA, ETERNAL IDOL), Caterina Nix (CHAOS MAGIC) and YouTube vocal star Pellek.

With Lonobile overseeing the production, the main work on "The Enigma Birth" was completed in the winter of 2020. The resulting album is once again everything that you could expect from one of the true masters of the art. You have Tolkki's trademark fast songs with super catchy hooks, outstanding mid-tempo songs, and a couple of great power ballads thrown in the mix for a wonderfully balanced album.

The concept of the AVALON metal opera series was born in the second half of 2012 when the Finnish composer, producer and guitarist Timo Tolkki, one of the true figureheads of the modern power metal genre, decided to move forward with his career post-STRATOVARIUS. He wanted to work on a project which would allow him to express his musical creativity within the classic metal genre, while also pushing boundaries.

The debut album, "The Land Of New Hope", was released in May 2013 and entered the national album charts in seven European countries, including a Top 10 entry in Tolkki's home country, Finland. The album featured performances by numerous internationally acclaimed singers and musicians such as Michael Kiske (HELLOWEEN), Elize Ryd (AMARANTHE), Russell Allen (SYMPHONY X), Sharon Den Adel (WITHIN TEMPTATION), Tony Kakko (SONATA ARCTICA), Alex Holzwarth (RHAPSODY), Jens Johansson (STRATOVARIUS, RAINBOW), and Derek Sherinian (SONS OF APOLLO, ex-DREAM THEATER).

Tolkki soon started the work on a sophomore release, "Angels Of The Apocalypse", which came out approximately one year after the debut. In the second chapter, he reunited the legendary STRATOVARIUS "Dreamspace" lineup, with an amazing vocal cast appearing including Floor Jansen (NIGHTWISH), Simone Simons (EPICA), Fabio Lione (ETERNAL IDOL, RHAPSODY, ANGRA), David DeFeis (VIRGIN STEELE), Zak Stevens (ARCHON ANGEL, SAVATAGE), Elize Ryd (AMARANTHE) and Caterina Nix (CHAOS MAGIC).

Timo spent some time away after the release of the second album, so for the third album, after consultation with Frontiers, it was mutually decided to call in producer Aldo Lonobile to oversee the recording. The newly refreshed TIMO TOLKKI'S AVALON release that followed, "Return To Eden", was a resounding success. It once again featured the trademark sound and melodies from Tolkki in that perfect power metal style. The amazing vocal cast appearing this time includes renowned Dutch singer Anneke Van Giersbergen (ex-THE GATHERING), Zak Stevens (ex-SAVATAGE), Todd Michael Hall (RIOT V), Mariangela Demurtas (TRISTANIA, ARDOURS) and Eduard Hovinga (ex-ELEGY).

Track listing:

01. The Enigma Birth (feat. Pellek)

02. I Just Collapse (feat. Caterina Nix)

03. Memories (feat. Caterina Nix, Brittney Slayes)

04. Master Of Hell (feat. Raphael Mendes)

05. Beautiful Lie (feat. James LaBrie)

06. Truth (feat. Jake E)

07. Another Day (feat. Marina La Torraca)

08. Beauty And War (feat. Raphael Mendes)

09. Dreaming (feat. Fabio Lione)

10. The Fire And The Sinner (feat. Jake E, Brittney Slayes)

11. Time (feat. Marina La Torraca)

12. Without Fear (feat. Fabio Lione)

Lineup:

Timo Tolkki - Guitar

Andrea Arcangeli - Bass

Marco Lazzarini - Drums

Antonio Agate - Keyboards, Orchestra

Additional guitars by Federico Maraucci and Aldo Lonobile

Singers:

Jake E

Marina La Torraca

James LaBrie

Fabio Lione

Raphael Mendes

Caterina Nix

Pellek

Brittney Slayes

ALTER BRIDGE and SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS vocalist Myles Kennedy will release his sophomore solo album, "The Ides Of March", on May 14 via Napalm Records. You can now watch the official animated music video for album opener "Get Along" below.

"Get Along" is a short film based on an idea created by Kennedy and brought to life by director/animator Ollie Jones. Animators Jake Lava and Sam Clark worked with Jones to tell the story of how society is affecting the animal kingdom, depicting a group of animals that live in a forest banding together to fight an increase in pollution in their homes as well as corporate expansion through deforestation as Kennedy sings the poignant lyric, "Why can't we all just get along?" A bear, beavers, deer and even a ninja turtle, among others, band together with the help of a wise owl to protect their land to relay a message that everyone needs to work together for the benefit of a better world.

During his time at home due to all touring being canceled, Myles created the framework for the song ideas that would make up "The Ides Of March". He then called up his cohorts from his "Year Of The Tiger" debut — Uddin and Tournier — and the three musicians drove to Florida to record the album with longtime producer Michael "Elvis" Baskette.

From the slide guitar riffs of "Get Along" to the pensive blues style of closer "Worried Mind", it is clear that Myles has crafted a formidable follow up to his debut solo album. While "Year Of The Tiger" was more of an acoustic exploration through Myles's mind, "The Ides Of March" finds him strapping on his electric guitar and pushing himself as a guitarist/songwriter. Tracks like "A Thousand Words", "Wake Me When It's Over" and "Moonshot" showcase the diverse musical arrangements that have garnered Myles fans globally across all of his projects. The epic "The Ides Of March" clocks in at over seven minutes, and Myles, Tim and Zia showcase their musical chops on the track.

