The Crown have released a lyric video for "Beyond The Frail", featured on their new album, Royal Destroyer, available via Metal Blade Records. Find the new clip below, and order the album here.

Royal Destroyer tracklisting:

"Baptized In Violence"
"Let The Hammering Begin!"
"Motordeath"
"Ultra Faust"
"Glorious Hades"
"Full Metal Justice"
"Scandinavian Satan"
"Devoid Of Light"
"We Drift On"
"Beyond The Frail"

"Beyond The Frail" lyric video:

"Scandinavian Satan" lyric video:

"We Drift On" video:

"Motordeath" video:

The Crown lineup:

Johan Lindstrand - Vocals
Magnus Olsfelt - Bass
Marko Tervonen - Guitar
Robin Sörqvist - Lead guitar and backing vocals
Henrik Axelsson - Drums

(Photo - Ida Kucera)




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During an appearance on the latest episode of Italy's "Heavy Demons" radio show, OBITUARY drummer Donald Tardy confirmed that the band has used some of the downtime during the coronavirus pandemic to work on material for a new studio album. He added (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "As always, we are a band that does not put pressure on ourselves. We do not push the envelope. So we really just took our time and were writing songs as they came into our brain, but we did not try too hard; we wanted it to come naturally. So we are still writing the music. We're very excited about the new songs. [They're] very OBITUARY style, but just like a good red wine that's been opened, it's just getting tastier and tastier. Some of these riffs and some of these songs that we have for the new album fans are really gonna love. We stick to our roots. We are OBITUARY. We do not try to play a million miles an hour. We want it to be midtempo and groovy and heavy, and that's really what we're trying to deliver to our fans."

Earlier in the month, OBITUARY announced a new two-part spring livestream series. The band will perform its favorite songs on March 27 and run through its classic third album, 1992's "The End Complete", in its entirety on April 3.

Tickets, t-shirts and bundles are available beginning this Friday, March 5 at 1 p.m. EST at www.obituarylive.com.

Last October, OBITUARY took part in a three-part "live stream concert series" featuring full-album performances of "Slowly We Rot", "Cause Of Death" and rare classics. The first two streams — a "Slowly We Rot" set; and a "Cause Of Death" set — were live from the ESI Streaming Studio in Tampa, Florida. The third stream, featuring rare classics and special tracks, was broadcasted live from OBITUARY's recording studio in Gibsonton, Florida.

OBITUARY's latest, self-titled studio album was released in 2017 via Relapse.

Photo credit: Stefan Schippe

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. The band has offered fans the music video for the first single, "Drift". Check out the video directed by Nichole Kephart below. Preorder here.

Miles Dimitri Baker comments "I am so excited to be announcing our first record titled Search Party. These are songs that we are so proud of and they make up a collective work that we couldn't be happier with. I feel like this is the true start of the band and accurately represents our current sound and headspace for writing music. The first single, 'Drift,' is one of my personal favorites on the record and I feel so good about the songwriting, balance, and conviction that this track has. It's a heavy one, has some infectious melodies, and really covers quite a bit of musical ground in one song. I can't wait for the rest of the singles and then the entire record to come out so people can hear the amount of dynamic and diversity we have on this record. It has been a long time coming, we poured our hearts into it, and I think that's really going to show on the record. I hope you all enjoy it as much as we do!"

Aaron Stechauner states, "In terms of what song to give you all as an introduction to Search Party as an album, this first single, 'Drift,' is a very cheeky choice. While it does tie together who we are and what we are trying to say, I don’t think it will leave anyone going 'yeah, this is what I expected to get from the album after hearing ‘Drift.' It tells you what we are capable of giving you, without giving away at all what we actually are about to give you. What a blessing it is that this album [Search Party] is finally getting to see the light of day, one blind at a time. In ways both related to as well as entirely separate from the band, this album represents turning one last page and finally entering a new chapter. "

Andrew Virrueta comments, "Were so overjoyed to show you all what have been working on over the past couple of years. These songs all individually represent a unique and distinct time in our musical explorations, interpersonal relationships, and abilities as musicians; individually, and as a cohesive group. There's nothing quite as satisfying to me as seeing them all displayed on a record together in one presentation. We hope you enjoy every song on this album as much as we do, as there is something different and special to offer from song to song. Sincerest thanks to our fans, friends, and families for being right here with us every step of the way."

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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Finland’s Ghastly returns anew from the limitless wellspring of incomprehensible obscurity and dark inspiration that is Finland with its third album of mind-altering nightmare visions, Mercurial Passages. Confirming the album for late May release, 20 Buck Spin presents the lead single, “Parasites,” alongside the cover artwork and more.

All the elements that made Ghastly’s praised Death Velour album a rarified jewel return in full splendor on Mercurial Passages; the memorably eerie slow burn buildups, the frantically vivid outbursts of speed, and dramatic trance inducing doom fragments that create a hypnotic psychedelia akin to being lost in infinite labyrinthine corridors perpetually folding in on themselves. Death metal for altered states of consciousness and mystifying wonder, rather than corporeal rot and earthbound materialism.

An album to be consumed as a contemplative whole, Mercurial Passages burrows into the deep recesses of the psyche exposing the dark subconscious to the edges of madness.

Mercurial Passages was recorded and mixed at Parasite Dune Studios by Ian J. D’Waters and mastered at Redmount Studios by Magnus Lindberg. As with its predecessor, Mercurial Passages is graced with hauntingly cerebral artwork from Riikka Pesonen, whose visual elegance provides the perfect accompaniment to Ghastly’s sinister eccentricity.

Continuing the label’s deep obsession with Finnish metal, 20 Buck Spin will serve Mercurial Passages on LP CD, cassette, and digital formats on May 28. Watch for preorders and additional audio previews from the album to post over the weeks ahead. Fans of Obliteration, Bedsore, Morbus Chron, Edge Of Sanity, Tribulation, Venenum, and the death metal era of Darkthrone should not miss this.

Tracklisting:

“Ouroborus”
“Out Of The Psychic Blue”
“Sea Of Light”
“Perdition”
“Parasites”
“Dawnless Dreams”
“Mirror Horizon”

“Parasites”:

(Photo: S. Kujansuu)




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On May 7, Kardashev will release a digital and vinyl reissue of their 2020 EP, The Baring Of Shadows - featuring instrumental versions of all tracks via Metal Blade Records. In anticipation of this reissue, a new video for the EP's single, "Snow-Sleep" is streaming now. Preorder here.

The Baring Of Shadows can be pre-ordered on vinyl in the following versions:
- Orange marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 250 copies)
- Twilight purple marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 250 copies)
- Orange w/ black dust vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 250 copies)
- Peach marbled (US exclusive)
- clear w/ orange and black splatter vinyl (US exclusive)

A self-described "deathgaze" group, Kardashev is for fans of The Contortionist, Rivers of Nihil, Devin Townsend, Alcest - among others. Much of the band's lyrical content - found on their numerous EPs, singles, plus debut album (2015's Peripety) - is written about science, space and the human condition.

Kardashev is currently hard at work writing their sophomore album - and Metal Blade Records debut - set to be released in 2022.

Album art by Karl Elnas:

Tracklisting:

“A Frame. A Light”
“Snow-Sleep”
“Torchpassing”
“Heartache”
“A Frame. A Light” (Instrumental) 
“Snow-Sleep” (Instrumental)
“Torchpassing” (Instrumental)
“Heartache” (Instrumental)

“Snow-Sleep” video:




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Canadian alt-metal / hard rock crossover stars, Sumo Cyco, will release their upcoming full-length album, Initiation, on May 7 via Napalm Records. The band have released the video below, featuring a piano version of the single, "No Surrender".

Initiation invites a mass of new followers into their warped, dystopian-like world of “Cyco City”! As with its predecessors Lost In Cyco City (2014), Opus Mar (2017) and countless singles, Initiation is based in the imaginative conceptual location of “Cyco City.” But unlike most concept albums, the lyrical content is inspired by the band’s real-time environment – featuring timely, personal themes of love, sacrifice, anxiety, empowerment and more that all listeners can relate to.

Sweetnam adds about the album: "The album’s title, Initiation, stems from wanting to invite the audience to be 'initiated' into our world. There are usually two congruent themes to each of our albums – one is real-world inspiration, and the other is 'Cyco City', a comic book-esque alternate universe where all our music videos take place. With Initiation, we introduce four gangs or clubs. Our music videos for Initiation all include a theme of these clubs – whether it’s gang vs. gang, a forbidden love between opposing sides, or the idea of having to choose where you belong."

