Late Megadeth drummer Nick Menza's official Menza Nation YouTube channel has uploaded video of Megadeth performing "Sweating Bullets" at the Hammersmith Apollo in 1992. The song is taken from the Countdown To Extinction album, released in 1992 and featuring the classic lineup of Dave Mustaine (vocals, guitars), David Ellefson (bass) Marty Friedman (guitars) and Nick Menza (drums).

Screaming Butterfly Entertainment recently revealed the cover artwork for This Was My Life - The Story of Nick Menza. The uncensored documentary film that will focus on Nick's life and musical career.

The cover photo for the film was shot by Los Angeles music photographer Alex Solca and designed by Brazilian artwork designer Alcides Burn of Burn Artworks and can be viewed below.

"This Was My Life" will be the first ever film to memorialize Menza's legacy and celebrate his life exactly how it was, described as "an unflinching exploration into the life of one of the most successful thrash-metal drummers of all time, authorized by the Menza family. From his childhood all the way through to the end of his life including a true blow-by-blow account of the repeated failed attempts of the classic Rust In Peace lineup."

"This Was My Life" will feature rare and never-before-seen photos and video footage from Nick's archived VHS tape collection, personally filmed by Menza himself from 1988 through 1991. Included will be exclusive un-realsed audio recordings and content showcasing Nick working at the studio, personal home movies, casual time and party time with his fellow band members, as well as other well-known artists of the era that Nick toured with. The film will also include new interviews with those who knew Nick and were touched by his life.

Menza's longtime personal manager Robert Bolger said: "I am very excited to be working with Screaming Butterfly Entertainment on Nick's official documentary. There's a lot of published misinformation out there about Nick that isn't true and I am very happy to bring the truth forth. Nick loved his fans and always said without the fans none this would be possible. I really think Nick's fans will enjoy this journey through his life."

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

Photographer Alex Solca said: "I am so glad Screaming Butterfly have chosen to use that photo, because Nick was really into it and worked hard to get that perfect pose."

Visit the newly launched "This Was My Life" website, here.

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

Late in the evening on May 21, 2016, Nick collapsed after suffering a heart attack during a concert with Chris Poland and Robertino "Pag" Pagliari in their band OHM: at The Baked Potato in Studio City, California and was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital.

The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner said Menza died of hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

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




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In the spirit of old school power metal, Germany’s up-and-comers Hammer King have gathered to release their first single, “Hammerschlag”, and set ablaze on their new album, Hammer King, out June 11 via Napalm Records.

Kicking off with a tight, punishing drum groove and heavy guitars, the album’s first single, “Hammerschlag”, gets your blood pumping right from the first second. Combining a catchy power metal singalong hook, guest vocals by Gerre from Tankard, Isaac from Epica and the almighty Crusader (Warkings), and topped off with dizzying guitar solos Hammer King knows how to get your head banging.

Watch the official lyric video for “Hammerschlag” below.

Hammer King keeps it heavy with speedy riffs, energic grooves and fist-pumping choruses, devoting their existence to the one and only myth of the godly Hammer King. The new self-titled album starts off with blasting drums and brisk guitars on “Awaken The Thunder”, with frontman and guitarist Titan Fox V showing off his incredible vocal range, whereas tracks like “Atlantis” prove Hammer King’s ability to write catchy and memorable choruses. Hammer King tells the lore of the Hammer King himself, a wrathful and mighty war god, who is praised in tracks like anthemic “Baptized By The Hammer”, energetic and double-bass driven “In The Name Of The Hammer” and the hard-hitting “Hammerschlag”. Kneel before the king of kings, the Hammer King!

Hammer King will be available in the following formats:

- 1-CD Digipak
- 1-LP Gatefold Vinyl BLACK
- 1-LP Gatefold Vinyl RED TRANSPARENT (strictly limited to 100 copies)
- Deluxe Box (Flag, 4x Signed Cards, Keychain/Bottle Opener)
- 1-CD Digipak + Shirt Bundle
- Digital Album

Pre-order here.

Hammer King tracklisting:

"Awaken The Thunder"
"Baptized By The Hammer"
"Onward To Victory"
"Hammerschlag"
"Atlantis" (Epilogue)
"We Are The Kingdom"
"Into The Storm"
"Ashes To Ashes"
"In The Name Of The Hammer"
"Kings Of Kings"
"Holy" (Outro)
"Hammerschlag" (HK Version) Bonus Track (physical only)

"Hammerschlag" lyric video:

Hammer King are:

Titan Fox V - vocals/guitar
Gino Wilde - guitar
Gladius Thundersword - bass
Dolph Aidan Macallan - drums

(Photo - Thommy S. Mardo)




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Trailight mastermind Omer Cordell has checked in with the following update:

"Writing for the new album, Chasing Daylight, continues and things are shaping up nicely for a summer release. I will be announcing a few guest musicians as things progress further but for now, I would like to introduce the man who will take the reins on the drum kit.

Ladies and gents, I bring you Steven Parent, drummer for The Astral Light and Cordelia. Steven is a student of Ryan Van Poederooyen (who played on The Primitive Mountain) and Gil Sharone. I exchanged a few text messages with Ryan who made it clear that Steven has his chops in order and so, I am thrilled to have him on board for this project."

Check out Parent's cover of Animals As Leaders "Cognitive Contortions" below.

Cordell released a new Trailight album, Sophia, in late 2020. It was mixed by former Annihilator frontman Dave Padden. He spoke with BraveWords scribe Carl Begai about working with Padden in the studio.

Cordell: "I've been working with Dave since The Primitive Mountain (released in 2015). He knows what I want and what I like. Dave is a phenomenally talented musician beyond the scope of a lot of people's understanding. People don't know how talented Dave is and that's a shame. The other thing about him is that his standards are remarkably high. Me being an absolute hack compared to Dave, having him mix the album was a treat. To make a long story short, he polished the proverbial turd. He really pushed me when I was doing vocals, asking me to sing parts over and teling me I could deliver the lines better. He gave me some pointers as to what I could do to make the vocals a lot better."

"And he's an incredible singer. He could front any band in the world, from a bluegrass band to the most brutal metal band. When I recorded The Primitive Mountain, I had no idea who was going to sing on it. If I had done it, it would have been nothing short of catastrophic. A mutual friend suggested I get Dave to sing on that record and he agreed to it, and I met him on the day we were going to record vocals. He nailed the entire vocal array for The Primitive Mountain in two days. I was recording him thinking 'Who the fuck ARE you and what planet did you come from?' (laughs). So on the record new record, it was his standards couple with his experience that were so important to me. He pushed the album sonically to a level that I did not expect it to go."

Sophia by Trailight

Tracklist:

"Eon"
"Aftershock"
"Truth"
"The Three Waves"
"Sleepwalkers"
"Island"
"Up In The Air"
"Dance"
"Birth"

Photo by Tony Hoare Photography



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Haken frontman Ross Jennings has revealed that Redemption / Silent Skies keyboardist Vikram Shankar "has provided incredible piano performances, keyboards and orchestral arrangements for my solo album. Can't wait to share it with you all this year."

Shankar has checked in with the following update:

"It's true - I had the pleasure of recording keys, piano and orchestrations for Haken frontman Ross Jennings's solo record! Haken's music has inspired me for many years, so to have this opportunity is a true honor! And the gent is such a sweetheart about my own records to boot. Stay tuned for more information about the impending release to come!"

Below is a lockdown performance from July 2020 featuring Vikram Shankar (Redemption, Lux Terminus), Ross Jennings (Haken, Novena) and Derrick Schneider (Next To None, Tallah) covering the Journey classic "Faithfully".

