It was at the Olympia in June 1980 that the 10th anniversary of Magma was celebrated during three memorable evenings.

This retrospective, bringing together most of the musicians who were part of the group, saw the light of day in the form of two albums, one double, Retrospektïw 1/2 the other single, Retrospektïw 3 which was, despite its numbering, published first. Three titles make up the menu of this Retrospektïw 3: “Retrovision,” a long piece in the continuity of the spirit of the music of the album Attahk, where, on a hellish train, the voices of Stella Vander, Guy Khalifa and Maria Popkiewicz display an astonishing ease, “Hhaï,” in a supercharged version where the Lockwood/Paganotti/Widemann trio performs wonders, and finally “La Dawotsin” where, in a much calmer register, the voice of Christian Vander captivates by its mastery and its depth sensitivity.

A bonus of more than 15 minutes appears on this reissue, it is the first studio recording of the song “Rétrovision,” a pre-production demo for a studio album made in January 1980. Finally, “Rétrovision” will never exist in a studio version.

Recorded as Retrospektïw 3 during the evenings of the Olympia in June 1980, Retrospektïw 1/2 is a fundamental album insofar as it finally presents “Theusz Hamtaahk,” the first movement of the trilogy of the same name, of which we already knew the second movement, “Ẁurdah Ïtah,” as well as the third, “Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh.”

A piece performed on stage since 1974, “Theusz Hamtaahk” waited years before being engraved for eternity, because Christian Vander wanted each note to be beautiful, magical, essential and definitive. It is with the same respect for the music that he also offers us on this double album a magnificent version of “Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh,” a version which allows itself two great moments with the hallucinating improvisations of Bernard Paganotti and Didier Lockwood. Klaus Blasquiz, who did not appear on the Retrospektïw 3 album, provides lead vocals this time.

Without a doubt, Magma has left the legacy of constantly evolving music, which defies all standards and connivance of rock, evolving in a universe of their own creation.

Available on January 25. Pre-order here.

ROB ZOMBIE bassist Matt "Piggy D" Montgomery has lamented the fact that his home state of California has struggled to cope with the increase in coronavirus cases, and has urged his fellow Los Angeles residents to take every precaution as more than a thousand COVID-19 deaths were recently reported in less than one week.

Earlier today, Piggy D took to his Twitter to write: "There's too much double talk in LA for us to get ahead of this. Everyone's lying and placating their friends that they believe this virus is real and that they are being careful, but they aren't. U don't give a fuck about anyone but yourselves. STAY THE FUCK HOME. #LosAngeles".

Piggy D also slammed President Donald Trump for assuming no responsibility for what happened last Wednesday at the U.S. Capitol and insisting that his speech inciting the riot was "totally appropriate."

The musician shared a link to a KTLA article about Trump's latest remarks, and he included the following message: "I'm so done with this fucking Terrorist. I want my life, my canceled industry, and some sense of basic human decency back."

More than 932,600 people have tested positive in L.A. County throughout the pandemic, and more than 12,000 people have died.

In the past week alone, about 100,000 people in L.A. County tested positive for the virus.

Earlier today, while speaking at the White House and later at Joint Base Andrews before departing for Texas, Trump falsely said that "everybody" said his speech at last Wednesday's rally — in which he called on his supporters to march on the Capitol — "was totally appropriate."

"If you read my speech — and many people have done it and I've seen it, both in the papers and in the media on television," he said. "It's been analyzed, and people thought that what I said was totally appropriate. And if you look at what other people have said, politicians at a high level, about the riots during the summer, the horrible riots in Portland and Seattle and various other — other places, that was a real problem, what they said. But they've analyzed my speech and my words and my final paragraph, my final sentence. And everybody, to the tee, thought it was totally appropriate."




There’s too much double talk in LA for us to get ahead of this. Everyone’s lying and placating their friends that they believe this virus is real and that they are being careful, but they aren’t. U don’t give a fuck about anyone but yourselves. STAY THE FUCK HOME. #LosAngeles

— Count D. (@PiggyD) January 12, 2021








I’m so done with this fucking Terrorist. I want my life, my canceled industry, and some sense of basic human decency back. https://t.co/i8r7PSt8fO

— Count D. (@PiggyD) January 12, 2021

Scott Rockenfield has shot down suggestions that he quit QUEENSRŸCHE or retired from playing music.

The drummer, who hasn't performed with QUEENSRŸCHE in four years, took to his Facebook page earlier today to write: "wanna hear a fun story? goes like this : 'Contrary to any statements or interviews coming from other parties, I most definitely 'did not' and 'have not' quit, walked away, retired or abandoned QUEENSRŸCHE??!! ….unfortunately, you have not been given the facts by any means…' a total cliffhanger right? … more soon".

Scott's comments mark the first time he has publicly addressed his status with QUEENSRŸCHE, which has used former KAMELOT drummer Casey Grillo for touring purposes since April 2017.

When Rockenfield's absence from QUEENSRŸCHE was first announced, it was reported that he was taking time off from the band's touring activities to spend time with his young son, who was born in early 2017.

The drum tracks on QUEENSRŸCHE's latest album, 2019's "The Verdict", were laid down by singer Todd La Torre.

In a February 2019 interview with SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation", Todd stated about QUEENSRŸCHE's decision to have him play drums on the LP: "[Scott] had a baby in 2017, and he took paternity leave, which we totally support — no issue with that. And then that just turned into six months, nine months, twelve months. 'Hey, when are you gonna come back?' And we just never got an answer. So that's why I played drums on the record — because I did all the demos with these guys. And it just made logical sense. I'm capable, and my skills are totally adequate to fulfill that role."

According to Todd, QUEENSRŸCHE waited until a month before entering the studio to make the decision about who was going to play the drums on the disc.

"We all wanted Scott to play on the record," the singer said. "And we anticipated that, even though he wasn't part of the writing process — for whatever reasons, he wasn't making himself available for that — at least when we would press 'record,' we thought, 'Well, surely he'll record.' And we really did have confidence that he would track the drums. So, out of respect for that position with Scott, we weren't gonna bring in Casey and say, 'Hey, go in and…' 'Cause we really did think Scott would drum on the album. And it was only three or four weeks before we were pressing 'record' that we really needed an answer. And the truth of the matter is we had pushed recording back two times. We had no commitment from him to continue with what we were doing. And he just said, 'Look, I wish you all the best with this recording.' And so he basically gave us the green light to keep doing it. And so that's what we did."

QUEENSRŸCHE guitarist Michael Wilton, who has known Rockenfield for four decades, remained philosophical about the drummer's decision to sit out the group's recent touring activities.

"After we've been in a band for as long as we have, people change and they wanna go down their own paths," the guitarist said. "And we totally respect that. If he wants to come back and tour — whatever — the door is always open."