"Outside of the story, the lyrics relate to the polarization of the world we live in now. We all have a longing to belong, but what makes one feel accepted or ostracized from a group? To be INITIATED, would you be willing to try to understand another point of view? I have always written lyrics about internal struggle, the war within oneself. Throughout the album, we bounce back and forth between struggle and overcoming. It reflects the times, and there are moments that seem a bit dark."

At the album’s start, Sumo Cyco lights a spark with the seductively hooked track “Love You Wrong”, connecting like a punch and setting the stage for the vigor to come. The blitz continues with standouts like lethal room-mover “Bystander” and electronic-infused, in-your-face rock anthem “Vertigo” – the latter standing tall with its airtight, gritty pop sensibility and featuring the production mastery of Juno Award-winning producer Kane Churko (Ozzy Osbourne, In This Moment, Papa Roach). Swiftly followed by erratic, addictive nod-to-the-times “Bad News” and heavy, creeping success “No Surrender”, Initiation proves not even halfway through that the band’s songwriting ability and the commanding performance prowess frontwoman Skye “Sever” Sweetnam, guitarist Matt “MD13” Drake, bassist Oscar Anesetti and drummer Matt "Trozzi" blend a recipe for greatness. The album continues winding through a mastery of heavy-meets-pop execution before ending with the full-throttle, sugar n’ salt packed album closer “This Dance Is Doomed” (while various editions cap off with sultry, confident “Awakened”).

By the end of Initiation, listeners will wonder just what exactly Sumo Cyco can’t do, proving them as a band on the rise, and that unconventionality always stands out from the pack.

Initiation will be available in North America in the following formats:

- Digital Album
- CD Digipak
- LP Gatefold Orange Vinyl
- Die Hard Limited Edition: LP Gatefold Purple/Yellow/Pink Inkspot Vinyl + 7” Orange Transparent Vinyl Single w/ Two Bonus Tracks + Signed Photo (Napalm Mailorder only – limited to 300 worldwide)

Initiation tracklisting:*

"Love You Wrong"
"Bystander"
"Vertigo"
"Bad News"
"No Surrender"
"M.I.A."
"Cyclone"
"Run With The Giants"
"Overdrive"
"Power & Control"
"This Dance Is Doomed"
"Awakened" (not available on standard digital version)

*Various new tracks, such as “New Jive” and “We Are The Nation” are available in different groupings on various formats of Initiation (i.e. Die Hard Limited Edition).

"No Surrender" video:

"Bystander" video:




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Chicago prog legends, District 97, have released a new quarantine video for the song “Divided We Fall”, from their forthcoming live album Screenplay, out March 26. Watch below.

Leslie Hunt (vocalist): "I have been absolutely fixated on the idea of confirmation bias and how dangerous it is for us to only have access to information that further solidifies our pre-existing convictions. In such an ego-centric culture that values individualism higher than anything else, the arrogance and moral righteousness in this country has reached such a level of toxicity that it comes out in these never-ending, rage-induced arguments on social media and with one another. We believe a thing, we google the thing, we get proof of the thing and we view others without the same belief-that-was-google-proven as irresponsible and obtuse, never pausing to consider that they might be stuck in their bubble as well. It might be our undoing as a society. The song explores the ego-discomfort necessary to challenge your convictions by looking through different lenses and googling things on other people's devices in an effort to poke holes in your own staunch beliefs."

Tim Seisser (bassist): "When I write for the band, I think about what songs have been successful in the catalog, and I try to retain aspects of those songs to create a cohesive D97 sound. But I also think about what is missing from the catalog. The galloping groove feel is a favorite of mine from the “prog-metal” genre and it’s a fun challenge to keep up the pace rhythmically. I enjoy getting Leslie’s perspective on not just melodies and lyrical content, but also song form. I really like the counterpoint style lines she came up with for the hooks, as we have been trying to find more opportunities for lyrical and vocal interplay. All in all, I’m super happy with the way this one came together and am really looking forward to performing it live for you wonderful fans in the hopefully very near future."

Both the song and video were recorded remotely in quarantine. Video editing by Phil Satterly.

Screenplay features well over 2 hours of music across 2 CDs. Pre-order here.

The album comprises all of District 97’s critically-acclaimed Screens album performed live at Europe's prog rock mecca, Boerderij Cultuurpodium, in October 2019. Additionally, the collection boasts a wide variety of additional live material spanning District 97’s back catalog and covers ranging from John Lennon to YES.

Also included is a rousing unreleased live performance of “21st Century Schizoid Man” featuring King Crimson/Asia/UK legend John Wetton, as well as collaborations with other artists such as Dave Kerzner and Fernando Perdomo. Plus, there are two secret “encore” performances.

As a special bonus, a brand new song recorded in quarantine called “Divided We Fall” is included on the new album.

“The world has changed in ways we never could have foreseen since we released Screens in October 2019. Touring has been rendered impossible, and thus we have been unable to share this music live with many of our wonderful fans. Before COVID-19 struck, we embarked on our UK & European Screening Tour. The centerpiece of each night was Screens performed live in its entirety. Fortunately, our show at Holland’s legendary Boerderij Cultuurpodium was beautifully recorded, and we are thrilled to present it now as part of ‘Screenplay.’ There’s much more to this collection though: live performances of other D97 favorites, tributes to our musical icons, a BRAND NEW SONG recorded in quarantine, and even a couple ‘encores’ (if you applaud long enough). Until we can be physically together again, please join us for ‘Screenplay’” - Jonathan Schang

“Since I joined this band in 2008, one consistent bit of feedback I’ve received is that our live shows capture our essence as a band in ways that studio albums are not as able to, given the visual component of seeing us perform live mixed with the spontaneous musical ideas bouncing around on stage. We have been diligent about recording our live shows over the years and have been sitting on a mountain of live performances that we cannot wait to share with the rest of the word. Each song is an organism unto itself and in each performance we bring with us the culmination of the tour thus far and lessons learned about each song in the process. We throw in tiny moments to keep each other on our toes, try new interpretations based on our current emotional state and communicate on stage in ways that are seemingly mystical at times. Being a band for as long as we have creates a certain freedom to branch out on our respective ledges and see what happens when we put a twist on the familiar. I believe that our fans are in for a treat with ‘Screenplay,’ both for the live performances and the brand new song we recorded remotely as the pandemic rendered us isolated from one another.” - Leslie Hunt

Tracklisting:

CD 1
"Forest Fire"
"Sheep"
"Sea I Provide"
"Bread & Yarn"
"Trigger"
"After Orbit Mission"
"Shapeshifter"
"Blueprint"
"Ghost Girl"

CD 2
"Divided We Fall"
"Jealous Guy"
"Snow Country"
"Takeover"
"The Actual Color"
"A Lottery"
"Termites"
"Presto Vivace"
"Back In N.Y.C."
"Travels With Myself-And Someone Else"
"Fainting In Coils"
"Long Distance Runaround"
"Red "
"21st Century Schizoid Man" (Live w/John Wetton)
"Out on the Tiles"

District 97 is undoubtedly the most musically adventurous rock band in the world to feature an American Idol Top 10 Female Finalist. Since 2008, this quintet from Chicago has melded an adventurous, uncompromising instrumental prowess with the look, sound, and stage presence of vocalist Leslie Hunt. Through world tours and a stream of studio and live releases, the band has garnered a worldwide fanbase; collaborating with iconic singer/bassist John Wetton (King Crimson, Asia, UK) and drawing praise from Bill Bruford (drummer of YES/King Crimson/Genesis), Mike Portnoy (drummer of Dream Theater/Transatlantic) and other rock luminaries along the way.

District 97 rehearses doggedly to refine their compositions, ensemble-playing, and stage presentation; their standards for excellence have only grown more rigorous with the passage of time. Their latest album Screens (released October 2019) and its accompanying live shows set a high watermark of composition and musicianship.

The COVID-19 pandemic has not stopped the band from innovating. Their Virtual Screening Tour and the stunning “Ghost Girl” animated short film have kept them at the top of the current prog rock heap. Watch the video:




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Danko Jones has blasted ICED EARTH leader Jon Schaffer, calling him "a white nationalist piece of dog dung."

On Friday (March 19), U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui ordered Schaffer held without bail on six federal criminal charges related to his alleged involvement with the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. He ruled that while Schaffer wasn't a flight risk, he does pose a danger to the community. Schaffer's attorney argued his client's comments were taken out of context, and that he knows he used bad judgment on January 6 and wishes he had a "do-over."