Jennings: "I made a promise to Derrick Schneider over 3 years ago (probably around the time we toured together with Shattered Fortress and Next To None) that I would jump on his YouTube channel and do a Journey cover. I subsequently became rather busy and the promise never materialised... until today! I was thrilled to learn that Vikram Shankar was to perform the piano parts for this track. Vikram and I have recently become acquainted and I would be remiss if I didn't mention that a future collaboration is on the cards somewhere down the road...watch this space."




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Former Theatre of Tragedy vocalist Liv Kristine - now fronting Coldbound - has confirmed she will release the digital version of her Have Courage Dear Heart EP on April 16th. She spoke with MetalKaoz.com about the EP and discussed plans for a full length album later this year. Following is an excerpt from the chat.

Liv: "In my life, I’ve been tested a lot and now I am where I am today. The very moment I’m experiencing here and now is one very happy moment. I’m here because of my way, but I have to say during a period of my life, after the big crash in 2016, I lost everything; and I felt like I lost myself. I felt like I lost ground, I felt ungrounded. I didn’t feel safe anymore. I wasn’t even sure if I ever wanted to sing again after this negative experience within the music business, but I just woke up one morning and I felt so much courage and so much safety. I felt like 'Okay, this can be in the past now – the past doesn’t define my here and now moment, and I want to sing.' The deal is that we have nearly a full length album ready. But Tommy Olsson, the composer of Aégis by Theatre of Tragedy, my dear friend Tommy is in Norway, I’m in Germany and I can’t see Tommy. I’d love to record the vocals at Tommy’s studio. So, this situation has delayed the process of my upcoming full length album. I like the number eleven, that’s my favorite lucky number, so I’m going for eleven songs, but we’ll have songs that go for seven minutes. Tommy is known for that, so some songs will be.... maybe a bonus track at radio length, and we’ll have some song compositions that are longer. What we give you on the EP, except from the live songs, that is what you’ll get on the album, too. It’s Tommy Olsson and Liv Kristine."

Check out the complete interview below.

The physical versions of the Have Courage Dear Heart will be issued on May 7th. The limited edition coloured vinyl versions have been unveiled and are now available for pre-order here.

Liv Kristine: "In my new compilation EP, I bring together nine tracks, thereof four new compositions and five of my favourite live songs. The title track 'Have Courage Dear Heart' originally existed as a mandolin tune, which my composer Tommy had sent me 'just for fun' early summer 2019. After I had recorded my vocals the song just started growing and shining. We really wanted to keep this underlying Morricone vibe and somehow the perfect sound just manifested like in an imaginary widescreen Western movie setting. The track 'Skylight', which was released as a strongly limited single in December 2019, got its own cathedral version. Moreover, we thought it was time to wipe off the dust from an old, brilliant demo 'Serenity', which expresses this cool 'kick-ass-Saturday-morning' drive vibe. All compositions deal with deeply personal issues such as the beauty of nature, the universe and its laws, twin-soul connection, self-love, narcissism, healing and finding a voice.

The live tracks were chosen arbitrarily. It is the first time I am releasing live recordings. They were played at my eighth annual special show in Nagold (Germany) in 2019. 'Siren' (Theatre of Tragedy, Aégis, 1998) seems to be one of my audience’s long-time favourites, as well as 'Panic', unmasking the abuser, the traditional 'Ave Maria' (special request from my audience) and my new compositions 'Skylight' and 'Gravity'.

Tommy, Andy and Eroc did a brilliant job in their studios, as well as my band, the audience and Chris behind the mixing desk at Alte Seminarturnhalle Nagold (Germany) on December 20th, 2019.

Thank you, Michael, Allegro Talent Media for encouraging me to release this EP 'on our own.' I know that my fans have become accustomed to waiting patiently between my albums. This is, after all, half-way to the album. I needed to devote myself to family life, finding my own voice, trust, freedom, seeing the whole, the balancing powers and the given abundance of the universe. I had to learn to open up my heart and release fears. I did, and I found unconditional love. The cover artwork conveys that frequency of having found my passionate authentic voice, that divine truth and source in my heart."

Tracklist:

"Serenity"
"Have Courage Dear Heart"
"Skylight"
"Gravity"
"Skylight" (cathedral version)
"Panic" (Live in Nagold 2019)
"Siren" (Live in Nagold 2019)
"Skylight" (Live in Nagold 2019)
"Gravity" (Live in Nagold 2019)
"Ave Maria" (Live in Nagold 2019)




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Montreal, QC's Sanguine Glacialis have a new music video for the track “Kraken” in support of their 2018 album Hadopelagic. The band experiments with a vast array of musical styles such as jazz, classical, folkloric music, and Latin music while keeping a very strong melodic death metal accent.

Today, the band is asking fans to come dance La Valse des condamnés! with the premiere of the video for “Kraken” via BraveWords:

Sanguine Glacialis explains the song in their own words:

“This is the third and last single from our album Hadopelagic. It’s actually the first song that was written when we finished the recording of our first album Dancing With A Hanged Man, and because of that, you can clearly hear the influences of the first album and former line-up. It’s a song that we all liked, so we decided to keep it and adapt it to our new line-up. The lyrics talk about a man who goes to sea, knowing well that a monster awaits him, and despite the warnings of the people around him, unfortunately never comes back. The music video is centered on this story, showing a ghost ship wandering the seas, reliving the passengers’ deaths in the hands of the Kraken, forever.”

Hadopelagic is the second full-length album from Sanguine Glacialis, following 2012’s Dancing With A Hanged Man and 2016’s EP Pitch Black Sight. The beauty of Sanguine Glacialis is that their influences shine through prominently in their music, and each song has its own atmosphere, taking from a unique slice of the musical spectrum.

With this album, the band took a huge step forward and fans have been appreciating its mature sound much more than the previous one. According to the band, everything is better on this release and they are proud of the new direction they have taken. There has been talk of writing another album and getting back to live performances in the not too distant future.

Fans of Fleshgod Apocalypse, Between the Buried and Me, and Diablo Swing Orchestra will likely be interested in the genre-bending sounds of Sanguine Glacialis.

Hadopelagic was released on April 6, 2018 and is available on Bandcamp, Apple Music, Amazon, and Spotify.

(Photo by: Dani Rod)




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Edmonton rockers Boneyard have announced new lead guitarist Gary Ursulak. Ursulak takes over for Grant Tarapacki, who played on the band's debut album Oathbreaker. Ursulak and drummer Jeff Cunningham also play in Edmonton based Judas Priest tribute band Firepower.

The following message was posted on the band's Facebook page: "Finally, after 2 years of searching, auditions and setbacks, we've finally got our new lead guitarist. We are beyond excited to welcome Gary Ursulak to the band!  We persevered as a three piece, along with guest guitarist and good friend, Grant Tarapacki to finish the album."

Boneyard is a hard rock/ metal band from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The band features lead vocalist/ guitarist Pamtera. Rounding out the rhythm section, is bassist Dennis Cooke and drummer Jefftimus. The band also enjoys injecting some classic metal cuts into the set list. Its members bring a wealth of experience from previous projects that include: Tyrant, Powerslave and Septimus.

Oathbreaker is now available on red colored vinyl, limited to 100 copies. Purchase here.

"Oathbreaker" video:

Fates Warning lyric video:




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Former Hammerfall bassist Magnus Rosén has launched the Magnus Rosén Band with the release of first rock ‘n’ roll album. Rosén has recorded over 40 albums, including ten solo albums in art / classical music.

