TESTAMENT guitarist Alex Skolnick has teamed up with ARCH ENEMY singer Alissa White-Gluz to record a cover version of the QUEEN classic "We Are The Champions". A quarantine-style video for their rendition of the song can be seen below.

Regarding how the collaboration came about, Alex says: "Last spring, when lockdown 'challenges' were all the rage, we'd been among more than a dozen musicians and singers answering [QUEEN guitarist] Brian May's call in a wonderful, elaborate all-star video in tribute to first responders ([go] back to last spring to see the full version, with a different vocalist singing each line). For this we created a straight through 'jamming' version, with her voice straight through and remixed by yours truly (not easy, but a fun challenge!).

"This is a special video posted on both of our Patreon accounts (thank you, patrons!) as a gift during the holidays. Now we are announcing it as it is available to view for all. Enjoy!"

Skolnick joined TESTAMENT in 1985 at the age of 16 and stayed with the band for eight years before leaving in 1993 and going on to study at the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music. He rejoined TESTAMENT as a full-time member in 2005.

In addition to playing with ALEX SKOLNICK TRIO and TESTAMENT, he has worked as a sideman with such artists as vocalist Ishtar of the French band ALABINA and Jewish folk singer Debbie Friedman. He has also guested on an album from RODRIGO Y GABRIELA.

Three years ago, the ALEX SKOLNICK TRIO — comprised of Skolnick, Zebroski and bassist Nathan Peck — released "Conundrum", its first album since 2011.

TESTAMENT's latest album, "Titans Of Creation", came out in April 2020 via Nuclear Blast.

Alissa has spent the last few years working on her long-awaited solo album, to be released via Napalm Records. The effort is expected to include contributions and collaborations with past and present members of ARCH ENEMY and KAMELOT, as well as MISFITS guitarist Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein.

Alissa said in a 2017 interview that the idea for a solo project came about as a suggestion from ARCH ENEMY's former lead singer Angela Gossow, who has been managing the band's career for a decade and also oversees Alissa's personal affairs.

While doing Zoom press for their fourth studio album, To The End - due for release on March 26th via Reaper Entertainment - Memoriam vocalist Karl Willetts provided BraveWords with a status update on Bolt Thrower. The surviving members, which also include guitarists Gavin Ward and Barry "Baz" Thomson, and bassist Jo Bench are still mourning the loss of Martin Kearns, who had been Bolt Thower's drummer from 1994 to 1997 and again since 2000 and died unexpectedly at the age of 38 in 2015. 

BraveWords: What is the status of Bolt Thrower? Where does it lie in your heart? 

“They lie in a distant, dark part of my heart,” Willetts laughs. “I have very, very found memories of being in that band and doing that. But it’s all gone now and very much firmly in the past. Something I’m very proud of and it’s part of my heritage. Something I’ll never deny or decry. Yes, it’s very very firmly ensconced in the past … never to be revisited.”

BraveWords: Bolt Thrower are on the very short list of the greatest bands I’ve ever witnessed in a live setting. Would you agree?

Willetts: “Yes, but we didn’t do that much, so what we did was always something special. And that has a special place in so many people’s hearts. I’m very well aware of that. I’m very proud of it. But it’s gone. It’s done. It’s pst. Everyone move on now. Move along.”

BraveWords: Why did Bolt Thrower hold back on touring? You could’ve circled the world every time with each album, particularly with the glorios finale, 2005’s Those Once Loyal. 

Willetts: “Yeah, I dunno. It was very much to do on our own terms. And we’ve pretty much done the same thing with Memoriam, we pick and choose what we want to do. And it makes it that much more special. We just did what we wanted to do and it kind of worked out that. We never wanted to tour months on end and it’s true today. We are in an older place with responsibilities like kids and stuff like that. So the idea of going away and touring for an extended time doesn’t hold any interest to us whatsoever. We are happy doing the occasional shows like on the weekends and things like that. That suits us fine.”

BraveWords: So you never had that Rod Smallwood/Steve Harris bug to do a show a day for an entire year!?

Willetts: “Oh, that would kill ya! That’s insane. No.”

Watch for the entire interview to appear on Streaming For Vengeance next month. 

Memoriam is:

Karl Willetts - vocals (ex-Bolt Thrower)
Frank Healy - bass (ex-Benediction)
Spike T Smith - drums (Sacrilege, Conflict, Killing Joke, The Damned)
Scott Fairfax - guitars (As The World Dies, ex-Benediction)

Italian metallers Frozen Crown have checked in with the following update:

"Dear friends, as you already know 2020 has been a hard year for musicians and each of us had to take some time to sit down, deal with reality and review his / her own priorities in life. It’s not easy to be part of a band, let alone doing it during a period that doesn’t allow you to live that experience to the fullest and to travel the world playing around, or even to share some time with your bandmates to start with. This is why, in different times during last year, Alberto, Thalía and Filippo decided to leave the band to focus on their personal projects: we wish them all the best for their new ventures and for their lives. We would also like to thank them for the awesome moments spent touring around, and to celebrate our three years together with this last video from Crowned In Frost, portraying the 'classic' Frozen Crown line-up. 

As you already know, our third album has just been completed (as the songwriting line-up remains unchanged anyway) and will be announced in the next days, as well as the new members of the band. Be sure to check this page for many updates to come!"

Check out the "Battles In The Night" video below.

Crowned In Frost is the second album from Frozen Crown, coming a year after the debut The Fallen King, which gave the band huge media exposure and brought a deal with international booking agency Nine Lives Entertainment, amongst many other accomplishments.

