In a new interview with Rockin' Metal Revival, Tony Iommi reflected on his time recording and touring with Ronnie James Dio as his bandmate in both BLACK SABBATH and HEAVEN & HELL. The guitarist said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "The last tour we did with Ronnie was real precious, and we had such a great time. And we really bonded. The last generation of the period with Ronnie was really close — everybody was close. Yeah, Ronnie was such a really nice person.

"What I liked about Ronnie [is] he gave everybody time," Tony continued. "It was just remarkable. Before the show, he'd have people in his dressing room — 'cause we'd have separate dressing rooms — he'd have people in there talking away and drinking and whatever. And he never warmed up or anything; he'd never done any kind of warming-up procedure before he went on stage. And he'd walk on stage and he'd just [sound] unbelievable; his voice was spot-on. It was just amazing, really, how he could do that.

"He was a really nice, caring character. He'd call me up — even just before he passed, he was on the phone to me, calling me from the hospital.

"It was very sad, really, [when he died]," Iommi added. "But he thought a lot of everybody — he really did. And he loved his fans."

Dio replaced Ozzy Osbourne in BLACK SABBATH in 1980, recording the "Heaven And Hell" and "Mob Rules" albums, plus "Live Evil", before leaving in 1982. He rejoined the group 10 years later for an album called "Dehumanizer", and again teamed with the group under the HEAVEN & HELL banner in 2006. HEAVEN & HELL released an album called "The Devil You Know" in 2009.

Ronnie passed away of stomach cancer on May 16, 2010 at the age of 67.

Dio was renowned throughout the world as one of the greatest and most influential vocalists in heavy metal history. The singer was diagnosed with cancer in late 2009. He underwent chemotherapy and made what is now his final public appearance in April 2010 at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards in Los Angeles.

Ronnie's long-awaited autobiography, titled "Rainbow In The Dark: The Autobiography", will be released on July 27 via Permuted Press.

Iommi is currently promoting the upcoming deluxe editions of BLACK SABBATH's "Heaven And Hell" and "Mob Rules" albums.

Listen to "Tony-Iommi-Interview2021" on Spreaker.

Harley-Davidson and Bravado, Universal Music Group's merchandise and brand management company, have announced the launch of a special collection in collaboration with the iconic rock band AEROSMITH. Available now, the limited-edition line of men's and women's apparel will be sold at Harley-Davidson dealerships around the world and on Harley-Davidson.com.

"We're thrilled to be partnering up with Harley-Davidson on this capsule. They're an American institution and share an authenticity and effortless style that encapsulates what AEROSMITH is all about. We're excited to get the collection in the hands of the fans," said Joe Perry, lead guitarist for AEROSMITH.

The collection features iconic artwork collaborations from both AEROSMITH and Harley-Davidson to create truly unique and one-of-a-kind designs. The offering will include 17 total styles and is made up of six distinct graphic capsules:

* Burnout is inspired by the art of AEROSMITH's eponymous album and features vintage imagery to showcase and highlight the beginnings of these two renowned American brands.

* Dream On is named for the breakout song on the band's debut studio album, "Dream On". It illustrates the enduring influence that both AEROSMITH and Harley-Davidson have established worldwide.

* Pump utilizes both AEROSMITH's and Harley-Davidson's most recognizable logos to create an iconic and a collaborative design, joining the two brands with the wings of freedom.

* Aero Force One is titled as an ode to the AEROSMITH's devoted fan base and was designed as an emblem showcasing the alliance of these two American powerhouse legends.

* Toxic Twins is a graphic riff on the nickname for the band's songwriting duo and a further reference to the AEROSMITH and Harley-Davidson partnership. This design features both logos encased with snakes meant to represent the strength and spirit of both renowned brands.

* Draw The Line takes the art from AEROSMITH's album of the same name and infuses the tire tread and exhaust pipes of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle to represent the thunderous energy that ties rock and roll music and motorcycles together.

This limited and legendary collection features men's and women's graphic T-shirts, long-sleeve shirts, sweatshirts, and tank tops.

Find a dealer using Harley-Davidson's dealer locator at www.h-d.com/dealerlocator.

AEROSMITH is one of the best-selling American rock bands of all-time, having sold over 150 million albums worldwide and been inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. With 25 gold albums, 18 platinum albums, and 12 multi-platinum albums, they hold the record for the most total certifications by an American band and are tied for the most multi-platinum albums by an American band. The band has scored 21 Top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including nine No. 1 Mainstream Rock hits. They are the recipients of countless awards including four Grammys, six American Music Awards, four Billboard Awards, 10 MTV Video Music Awards and the MusiCares Person Of The Year, among many other honors. Proving that they can cross genre-boundaries with ease, these rock legends have even taken home a Soul Train Award for "Best Rap Single" for their remix of RUN-DMC's "Walk This Way".

THE OFFSPRING has launched the "How To: With The Offspring" video series in which singer Bryan "Dexter" Holland and guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman share with their fans "a vast amount of useless knowledge" that they've accumulated over the years. The first episode, in which Dexter teaches you how to ride the waves like a pro, can be seen below.

Said Holland: "See, we've accumulated a certain amount of useless knowledge over the years about stuff we'd like to share with you. Let's just say that in these videos, we're gonna show you how to do a bunch of stuff that, well, you don't really know how to do."

THE OFFSPRING's tenth studio album, "Let The Bad Times Roll", will arrive on April 16 via Concord Records. The follow-up to 2012's "Days Go By" was produced by Bob Rock, who also worked on the band's last two LPs.

Holland, Wasserman, drummer Pete Parada and new bassist Todd Morse wrote and recorded "Let The Bad Times Roll" in the last few years at various locations, including the band's studio in Huntington Beach, California.

Speaking about the inspiration for the "Let The Bad Times Roll" album title, Dexter told HardDrive Radio: "We had a song two albums ago [on 2008's 'Rise And Fall, Rage And Grace'] called 'Shit Is Fucked Up'. We wrote that 'cause we thought how terrible things were in the world back then. But it actually got worse. So we had to come up with a new title, 'Let The Bad Times Roll'.

"You can apply it to a lot of things," he explained. "I mean, we're not a political band. Some people would apply it to the last administration. Some people would apply it to things that are going on today, or just how messed up everything is, trying to fix our pandemic and all that kind of stuff."

Added Noodles: "But really, it's not just an American-centric thing either, cause you're seeing stuff happening around the world. There's unrest happening literally everywhere — on all continents. You're seeing unrest, and then you're also seeing anti-democratic forces kind of taking power in some places, in which case causes more unrest. So, yeah, the whole world is a little bit of a scary place right now."

Dexter continued: "That's right. Climate change, climate deniers, vaccine, anti-vaxxers — whatever you want, it's out there."






Introducing the HOW TO: WITH THE OFFSPRING Video series!

Over the years we've accumulated a vast amount of useless knowledge that we'd like to share with you! Get ready to learn about a whole bunch of stuff that you'll probably never really need to know. pic.twitter.com/tAHM3cohZ1

— The Offspring (@offspring) March 31, 2021

During an appearance on the latest episode of the "Lipps Service With Scott Lipps" podcast, Myles Kennedy was asked if ALTER BRIDGE is working on material for the follow-up to 2019's "Walk The Sky" album. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We are not yet. I think everybody's kind of hunkered down in their own solo project. I know Mark Tremonti [guitar] is in that world right now. Obviously, I've got [my second solo album coming out]. So I would say we'll start thinking about that more towards the end of the year, early next year. Speaking for myself as a writer, I need to refill the creative well. Having done the ALTER BRIDGE record, and then the second solo record, I need to get those creative juices built back up again."