"The Ides Of March" track listing:

01. Get Along

02. A Thousand Words

03. In Stride

04. The Ides Of March

05. Wake Me When It's Over

06. Love Rain Down

07. Tell It Like It Is

08. Moonshot

09. Wanderlust Begins

10. Sifting Through The Fire

11. Worried Mind

In November, Myles told Kylie Olsson about how "The Ides Of March" compares to "Year Of The Tiger": "It dawned on me last night as I was listening [to the new album], I was, like, 'You basically made a rock record.' [Laughs] I don't know if I went into it with that intention initially. And I feel like it definitely is still a continuation of the overall style that was established for the solo project on 'Year Of The Tiger'. There's a fair amount of acoustic instrumentation; there's a lot of lap steel [guitar]. I love the lap steel; I just love the way you can make it weep — it's got a very vocal quality. But then I realized there's just a lot of guitar and a lot more solos — you know, guitar geek stuff that I enjoy."

A month earlier, Kennedy told Terrie Carr of the Morristown, New Jersey radio station 105.5 WDHA that it was a joy to reconnect with Uddin, Tournier and Baskette for the making of the new LP.

"Oh, yeah, it was great," he said. "It was great, because we actually drove [to the studio in Florida]. So Zia, my drummer, who, we've played together for the last 30 years, off and on, since we were in high school. He's, in my opinion, one of the greatest rock and roll drummers alive; he's so good, it's mind-boggling. So we started driving. We left Spokane, with the gear in tow. And then we met Tim about halfway. I think we met somewhere in Tennessee, maybe. Then we after driving to Orlando, we all quarantined. Zia did his drums and then he went home, and then Tim finished up. He hung around for a little while. And then I was there for, I think, seven weeks with Elvis."

He continued: "It's a fun environment. We all love each other dearly. I'm serious when I say this: we're a bunch of middle-aged children. I mean, it's as if we've taken a time machine and we're in the seventh grade. And the humor is ridiculously silly. I don't even know how to articulate how ridiculous it gets when you put all of us in a studio together. [Laughs]"

Myles's tour in support of "Year Of The Tiger" featured music from the album as well as selections from Myles's work with ALTER BRIDGE, THE MAYFIELD FOUR and SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS.

Photo credit: Chuck Brueckmann

Former DEEP PURPLE and current WHITESNAKE singer David Coverdale has sold his Lake Tahoe estate for $6.8 million.

Coverdale put the home on the market in April 2019 for for $9.85 million, but that price came down in April 2020 to $7.65 million, in November 2020 to $7.2 million, and in February 2021 to $6.8 million.

Found in Incline Village, a community on the north shore, the gated residence features high ceilings with exposed beams, wood and stone accents, three fireplaces, four bedrooms and 6.5 bathrooms. The master suite features a step-up spa tub, multiple walk-in closets and a private deck.

"Every day for over 30 years, my family and I have loved and embraced our home," Coverdale said of the property in a statement. "The stunning views from every window, the peace and tranquility, and the privacy…far away from the three-ring circus of the music business, yet a mere hours' flight away from Los Angeles when work calls."

Chase International, which held the listing, posted a video overview of the home on YouTube. Check it out below.

Last October, Coverdale spoke to Darren Paltrowitz about his decision to move out of his longtime home in Incline Village, Nevada and set up base in the Sierra Nevada foothills.

"After having 10 years of degenerative arthritis, after 12 years, or whatever the hell, having a really big house — four floors and absolutely impractical for elevators, at 7,000 feet — instead of fighting for it, as I did in my last divorce, I couldn't do it anymore; I couldn't deal with it," David said. "And it's just beautiful — postcards from God on a daily basis. It's one of the most beautiful alpine lakes in the world. There's no high-rise buildings. You're not allowed to build above tree level. When people would fly in from Los Angeles, they'd be standing on the deck just biting off chunks of fresh air. But, yeah, it's a glorious, glorious place."

Asked what brought him to that area in the first place, the British-born singer, who has lived in America since the mid-1980s, said: "Well, it was tax. I've been a tax exile since I was 21 years old. When the '87 album just started to go batshit, we had a seven-hour meeting in Los Angeles, and they were wooing me to Delaware or Miami. The music business, at that time, of course, was Los Angeles. So I said, 'What the closest place…' And funnily enough, at school, I'd done a school project of the Squaw Valley Winter Olympics. So I had heard of Lake Tahoe, but I was unfamiliar with the geographics of it. And the very first day I woke up — I arrived in the middle of the night. There was no streetlights — it was just pitch black. I think I finished a world tour and had a hive of wasps up my ass about something. And the next day I woke up still kind of pissed and grumpy, making a coffee. And I opened these drapes to this drop-jaw, stunning, gorgeous view, widescreen — just unbelievable. I got my coffee, and I walked down to this boat dock, and I sat there, and I felt like all this rusty armor of all the bullshit and the dramas and the soap operas that go on on tours just drop off and into the water. It was an extraordinary meeting. It was like those Hollywood moments of seeing this woman walking in slo-mo, and you suddenly, your drink's paused, slo-moed halfway to your mouth, and it's love at first sight and time stopped. That was that kind of moment, and it still is."

Early last year, WHITESNAKE was forced to cancel its U.S. tour with SAMMY HAGAR & THE CIRCLE and NIGHT RANGER so that Coverdale could undergo surgery for bilateral inguinal hernia. Eventually, all of the shows were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic which is sweeping the globe.

Coverdale, who turned 69 in September, had both his knees replaced with titanium in 2017 after suffering from degenerative arthritis. He later explained that he was in so much pain with arthritis in his knees that it hampered his ability to perform live.

WHITESNAKE had been touring in support of its latest album, "Flesh & Blood", which was released in May 2019 via Frontiers Music Srl.

Due to the ongoing restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the uncertainty that local authorities will be able to provide a safe environment in which their European fans can thoroughly enjoy shows by September of this year, EVANESCENCE and WITHIN TEMPTATION have unfortunately had to make the decision to push back their highly anticipated co-headline "Worlds Collide" tour to spring 2022.