This time, mastermind and songwriter Federico Mondelli amplified the classic/heavy and power metal components of the band, making Crowned In Frost an aggressive and monolithic album from the very beginning, still keeping the listener engaged with its rich sound and wide variety of songs, including instrumental interludes and outstanding female vocals, brought to life by talented Giada "Jade" Etro.

As with the first album, Federico wrote the music and recorded all guitars and keyboards (being an all-round artist he designed the beautiful artwork as well) for Crowwned In Frost, whilst the drum parts were arranged by drummer Alberto Mezzanotte. Lyrics are once again the result of the joint efforts of Giada and Federico. Production duties have been handled by Andrea Fusini.

Crowned In Frost broadens Frozen Crown’s musical landscape still keeping intact an uncommon taste for melody and catchy refrains. The album was released on March 22nd, 2019 via Scarlet Records.

Tracklisting:

"Arctic Gales"
"Neverending"
"In The Dark"
"Battles In The Night"
"Winterfall"
"Unspoken"
"Lost In Time"
"The Wolf And The Maiden"
"Forever"
"Enthroned"
"Crowned In Frost"

"Neverending"

Fractal Universe have released the new video below, along with the following message:

"Watch Hugo and Vince shred through 'Flashes Of Potentialities' with on-screen tabs! That's not all. Sign up to our newsletter to get some 'Flashes Of Potentialities' related free content!

Just enter your email to get:

- Complete tabs for all instruments (Guitar Pro and PDF)
- Backing tracks for each instrument and STEMS
- Wav. file of the song

So now's your turn: grab your instrument, and let us see your covers! We'll make sure to share them on our social medias!"

(Photo - Lucie Gallego)

Norwegian eclectic hard rock band, White Void, have released a bass playthrough video for “Do. Not. Sleep.”, the opening track of their upcoming debut album, Anti, which is scheduled to be released on March 12. Watch below:

Pre-save Anti on the streaming plattform of your choice here. Pre-order the album here.

Tracklisting:

“Do. Not. Sleep.”
“There Is No Freedom But The End”
“Where You Go, You’ll Bring Nothing”
“The Shovel And The Cross”
“This Apocalypse Is For You”
“All Chains Rust, All Men Die”
“The Fucking Violence Of Love”
“The Air Was Thick With Smoke”

"This Apocalypse Is For You" video:

"Do. Not. Sleep." video:

White Void is:

Lars Nedland- Vocals
Tobias Solbakk - Drums
Vegard Kummen - Bass
Eivind Marum - Guitar

(Photo - Jørn Veberg)

Supergroup Halloween Jack has released “Trash”, a cover song video by The New York Dolls as a tribute or token of love to the glam/punk band’s Sylvain Sylvain who died earlier this month after losing his battle with cancer.

The New York Dolls, known for their glam rock androgyny and their signature attire including women’s makeup and frenzied, bizarre fashions, revitalized the New York City underground music scene in the '70s foreshadowing punk by half a decade. The Dolls were an anomaly considered to be one of the most influential bands on the planet with their unpolished, chaotic music expression that combined British invasion-influenced rhythm and blues with the guitar distortion and booming backbeat of proto-punk bands such as Iggy and the Stooges.

Halloween Jack combines the talent of Stephen Perkins drummer of Jane’s Addiction, Gilby Clarke former guitarist of Guns N’ Roses, Dan Shulman former bassist of Garbage, Eric Dover guitarist from Jellyfish, and guest guitarist Steve Stevens of Billy Idol, a huge fan of the Dolls. Halloween Jack’s "Trash" video is filled with a texture and color completely reminiscent of the orgasmic, sophisticated anarchy that captured the essence of the kaleidoscopic vibrancy transmitted by the original New York Dolls. Halloween Jack wished to celebrate the memory of Sylvain using the video as a token of love to the fallen icon.

When asked what the New York Dolls meant to him Dan Shulman responded, “It meant freedom. I was a shy kid growing up, so the idea that you could express yourself, and look outrageous, and play outrageous music, and feel that you can communicate with people in that way was huge for me.” He went on to say “The New York Dolls along with KISS, Alice Cooper, and Bowie, sent me the message as a kid that anything was possible.”

Stephen Perkins, drummer of Jane’s Addiction masterminded the idea for a tribute video for Sylvain Sylvain while taking a shower. To Perkins, the New York Dolls represented courage. “The courage and bravery it took to get on stage and be able to play their instruments with such cuts. To dress up with such confidence and to strut. I wasn’t in New York, but it seemed dangerous and dirty and that went right into the music. They were an original New York City band and I love hearing the city in their music. You know Van Halen could never come from anywhere but LA, and the Dolls can only be in New York.” Perkins went on to say, “Even today when listening to the song 'Trash', we had to put our balls on the table to make it sound like the Dolls.”

Steve Stevens, world class guitarist from Billy Idol was actually given his stage name by Sylvain Sylvain when it was suggested that he use his first name twice. “Growing up in New York City I really believe that the Dolls spearheaded not only the punk rock scene, but all of the bands in New York that came after them,” Steven exclaimed. He then went on to say, “The thing about this video is that I really didn’t know what to expect, but the fact that there is original footage of the band that we are all really paying homage to Sylvain. I was really happy that we were able to honor them, and I am really happy to have my name attached in someway to honor them.”

According to former Guns N’ Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke, “The Dolls were a huge influence on me. I was starting to go down a deep, dark heavy metal hole. Then I found The New York Dolls and that changed everything. They were like my version of the Rolling Stones that I could really relate to. I loved Mark Bolin from T-Rex, I love the Sweet and Bowie, but the Dolls to me were a perfect blend of the glam rock, but still rock ‘n’ roll.”