The new album contains influences from 1960s rock ‘n’ roll combined with something “more funky” for 2021. The band has recorded a tribute to Sweden’s biggest band of all-time, ABBA, and also a tribute to Bill Withers, who died last year, with a cover of the classic “Ain’t No Sunshine”, sung by former Black Sabbath vocalist Tony Martin and ABBA session musician Janne Shaffer on guitar.

The album was recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic in four different countries – England, Brazil, Sri Lanka, and Sweden.

Rosén comments: “Since I have played music widely and ruthlessly between the different music styles, I am now here with enough power to set down my foot on the rock stage again with my own rock band MRB. The rock music that I grew up with where dreams and visions grew has become a reality. World tours, Grammy nominations and gold records with Hammerfall, concerts with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and collaborations with the Gothenburg Opera where seven full up performances took place with bass playing and ballet [with royalties also] enjoying the show. Yes, a lot of water has flowed under the bridges since the wish list was written.

“Now it's time for rock music with my own name after 43 years of playing. The songs meander through different styles of music but all the time with the rock flag hoisted.

“With 43 years of experience, it's more fun than ever with the music and it starts to sound the way you really want it to. The magic of music is when the emotions shine through and the presence is here and now.”

Guests on the album:
Tony Martin – singer (Black Sabbath)
Mikael Erlandsson – singer (MRB, Secred Service)
Chitral Somapala – singer (MRB)
Janne Schaffer – guitarist (ABBA)
Jörgen Alnevall – singer (The Sign)
Jonas Hansson – guitarist (Silver Mountain)
Fabio Buitvidas – drums (MRB, Shadowside)
Raphael Mattos – guitarist (MRB)

Find more information here.




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SCORPIONS have abandoned their plans to work with producer Greg Fidelman on their new album.

The German-Polish-Swedish hard rock legends spent the last few months recording the effort at Peppermint Park Studios in Hannover, Germany. Tentatively due later this year, the disc will mark SCORPIONS' first release since 2017's "Born To Touch Your Feelings - Best Of Rock Ballads", which was an anthology of new and classic material.

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.

During an appearance on MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn's "No Fuckin' Regrets With Robb Flynn" podcast, SCORPIONS drummer Mikkey Dee stated about the band's decision to proceed without Fidelman (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Unfortunately, because of this corona, we could not come to L.A., and [Greg] could not come to Germany. So we were trying for a whole month, via Zoom, to work on songs. And then he was with us [virtually] in the early evening, and we were working together on certain songs and arrangements. But it was almost impossible for him to get our feeling and for us to understand his feeling. So we decided that it was probably better that we were trying to do this on our own. And that's what we've been doing. But I'm sure Greg would have put his magic ears to this album, and it would have been fantastic too. But, unfortunately, we had to make the best out of the situation. We were even talking about breaking in the fall, maybe in October or something already. We talked about maybe breaking the record and then come back and maybe fly to L.A. in February or March. We thought it'd be open by now. But look, here we are — it's even worse than it was in October. So if we would have been sitting here now and broke the recording October, we would have wasted six months here."

Elaborating on the early recording sessions with Fidelman, Dee said: "He was listening and working on this with us. But it's really hard to get that feeling, of course. And when he wanted to change some stuff, we were sitting in the studio going, 'What does he fucking mean here?' 'But it sounds great here.' So it's very hard to communicate [virtually]. But maybe next record — who knows? [So] we decided to move forward and continue recording and do the best we could. And we have Hans-Martin as an engineer. He's brilliant, by the way. He worked on a lot, a lot of stuff for a lot of musicians. And he's so fast, and he has a great ear, and he feels everybody on their instrument, which is important. He knows drums, he knows bass, he knows guitars, and they speak German as well, so that helps out when they can go at it and work on some stuff. Now, with this done, I think this is the only way we have to do it, and I think we chose the right way. Because if we would have stuck to really have Greg on this, we couldn't even have started now. So who knows? Maybe we could have started in June or July [of this year]. We captured a moment when we all were fresh and really wanted to make a new album. Who knows what the feeling would have been if we started in June?"

According to Mikkey, the other members of the SCORPIONS should be completed with all the recordings in about two weeks, after which the album will be mixed by Michael Ilbert at the legendary Hansa Studios in Berlin, Germany.

Singer Klaus 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.

In a new interview with Sonic Perspectives, former QUEENSRŸCHE frontman Geoff Tate was asked if he has ever thought about writing an autobiography. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I have a lot of stuff written already. I'm kind of a journal writer, keeping track of everything, 'cause, honestly, the older I get, I can't remember all the stuff. I go back and read what I wrote to remember dates and places. 'Cause I've played so many shows — thousands of shows — in different places around the world, and honestly, you just sort of forget, unless you keep track of it and write it down. You forget where you were, or you remember there was something that happened there and maybe you can remember the situation, but you don't know where you were. So it really helps to write it down and keep track of it.

"I have a lot of things written down — probably eight or nine hundred pages of information," he revealed. "It's pretty much organized by date. I think maybe when I get old enough to retire from singing on the road, maybe I'll do something at that point."

In April 2014, Tate and QUEENSRŸCHE announced that a settlement had been reached after a nearly two-year legal battle where the singer sued over the rights to the QUEENSRŸCHE name after being fired in 2012.

Tate was replaced in QUEENSRŸCHE by former CRIMSON GLORY singer Todd La Torre.

Last month, Tate announced around a dozen U.S. dates in late summer and fall as part of a tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of QUEENSRŸCHE's "Empire" and "Rage For Order" albums.

For more information, including ticket links and links for meet-and-greet passes for purchase to meet Geoff and his band after the live shows, visit www.geofftate.com.

Early last year, Tate was forced to postone a number of his tour dates due to the coronavirus pandemic that is spreading across the globe.

Tate spent the first two months of 2020 performing the QUEENSRŸCHE albums "Rage For Order" and "Empire" in their entirety on the "Empire 30th Anniversary Tour", which kicked off in January 2020 in Norway. Prior to that, Geoff celebrated the 30th anniversary of QUEENSRŸCHE's "Operation: Mindcrime" album on European and U.S. tours.

Tate's post-QUEENSRŸCHE band OPERATION: MINDCRIME released three albums over three years as part of a trilogy: "The Key" (September 2015), "Resurrection" (September 2016) and "The New Reality" (December 2017).

In 2019, Geoff released the debut album from SWEET OBLIVION via Frontiers Music Srl. The project saw Tate teaming up with a stellar cast of Italian musicians led by Simone Mularoni, the mastermind of prog metal masters DGM. The second SWEET OBLIVION album, "Relentless", will arrive on April 9 via Frontiers Music Srl. This time the production was handled by Italian metal maestro Aldo Lonobile (SECRET SPHERE, TIMO TOLKKI'S AVALON, ARCHON ANGEL).

The Dust Coda have released the official video for "Demon", the opening track of the band's new album, Mojo Skyline, out now via Earache. Order Mojo Skyline here, and watch the new clip below.

The vivid album cover for Mojo Skylin is extracted from the mind of artist Nick Dwyer, who is best known for his eye-catching designs for Beavertown Brewery's beloved brews such as Neck Oil and Gamma Ray. "I was trying to put across how these guys, who live and breathe destruction, dirt and chaos through their music might also spend their 'down time' inhaling weirdness from other not-so-obvious places," says Nick of the artwork. "They are on some sort of Natural Born Killers-esque trip, making a quick stop to watch a horror movie in the desert as the city disappears behind them.  It's a peyote sandwich washed down with whiskey and desert dust."