EVANESCENCE kept busy during the lockdown and released four new singles as well as finishing the recording of their new album — the just-released "The Bitter Truth", which reached No. 1 on iTunes in 22 countries, No. 2 in Germany and No. 4 in the U.K. charts. They are also launching a special graphic anthology series "Echoes From The Void", in collaboration with Heavy Metal Entertainment, which is inspired by "The Bitter Truth" cuts.

In a message to fans, the band said: "Well, guys, we have to push this back one more time. We hate to make you wait longer, but we are absolutely determined to make this tour we've all been looking forward to happening, so check out the new dates. We will be counting the days till we finally get to celebrate all this new music together. In the meantime, stay safe, stay sane, and keep your headbanging to 'The Bitter Truth'! You will have no excuse not to know every word by next spring! We love you!"

Despite not being able to tour, WITHIN TEMPTATION is still moving full speed ahead, having released two singles during the lockdown. "Entertain You" and "The Purge" have exceeded all expectations, both peaking in the Top 20 of the Billboard Mainstream Rock Indicator chart and receiving worldwide airplay. Fans can expect the band to release brand new music soon, and in the meantime can enjoy their vast re-released catalogue on all digital streaming platforms.

WITHIN TEMPTATION says: "This is definitely not what we've wished for, but reality tells us otherwise: we have to postpone the 'Worlds Collide' tour. Although we can't make the current situation better than it is, we hope to put a BIG smile on your faces again soon, because... We haven't been sitting still and we have a LOT of cool stuff coming up for you! Until then, stay safe. And you know what? Third time's a charm, so see you in March or April 2022!"

The two bands will return to the road on March 16, 2022 in Leipzig, Germany. The tour will include dates in Leeds, London, Glasgow and Birmingham in the U.K. and wrap in Zurich, Switzerland on April 15. All existing tickets and VIP packages will remain valid for the rescheduled dates.

2022 tour dates:

Mar. 16 - Germany, Leipzig, Quarterback Immobilien Arena^

Mar. 17 - Germany, Berlin, Velodrom^

Mar. 18 - Poland, Gliwice, Arena Gliwice^

Mar. 20 - Belgium, Brussels, Palais 12^

Mar. 21 - Belgium, Brussels, Palais 12^

Mar. 23 - Germany, Dusseldorf, Mitsubishi Electric Halle^

Mar. 24 - Luxembourg, Esch-Sur-Alzette, Rockhal^

Mar. 26 - Germany, Munich, Olympiahalle^ **

Mar. 28 - Italy, Milan, Mediolanum Forum Milan^

Mar. 30 - France, Paris, Accorhotels Arena^

Apr. 01 - Germany, Hamburg, Barclaycard Arena~

Apr. 04 - UK, Leeds, First Direct Arena~

Apr. 05 - UK, London, The 02~

Apr. 07 - UK, Glasgow, The SSE Hydro Arena~

Apr. 08 - UK, Birmingham, Arena Birmingham~

Apr. 11 - The Netherlands, Amsterdam, Ziggo Dome~

Apr. 12 - The Netherlands, Amsterdam, Ziggo Dome~

Apr. 13 - Germany, Frankfurt, Festhalle~

Apr. 15 - Switzerland, Zurich, Hallenstadion~

** Due to overwhelming demand the Munich show has been upgraded to Olympiahalle. Tickets purchased for the Zenith are still valid.

^ SMASH INTO PIECES support

~ VERIDIA support

The first MEGADETH non-fungible token (NFT) has sold for 8.4 ETH, or roughly $18,000 at purchase. The piece, dubbed "Vic Rattlehead: Genesis", features the MEGADETH logo and the band's iconic mascot revolving in opposite directions for six seconds.

NFTs are a type of digital asset where ownership is recorded on a digital ledger blockchain. Each NFT is unique and can be viewed as a collectible that cannot be duplicated, making them singular and potentially valuable. NFTs can represent digital files, such as art, audio, videos, posters, album art and other forms of creative work.

Most NFTs are a part of the Ethereum blockchain, meaning that they are bought and sold using Ether, a major cryptocurrency.

A recent report by NonFungible.com, an NFT market analyst firm said that: "The non-fungible token (NFT) market tripled in 2020, with the total value of transactions increasing by 299% year on year to more than $250m, according to a new study released by NonFungible.com. Developed with support from foresight business L'Atelier BNP Paribas, the report — the third annual study of the NFT market — finds that NFTs are primed to become a leading emerging asset class for the Virtual Economy in the years ahead, both in terms of their financial value and their practical uses, and a major driver of economic activity in virtual worlds."

MEGADETH is currently putting the finishing touches on the follow-up to 2016's "Dystopia" album.

The early sessions for the LP took place in 2019 with co-producer Chris Rakestraw, who previously worked on "Dystopia".

"Dystopia", whose title track was honored in the "Best Metal Performance" category at the 2017 Grammy Awards, marked Brazilian guitarist Kiko Loureiro's recording debut with MEGADETH.

MEGADETH's current lineup is rounded out by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist David Ellefson and Belgian-born-and-now-Los-Angeles-based drummer Dirk Verbeuren, who had played with SOILWORK for more than a decade before joining MEGADETH.




Bidding for the world’s first #Megadeth #NFT closes at 9pm PT / midnight ET tonight! Get your final bids in NOW at https://t.co/UYluYhpQ8a#CryptoArt #VicRattlehead #NFTCollector pic.twitter.com/ZCnBmuagPj

— Megadeth (@Megadeth) April 12, 2021

Finnish modern melodic death metal band Dimman is set to release their debut album, Songs And Tales of Grievance; on July 30th via Inverse Records. The band’s modern melodeath combines beautiful melodies, heavy compositions and technical musicality into a unique ensemble. In addition to the diverse instrumentation, Dimman’s two vocalists create a distinctive and balanced soundscape.

The band has released thier first single; 'Paroxysm'. The official video is available below.