Sylvain Mizrahi best recognized by his stage name Sylvain Sylvain was the guitarist for The New York Dolls. One of the key architects of rock music, Sylvain was the driving force behind the band and the soul of the clothes, style and thrilling guitar combinations that would be such a profound influence on punk rock. As a precursor to the Dolls, he created the band Actress from a bunch of guys that hung around his clothing store that would later give birth to the Sex Pistols. In 2019, Sylvain announced that he had cancer and he died in his home on January 13, 2021.

 

Iconic guitarist Steve Stevens (Billy Idol, Michael Jackson) sat down for an exclusive one on one interview with Cassius Morris on WatchMojo's brand new music podcast Innersleeve, which can be seen below, to discuss  his plans for 2021, his relationship with Billy Idol, what it was like to work with Michael Jackson, The New York Dolls and much more! An excerpt has been transcribed as follows:

"We finished up touring, obviously, in March (2020) when COVID hit," says Stevens. "Every year we do a residency in Las Vegas, it became apparent that our touring plans had come to a screeching halt - this is of course Billy Idol. So, we finished up and we said, okay, we're going to both quarantine. And we made plans to record new music with producer Butch Walker. Butch is kind of like a self-contained jack-of-all-trades. He's got his own studio, does all his own engineering, plays every instrument imaginable. So the three of us were able to actually do new music over the course of the year, and we've just finished that. We've done our mixes, and I guess the plan is now to figure out when the right time to get it out is, but it'll definitely be this year... we're just waiting to find out when we can go back out and play."

Billy Idol's last studio album was 2014's Kings & Queens Of The Underground. It spawned videos for "Can't Break Me Down" and "Save Me Now".

 

On February 26th, iconic White Lion and Freak Of Nature singer Mike Tramp will reissue his 2013 solo album, Cobblestone Street, on limited edition colored vinyl via Target Records.

Available in three different colors - marble purple, marble yellow, and marble green - each variant is limited to 100 copies, all of which will be hand-numbered by Mike Tramp himself. Pre-order your copy now at this location.

“Cobblestone Street, can easily be called the album that grounded me and made me take a good look at where I was and where I wanted to go," says Tramp. "Sometimes when you’re lost, just go back to where you started, the answers are usually there. Not just did I go back to the neighborhood where I was born and raised, but also to the earliest form of music I remember. Cobblestone Street is where it all started.” 

Tracklisting:

"Cobblestone Street"
"Caught In The Storm"
"New Day"
"Ain’t The Life I Asked For"
"Revolution"
"We’ll Be Alright"
"Angel Or Devil"
"Find It In Your Heart"
"What Are You Gonna Do"
"Once"
"More To Life Than This" (Bonus Track)
"’92" (Bonus Track)

Check out the original promotional trailer for Cobblestone Street from 2013, as well as a performance of the title track:

 

The At The Movies project - launched by Pretty Maids guitarist Chris Laney due to the COVID-19 pandemic - caught fire over the course of 2020, and project has now moved on to movie soundtrack covers from the '90s. Check out "The One and Only” from the 1991 Warner Bros. movie Doc Hollywood starring Michael J. Fox.

The core At The Movies players are as follows:

Björn "Speed" Strid (Soilwork) - lead / backing vocals
Linnéa Vikström Egg (Therion) - lead / backing vocals
Chris Laney (Pretty Maids) - guitars
Allan Sørensen (Royal Hunt, Pretty Maids) - drums
Morten Sandager (Pretty Maids) - keyboards
Pontus Norgren (HammerFall) - guitars
Pontus Egberg (King Diamond) - bass

Stay tuned for more.

The following update appears on the official Children Of Bodom website, issued by the remaining members of the bands in the wake of frontman Alexi Laiho's death at the end of December 2020.

"When the Finnish U-20 ice hockey team lost the semifinal game to the USA, the atmosphere in the locker room was filled with disappointment. The players had just given their all, mentally and physically, never backing down to the dream of becoming world champions. The U-20 team head-coach Antti Pennanen knew how hard everyone on the team had worked for this. He shared the players disappointment but had to find a way to fire them up again. They still had one important match to play. The puck for the bronze medal game would be dropped in less than 24 hours. 

Pennanen had played metal music before games to amplify the teams fighting spirit. At this moment, he decided to try to find a silver lining despite what has happened and asked his crew to edit a short highlight movie of the tournament up to this point. As the soundtrack to this motivational clip Pennanen chose Children of Bodom´s 'Are You Dead Yet?'

Then, at the team meeting before facing the Russians, Antti played this highlight reel and talked about how talented and unique a musician Alexi was. Alexi will forever be one of the best guitar players in music history. Antti stressed the importance of the game ahead - the players can still create history - the moments in life where one gets to play medal games are unique too. With Antti’s words, the images of Alexi and COB’s music in the back of their minds the players stepped onto the ice and beat Russia 4-1. The underdogs had prevailed. One can only imagine that 'Are You Dead Yet?' echoed thru the Edmonton stadium locker room hallways, before and after the game.

The next day Jaska Raatikainen (drums) read in the morning news about the Finns winning their last game. The headlines were clear 'Winning the bronze game was our way to honor and salute the memory of Alexi Laiho.'

Jaska started to think about how Children of Bodom could thank the team for their tribute and victory. Luckily, last autumn COB designed a 'pond hockey winter hat,' and one of the hats’ theme is Follow the Reaper, with blue and white colors (Finnish flag). These were the hats given to the team since U-20 mirrors the fact that 2020 was the 20th anniversary of Follow the Reaper album.

Thank you U-20 Finnish ice hockey team for honoring the memory of Alexi Laiho and congratulations to the bronze medal."