Tracklisting:

"Demon"
"Breakdown"
"Limbo Man"
"Dream Alight"
"Jimmy 2 Times"
"Rolling"
"Bourbon Pouring"
"I've Been Waiting"
"She's Gone"
"They Don't Know Rock N Roll"
"Best Believe It"
"It's A Jam"

"Demon" video:

"Jimmy 2 Times" video:

"Limbo Man" video:

"Breakdown" video:

Trailer:




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Death Dealer has released another song from their third album, Conquered Lands, which was released last November via Steel Cartel Records. "The Heretic Has Returned" is a sequel to the song “Curse Of The Heretic”, off of their debut album War Master, and can be heard below.

Vocalist Sean Peck chimed in" “We went with a very fan driven campaign that was greatly supported. There were only a few songs we let the streaming services have so you had to purchase it and support the band and support heavy metal to hear the whole thing. We all decided that maybe it would be cool to let another song out there so that people could hear more of what all the hype was about and maybe grab it before it was all sold out. Because the initial campaign went so well, we hardly have any vinyls left and we are super low on the digipaks too so jump in the deep water with us you will not be sorry. If you love screaming heavy metal that is ha!”

Ross The Boss said: “I really dig this song we thought about putting the ballad out there '22 Gone' which I love but we settled on putting another thrasher for people to hear.”

The all-star heavy metal roster of Death Dealer features the aforementioned Ross The Boss (Ex-Manowar), vocalist Sean Peck (Cage, The Three Tremors, Denner/Shermann), guitarist Stu Marshall (Dungeon, Night Legion), drummer Steve Bolognese: (Ross The Boss Band, Into Eternity), and newly added bassist Mike Lepond (Symphony-X, Ross The Boss Band).

Order Conquered Lands here.

Tracklisting:

"Sorcerer Supreme"
"Every Nation"
"Beauty And The Blood"
"Running With The Wolves"
"The Heretic Has Returned"
"Conquered Lands"
"Hail To The King"
"Slay Or Be Slain"
"Faith Under Fire"
"22 Gone"
"Born To Bear The Crown"

"Every Nation" lyric video:

“Running With The Wolves” video:

"Sorcerer Supreme" lyric video:




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Norway's Vreid have just dropped the latest chapter of their ambitious new album and film project, Wild North West, which is due on April 30. "Spikes Of God" can be seen below.

Songwriter and bass player Jarle Hváll Kvåle comments: "A new chapter from our album and movie Wild North West is revealed, and it’s a vile and intense chapter. This song is absolutely one of the most brutal, dark and most in-your-face songs we have ever written. The main idea for this song came to me one dark night in March 2020. I became haunted by this theme and spent the whole night in studio finishing this track. Afterwards I have barely made any adjustments to the original demo for the song. I wanted its primal ugliness to shine through and let it live its life without any corrections. The movie for this song dives into a black hole of human history, and is an illustration of how far astray we can go if we are blinded by the faith of our own perfection."

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"

"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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Italian Gothic metallers, Cadaveria, have released their new single, "Shamanic Path", which will be released on March 31st. Watch a lyric video below, and stream/download the single here.

Cadaveria previously released a music video for their single “Divination”. Stream / download the single here, and watch the clip below.




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

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

ATREYU said: "We've never been handed a golden ticket and never been given a free ride to the top of the mountain. We've worked our asses off for over 20 years to get to where we are, and this is only just the beginning. Our video for 'Underrated' is an example of how hard we worked to bring a live show to your living room. This video contains footage from our global livestream event combined with video content created by our very own Porter McKnight."

"Baptize" track listing:

01. Strange Powers Of Prophecy

02. Baptize

03. Save Us

04. Underrated

05. Broken Again

06. Weed

07. Dead Weight

08. Catastrophe

09. Fucked Up

10. Sabotage Me

11. Untouchable (feat. Jacoby Shaddix)

12. No Matter What

13. Oblivion (feat. Matt Heafy)

14. Stay

15. Warrior (feat. Travis Barker)

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

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

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

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

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

Corey Taylor recently revealed that he has written five film scripts, including a script for a movie called "Zombie Versus Ninja". Speaking to Frightmare HQ about his vision for "Zombie Versus Ninja", the SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR frontman said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "One of the things that I've always wanted to do is create a movie — write a movie and then see it from soup to nuts; from pre-pro to walking the red carpet. That's been one of my biggest dreams. And I've had the opportunity to really be put in touch with some great producers. And I'm talking to potential directors right now, actually. It is going to shoot this year."

Asked if he has any interest in directing "Zombie Versus Ninja" himself, Corey said: "It's not that I'm not interested; it's that I know that's not my forte. I'm honest enough with myself to realize that if I had wanted to be a director, I would have started learning a long time ago. And I know a lot of people with the kind of ego that they would step in and go, 'Well, it's mine. Blah blah blah.' I'm not that guy. I want it to be good. I want [people] to enjoy what I'm making, because I wanna enjoy it too. And sometimes it's the collaboration that creates something amazing. You have to be flexible enough to realize, like, 'I don't have the chops to do this.' However, that doesn't mean there's somebody out there that does. So, for me, as the writer and the producer, now I can find the right person to bring it to fruition and walk with them every step of the way as a collab. Let them do their thing, but also know that, in my mind, there's this idea of what I want it to be. And it's a gonzo horror comedy — it's the kind of fucking movie that I've always loved, and it's the kind of movie that I've always wanted to make. And if it goes off, man, it's the beginning of something rad."

He added: "I don't wanna make Oscar winners. I wanna make fun, crazy cult classics. That's all I care about."

Last fall, Taylor starred in the Halloween horror anthology "Bad Candy" from production company Digital Thunderdome. The film was written and directed by Scott Hansen and Desiree Connell, and also features Zach Galligan, the star of the "Gremlins" and "Waxwork" franchises.

Taylor also stars in another horror film called "Rucker", which is currently in post-production. It is described as a genre-bending terror film about a serial killer trucker who attempts to salvage family relationships. Olympic College film professor Amy Hesketh serves as the film's director and fellow OC professor Aaron Drane produced the film. Both are credited with co-writing the screenplay.

A longtime fan of horror films, Taylor was featured prominently in the "In Search Of Darkness" documentary, which came out in 2019.

Corey told Syfy network's "Metal Crush Mondays" how he first got into horror movies: "My mom took me to see the 'Buck Rogers [In The 25th Century]' movie when I was a kid. I must've been four or five, but the trailer before the movie was John Carpenter's 'Halloween'. You've just got these incredible visuals, this sense of it's autumn, it's Halloween and there's just this dude in the background of every shot. I can remember as a five-year-old just being transfixed. Like, I suddenly didn't care about Buck Rogers. I think it was the one moment in my life that really galvanized my taste in what my young mind thought was cool. It was actually a couple years later that I actually got to watch it and to this day it's one of my favorite movies."

Maryland rockers CLUTCH have announced the "Clutch Collector's Series", limited-edition vinyl reissues of initially four catalog albums on their own label Weathermaker Music. "Blast Tyrant" is the first release in the series and is curated by drummer Jean-Paul Gaster.

"I worked with the album's original artist Chon Hernandez to create a new look and feel for the 'Clutch Collector's Series' release of 'Blast Tyrant'," Gaster says. "Chon did an amazing job drawing the 'Blast Tyrant' to look 20 years older and wiser. We selected new colors for the jacket, sleeves, and vinyl to make a completely new package.