Earlier today (Sunday, March 21), Danko tweeted out a link to a NME article about Friday's hearing, and he included the following message: "Jon Schaffer used bad judgement because he's a white nationalist piece of dog dung. His band mates cheered him on because ICED EARTH are a terrible band. His request for a 'do-over' proves his pathetic weakness. He's the dictionary definition of a bell-end." The Canadian rocker, who is the frontman of his namesake trio, added in a separate tweet: "Only those that cosplay at being Alpha want 'do-overs'. Jon Schaffer and @_IcedEarth are a FAKE band."

On January 6, then-ICED EARTH vocalist Stu Block appeared to take pleasure in the grim images out of Washington during the pro-Donald Trump riot on Capitol Hill, writing in a since-deleted post on his Facebook page: "Oh it's happening! History in the making. Sending love to my friends in the US and all over the world!" He later apologized for his post, saying that his "wording was absolutely misunderstood and not properly thought out on my part." A month later, Block and ICED EARTH bassist Luke Appleton announced their departures from the band.

A short time after Friday's hearing, Schaffer's attorney filed a "motion to amend detention order," claiming that "the government failed to establish Mr. Schaffer's dangerous to the community by clear and convincing evidence."

Victor wrote: "Mr. Schaffer is 53 years old. He has no criminal convictions. He does not have a substance abuse or mental health issue. He has no history of violence and was not violent on January 6, 2021. He entered the capitol with pepper spray. He did not threaten anyone with or discharge the spray. He left the capitol after approximately sixty seconds and returned home to Indiana."

During Friday's hearing, government lawyers presented exhibits consisting of a video interview Schaffer gave in November 2020 at a pro-Donald Trump rally expressing his political views and a video and still photos taken on January 6, showing him inside the U.S. Capitol holding "bear spray."

According to WUSA9, the judge cited Schaffer's comments in the video interview that "if somebody wants to bring violence, I think there's a lot of us here that are ready for it."

Schaffer's attorney argued the musician was not responsible for the insurrection and was encouraged by former president Donald Trump.

"People have the right to believe the highest elected official," Victor said, according to Indiana Public Media. "My client is not responsible for what happened on January 6."

Schaffer's attorney admitted Schaffer "used bad judgment that day" by bringing "bear spray" into the Capitol, but insisted he was only intending to use it for protection.

Schaffer will appear in a status hearing next month.

Last month, a man resembling Schaffer was seen in security footage from the U.S. Capitol riot that the House impeachment managers obtained and submitted as evidence for former President Donald Trump's second impeachment trial. The clip in question, which was released by CNN on February 15, showed rioters charging through a breached entrance and engaging and pushing officers. Schaffer could be seen near the front of the mob, wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt, a tactical vest and black leather fingerless tactical gloves, and pointing his finger while yelling at the officers.

Schaffer was held in the Marion County Jail for nearly two months after surrendering to police on January 17. He made his first court appearance the following day.

Just hours after the insurrection, ICED EARTH fans recognized Schaffer in a photo released by federal investigators.

Schaffer is believed to be one of at least 400 people who are being investigated by FBI officials over their roles in the insurrection.

More than 250 criminal cases have been filed so far. Charges include unauthorized access, theft, damage to government property and assault on law enforcement officers.




Jon Schaffer used bad judgement because he’s a white nationalist piece of dog dung.

His band mates cheered him on because Iced Earth are a terrible band.

His request for a “do-over” proves his pathetic weakness.

He’s the dictionary definition of a bell-end. https://t.co/SxJdCV4UHg

— Danko Jones (@dankojones) March 21, 2021








Only those that cosplay at being Alpha want “do-overs”.

Jon Schaffer and @_IcedEarth are a FAKE band. https://t.co/SxJdCV4UHg

— Danko Jones (@dankojones) March 21, 2021








Yeah but not before members like their singer posted their support of the white nationalist insurrection on FB and then later took it down. Here is the receipt... pic.twitter.com/gD0dbEibOZ

— Danko Jones (@dankojones) March 21, 2021

Entertainment One (eOne) is pleased to unveil a limited edition vinyl repressing of Time Heals Nothing, the third full-length from NOLA sludge masters, Crowbar. The album was initially released in 1995 through Pavement Music.

Last year, eOne issued a 25th anniversary pressing of Time Heals Nothing. Limited to 300 copies, the record sold out in 24 hours. The new edition is limited to 1,000 copies - split between the US and EU/UK (available for the first time ever) - and comes in black and clear with blood and honey splatter.

Don’t miss it! Grab your copy today, only at eOne Heavy, here.

The Time Heals Nothing vinyl repress serves as a precursor to Crowbar’s eagerly anticipated new full-length, set for release later this year via eOne with details to be revealed in the weeks to come.




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Metal Mind Productions announces the release of the fifth full-length album by Polish hard rock band, Kruk. The album includes eight songs recorded with a guest vocalist - Wojtek Cugowski (known from the very successful Polish rock band Bracia). The release date is set for April 14. First single "Rat Race", as well as an album preview, can be found below.

Kruk's music certainly draws inspiration from classic hard rock music and artists like Deep Purple and Rainbow. The band is not afraid of long complex compositions and is flirting with more progressive sounds. Wojtek Cugowski says straightforwardly: "The music on the album is strong and powerful, exactly as it should be on a top quality hard rock album."

Tracklisting:

"Rat Race"
"Hungry For Revenge"
"Prayer Of The Unbeliever (Mother Mary)"
"Made Of Stone"
"The Invisible Enemy"
"Dark Broken Souls"
"To Those In Power"
"Be There (If You Want To)"

"Rat Race":

Album preview:




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KORN guitarist Brian "Head" Welch has clarified his recent comments about Christianity, insisting that he was only referring to his early fanaticism with the religion.

During an appearance on MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn's "No Fuckin' Regrets With Robb Flynn" podcast, Welch — who left KORN in early 2005, at the same time announcing that he kicked his addictions to drugs and alcohol by becoming a born-again Christian — spoke about the impact his new awareness has had on his life, his family and the influential rock act that he co-founded nearly 30 years ago. Asked if he thinks religion became his "new addiction" after his exit from KORN, Welch said: "The crazy thing is I had an experience with something from another dimension. And it wasn't the religion — going to church and being a good boy — it was, like, I felt something come into my house, and I can't explain it to this day. But I believe that it was Christ doing something in me. So that was real — that was very real. But yes, I think I went too far with it. And I got obsessed with it, just like I was obsessed with the drugs. I believe I did, for sure. And I had to come out of that and find normalcy, because there's nothing worse than a freakin' irritating religious person just shoving it down your throat — there's nothing worse than that. And you saw it on the documentary ['Loud Krazy Love', which documents Brian's journey towards sobriety], Jonathan's [Davis, KORN singer], like, 'I hate those motherfuckers.' People can't stand 'em. And for years, we've had those Christians outside of KORN concerts, saying KORN's of the devil, and all this. It's crazy — it's a crazy thing. But I'm just glad I got through it. And I'm glad that I am who I am now, and I have a lot of peace and rest for my soul. I feel very leveled and at peace with myself."

Earlier today, Welch took to his Instagram to share the Consequence Of Sound headline "Korn's Brian 'Head' Welch Admits That He 'Went Too Far' With His Christian Beliefs', and he included the following message: "Some have taken my words out of context, but I do have a tendency to ramble without articulating my heart's intent clear enough, which is typical when a person with A.D.D. tries to juggle the inflow of dozens of thoughts coming in at once.

"Let me shed some more light here: I was trying to address my early fanaticism with Christianity. Do I regret taking some much needed time away from KORN? Not at all. I enjoyed some of the best years of my life with my daughter, making precious memories with her I wouldn't have been able to make if I would've stayed. But some of the choices I made were reminiscent of a true fanatic: I ripped Jennea out of public school because it was't a 'Christian' school. One day, I left my house with her out of the blue and NEVER returned and I hired someone I barely knew to sell all of our furniture and bring our personal items to AZ; expensive items went missing of course! I joined a group of Christians in AZ that ended up resembling a cult and the leader squandered all my money away! And finally, I gave my mom 'The Book of Christian Martyrs' and told her that was who I wanted to be!