Guitarist Jaakko Yli-Sorvari : "'Paroxysm' showcases all the elements Dimman is made of. Beautiful melodies, heavy riffing and technical musicianship are all married together forming a catchy soundscape. 'Paroxysm' tells the story of human arrogance and the clouding of one’s judgement.”

The album addresses all the grievances and insecurities that cause misery to both individuals and communities. The incapability to be able to affect the injustices results in frustration, which can be heard from every song on the album.

Tracklist:

"Ambuscade"
"Paroxysm"
"Obscenity"
"Contretemps"
"Morbus"
"Progradation"
"Imprudence"
"Memoria"
"Umbra"
"The Mist"

"Paroxysm"

Photo by Jenna Kohtala




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The Head Cat was founded at the turn of the millenium by Lemmy of Morörhead, Slim Jim from Stray Cats and Danny B. Harvey from the Rockats to play some decent Rockabilly. With Lemmy gone, David Vincent from Morbid Angel (!) took over on bass and lead vocals. In 2017 they showed up at the 28th edition of Wacken Open Air. Check out their set below.

Setlist:

"Good Rockin'"
"Not Fade Away"
"Always In My Way"
"American Beat"
"Rumble in Brighton" (Stray Cats)
"T For Fucking Texas" (Jimmie Rodgers)
"Born To Lose, Live To Win"
"Crossroads"
"Say Mama"
"Rock This Town" (Stray Cats)
"Please Don't Touch" (Johnny Kidd And The Pirates)
"(This Train Is) Going Straight to Hell"

The Head Cat was formed after recording the Elvis Presley tribute album by Swing Cats, A Special Tribute To Elvis in July 1999 to which the future bandmates all contributed. The name of the band was created by combining the names Motörhead, The Stray Cats, and 13 Cats, which resulted in The Head Cat, similar to what Lemmy did in 1980 with Headgirl, a collaboration between Motörhead and Girlschool. In 2006, The Head Cat released their first studio album, Fool's Paradise, which was a re-release of an earlier album titled Lemmy, Slim Jim & Danny B recorded in September 1999. Their second official album, Walk The Walk...Talk The Talk was recorded in June 2010 and eleased in 2011.

Lemmy discussed The Head Cat in a 2007 interview with StayThirstyMedia.com. Following is an excerpt from the chat.

STM: The Head Cat is a reintroduction of real rock n’ roll - simple, stripped down -

Lemmy: "Having fun. Fun for the sake of it. No ulterior motive. No politics. No gender. No fucking around! (laughs)"

STM: Do you think that’s real rock n’ roll?

Lemmy: "Real rock n’ roll is to piss your parents off, basically. I mean, I realize I’m the same age as your grandpa is now but that’s what it’s for. I mean, if your parents like it, you ain’t doing it right. It’s supposed to outrage the civil dignitaries. There’s no particular idea of it, but it’s really about rebelling."

Go to this location for the complete interview.




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Germany's Beyond The Black have issued the following update:

"Pandemic times cause huge challenges, but also encourage new, brave steps. If you know us, you know we’re not the type of band to close our eyes and wait till all of it is over! So we put all of our love and resources (that we’d normally put into a tour right now) into an event that will take an approach on the very core of our music and that will be EPIC!

We proudly present: Origins - The Online Acoustic Experience

The first Beyond The Black acoustic concert ever, performed as an online show! It will feature exclusive new arrangements, an extended band line-up and stunning visual production, not in a classic stage setting, but in a film-like environment. So acoustic means in that case: bringing the full BTB concert energy to your home screens in a way that you’ve never seen before!

Get your TV ready, check your beer stock and prepare your sound system for some acoustic double bass fills: April 16th, 08:30pm (CET), is the day!"

And the follow-up announcement:

"We are so happy about the amazing musical guests for our streaming concert, Origins - The Online Acoustic Experience, that we want to introduce them all to you right away. So, welcome with us:

Fabienne Erni of Eluveitie, Micha Rhein of In Extremo, and of course Ben Metzner from Feuerschwanz and dArtagnan!

Get your ticket bundle for Origins now and join this great event here."




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L.A. Guns guitarist Tracii Guns was the featured guest on the April 13th episode of In The Trenches With Ryan Roxie. During their extensive chat, which can be enjoyed below, Tracii delivered jubilation to all LAG fans with the following brief statement: 

"We have a record coming out in November, and a live record coming out in July."

While answering the question, what is your favorite L.A. Guns guitar solo? Tracii revealed another tidbit about the forthcoming studio album, saying, "Well, the one that's out is on The Devil You Know, it's called 'Another Season In Hell'. It's the best feel; it speaks. But there's one on the new record... the working title for the song was 'Murder Ballad', if that gives you any clue. The song is called 'If It's Over Now', and it won't be out until November - but that's the best solo I've ever recorded and written, and structured and phrased, and made myself cry - and all that crap."

View the entire podcast, and listen to "Another Season In Hell" now:

 

  




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Greek heavy/power metal band, Diviner, have released an official live video for "Evilizer", a song from their 2019 album, Realms Of Time (Ulterium Records). The clip was filmed at the album release show in Athens on November 1, 2019.

Realms Of Time was produced and mixed by Fotis Benardo (SepticFlesh), mastered by Henrik Udd (Powerwolf, Hammerfall, Myrath) and the artwork was created by Jan Yrlund (Battle Beast, Apocalyptica, Korpiklaani).

"Beyond The Border" lyric video:

"The Earth, The Moon, The Sun" lyric video:

"Heaven Falls" video:

Diviner is:

Yiannis Papanikolaou - Vocals
George Maroulees - Guitar
Kostas Fitos - Guitar
Herc Booze - Bass
Fragiskos Samoilis - Drums




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Atlanta hard rock outfit Pistols At Dawn have shared the second heavy-hitting single, “Crown,” from their upcoming debut EP Nocturnal Youth due out May 7.