"The album has been remastered and is manufactured on 180-gram colored vinyl. The gatefold jacket is printed on metalized polyester paper and embossed with the official 'Clutch Collector's Series' seal. The double-disc set is sleeved in extra heavy stock paper and includes a numbered insert autographed by the band. The 'Clutch Collector's Series' release of 'Blast Tyrant' is limited to 5,000 units worldwide."

"Blast Tyrant" is scheduled to be released in June. The initial presale on clutchmerch.com took place on March 23 and sold out within 3 hours.

The limited edition can be ordered through indie retailers. The album is also available for pre-order on Amazon.

Last December, CLUTCH guitarist Tim Sult told the WSOU radio station that the band will likely enter the studio this fall to record the follow-up to 2018's "Book Of Bad Decisions" album.

Regarding CLUTCH's musical approach this time around, Tim said: "We're just gonna do what we always do — we're gonna write songs and just keep playing them until every member of the band likes it and agrees on it.

This past September, Gaster confirmed to the "Cobras & Fire" podcast that he and his bandmates have slowly commenced the songwriting process for the next CLUTCH album.

"Book Of Bad Decisions" was recorded at Sputnik Sound studio in Nashville, Tennessee with producer Vance Powell. The record sold 26,000 copies in America during its first week of availability, giving the group its third consecutive Top 20 album on the Billboard 200.

The latest edition of CLUTCH's "Live From The Doom Saloon" streaming concert series took place in December. The event saw the band playing a 15-song set of its classics as voted by the fans.

BLACK SABBATH guitarist Tony Iommi has dismissed the notion that rock is dead, saying that there will always be a market for "good music."

While rock and roll has been king of the music world for decades, in the past few years, it's been unseated by the growing popularity of hip-hop. This has caused many pundits to proclaim the genre "dead" from an industry perspective, noting that it has been eclipsed in all measures by pop, hip-hop, and EDM.

A few years ago, KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons told Esquire magazine that "rock did not die of old age. It was murdered. Some brilliance, somewhere, was going to be expressed and now it won't because it's that much harder to earn a living playing and writing songs. No one will pay you to do it."

A number of hard rock and heavy metal musicians have weighed in on the topic in a variety of interviews over the last several years, with some digging a little deeper into Simmons's full remarks and others just glossing over the headline.

Iommi, who is currently promoting the deluxe editions of BLACK SABBATH's "Heaven And Hell" and "Mob Rules" albums, spoke about rock's supposed diminishing status during a recent interview with Greg Prato of Consequence Of Sound. Addressing the whole "rock is dead" debate, Tony said: "I don't think rock is going to die. That's been said for years. I mean, how many times I've heard that statement over the past 50-odd years? It's quite a lot, really.

He continued: "I think good music is not going to go. There's always going to be a market for it. There are going to be an amount of bands that fall by the wayside — as there always is, there always will be. But there are certain bands that are going to stick out and going to be there. You've got METALLICA up there — they're not going to go away. They've got a lot of fans and they've got a great fanbase. There are a lot of bands out there. No, the music is not going to go away."

The "rock is dead" argument has popped up again and again throughout the years, including in 2018 after MAROON 5 lead singer Adam Levine told Variety magazine that "rock music is nowhere, really. I don't know where it is," he said. "If it's around, no one's invited me to the party. All of the innovation and the incredible things happening in music are in hip-hop. It's better than everything else. Hip-hop is weird and avant-garde and flawed and real, and that's why people love

After more than a decade in hibernation, the time has come to shine a fresh light on DIVINE HERESY via the first-ever vinyl releases of "Bleed The Fifth" and "Bringer Of Plague". M-Theory Audio will be reissuing both albums from the metal supergroup — featuring members of FEAR FACTORY, MORBID ANGEL, BAD WOLVES and NILE — exclusively in North America on May 21. The group's 2007 debut "Bleed The Fifth" will be released on black-and-white haze vinyl, while 2009's "Bringer Of Plagues" will be offered on smoke-colored wax. Each record will also include additional bonus tracks not contained on the original CD releases. The first pressings of both albums are limited to 300 copies and are available for pre-order now at www.m-theoryaudio.com/store.

"These two albums have never been available on vinyl till now," explains guitarist Dino Cazares. "I'm so happy to finally have them released, be prepare for sonic devastation."

After temporarily parting ways with FEAR FACTORY — the influential, gold-certified industrial metal band he co-founded — in 2002, guitarist and extreme metal pioneer Dino Cazares (also of BRUJERIA and ASESINO) began laying the foundation for a new project that would combine metallic aggression, muscular precision and melodic accessibility. Initially joining forces with acclaimed drummers John Sankey (DEVIL YOU KNOW, DEVOLVED) and Nicholas Barker (CRADLE OF FILTH, DIMMU BORGIR) to write, Cazares eventually completed the album with drummer Tim Yeung (MORBID ANGEL, VITAL REMAINS, HATE ETERNAL) and vocalist Tommy Vext (BAD WOLVES, SNOT), Cazares's vision was realized, and DIVINE HERESY was born.

The group's first record, "Bleed The Fifth" — produced by former MACHINE HEAD/SOULFLY guitarist Logan Mader (GOJIRA, DEVILDRIVER) and featuring cover art from Joachim Luetke (ARCH ENEMY, KREATOR, DIMMU BORGIR) — was released in 2007 in North America via Century Media Records and by FEAR FACTORY's longtime home, Roadrunner Records, in Europe — received rave reviews from the global metal press. Metal Hammer called DIVINE HERESY "a quintessential 21st Century American metal band," while Kerrang! raved that the album "couldn't be more metal if it hung a massive V around the neck of the Eiffel Tower while gargling liquid mercury." The album also featured a guest appearance from guitarist Marc Rizzo (SOULFLY, CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, ILL NINO) and bassist Tony Campos (STATIC-X, PRONG, MINISTRY). After adding bassist Joe Payne (NILE), the band supported the album's release by touring extensively alongside the likes of KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, ALL THAT REMAINS, STATIC-X, ARCH ENEMY, DARK TRANQUILLITY, SHADOWS FALL and CHIMAIRA, as well as appearing at Australia's Soundwave festival.

Unfortunately, DIVINE HERESY's initial lineup splintered in 2008 when Vext was let go, and Cazares, Yeung and Payne quickly rebounded with new vocalist Travis Neal (DIRGE WITHIN, THE BLOODLINE) and released their second album, "Bringer Of Plagues", in 2009. The record also saw the band's sound augmented by keyboards from Rhys Fulber (FRONTLINE ASSEMBLY). Produced by Mader once again, and featuring artwork from Anthony Clarkson (DEVIN TOWNSEND, KATAKLYSM, HYPOCRISY), the album — which cracked the Billboard Top 200 upon its release — was heavier than its predecessor, with AllMusic describing it as "a head-down, hair-pinwheeling metal album" and Kerrang! praising its "thunderous, jaw-dropping intensity." The band returned to the road with gusto, touring with the likes of MOONSPELL, GIGAN, AFTER THE BURIAL and 36 CRAZYFISTS, but soon after Cazares rejoined a new-look FEAR FACTORY, DIVINE HERESY went on hiatus.

M-Theory Audio's upcoming reissues of "Bleed The Fifth" and "Bringer Of Plagues" will mark the first time that DIVINE HERESY's furious sounds have been issued on vinyl. The track listings for both albums appear below.

