During a packed autumn touring schedule of over 30 dates across Europe as part of the Nordic Invasion and Faces of Death tours, Cabal introduced fans to their latest album material. Now, in 2025, the band returns with their powerful new single, "Unveiled", featuring Matthi, frontman of beatdown legends Nasty.


The new album, Everything Rots, will be released on April 11 via Nuclear Blast Records. In spring 2025 Cabal will support Caliban on their Back From Hell Tour.


Singer Andreas Bjulver comments: "If you've ever had your trust horribly betrayed this track is for you. This is Cabal at it's most furious, it's pure anger distilled into sound and it features none other than Matthi from Nasty, which only adds to the aggression."




Stream the single here, and watch the video below:





Cabal has through the years proved themselves as one of the heaviest and most uncompromising metal acts hailing from Copenhagen, Denmark. The bands sound is visceral and destructive and aims to bring forth absolute chaos by drawing inspiration from everything from crushing death metal, contemporary metallic hardcore and metalcore to unnerving soundscapes and dark electronic music.


Since the release of  their first album in 2018 the band toured most of the planet, from Europe and North America to Japan and Australia, as well as renowned festivals like, Roskilde Festival, Copenhell, Summer Slaughter, Brutal Assault and many more, and they have no intention of slowing down. All of the above combined with features from some of the modern metal scenes most prominent names like; Matt Heafy from Trivium, Jamie Hails from Polaris and Joe Bad from Fit For An Autopsy, the band has shown the world that Denmark has something to offer when it comes to bone crushing heaviness.


The band are now gearing up for the release of their 4th studio album, Everything Rots. Everything Rots is the most focused and ferocious Cabal has ever sounded, while still expanding on the sound that fans expect from the band. Ear piercing electronic parts and unsettling soundscapes fuse together with bone-rattling riffs and uncompromising breakdowns to create a sonic attack on the senses that’s sure to please and surprise any fan of extreme heaviness. Just like instrumentals the lyrics are dark and direct as they detail the cyclical nature of depression, addiction and trauma, as they work through and detail deeply scarring life experiences and invite the listernes inside a dark world were everything everything rots and falls apart again and again and again.


Tracks like ’Still Cursed’ dives into the struggle of dealing with depression and feeling eternally cursed, while the title track is an anthem for the generations born into a world of crushing uncertainty, that feels like it could collapse around them at any time. "No Peace" describes the harrowing real life ordeal of finding a dying suicide victim in the streets of Copenhagen, and powerlessly watching the life drains from their eyes. "Unveiled" and "Forever Marked" deals with two sides of the same experience of having an abuser close to you. One describes the intense anger and feeling of betrayal, that comes from finding out that someone you considered family could commit such acts, while the other the feeling of guilt in knowing that this happened so close to you without you catching on to it.

The German trio Warfield are poised to begin their next assault, charging into battle with the release of their forthcoming album and Napalm Records debut, With The Old Breed, out on April 4. Since their formation in 2012, they've dedicated themselves to the music of their idols like Tom Angelripper, Jeff Hanneman, and Dave Lombardo, unleashing brutal shredding riffs and lightning-fast beats with powerful precision. Warfield has already shared the stage with heavyweights like Bay Area thrash legends Exodus, captivating audiences with their electrifying live performances.


With their first single, “Lament Of The White Realm”, Warfield proves their unwavering dedication to their idols and their ability to embody the essence of thrash metal in a modern sound, further establishing them in the scene. This blistering track takes you on an icy journey through the horrors of war, exploring themes of loyalty and sacrifice. With razor-sharp riffs, “Lament Of The White Realm” fuses raw power with atmospheric storytelling, embodying an indomitable spirit of defiance.


Warfield on “Lament Of The White Realm”: “Our single ‘Lament Of The White Realm’ captures the unforgiving brutality of Alpine warfare in World War I, where Austrian and Italian soldiers fought high above the valleys on frozen mountain fronts. The lyrics use the ‘lament’ as a powerful symbol for the agonized screams that reverberated through the peaks, echoing the horrors of those harrowing battles. This song criticizes war in every form.”