“‘Crown’ is about observing a majority of the world pursuing detrimental ways of life,” jointly state Pistols At Dawn. “It's about knowing better and seeing leadership continually fail those they lead. Too many in power are acting like foolish kings. ‘Crown’ is a push against apathy and ignorance and refusing to represent those ideologies. The video is a visual representation of the dystopian reality we find ourselves living in, a play on the pursuit of the ‘golden idol,’ and a rejection of the internal and external infrastructure that perpetuates this warped existence.”

The EP was recorded with producer Jeff Tomei (Smashing Pumpkins, Matchbox 20) and mastered by engineer Maor Appelbaum (Faith No More) and features four heavy-hitting electrified tracks that exemplify their uniquely powerful sound.

Tracklisting:

"Voices"
"Crown"
"Now Is The Time"
"Gone Black"

"Crown":

"Voices":

Pistols At Dawn was originally formed in 2015 but disintegrated after the tragic passing of guitarist Mike Buffa in 2018. The band reformed in 2019 with founding members, drummer Adam Jaffe, guitarist Devin White and bassist Billy Sullivan while adding Tommy Richardson on guitars and VH1 Rockstar Supernova finalist Chris Pierson on vocals.

Taking inspiration from universal hard rock acts such as Godsmack, Breaking Benjamin and Disturbed, the quintet headed to Cock The Walk studio in their hometown of Atlanta with Tomei in early 2020 to record three new singles that displayed their heart-pumping, radio-ready sound which they released later that year. 

For further details, visit Pistols At Dawn on Facebook.

(Photo by: Michael Mueller/M3 Creative)




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The Esoteric Antenna label has announced the release of a new CD EP by the legendary Procol Harum.

Missing Persons was completed during lockdown, after founder and lead singer Gary Brooker rediscovered a CD of rough mixes of two studio tracks the band had laid down during a previous session. “They weren’t written last week, neither are they old,” says Gary, but the precise date of the original recordings remains a mystery. With the world locked down Gary and the band revisited these tracks and they now proudly sit alongside the band’s venerable catalogue. 

The title track “Missing Persons (Alive Forever)” is a particularly poignant and emotive song, and a fine example of the musical tradition of Procol Harum. Gary adds: “Keith Reid’s lyrics sound incredibly apt for the time we’re living in, this is the sound of Procol Harum today.” The EP’s other new song “War Is Not Healthy” is also a touching observation of war and its impact on humanity.

Preorder here.

Tracklisting:

“Missing Persons (Alive Forever)”
“War Is Not Healthy”
“Missing Persons (Alive Forever)” (Edited Version)

Procol Harum: 
Gary Brooker (vocals, piano)
Geoff Whitehorn (guitar)
Josh Phillips (organ)
Geoff Dunn (drums)
Matt Pegg (bass)

(Photo by: Deacon Comms)




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What do you get when you combine Jean Claude Van Damme with classic ‘80s metal? You get Bloodsport, a heavy metal tribute to the one and only Belgian martial artist/actor. Their first EP Kumite Attack was released in 2018 and the year’s Lethal Tender is a cut above with tighter drumming, tighter riffing, better vocals, and A+ production. 

All Bloodsport lyrics and themes revolve around Jean-Claude Van Damme's movies in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, specifically focused on his martial arts films. Lethal Tender is inspired by Van Damme’s movie Lionheart. Bloodsport explains the track further:

“We were really wanting to continue with the Bloodsport movie theme because it’s such a hit movie for cult cinema, not to mention it’s Van Damme’s best in terms of action and authenticity! Alas, we decided not to focus too much on one film, as he has close to a dozen good martial arts films from that era, all of them totally awesome in their own way. We feel like our music acts as a second soundtrack to the films! They are completely and respectfully dedicated to the glory of those films.”

Bloodsport prides itself on tons of riffs, complex song structures, and very little repetition; they are highly recommended for fans of early Running Wild, Helloween, and Exciter.

Lethal Tender was released on March 12, 2021 via Nightstrike Records and is available as a limited edition cassette and CD along with a digital download at Bandcamp.

EP artwork was hand-painted by Constance Knight:

Tracklisting:

“Lethal Tender”
“Lion’s Den”

EP stream:




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All-Canadian cover band Toque, featuring Todd Kerns and Brent Fitz - both of whom play in Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy And The Conspirators - along with Cory Churko (Shania Twain) and Shane Gaalaas (Michael Schneker Group), have been busy getting new material together. 

“Toque is working on new music," confirms vocalist / guitarist Todd Kerns, speaking exclusively to BraveWords scribe Aaron Small. "It’s funny, we’ve been writing songs, and as you know, the entire thing was built on, let’s record some Canadian covers. But as it happens, with a bunch of creative guys, we wrote a song called ‘Never Enough For You’, and that was really well received. We’ve written six new songs. We wrote a song with Derry Grehan from Honeymoon Suite, just randomly. We did a Toque Talk with him and it was like, ‘Hey Derry, do you want to write a song?’ We wrote a bunch more and they’re really good, very Toque-ish.”         

Although a release date for new music from Toque has not yet been confirmed, the aforementioned "Never Enough For You" and Toque Talk with Derry Grehan can be enjoyed below.

For all things Toque, visit toquerocks.ca.

 

 




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Portuguese dark metal giants Moonspell, who just released their13th studio album Hermitage through Napalm Records, have just unleashed an epic live video from their recent show at the Pavilhão Rosa Mota - Super Bock Arena - in Porto, Portugal, in December 2020. The band is releasing this clip in celebration of their newly announced UK tour dates with Paradise Lost, taking place in 2022.

As mentioned above, Moonspell have announced that they will join Paradise Lost on their 2022 UK tour. While the world is waiting to see the return of live shows, there is no better way to celebrate a 30th band anniversary as Moonspell will when back on the road next year. Following both of their latest releases, Paradise Lost’s magnum opus Obsidian in May 2020 and Moonspell’s exceptional epos Hermitage, the world will finally see this high class band package bring their masterpieces live on stage in February 2022. Today, the British gothic metal legends announced their "Obsidian Moon" tour, featuring longtime friends Moonspell as special guests.