Former QUEENSRŸCHE singer Geoff Tate discussed Rockenfield in a March 2020 interview with Metal Rules. Speaking about the possibility of a reunion of QUEENSRŸCHE's classic lineup, he said: "I don't know if that'll ever happen, honestly. I don't see it as likely happening. Again, never say never because things could really change. But I don't know if Scott will ever play drums again. He has a lot of medical problems and things like that now. So yeah, I don't know. And Chris [DeGarmo, original QUEENSRŸCHE guitarist] will never play again."

In July 2019, Tate told 88.1FM WESU's weekly syndicated radio show "Noize In The Attic" that he was "pretty sure" Scott "didn't leave" QUEENSRŸCHE of his own accord. "I can tell you that there's lawsuits involved; I know that," he said. "He's in kind of a really dark place, and I hope he gets some help, 'cause he's really unraveled, you know? In my opinion. It's too bad — he's an incredibly talented drummer, and unfortunately, he never was happy with that. It wasn't good enough for him."


wanna hear a fun story? goes like this :

”Contrary to any statements or interviews coming from other parties, I most...

Posted by Scott Rockenfield on Tuesday, January 12, 2021

QUEENSRŸCHE frontman Todd La Torre spoke to Mike Brunn about his upcoming debut solo album, "Rejoice In The Suffering", which will be released on February 5 via Rat Pak Records.

"It's been a long time coming; I've talked about doing a solo record for a very long time," Todd said (hear audio below). "And so I'm really happy to finally get this one done and in the bank and let people get to hear a whole another side of what I like and what I'm able to do."

On the topic of why 2020 was the right time for him to work on the LP, Todd said: "Our last show, when we flew home with QUEENSRŸCHE, we flew home on March 13th, and we knew that it was probably gonna be a couple of months — nobody knew back then, but let's just say a couple of months of downtime [due to the coronavirus pandemic]. And I remember calling [longtime friend, guitarist and collaborator] Craig [Blackwell], saying, 'Okay, man. This is our time where I'm not gonna have any interruptions. Let's really dig in and get this thing done. And I just really wanted to take advantage of the opportunity while I was home and could get in the right headspace to write these songs and work on it every single day without having to jump on another airplane and that kind of thing."

Asked if all the songs on "Rejoice In The Suffering" were written in the last year or if some of them had been sitting around for a while, Todd said: "We had the title track completed, 'Rejoice In The Suffering'. And then we had a little bit of a track called 'Pretenders' and then one called 'Apology'. That was kind of it as far as with any kind of vocals, but Craig had a ton of guitar ideas that he was showing me. I would say, honestly, for the most part, we wrote probably 10 out of the 13 songs, wrote and recorded the album within that four-month period."

The first single from "Rejoice In The Suffering", a song called "Darkened Majesty", was released in December. The track is a driving metal song complete with furious drumwork from La Torre, dynamic tempo shifts and showcases Todd's vocals in a way most fans have not heard before. The official music video for the disc's second single, "Vanguards Of The Dawn Wall", came out earlier this month. The clip was filmed in Florida and features Todd and Craig delivering the punishing track in front of a giant rock wall. The song and video was inspired by rock-climbing documentaries that Todd had watched while recording for the LP. The song further showcases the influence that metal has on La Torre has and continues to surprise fans and critics that know him from his work in QUEENSRŸCHE.

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 Craig, 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."

"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 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.

KnuckleBonz, creator of the Rock Iconz music collectible series, has announced the arrival of the initial production units for Tony Iommi's Rock Iconz statue to its USA warehouse. Pre-orders are always first to ship and go out in the order they were received. The remaining inventory is super limited, so if you are a BLACK SABBATH fan, don't miss out.

Each KnuckleBonz Rock Iconz limited-edition statue is hand-crafted. Never more than 3000 pieces are cast for super-fans worldwide. All Rock Iconz statues are officially licensed, limited-edition collectibles. This is a fine-arts production process where each statue is hand-cast, painted and numbered. Rock Iconz are created in 1/9 scale, making each statue 8 to 9 inches tall. Each statue comes with a certificate of authenticity on the base of the statue.

The Tony Iommi statue sells for $149 and ships worldwide.

KnuckleBonz has been creating high-end statues since 2003 and continues to be dedicated to honoring music's greatest performers through master artistry in the limited-edition statue series called Rock Iconz. The company's goal is to capture a "live performance" moment in each limited edition.

In February 2017, SABBATH finished its farewell tour, "The End", in Birmingham, closing out the quartet's groundbreaking 49-year career.

"The End" was SABBATH's last tour because Iommi, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2012 and is currently in remission, can no longer travel for extended amounts of time.

SABBATH wrote and recorded its 2013 reunion album, "13", and toured it all over the world while Iommi was going through treatment for his illness, with the guitarist having to fly back to England every six weeks.

The original lineup of SABBATH came together in 1969 with Iommi, singer Ozzy Osbourne, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward. That lineup recorded and toured through 1978, and periodically reformed through the '90s and 2000s for live work.

They regrouped again in late 2011 for a new album and tour, although Ward dropped out after a few months over financial issues. SABBATH used Ozzy's regular touring drummer Tommy Clufetos after that for live work. RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE's Brad Wilk laid down the drum tracks on "13", which came out in June 2013.

Iommi said in 2016 interview that "the lowest moment" for him was being diagnosed. He explained: "You automatically wind yourself up saying, 'That's it then,' but that is not always the case. When they tell you, you think, 'Oh God.' That was a low time. I have had a few low times in my life like everybody has, but that was one that stuck in the head."

The BLACK SABBATH guitarist successfully underwent an operation in January 2017 to remove a noncancerous lump from his throat.

In a new interview with Ornella Carlone of Comebackstage, L.A. GUNS drummer Steve Riley was asked what the biggest challenge is for bands trying to make it in the music business in 2020. He responded: "The reason I came to Los Angeles from Boston [in the 1970s] was because I knew that you had to be here, because this is where all the big machines were — the management, the record labels, just everything was here. The fans, the bandmembers. So I knew I had to come to Los Angeles. The biggest challenge now is there is no big machine happening. The bands have to do a lot of stuff on their own. You have to really dig in and you have to utilize the Internet. That's the biggest challenge.

"I feel bad for up-and-coming bands, because they don't have that luxury of tagging on to a big machine," he continued. "Like when I joined W.A.S.P., they were managed by the IRON MAIDEN people, so there was a lot of connections. MAIDEN was with Capitol, and then W.A.S.P. was with Capitol. That transmission, to go with a big machine, is not there right now. So you have to really dig in. We have to dig in. Even with 'Renegades' [the new album from Riley's version of L.A. GUNS], we have to utilize the Internet and understand that we have to join in on that and not fight it. You have to realize that's where it's at right now and to utilize it as much as you can. I guess it's a great tool.