Watch the official music video for “Lament Of The White Realm” below.


Warfield about the album: “Our new album With The Old Breed embodies everything we stand for as a band: Brutal, honest old-school thrash with emotion, rage and lots of energy. Sound-wise and musically evolved from the debut album, we delve even deeper into the inner human life and the harsh reality of war. Our goal is to bring out the different layers of despair, manipulation, but also camaraderie and express it all through musical heaviness. So if you call the mosh pit your home and feel like letting it all out, then give With The Old Breed a listen!”





With The Old Breed will be available in the following formats:


- 1 LP Red White Black Splatter Vinyl (with Bonus Track “F# (Wake Up)” Nuclear Assault Cover) – Napalm Records Webstore exclusive – strictly limited to 300 worldwide
- 1 LP Black Vinyl, Lighter & Patch (with Bonus Track “F# (Wake Up)” Nuclear Assault Cover)
- 1 LP Black Vinyl (with Bonus Track “F# (Wake Up)” Nuclear Assault Cover)
- 1 Digipack CD, Lighter & Patch – Napalm Records Europe Mail Order exclusive –strictly limited to 100 worldwide
- 1 Digipack CD
- Digital Album


Pre-order here.





With The Old Breed

Steve Hackett’s annual performances at Trading Boundaries, in Sussex, UK have become something of a tradition for the legendary guitarist in recent years. Presenting stripped down material, and showcasing his acclaimed classical compositions, these unique & intimate concerts have become a highlight of the year, beloved of his fans.


As Steve explains: “It’s always a joy for me to play at Trading Boundaries, a magical intimate place full of beautiful lights and exotic imagery, illuminating the darkest time of year over Christmas and New Year… It’s the perfect location for my acoustic set.”


Live Magic At Trading Boundaries, set for release on January 17, collects various recordings from these shows from over the years, and also features appearances from regular collaborators including brother John Hackett on flute, Roger King on keys, Rob Townsend on flute & sax, and Amanda Lehmann on guitar & vocals. The release also coincides with Steve’s next two live appearances at the venue, on January 18 & 19, 2025.




Today, he is pleased to release a live recording of the track "Jacuzzi", originally featured on his 1980 solo album Defector, and you can check out the visualizer below.





Steve comments: “I’m thrilled to be releasing such a special album of live virtuoso performances over the years at such a magical venue.”


Live Magic At Trading Boundaries will be available as a Limited Edition CD Digipak, Gatefold 180g 2LP & Digital Album, mixed by long-time live sound engineer Ben Fenner. Pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


"Improv"
"Blood On The Rooftops"
"The Barren Land"
"Black L

In a new interview with Nikki Blakk of San Francisco's 107.7 The Bone radio station, DEATH ANGEL and KERRY KING vocalist Mark Osegueda spoke about why DEATH ANGEL pulled out of its fall 2024 tour as the support act for W.A.S.P. Replacing them on the bill was ARMORED SAINT. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Since this whole Kerry band happened, and still being a major part of DEATH ANGEL, there was some backlash from a lot of DEATH ANGEL fans, thinking that [my involvement with Kerry] might be the end of DEATH ANGEL or it's taking away from DEATH ANGEL. And then there was a tour that DEATH ANGEL had a drop off of, and it was because there was conflicting dates with Kerry. But when that [W.A.S.P.] tour was offered to [DEATH ANGEL], I had put it out there to the powers that be that, 'Okay, but I can't guarantee I'll be available for the whole tour. Just know this in advance. So if you take it, I will have to do shows with Kerry if they get booked, and it looks like they very well may.' And still my words were taken and with enthusiasm, they just heard, to a certain degree people thought, 'Well, let's do it.' I said, 'Okay, let's, but once again…' I mean, every bit of communication we had, I would reiterate that. And we still went for it, throwing caution to the wind, and the wind blew back eventually, so to speak. And I said, 'Hey, what we didn't want to happen is happening. But we all knew this going in advance. So this is what we can do.' And I actually, being someone — I do try to troubleshoot for DEATH ANGEL all the time because there's been many years that DEATH ANGEL has been self-managed by me, Rob [Cavestany, DEATH ANGEL guitarist] and Ted [Aguilar, DEATH ANGEL guitarist], and we've also had management, but we always work with management very well. And so I tried to troubleshoot, and I said, 'Look, I could think of a few [singers] that could fill in,' and I gave some names and whatnot, just as an option. 'Cause I didn't want them to lose the tour. But the reality is what the reality was. So eventually, what came back when that was offered to the W.A.S.P. camp and booking agents, whatnot, they just basically said, 'Well, we don't want a fill-in for two particular times,' 'cause I would have missed two batches of dates, and they didn't want that to be the case… That's pretty much the stance they took. So, then, from there on, push came to shove, and they got ARMORED SAINT, which I think it's a great bill. I mean, who's to say that W.A.S.P. and DEATH ANGEL wouldn't have been a great bill? A lot of people were looking forward to it."