Kennedy also once again confirmed that SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS are putting together ideas for a new album. "The back-and-forth process has been going on now for months," he said. "So, lots of stuff in the works there. And we'll just see what happens as far as a release and all that. Obviously, these are crazy times with the COVID."

ALTER BRIDGE released a seven-song EP, "Walk The Sky 2.0", last November via Napalm Records. The effort contains live versions of a few of the band's favorites from "Walk The Sky" — "Wouldn't You Rather", "Pay No Mind", "Native Son", "Godspeed", "In The Deep" and "Dying Light" — as well as one new studio track, "Last Rites", which was written, recorded and completed entirely during the COVID-19 lockdown.

"Walk The Sky" was released in October 2019 via Napalm Records.

Myles will release his sophomore solo album, "The Ides Of March", on May 14 via Napalm Records. Myles created the framework for the song ideas that would make up LP before calling up his cohorts from his "Year Of The Tiger" debut — longtime friend and drummer Zia Uddin and bassist/manager Tim Tournier. The three musicians then drove to Florida to record the album with longtime producer Michael "Elvis" Baskette.

Robert Plant says that PINK FLOYD's "quick one-off" show at Live 8 in 2005 was an inspiration for LED ZEPPELIN's final concert two years later.

LED ZEPPELIN's December 10, 2007 performance during the Ahmet Ertegun tribute concert was chronicled on the band's 2012 "Celebration Day" CD and DVD. The set, which featured Jason Bonham subbing for his late father John Bonham on drums, marked Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones's first full-scale show together since John Bonham's 1980 death.

Speaking in the "My Guide To Life" feature in Issue 14 of Planet Rock magazine, Plant explained that ZEPPELIN's O2 concert had parallels to the last time David Gilmour, Nick Mason, Roger Waters and Richard Wright took the stage together.

"I liked what FLOYD did at Live 8 — a quick one-off and let's leave it at that. They did it for a good cause," Plant said. "It's was the same when ZEPPELIN did the charity show for Ahmet. We had a prolonged affinity with Ahmet, so if there was ever a reason for [a reunion] to happen, that was it. But the idea of doing it next summer and the summer after that and so on is enough to break me out in hives."

Two years ago, Plant told Rolling Stone magazine that the 2007 concert "was magnificent. We hit a home run that night, which is something that we were really fearful of. There was probably more riding on that than we would care to believe.

"Our performance was crucial, but we could reproduce sound in a much more reliable way, so we could be kickass, and sound kickass," he added. "Some of those horrific gigs way back were lacking in quality."

After the the O2 Arena concert, Page and Jones were looking for a way to keep working and tried out several singers, including AEROSMITH's Steven Tyler and ALTER BRIDGE's Myles Kennedy.

The option for a three-quarter ZEPPELIN reunion ended when Jones accepted an offer to form THEM CROOKED VULTURES with Dave Grohl and Josh Homme. Page later said: "I guess that was a pretty definitive statement."

Page said "the LED ZEPPELIN question" is never far from people's lips, joking, "People ask me nearly every day about a possible reunion. The answer is 'no.' It's been [more than a decade] since the O2. There's always a possibility that they can exhume me and put me onstage in a coffin and play a tape."

Drummer Kjetil-Vidar "Frost" Haraldstad of Norwegian black metallers SATYRICON spoke to Hayley Leggs at last weekend's Hellfest in France about the band's decision to stop performing live in the U.S. "We're not gonna have any more ordinary club tours happening," he said (see video below). "It's ridiculous the amount of bureaucratic work involved. What you have to document as a European band going to the U.S. now is beyond rational. It seems like American authorities try to prevent European bands from going to the U.S. It's like they say, 'Hire American musicians. Have the vocalist over and hire the rest of the band.' It's just weird; I cannot find a better word for it. And nobody I've been talking to — even Americans themselves — understands the very, very problematic process. You have to work for an entire year to plan for a four-week tour to happen, and you don't even know whether you can actually make it and get the paperwork done in time etc. etc. So it takes the fun out of touring, really."

According to Frost, the decision to no longer visit the U.S. as a headlining act was the logical resolution to what had become an all-consuming issue.

"The way we have experienced this, that's the only conclusion that we can draw," he said. "I mean, just thinking about starting a process like that again makes you want to just stop touring, and that's not how it should be. There should be some fun as well — it should be about the music. We still like that, but when more than 99 percent of what you do is just bureaucratic work, then it's just very, very crappy, the whole thing. But it was cool touring there; I'm glad that we got to do this [most recent U.S.] tour… It's still cool to play there, and shows like those that we had in Los Angeles and New York, and Montreal in Canada as well, [they were] just fantastic. And generally, I have to say, everywhere where we went, we got a very, very good reception… We have become very accustomed to great crowds, but still, it was beating expectations, I have to say."

Frost's latest comments echo those made by his bandmate, frontman Sigurd "Satyr" Wongraven, who told Loudwire that SATYRICON's absence from the U.S. shores is not due to the fact "black metal is not big and important like it is in Europe. It's not because flights are too expensive," he explained. "They say that we're not even going to look at [the visas] unless you have a contract saying you are indeed playing there. Then when we go back and say, 'How can we sign a contract with someone if we don't even know if you're going to give us the permits to perform?' Then they tell you that is your problem, not [theirs]. You just have to book the tour and hope everything goes well or else there will be no tour at all."

Satyr didn't completely rule out future SATYRICON live appearances in the U.S. "If some band wants to bring us over there and there's machinery in the future willing to pay for all of this to be organized on our behalf, sure, I'm happy to come back and tour the U.S.," he said. "It is highly unlikely for that to ever happen. Secondly, no one has ever offered me something like that — I really wholeheartedly think that this [most recent tour] will be it."

According to Vulture, a B-1 or B-2 visitor visa is sometimes used by musicians who enter the country to perform — they're technically classified as tourists, and they cannot be paid, whether or not tickets are sold for their concerts. However, border-patrol agents are seemingly eschewing those acquired visas, even for one-off promotional appearances, and seeking P-1 or P-2 visas instead, which is a performance visa most commonly used by musicians coming into the country.

For the entertainment group and its members to qualify for the P-1 visa, at least 75 percent of the members of the group must have had a substantial and sustained relationship with the group for at least one year. Also, the entertainment group must be internationally recognized, meaning, it must have a high level of achievement evidenced by a degree of skill and recognition substantially above what is ordinarily encountered. The reputation of the group, not the individual achievements of its members, must be internationally recognized.

In a recent interview with Uncle Steve's Iron Maiden Zone, former IRON MAIDEN singer Blaze Bayley was asked if he would ever consider touring with the band again if he was approached about it. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, the first is they have to ask. But it's a thing that I think would be really fun for the fans. I mean, Bruce [Dickinson, MAIDEN's current singer] is just a heroic singer to me. I've always loved his voice. He's a fantastic singer. He's brilliant. He's a fantastic performer. He is the top in the world at what he does. So it's incredible.

"I think it would be really for fans if you had Paul [Di'Anno, former MAIDEN singer], Blaze and Bruce [all performing with MAIDEN in one night]," he continued. "I think it would be fun. Not really serious, but we all sing a couple of key songs from [each] era, and then Bruce closes the show. I just think it would be fun. But I think you'd need a lot of security because there'd be some people who still hate me — they still hate me — and they're gonna be going, 'All right, rubbish compared to Bruce.' And then there are people that love me, and they're gonna be going, 'Shut up!' So there might be some fights breaking out; you just don't know. But I think it would be funny, man. I can imagine the conversations in the bar that the fans would have: 'Who do you think is better?'