"In the '80s, you just had so much support from big machines — the management, record labels, the publicists, the agencies," Riley added. "Everything was really right there for you, and that's kind of not there right now. You have to go out and find people, piece together machines, and then, like I said, you have to join the party and get on the Internet and get your web sites up. And know that Spotify, iTunes, Apple, this is the way to go, because you don't have record stores anymore. It's very difficult. So I feel for the young bands. I know it's tough for them."

Riley's version of L.A. GUNS is not to be confused with the band led by guitarist Tracii Guns and vocalist Phil Lewis, which issued two well-received albums, "The Missing Peace" and "The Devil You Know", plus the live release "Made In Milan", under the L.A. GUNS name over the last three years.

Riley is joined in his version of the group by Orlando, Florida-based guitarist/vocalist Kurt Frohlich, bassist Kelly Nickels (a member of L.A. GUNS' "classic" incarnation) and guitarist Scott Griffin (who played bass for the band from 2007 until 2009, and then again from 2011 to 2014).

This past January, Riley was sued by Guns and Lewis in California District Court. Joining Riley as defendants in the case are the three musicians who perform in his recently launched rival version of L.A. GUNS; that group's manager, booking agent and merchandiser; and Golden Robot Records.

The complaint, which requests a trial by jury, alleges that Riley's version of L.A. GUNS (referred to in the case docket as "the infringing L.A. GUNS") is creating "unfair competition" through its unauthorized usage of the L.A. GUNS trademark. In addition, Guns and Lewis are seeking relief from and/or against false advertising, breach of contract and unauthorized usage of their likenesses.

France’s most subversive Post-Noise / Industrial / Avant-Garde merchants Chaos E.T. Sexual share a cold and disruptive video for “Tomorrow, Prudence” today on Echoes & Dust website.

Dealing with the dread of exile and forced migrations, the song is taken from their new album “Only Human Crust”, released this fall on Chien Noir.

Directed by Hélène Hingant from My Fish Is Fresh studio, “Tomorrow Prudence” rolls out a wild range of feelings dealing with topics such as exile and migration. Thomas Humbert (guitar, vocals) explains:

The song title mixes the names of two ships : Tomorrow is the hospital ship that characters desperately try to join in the movie “Les Fils de l’Homme”, and Prudence is a Doctors Without Borders ship used to rescue people in the Mediterranean Sea.

The lyrics are about modern societies outsiders, in particular people running away from their home country and trying to escape by crossing the Mediterranean Sea.

Canadian singer, songwriter and producer Devin Townsend was recently interviewed by Rob's School Of Music. You can now watch the chat below.

Speaking about what advice he would give to younger or more inexperienced musicians, Devin said: "You need to learn how to fail efficiently. Because the people who I know who are fantastic improvisers are the ones that don't fear playing a wrong note. And the ones that are terrified to jam are often the ones that have had a lot of success — in my experience, at least. And to explain that further, it's almost like they never had the chance of fucking up so much that people thought they were idiots. Or that publicly, they never did something that everybody was just, like, 'Dude, that guys sucks, man.'

"I remember years ago, I've got the song 'Kingdom' that I've been playing for years, and it's not the hardest one I've got to sing, but it sucks to sing, because it's high and lots of vibrato and whatever," he continued. "We did this festival in France — it was, like, 80 thousand people — and the one song they chose [to post online] was 'Kingdom', and I shit the bed so hard on it, man, it just sounds like I had my balls stuck in a taffy pullers. And I remember thinking, there's all these people that see maybe some of the stuff I do online — like, there's an EMG version, and there's all these other versions of 'Kingdom' that are pretty good. But those are not the same situation — it's not like you had no sleep and it was dusty and you're nervous and everything. It's, like, no, they fed you and then they give you three takes and you get to do it right and mix it yourself. And this wasn't that. And I remember thinking after that, 'Oh, God. How can I ever live this down? No one's ever gonna give me an opportunity like that again, because I sucked so hard.' But that becomes this weird trap as well. We get so used to residing in our insecurity and in our self-pity and our pain and anger and judgmental nature that, in absence of it, it's like our identity goes away and we're super uncomfortable with it. So it becomes this devil that we know, to sit there after you've screwed something up and be, like, 'Oh, I suck. I can't believe I did that. Oh, I suck.' As opposed to, 'Yeah, dude, it sucked, for sure. But next.'"

Devin added: "If you can learn to do that, there's a huge amount of growth that comes from that — huge amount. In fact, a lot of the people that I continue to work with — because I've worked with so many musicians, and lot of 'em go by the wayside, for a number of reasons; not just this — either personality or you just outgrow each other or whatever. But the people that I stick with typically are the ones that have fucked up colossally, but keep going. [They've] recognized that that was a mistake and [they've] either apologized for it or figured out a way for it not to happen again. And just try again — try again. No one who's achieved any level of success hasn't done that. And I think a lot of times, you're so afraid of looking like an idiot — specifically with the Internet and all this stuff now — that people are terrified to fail. But if you can learn to do it — that's the biggest piece of advice I can give you."

Devin recently completed work on a new album, "The Puzzle", for an early 2021 release. The LP will be accompanied by an hour-long film that he is currently trying to get on Netflix.

Unlike most of Devin's recent musical output, which has been made available via Sony's leading progressive music label imprint InsideOut Music, "The Puzzle" will be released through Devin's own label.

Devin's latest release was "Order Of Magnitude - Empath Live Volume 1", which came out in October. The set has been described in a press release as "a document of [Devin's] winter 2019 European tour that saw [Townsend] taking on possibly his most ambitious live show to date."

Dee Snider and Sebastian Bach have engaged in a Twitter discussion over whether "heavy metal" was originally used as a derogatory term.

No one knows exactly where the term "heavy metal" originated, but some say that various American critics began using it in 1969 or 1970 to describe music that sounded like "heavy metal falling from the sky."

While addressing the fact that the "hair metal" term was coined in the late 1990s as a way to disparage glam metal acts thought to have been all flash and no substance, Dee took it one step further, writing: "Punk, Grunge, Metal, Hair - all derogatory terms given to describe music forms by critics as a put down. And the bands HATED them. The bands inspired by those bands embraced the labels."

In response, Sebastian wrote: "Metal is not a derogatory term. hair ia a term that never existed. would you please stop so we can maybe play festivals in the USA instead of state fairs".

He added: "If the word metal is a derogatory term there would not be a band called METALLICA and you would not have an album called 'For The Love Of Metal'," referring to Snider's 2019 solo release. "Please stop with the non-stop hair tweets we are begging of you".

Undeterred, Dee fired back: "You are wrong, Sebastian. But it is understandable, you are much younger than me and don't know (No attack my friend, just a fact). And it's just a conversation. People need to be edified."

Sebastian replied: " What am I wrong about Dee? Metal is a derogatory term but there is an album called 'For the Love of Metal'? So we all love a derogatory term? How does one please explain a band named @Metallica ? You are wrong, Dee. Metal has always been cool. Hair metal will never be cool."