Mark continued: "Prior to [DEATH ANGEL pulling out of the W.A.S.P. tour], there was not much negativity about me being in Kerry's band, but when that hit, then the floodgates opened. And that's when a lot of people started saying negative things about me and my character and how it was affecting the band they love. Unbeknownst to them, believe it or not, I love that band more than they do."

Osegueda also defended the fact that he didn't inform his DEATH ANGEL bandmates that he had joined Kerry's solo group until his involvement was officially announced last February. "I couldn't really tell the guys 'cause of NDAs [non-disclosure agreements I signed] and whatnot. And I know people will say, 'Well, that's your blood. Those are your bros.' But it's an NDA. It's a legal, binding contract that I signed and I respect that. And wording in NDAs are kind of daunting.

"The metal community is a hen house," he added. "It really is. And just, bap, bap, bap, bap, and word just gets out, and it's just like rapid fire. And Blabbermouth or not, it just takes someone from one crew, one band, and they find out and it just goes around. And we had to go out of our way to keep this basically the biggest secret there was. Because everyone kind of had an idea of who was in [Kerry's] band, but for the most part, no one knew who the singer was. They all assumed it was Phil [Anselmo]. And it was just kind of quite a big secret to keep down. So that was hard. And I understand that. And I explained that to the guys when I did tell them. And there you go."

Mark added: "But again, as I said, when we took the W.A.S.P. tour, I did tell the powers that be that make the decisions for this band, me being one of 'em, what could occur. Now say the powers that be within the band, or people that don't have the power in the band to make the decisions, they might not have known that I had prefaced this with management and the guys who make the business decisions. And not everyone in this band is a decision maker when it comes to this band. And that's just the pecking order of how this band works. Some of us have longevity and priority and some of us don't. And that will always be the case, even if it goes down two decades from now. Rob and I still have two more decades more history in the band. So that's just the case. And it's a better way for a band to work. We've tried with the original DEATH ANGEL lineup to do it as a democracy, and it doesn't work. It just doesn't work. It just breeds more chaos and more tension, strife. [Too many cooks in the kitchen] — with everything, from writing, to setlists, to everything. So, there needs to be some sort of set structure, at least with this band. It works better that way. And most bands I've seen that have longevity, it tends to be the case as well."

Asked which singers were on the shortlist to fill in for him, Mark said: "Well, I don't even know… I shouldn't go down that road, but I suggested a few names, and then I think management and people were looking into people as well. And it just wasn't, I guess, jelling, especially with Rob. Rob and I had a few conversations, and he's, like, 'It's just not the same.' And I'm not saying it is or isn't for any band, or it's different for any band, but it is hard, and I'm not saying the importance of a position, but it is hard in a lot of bands to get a fill-in singer. It is. It is, 'cause people are used to him or her being the front person and how they engage with the crowd, and how they work, and the voice — everything. And so that's another thing Rob was really concerned about, which makes absolute sense. And in our personal conversations, he was saying, 'It'd be easier for us to find a fill-in for me for a few dates than it is for you.' And he said that selflessly, but basically when it boils down to it, everyone in DEATH ANGEL is a crucial part of DEATH ANGEL, but I know as a fan of different bands, if you went to go see DEATH ANGEL without me or Rob for that one show, there's gonna be a great deal of people out there that say, like, 'Well, I got kind of robbed.' That sucks. And that's just kind of the nature of the beast and the nature of the history of this band. With all bands, that's just how it is. It's like if you went to see [BLACK] SABBATH and they had a fill-in for Tony Iommi. You'd be, like, 'Oh.' And they're an exception. There have been bands that have replaced lead singers. Obviously, AC/DC and SABBATH are the two primest examples. And [IRON] MAIDEN. There's a handful. But it's not a common occurrence that it works out so swimmingly and successfully."