"These are only a few of the fanatical decisions I made, and they did damage to Jennea, and still effect her negatively in some ways to this day. What I will never regret though, is giving my entire being to Christ and I will share my story until the day I die. Sharing your story of faith is way different than shoving scripture down people's throats in a heartless way as I was trying to convey in this interview with our old friend Robb.

"Jesus Christ is my whole life's foundation. When the storms come, AND THEY WILL COME, my life will not crumble because my foundation is very secure. I have found true rest in the depths of my soul. Matthew 11:28; the first scripture that I found–my first scripture tattoo–came true for me in EVERY way. This life I've discovered is so real! I'm so glad I've never walked away from Christ like many have, AND I NEVER WILL! Take that you overly religious Christian haters".

Less than a month after leaving KORN, Welch — wearing a white robe and sporting a long beard — was baptized in Israel's Jordan River, along with about 20 other members of the Valley Bible Fellowship, the Bakersfield, California, church in which he spoke two weekends earlier. At the time, Brian told MTV News that he decided to be baptized in the Jordan after receiving a divine message.

"God told me ... he didn't say, 'Hey Brian!,' I just got a feeling in my heart that he was going to let me know something, I was going to be told something [in Israel]," Welch said. "Because the pastor is going to dunk me in the Jordan River, and when I come back here, I'm going to be a different person."

Welch officially returned to KORN in 2013, one year after joining the band onstage at the Carolina Rebellion festival in Rockingham, North Carolina to perform "Blind".

Since his conversion to Christ 16 years ago, Welch has been very open about how God changed his lifestyle and restored his relationship with his daughter.

In recent years, Brian has been preaching that people don't have to wait until they die to see if having an encounter with the presence of God is real.

Both Welch and KORN bassist Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu have had highly public, though separate, conversion experiences, ones that have been greeted with a certain amount of skepticism.

KORN's latest album, "The Nothing", was released in September 2019 via Roadrunner/Elektra.

Welch's LOVE AND DEATH project released its second album, "Perfectly Preserved", in February via Earache Records.
























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A post shared by Brian Welch (@brianheadwelch)

Gene Simmons has once again blasted people who are defiantly skeptical of mask wearing, saying they are posing a risk to themselves and to all those around them. On Friday (March 19), the KISS bassist/vocalist took to his Twitter to write: "You must stop at a red light, and you must put on your seatbelt, and you can't drive over the speed limit. Your rights stop if you effect others. So why should you have a say in not wearing a mask in public?"

He added in a separate tweet: "Another question for all you geniuses out there. Why is it ALL surgeons, without exception...anywhere in the world, wear masks during surgery!!! Do you think they do that for political reasons, or could it be you are delusional and are hanging out with losers. . What say you?"

A day earlier, Gene revealed that he got the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. He wrote in a tweet: "Just got our 2nd vaccine shots. Feeling no after effect. Please take the vaccine, to protect others and yourself. And ignore conspiracy lunatics. The Earth is not flat. The Earth is actually round."

This is not the first time Simmons has criticized people who refuse to wear a mask in public spaces to protect others from possible infection. Last December, he told the "Jeremy White Podcast": "Believe what you want, but don't hang out around me. Okay? If you're a denier, stay in the shadows. I don't wanna be around you. 'Cause I don't wanna catch what you've got. It's not about you. It's not whether you believe it or not." He added: "When you sneeze, you put your hand over your mouth. If your dog poops on the ground, you'll pick it up. But you won't pick up a mask?"

That same month, Gene's KISS bandmate Paul Stanley took to his Twitter to write: "Frankly, I've had enough of the self-serving & politically motivated mask misinformation & BS about this pandemic. I don't want to hear about 'my freedom' & 'my rights' that then infringe on so many other's. Those 'rights' & choosing to gather at Thanksgiving got us here. Wake up". Three months earlier, Paul tweeted out a CNN article about an Idaho pastor who was hospitalized with COVID-19 after calling himself a "no-masker" during a service and repeatedly questioning the veracity of coronavirus case reporting. Stanley added in a message: "YOU figure this one out. I can't. A hoax and non-existent virus has put this guy in the ICU. If you're so concerned with a loss of your freedom , Why do you stop at red lights? Don't let the government control you!! Drive right through!!! PUT YOUR MASK ON."

In early July, Stanley shared a photo of him and his eight-year-old daughter Emily wearing masks, and he included the following message: "Sunset at the beach with Emily. WEAR YOUR MASK! Don't listen to conspiracy theorists or graduates of The Internet University Of Medicine. While the credible authorities and experts continue to learn more about Covid 19 they remain in agreement about safety protocols. End of story".

The only Americans who should forego masks are those who have already been fully vaccinated and they should only do so among other vaccinated people, according to guidance how fully vaccinated people can socialize released this week by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and chief medical adviser for the White House's COVID-19 response, recently said even though long-term mask-wearing is a possibility, he expects the U.S. to regain "a significant degree of normality" as we enter the fall and winter.




You must stop at a red light, and you must put on your seatbelt, and you can’t drive over the speed limit. Your rights stop if you effect others. So why should you have a say in not wearing a mask in public?

— Gene Simmons (@genesimmons) March 19, 2021








Another question for all you geniuses out there. Why is it ALL surgeons, without exception...anywhere in the world, wear masks during surgery!!! Do you think they do that for political reasons, or could it be you are delusional and are hanging out with losers. . What say you?

— Gene Simmons (@genesimmons) March 20, 2021








Just got our 2nd vaccine shots. Feeling no after effect. Please take the vaccine, to protect others and yourself. And ignore conspiracy lunatics. The Earth is not flat. The Earth is actually round.

— Gene Simmons (@genesimmons) March 19, 2021








You need to do research. The flu ain’t Covid! Good luck out there... https://t.co/ff9iQyOhah

— Gene Simmons (@genesimmons) March 19, 2021

Paul Stanley has defended his right to speak out on political issues, saying that he voices his opinions as an American citizen.

The KISS frontman discussed his decision to publicly express his political views in a new interview with Lyndsey Parker of Yahoo Music.

Speaking about the fact that he has used his Twitter account in recent months to blast people who are defiantly skeptical of mask wearing, saying they are posing a risk to themselves and to all those around them, Paul said: "It's unfortunate that some people are vehemently against [wearing masks], mainly because of it being politicized. There's so much strange backlash. And when somebody says, 'Well, the experts, first they said, 'Don't wear a mask,' and then they said, Wear a mask'… Right. Because this is a work in progress, and we're learning about this virus. So, is it gonna change, is the information gonna change? Of course it's gonna change. But, unequivocally, what's been shown, as far as I can see, is that masks are a great deterrent. And depending upon what masks you wear, you're either protecting the people around you or you're protecting yourself. You go into N95 masks and KN95 masks, and you're protecting yourself in addition. So, look, I wish everybody well, and I would like to think that I'm doing my part to spread the information I have. And if some people are angered by it, that's something they should think about, 'cause it's nothing to get angry about. I mean, if you disagree, so be it."

As for those detractors who think musicians like Stanley and his KISS bandmate Gene Simmons should just "shut up and sing" and not share such opinions, Paul said: "It's interesting. Times have changed, because there was a time where I thought, well, entertainers should just entertain. But the fact is that, quite frankly, I see myself as a citizen. And I think that my voice is at least as important as anyone else's. And to not be able to voice my opinion actually seems un-American. It's not surprising to me, at this point, that the people who say 'shut up' are the people who don't agree. If I was on your side, you'd go, 'Yeah, keep talking.' It's not a surprise that the people who would like people like me to not voice an opinion are the people who are on the other side of the fence. And that's too bad, that's sad, because, again, I don't wanna politicize anything. I'm trying to help. I'm trying to make people aware that perhaps we can end this pandemic a little bit sooner and with some less fatality. So it's not a matter of who you vote for, or conspiracies, or anything like that. I just wanna help."

Stanley is currently promoting the debut album from his SOUL STATION project, "Now And Then", which will be released on March 19 via Universal Music Enterprises.

KISS's farewell trek was launched in January 2019 and was originally scheduled to conclude on July 17, 2021 in New York City but is now expected to last well into 2022.

KISS last performed this past New Year's Eve in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The concert broke Guinness world records for highest flame projection in a music concert and for most flame projections launched simultaneously in a music concert.

After releasing "Best Of Lizzy Borden, Vol. 2" last year, Lizzy Borden has now announced his feature film acting debut in "Die Influencers Die" — a blood-splattering, heavy metal-fueled, social media spoofing, feature-length horror film starring a legendary cast and a killer soundtrack (including tracks from Metal Blade Records artists LIZZY BORDEN, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER and ALLEGAEON). Written and directed by Gary Orona (HBO/Cinemax's "Hotel Erotica" and "The Erotic Traveler"), "Die Influencers Die" is now streaming on Amazon Prime.