This is not the first time Dee has argued that "heavy metal" was originally meant to be a putdown. This past summer, he told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk": "The term 'heavy metal' — I was there, dude — was a derogatory title, assigned to hard rock of a certain type by arrogant, condescending writers and critics. Calling a band heavy metal was originally meant to be a putdown. The bands hated it. The same goes for punk, grunge… The grunge bands hated — SOUNDGARDEN hated to be called grunge. They'd get violent, PEARL JAM. This was a snotty — sort of saying, 'Oh, yeah, that's grunge' — dismissive critics' nickname for stuff. And 'hair metal' was that too. None of these names were ever meant to be complimentary, all the bands hated it, but the fans, on the receiving end, we kind of connect with it. But [BLACK] SABBATH hated being called heavy metal. So did [LED] ZEPPELIN. It's the writers dismissing you.

"Everybody thinks they're making music, and then, all of a sudden, you're pigeonholed: 'Oh, you're this,' or, 'You're that.' And it really trivializes what you're trying to do.

"You think 'boy bands' like to be called boy bands?" he asked rhetorically. "Now they're in their fucking 50s, and you're a 'boy' band. It's not up to the artists."

Snider also addressed Sebastian's Twitter tirade in which the former SKID ROW frontman took issue with being called "hair metal."

"[I've been doing my radio show] 'House Of Hair' [for] 22 years, and it resonates with people," Dee said. "For the fans, they don't find it offensive. Whatever it is, it's just a term.

"I didn't name 'House Of Hair'. I got shit about it. But to me, I just say, you know what? You're fighting a losing battle. Sebastian's losing shit. Life's too short.

"I'm the original hair farmer. Whatever. As long as they remember me."

When Sebastian took to his Twitter in July to explain why he dislikes the term "hair metal," he said, "When I 1st aspired to be a vocalist of a band it was called rock n' roll Heavy metal Heavy Rock Hard Rock Glam metal Nobody in the 80s ever started a hair metal band".

He added: "Being labeled something that I never set out to be labeled gets under my skin. It's a pain when people try to rewrite history. Believe me none of us ever set out to be in a hair metal band that did not exist in the 80s"

Bach previously reacted negatively to the term "hair metal" in a 2012 interview with The New York Times, saying: "I am the man who put the hair in hair metal. I also headlined Broadway musicals. I acted in millions of TV shows. I didn't get to star in 'Jekyll And Hyde' on Broadway because of my haircut. My voice has gotten me everything in my life, not my hair."




100%!! Punk, Grunge, Metal, Hair - all derogatory terms given to describe music forms by critics as a put down. And the bands HATED them. The bands inspired by those bands embraced the labels. https://t.co/l1PEbuRO4Z

— Dee Snider?? (@deesnider) December 27, 2020








metal is not a derogatory term

hair ia a term that never existed

would you please stop so we can maybe play festivals in the USA instead of state fairs

— Sebastian Bach (@sebastianbach) December 27, 2020








Fact. https://t.co/00EoNgsWKM

— Dee Snider?? (@deesnider) December 29, 2020








If the word metal is a derogatory term there would not be a band called Metallica and you would not have an album called for the love of metal please stop with the non-stop hair tweets we are begging of you

— Sebastian Bach (@sebastianbach) December 29, 2020








You are wrong, Sebastian. But it is understandable, you are much younger than me and don't know (No attack my friend, just a fact). And it's just a conversation. People need to be edified. https://t.co/gmkVKBSm0R

— Dee Snider?? (@deesnider) December 29, 2020








What am I wrong about Dee? Metal is a derogatory term but there is an album called 'For the Love of Metal?' So we all love a derogatory term? How does one please explain a band named @Metallica ? You are wrong, Dee. Metal has always been cool. Hair metal will never be cool.

— Sebastian Bach (@sebastianbach) December 29, 2020








@sebastianbach Like I said...@BlackSabbath intended on being a jazz-blues fusion band...it's just went wildly wrong. https://t.co/tg6jRiLLnc

— Dee Snider?? (@deesnider) December 29, 2020

In a new interview with Terry "Beez" Bezer of Knotfest.com's "Mosh Talks With Beez", ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian spoke about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's follow-up to 2016's "For All Kings" album.

"We started writing new ANTHRAX last year — obviously, without a crystal ball knowing what was going to happen in the world, but with the intent of having a record out this year," he said (see video below). "Obviously, that's not happening now. So we're still writing — we're still working on it. The COVID has obviously put a crimp in our plans, because we can't just get together and jam when we want to, and traveling has become not so easy, and all of that. So we've just been, slowly but surely, working on new material. And if anything, it just affords us more time to come up with more stuff.

"We've never been the kind of band to have, like, 30 songs, and then we're gonna choose the best 10 — we've never done that," he continued. "I think the most we've ever had was maybe two more than we needed for a record, and it's usually pretty obvious, like, 'These two aren't gonna make the record.' But maybe this time around we'll end up with 15 songs or something. But because we're afforded this much time to be writing, it's not like we're gonna know, 'These are 10 for the record, and who knows what we'll do with these five.' So I have a feeling it's gonna be more, like, we're gonna have 15 album tracks. We're not releasing a double record, if it's up to me, because what a waste of material that would be. But I just like the fact that we will have a lot of great material.

"Maybe sometime early next year we'll be ready to go in and make a record — if it makes sense. I've said it before — I don't wanna put a record out till we can play shows. For me, to put a record out in a vacuum, it makes no sense to me. I'm not gonna put a record out and not play proper gigs — I'm not gonna do that. So we have to be patient — everyone has to be patient.

"We can't wait to play shows again. That's all I wanna do. This is the longest, I think, we've ever not played a show. Our last ANTHRAX show was November 15th of last year."

Asked if there is a particular "vibe" in the new ANTHRAX songs, Scott said: "Yeah. It sounds like us.

"If I had to say what this next record sounds like to me, or a vibe, in a way, it's riffier — it's a riffier record.

"I think we've kind of proved to ourselves over the last two records that we've gotten pretty good at a certain style of ANTHRAX songwriting, and now we've taken a left turn away from that, because we don't want to do the same thing again," he explained. "So if anything, I think this record is a little bit riffier, maybe a little less linear, and certainly faster.

"We've always been really good at making things more difficult for ourselves. So if anything, yeah… I hate to say, 'Well, it's more of a thrash metal record,' because I'll let people decide what it is when they hear it. But from my point of view, it's definitely faster and riffier."

At last year's Download festival in the United Kingdom, drummer Charlie Benante said fans can expect to hear some surprises on ANTHRAX's next disc. "There's some extreme stuff on this record that we touched on," he said. "There's different things that we're gonna try and do that's gonna make it next level."