In a December 2024 interview with El Planeta Del Rock, Aguilar was asked why DEATH ANGEL pulled out of the W.A.S.P. tour. He said at the time: "Schedule conflicts with Kerry King. Kerry King had some dates booked in Mexico during that time. So it's just schedule conflicts. And it's okay. It does suck, but things happen for a reason. It would have been a nice tour — of course we're bummed we're not doing it — but you have to look at the positive side of things and go, well, we were able to write more songs for the [upcoming DEATH ANGEL] record, instead of prepping for the tour for and getting everything ready. It didn't happen. ARMORED SAINT got the tour. They're a good band and they deserve it. But we look at it as, 'Well, since we're not doing the tour, what are we gonna do? Well, let's continue writing more songs.' So I think at the end of the day, it's a lot better to write more songs... 'Cause if we would have done that tour, we would have done five weeks of supports, and where are we gonna prepare for the Christmas shows, all these songs, these different setlists. I look at things as things happen for a reason, and for whatever reason it is, it brought us here, and we're okay, man. We're all right. There'll be more tours to come about… You just have to find the positive out of it all. If you dwell on the negative, then it's not gonna do you any good. Just find the positive, just like anything in life. So, something happens, just, okay, don't focus on the problem, focus on the solution. The solution is, hey, okay, this is what we're gonna do. You have to bounce back right away."

Ted added: "It does suck [that we couldn't do the tour]. We would have loved to go on tour with W.A.S.P., and, of course, we love to play live. But the new record is important, these Christmas shows were important. So there'll be more to come in 2025."

Asked if he has listened to Kerry's debut solo album, "From Hell I Rise", which features King and Osegueda alongside drummer Paul Bostaph (SLAYER),bassist Kyle Sanders (HELLYEAH) and guitarist Phil Demmel (formerly of MACHINE HEAD),Ted said: "I listened to it once. It's what I expected. I think Mark sounds great on the record. They're doing their thing. I have to give hats off to Kerry. SLAYER discontinued, and he moved on with this stuff. He definitely picked the right guys to play with him. And I've seen some footage live. They're fucking doing amazing. So, hats off to them. It's great. It's a positive thing. It's good for Mark. Mark loves it. He's sounding really good. And it's just gonna benefit both bands. That's how I look at it. The only tough part is trying to figure out schedules. But that's something we could deal with. But it's gonna benefit both parties. So there you go."

Regarding the possibility of DEATH ANGEL and Kerry King's solo band performing together at some point in the future, Ted said: "That's up to Mark, because of his voice. But never say never. Things may happen. It could be at a festival. We'll cross that bridge when we get there, if it comes about. But I bet to the fans, they would like it. But I guess it all depends on Mark, if his voice could handle it. He only knows. I mean, on paper looks good, but behind the paper, you go, 'Mark, can you do it?' If he says, 'Yeah.' If it works, it works. If it doesn't, then it doesn't."

When it was first announced in August 2024 that DEATH ANGEL was pulling out of the W.A.S.P. tour, the only reason given for the cancelation was "unforeseen circumstances", with no further information offered. However, DEATH ANGEL drummer Will Carroll later shed some light on the issues that led to DEATH ANGEL pulling out of the tour, writing on his personal Facebook page "it's pretty fucking obvious" why his band was no longer taking part in the trek. "The word BETRAYAL comes to mind," he wrote, adding: "We knew there would be problems at some point but not so immediately."