"Throw a punch, shards bleed on the floor
Tearing me apart but I don't care anymore
Should I regret or ask myself
Are you dead yet?"

 

In a recent interview with Jeff Gaudiosi of MisplacedStraws.com, TESLA bassist Brian Wheat, who is promoting his recently released autobiography, "Son Of A Milkman: My Crazy Life With Tesla", spoke about the band's enduring popularty. He said: "I think it's why we've had such a long career — because there's not been a trend or a fashion we were ever in. But having said that about some of the bands from the eighties that, you wanna call them hair bands or whatever, it's in fashion again. Look at what DEF LEPPARD and MÖTLEY CRÜE are doing in the stadiums," referring to the upcoming "The Stadium Tour", also featuring POISON and JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS. "That's great. And I would have loved to have been on that bill, by the way. I would've liked to have been in Joan's place. I don't know why they didn't put us in there. But maybe we've done too many tours with DEF LEPPARD recently.

"Look, man, it is what it is," he continued. "My proudest accomplishment is that we're still together 36 years later, and we're still standing. We're survivors, man. We survived a breakup. We survived grunge. We survived the 2000s, and we survived the 2010s. And now we're gonna survive this COVID shit, and we'll be back as soon as that's done. We'll still be there singing and playing and trying to put a smile on someone's face."

"The Stadium Tour" was originally scheduled to kick off last June and run through early September. The trek has since been pushed back to the summer of 2021 due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

"Son Of A Milkman: My Crazy Life With Tesla" arrived on December 15 via Post Hill Press. The 304-page hardcover book features a foreword by DEF LEPPARD vocalist Joe Elliott, and was co-written with award-winning journalist and author Chris Epting, whose titles include "Adrenalized" (co-written with DEF LEPPARD's Phil Collen) and "Change Of Seasons" (co-written with John Oates).

Wheat co-founded TESLA, which became one of the biggest bands of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Brian owns a recording studio by the name of J Street Recorders in Sacramento, California. PAPA ROACH, TESLA, PAT TRAVERS, DEFTONES, KODIAK JACK, FLASHFIRES and many others have recorded there.

TESLA spent most of 2019 touring in support of its latest album, "Shock", which was released in March of that year via UMe. The follow-up to 2014's "Simplicity" was produced by DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen

In a new interview with "The Rock Experience With Mike Brunn", Paul Stanley reflected on KISS's New Year's Eve performance in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

"I thought considering we hadn't played in a year, and I thought considering the circumstances not having an audience — playing to a hotel, more or less… The fireworks were absolutely staggering," he said (see video below). "And I thought it was a good evening, a good night."

Paul also talked about KISS's decision to include "Strutter" in the setlist after only performing it sporadically in recent years.

"Well, the funny thing was we played it because they said, 'You guys have gotta play longer,'" he said. "We weren't at midnight yet. And I looked at the guys, and I said, 'How about we play 'Strutter'?' It was done without rehearsal, and it was really off the cuff, and I can't tell you the last time we played that."

As previously reported, KISS's Dubai concert broke Guinness world records for highest flame projection in a music concert and for most flame projections launched simultaneously in a music concert.

Landmarks Live Presents produced the $10 million spectacular, which was filmed with more than 50 4K cameras and 360-degree views and was held on a massive 250-foot stage at The Royal Beach at Atlantis. The show included "a million dollars' worth of pyro," according to Stanley.

KISS partnered with event company Tixr to beam the "Kiss 2020 Goodbye" show around the world.

KISS reportedly cleaned up its act for to the Dubai concert, apparently out of respect for local customs and beliefs. Gene Simmons's blood-spitting stunt was missing during his bass solo, and the words "bitch" and "virgin soul" were removed from the lyrics of "100,000 Years" and "God of Thunder", respectively, the latter replaced by "sacred soul." Other songs reportedly had minor lyrical changes as well.

KISS launched its farewell trek in January 2019 but was forced to put it on hold last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"End Of The Road" was originally scheduled to conclude on July 17, 2021 in New York City but is now expected to last well into 2022.

KISS's current lineup consists of original members Stanley and Simmons, alongside later band additions, guitarist Tommy Thayer (since 2002) and drummer Eric Singer (on and off since 1991).

Baron Carta has released their debut, Step Into The Plague featuring the official lyric music video for “Devil To Send”. The entire release is available FREE here.

The release brings together Jono Bacon (Severed Fifth), Ralf Scheepers (Primal Fear, Gamma Ray), and Morten Gade Sørensen (Pyramaze, Anubis Gate).

It was mixed and mastered by grammy-nominated producer Jacob Hansen (Volbeat, The Black Dahlia Murder, Destruction, Primal Fear).

Baron Carta blends together different styles into a unique format. Shades of Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Slayer, Nevermore, and more come together to create a heavy, but powerful package.

Primary songwriter, Jono Bacon, says, “After playing metal since I was 16, I didn’t want to be constrained by arbitrary genres. I love heavy, powerful music, but I want to blend all kinds of different textures together, not just box me into thrash, or heavy metal, or death metal, or whatever. My hope with Baron Carta is to just focus on the music: I don’t care what style it is filed under.”

Baron Carta are also bucking the trend of how music is released. Instead of putting out an album every two years, Baron Carta will release a series of shorter albums more regularly. Bacon says, “I think most music fans are like me - clamoring for new tunes as often as possible. I would much rather pump out more fresh music on a regular basis than the elongated album cycle. We’ll see, but I think it will be interesting to see how fans react to this model.”

Step Into The Plague is also available on Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Amazon Music, and other online retailers.