Earlier last year, Benante told Australia's "Everblack" podcast that ANTHRAX's new music is shaping up to be "a little more in the aggressive style."

"For All Kings" was called by some critics ANTHRAX's strongest album to date. Its arrival followed a five-year period during which the band experienced a rebirth of sorts, beginning with ANTHRAX's inclusion on the "Big Four" tour, and continuing with the 2011 release of comeback LP "Worship Music".

Drummer Lee Kerslake passed away this weekend at the age of 73. Kerslake, who played on several Uriah Heep albums as well as Ozzy Osbourne's Blizzard Of Oz and Diary Of A Madman, passed away after a lengthy illness battling prostate cancer.

Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne recently joined with the Metal Hall of Fame to give Kerslake his dying wish of receiving his platinum record awards for his contribution on the Blizzard Of Ozz and Diary Of A Madman albums, after 39 years of legendary lawsuits, ongoing legal battles, and constant controversary between the two camps. Both of Osbourne's records are widely considered by critics and fans alike to be amongst the best albums ever written.

The Osbournes recently agreed to grant Kerslake his dying wish of receiving his platinum albums, after being contacted by Metal Hall of Fame President / CEO Pat Gesualdo. Gesualdo informed the Osbournes that Kerslake had terminal cancer, and that he wanted to help mend the legendary three decades old, ongoing, headline grabbing feud, which was levied over financial payments and song royalties between the Osbournes and Kerslake. After conversations and much strategizing, the Osbournes and Gesualdo arranged to have the platinum record awards presented as a surprise to Kerslake for his induction into the Metal Hall of Fame, at the Annual Metal Hall of Fame Celebrity Gala.

“It was a great honor to help grant Lee his dying wish of receiving his platinum records awards for his brilliant drumming and song writing abilities on the Blizzard Of Ozz and Diary Of A Madman records, after 39 years. It was also a true honor to join with Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne to make that possible for Lee. I am extremely grateful for them doing so. Lee is a drumming icon and our hero. We can never forget his friendship, and the great songs and talent he gave the world, both as a drummer for Uriah Heep and Ozzy Osbourne.”

Kerslake had been working on a solo album entitled Eleventeen. A much-anticipated documentary on Lee Kerslake featuring KISS, Uriah Heep, Ozzy Osbourne band members, and other rock stars has been in production by film maker Tayla Goodman and is waiting to be finalized.

Photo by Ron Lyon




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SIRENIA will release its tenth studio album, "Riddles, Ruins & Revelations", on February 12 via Napalm Records. On this magical output, the French-Norwegian quartet combines a heavy symphonic sound with modern influences, The follow-up to 2018's "Arcane Astral Aeons" sees SIRENIA offering an exciting new twist to its songs, spicing them with electronic vibes, but never losing sight of their musical core. "Riddles, Ruins & Revelations" was produced, mixed and mastered by mastermind Morten Veland.

The disc's second single, "We Come To Ruins" can be streamed below. The song skillfully portrays SIRENIA's multifaceted nature and adds harshness to the record's characteristic elements, while transforming the "beauty and the beast" concept into a modern yet dark atmosphere. Stamping guitar tunes are underlined by evil growls, ushered along by the vocal power of singer Emmanuelle Zoldan shortly after.

Veland states about "We Come To Ruins": "'We Come To Ruins' is the second single from our upcoming album. This song shows SIRENIA from a heavier side, although it is a very dynamic song with many changes in both atmosphere and intensity. It is probably a more 'typical' SIRENIA song than our first single, but still with a modern approach."

With "Riddles, Ruins & Revelations", SIRENIA remains as true to the album title word-play as it does to its dedication to symphonic soundscapes, drawing the listener into a pounding narrative about the darkest aspects of life. All eleven songs accumulate step by step to an integral sound artwork, where the versatile mezzo soprano voice of Zoldan always shines in high-profile. In addition, there are many enchanting, instrumental surprises lurking on the way that absolutely need to be discovered.

"We Come To Ruins" offers a contrast of harshness to the more modern-orientated songs on the record, like "The Timeless Waning", and skillfully portrays the multi-faceted nature of the band. On "Downwards Spiral", Emmanuelle is supported by the remarkable voice of longtime friend Joakim Næss on clean vocals, who has joined the symphonic metal outfit on previous releases. SIRENIA's tenth full-length ends with a cover of DESIRELESS' 1986 hit "Voyage Voyage", where the unit again impressively combines symphonic sounds with electronic atmosphere, which doesn’t count only for this final epos, but for "Riddles, Ruins & Revelations" as a whole.

Veland comments: "'Riddles, Ruins & Revelations' is SIRENIA's tenth studio album. The album is very diverse, as a SIRENIA album should be. There's a lot of material that shows the band from a new side, and there is lots of material that is to be expected from the band musically. All in all the album will take the listeners through a journey that will cover both familiar and unexplored musical landscapes. We hope that you will enjoy the journey."

"Riddles, Ruins & Revelations" track listing:

01. Addiction No. 1

02. Towards An Early Grave

03. Into Infinity

04. Passing Seasons

05. We Come To Ruins

06. Downwards Spiral

07. Beneath The Midnight Sun

08. The Timeless Waning

09. December Snow

10. This Curse Of Mine

11. Voyage Voyage

SIRENIA is:

Morten Veland - guitars, bass, vocals, keyboards, programming

Nils Courbaron - lead guitar

Emmanuelle Zoldan - vocals

Michael Brush – drums

Photo credit: Richelle ter Heege

Hot on the success of their cover of Faith No More's legendary 1987 single "We Care A Lot", Slaves On Dope's Jason Rockman and Kevin Jardine, along with Bill Kelliher of Mastodon, are back with their project, The Kings Of Quarantine, this time with a brilliant cover of Jane's Addiction's iconic 1987 "Mountain Song".

The new video features a myriad of artists including Wes Borland (Limp Bizkit), Tanner Wayne (In Flames), P-Nut (311), Louise Post (Veruca Salt), Richard Patrick (Filter) and, Bert McCracken (The Used). One hundred percent of the profits for "Mountain Song" will be donated to Roadie Relief, a fundraising effort to aid qualifying Roadies who have submitted an application for financial help during the Covid-19 crisis.

The Kings Of Quarantine came together in 2020 after a discussion between Jason and Bill about possibly collaborating on a cover song. "Mountain Song" is the second instalment in a series of covers that will be released throughout 2021 in an effort to bring some joy and entertainment to music lovers worldwide.

“We hope to not only put a smile on people’s faces, but also help the touring staff that have been severely affected by the pandemic”, says Jason Rockman. One hundred percent of the profits will be donated to Roadie Relief, a fundraising effort to aid qualifying Roadies who have submitted an application for financial help.

After the success of their first release "We Care a Lot," which brought awareness to the cause and stands at 370,000 views on YouTube and counting, The Kings Of Quarantine have no plans of slowing down!