"I think it would be fun, but I think IRON MAIDEN have got a lot of great music [left in them]," Blaze added. "I spoke to Steve [Harris, MAIDEN founder and leader] last month. I think they've got a lot of great music. Steve's as fired up as he ever has been. So there's a lot of great music for them to do.

"I think somewhere in the future, it would be a really fun idea. I don't think it will happen — I don't think it will ever happen — but I think it would be fun if it did."

The 57-year-old Bayley, who was born in Birmingham, was the original frontman in WOLFSBANE, but left to join MAIDEN, with whom he recorded two studio albums — 1995's "The X Factor" 1998's and "Virtual XI" — before Dickinson returned to the group. The MAIDEN albums he appeared on sold considerably less than the band's prior releases and were their lowest-charting titles in the group's home country since 1981's "Killers".

Since leaving IRON MAIDEN in 1999, Bayley has released a number of albums, including several under the moniker BLAZE and more than a handful under his own name. He also appeared on 2012's "Wolfsbane Saves The World", the first album of new material by WOLFSBANE since the group's self-titled 1994 effort.

Blaze will release a new studio album, "War Within Me", on April 9. All songs were written and produced by Blaze and guitarist Christopher Appleton.

In the latest issue of Rock Candy magazine, editor Howard Johnson interviews the man who almost replaced legendary AC/DC frontman Bon Scott after the singer's untimely death in 1980.

Steve Burton was an unknown vocalist in Birmingham, England, earning a living working as a roadie for a number of bands, including JUDAS PRIEST. Two roadie friends from Birmingham, Terry Lee and Keith Evans, were working for AC/DC — Terry as lighting director and Keith as Angus Young's guitar tech. When Bon died on February 19, 1980, both suggested "Burtie" for the vacant vocalist's slot.

"I went down to London to audition for the band," Burtie confirms in the Rock Candy interview. "I got along fine with everyone and thought I did well, but for whatever reason, I didn't get the gig, and it went to Brian Johnson, of course. But I must have made an impression on the band, because soon afterwards I got a call asking if I'd be interested in working with Angus and Malcolm Young's nephew, Stevie. He was putting a new band together in Birmingham and Malcolm had told him he should get hold of me."

Stevie and Burtie ended up forming STARFIGHTERS, and within three months, the band was offered the support slot on the U.K. leg of AC/DC's "Back In Black" tour. Malcolm was so impressed with the group that he ended up working with STARFIGHTERS on a demo that led to the band signing to Jive Records.

"We played the last show of the tour at the Victoria Apollo Theatre in London," recalls Burtie. "And as soon as AC/DC had finished their set, Malcolm came off stage, toweled himself down, threw his jacket on and jumped in the minibus with us. We went straight to Morgan Studios in Willesden and from 11 o'clock at night until nine the next morning, we recorded, with Malcolm helping us out. We did two songs, 'Alley Cat Blues' and 'Rock 'Em Dead', and those two songs got us signed to Jive."

STARFIGHTERS recorded two albums for Jive, "Starfighters" in 1981 and "In-Flight Movie" in 1982, but success proved elusive and the group soon split.

"I'd given up everything for the band," says Burtie. "Because you know how it is. You're on your way to stardom, you're going to settle in America, all that stuff. I ended up working in my mate's caff in Birmingham for two years flipping burgers." The singer isn't bitter, though, despite his former bandmate Stevie Young having gone on to replace Malcolm in AC/DC back in 2014.

"I've never been jealous of anyone's success," says Burtie. "Whatever happens in life you've got to carry on, whether it be playing in a band or shoveling shit all day."

Read this, and many other fascinating stories — including how Ronnie James Dio nearly joined glam rock band SWEET — in issue 25 of Rock Candy.

Rock Candy is a 100-page, full-color bi-monthly rock mag, created in the U.K. It covers the sights, sounds and smells from the greatest era in hard rock music, the '70s and '80s. Put together by respected U.K. rock journalists Derek Oliver, Howard Johnson and Malcolm Dome — all frontline writers for the legendary Kerrang! magazine in the golden era — Rock Candy is available in print format with a free digital download version for anyone who buys the mag online at www.rockcandymag.com.

Irish metal band For Ruin have released their digital-only four track EP, Relapse, on Spotify, Apple Music, Bandcamp, and all other common streaming platforms. The first digital single from the EP, "In Vain", was released on March 17th. All EP tracks are available for streaming below via the band’s YouTube channel.

Founding member John Murphy reignited the band’s spark over the past 2-3 years, writing a wide range of new material. On completion of a home studio renovation, he began to refine and record songs intended for For Ruin as well the doom metal band he is active in, The Grief (whose debut EP’s and full-length were both released in 2020).

Eight For Ruin songs were recorded and performed by Murphy at The Barn and the first of which was the Elapse EP - this second EP Relapse completes the release of the eight songs marking the return of the band to creativity.

The eight songs have been mastered by Marko Tervonen (The Crown) during August 2020 at Studio-MT, in Sweden.  Artwork for both EP’s comes from Ken Coleman (Morbid Angel, The Cranberries).

Tracklisting:

“Devout”
“Only The Dead”
“In Vain”
“Bastion”




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Glasgow, UK based rock band Mason Hill has released the official music video for their blistering single, "D.N.A.". Directed and produced by David Barras and Scott McKay for Strangeboat Productions, "D.N.A." is the third single off the band's chart dominating debut album, Against The Wall.

Released on March 5th, Against The Wall landed at #19 on the UK national album chart, and reached over 750,000 streams on Spotify. Against The Wall also hit #1 in the UK rock album chart, marking the first time a rock band has debuted with their album in the UK Top 20 since Greta Van Fleet in 2018. Also, the first time a British rock act has debuted with their album in the UK Top 20 and # 1 in the UK rock album chart since Royal Blood and Lonely The Brave back in 2014.

It's an incredible achievement for a new British rock band, starting from an almost zero sales base, and during a pandemic when there has been no traditional retail, no live shows or touring opportunities. 

“Our fans have been so supportive and to have a top 20 national album on our first release is mind blowing. We are extremely humbled at the reception Against The Wall has received and needless to say, it has been an extremely bright light for us during this long Covid tunnel. It has made us even more hungry to get back out and play live again. Everyone is itching to crank up the volume and blast out the new material.” - (Scott Taylor - vocals)

Tracklisting:

"Reborn" 
"No Regret" 
"Against The Wall" 
"Broken Son" 
"D.N.A." 
"Who We Are" 
"Find My Way" 
"Hold On" 
"Out Of Reach" 
"We Pray" 
"Where I Belong" 
"Reborn" (Reprise)

"Against The Wall":

"Hold On":

Mason Hill is set to release their next digital single, a cover of the 2005 Foo Fighters hit "The Best Of You," to all platforms on April 23.

 

 




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Video footage of Scorpions performing "Rock 'N' Roll Band", live in Brooklyn, New York in September 2015 as part of their Return To Forever tour, can be seen below:

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

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

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




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SEETHER has shared a video for an acoustic version of its "Bruised And Bloodied" single, a standout track from the band's latest album, "Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum" ("If You Want Peace, Prepare For War") which debuted at No. 2 on Billboard's Hard Rock chart upon its release last year.

SEETHER frontman Shaun Morgan previously stated about the track: "'Bruised And Bloodied' is a mix of self-deprecation and rage, neatly wrapped up in a sexy groove with a big shiny pop bow on top. Essentially, it is a combination of shame and sadness delivered in a cheerful way, as I've always enjoyed juxtaposing jaded lyrics with a jubilant melody."