Lizzy Borden comments: "I had a blast on the set of this twisted little movie. I grew up on low budget splatter flicks from the '60s, '70s and '80s, and 'Die Influencers Die' had that feel. My character has no name, and he seemingly comes out of nowhere, and that made playing him so much fun. I just held on and let him spit his venom."

In addition, a new soundtrack video for "Die Influencers Die", featuring Lizzy Borden's song "My Midnight Things", can be viewed below. The clip was also directed by Gary Orona of Psychoactive Circus Pictures.

Lizzy Borden's recently released "Best Of Lizzy Borden, Vol. 2" picks up where 1994's "Best Of Lizzy Borden" leaves off, containing 12 tracks that showcase the "Deal With The Devil" (2000), "Appointment With Death" (2007) and "My Midnight Things" (2018) albums. Additionally, the collection features two new cover songs recorded in the summer of 2020 (the first recordings by Lizzy's latest live show lineup): BLUE ÖYSTER CULT's "Burnin' For You" and the RAMONES' "Pet Sematary" — both mixed by Jay Ruston (ANTHRAX, STEEL PANTHER, STONE SOUR).

FOREIGNER bassist Jeff Pilson has once again said that it's unlikely the band will release another full-length studio LP as a follow-up to "Can't Slow Down", which came out more than a decade ago. "I don't really see a whole album of new material coming out anytime soon," he told Kylie Olsson's YouTube show "Life In Six Strings" (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "But we are working on some music. So I think that what's gonna happen is whatever other things we release in the next couple of years, there will be some new songs added to it. So that's what I see kind of happening. 'Cause we're working on a few that are not that far away. So I would say expect a package deal to have a couple of new songs on it."

Elaborating on the new tracks FOREIGNER is working on, Jeff said: "A couple of them were actually written by Mick [Jones, FOREIGNER's founding guitarist], like, 20-some years ago; there's stuff that he had. So what we're doing is we're just kind of working it out and arranging it with Mick. Like one of them right now, we've kind of worked on a beginning bed of it, and then Kelly's [Hansen] gonna sing it. Another one, we've tried a few different treatments; we haven't really settled on that. There's another couple that are kind of in the same state — they're written; we just haven't decided exactly where to go. One of them needs a bridge, and things like that."

This past December, Hansen told the "Iron City Rocks" podcast that writing songs and putting out records in this day and age is "not a money-making proposition." He explained: "The streaming and online services do not provide anything that would even come close to providing a living for a musician — for, I would say, 99.9 percent of musicians in the world. But this off time [during the pandemic] has given us the opportunity to work on some new stuff. I was just working on a track yesterday. And Jeff Pilson is an extremely prolific writer and musician and producer, so he's been doing a lot of records on his off time.

"I don't need that much artistic fulfillment from writing new tunes, although I do get inspired, and I do do it," Kelly clarified. "But it all depends on what's inside that musician's mind. But it's not about the money, that's for sure."

FOREIGNER's last album, 2009's "Can't Slow Down", was the only full-length collection of new songs to have been released by the band since Hansen took over vocals after original singer Lou Gramm left the band for good in 2002. The album entered the Billboard Top 30, driven by the radio singles "In Pieces" and "When It Comes To Love". The band also has released a series of live albums and compilations, including 2016's "In Concert: Unplugged" and 2017's "40".

FOREIGNER's current lineup is rounded out by Thom Gimbel (rhythm guitar, sax, vocals), Michael Bluestein (keyboards), Bruce Watson (guitar) and Chris Frazier (drums).

PAPA ROACH has released the official music video for the remastered version of its 2015 song "Broken As Me", featuring a guest appearance by vocalist Danny Worsnop from British rock group ASKING ALEXANDRIA.

"He's been on our list for a while," said PAPA ROACH lead singer Jacoby Shaddix, "and having just toured together, we thought of Danny first when listening to some of the deeper cuts on the album. With the pandemic in full swing, Danny was down right away. He's one of the best vocalists in rock music, so we're happy he said yes."

Worsnop added: "Making music with my friends is something I always love and enjoy, so when Jacoby called me about doing something together, I was in right away. The PAPA ROACH guys have been close friends for a long time now and I'm glad they were able to see that the only thing holding them back from stardom all these years was not having me sing on a new version of one of their songs. I think this is really going to put them on the map, and from the bottom of my heart, they're welcome!"

The track, with such emotionally charged lyrics and raw, powerful vocals from both artists is included on PAPA ROACH's second greatest-hits collection, "Greatest Hits Vol. 2: The Better Noise Years", which came out on March 19 via Better Noise Music.

"Greatest Hits Vol. 2 - The Better Noise Years" includes 12 of the band's top 10 hits released between 2010 to 2019 as well as three previously unreleased remixes and two unreleased acoustic recordings recorded live at the YouTube Studios in New York City.

The band noted: "We wanted to commemorate the last 10 years of our journey with this special collection of the music that got us here."

PAPA ROACH has continued to stretch its boundaries throughout the years, including features with artists outside their genre — such as their 2017 track "Periscope" with pop artist Skylar Grey (which is included on the new release) — and most recently collaborating with TikTok star/up-and-coming artist Jeris Johnson on a new version of their iconic hit "Last Resort".

To date, PAPA ROACH has led the path for contemporary rock artists in the digital streaming era with over two billion streams globally and nine million monthly listeners on Spotify. This set encompasses their career history of over 20 Top 5 Active Rock singles, 13 of which occurred in the past decade including four No. 1 singles — "Face Everything And Rise" (2014), "Help" and "Born For Greatness" (both 2017) and "Come Around" (2019).

"Greatest Hits Vol. 2 - The Better Noise Years" track listing:

01. Born For Greatness (Remastered 2020)

02. Help (Remastered 2020)

03. Elevate (Remastered 2020)

04. Come Around (Remastered 2020)

05. Broken As Me (feat. Danny Worsnop of Asking Alexandria)*

06. Falling Apart (Remastered 2020)

07. Who Do You Trust? (Remastered 2020)

08. Gravity (feat. Maria Brink) (Remastered 2020)

09. American Dreams (Remastered 2020)

10. Face Everything And Rise (Remastered 2020)

11. Periscope (feat. Skylar Grey) (Remastered 2020)

12. Still Swingin' (Remastered 2020)

13. The Ending (Remastered 2020)

14. Burn (Remastered 2020)

15. Kick In The Teeth (Remastered 2020)

16. Elevate (Aelonia Remix)*

17. Help (Aelonia Remix)*

18. Born For Greatness (Cymek Remix) *

19. Top Of The World (Aelonia Remix)*

20. Face Everything And Rise (Live Acoustic) *

21. Leader Of The Broken Hearts (Live Acoustic)*

* previously unreleased

CHEVELLE vocalist/guitarist Pete Loeffler has revealed to "The KiddChris Show" on Cincinnati's WEBN radio station that his band is a free agent after fulfilling its contractual agreement with longtime label Epic. "We just finished our record contract," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "How many bands can say that? We just handed in our last one for Sony/Epic, and we're stitting here wondering what's next. Where do we go now? Do we go back to being an indie band? I mean, that's kind of cool. That sounds exciting. I don't know. I don't know where we're gonna go now. Do we start a label? Do we do it ourselves? We're not a TikTok band necessarily; we don't have that platform."

He continued: "We're trying to change, but not change too much to lose your core fanbase, and yet you do wanna grow, and yet you don't wanna be stuck in the same archaic music-business model."

Asked if he and his brother, CHEVELLE drummer Sam Loeffler, still don't know if they will re-sign with Epic, Pete said: "Contracts are a bitch, and we've signed some raw ones. And we need to start trying to make some money off of our catalog, which is 10 albums deep, plus all the side stuff. We haven't made any money off of record sales, album sales. It's all gone to the major labels. A lot of people make money off of us; we just don't make money the way the deals are structured. We just aren't excited to get back into any kind of contract. So if we find a new home at a new label, wherever it is, it's gotta be a special deal where you get something for your hard work.'