Nad Sylvan ended 2020 on a rather happy note. He released “You’ve Got To Find A Way” in December 2020, a bonus track on his upcoming album Spiritus Mundi.

Nad is now releasing the first proper album track “The Fisherman” off of said album to the world.

Nad comments: “No one is a prophet in their own land”. W.B Yeats, the famous Irish poet penned the poem The Fisherman in 1914 that this song is based on. At this point in time, he felt misunderstood by his contemporaries, just like I have done growing up in a small minded world. Yeats poems are filled with double and hidden messages. So is this video.”

After concluding the Vampirate’s trilogy, Nad now changes course on his upcoming fourth album by converting poems of WB Yeats into music. The new album is due for release on April 9 2021 via InsideOut Music. The stunning new cover artwork by Robin Damore can be seen below:

Preorders begin February 12.

Norway's Vulture Industries have announced their second online performance. This time, the event will take place from the historic location of Salhus Tricotagefabrik. The unique event will take place on February 6 at 3:00 PM EST // 12:00 PM PST. The stream is completely free and will be made available on the band’s YouTube channel and Facebook page. 

Front man Bjørnar explains:

"This time we travel to the historical location of Salhus Tricotagefabrik. Established in 1859 the factory was once the industrial heart of the west coast community Salhus. With a production line that went from raw wool to finished products, the factory had its production peak in 1957 and employed 357 people. Specialized in undergarments, stockings, sports and leisure clothes, strong competition from cheap alternatives drove the factory into an economic crisis in the 1980's and 1989 it closed its doors. Now a knitting factory museum, the concert will take us into the very core of the factory."

Check out the digital museum here.

Regarding the knitting competition, he continues: "With the ongoing pandemic we would like to do our part in activating you all, so we call on fans, friends and foes to do their worst and call the first annual grand knitting competition. To take part you must make your own special piece of Vulture Industries band merch. Long undergarments, a headband, a pair of mittens.... Make whatever you want. To take part post a picture of what you made on Facebook and tag Vulture Industries. The deadline to enter the competition is Saturday, February 6, and the winner will receive a 200 € gift voucher for https://vultureindustries.bigcartel.com/."

About tickets: "We have fans all over the world and concert ticket prices vary from country to county. The ongoing pandemic has also hit some harder than others. Therefore we don't want to hide the concert behind a paywall. Still.... generosity is appreciated and for those who prefer a set price, you can pick either a signed paper ticket or get a digital one."

Physical and digital tickets are available here.

QUEENSRŸCHE frontman Todd La Torre will release his debut solo album, "Rejoice In The Suffering", on February 5 via Rat Pak Records. The official music video for the disc's latest single, "Crossroads To Insanity", can be seen below. The clip is set in a mental institution, where a sane man faces the threshold of his own sanity due to the confinement. While the track might seem reminiscent of the work Todd is most known for, the song builds to a fiery guitar solo delivered by Todd's songwriting partner Craig Blackwell where it showcases the sound that is all his own. Sonically different than anything Todd has released from "Rejoice In The Suffering" to date, the song is poised to be an instant favorite for listeners.

Says Todd: "'Crossroads To Insanity' is one of our favorite tracks on the album. With a slow and moody opening and verses, it builds into a full-blown heavy chorus, sliding into a masterful melodic guitar solo. This song not only exhibits another texture, but also provides balance and musical diversity to the album."

The idea for a solo album was always in the cards for Todd. With QUEENSRŸCHE tour dates postponed indefinitely, the world events offered Todd the opportunity to explore his ideas for the effort. Todd teamed up with Blackwell, alongside producer Chris "Zeuss" Harris, to create a diverse heavy metal album that draws influence from different styles. These styles will surprise fans who only know La Torre from his previous work with QUEENSRŸCHE or CRIMSON GLORY.

Said Todd: "'Rejoice In The Suffering' was truly a labor of love. It's a pure metal record that certainly showcases a wide range of my vocal abilities. I feel there is something for any true fan of metal on this album. This album is full of groove, dynamics, power, and substance and I can’t wait for people to hear it."

From the album's opening riffs of "Dogmata" to the vocal acrobatics that drive the album closer "Apology", it is apparent that La Torre has a true love of heavy metal. With Todd playing drums and recording the vocals for the album, songs like "Darkened Majesty" and "Critical Cynic" offer an inside look into his musical mind. Blackwell's guitar playing provides the perfect musical accents to La Torre's vocals. Todd even finds vocal wails not heard from him before as showcased on the title track and the punishing "Vanguards Of The Dawn Wall". The deluxe version of the album features three bonus tracks: "Fractured", "Set It Off" and "One By One". Fans can pre-order the album in various bundle configurations here.

"Rejoice In The Suffering" track listing:

01. Dogmata

02. Pretenders

03. Hellbound And Down

04. Darkened Majesty

05. Crossroads To Insanity

06. Critical Cynic

07. Rejoice In The Suffering

08. Vexed

09. Vanguards Of The Dawn Wall

10. Apology

Bonus tracks (deluxe version only)

11. Fractured

12. Set It Off

13. One By One

La Torre previously talked about his plans to release a solo LP in a 2017 interview with Canada's The Metal Voice. He stated about the direction of the material that will appear on the record: "Musically, it is probably, like, FIGHT meets PANTERA meets BLACK LABEL [SOCIETY]. It's definitely got that kind of southern… You know, PANTERA had that certain power groove — not full-fledged [speed], but has thrash elements. And then vocally, I'm singing probably a lot more chest voice, and then I've got some brutal gutteral vocals on it… That'll be a lot more brutal and more thrash, but the vocals are definitely more a power-metal, operatic kind of a thing — very aggressive…"