Click here to download "Mountain Song" and support Roadie Relief on Bandcamp. Click hereto download "We Care A Lot" and support Roadie Relief on Bandcamp.

Almost everyone you know has seen a concert that has moved them. Those productions can take over 100+ traveling crew members to set up by the time doors open.

Before and during the show they sweat and hustle to get everything ready. After the show they spend more hours erasing evidence that they were ever there at all. Many of these key players work an average of 20 hour days, then move on to the next city to make it happen all over again.

Many of these crew members, "roadies," have been doing this as a career for decades. Some of these roadies, while experts in this field, have never had any other job experience. Since the world pandemic, well over a hundred thousand of these people are left with no income and no financial assistance.

There are no concerts or live events for the foreseeable future. At the beginning of 2020, job opportunity ceased to exist and 2021 remains uncertain. Many are unable to claim unemployment as their expert level trade skills are not recognized and they do not qualify. This on-going problem is leaving 100s of roadies without a secure livelihood.

The government has fallen short. Contacting congressmen and women, senators, and governors to raise the issue has been met with no resolution. Their replies are a formal brush-off and roadies are left hitting a dead end.

The goal with this gofundme is to offer some relief to some of the dedicated people in the roadie community. Just like you, they have families, mortgages, car payments, and day care. Commonly these workers lean on their savings between tour cycles, but those funds have run thin or run out. Please donate if you can, every little helps.

Click here to donate directly to Roadie Relief.

Horror-occult-goth metal/rock fusers, Bloody Hammers, have released a new video trailer for their upcoming horror punk-inspired full-length album. The 11-track offering, entitled Songs Of Unspeakable Terror, will be unleashed on January 15 via Napalm Records and marks a new, eccentric chapter in the Transylvania County, North Carolina-based husband and wife duo’s musical story.

Watch the trailer, Chats Of Unspeakable Terror #1, below:

At the start of 2020, Anders Manga was about to head out on tour for his darkwave side-project when COVID-19 hit. Soon locked in their house under local stay-at-home orders, Manga and his bride and bandmate, Devallia, spent time jamming in their basement and revisiting some of their classic punk favorites. Holed up and barred from the uncertainty of the world, Bloody Hammers conjured 11 new raw-power tracks inspired by that sound, and now they’re unearthed… from the grave!

While Songs of Unspeakable Terror doesn’t stray too dangerously far from the sound listeners have grown to infectiously adore, the full-length explores yet uncharted territory: retro-ized horror punk in all its gritty glory. This beastly record shouldn’t be confused as an all new direction for the band – these songs are a temporary foray into the unknown while still remaining true to the Bloody Hammers sonic trademark.

Kicking off with first single and album opener “A Night To Dismember”, the album careens the listener down a dark, winding auditory road of melodic punk (in a jet-black classic car, of course). Trudging, metallic terrors like “Hands Of The Ripper” and “Witchfinder General” ensnare the listener, while seductive, unrelentingly heavy tracks such as “Not Of This Earth” will have them screaming for more, and head-bobbers like “The Ones Who Own The Dark” prove this offering isn’t short on melody. Laced with spine-tingling vocal lines, bathed in an occult cocktail of granular guitars and accented by a peppering of vintage Mellotron, each track on Songs Of Unspeakable Terror is a bonafide horror punk pillar.

Fans of Bloody Hammers and heavy music fans new to the band alike will enjoy this unique offering, available in digital, CD jewelcase and multiple vinyl variations.

Songs Of Unspeakable Terror will be available in the following formats:

- CD Jewelcase
- LP Gatefold Black
- LP Gatefold Red/Black Split-Splatter (limited to 100, European Napalm Mailorder Only)
- Deluxe Vinyl Edition: LP Gatefold Red + 2 Patches - (limited to 100, North American Napalm Mailorder Only)
- Digital Album

Pre-order Songs Of Unspeakable Terror here.

Songs Of Unspeakable Terror tracklisting:

"A Night To Dismember"
"Hands Of The Ripper"
"Witchfinder General"
"Not Of This Earth"
"The Ones Who Own The Dark"
"Waking The Dead"
"Night Of The Witch"
"We Are The Damned"
"The Brain That Wouldn't Die"
"Lucifer's Light"
"I Spit On Your Corpse"

“Hands Of The Ripper” video:

"A Night To Dismember" video:

On January 22, Bolt Thrower will release LP reissues of their classic albums Mercenary, Honour-Valour-Pride, and Those Once Loyal via Metal Blade Records. Pre-order your copies via the links below.

- US
- Europe
- UK

See below for an overview of available formats:

Mercenary formats:

- 180g black vinyl
- snow slush white marbled vinyl (limited to 1100 copies)
- autumn orange marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 500 copies)
- white w/ blue splatter vinyl (Kings Road exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- white / grey melt vinyl (Kings Road exclusive - limited to 100 copies)
- mustard / olive marbled vinyl (Eyesore exclusive - limited to 100 copies)

Honour-Valour-Pride formats:

- 180g black vinyl
- clear 'armory' green marbled vinyl (limited to 1100 copies)
- 'battery' olive khaki marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 500 copies)
- orange w/ green splatter vinyl (Kings Road exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- green w/ yellow splatter vinyl (Kings Road exclusive - limited to 100 copies)
- clear light green smoke vinyl (Eyesore exclusive - limited to 100 copies)

Those Once Loyal formats:

- 180g black vinyl
- oakwood brown marbled vinyl (limited to 1100 copies)
- yellow ochre marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 500 copies)
- gold / black dust vinyl (Kings Road exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- clear beige w/ white splatter vinyl (Kings Road exclusive - limited to 100 copies)
- sandy beige marbled vinyl (Eyesore exclusive - limited to 100 copies)
- clear w/ gold splatter vinyl (US exclusive)

U.D.O. return with their upcoming fifth live album. The year 2020 faced many with tough challenges, but U.D.O. managed to play a great show under pandemic conditions in front of the breathtaking backdrop of the amphitheater in Plovdiv/Bulgaria, making it not only one of the world's grandest shows under Corona, but also certainly beyond compare. This is exactly the feeling that the live recording captures.

There are certain events that put bands into the spotlight, even experienced musicians who have been in the business for over 40 years. This is one of those events, and happened on September 18, 2020 with U.D.O.

U.D.O., the band featuring German rock icon Udo Dirkschneider (the original voice of Accept) played a concert in the stunning Roman Amphitheatre in Plovdiv, Bulgaria in front of 2500 fans - in the middle of a year that is one of the quietest ever for musicians and bands, both at home and internationally.

Live In Bulgaria 2020: Pandemic Survival Show will be released on March 19, and will be available as CD/DVD, Blu-ray/CD and very limited vinyl (audio only). Pre-order here.