He continued: "It would be nice to do something different and actually make a buck off of an album for once; it just hasn't happened for us. We've sold six million albums for Epic Records, and they've made 50 million dollars. It's lopsided. And the artist — just like [American stand-up comedian] Dave Chappelle said, he knows he signed a deal with for the Chappelle show ['Chappelle's Show'] long ago, and it's a raw deal. It went to someone else, and they can put it on any platform they want, whether it's Netflix or HBO or whatever, and he went to them and said, 'Look, I know I did that, but it's wrong — it's still wrong. You need to compensate the artist.' And that's kind of where we're ending up too. It's a bad business model for the artist."

Pete went on to say that Epic still retains the rights to CHEVELLE's entire catalog. "The fact of the matter is when you sign a record deal with a major, they own it for, like, 20-something years," he explained. "We said, 'We'd re-sign with you if you just sent some of it through the pipeline to us.' All the profits, they're keeping everything. 'And if you just send a little bit through, maybe we can talk about this, [about] continuing on.' I mean, there's some good people at Epic. And then, in a lot of ways, we feel burned."

CHEVELLE's latest album, "Niratias" (Nothing Is Real And This Is A Simulation), was released on March 5. The follow-up to 2016's "The North Corridor" was recorded throughout 2019 and 2020 with longtime producer Joe Barresi (TOOL, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE), CHEVELLE.

"Niratias" bowed in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200. It debuted at No. 9, and was the first new release to chart within the Top 10 in over three weeks. In addition, "Niratias" achieved several other accolades. This week, the LP impressively debuted at No. 1 on several Billboard charts, including Rock Album, Alternative Album, Hard Music, Overall Album, Digital Album and Internet Album. "Self Destructor", the album’s acclaimed lead single, also reached the summit of the Active Rock radio chart this week, marking CHEVELLE's 12th No. 1 single at the format.

"The North Corridor" debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 album chart and produced a No. 1 Mainstream Rock single, "Joyride (Omen)".

SKID ROW guitarist Dave "Snake" Sabo has told the "Behind The Vinyl" podcast that he and his bandmates will regroup in less than two weeks in Nashville, Tennessee to begin pre-production on some of its new material. Asked if they will once again work with producer Michael Wagener, who also helmed the group's 1989 self-titled debut and 1991's "Slave To The Grind", Sabo said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We went in and did a bunch of stuff [with Michael]. This is a whole new batch of stuff we're doing. Michael is kind of taking a break, I think, from the music business. We did a bunch of great work with him. And so we're working with [Grammy Award-winning producer] Nick Raskulinecz (FOO FIGHTERS, DEFTONES, MASTODON, RUSH).

"We wrote a bunch of new songs, and, like I said, Michael's taking a breather," he continued. "Nick had expressed an interest to work with us. Rachel's [Bolan, SKID ROW bassist] become really good friends with him, living down there in Nashville. And he's, like, 'Let's do some stuff together.' So we figured it out where he's got some space and we can get our asses down there and do some work for a couple of weeks and see what happens… I'm looking forward to it. Obviously, his reputation precedes him; he's made some great records. And he has a great excitement about working on some of our new music. So I look forward to the experience."

SKID ROW's new LP will mark its first release with South African-born, British-based vocalist ZP Theart (DRAGONFORCE, TANK, I AM I), who joined the band in 2016 following the departure of Tony Harnell (TNT, STARBREAKER).

Unlike 2014's "Rise Of The Damnation Army - United World Rebellion: Chapter Two" and 2013's "United World Rebellion: Chapter One", SKID ROW's forthcoming release will be a full-length record.

SKID ROW previously collaborated with several outside songwriters on its new material, including Corey Taylor (SLIPKNOT, STONE SOUR) and Lzzy Hale and Joe Hottinger of HALESTORM, a group that covered the title track of "Slave To The Grind" on its "ReAniMate: The CoVeRs eP" in 2011. SKID ROW also worked with songwriter-for-hire Marti Frederiksen, who has previously collaborated with AEROSMITH, DEF LEPPARD, Jonny Lang and Sheryl Crow.

SKID ROW's 2020 "The Big Rock Summer Tour", also featuring RATT, CINDERELLA's Tom Keifer and SLAUGHTER, was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic that is sweeping the globe.

Photo by: Chuck Arland

Ted Nugent says that he recently lost a major sponsor of his award-winning "Spirit Of The Wild" television show over accusations of racism.

The outspoken conservative rocker, who has previously referred to then-U.S. president Barack Obama as a "subhuman mongrel," discussed the alleged attempt at "canceling" his program during the latest episode of his "Spirit Campfire" Internet video show.

He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Just last week… I'm not gonna name names right now, because the people that supported me are a segment of a huge global corporation. And they were a sponsor on our 'Spirit Of The Wild' show, that helped finance 'Spirit Of The Wild' and put it on the Outdoor Channel and promote conservation. And the mothership called the sponsor company and said, 'You can't sponsor Nugent. He's a racist.' And my people who had the sponsorship, they go, 'What are you talking about? He's not a racist. He's probably the biggest promoter of black artists in the history of the spoken word.' [And the parent company said,] 'He's a racist. We're canceling [our sponsorship].' And I've gotta tell you, we're talking many six figures. And I can't get on the Outdoor Channel without sponsors."

Ted continued: "But here's the beauty: as soon as those lying, hateful, leftist, intolerant punks canceled me, a guy from Big Time, a company Big Time out of Illinois, provided the sponsorship for the product to feed my wildlife and to promote their supplemental nutritional business. And the people who sponsored me, they were heartbroke that the mother global corporate prick canceled it. But within 24 hours, I had a replacement sponsor. Because assholes will be assholes, but there's still unbelievable good people out there — good people in the asset column, not the asshole column."

In his 2016 memoir, "18 And Life On Skid Row", former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach wrote about how Nugent, whom he considered to be one of his musical idols, allegedly went on a racist tirade on the set of the VH1 reality show "SuperGroup", causing Sebastian to step into the role of unlikely hero to the African-American crew by walking out and going to the producer, refusing to continue working with the Nuge.

The following year, Nugent slammed Bach for his comments, saying: "He falls in the 'inconsequential' column. It's true — the guy smokes so much dope. People like Sebastian Bach will literally listen to me praise Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley and Little Richard and James Brown and Wilson Pickett, they'll listen to me praise these black artists and literally call it racist. I mean, how much dope do you have to smoke to be that stupid?"

He continued: "Literally, I'm the one during that TV show that pounded home that we cannot lose touch with our black founding fathers, that if you don't have that groove of the black artists, if you don't have the Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley and Little Richard and James Brown groove, your music is worthless. That's what I drove home. And he would call that being a racist? This is funnier than Richard Pryor's afro catching fire. I mean, how stupid can you get?"

"SuperGroup" followed five well-known hard rock and heavy metal musicians — Bach, Nugent, ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian, ex-BIOHAZARD bassist/vocalist Evan Seinfeld and drummer Jason Bonham (LED ZEPPELIN, BONHAM, UFO, FOREIGNER) — over a twelve-day period during which they lived together in a Las Vegas mansion in order to create, plan and perform a live show together.

In a 2012 interview with Metal-Rules.com, Bach stated about Nugent: "To be honest with you, I think that Ted's political beliefs and social opinions overshadow how great a guitar player he is. More people know Ted for his outrageous views and political viewpoints. His music is so great, but a lot of people are disgusted by him. They don't like guns. People don't like racism, but he says some things that are from the '50s. People don't think like that anymore; it's not acceptable. It's a shame because I love his music and he is funny as hell. He is so abrasive with his beliefs, it takes the fun out of it."

Nugent told Radio.com in 2014 that Bach was "incredibly gifted" and "a gentleman for the most part," but he called the former SKID ROW singer "weak." Nugent explained: "[Sebastian] doesn't understand the concept of the [body as a] Sacred Temple. He doesn't understand accountability. He doesn't understand — clearly — how his indulgences and his poisons ruin his life. And his relationships, and his marriage. And his musical capabilities. I love the guy and if he's watching this, I love you, but when you're the drunk Sebastian Bach, you're nowhere near the Sebastian Bach that you are when you're clean and sober. Case closed. That isn't a Ted Nugent opinion, that's scientific truism."

In 2019, Nugent defended Donald Trump after the then-U.S. president was accused of making racist remarks about Democratic congresswomen from black and minority ethnic backgrounds.

YouTube user "Resident Angel" has uploaded professionally filmed video footage of former QUEENSRŸCHE singer Geoff Tate taking part in an intimate acoustic performance on February 13 at the Everett Theatre in Everett, Washington. The socially distanced event operated at 25% capacity which equated to about 100 people in total watching the show inside the venue. Check it out below.