Paradise Lost frontman Nick Holmes says: "We're looking forward to doing a full UK tour again and playing some long-awaited shows in support of Obsidian, and who better to bring along for some of the ride than our old friends from Portugal, Moonspell? Thanks to you all for your continued support during these crazy times, and we hope to see you there. Until then, stay safe and stay well. Cheers, x!"

Fernando Ribeiro from Moonspell adds: “We couldn’t think of a more perfect way of getting back to touring than to join forces with the mighty Paradise Lost, a group we always looked up to and that helped ignite our very own existence as a band.”

Tickets on-sale Friday, April 16 at 10 AM, BST.

Tour dates:

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

* with Moonspell




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After releasing their latest album, Apoptosis, to critical acclaim in 2019, Allegaeon toured the world in support of it, joining the likes of Obscura, Fallujah, and more on the road, before heading back into writing mode last year. Now, Allegaeon is ready to enter the studio to begin recording this sixth full-length, with Dave Otero (Flatline Audio) at the helm once again.

Allegaeon comments: "Since the cancellation of our US headlining tour in April 2020, we have been hard at work writing a new album and now, one year later, we are ready to get into the studio to record it in preparation for release. Starting April 19th, we'll be spending the following month at Flatline Audio in Denver, Colorado with our long-time engineer and good friend Dave Otero. This album is a milestone in our career as a band for a lot of different reasons, and because of that, we want to share as much of the recording experience with you as possible. We'll be making regular updates to our usual social media accounts, as well as exclusive live-streams and in-studio interviews via our Patreon, so be sure to follow and subscribe wherever you are able."

This upcoming album will also be the first to feature Jeff Saltzman (drums). Allegaeon comments: "We are proud to announce that we will be joined in the studio by drummer Jeff Saltzman (Unflesh, Aversed) for the entirety of the recording process. Jeff's creative input and remarkable skill behind the kit has been an invaluable asset to the band during the writing process of this newest album, and we are overjoyed to bring him into the fold. Watch his unique take on our song 'Extremophiles (B)' in the playthrough video below and give him a warm welcome. Thank you for reading & for all of your continued support as we move forward collectively through 2021 and into a new era of Allegaeon."

This November/December, Allegaeon will be hitting the road with Rivers Of Nihil, Archspire, Black Crown Initiate, and To The Grave for the European "Rising Merch Faces Of Death Tour 2021". Dates and tickets here.




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On June 4, Desaster will release their new album, Churches Without Saints, via Metal Blade Records. For a first preview of Churches Without Saints, a visualizer for the new single, "Learn To Love The Void", can be viewed below.

Since 1989, Germany's Desaster have been churning out their unique and unholy blend of extreme metal, and in 2021 they return with perhaps their most powerful album to-date, the towering Churches Without Saints. "It's a typical Desaster old school black-death-thrash metal album, with a lot of aggression, but also great atmosphere and epic tunes!" enthuses guitarist and founding member Infernal. With a simple remit of making an album full of "neck-breaking songs", the quartet have once again proven themselves leaders in their chosen genres, giving their faithful and newcomers alike plenty to salivate over.

With a five-year gap elapsing since they dropped last album The Oath Of An Iron Ritual, fans have had to be very patient, but will find the results more than worth the wait. This new effort also features Hont taking over behind the kit from previous drummer Tormentor, bringing a welcome change to the way they work. "He's a very skilled drummer and can play really anything. Whereas in the past the songwriting was a lot of 'trial and error' with testing many rhythms, we nowadays can work much more efficiently. Hont knows what rhythms fit to the riffs immediately. He has studied Desaster's music in detail and knows what works best, but he is not just copying Tormentor's style - he brings his own skilled style into the music, and also some new rhythms and figures. That of course brings some fresh wind into the songs."

The record was tracked in the band's rehearsal room and was recorded, mixed and mastered by their live mixer Jan "Janosch" Gensheimer. This led to a very relaxed atmosphere throughout the whole process, having rehearsed a lot prior to recording and also doing a full pre-production demo with their own equipment, meaning they could record very fast and without many mistakes. They did however change things up a little, sonically speaking. "It was a big goal for me to change the sound a bit," says Infernal. "Whereas the last albums had a very harsh sound, where the mid and high frequencies were dominating, I wanted a warmer and smoother sound this time. I always liked the sound of our 'Tyrants of the Netherworld' album from 2000 very much, and the new album is an effort to develop this sound with more details and different instruments. On 'Tyrants', we had the rough mud of deepest hellish caves, now we present you the black lava which is flowing around the throne of Satan himself!" And having achieved everything they set out to, Churches Without Saints definitively starts a new and exciting chapter in one of extreme metal's most consistently thrilling bands.

The record can be pre-ordered here in the following formats:

- digipak-CD
- 180g black vinyl (EU exclusive)
- dark red marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 400 copies)
- gold / black dust vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 250 copies)
- picture disc (EU exclusive - limited to 250 copies)
- clear dark rose marbled vinyl (Van Records exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- clear black smoke vinyl (High Roller Records exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- yellow brown marbled vinyl (Nuclear Blast exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- dark green / red melt vinyl (Kings Road exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- amber marbled vinyl (US exclusive)

Churches Without Saints tracklisting:

"The Grace Of Sin"
"Learn To Love The Void"
"Failing Trinity"
"Exile Is Imminent"
"Churches Without Saints"
"Hellputa"
"Sadistic Salvation"
"Armed Architects Of Annihilation"
"Primordial Obscurity"
"Endless Awakening"
"Aus Asche"

"Learn To Love The Void" visualizer:

Desaster lineup:

Infernal - guitar
Sataniac - vocals
Odin - bass
Hont - drums

(Photo - Diana Mennicke)




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One of the most well-known figures in all of the industrial metal world, Sin Quirin, guitarist and songwriter for the legendary Ministry since 2007 as well as a member of Revolting Cocks, American Head Charge, and a slew of others, is proud to announce his most potent project yet - the venomous 3 Headed Snake.