La Torre joined his first band BLACKWELL as the drummer, performing in high school talent shows and entering into the club rock music scene in Tampa Bay, Florida. In 2009, Todd was suggested to CRIMSON GLORY guitarist Jon Drenning by a mutual friend to help with some vocal rehearsals in preparation for a CRIMSON GLORY memorial concert. This would pave the way for more collaborations with the band, eventually joining as the band’s new permanent vocalist. La Torre was the lead singer for CRIMSON GLORY from late 2010 until resigned from the band in early 2013. In 2012, Todd became a household name in the metal world when he officially became the new lead vocalist of QUEENSRŸCHE. The band immediately began touring globally and started writing new material for the self-titled 2013 album "Queensrÿche". To date, QUEENSRŸCHE has released three studio albums with La Torre: "Queensrÿche", "Condition Hüman" (2015) and "The Verdict" (2019). Currently the band is writing new material for a fourth release for Century Media Records.

"Look What I’ve Become", the second single from Gizmachi’s long-awaited sophomore album, Omega Kaleid, is available today.

In addition to Björn “Speed” Strid of Soilwork, who lends his vocal skills to the entire album, “Look What I’ve Become” also features an appearance by guitarist Larry Mitchell, who has released numerous solo records in addition to working with Tracy Chapman, Billy Squier, Ric Ocasek and Miguel Bosé.

“Being on a song with one of my guitar heroes is surreal,” says guitarist Jay Hannon. “I was having a hard time coming up with the solo for ‘Look What I’ve Become’ and had an idea to do a guitar dual thing. I reached out to Larry and he said, ‘Let’s take it back to 1990!’”

The single is available now via all digital music providers here. Listen below:

Founded in 1996, Gizmachi quickly gained popularity among the local Orange County, NY, hardcore/metal scene. The band caught the eyes and ears of Slipknot percussionist Shawn “Clown” Crahan and signed to his label, Big Orange Clown (a subsidiary of Sanctuary Records) for the release of their debut, The Imbuing, in 2005. From 2005-2006, Gizmachi spent time on the road supporting The Imbuing, including high profile festivals such as Ozzfest and Rock AM Ring in Europe before going on an extended 16-year hiatus.

Fast forward to 2021 and the return of Gizmachi with Omega Kaleid, scheduled for release on March 12, that showcases the group’s signature sound - a mixture of brutally melodic vocals, odd time signatures and epic guitar solos. The album’s genesis dates back to a 2012 Kickstarter campaign, which was followed by multiple setbacks, including recording and budget constraints and scheduling conflicts that ultimately led to a lineup change. Gizmachi, however, blazed on, determined to fulfill their pledge and deliver new music. Without a vocalist for the record, Gizmachi reached out to Strid, who accepted the band’s offer.

“‘Look What I’ve Become’ was the first song Bjorn sent back to us,” the band notes. “As soon as the four of us heard his voice with our music, we knew this record was going to be special.”

Omega Kaleid was produced and engineered by guitarist Jay Hannon and mixed by Mark Lewis (Devildriver, White Chapel, The Black Dahlia Murder). Pre-orders are available here.

Omega Kaleid tracklisting:

"Winter"
"Paradox"
"Broken Ends"
"Turned To Dust"
"Sky"
"Inner Visions"
"Shattered Dream"
"Look What I’ve Become"
"Trick My Soul"
"New Day (Everything To Lose)"
"Omega Kaleid"

"Broken Ends":

Lineup:

Jay Hannon - Guitars
Mike Laurino - Guitars/Vocals
Kris Gilmore - Bass
Jimmie Hatcher - Drums
Björn Strid - Vocals

Former KING DIAMOND bassist Hal Patino says that he would be open to taking part in a reunion tour featuring the surviving members of the band's original lineup.

Patino made the comment just days after Mikkey Dee, who played drums for KING DIAMOND from 1985 until 1989, said that he would also like to see such a tour come to fruition.

Hal said: ''I think it would be fun to do a 'Them' reunion tour. Just one tour for the fans!'

"We are all still here and I think it would be really cool getting back together after all these years.

"I still talk to Mikkey Dee and Pete Blakk [former KING DIAMOND guitarist], and I talked to King [Diamond, the band's frontman and namesake] not long ago.

"We were a great band back then and we had a very powerful and unique sound. We all sound just as good today, if not better, and it would cool for all the old and new fans to hear, see and feel it for one last time.

"I recently talked to Mikkey and Pete about it. But it's all up to King."

Dee expressed his interest in a KING DIAMOND reunion while speaking to Cassius Morris of "The Cassius Morris Show" earlier this week. He said: "Unfortunately, [original KING DIAMOND bassist] Timi Hansen is dead, but you could have Andy [LaRocque, guitar], Michael Denner [guitar], you could have Hal Patino, Pete Blakk, myself, just for a tour, and only play the stuff that we did — from 'Fatal Portrait' to 'Cospiracy'. That could have been a really fun and successful tour."

Dee, who has been a member of SCORPIONS since 2016, went on to say that it's "totally up to" King Diamond as to whether such a tour will ever take place. "Because he [also] does MERCYFUL FATE [on the side]," Mikkey said. "I don't see why not. If I'm off [and not doing anything] with SCORPIONS, then I could easily have done that. That would have been so much fun, I think, because we were a great bunch of guys. And I still talk to Andy and Pete and Hal and King as well."

Patino played bass for KING DIAMOND from 1988 to 1990 and once again from 2001 to 2014, at which point he was fired from band and replaced with Pontus Egberg.

Back in July 2014, Patino released a statement calling KING DIAMOND's frontman and namesake "a tired, bitter, old man" and denying that he has a drug problem, despite the singer's implications to the contrary.