"Bruised And Bloodied", the second single released from "Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum", follows "Dangerous", which topped rock radio for three consecutive weeks last fall. In between, the band shared videos for two fan-favorite album tracks "Beg" and "Wasteland". Additionally, SEETHER has been highlighting tracks from its multi-platinum-selling catalog with a series of virtual acoustic performance videos via its YouTube channel.

To celebrate its 20th anniversary, SEETHER released three of its classic albums — "Disclaimer II", "Karma And Effect" and "Finding Beauty In Negative Spaces" — on vinyl for the very first time in November via Craft Recordings. Released early in the band's remarkable run, these three albums exemplify the distinctive musicianship and songcraft for which SEETHER is best known and helped solidify them as one of the most successful hard rock bands in the world.

Since forming in Pretoria, South Africa in 1999, SEETHER has amassed a global fan base that has grown organically with the quartet's sense of purpose and commitment spreading outwards, offering their fans around the world camaraderie, comfort and a sense of personal power. While others of their ilk faded away, SEETHER maintains a strong sense of self, ignoring trends and critics in favor of a consummate devotion to their craft. Their impressive sales and chart history includes three platinum and two gold albums, 16 No. 1 singles (including 2017's "Let You Down", 2014's "Words As Weapons" and 2011's "Tonight"); 20 Top 5 multi-format hits, with U.S. singles sales topping 17 million and over 1.5 billion streams worldwide across all platforms.

They are also creators of the Rise Above Fest, founded in 2012 to raise awareness for suicide prevention and mental illness. Past headliners of the annual gathering include Slash, GODSMACK, AVENGED SEVENFOLD, PAPA ROACH and many more. Since conception, the Rise Above Fest has turned into a broader movement, expanding its presence at additional music festivals around the globe. All SEETHER shows donate $1 of ticket sales to benefit the SAVE (Suicide Awareness Voices Of Education) organization.

Photo credit: Laura E. Partain

BUTCHER BABIES have released their latest single, "Last Dance". The song was produced and co-written by Matt Good (FROM FIRST TO LAST). It is the fourth taste of the band's forthcoming EP, tentatively due later this year. BUTCHER BABIES previously released the tracks "Bottom Of A Bottle", "Sleeping With The Enemy" and "Yorktown", all of which are also expected to appear on the EP.

"Last Dance" shows off the clean vocal prowess of frontwomen Carla Harvey and Heidi Shepherd while retaining the musical heaviness for which the band is known. It is a powerful statement about friendships and support. In the time of COVID-19, this is particularly poignant: "You're not in my hemisphere / So I'll wait another year / Wish you could see me now / Through all the ups and downs / I know I'm better because of you".

"While writing 'Last Dance', I was brought back to a memory in college where a few of my friends and I used to drive into the canyon in southern Utah, lay on the hoods of our cars and stare up into the stars," explains Shepherd. "We would discuss the different paths that we wanted to take in life. As young adults, we dreamed about the future. I haven't seen most of those friends in over a decade, and I often wonder if those nights dreaming under the stars ever cross their minds. I look back at that memory fondly as those friends were so supportive in [anything] and everything we each put our minds to. They were some of the first people to support me in the hopes and dreams of music. This song, for me, was about recreating that moment all these years later. This is an ode to you; John, Mikey and Kim."

Harvey told Spain's Metal Circus that the band is making its music independently after parting ways with longtime label Century Media a couple of years ago. "We're navigating through a new world where we don't have a label, but we have distribution through Blood Blast, which is awesome; they've been really great to us," she said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

"It's not that there's no labels out there for us — there could be the perfect one, and we just haven't found it yet — but right now, we thought why not try something a little bit different.

"We kind of live in an age where you don't necessarily have to have a label. I feel like if you have a great manager, a great lawyer, a great agent, that's kind of a great team to help push along your career. So if you're able to pay for your own recordings and get that kind of stuff going, and you have a strong fanbase as it is, why not try it like this?" she explained.

"The whole music industry has changed so much over the last even five years. Since we've been a band, it's changed tremendously over the past decade. So this is a new kind of thing that we're trying out, and if a great deal comes along, we'll be happy to take it. But in the meantime, we're kind of enjoying doing things on our own."

Added Shepherd: "It's been interesting, because a lot of our friends in the industry have kind of taken the way that we decided to do it too, which was to leave the label and try stuff on our own, and it's been almost a little bit more successful.

"I think that later on, if the right deal comes along, sure, but it wasn't something that we set out to do, is re-sign," she continued. "We had offers, but it just didn't make sense for us. We wanted to really do this on our own. We've been signed pretty much our entire career, so it was a really fun and neat experience to kind of do it on our own, and it's paid off a lot — it really has.

"But, like I said, if the right deal comes along later on, we'll see. I don't know. We're doing fine as we are."

BUTCHER BABIES' latest album, 2017's "Lilith", was produced by Steve Evetts (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, SEPULTURA, SUICIDE SILENCE) and marked BUTCHER BABIES' recording debut with drummer Chase Brickenden, who replaced Chris Warner in 2016.

In July 2019, longtime BUTCHER BABIES bassist Jason Klein announced his departure from the band. He has since been replaced by Ricky Bonazza.

On June 8th, Italian heavy metallers Scala Mercalli performed live during the year-end party of the Liceo Scientifico B. Rosetti of San Benedetto del Tronto (AP). The concert was held at the Bernardo Speca sports hall in front of an audience of about 500 students. Besides proposing some of their classics on the history of the Italian Risorgimento, the band invited several students on stage to play some rock classics.The concert was possible thanks to the Heavy Metal e Storia project that the band has been presenting for some years at the schools in Marche region with great appreciation and interest of the school managers.

Watch the footage below, which is a collection of various amateur video footage filmed on the day.

The band on the concert: "For us it is always very nice to be able to spread heavy metal to new generations, especially in a historical context that conveys very important values such as those of the Italian Risorgimento. Successfully playing for so many students, the majority of who did not know our genre, makes us very proud, as we are sure that now many of them have approached Heavy music with interest !! We also want to thank the teachers who are interested in the project and that with an open mind they have overcome some negative stereotypes about our musical genre, realizing that even Heavy Metal can send a positive message to younger people. Thank you all for the support. Still United !!"

Scala Mercalli released their new album, Independence, on January 25th 2019 via Alpha Omega Records.

The tracklist is as follows:

"The Crossing on the Sea" (from Quarto to Marsala)
"The 1000" (Calatafimi Battle)
"Honest Brigands"
"Be Strong"
"The Last Defence" (Roma-Gianicolo 1849)
"Never Surrender"
"Tolentino 1815"
"White Death"
"Whisper of the Night"
"Anita" (Ana Maria de Jesus Ribeiro da Silva)
"Fratelli d'Italia (Italian Anthem)" feat. Corale Angelico Rosati




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Brazilian powerhouse Eminence has released their latest thought-provoking track "BYOG" and stunning music video accompaniment. "BYOG" is the second single from Eminence's forthcoming album Dark Echoes, out on May 28th, via Blood Blast Distribution. Speaking to the release of "BYOG", Eminence guitarist Alan Wallace shares:

"We filmed the entire music video at the concert hall Mister Rock here in Belo Horizonte. The general production was handled by our vocalist Bruno Paraguay and co-production by our bassist Davidson Mainart. 'BYOG' (Be Your Own God) is a protest against all forms of religion that manipulate and sell a place in heaven to their faithful."

Produced by Alan Wallace and mixed and mastered by Tue Madsen (Meshuggah, Heaven Shall Burn, Suicide Silence), Dark Echoes consists of twelve solidly crafted songs speaking to themes of resisting bigotry, frustration, and perseverance. For pre-save information, click here. 