"Bleed The Fifth" vinyl track listing:

01. Bleed The Fifth

02. Failed Creation

03. This Threat Is Real

04. Impossible Is Nothing

05. Savior Self

06. Rise Of The Scorned

07. False Gospel

08. Soul Decoded

09. Royal Blood Heresy

10. Closure

11. Purity Defiled (bonus track)

12. Creator Defied (bonus track)

"Bringer of Plagues" vinyl track listing:

01. Facebreaker

02. The Battle Of J. Casey

03. Undivine Prophecies

04. Bringer Of Plagues

05. Redefine

06. Anarchaos

07. Monolithic Doomsday Devices

08. Letter To Mother

09. Enemy Kill

10. Darkness Embedded

11. The End Begins

12. Forever The Failure (bonus track)

BEHEMOTH frontman Adam "Nergal" Darski has praised the Polish government's decision to keep churches open over Easter.

Despite facing soaring COVID case numbers and one of the highest death rates in Europe, the Polish government decided to allow religious services to go on but tightened limits on the number of people attending church, permitting one person per every 20 square meters.

Earlier today (Saturday, March 27), the Polish-born Darski, who has always been outspoken against religion, took to his Instagram to write: "Polish government has just announced full lockdown in Poland. Pretty much EVERYTHING shuts down: restaurants, malls, gyms, barbershops but... churches. As much as I despise 99% of their mindless decisions this one puts a big smile on my face.

"I deeply believe churches should be fully open despite pandemic. Not 100% capacity but 150% or more! Go and share your passion my fellow Catholics, share the sign of peace, hold your hands... kiss each other if needed! French kissing too if there's desire for that! Christian LOVE should have no boundaries really!

"No one expects intelligence, common sense or imagination from Polish Catholics bu we do expect they do NOT compromise their faith, don't we?

"Remember, Jesus saves...!

"Off to churches, GO !!!!!"

As of Thursday, Poland had has recorded 2,120,671 cases and 50,340 deaths, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. The country has a death rate of 106 per million, which is well above the European average of 67 per million, based on the most recent two-week average.

On Wednesday, the nation of 38 million inhabitants recorded its highest daily number of new COVID-19 cases in the pandemic, reaching almost 30,000. There were 575 deaths.
























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Sweden's Brands For Fans, Epic Rights and KISS have signed an agreement to launch two more products together.  

Perhaps the most highly anticipated by fans and the most likely to cause a stir amongst collectors is the announcement of KISS Cold Gin.  Named after the legendary song written by Ace Frehley and released in 1974, the gin is due for launch before summer this year, in perfect time for gin & tonic season.  

Adding to the current duo within KISS Rum Kollection will be a third rum which will hit all the high notes as a super-premium product. As a collectable item and additional launch to celebrate the new trio, all three bottles will also be sold in a new and exclusive gift box.   

More detailed information about the products, availability and markets will be announced closer to the launches. Watch for updates here. Check out the official KISS Rum Kollection Facebook page here.

Dead Sled Coffee is now collaborating with KISS and have issued the following update:

"You wanted the best, you got the best! The moment you've been waiting for is here. Pre-orders for the Limited Edition KISS Alive Brew Bundle go on sale this Thursday, (March 25th) at 9:00am EST. There are only 4,000 bundles available and when they're gone, they're gone."

Go to the official Dead Sled Coffee website here to pre-order. Check their official Facebook page here for updates.

Dead Sled Coffee is "committed to bridging the gap between the connoisseur and the creeps. Exceptional quality coffee and a dark sense of humor make Dead Sled Coffee good to the last breath."




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SHINEDOWN frontman Brent Smith has revealed that he and his bandmates are currently in Malibu, California working with Grammy Award-nominated multi-platinum songwriter and record producer Dave Bassett on material for their upcoming album. The follow-up to 2018's "Attention Attention" is being recorded in part at bassist and producer Eric Bass's new studio in Charleston, South Carolina for a tentative late 2021 release.

Smith took to SHINEDOWN's Instagram Wednesday night (March 24) to write: "So to everybody that has been curious about what is going on in the land of @Shinedown here is an update. We are primarily focusing on writing at this point. We never rush the creative process especially when it comes to writing the songs as they are constantly being revised. Lyrics will change, melodies can change until we are fundamentally all in the right place with one another, before the actual recording of the album begins. Yes we demo all of the material, and yes we are constantly studying how each, and every song makes us feel emotionally from the very first day it is written, and demoed, all the way up until we are ready to record what will ultimately become the album version...

"We began writing in June of 2020, and we are currently still in that process. Now that being said we must be honest with all of you guys, and girls we never want to make the same album twice, it's not in our nature, and quite frankly it's not who we are. Certain artist have a very specific style that works for them, and they will focus primarily on that style, and we say more power to them, and if it ain't broke don't fix it... That being said we as a band must constantly embark on the next level. Our Fanbase 'Family' deserves our absolute BEST, and that can take time.

"Our audience is our entire world. We have often said that 'We only have one boss, it just happens to be everyone in the audience' and we take that VERY seriously. Something else behind the scenes that is beyond crucial is the fact that our record label of 20 years @atlanticrecords and our management @indegoot allows us the time, and resources we need to make these kinds of records/albums. Believe us when we say it takes a village, because it does, and we never take that for granted... SOOOOOOO that being said, it's time to get back to work."

Last September, Smith told the KLOS radio show "Whiplash" that he and Bass were looking to make a more organic-sounding album this time around.

"We've kind of proven that we can make these very large records, these very cinematic, orchestrated records with this wall of sound," he said. "What we wanna try to do with this album is we do want to hone it back down to drums, bass, guitar and vocals and the best songs that we can write and the freshest songs we can write with the most tenacity and the most ferociousness that we can express. So I don't think this time around we're going to necessarily look at the handbook of, 'Let's layer this record like we've layered other records, and let's keep adding to it so that it grows.' I think more the idea of big mono on this album, it's more about stereo and putting all of the sonics down the middle. But you don't have a hundred tracks on a song; you don't take a 22-piece orchestra and bring it in there. We've done that, and we've done those kinds of records, and we love those records, and we love that sound, but I think what we wanna do with this next record is we really want to focus on being a four-piece band, and let's see if we can peel the paint off of the walls with just the fury of the four of us in a room."

In August, SHINEDOWN broke the record for the most No. 1s ever in the 39-year history of the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart, scoring its 16th No. 1 hit with "Atlas Falls". This also marked the band's 17th No. 1 on the Mediabase Active Rock chart and its sixth consecutive No. 1, following "How Did You Love", "Devil", "Get Up", "Monsters" and "Attention Attention".

Originally written in 2013, "Atlas Falls" was first made available from SHINEDOWN's vault in March 2020 as part of an exclusive song and T-shirt bundle for the band's COVID-19 fundraising effort.
























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In March 2021, the iconic composer, pianist, drummer, and leader of rock group X Japan, Yoshiki, donated $100,000 in support of mental health to MusiCares, a partner of the Recording Academy and the leading music charity, to help music creators and industry professionals affected by depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, or other mental health concerns.

The global pandemic has seen a spike in depression and suicide, in addition to the loss of jobs, touring, and work in all areas of the global music industry. Mental health and well-being are issues particularly close to Yoshiki’s heart - as documented in the 2017 award winning documentary film We Are X - which details the artist’s experience with suicide in his family and with his bandmates.

Yoshiki states, “If I didn’t have music and my fans’ support, I could have easily been the one to take my own life like the people who were close to me, including my father and my band member. I’d like to not only contribute from my learned experience but try to support those in need. It’s such an honor to be working closely with MusiCares on these issues.”