The band, which consists of Quirin alongside former Ministry drummer Derek S. Abrams, guitarist Diego “Ashes” Ibarra of DevilDriver, vocalist Johnny Ray and bass guitarist D.V. Karloff, previously released an excellent 3-song EP, Wisdom Screams, and blew audiences away at live appearances including the 2019 Bloodstock Open Air Festival.

And now the group has unleashed its newest single, “Tyrants”, a blistering slab of industrial metal mayhem that amps up the energy with a supersonic riff from Quirin’s lightning-fast fingers. The song is accompanied by a compelling and gorgeously shot video that evokes the post-apocalyptic doom of our pandemic ravaged society, and the bold creative acts that have been deployed to fight tyranny of the mind and soul!

As Quirin states, “The song is about tyrants from all walks of life that spring up to take control of people. Specifically in this song, it’s about utilizing a crisis to take control of a situation. Like predators lying in wait for the right situation to come up and ruin people’s lives. The video was shot in a desolate setting in the desert to capture the feel and nature of the song.”

Watch the video below, and stream the single here.




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Sognametal veterans Vreid have released "Into The Mountains", a very special track from their upcoming full length, Wild North West. "Into The Mountains" is a homage to the Sognametal spirit and legacy. The ideas for that track were written in 2002 by Jarle ‘Hváll’ Kvåle and late Winder frontman Terje ‘Valfar’ Bakken. Inspired by these ideas, Hváll wrote the song and included the original demo keyboard tracks from 2002, which were recorded back then by Valfar. The song and its accompanying video, which is the latest chapter of the band's ambitious film project, can be found below.

Vreid songwriter and bass player Jarle Hváll Kvåle comments: "'Into The Mountains' is the essence of Sognametal, a hymn to Sogndal and a celebration of our ancestors and legacy. Late winter 2020 preparing for the new album, I went through my old recording hard discs and I found some old ideas for riffs that I had made in 2002. It was from a session between the 1184 and Likferd albums. I also found some unused keyboard parts recorded by Valfar from the same period.  I could not remember neither of these and became euphoric by rediscovering this. So, I blocked out the outside world, locked myself in the studio, and it instantly send me 20 years back in time. I felt Spellbound working on this song. For a few days it felt like me and Valfar was working together in the studio again, and what a weird and fantastic session this was. The dynamic of working together with Valfar is something that I will always miss, and these strange days was like a time travel into a lost time. The result of this session is 'Into the Mountains,' a song that feels so pure, fresh and vital for us, yet with a great homage to our olden times. Life is a strange curvy road.”

Vreid recently announced their exciting and unique partnership with the Sogndal Football Club. The club has for many years been known for developing and cultivating extraordinary talent, as the men's team currently plays in first division, the second tier of the Norwegian football league system.

Now, Sogndal Football Club is paying tribute to the band that has brought Sognametal to the whole world, by putting the logo of metal veterans and forefathers Vreid on the chest of player’s uniforms for this upcoming season.

The concept of a football club choosing to use the space to pay tribute to local heroes is very unusual, breaking typical partnership traditions, but Sogndal is no ordinary club. The collaboration oozes local patriotism as it champions two of the region’s prime exports – football and metal. In addition, head coach and former professional player Eirik Bakke (Leeds United) has himself played football with members of Vreid, bringing this collaboration full circle.

“Having our logo on the chest on Sogndal football's kit is an honor that is very rare,” Vreid bassist Jarle 'Hvall' Kvåle pridefully exclaims. “This football club has been hammered into our hearts since growing up. This is the club that was our whole childhood and youth, and it is with favorite teams as with favorite bands, it is love for life.”

“That Sogndal Football incorporates Vreid in its value in such a way shows the will, madness, fearlessness and pride that has built this club. Since the 1970s, these pioneers with enormous courage have built a national top club in this beautiful mountain village, and it is wonderful to see that the club is characterized by tenants, staff, players, partners and the public with a passion for the team and their hometown. The eternal underdog who constantly does the unnatural. We are extremely proud to be part of the journey of our childhood friend and Sogndal's legend Eirik. Stao no pao!”

Proud head coach and former Leeds United player Eirik Bakke adds: "Incredible fun that my childhood friends Jarle, Einar and Jørn together with the rest of the gang in Vreid will be presented on our uniform. What they have achieved with their band is just absolutely fantastic. I myself have been out in the big world and played football in front of tens of thousands of supporters, and that they now do the same with their music makes us Sogndøler proud. This year we will go all the way with Vreid on the team. Stao no Pao.”

Vreid recently announced a streaming event for the world premier of their Wild North West movie, on April 29 at 9 PM, CET.

Says the band: "Here its is. Finaly we can present what we been working on the last year. On 29th of April we will premiere our movie "Wild North West" on a streaming event. Below is the link to the official event. Click on the event to attend and you will find all the info on how to see it and support Vreid on April 29th. Spread the word and invite all your friends to this event. Welcome to the Wild North West!"

RSVP here.

Wild North West is a concept album that developed alongside an entire movie. Inspired by both true events and pure imagination, the listener is taken on a whirlwind of a journey, diving deep into themes of war, fear, betrayal, loss, anxiety, and madness with thought-provoking lyrics that embody human nature. It captures the Nordic heart at the core of their sound, taking cues from Norway’s rugged landscape as it ricochets between eternal darkness and the solace of bracing light.

The cover for Wild North West was created by Remi Juliebø (Deformat Design).