Tracklisting:

"Dark Echoes"
"Burn It Again"
"B.Y.O.G"
"Wake Up The Blind"
"Into The Ashes"
"The Vanishing"
"Inner Suffering"
"Death Of A Nation"
"The Hologram"
"N3mbers"
"Not Hating, Just Saying"
"Parasite Planet"

"Dark Echoes" featuring guest vocals from Bjorn Strid of Soilwork:

(Photo - Henrique Gualtieri)

 




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Progressive heavy metal vehicle, Interloper, have returned to present their debut, full-length album Search Party which will be released on June 11 via Nuclear Blast Records. Pre-order the album here, and watch a drum playthrough video for the first single, "Drift", below:

The deep cohesiveness of Interloper’s writing process for Search Party allowed for a creative project with no real boundaries or restrictions. The album was produced by the band and Joey Virrueta. Drums were recorded at Big Bad Sound LA by Jack Ruley and Zach Fisher, with the mixing and mastering completed once more by Andrew’s brother Joey Virrueta.

The album artwork was created by Caelan Stokkermans.

Tracklisting:

“Pathkeeper”
“Bound To Fall”
“Moonlight”
“Dreamlands”
“Drift”
“Search Party”
“The Wishing Well”
“Idle Years”
“Thank Cheshire”
“Baring Teeth”
“Rio” (Duran Duran cover)

“Drift” video:




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Following the release of their fifth album, Irradiance, progressive metal songsmiths Canvas Solaris quietly disbanded in 2010. The quartet regrouped in 2014 and began forming compositions that would eventually make up album #6, but various personal roadblocks stalled momentum for more than a year. Activities finally resumed in 2016, and the band completed writing six songs/50 minutes of new material: Chromosphere.

However, due to a combination of logistics, personal obligations, and time constraints, the group took its time to record and mix the tracks at various studios over the course of the three years that followed. Drums were laid down with Jamie King Audio in April of 2017, while guitars and bass were tracked at Chris Rushing's and Gael Pirlot's home studios throughout 2018 and 2019. Additional percussion and acoustic guitars were recorded with the help of friend Justin Prevatt in 2019, and programming/synthesizers were largely completed at guitarist Nathan Sapp's house. Canvas Solaris then returned to the patient and generous Jamie King Audio in the summer of 2019 to commence the mixing process.

Speaking to Chromosphere's direction, drummer Hunter Ginn states, "When we started down the path of making a new album, Nathan and I knew that we wanted to apply more focus to the songwriting, so we turned to inspiration from late-'80s/early-'90s progressive and technical thrash bands like Toxik, Realm, Watchtower, Mekong Delta, Target, Coroner, Deathrow, Anacrusis, Believer, Obliveon, and Sadus to provide us with a deep reservoir of ideas. Chromosphere doesn't exactly come across as sounding like those bands, but I would like to think that at least Canvas Solaris shares with them some DNA."

As the group's four-album run with the highly respected and prog-minded Sensory record label had come to an amicable conclusion, Canvas Solaris entertained the idea of self-releasing Chromosphere, but ultimately decided otherwise. It was at that point that the band full-circled back to where it all began—as Divebomb's parent label, Tribunal Records, handled the group's initial releases in the early-2000s. Ginn reflects, "In the years between our debut full-length, Sublimation, and Chromosphere, Tribunal had launched Divebomb Records, and it only gilded the lily that Divebomb had reissued some of our favorite albums. It really does feel like a homecoming for us. Tribunal Records founder Matt Rudzinski was one of our very earliest supporters, and believed in our music when hardly anyone else did. We're very grateful for the opportunity to work with him again."

With Chromosphere, Canvas Solaris has very much succeeded in delivering intricate, high-level progressive metal boasting a finely crafted approach to songwriting that emphasizes movement and atmosphere over endless displays of technical musicianship. Hunter closes with, "I don't think this is the record that anyone expected us to make. After a 10-year absence, most listeners probably would have bet on a mellower, more cosmic Canvas Solaris album. While Chromosphere has no shortage of cosmic moments, we have never made a more aggressive, determined-sounding album..."

Chromosphere will be released on May 14 via Divebomb Records.

Tracklisting:

"Extrasolar Biosignature"
"Hidden Sector"
"Zero Point Field"
"Black Drop Effect"
"Renormalization"
"False Vacuum"

"Black Drop Effect" lyric video:




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Avant-garde entity, Thy Catafalque, will be releasing its tenth masterpiece, Vadak, on June 25. In conjunction with the forthcoming release, Thy Catafalque is now sharing its mind-bending first single, "Piros-sárga". Watch the video below.

Mastermind/multi-instrumentalist Tamás Kátai comments on the new album and track: "Vadak is the tenth album of Thy Catafalque. The state of the world affects all of us, in my case I think it means more escapism. We, like all living creatures are like forest animals chased by death through time and many of these songs are about fleeing, hiding and running either to the past or to the unknown. The record is very colourful, with more guest musicians than ever but also pretty dark and heavy other times. The first song however is a light, nostalgic one about old summers, lost gardens and the colours of the sun, with Armenian duduk, tabla, dumbek, riq and brass."

Available formats:

- CD Mediabook
- LP in various colours
- Digital

Pre-order here.

Tracklisting:

"Szarvas"
"Köszöntsd a hajnalt"
"Gömböc"
"Az energiamegmaradás törvénye"
"Móló"
"A kupolaváros titka"
"Kiscsikó (Irénke dala)"
"Piros-sárga"
"Vadak (Az átváltozás rítusai)"
"Zúzmara"

"Piros-sárga" video:




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Immortal Guardian has unveiled a video for “Psychosomatic”, the title track of their new concept album that was inspired by and recorded during the coronavirus pandemic. The clip can be viewed below.

“One thing we started noticing early on at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020 was the overwhelming number of friends that were getting sick only to find out they tested negative and never had the virus. Us included! There were so many moments where we were so convinced that we had covid because we felt all the symptoms and totally freaked ourselves out even though we never left our house. Just to take a test and find out we didn’t have it and even feel the symptoms disappear after 24hrs. This was happening to so many people I know and we thought it would be a very interesting topic to write about,” explains Gabriel Guardian. “This is not to take away from the seriousness of the virus and the harm it has actually done to some of our other friends and family. It’s been a very rough year for all of us... But if there was something, we noticed that did affect the majority, it was the big amounts of fear and confusion that literally made us all feel sick just from living through the experience. Our silent pandemic is psychosomatic.”

Order the Psychosomatic album at the band's online shop.

Tracklisting:

"Psychosomatic"
"Read Between The Lines"
"Lockdown"
"Phobia"
"Clocks"
"Self-Isolation"
"Goodbye To Farewells"
"Candlelight"
"Find The Reason"
"New Day Rising"

“Phobia” video:

“Clocks” video:

“Lockdown” video:

"Read Between The Lines" lyric video:

Immortal Guardian is:

Gabriel Guardian – guitars / keyboards
Carlos Zema – vocals
Justin Piedimonte – drums
Josh Lopez – bass




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Milan Records has released the title track and lead single from Netflix's upcoming superhero comedy "Thunder Force". Available everywhere now, "Thunder Force" was written by composer Fil Eisler for the film alongside Scott Ian (ANTHRAX) and Corey Taylor (SLIPKNOT, STONE SOUR) and features a star-studded lineup of metal legends Lzzy Hale (HALESTROM), Dave Lombardo (SLAYER) as well as dynamic electric cellist Tina Guo. The track features as the end credits song to the new action comedy from writer/director Ben Falcone and starring Melissa McCarthy and Octavia Spencer, which premieres on Netflix on Friday, April 9. It features as the lead single to the film's original soundtrack by composer Fil Eisler, which will be released by Milan Records in conjunction with the film's debut next Friday, April 9.