Tracklisting:

CD1
"Tongue Reaper"
"Make The Move"
"Midnight Mover"
"Wrong Side Of Midnight"
"Metal Machine"
"Independence Day"
"Rose In The Desert"
"Vendetta"
"Rising High"
"Prologue: The Great Unknown"
"In The Darkness"
"I Give As Good As I Get"
"Princess Of The Dawn"

CD2
"Timebomb"
Drum Solo
Bass Solo
"Hungry And Angry"
"One Heart One Soul"
"Man And Machine"
"Animal House"
"They Want War"
"Metal Heart"
"Fast As Shark"
"Balls To The Wall"
Outro ("Stillness Of Time")

In the fall of 2018, Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer, Steve Perry, made his long-awaited return with the release of Traces, the legendary musician’s first new album in 25 years. The album’s personal expression of love, inspiration and renewal resonated with both critics and fans around the world, thrilled to have their voice of a generation making new music once again.

Now, on Traces (Alternative Versions & Sketches), available via Fantasy Records, Perry revisits several of his favourite tracks, stripping away the grand production touches, taking the songs down to their essence. Presented acoustic and raw, (including some in sketch form) tracks like "Sun Shines Gray", "No Erasin’, No More Cryin’", and "Most Of All" take on new and richer meaning. In this setting, Perry’s iconic soulful voice glides out-front vibrant, clear and warm while the lyrics take on greater significance as well, even more intimate than before.

Produced by Perry and his longtime collaborator and friend, Thom Flowers, Traces (Alternative Versions & Sketches) offers a fascinating glimpse into Perry’s creative process and a deeper understanding into an already treasured album.

“When writing these songs, the original inspiration is always my first compass – where the songs should go,” stated Perry. “Alternate Versions & Sketches is exactly that, and I’m very excited to have you hear the original seeds of these songs.”

Brand-new, special edition merchandise is now available exclusively on Perry’s online store. Order Traces (Alternative Versions & Sketches) here.

Listen to "I Need You" (Acoustic) from the release below.

Tracklisting:

"Most Of All" (Radio Mix)
"No Erasin’" (Acoustic)
"I Need You" (Acoustic)
"No More Cryin’" (Acoustic)
"Most Of All" (Stripped)
"We’re Still Here" (Acoustic)
"You Belong To Me" (Stripped)
"Sun Shines Gray" (Acoustic)

"I Need You" (Acoustic):

"Most Of All" (Radio Mix):

"I Need You":

"No Erasin’" (Acoustic):

"Most Of All" (Stripped) visualizer:

"Most Of All" performance video:

(Photo - Myriam Santos)

Simulacrum, the progressive metal band hailing from Finland, will release their third album overall, Genesis, on February 12 via Frontiers Music Srl. The album is a stunningly strong statement for the progressive metal world with hard hitting melodic progressive metal paying homage to the great prog bands of the ‘70s without forgetting to blend in the best elements of the genre’s current direction.

Fans can get a taste of the album with today's premiere of the new video, "Arrhythmic Distortions" (Official Audio / B-Roll Studio Footage). Watch the clip below, and pre-order/save Genesis here.

The roots of Simulacrum go back to 1999 when Christian “Chrism” Pulkkinen started writing his first batch of songs, which a few years later would end up on the band’s debut album, The Master and the Simulacrum (2012). In 2015, the band's sophomore album, Sky Divided, a concept album revolving around a classic 'War of the Worlds' type story with an alien race attacking planet earth for its resources, was released. The album was a big evolutionary step for the band, with some straightforward power and thrash metal tunes joining 10 minute epics that payed homage to the prog giants of the '70s and '90s. The album was a bit more polished compared to the debut, from how the songs were performed to continuity throughout the album. As with the debut, Simulacrum received quite a bit of praise in the metal media and showed that they were becoming a force to reckon with.

After the release of Sky Divided, the band started the process of enlisting some new members in the creation of their next album. Simulacrum parted ways with drummer Henri Kallio and enlisted Tatu Turunen as their new drummer. The band also started thinking outside of the box and instead of having one frontman, they decided to make the move to have two lead vocalists. After extensive auditions, Erik Kraemer was chosen to join the band. He has a tone that varies enough from original frontman Niklas Broman's style and also has the range required to sing the sometimes very difficult vocal lines, which makes for a perfect combination between the two.

The band then slowly started putting together ideas for a new album, the demos for which caught the attention of Frontiers Music Srl, who snapped up the band for a multi-album deal.

Tracklisting:

"Traumatized"
"Nothing Remains"
"Arrhythmic Distortions"
"Like You, Like Me"
"Scorched Earth"
"Genesis Part 1: The Celestial Architect"
"Genesis Part 2: Evolution Of Man"
"Genesis Part 3: The Human Equation"
"Genesis Part 4: End Of Entropy"

"Nothing Remains" video:

Lineup:

Niklas Broman - Vocals
Erik Kraemer - Vocals
Christian “Chrism” Pulkkinen - Keyboards & Orchestrations
Nicholas “Solomon” Pulkkinen - Guitars
Petri Mäkilä - Guitars
Olli Hakala - Bass & Chapman Stick
Tatu Turunen - Drum Set & Percussion

Triple M is reporting that Jimi Hendrix's California home has recently been listed for $3.8 million, giving fans the chance to have a virtual tour of this 1968 home.

"The secluded home that bizarrely has more bathrooms than bedrooms was built for Hendrix in 1968 in the Californian city of Topanga, just two years before his death. The secluded home is set in the canyon, with ocean views that would have been a sweet spot to write and jam."

A gallery of photos, and more information, can be found here.

On January 29, Demon Head will release their new album, Viscera, via Metal Blade Records. For a first preview of the record, a video for the new single, "The Feline Smile", can be viewed below.

Demon Head comments: "Today we give you 'The Feline Smile', the second single from our 4th album Viscera. 12-string guitar and pipe organ initiates the song's many changes. Mellotron arrangements accompany brittle vocal harmonies developing into a climax of cryptic guitar solos. A song of haunting and hidden pleasure; the untamed wild of the feline smile. A cut-up video assemblage by David Thelen reveals artwork from the album."

Viscera can be pre-ordered here in the following formats:

- hardcover digisleeve-CD
- 180g clear deluxe edition vinyl w/ o-card, backpatch, and poster (Kings Road exclusive - limited to 300 copies)
- 180g black vinyl (EU exclusive)
- clear ash grey marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 250 copies)
- dark red / black marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 250 copies)
- clear / black dust vinyl (Kings Road exclusive - limited to 100 copies)
- clear brown marbled vinyl (US exclusive)

Demon Head is comprised of five internationally based and widely acclaimed musicians; Mikkel Sander Fuglsang, Birk Gjerlufsen Nielsen, Marcus Ferreira Larsen, Thor Gjerlufsen Nielsen and Jeppe Wittus. Though hesitant to compromise the description of the music they perform through generalizing terms of genre, they've coined the term "diabolic rock" as an appropriate presentation.