Not long after DEATH ANGEL's tour dates with W.A.S.P. were announced, King's social media revealed that Kerry's band would play two shows in Mexico in early November — one concert in Mexico City as the support act for AMON AMARTH on November 6, and another gig as the support act for SLIPKNOT in Guadalajara on November 8 — in direct conflict with the W.A.S.P. tour, which was scheduled to launch in late October and conclude in mid-December. KERRY KING also confirmed appearances at three Good Things festival shows in Australia in early December.

In May 2024, Osegueda was asked during an appearance on the "Let There Be Talk" podcast with rock and roll comedian Dean Delray how he broke the news to his DEATH ANGEL bandmates that he was joining King's solo group. The singer said: "Oh, man. With this one, it's tough. I really had to respect the NDA. I really did. And it was eating at me. 'Cause DEATH ANGEL has been touring consistently — we toured consistently when the world shut down [due to the coronavirus pandemic]. When the world reopened, we went right back out on the road. And this was all happening. I was starting to do these demos during the pandemic, and then, after that, I was regularly seeing Kerry to do more demos [for his debut solo album] when the world opened. And [Kerry's] record was done for a year before it came out. And I'd be on tour with DEATH ANGEL. And there were some nights where me and Rob were in the lounge, just me and him, drinking, listening to music and just laughing and talking like we do. And it just took everything in me [not to tell him what was going on]. It's so hard to not just say, 'Look, bro. Look, bro.'

"This is one of those things that just, like it or not, some people will think I'm an ass about it, but I just kind of really promised — I promised Kerry and I signed the NDA," Mark explained. "I promised everyone I wasn't gonna let anyone know. The only people who knew were my girlfriend, my girl, my mom and my sister. We didn't even tell my dad 'cause my dad has loose lips. So we didn't even tell him then. So those are the three people who knew. And, of course, people who were at the studio when we were recording, and shit like that, who were all NDA people as well. So it's fucked up, but I waited and let him know through e-mail same day that the [official] announcement [of Kerry's new band] happened [in early February 2024]. And then shortly thereafter I talked to Rob and Ted."

Elaborating on how he approached informing his longtime bandmates of his involvement with Kerry's new band, Mark said: "I said in the e-mail, 'Look, this is the toughest thing for me to tell you.' And how I worded it in one aspect to them was just pretty much, 'This is gonna be either the most surprising thing in the world to you or, slash, the most obvious thing in the world to you.' And I even said at the end, 'cause it was an e-mail to all the guys, and I just said, 'Take some time to really process all this before you respond, before we talk. Let all this kind of sink in, and then when come together, if you wanna talk to me, then we'll all talk.' And shortly thereafter, I talked to Ted and Rob. And they were still a little sideswiped, for sure — for sure. I could see it in their [faces]… We did a FaceTime kind of Zoom call, the three of us, and they were both definitely still in kind of a state of processing it. But by the end of the call, after we talked for about an hour, they were supportive, for sure, happy for me. And they both did say, 'Now that you mention it, man, it is kind of the most obvious fucking thing in the world.' [Laughs] But it was tough, man. I'm not gonna lie. It's tough, 'cause we've been through so much together — so much together — especially me and Rob. I mean, not to take away from… Shit, Ted's been in the band since 2001, and now Damien and Will have been in the band for well over a decade now. So it's crazy. But, of course, me and Rob, we've known each other since we were in the crib. So that it was a tough one. But now, [Rob is] very, very supportive. Before the first [Kerry King] show, I got a text from him saying, 'Have a fucking killer show, bro.' And all this stuff. The [Kerry King album] release day, he sent me congratulations on release day. Ted as well. So, they've [come] to accept it. And I think it's already brought a lot of attention to DEATH ANGEL. And it's gonna keep doing that. But it was tough."

Mark added: "I'm excited about everything. I'm excited about everything ahead. But, yeah, for sure, it was definitely a delicate situation. Even before it was happening, when I knew it was coming up, it was, like, 'I've gotta choose my words carefully.' It's tough. But now that it's out, I feel so relieved — so relieved — it's out. And since then, we've [DEATH ANGEL] toured South and Central America together recently, and that was the first tour we did since the [Kerry King] announcement and some [of Kerry's] songs have been released. So everyone got along great. And it's out. And it just feels so much better to be around the guys with them knowing. I just felt so odd them not knowing."