Yoshiki Foundation America’s annual grant of $100,000 to MusiCares will be used to help those in the music industry in need of assistance in the following ways:

- Assist music professionals in receiving individual psychotherapy, psychiatric care, inpatient and outpatient services, and group therapy
- Expanded mental health educational content will be available through workshops and panels offered throughout the year
- Sponsor an annual moderated panel about Suicide Prevention and Education
- Panel will include Yoshiki, invited guests, therapists, educators, artists, and experts on suicide prevention and education, and will be live streamed on musicares.org and Yoshikifoundationamerica.org.

“We are so thankful to Yoshiki and Yoshiki Foundation America for their continued support of MusiCares. This annual grant will help us continue to provide important mental health services to the music people we serve,” said Laura Segura, Executive Director of MusiCares, “Artists, bands, stage and touring crews and so many others in the music industry have been greatly impacted by the pandemic. It is our responsibility to support them with the necessary services to help them make it through these difficult times.”

Information on MusiCares and their COVID-19 relief programs are available here.

Yoshiki – composer, producer, classically trained pianist, rock drummer, and leader of rock group X Japan – has lived in Los Angeles for over 20 years and owns a recording studio in Hollywood. As a rare artist who has roots in the US and Japan, his position as a world artist makes him aware of the challenges facing not only these countries, but the global music industry as well.

In recognition of years of his active philanthropy and influence, Yoshiki was selected as one of Forbes Asia’s 30 Heroes of Philanthropy in 2019. This month, he was also awarded a Medal of Honor by the Government of Japan. His philanthropy includes this 2021 MusiCares donation, which follows up the $100,000 he donated in March 2020, as well as $100,000 in October 2017 to MusiCares.

Yoshiki and Disney’s collaborative music documentary is now airing on Disney+ in the US here. He is currently working on a number of music and film projects due for release throughout 2021.

MusiCares helps the humans behind music because music gives so much to the world. Offering preventive, emergency, and recovery programs, MusiCares is a safety net supporting the health and welfare of the music community. Founded by the Recording Academy in 1989 as a U.S. based 501(c)(3) charity, MusiCares safeguards the well-being of all music people through direct financial grant programs, networks of support resources, and tailored crisis relief efforts.

(Photo - Yoshiki)




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Impure Wilhelmina will be releasing their seventh full-length, Antidote, on May 21 via Season Of Mist. Pre-order the album here, and watch a lyric video for the track, "Dismantling", below.

The band comments: ''Built like a crescendo, this song evokes the war that each individual must wage against mediocrity, against ideologies, against the dismantling of the world, against guilt, against everyone, against himself. This war cannot be won, but the perpetual struggle makes it possible to never admit defeat, and to cultivate one's singularity, even if it means finding oneself alone facing the abyss. We are born to hurt each other.''

Tracklisting:

“Solitude”
“Midlife Hollow”
“Gravel”
“Dismantling”
“Jasmines”
“Vicious”
“Torrent”
“Unpredicted Sky”
“Antidote”
“Everything Is Vain”

"Dismantling" lyric video:

“Gravel”:

(Photo - Mehdi Benkler)




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GARBAGE will release its seventh studio album, "No Gods No Masters", on June 11 via Stunvolume/Infectious Music. The record's debut single, "The Men Who Rule the World", and its accompanying mixed media video — created by Chilean film director, animator and painter Javi Mi Amor — are out today.

"This is our seventh record, the significant numerology of which affected the DNA of its content: the seven virtues, the seven sorrows, and the seven deadly sins," says the band's frontwoman Shirley Manson of the album and its twists and turns from capitalism and lust to loss and grief. "It was our way of trying to make sense of how fucking nuts the world is and the astounding chaos we find ourselves in. It's the record we felt that we had to make at this time."

"The Men Who Rule The World", the opening track of "No Gods No Masters", is a protest song — a searing indictment and call to arms critiquing of the rise of capitalist short-sightedness, racism, sexism and misogyny across the world. It's a clear statement of intent from a band who still believe in the power of dissent, setting the tone for the rest of the record.

Produced by GARBAGE and long-time collaborator Billy Bush, the seeds for "No Gods No Masters" were planted in summer 2018 in the desert in Palm Springs. The quartet — Manson and bandmates Duke Erikson, Steve Marker and Butch Vig — convened at a home belonging to one of Marker's relatives and sketched out the skeleton of the album over two weeks, jamming, experimenting and feeling the songs out. They then took those demos and went their separate ways before connecting in Los Angeles to finish the record.

GARBAGE will unveil a deluxe CD/digital version of "No Gods No Masters" featuring covers of classic tracks by David Bowie, Patti Smith and Bruce Springsteen along with rare GARBAGE originals. The deluxe version also features new voices, with appearances from Screaming Females, Brody Dalle, Brian Aubert, John Doe and Exene Cervenka. The album will also be in record stores starting June 12 as part of RSD Drops and will be available in limited edition pink vinyl, featuring alternate cover art.

Since releasing their eponymous debut album in 1995, GARBAGE has blazed a unique sonic trail, garnering critical acclaim and amassing a passel of hits as well as seven Grammy nominations along the way to 17 million albums sold.

"No Gods No Masters" track listing:

01. The Men Who Rule The World

02. The Creeps

03. Uncomfortably Me

04. Wolves

05. Waiting For God

06. Godhead

07. Anonymous XXX

08. A Woman Destroyed

09. Flipping The Bird

10. No Gods No Masters

11. This City Will Kill You

Deluxe Edition (bonus tracks)

12. No Horses

13. Starman

14. Girls Talk (feat. Brody Dalle)

15. Because The Night (feat. Screaming Females)

16. On Fire

17. The Chemicals (feat. Brian Aubert)

18. Destroying Angels (feat. John Doe & Exene Cervenka)

19. Time Will Destroy Everything

Multi-platinum rock band STAIND will release its first album in nine years, "Live: It's Been Awhile", on May 7 via Yap'em/Alchemy Recordings.

The "Live: It's Been Awhile" album will be accompanied by "The Return Of Staind", a two-part global streaming series in partnership with Danny Wimmer Presents. The series launches with STAIND's "Live: It's Been Awhile (From Foxwoods)" concert, which streams globally on May 1. The "Live: It's Been Awhile" album and concert were recorded at the band's comeback show at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut in October 2019. The never-before-seen concert celebrates the band's reunion after a five-year hiatus.

"These were the first grouping of shows we played together in 2019, when we were gearing up for what was to be a very busy 2020...that never happened," says STAIND lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Aaron Lewis. "I'm glad we captured that energy here and can share it with those who couldn't be at Foxwoods."

STAIND will also perform its iconic multi-platinum 2001 album "Break The Cycle" in its entirety for a May 8 streaming event, exactly 20 years after the album's release. The "20th Anniversary Of Break The Cycle, Performed In Its Entirety" takes place at Mill 1 in Open Square in Holyoke, Massachusetts, bringing the band back to their Western Mass roots. Please note, this is a fully virtual event, with no in-person attendance.

"Our first show together in 1995 was at a now defunct bar called the Waterfront in Holyoke," says Aaron. "We played mostly covers, because that's what you had to do back then. Turns out The Waterfront is two miles from where we did this. Here we are, two miles down the road, 26 years later, celebrating the anniversary of the album that helped us break though 20 years ago and altered our lives forever."

Both global streaming events debut at 2:00 p.m. PDT / 5:00 p.m. EDT / 10:00 p.m. BST / 11:00 p.m. CEST on their respective days and will be available on-demand for 72 hours. Watch the official trailer for "The Return Of Staind" below.