Of the track, Eisler says: "One of the great things about scoring movies is that I get to play in a lot of different musical sandboxes and occasionally the opportunity comes up to invite in some special guests. ANTHRAX and SLAYER played a huge part in my childhood and I've been a fan of both Corey and Lzzy for years, so when the idea of doing an orchestral metal score came up, it was a perfect excuse to go straight to the source. Why fake it when you can work with the real originals! It was honestly one of the most outright fun experiences of my scoring career so far."

"'Thunder Force' kicks fucking ass," adds Ian.

States Taylor: "It was awesome to work on this track with Lzzy and be a part of the film 'Thunder Force'. It is always nice to be creative and work with other artists in the community, especially during this extended time at home. I'm excited for everyone to hear the song and see the film."

Hale says: "I'm beyond excited to be included on the 'Thunder Force' soundtrack, surrounded by friends, representing the genres I love so much, rock and metal! You won't know what hit you! Remember, LIGHTNING NEVER STRIKES IF YOU CAN'T FORCE THE THUNDER!"

"I have had the privilege of working in the music industry for over 35 years," says Lombardo. "There is something incredibly exhilarating about performing on stage, specifically the edge that comes with the off the rails style of music I play. Working with Fil Eisler on 'Thunder Force' somehow captured that same feeling. This score is a powerful musical engine. It was a pleasure to be a part of the team that helped this come to life."

Guo states: "Working with living legends on this soundtrack for a film that features two ordinary women turned superheroes has been incredible. I feel the same way whenever I pick up my electric cello and feel my own transformation from causal nerd to screaming banshee. I cannot wait for everyone to hear it!"

Here is the "Thunder Force" plot via Netflix's official synopsis: "In a world terrorized by super-villains, one woman has developed the process to give superpowers to regular people. But when scientist Emily Stanton accidentally imbues her estranged best-friend with incredible abilities, the two women must become the first superhero team. Now, it is up to Thunder Force to battle the super-powered Miscreants and save Chicago from the clutches of The King."








April 9th!! Save the date comedy loving drumheads. ThunderForce is coming for you! Loving this experience and the brilliant score. Thank you @fileisler. It’s a pleasure working with you, and of course jammin’ with my @mrbungle band mate @scottian. https://t.co/djiQXZsJt4

— Dave Lombardo (@TheDaveLombardo) March 10, 2021

Greek guitar virtuoso Gus G., well known in rock and metal circles for his work as Ozzy Osbourne's guitarist and as leader of his own band FIREWIND, has released the official music video for his new solo single, "Exosphere". The track features Dennis Ward on bass and Jan-Vincent Velazco on drums. The artwork for the single was created by Gustavo Sazes, with whom Gus has worked since 2007.

"Exosphere" was written during times of pandemic and is part of several songs to be released in the near future, It's also the first attempt of Gus using a seven-string guitar in an official recording.

Gus states: "When the pandemic hit in early 2020, all world touring plans for FIREWIND were canceled. I found myself stuck at home for a whole year and not knowing what the future will bring. I slowly started putting down new riffs and ideas on my computer and before I knew it, I already gathered enough material for a new album. With a new reality in front of me, I started developing the new solo project and this time I decided to let my guitar be the voice, instead of having a singer or special guests. This led me to creating a bunch of new instrumental songs. 'Exosphere' was one of the first ideas I put together. I went through many different versions and arrangements before I settled for the final one. The last addition to the song was incorporating some lower registered riffs, after I got my hands on a seven-string guitar for the first time last summer. The goal was to add some new elements to my music while maintaining my sound and style that I've been known for. I'm really happy with the end results and I hope you enjoy the new music. Stay tuned for more to come in the near future!"

Last November, Gus confirmed that he had begun work on a new solo album which he said looked like it would be "all instrumental."

Gus previously discussed a possible new solo LP during an April 2020 interview with U.K.'s "NI Rocks" radio show. At the time, he said: "I'm thinking of making, actually, a full-on instrumental record next. I've done a lot of collaborations already and I've tried out the trio thing and I think I'm kind of ready now for that guitar instrumental record that more or less everybody wanted me to do for a number of years and I always said no. [Laughs] I needed to really get a lot of these things out of my system first and try out all these things, and I think I'm ready to try that one out now. So I don't know how long it's gonna take me and when it's gonna come out. A lot will depend on FIREWIND as well and what happens with the band and how much we can tour and how the album is received. But, yeah, I'm slowly compiling ideas for possible instrumentals and an instrumental record. I think it will be a good time to let my guitar be the voice."

In September 2019, Gus issued a digital-only solo EP, "Live In Budapest - Part 1", consisting of four tracks recorded on the guitarist's headline European tour in support of his latest album release, "Fearless". The world tour saw Gus and his band share stages around the world with legendary guitarists like Richie Kotzen, Vinnie Moore followed by his own headline dates and a massive tour as special guest of Los Angeles rockers STEEL PANTHER.

Gus's most recent solo band featured Dennis Ward (PINK CREAM 69, UNISONIC) on bass and vocals and longtime drummer Johan Nunez (FIREWIND, ex-KAMELOT).

"Fearless" was released in April 2018 via AFM Records. The follow-up to 2015's "Brand New Revolution" marked Gus's first release since exiting Osbourne's band in 2017.

On "Fearless", Gus joined forces with Ward and drummer Will Hunt (EVANESCENCE).

FIREWIND's ninth, self-titled studio album was made available last May.

The band recently parted ways with guitarist/keyboardist Bob Katsionis and singer Henning Basse.

FIREWIND's new vocalist is Herbie Langhans, who has previously played with AVANTASIA and SINBREED.

In a new interview with Scott Penfold of Loaded Radio, CANNIBAL CORPSE bassist Alex Webster was asked what he thinks of the fact that his former CANNIBAL CORPSE bandmates Chris Barnes (vocals) and Jack Owen (guitar) are now playing together again in SIX FEET UNDER. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "That is cool, man. I'm sure they're having a great time jamming together again. So, yeah, it's killer."

Webster went on to say that he has only heard "some" of SIX FEET UNDER's latest album, "Nightmares Of The Decomposed", which was released last October via Metal Blade Records.

"Jack's got a really distinct writing style, and he's got a great groove," Alex said. "But, yeah, there's some cool grooves on there. And the rest of the band too. I really like Jeff Hughell's bass playing. Marco's [Pitruzzella] a killer drummer. So, yeah, it's a cool band. And it sounds really good, the music."

Asked if he is still in contact with Barnes, Webster said: "I haven't talked to him in a while, no. But Jack I saw in 2019."

Barnes exited CANNIBAL CORPSE in 1995, one year after the release of the band's "The Bleeding" album. Four years ago, he told "The Chainsaw Symphony" radio program about his departure: "I just didn't like being around them, because I was being ridiculed, and I just didn't feel comfortable being in the same room with people that weren't very nice to me personally. And I was part of that too, so we had all of our own type of differences, personally, and I don't think it was gonna be able to be worked out. You know, mutual respect goes a far way when it comes to being in close quarters with people."

Owen left CANNIBAL CORPSE in 2004, explaining in a statement that his "heart just wasn't in it anymore, and it was reflected in my appearance on stage. Times change, and I just don't enjoy the music as much as I used to, and the only thing keeping me in the band was steady work, and the pay," he said. "These things makes it unfair to myself, my band members, and especially the fans.