Asked by Delray if he made his clear in his initial e-mail that he was not quitting DEATH ANGEL, Mark said: "Yeah, absolutely. Well, first, I'm kind of yammering about the process of it, but I definitely said, 'I'm very much still the singer of DEATH ANGEL.' And, of course, when I was talking to Rob and Ted, Rob was, like, 'I was very happy to hear you say that.' Like, 'Of course, bro.'"

"From Hell I Rise" came out in May via Reigning Phoenix Music.

Following his recent tour with LAMB OF GOD and MASTODON and his first European headline tour earlier this year, King and his solo band will hit the road for the 28-date North American headline tour in early 2025. With MUNICIPAL WASTE as special guest and ALIEN WEAPONRY supporting, the tour is set to launch in San Francisco on January 15, 2025, and wrap at House of Blues in Las Vegas on February 22

Greek post-black metal visionaries Euphrosyne have released a captivating video for their latest single, "Funeral Rites", taken from their forthcoming debut album, Morus, set to drop on March 21, 2025, via Black Lion Records. Pre-orders are now available at this location.


The powerful track, a deep dive into darkness and redemption, is part of the album’s conceptual meditation on the death of guitarist Alex Despotidis’s mother from cancer in 2017. 


Euphrosyne shared the following about their latest single: “‘Funeral Rites’ is one of the darkest songs on Morus. With an immersive and atmospheric way, it tells the story of the ceremony at the burial of the Mother. The beginning of the track is a dark narration of how it feels to carry the dead and how you project yourself as one of them. Following a rough outbreak, feelings of guilt, anger, and despair are released. The song ends with a redemptive chorus and the wish that one day we’ll meet those who have been lost from our lives.”







Morus is an experiential concept album inspired by the true story of the loss of Alex Despotidis's Mother from cancer in 2017. The narration begins with the realization of death and the feelings surrounding it until the final embrace, continues with the existential question "What happens after all comes to pass" and the depiction of pain and suffering. It moves forward towards the acceptance of the image of the person who is losing the battle and

Power metal pioneers, Dynazty, have released the new single, "Call Of The Night", the opening track of their new album, Game Of Faces, out on February 14 via Nuclear Blast.


Singer Nils Molin comments: "Night-time. A time for calm and tranquility or a time for fears, deceit and, villainousness? When light shifts so does the mind of man. 'I have seen the depths of the dark well. I know the stories it can tell. The allure of danger, strangers, and the promises they sell.' We’re proud to present you with the opening track and one of my personal favorites of the album - 'Call Of The Night'. Enjoy and don’t forget to place your pre-order of Game Of Faces, out on February 14!"


Stream the single on all platforms and check out the video below:







The new album, Game Of Faces, contains eleven brand new tracks and will be available in the following formats: CD jewelcase, vinyl, and digital. Pre-order here.





Game Of Faces tracklisting:


"Call Of The Night"
"Game Of Faces"
"Devilry Of Ecstasy"

After two consecutive new JETHRO TULL album releases in 2022 and 2023, a new record — "Curious Ruminant" — is unleashed on Friday, March 7, 2025. Consisting of nine new tracks varying in length from two and half minutes to almost seventeen minutes, this is an album of mostly full band music. Amongst the musicians featured are former keyboardist Andrew Giddings and drummer James Duncan, along with the current bandmembers David Goodier, John O'Hara, Scott Hammond and, making his recording debut with the band, guitarist Jack Clark.

To coincide with this announcement, the album's title track has been launched digitally, alongside a video by Costin Chioreanu (who previously created the bands video for "Ginnungagap" from "RökFlöte"). Watch it now below.