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.

Early last year, Tate was forced to postpone 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 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).

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.
























The show at the Everett theatre is now SOLD OUT.

Thanks to everyone who bought a ticket.

You can still get your...

Posted by Geoff Tate on Friday, February 5, 2021

Throughout March and April, some of the world's greatest guitarists will come together to raise money and celebrate the music of legendary guitarist and composer Jason Becker, who has been living with ALS for over 30 years and continues to compose and record music.

The virtual event, hosted in part by DRAGONFORCE guitarist Herman Li, will include three components:

1) A livestream telethon-style fundraiser on Twitch: special guests will appear on Herman Li's Twitch channel to play, jam and participate in fan-generated challenges with all money raised going directly to Jason's medical trust. Over $13,000 has been raised so far. Visit Jasonbecker.com or twitch.tv/hermanli for a full schedule of livestream guests.

2) Artists will donate signed guitars, merch and other rare items which will be sold via a special Reverb shop to benefit Jason. Details to be announced.

3) Three of Jason's most important guitars will be auctioned off later this year, including the guitars seen on the covers of "Perpetual Burn", "Speed Metal Symphony" and the original "Numbers" guitar played by Eddie Van Halen. Details to be announced.

Musicians participating in the fundraiser include:

Marty Friedman

Steve Vai

Joe Satriani

Steve Lukather

Mark Tremonti

John Petrucci

Kiko Loureiro

Tosin Abasi

Nita Strauss

Orianthi

Devin Townsend

David Ellefson

Michael Angelo Batio

Guthrie Govan

Tim Henson

Alex Skolnick

Albert Lee

Matt Heafy

Zoltan Bathory

Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal

Satchel

John 5

Gus G

Nili Brosh

Jason Richardson

The Dooo

Jared Dines

Ola Englund

Steve Terreberry

Tyler Larson

Cole Rolland

Thomas McRocklin

Rusty Cooley

Mattias IA Eklundh

Sam Totman

Chris Broderick

Lari Basilio

Sophie Lloyd

Federico Mondelli and Fabiola Bellomo

Alex Lee

Stevie Salas

Elliot Easton

Mika Tyyska

Daniel Dekay

N&M Creation

Event co-organizer Herman Li says: "I've been a huge fan of Jason Becker since I was young, and it's one of the biggest honors of my life to be able to help organize this tribute and rase money for him. I still have a Jason Becker poster in my studio in London. It's been very inspiring to see everyone coming together to celebrate Jason."

Becker says: "I am so grateful for all the love and support everyone has given to me and my family. As far as selling my guitars being sad, and that I shouldn't have to do it, I just want you to know that isn't how I feel. It makes me happy to see others playing my music. I feel good about passing on my guitars, thinking they mean something to others. I can't play them now, but other folks can. That's a good thing. And I want myself and my family not to have to worry about money, if possible. Thank you for all the love. I send it right back to you."

Visit Jasonbecker.com or twitch.tv/hermanli for a full schedule of livestream guests.

Becker's story is one of brilliance, talent, determination, adversity, and, ultimately, triumph. A child prodigy on guitar, Jason rose to prominence as a teenager when he was one half of the technical guitar duo CACOPHONY, with his great friend Marty Friedman. In 1989, at only 19 years old and after wowing audiences all over the world, the young virtuoso became the guitarist for David Lee Roth, following in the huge footsteps of Eddie Van Halen and Steve Vai. He wrote and recorded on Roth's third solo album, "A Little Ain't Enough", and was poised for superstardom when a nagging pain in his leg was diagnosed as Motor Neurone Disease (MND), also known as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's Disease, the same condition Stephen Hawking lived with for over five decades. It is a fatal condition with a life expectancy of maybe five years. Maybe.

That was more than 30 years ago. He lost the ability to play guitar, walk, talk, and breathe on his own. But never lost his will to live or his desire to create music. Communicating through a series of eye movements with a system developed by his father, Jason spells out words as well as musical notes and chords. He imparts his musical vision to his team who then can input the notes into a computer, edit the parts to his exacting standards, and then generate charts for session musicians. His inspiring music and life story have been the subject of countless news articles and magazine cover stories.

Becker's latest album, "Triumphant Hearts", was released in December 2018 via Music Theories Recordings/Mascot Label Group. The disc features guest appearances by a who's who of six-string gods, including Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Neal Schon, Steve Morse, Paul Gilbert and Joe Bonamassa.

Puck Hcky, the hockey-based fashion brand, has announced a new relationship with GWAR to deliver a new collection of items.

Matt Marini, CEO of Puck Hcky, said: "Are you kidding? How insane is it that we have had requests from all over the planet to hook up with GWAR on some hockey jerseys? How could we say no? Well, we couldn't… we were given no choice! We love it that both humans and non-humans have asked us for these!"

Berserker Blothar of GWAR added: "Drop the gloves and get ready to see blood on the ice! Wear your GWAR hockey jersey with pride and show support for Antarctica's home team, the mighty GWAR!"

The Gwar X Puck Hcky collection includes pro-level quality hockey-themed items like crested hockey jerseys, with more to come soon.

The collection has just dropped and is available at www.puckhcky.com.

Firewind guitarist Gus G. has posted a new video along with the following message:

"Hi guys, Gus G guitarist of Firewind here. This is the "lost" Firewind track from the Premonition album sessions back in 2008. This is a cover of a classic 60's folk song by famous bouzouki player Manolis Hiotis. We recorded the track but were not granted permission to release it commercially. However, we performed the song live a couple of times. I recently stumbled across the backing track and I did a live play through. Enjoy!"




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Body Count has never shied away from keeping it raw n’ real. In that spirit, Ice-T and crew launched a contest for fans to illuminate the musical and lyrical ballistics to their song “The Hate Is Real”, taken from their latest album, Carnivore.

Fans were asked to create and submit their own videos so the band could pick the best as the visual accompaniment to Body Count’s bloody, multi-tiered take on personal and systemic hate. Now the choice has been made and you can watch the winning video for "The Hate Is Real", created by 25 year old Brooklyn, NY-based filmmaker, Seby Martinez, below.

Body Count recently won the Grammy for “Best Metal Performance” at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards for their track “Bum-Rush”, another track off Carnivore. This is the band’s first Grammy win for Century Media Records. You can watch the music video for “Bum-Rush” below.




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With "Dance", Cellar Darling have created a song that takes up the “Death and the Maiden” theme of their 2019 concept album The Spell, but at the same time adapts it into the here and now: a "dance of death", an end-time vision.

In this epic 11-minute track, the Swiss heavy progressive rock trio takes the listener on a dark musical journey worthy of the band's name, combining mystical folk elements with heavy riffs and intricate structures. Once again, the highly unusual instrumentation typical for Cellar Darling, including a hurdy-gurdy, flute, and piano, colors their signature sound. Inspired by the dancing plague of 1518, their lyrics for the first time do not tell of an exclusively fictional world but represent an examination of both our history and current events. Thus, Cellar Darling continue to move in a new direction, resuming the radical path they have chosen since departing from Eluveitie in 2016.

"Dance" is available digitally now, and will soon be available physically in a strictly limited vinyl-only picture disc released directly from the band. Listen to "Dance" here, and here, and watch an official music video for the song below.

The band comment: "Darlings, this is it. This is the reason we've been so quiet these past few months. This is DANCE. We have never put so much work into one piece of music before. And although we always want our music to speak for itself, we'd like to share a few words with you about the journey this song has taken us on. The story of 'Dance' comprises three parts:

Chapter I - Past: "As you might have guessed, 'Dance' originated in the sessions for our concept album 'The Spell'. It was supposed to be another chapter of our story about a girl who falls in love with death, but the song ultimately didn't make the cut. It wouldn't quite leave us alone either, so about one year ago, we decided to dig it up and give it another go."

Chapter II - Present: "As rewarding and exciting as the intense work on the concept of "The Spell' was - from creating a storybook soundtrack to putting everything into prose — once it was completed, we were done with it. Anna was ready to let go of that story and rewrote all of the 'DANCE' lyrics and most of the music. This time, inspiration came from two sources: the dancing plague of 1518, which is a fascinating story in itself, and an engagement with our contemporary world: doesn't it sometimes feel like we're in the process of dancing ourselves to death?"