After King announced Hal's exit from KING DIAMOND, Patino posted a message of his own claiming that he was offered a "totally ridiculous" salary for the band's five shows that summer, calling the move "disrespectful" and insisting that he quit the band in disgust two days before King announced Patino was "relieved of his duties" as the bassist for KING DIAMOND. King then responded with a lengthy posting on his Facebook page, accusing Patino of "putting out extreme lies" about King's character and slamming Hal for asking for more money at the last minute after the rest of the band and the crew already accepted the same salary as they had received for the 2013 European tour.

Dee played on the classic KING DIAMOND albums "Fatal Portrait", "Abigail" and "Them" until he left in 1988 to join Don Dokken. He returned a year later as a session player on KING DIAMOND's "Conspiracy".

KING DIAMOND's current drummer is Matt Thompson, who has been in the band since 2000.

KING DIAMOND received a Grammy nomination in the "Best Metal Performance" category for the track "Never Ending Hill" off the group's last album, 2007's "Give Me Your Soul … Please".

Torn Between Two Worlds featuring former Angtoria bandmates Sarah Jezebel Deva and Chris Rehn have released their debut single, "The Beauty Of Deception". It is now available on all streaming platforms. The official lyric video for the song is available below.

Following is Sarah's official announcement for the launch of Torn Between Two Worlds:

"It honestly gives me so much pleasure in announcing that January 31st, 2021 Chris Rehn and I will be releasing our first track and video under a new name, and we will not be writing / releasing under the name Angtoria any longer.

As you know, in 2001, Chris and I met on tour when he was in Evergrey and I was with Therion. We wrote and recorded a demo for industry purposes entitled Torn Between Two Worlds. This was a 5-track recording. We received a brilliant response and Chris went on to write virtually an entire album called God Has A Plan For Us All, and I wrote the lyrics. We were then extremely lucky to get signed to Listenable Records in France.

After the release of the single and video of the track 'God Had A Plan For Us All', things slowed down and I have to admit, I was very much to blame. I stopped working with Mortiis and Therion, put Angtoria to the back and favoured only one band. I worked so hard, with little thanks, little return, little respect and no loyalty. For many years one of my biggest regrets was allowing Angtoria to fade away, but when you are lead to believe that you cannot do better and 'You need us, because your worth nothing without us' attitude, you start to believe it.

I've taken many years out and kept my views to myself, but lately people have popped back into my life and chipped away at my reluctancy to do music again, and given me that push to do it again. So, 14 years on, Chris and I are firmly back together under a new band name, Torn Between Two Worlds.

The first track released will be 'The Beauty of Deception'. The music has not changed and you will feel instantly that this music is a continuation of what should have been. Our connection with the name Angtoria ends, but that's all!

Sadly, due to Covid-19, the video released will be a lyric video. However, the track will be available on iTunes, Spotify, Tidal, Deezer, YouTube Music, 24/7, TikTok, Amazon Music, Pandora, Digital 7, Facebook, Instagram Music, Napster and Shazam. We do hope this makes many of you happy; so sorry it's taken 14 years!"

"Roar" was written and recorded by Vanek Inc., a production company owned by Nina and Shaun Vanek (Midnight guitarist Commander Vanik). While this duo primarily focuses their talents on creating tunes for movie trailers and underscores for TV and film, they have also released a number of stand-alone albums and singles such as Vanik's Sounds Of Samhain, and Nina Vee. Nina and Shaun Vanek have a knack for infusing elements of horror into everything they create.

The idea for "Roar" was brought to the couple by their three-year-old son, Nikko, who—like many kids his age—loves dinosaurs. When Nikko's not occupied with dinosaur toys and name recitations, he can be found singing along to songs about dinosaurs. So, when all the tried-and-true dino-jams grew old, Nikko got a chance to try his hand at the family business and make a Jurassic-style musical debut.

When Nikko's third birthday rolled around, his parents surprised him with a recording session in their home studio. The three-year-old was beyond excited for a chance to mimic the thrash metal stars that formed the soundtrack to his childhood. Taking ten dinosaur toys into the vocal booth, Nikko gave a passionate performance. In the meantime, Shaun edited the boy's takes and started writing music to go with his vocals. At the end of the day, the track's instrumental reflected the genre and energy of Obituary and Morbid Angel.

Two months after Nikko's recording session—around Christmas time—Nina had the idea to shoot a music video to accompany her son's song. According to Nina, "Nikko would run around the house stomping and roaring. It was so cute and ridiculous that we decided to record him." Nikko warmed the hearts of his parents, who hope that their son's passionate performance will uplift the spirits of those depressed by the events of present times.

When it came time to shoot, the family was torn by different ideas for the video, but Nina knew she wanted to film a live performance at their recording studio in Avon. Her hope was to get spotlight footage of Nikko singing into a microphone and to make him the focal point of the video. After going back and forth with different ideas, Shaun thought to make the music video a family affair. He decided that Nina should play bass and Nina realized their five-year-old, Jonalee, could fill in on the drums—just like that, they had a band! 

A day after their video was conceptualized—on a bright and early Sunday morning in Cleveland—the entire family packed it up and headed to the recording studio. Armed with dinosaur masks, makeup, costumes, and a plethora of other dino-gear, the family was ready to shoot the video for "Roar". The kids channeled their creativity for the shoot. Jonalee made up the names "Fossiltooth" and "T-Wrecks" for her and her little brother while Nikko showed off various dinosaur impersonations.