"Curious Ruminant" will be available on several different formats, including a limited deluxe ultra clear 180g 2LP + 2CD + Blu-ray artbook and limited deluxe 2CD+Blu-ray artbook. Both of these feature the main album, alternative stereo mixes and a Blu-ray containing Dolby Atmos and 5.1 Surround Sound (once again undertaken by Bruce Soord of THE PINEAPPLE THIEF),as well as exclusive interview material. The limited deluxe vinyl artbook also includes two exclusive art-prints. The album will also be available as a special edition CD digipak, gatefold 180g LP + LP booklet and as digital album (in both stereo and Dolby Atmos).

The full track listing is as follows:

01. Puppet And The Puppet Master (04:04)
02. Curious Ruminant (06:00)
03. Dunsinane Hill (04:17)
04. The Tipu House (03:31)
05. Savannah Of Paddington Green (03:13)
06. Stygian Hand (04:16)
07. Over Jerusalem (05:55)
08. Drink From The Same Well (16:42)
09. Interim Sleep (02:33)

Ian Anderson had been saying for months following the release of "RökFlöte" that he would embark on a new project in late 2023. He waited only a few weeks before the first notions began to solidify into some drafted words of intent and in May 2024, some unfinished music recorded earlier with John O'Hara, David Goodier and James Duncan became the starting point for the new songs as they took shape.

Writing the lyrics and melodies for all the newly written material came very quickly once he began in earnest during June and just seemed to slot right in to the musical feel and styles of the earlier recordings.

Anderson's writing here is often on a more personal level of lyric content than we are used to hearing. Interspersed with his usual observational descriptions are the slightly more heart-on-sleeve moments of soul-baring — albeit not on the topics more often paraded by the usual I-me lyric merchants of pop and rock.

Some of the songs are developed from unfinished instrumental demos made some years ago although this does not result in a huge stylistic divide to jump out at the listener. Apart from the signature flute solos and melodies, accordion, mandolin, acoustic and tenor guitars feature on several tracks too, so the subtle backdrop of acoustic and folk rock serves to remind of the TULL heritage of the 70s.

The band consists of:

* Ian Anderson – Flutes, vocals, acoustic guitar, tenor guitar, mandolin, odds and sods, bits and bobs
* David Goodier - Bass guitar
* John O'Hara - Piano, keyboards, accordion
* Scott Hammond – Drums
* Jack Clark – Electric guitar

The album also features:

* James Duncan - Drums, cajón, percussion
* Andrew Giddings - Piano, keyboards, accordion

In a recent interview with The Metal Summit, SKID ROW drummer Rob Hammersmith spoke about the band's ongoing search for a replacement for singer Erik Grönwall. Erik, who was SKID ROW's fourth frontman since Sebastian Bach's departure, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in March 2021. As a result, he is immunocompromised, which made touring difficult. Regarding where SKID ROW stands at the moment with regard to finding a new vocalist, Rob said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, so to kind of go back a few months, most of your viewers may know we were fortunate enough to be able to do some shows with our good friend Lzzy Hale [of HALESTORM] post Erik Grönwall's departure. Unfortunately, earlier [in 2024] when Erik left the band, we were kind of in a situation where we had to figure out relatively quickly what the rest of the year was going to look like. So we were able to do some shows late spring, early summer with our good friend Lzzy Hale. So no tour dates since those shows. We are still in an active search for the next lead singer of SKID ROW. We've had some really good, some really strong candidates. At this point, no news, no official announcements. As I said, we are still in the midst of a proper search, if you will, but we're making progress. We're getting there. So, unfortunately, no concrete announcements. All of that said, we like to keep it out there in the rock and metal world. Any ideas are welcome at this point. So singers out there, if you think you're right, you know where to find us for sure."

He continued: "So we will break for the holidays and then we will reconvene in January and move forward with that process. But as anybody knows, it's a a long process and it always takes longer than you would like for it to take. So we'll see. Hopefully early [in 2025[ we'll have some big announcements for everybody."