Tracklisting:

"Wild North West"
"Wolves At Sea"
"The Morning Red"
"Shadows Of Aurora"
"Spikes Of God"
"Dazed And Reduced"
"Into The Mountains"
"Shadowland"

"Spikes Of God" video:

"The Morning Red" video:

"Wild North West" video:

Trailer:

From its tumultuous inception, the Norwegian metal scene has always been about pioneering. While embracing the illustrious black metal history as part of their musical heritage, the many iconic bands have now evolved in various directions. Leading the black ‘n roll movement in Norway, Vreid are the perfect example of that. The band arose in 2004 from the ashes of Winder after the tragic perishing of Terje ‘Valfar’ Bakken. The Sognametal legends declared the mission of exploring new musical paths, which they have pushed to even greater heights on their new record Wild North West.

The ninth record is not just a collection of songs, but a concept album that developed alongside an entire movie. Throughout eight chapters you will be taken on a journey deep into the mountains, to a dark place where the borders between reality and fantasy fade and where death is only one step behind you: The Wild North West. Not just in sheer size of the project but also in terms of music videography, creativity, and determination, Vreid have done something truly unique and lifted their art to a new dimension.

On the concept, founder and bass player Jarle Hváll Kvåle states: "Wild North West is a concept story about life itself and its eternal shadow: death. It is built around the world of our fictional character E, but it is surely inspired by my own life, my band’s life, historical events and many tales that have inspired me over the years. Is it a true story or fictional? I would have to say both, and sometimes is hard tell the difference.”

Wild North West features the most extreme and intense work of the band to date, as well as heavy and melodic rock songs. These influences have always been a part of Vreid’s DNA, and it is this combination that makes up the spirit of Sognametal.  A remarkable homage to that same musical spirit is the song “Into the Mountains”. The ideas for that track were written in 2002 by Jarle ‘Hváll’ Kvåle and Terje ‘Valfar’ Bakken (Winder). Inspired by these ideas, Hváll wrote the song and included the original demo keyboard tracks from 2002, recorded back then by Valfar.

Vreid have always chosen a course of constant evolution that is marked by thematically denoted phases regarding their often historically inspired lyrics. This became particularly clear with albums ‘I Krig’ (2007) and ‘Milorg’ (2009), which both revolved around concepts dealing with resistance and liberation of Norway during World War II. With their following three records, the pitch black brigade returned to their Norse roots on ‘Sólverv’ which received high critical acclaim in 2015.

In 2018, the Norwegians teamed up with Season of Mist for their previous full-length ‘Lifehunger’, a record that successfully blended elements of 70’s rock, 80’s classic metal, and Norwegian black metal and which featured a remarkable guest contribution from Solstafir’s vocalist Addi Tryggvason on the track “Hello Darkness”.

Vreid have hammered out their success partly by being a heavily touring band. The four-piece performed more than 500 shows in 25 countries so far. Their everlasting march to conquer new territories has led the Norwegians to headline tours in Europe, North America, Japan, and India.

The band’s onward march did not come to a halt in 2020, a year that will go down as devastating for the international music scene. Vreid launched their own beer, which turned out to be the biggest success of the Balder Brewery as the first batches were sold out immediately. Instead of waiting to be able to tour again, the Norwegians invited the fans to their home region and hosted a massive streaming concert among the beautiful mountainous surroundings of the Sognefjord. The concert, ‘Into the Mountains of Sognametal’ took place in June 2020 was viewed by over 140.000 people from more than 40 countries.

In 2021, Vreid will once more invite the fans to their dark, cold, and wild universe but tread carefully as from these haunted mountains, no man can descend.

Welcome to the Wild North West.




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Frontiers Music Srl announces the signing of Swedish AOR band, Houston, for a multi-album deal. The band is hard at work recording their yet-untitled fourth studio album under the direction of former member and AOR guru Ricky Delin, who will co-write and produce the new album.

“It feels good to have Ricky back behind the wheel on this album. He is an incredible songwriter and we all know the great work he’s done on our previous albums. This will be the Houston album above all others,” says singer Hank Erix.

“We’re truly excited about the new music that we’re working on. We knew right from the start that we wanted to go back to our roots and make a classic AOR sounding album again. After all, this was the sound that put us on the map in the first place and what we do best. Sonically, the new record will be the more refined sibling to our first two albums. We’ve had a decade to grow as songwriters, musicians, and most importantly as a band and I think this really shows,” adds Carl Hammar, the band’s guitarist.

"This album and the songs are one big homage to our favourite AOR heroes such as Survivor, Foreigner and Journey, but also influences from John O´Banion, Meatloaf, John Farnham, and many more. We wanted to make a great AOR album and make it big, fresh, and truly bombastic. And if you want to make a bombastic AOR album, Ricky Delin is the go to producer. Ricky, who played a big part in creating the Houston sound on our first albums, was as excited as us about the idea of working together again and jumped at the opportunity,” continues Carl.

Houston released their self-titled debut album in 2010 and landed at number one on Classic Rock Magazine’s AOR chart that year, beating out some stiff competition. The band then went on to play the festival circuit with appearances at Sweden Rock, Download Festival (UK), and Rock of Ages (Germany), as well as touring the UK with Swedish sleaze rockers Crashdïet. Houston’s second album, Relaunch, featured a cover song called "Runaway" that became the soundtrack to Red Bull’s own Danny MacAskill’s Extreme BMX video ‘Imaginate’ which has almost 100 million views on YouTube and over 1.3 million plays on Spotify and counting.

"It feels great to be part of the Frontiers family, to work with a label that shares our taste in music and has the muscle to get it out to the masses. Needless to say, many (if not most) of our heros are signed to Frontiers so they are definitely doing something right. Houston and Frontiers deserve each other!” concludes Hank.

Fans can look forward to another classic AOR masterpiece in the making with a release pencilled in for the end of 2021/early 2022.




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