Purchase tickets for one or both of the STAIND global streaming events at StaindLive.com. Fans can also purchase bundles and VIP experiences, including exclusive merchandise, a custom STAIND guitar autographed by the entire band, and a virtual meet-and-greet with the band.

After a five-year hiatus, STAIND roared back on the scene in 2019 with a series of electrifying live performances, including DWP's Louder Than Life and Aftershock festivals.

"'Break The Cycle' was huge — in 2001, it debuted at #1 with over 700,000 copies sold in its first week – but it's more than just a hit record. It's a defining moment for the genre, the way it flows from beauty to heaviness — and Aaron Lewis was the perfect instrument for those melodies, those lyrics. Nobody in the genre could match the dynamics of Aaron's voice," says Danny Wimmer, founder of Danny Wimmer Presents. "When STAIND came back in 2019, they sounded as good as ever, and the fan demand for what the band had planned for 2020 was through the roof. Now in 2021, there's no way we were going to miss this opportunity to celebrate 20 years of such a pivotal record, and carry that momentum into the next era of STAIND."

STAIND has released seven albums since 1995, the latest being the 2011 self-titled effort. The band has had a number of hit songs during its first two decades, including the Top 10 smash "It's Been Awhile" from the No. 1 album "Break The Cycle". Follow-up LPs "14 Shades Of Grey" and "Chapter V" also topped the Billboard chart.

In 2019, Lewis said that new STAIND material would likely sound "pretty brutal. It would be continuing back to how heavy we were to begin with, when 'It's Been Awhile' and 'Outside' and 'So Far Away' and songs like that, that were radio songs, confused everything. 'Cause if you came and saw us at a show, the show was a hell of a lot heavier than most of the songs that you would hear on the radio. And I would have to say that it would be going back in the direction of just heavy… I think I've got some pent-up stuff that would probably flow out quite nicely over some of Mike's [Mushok] heavy riffs."

"Live: It's Been Awhile" track listing:

01. Eyes Wide Open (Live)

02. Paper Jesus (Live)

03. Not Again (Live)

04. Fade (Live)

05. For You (Live)

06. Something (Live)

07. Intro (Live)

08. Crawl (Live)

09. Right Here (Live)

10. Outside (Live)

11. Paper Wings (Live)

12. So Far Away (Live)

13. Raw (Live)

14. It's Been Awhile (Live)

15. Mudshovel (Live)

In 2020, Danny Wimmer Presents entered the digital content curation space, promoting pay-per-view livestreams and creating the popular digital series "Offstage With DWP". DWP is known worldwide for their stellar portfolio of music and lifestyle events, which includes Aftershock, Bourbon & Beyond, Epicenter, Hometown Rising, Louder Than Life, Sonic Temple Art + Music Festival and Welcome To Rockville.

DREAM THEATER keyboardist Jordan Rudess has released the official music video for "I Surrender", a track from his latest solo album "A Chapter In Time".

Issued on March 12, "A Chapter In Time" was created as a musical reflection of a most unusual time in our history.

"I had this kind of musical diary that I was keeping during the whole beginning [and] middle of the lockdown, which was me basically going into my studio and working with these kind of trippy piano sounds and programming these ambient colors around the piano," Jordan told "The Guitar Hour" podcast. "And I was doing that a lot. It was really very cathartic for me. It was kind of helping me even just deal with my own feelings and everything like that. So after I got a whole bunch of those together, I thought, 'I should really release this as an album' — kind of like a marker of the time period. It's really just personal, if nothing else."

Regarding his decision to release the LP via Bandcamp, which supports artists and labels through revenue sharing of sales of a band's digital music, vinyl, t-shirt, or any other product listed on the web site, Rudess said: "The music business is just such a difficult place right now. It's so hard to make any money. It's crazy, and it's so sad. So I decided I would release it on Bandcamp so I would stand a chance to pay my expenses and maybe make a few bucks — instead of putting it out on Spotify and iTunes and Amazon, all the streaming services like that."

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





A Chapter In Time by Jordan Rudess

Swedish black metal outfit, Wormwood, is forced to change the name of their upcoming studio album to Arkivet after receiving a cease and desist letter from Fonus. The funeral home claims they have rights to the name 'Vita Arkivet' and are willing to broach legal action to avoid any potential confusion or risk of infringement on their service.

The band knew about the funeral service in question, but didn't draw the conclusion at the time that they weren't allowed to use the term for their album.

The members of Wormwood clarify the situation: "They claimed that it would create confusion and infringe on their service. After legal correspondence between both parties, we decided simply to avoid problems and change the name of the album to 'Arkivet'. As a band, we think this is incredibly ridiculous, but what can we do? We are an underground band and cannot afford to quarrel with lawyers for days on end."

Arkivet tracklisting:

"The Archive"
"Overgrowth"
"End Of Message"
"My Northern Heart"
"Ensamheten"
"The Slow Drown"
"The Gentle Touch Of Humanity"




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Blacklight Media / Metal Blade Records welcome Nicolas Cage Fighter to its worldwide roster.

Nicolas Cage Fighter comments: "We couldn't be more honoured to be on the same label as so many of our idols, and be on the roster of the most influential and biggest metal label in the world. We are so thrilled to be part of the Metal Blade / Blacklight family alongside the best rising bands in heavy music.
A massive thank you to Metal Blade and Blacklight Media for believing in us and giving us this opportunity. Thank you to our team, friends, listeners, sound guys and venues who support heavy music, and the bands we've shared stages with. We would like to add that Nicolas Cage Fighter is well into production for our debut album, which will be released on Metal Blade & Blacklight Media. We know for sure we will definitely please our audience and critics upon its release, stay tuned!"

Nicolas Cage Fighter is a four-piece metallic hardcore band from Ballarat, Victoria (Australia). Formed in 2011, the band released their debut EP, 3350, in June 2013 and toured in support of it, sharing the stage with Attila, Thy Art Is Murder, Thick As Blood, Iwrestledabearonce, I Declare War, Deez Nuts, In Hearts Wake, Aversions Crown, Saviour, Hellions, Whoretopsy, Taken By Force, and many more. In January 2020, a two-track single/demo, Hell In Me, was released; during this time, Nicolas Cage Fighter also began writing for their Cast You Out EP - however, one week into the recording, they were faced with a statewide lockdown due to government-imposed COVID restrictions. Cast You Out's release was subsequently delayed, being pushed back to February 2021.

Nicolas Cage Fighter's debut full-length - expected for a 2022 release via Blacklight Media / Metal Blade Records - will surely be another exciting chapter in the band's history. Stay tuned for more news coming soon.

Nicolas Cage Fighter lineup:

Nicholas Moriarty - vocals
Matt Davenport - drums
Tom Bardwell - bass
Justin Ellis - guitar

(Photo - Jayden Pitts Photography)




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Ghosts Of Sunset have been on a roll lately. 2020 was a break-out year for the band with singles “Miles In-Between”, “Never Goodbye” and “Another Rock N Roll Show” clocking up several hundred thousand streams. To top that off, they recently released their debut EP Headed West, to strong fan and critical acclaim.

Now the band wants to give something back to the music industry.

With live music being taken away in 2020 and into 2021, Ghosts Of Sunset’s John Merchant and Todd Long were missing the stage and the fan interaction. With the help of friends Eric Jayk (Wildstreet) and Brandon Fields (Minefield), they wrote a song to do their part to help struggling music venues. The result is “All I Wanna Do Is Rock”, with proceeds going to Save Our Stages.

“All I Wanna Do Is Rock” is available on all streaming platforms. Get it here, and listen to the song below:




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