Their fourth full-length - Viscera - is a new beginning for Demon Head. Recorded during the first months of 2020 between the legendary Sweet Silence Studios by Flemming Rasmussen (Metallica, Morbid Angel, Rainbow) and a remote country house in Sweden, the album was mixed by Martin 'Konie' Ehrencrona (In Solitude, Tribulation, Nifelheim). The production shows the impeccable qualities of joined forces, where old techniques meet new aesthetics, and major label possibilities meet underground, uncompromising DIY dedication. The resulting 10 songs showcase acoustic instruments, flourishing mellotron strings, brass instruments, tape manipulation and church organ - displayed in equal measure to the sound of the crushing drums of J.W, cryptic guitars of brothers B.G.N and T.G.N, pounding bass lines of M.S.F, and the vocals of M.F.L combined with the eerily captivating falsetto and baryton of B.G.N.

Demon Head comments: "We are now ready to offer You 'Viscera'. It contains more of us than any album we have made before, and we hope that You will welcome it as sincerely as it will welcome You."

Viscera tracklisting:

"Tooth And Nail"
"The Feline Smile"
"Arrows"
"Magical Death"
"The Lupine Choir"
"A Long, Groaning Descent"
"In Adamantine Chains"
"Black Torches"
"Wreath"
"The Triumphal Chariot Of Antimony"

"The Triumphal Chariot Of Antimony" video:

Demon Head will play a release show on January 30 at Pumpehuset in Copenhagen. "A release ceremony will take place in Copenhagen when this year is newly dead. Tokens for the passage are available here."

Demon Head lineup:

Mikkel Sander Fuglsang - bass
Birk Gjerlufsen Nielsen - guitars
Marcus Ferreira Larsen - vocals
Thor Gjerlufsen Nielsen - guitars
Jeppe Wittus - drums

(Photo - Adrian Utzon)

French doomsters Conviction, featuring members of Temple Of Baal, Mourning Dawn, Ataraxie, have announced the release of their self-titled debut album. It drops on January 22, 2021 via Argonauta Records. The upcoming effort, which contains 8 massive tracks, was recorded, mixed and mastered by guitarist Frédéric Patte-Brasseur in the Vault 92 Studio. "Voices Of The Dead" is the first preview track, available for streaming as an official video clip.

Says the band: "We're proud to finally release Conviction's first album, an album made by True Doom Metal fans, for True Doom Metal fans. Recording the whole album on our own in Frederic's Vault 92 studio has been quite an intense experience. Lots of sweat & blood were involved, and we've learnt a lot on ourselves as musicians through the process, channeling all our influences.

"The first single, "Voices Of The Dead", was inspired by long walks in the foggy countryside, forests and old churches of Normandie. Desolate empty places, ancient stones, old statues… Sometimes you feel like being between The Hound of the Baskervilles and a novel from the Brontë's sisters, it can be both freaky and gothic at the same time. We'd like to salute Claudine Kax, who did a remarkable work on the album's visual, directly drawn from a XVIth Century statue inside Gisors' church."


Album tracklist:

01. Prologue Affliction
02. Voices Of The Dead
03. Through The Window
04. Curse Of The Witch
05. Outworn
06. Wrong Life
07. Castles Made Of Shame
08. My Sanctuary

Norwegian old school heavy metallers, The Cult Of Destiny, featuring members of The Carburetors and Chrome Division, have released a video for their cover os the KISS song, "I Was Made For Lovin' You", included as a bonus track on the band's self-titled debut album, available via The Cult Of Destiny Records. Find the new clip below.

The album was recorded by Arslan Qureshi and Jørgen Henriksen at Laidback Studios. Mixed and mastered by Robert Hauge at Badabing Studio.

Tracklisting:

"So It Begins"
"The Armageddon Is Here"
"Suman The Council"
"Into The Armageddon"
"Coming From The North"
"Brother"
"The Cult Of Destiny"
"Stand With Me"
"Set The Demon Free"
"Welcome To The End"
"Exit Armageddon"
"I Was Made For Lovin' You" (Bonus - KISS Cover)

"I Was Made For Lovin' You" video:

The Cult Of Destiny is:

Eddie Guz - Vocals (The Carburetors, Chrome Division)
Chris Marchand - Guitars (The Carburetors, Shot At Dawn)
Mr. Damage Karlsen - Guitars (Chrome Division, Breed)
Mads Mowinkel - Bass (Chrome Division, Breed)
Jon Erik Bokn - Drums (Chrome Division, Breed)

Back in October 2020, progressive rockers The Flower Kings released their new double album, Islands, via InsideOutMusic, just a year after the group’s much celebrated Waiting For Miracles. Today, the band have launched a brand new video for the track "Black Swan".

Roine Stolt comments: “'Black Swan' was a little piano melody I wrote around spring 2019 - I thought of it as 'Polish melancholic' or a ballet piano piece. I did present a demo for the Transatlantic sessions but when it didn't stick there I brought it along to the TFK ‘Islands’ session. Here it found its way in to the album and concept and with a slightly more dry guitar-driven sound and with nods to both The Beatles & Queen it became one of my favourite tracks. Hasse delivers some of his finest vocal on the album here.”

The 92-minutes long Islands features artwork by legend Roger Dean (Yes, Asia, Gentle Giant, Greenslade, Uriah Heep) and all trademark sounds and melodies, the band is renowned for. From vintage keys to epic guitar solos, from odd drum patterns to symphonic elements, The Flower Kings present a dynamic and complex record that is bold, bombastic and beautiful.

Islands is available as massive Limited 3LP & 2CD box set with slipcase and 180 gram vinyl housed in two gatefolds, one single sleeve; as Limited Edition 2CD Digipak and Digital Album. Pre-order here.

Tracklisting:

Disc One
"Racing With Blinders On"
"From The Ground"
"Black Swan"
"Morning News"
"Broken"
"Goodbye Outrage"
"Journeyman"
"Tangerine"
"Solaris"
"Heart Of The Valley"
"Man In A Two Peace Suit"

Disc Two
"All I Need Is Love"
"A New Species"
"Northern Lights"
"Hidden Angles"
"Serpentine"
"Looking For Answers"
"Telescope"
"Fool’s Gold"
"Between Hope & Fear"
"Islands"

"Morning News" video:

"From The Ground" visualizer:

"Broken" lyric video:

Lineup:

Roine Stolt - Vocal, Ukulele, Guitars, Additional Keyboards
Hasse Fröberg - Vocal & Acoustic Guitar
Jonas Reingold - Bass, Acoustic Guitar
Zach Kamins - Pianos, Organ, Synthesizers, Mellotron, Orchestrations
Mirko DeMaio - Drums, Percussion
Guest: Rob Townsend - Soprano Saxophone