CANNIBAL CORPSE's new album, "Violence Unimagined", will be released on April 16 via Metal Blade Records. Erik Rutan, one of the death metal's most acclaimed guitarists who is known for his time as part of MORBID ANGEL throughout the '90s and early 2000s, as well as handling vocals/guitars for HATE ETERNAL, lent his guitar as well as production skills to the effort, which was recorded at his Mana Recording in St. Petersburg, Florida. Rutan previously produced four CANNIBAL CORPSE albums (in addition to "Violence Unimagined"), alongside the likes of GOATWHORE, SOILENT GREEN and BELPHEGOR. Filling in live on guitar since 2019, in 2020 he became a full member, contributing to the writing process.

Rutan joined CANNIBAL CORPSE as the replacement for longtime guitarist Pat O'Brien, who was arrested in Florida more than two years ago on charges of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and burglary of an occupied dwelling with assault. Deputies said he burglarized a house and charged at a deputy with a knife.

Photo credit: Alex Morgan

Over a hundred musicians from all over the world have united to perform the classic IRON MAIDEN song "Fear Of The Dark".

The idea came from Ulf Wadenbrandt, conductor of the Sweden Symphony Orchestra and principal guest conductor for the Russian Philharmonic Orchestra.

Wadenbrandt normally travels to towns and cities in many different countries to conduct musicians in a wide range of concerts. However, the global pandemic situation has put a halt to touring the world for uncertain period of time — something that affects others too.

"Many of my musical colleagues around the world are currently unable to play together and cannot perform for the public. So I reached out to many wonderful orchestral musicians, to see if we could play something together," says Ulf.

Ulf has virtually been working around the clock recently (not least due to the many different time zones involved) to instruct and inspire musicians for the recording. More than 160 musicians from all over the world took part in recording a video together.

"I want to highlight how important music and culture are in these difficult times," Ulf explains. "Music makes you feel good and helps to develop people. We need to show the world that we are needed and must get to play. I have gathered everyone from absolutely world class musicians and excellent music teachers to talented amateurs and students from music and cultural schools from all over the world. I want to show the value of diversity and emphasise how everyone is important in the ecosystem of music."

Musicians from as far afield as the Dortmund Philharmonic to Brazil, Norway, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Argentina, China and the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra in New Zealand played together, as well as from many other orchestras across the globe.

For the video, an instrumental version of "Fear Of The Dark" was arranged for the symphony orchestra.

"This song has everything from nice melodic lines with lots of energy and a thumping tempo," Ulf says. "It's a magical arrangement that releases the orchestra's energy and fantastic sound. IRON MAIDEN have quite simply written a great song that works perfectly for symphony orchestras and their wonderful timbre."

In a recent interview with Dr. Music, former QUEENSRŸCHE singer Geoff Tate looked back on his involvement with "Stars", the 1985 charity single for famine relief released under the HEAR 'N AID banner.

On May 20 and May 21, 1985, 40 artists from the metal community gathered at A&M Records Studios in Hollywood, California to participate in the making of a record called "Stars" as a part of a very special fundraising project spearheaded by Ronnie James Dio known as HEAR 'N AID. The "Stars" single and a video documentary on the making of the record was used to raise money for famine relief efforts in Africa and around the world. These 40 artists — including members of MÖTLEY CRÜE, JUDAS PRIEST, IRON MAIDEN, QUIET RIOT, TWISTED SISTER, BLUE ÖYSTER CULT and even SPINAL TAP — along with hundreds of other volunteers, donated their time and talent over four months to make HEAR 'N AID a reality. "Stars" was a plea for unity in the fight against world hunger.

Speaking about his experience recording "Stars", Tate told Dr. Music (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Ronnie was very special. And he actually gave QUEENSRŸCHE its first start touring in Europe — invited us as special guests on his tour. He was an incredibly giving individual — especially when he liked a person or a group or somebody's music, he was very supportive. And we had just finished our first European tour with them, and he called and asked if I'd be part of this project that he was doing. And I, of course, immediately said yes. I always said yes to Ronnie, whenever he wanted something. I had so much respect for him and his wonderful career; he was just a wonderful person.

"Anyway, I flew down to L.A. and walked into A&M Studios, and it was just a zoo — a madhouse," he continued. "It was the most people I'd ever seen crammed in one building — hundreds and hundreds of people in the lobby and outside. It was pandemonium, actually. I got in somehow; I had the credentials — I picked them up at the front desk at the hotel. I got in there, and Ronnie met me at the door. He gave me a big hug and ushered me in. He said, 'Okay, I'm glad you're here. You're just on time. We're ready to have you do your vocal tracks. Are you ready? Or do you wanna warm up? Do you want something to drink?' I walked into the recording studio part, and he showed me the microphone. And there was a chair and a table, and some water glasses. And the lyrics to the song were up there and headphones. And he goes, 'Okay, sit here. We'll do a couple of playbacks so you kind of get used to it and get your headphone volumes.' He goes, 'I'll just be on the other side of the glass.' I look over, and in the control room are all those people [that are featured in the photo on the cover]. I mean, Ted Nugent's in there, and Rob Halford's in there, and Neal Schon is in there, Jonathan Cain… The list goes on and on. Everybody that's basically on the record is standing there. And I am just, like, petrified. This is my third time I've been in the studio in my life. I'm 25 years old, and it was really early on in my career. And I was so scared. And now I have to perform in front of these amazing, accomplished musicians who've done more in their life than I could ever dream of doing. Oh, God. I couldn't even take off my sunglasses. You see every photo of me on that day, and I had my sunglasses on. I couldn't live without 'em. I was hiding in my own scene, inside my own head. And then I hear Ronnie coming over the headphones: 'Geoff, are you there? Are you there?' [Laughs] I really wanted to take those headphones off and run away; I was so nervous. But he talked me through it and got me calmed down. He was the kind of guy that could always sense what was going on around him; he was pretty intuitive. And I think he was probably hip to the fact that I was scared shitless, as they say. But that's the way I felt — just scared shitless.

"But it turned out okay, and everybody was cool," Tate added. "We had a good time. And the record was great. So different and weird and strange, with all those guitar solos. What a way to make a song. But it was cool and different. And I was really proud to be a part of it. And I was really proud that [Ronnie] asked me to do it.

"And honestly, even though it was a monumental experience for me at the time, I didn't really completely appreciate it till much later, and looking back on it and realizing, oh, this was a pretty incredible record. And what it did — it raised so much money and so much awareness from a whole different segment of society, which was really important."

Due to contract differences with the labels, the "Stars" song and album weren't released until New Year's Day, 1986, and were only ever made available on vinyl and cassette. But Ronnie's wife and manager Wendy Dio has said in recent years that she is continuing her efforts to correct that.

Wendy previously revealed that one of the reasons the HEAR 'N AID reissue was taking so long to come out was the "legal stuff" that needed to be taken care of. "You can always get the bands to do something, but it's the legal licensing of talking with the record labels they're on and the management and so on, to get something off the ground," she said. "So we're hoping to do that."

Anthrax have announced their Record Store Day release for 2021. A l imited edition custom Anthrax mini-turntable, and a four, 3" vinyl disc bundle (sold separately).

The bundle of discs - “Madhouse”, “I Am The Law”, “Got The Time” and “Discharge”, will be released on July 9, and the turntables on July 17. Pre-order the 3" discs here, and stay tuned for updates.




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The recently released Blackmore’s Night album Nature’s Light (earMusic) currently sits at #8 on the Billboard New Age Chart and #9 on the Nielsen Americana / Folk albums chart.