Chapter III - Future: "This song, which we share with you today for the time being only as what it is, i.e. without a flood of images, is only the first part of this extensive project. A collective of brilliant artists has interpreted 'Dance' visually and transformed it into their own world of images. Stay tuned for more…”

"Dance" was produced, recorded & mixed by Tommy Vetterli & Anna Murphy at New Sound Studio and mastered by Gavin Lurssen. The artwork was created by Thomas Ott.

Cellar Darling are:

Anna Murphy - vocals, hurdy-gurdy, multi-instrumentalist
Merlin Sutter - drums
Ivo Henzi - guitars, bass

(Photo - Urs Gantner)




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Earlier this month, The Crown released their new full-length, Royal Destroyer, via Metal Blade Records - which landed on the worldwide charts:

Germany - #17
Switzerland - #51
Austria - #66
USA - #20 Current Hard Music Albums
USA - #24 New Artist Chart
USA - #148 Current Albums Chart
Canada - #86 Hard Music Albums

The Crown have released a lyric video for "Beyond The Frail", featured on Royal Destroyer. Find the new clip below, and order the album here.

Royal Destroyer tracklisting:

"Baptized In Violence"
"Let The Hammering Begin!"
"Motordeath"
"Ultra Faust"
"Glorious Hades"
"Full Metal Justice"
"Scandinavian Satan"
"Devoid Of Light"
"We Drift On"
"Beyond The Frail"

"Beyond The Frail" lyric video:

"Scandinavian Satan" lyric video:

"We Drift On" video:

"Motordeath" video:

The Crown lineup:

Johan Lindstrand - Vocals
Magnus Olsfelt - Bass
Marko Tervonen - Guitar
Robin Sörqvist - Lead guitar and backing vocals
Henrik Axelsson - Drums

(Photo - Ida Kucera)




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Swedish melodic progressive rock band, Sonic Desolution, featuring members Of Kaipa, Kee Marcello, Out Of This World, Arctic Rain, have announced the release of their debut album, Explorer on April 30 via GMR Music. Explorer is for fans of classic prog like Flower Kings, Kaipa and Genesis.

Written by Peter Lazar, Daniel Gustafsson and Ken Sandin, produced by Sonic Desolution, with final mixes and mastering by Andy La Rocque (King Diamond). Explorer is a melodic progressive thematic artrock album, by new Swedish constellation Sonic Desolution.

Reflecting on the different phases and insights of life, in eight 'chapters', there's a bit of classic prog, symph, pomp... even pop. Three main vocalists cover the wide range of dynamics of each song.

There are the hoarse soulful vocals of Jan Johansen, one of the most well known solo artists in Sweden since decades, in balance with the female vocals of Annica Svensson for the more subtle parts and occasional heavy rock vocals by Mads Clausen (ex Biscaya, Timecode Alpha) for the most intense parts.

The complex, yet melodic, music is performed by great renowned players: drummer Morgan Ågren (Devin Townsend, Dweezil Zappa, Kaipa), bass player Ken Sandin (Kee Marcello, Uli Jon Roth, Vinnie Moore); guitar player Magnus Berglund (Arctic Rain), Peter Lazar (Timecode Alpha), plus a few guesting session performers.

Tracklisting:

"Explorer"
"The Waltz"
"Eye To Eye"
"Midlife Insight"
"Fair Warning"
"New Beginning"
"Tranquilandia"
"21g"

Sonic Desolution is:

Jan Johansen - Vocals
Annica Svensson - Vocals
Mads Clausen - Vocals (ex Biscaya, Timecode Alpha)
Morgan Ågren - Drums (Devin Townsend, Dweezil Zappa, Kaipa)
Ken Sandin - Bass (Out Of This World, Kee Marcello, Uli Jon Roth, Vinnie Moore)
Magnus Berglund - Guitars (Arctic Rain)
Peter Lazar - Guitars (Timecode Alpha)




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The second coming of Chastain with Leather Leone on vocals began in 2013. Since that time the band has released 5 albums:

2013 - Surrender To No One
2014 - Surrender To No One: Uncut
2015 - We Bleed Metal
2016 - Chastainium
2017 - We Bleed Metal 17

1321 takes tracks from each of those five albums and presents them with different arrangements.

Guitarist and Producer David T. Chastain explains: "1321 is the album we would have released if we only could have released one album during the Leather Second Generation Era. The tracks now are little more listener friendly and more accessible for the first time Chastain metal fan who may have never experienced the music before. For long time Chastain fans I believe they will like the new arrangements."

David adds, "We chose the tracks that we thought I could make the biggest arrangement changes from the originals. When listening to the 5 albums on their own certain tracks I could just hear a new arrangement that I thought would work. Tracks I could make stronger... or at least a new take on the song."

Also included on 1321 is the never before released track, "The First Attack". That track was originally recorded during the Surrender To No One sessions but to due to time constraints was not included on the original release.

David adds, "Having new drummer Stian Kristoffersen (Pagan's Mind) in the band really helped bring the music to another level with his more modern influences. He is a monster drummer. Leather has never sounded better and bassist Mike Skimmerhorn can always be counted on to hold up the bottom end."

Chastain, one of the original US metal pioneers, has once again proved itself to be a unique sound in the history and future of metal.

A video featuring the new arrangement of the track "Evil Awaits Us" can be seen below:

Recently the band discovered a rare video of Chastain's very first concert. David states: "Found an old Beta tape and had it transferred to digital format. Of course the quality is poor but it shows the band with a ton of energy and it has every song from the band's first album Mystery Of Illusion. Leather really shines on this."

Watch here.




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UK alt-metal upstarts, Vexed, will release their debut full-length, Culling Culture, on May 21 via Napalm Records. Their new single, “Epiphany”, accompanied by a new music video, features Megan Targett’s multi-faceted clean vocal delivery juxtaposed with otherworldly auras, resonating, melodic rhythms and a bold message.

Says the band: “Learning to love and accept yourself can be an uphill struggle, especially in a world where people online are free to pick apart every inch of you. 'Epiphany' is a vulnerable yet cutthroat track about falling victim to self-loathing, battling mental illness, and finally discovering how to not give a fuck about what anyone thinks of you.”

Watch the official music video for “Epiphany”:

Facing very personal experiences, Culling Culture is a tribute to hate, betrayal and anger, whilst also reflecting post-modern society with strikingly honest songwriting and heavy groove. Moreover, for as confident as they are musically, Vexed is as poignant lyrically. The title of the album, Culling Culture, and portions of its contents deliver the band’s unfiltered response to the world’s latest social phenomena of public ostracism, “cancel culture”.

Unrelenting lead vocalist Megan Targett’s vicious vocal assault blending venomously low growls, soaring cleans and razor-sharp rap-like deliveries (see “Fake” and “Weaponise”) is backed by the pure technical proficiency of bandmates Willem Mason-Geraghty (drums), Jay Bacon (guitar) and Al Harper (bass). The warning instrumental “Ignorant” prefaces the record’s menacing atmosphere and provides a flawless basis for smashing wake up call “Hideous” and fiery, threatening tracks “Fake” and “Narcissist”. Ghostly “Aurora” and disrespectfully heavy album-closer “Lazarus” showcase Targett’s multi-faceted clean vocal delivery while clashing otherworldly auras with resonating, melodic rhythms. “Epiphany” blends both, offering a bold message of moving past self-loathing, while superciliously weighty offering “Weaponise” seethes between violent hatred and ambient darkness.

Pre-order Vexed’s debut album Culling Culture here.

Culling Culture will be available in the following formats:

- 1-CD Digipak
- 1-LP Gatefold Vinyl (Black)
- 1-LP Gatefold Vinyl (Orange transparent, strictly limited to 100 copies)
- 1-CD Digipak + T-Shirt Bundle
- Digital Album

Tracklisting:

"Ignorant"
"Hideous"
"Fake"
"Epiphany"
"Misery"
"Narcissist"
"Weaponise"
"Purity"
"Drift"
"Aurora"
"Lazarus"

"Hideous" video:

(Photo - Andy Ford)




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Robot Metal band Electromancy have a released a video of their cover of Darkthrone's "Transilvanian Hunger" via Terra Relicta. The song is from their upcoming EP, Robot Black Metal, which will be out on April 30th.

Composed by a human, performed by actual robots, Electromancy redefines the primitive notions of “futuristic.” After struggling with chronic illness, composer Satyra became too disabled to continue to play instruments. Rather than give in, Satyra began building custom robots to play the instruments and unleash their music. The result is an unearthly black metal sound, impossible to replicate by mere humans.

Robot Black Metal can be pre-ordered now at this location. The cover art is pictured below:

 

 




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