On the tech side of things, the in-studio filming was done by Ian Savage, while Shaun captured offshoots of Nikko running through the woods in a triceratops costume. Savage's son, Campbell, even got a chance to play a recording engineer at the beginning of the video. The end result was a work of art that is sure to capture the hearts of metalheads and dinosaur-lovers alike. 

"Roar" will be available on all digital platforms on February 16, 2021.           

 

"Frampton Forgets The Words", the new studio album by THE PETER FRAMPTON BAND, will be released April 23 via UMe. The album features instrumental tributes to some of Frampton's favorite songs and is the follow up to his 2007 Grammy Award-winning instrumental album, "Fingerprints". The first track to be revealed is their take on RADIOHEAD's "Reckoner", alongside a video.

"Frampton Forgets The Words" was co-produced by Frampton and Chuck Ainlay and was recorded/mixed at Frampton's own Studio Phenix in Nashville. With his infamous 1954 Les Paul Phenix — which was lost in a plane crash in 1980 and recovered more than 30 years later — Frampton brings virtuosic guitar playing to songs by David Bowie, George Harrison, Stevie Wonder, Lenny Kravitz and more.

Frampton notes: "This album is a collection of ten of my favorite pieces of music. My guitar is also a voice and I have always enjoyed playing my favorite vocal lines that we all know and love. These tracks are my great band and me paying tribute to the original creators of this wonderful music. So much fun to do and I really hope you enjoy it too."

Frampton is among the most celebrated guitarists in rock history. At 18, he co-founded one of the first supergroups, HUMBLE PIE. By 22, he was touring incessantly and making use of the talk box which would become his signature guitar effect. He's collaborated with such legendary artists as George Harrison, David Bowie, Jerry Lee Lewis and Ringo Starr, among many others, and has toured with the likes of Stevie Nicks, Greg Allman, LYNYRD SKYNYRD, CHEAP TRICK, and the STEVE MILLER BAND. In 2014 he was inducted into the Musicians Hall Of Fame.

His 2019 album "All Blues" (UMe), was #1 for fifteen weeks on Billboard's Blues chart, and his autobiography "Do You Feel Like I Do?: A Memoir", released last October via Hachette Books, debuted on The New York Times Bestsellers list. His 1976 album, "Frampton Comes Alive!", remains one of the top-selling live records of all time and was inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame last year.

"Frampton Forgets The Words" track listing:

01. If You Want Me To Stay

02. Reckoner

03. Dreamland

04. One More Heartache

05. Avalon

06. Isn't It A Pity

07. I Don't Know Why

08. Are You Gonna Go My Way

09. Loving The Alien

10. Maybe

Melodic death metal outfit The Behest Of Serpents are back with a vengeance via their new single “Hypocrite”. The track is a musical onslaught that melds dueling guitar attacks, guttural vocals, and technical prowess with a powerful message.

"'Hypocrite' is about the hypocrisy of the church and the congregations that follow it," explains vocalist Steven Lunsford. "I grew up in the church and saw people come to get their weekly dose of god and pray for forgiveness, just to leave and act like nothing happened. Paying money to an organization that abuses children while they turn a blind eye."

"Hypocrite" is the lead single from the forthcoming 10 track full-length, Disciples, due out on March 5th. The Behest Of Serpents have also dropped a video for the song. Shot on location at an abandoned church by Howard Sumner Photography, it thrusts organized religion front and center, as explained by the band, “The video depicts this blind following while also confronting a priest for his vile actions.”

The Behest Of Serpents was formed in Northeast Ohio in January of 2019 by members from a variety of other local bands. Heavily influenced by At The Gates and The Black Dahlia Murder, the band opened their first show for Whitechapel, Revocation, and Dying Fetus after just four months of being a band. Drawing inspiration from As Blood Runs Black, Dimmu Borgir, The Haunted, Shadow Of Intent and other heavy melodic metal bands, The Behest Of Serpents played many shows pre-pandemic and wrote and recorded an entire full-length.

Recorded at Mercenary Studios with the help of producer Noah Buchanan (Nunslaughter) and mixed and mastered by Mendel bij de Leij (Aborted), their debut record boasts unending melo-death guitar riffs, sizzling leads, pummeling drums and gut rumbling screams and snarls.

For further details, visit The Behest Of Serpents on Facebook.

 

Funko, the world's leading pop culture consumer products brand and creators of the wildly popular Pop! Vinyl collection, have partnered with legendary pop culture and music superstar Bret Michaels to create his first-ever, limited edition Pop! Vinyl figure. The Bret Michaels collectible Pop! will reflect Michaels's iconic likeness and style.

With consumer demand for Michaels's products always at a high, there will also be a coveted "Chase Pop!" figure, in addition to the planned primary Funko Pop! This unique collectible, sought after by both hardcore Funko collectors and pop culture fans alike, will see an adaptation and inclusion of Bret's signature cowboy hat look.

As Michaels has done with previous brand partners, he remained hands-on throughout the creation and design process with Funko, who collaborated with Epic Rights, the licensing agent.

The public can expect to see Michaels's Pop! Vinyl available at retail outlets beginning in mid-March 2021 to coincide with the singer's birthday on March 15. The limited-edition figures, and the Chase Pops, will also be available directly on ShopBretMichaels.com. Michaels's online store will also be the only place to find gift bundles, including Bret's bestselling book "Auto-Scrap-Ography", as well as personally signed figurines which are sure to create a collecting frenzy for an even more limited version of the highly desired Pop! Vinyl.

Headquartered in Everett, Washington, Funko is a leading pop culture consumer products company. Funko designs, sources and distributes licensed pop culture products across multiple categories, including vinyl figures, toys, plush, apparel, board games, housewares and accessories for consumers who seek tangible ways to connect with their favorite pop culture brands and characters.