Blending rock and semi-traditional folk influences, Blackmore’s Night is led by legendary guitarist Ritchie Blackmore (who plays both electric and acoustic guitar, as well as mandolin, mandolas, hurdy gurdy, and nyckelharpa) and award-winning vocalist / lyricist Candice Night (who also provides an assortment of woodwinds, including shawms, rauschpfeifes, recorders, and pennywhistles). Their eclectic band layers this ornate instrumentation with bass, violin, keyboards, percussion, and backing vocals.

Topped with fantasy themed storytelling and rich, lyrical contemplations on the healing power of nature, Nature’s Light continues the Blackmore’s Night legacy as an internationally renowned collective for over two decades.

Nature’s Light is available on multiple formats via earMUSIC. Among these is a Strictly Limited 2CD Hardcover Mediabook Edition including a bonus CD featuring a carefully selected set of Blackmore’s Night’s masterpieces from their extensive back catalogue. Furthermore, the album will become available as a CD Digipak Edition, a Strictly Limited Heavyweight 1LP Gatefold Edition on Yellow Vinyl, a 180g 1LP Gatefold Edition on Black Vinyl as well as Digital.

Order here.

Tracklisting:

"Once Upon December"
"Four Winds"
"Feather In The Wind"
"Darker Shade Of Black" (Instrumental)
"The Twisted Oak"
"Nature’s Light"
"Der Letzte Musketier" (Instrumental)
"Wish You Were Here" (2021)
"Going To The Faire"
"Second Element"

"Second Element" video:

"Nature’s Light" video:

"Four Winds" lyric video:

"Once Upon December" lyric video:




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SCORPIONS drummer Mikkey Dee spoke to the "RRBG Podcast"about the progress of the recording sessions of the band's upcoming studio album. Recorded at Peppermint Park Studios in Hannover, Germany, the disc will mark the German-Polish-Swedish hard rock legends' first release since 2017's "Born To Touch Your Feelings - Best Of Rock Ballads", which was an anthology of SCORPIONS' new and classic material.

"We're working very hard here, wrapping up the recordings of the record," Mikkey said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "And we are in the beginning of mixing; we started mixing the songs. We've been working since early fall on this album. It's gonna be a great record. It's all recorded live in the studio. And it's a good vibe. It's a harder record, and great songs. So it's gonna be great to get this one released."

Asked if the songs were already written before he got involved in the recording process, Dee said: "Most of the stuff Rudolf [Schenker, guitar], Klaus [Meine, vocals] and Matthias [Jabs, guitar] have been writing, but then we've been putting it together in the studio together, kind of. But most of it's been written, yes. But we worked really hard, all five [of us], on these tracks."

Regarding when fans can expect to see the new SCORPIONS album released, Mikkey said: "I guess the release of the record is gonna have to be matched somehow to when we can actually start touring. I had the hopes up that we would release this this spring. That was the plan from the beginning, and I've been telling magazines about us releasing it in the spring, but it's not gonna happen, I don't think. Because it has to be matched to the touring — unless something completely crazy happens. But I would think in the fall or something like that, hopefully.

"It's impossible [to predict when we will be able to tour again]; you can only hope," he continued. "I'm done speculating in this shit, because once you get a little bit of a stream of hope, it's been shut down immediately. One day you hear this; next day, you hear a completely opposite thing. All this fucking second wave [of COVID-19] and third wave. Now they're talking about a fourth wave. And there's mutations from every fucking country in the world. If we're gonna continue adapting after that, we're talking 15 years. So, I don't know.

"But I'm hopeful," Mikkey added. "And, yeah, I'm positive that we're gonna have to get back out there soon. Because no matter what happens, I don't think you can keep the world shut down anymore. It's just the end."

Dee went on to say that he knows the "seriousness of this virus," having battled it himself in March of 2020. "I was influenza sick, thank gosh," he explained. "But some people are not that lucky, of course, but most of the people are really the elderly people and people with underlying diseases that turn out to get really, really sick. And then, of course, you have some exceptions with young, healthy people, of course. And I realize the seriousness of it.

"The world has been shut down for one full year now," he concluded. "And that can just not continue like that. It's a disaster in so many other ways than the virus. That's how I see it. It's very, very unfortunate."

Earlier in the month, Dee told the "No Fuckin' Regrets With Robb Flynn" podcast that SCORPIONS were forced to abandon their plans to work with producer Greg Fidelman on their new album.

SCORPIONS originally intended to record the new album in Los Angeles with Fidelman, whose previous credits include SLIPKNOT and METALLICA. However, because of the pandemic, some of the initial work was done with Greg remotely, after which SCORPIONS opted to helm the recordings themselves with the help of their engineer Hans-Martin Buff.

According to Mikkey, the new SCORPIONS album is being mixed by Michael Ilbert at the legendary Hansa Studios in Berlin, Germany.

Meine previously told Talking Metal that the goal with using Fidelman to produce the new LP was to bring "the old vibe from albums like 'Blackout', 'Love At First Sting' or even 'Lovedrive'. We try to focus on those albums and this attitude," he said. "If we get there, who knows — it's so many years later. But it's the spirit and it's the whole vibe around this album. This time, the focus is on the harder songs."

According to Meine, SCORPIONS' new LP will feature "no outside writers at all," unlike 2015's "Return To Forever", which was largely co-written by the album's producers, Mikael Nord Andersson and Martin Hansen.

Fidelman began his career as the guitarist and songwriter for RHINO BUCKET before launching his career as a producer, engineer and mixer, finding an early mentor in Rick Rubin.

SCORPIONS' last full-length collection of new recordings was the aforementioned "Return To Forever", partially comprising songs the band had in the vault from the '80s. It was the final recorded appearance of SCORPIONS' longtime drummer James Kottak, who was dismissed from the band in September 2016. He has since been replaced by Dee, formerly of MOTÖRHEAD.

According to Reuters, former MISFITS singer Michale Graves could end up as a defense witness in the trial of four leaders of the Proud Boys, the pro-Donald Trump extremist group that participated in the storming of the Capitol on January 6.

Earlier in the month, four alleged leaders of the Proud Boys were indicted in connection with attack on the U.S. Capitol over allegedly conspiring, including in discussions on encrypted messaging apps, to obstruct the certification of President Joe Biden's Electoral College victory.

Graves, who became a member of the Proud Boys last year, told Reuters he was asked by another member of the group to play some songs for a private concert planned for the afternoon of January 6. Although the concert never happened, lawyers representing Ethan "Rufio" Nordean, one of the defendants charged with conspiracy, said in a court filing that planning for such an event scheduled for a time when the riot actually was still taking place contradicted the notion that the group had a plan to "topple the government" that day.

Graves, who fronted MISFITS from 1995 to 2000, told Reuters he did not think the Proud Boys were capable of planning an invasion of the Capitol, as prosecutors have said.

"These guys have a hard time getting an order together for McDonalds," Graves, whose legal name is Michael Emanuel, said in an interview.

Graves said he agreed to play a private concert on January 6 between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. at a house that the Proud Boys had rented but that he and his manager later "ghosted" the other Proud Boys and left Washington as chaos erupted at the Capitol.

Last year, Graves came under fire after announcing his vocal support of both the Proud Boys and then-President Donald Trump.

In a 2018 interview with Ammoland, Graves described himself as a "patriot." He said: "When I began writing and speaking about pop culture, politics, and punk in 2004, some folks lost their mind. Understand that back then, as it is now, there is a radical left-leaning collective mind backed by big money and power in the entertainment industry that radiates down and out to the consumer level."

He added: "Language becomes weaponized. There are stimulus words like conservative, Christian, guns, Republicans and NRA. In the minds of many, these words are synonymous with Nazi, racist or terrorist. Nothing ever good has come from the dehumanization of groups of people. I am afraid that is precisely what is going on here, so yes, there is significant pushback at times."





































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