Asked how SKID ROW goes about looking for a new singer, Rob said: "There's so many different factors. I say anybody that's ever been in a band, but it's not exclusive to being in the music industry. This is really true with really any situation in life, whether it's a marriage or relationship or any other industry, there's so many different factors involved. So for us, we certainly look back on some of our past experiences, myself included — I've been with the band for 15 years now; longest job I've ever held. I don't know how I pulled this off, but here I am talking to you guys, 15 years later. So we really did want to take a minute to say to ourselves and then to each other, how do we we really wanna go about doing something like this in a way that maybe we can do it differently than we've done in the past? So for us, that's been an ongoing process. How do you try to account for all of these different criteria and these things that you have to look for? And knowing the whole time that you're doing something like this with a potential candidate for a situation like ours, they're evaluating us as well. So everybody comes to the table with their own different set of criteria.

"It's been a really, a really interesting process," he continued. "You really have to sit down and examine, as a band, what are your goals? What is important to you? What do you envision the future of your band looking like? And in a lot of ways, that's been good for us to really sit down and define exactly where we see the band in five years or in 10 years or in 15 years, God willing. It's been a really interesting experience.

"For us, the beginning of that process was to really sit down as an organization, as a unit and decide, okay, where do we want to go from here?" Rob added. "And then from there you can start to come up with plans. And any other business or like any other business, you sort of have to have a plan, a business plan, but for us the biggest thing was really sitting down and saying, 'Okay, what do we want to do over the next five years or the next 10 years?' That was the biggest part of the process for us. And then from there, putting that out into the public, into culture, however that works these days, whether it's social media, the Internet, things like that. So that was kind of the next step after we really decided, 'Okay, this is what we, as a band, envision our future looking like.' We just jumped right in and started looking. And sometimes, like anything in life, you're just figuring it out as you as you go. So you kind of make some adjustments along the way. I think that was the biggest part of the process for us, is really coming together as a unit."

Lasy July, SKID ROW bassist Rachel Bolan said during a question-and-answer session at the Days Of The Dead horror and pop culture-themed convention in Indianapolis that he and his bandmates were "taking our time" finding a new singer "because we have time. And we've got a couple guys on the radar that we're gonna audition," he revealed. "And there's also a couple of our friends that wanna do what Lzzy Hale did and sit in [on lead vocals] for a few [SKID ROW] shows. And that's fun too. That was so much fun doing those [four] shows [with Lzzy]."

In May 2024, Rachel confirmed to Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station that he and his bandmates had been talking to singers about potentially stepping in to replace Grönwall. He explained: "No one, really, with a name. But, yeah, we've been talking to a few guys that piqued our interest, for sure."

In May 2024, SKID ROW guitarist Dave "Snake" Sabo ruled out a reunion with SKID ROW's former singer Sebastian Bach telling The Hook Rocks podcast: "It's not gonna happen. And I say the same thing every time. I'm thankful that people have such an interest in wanting to see that happen, but I also have to reiterate that this is about being happy in the situation that you're in. So I'll speak for myself personally.

"First of all, I do need to say something too, is that the reason that this isn't happening is because there's three of us — myself, Scotti [Hill, SKID ROW guitarist] and Rachel — who've had conversations about this, and we've all been on the same page that we don't wanna go down that road again. We just — we don't.

"Rachel has taken a beating over this through the years," Sabo continued. "He's the one who's been blamed for this. 'Oh, it's Rachel's ego.' 'It's this and that.' No, that's a load of bullshit. That is not true. And I feel bad because he's really, really had to shoulder that blame and has never said anything derogatory or anything like that. But you know what? The truth of the matter is that Rachel, Scotti and myself have continually felt the same way, that we enjoy being happy in this band and we're really happy.

"It's been such a great experience for the last however, 35 years, everything, all the ups, all the downs, everything, but we just don't wanna revisit that particular aspect of our history," he explained. "I love the songs, [I] love a lot of the memories, [I am] not fond of some of the memories, but just as individuals and as a collective, that's just how we feel. So this is not on Rachel. And this has nothing to do with anyone's ego or anything like that. So that's just gotta be clear. Again, for anyone to sit there and make assumptions that this is Rachel Bolan saying 'nope,' it's not. It's the three of us, and we've all collectively sat there and just said that we don't wanna do it. We just don't wanna do it. And we wish everybody all the best."

Snake added: "We've been just ripped apart by ex-members of the band and stuff — ripped apart. Some really shitty stuff [has been] said about all of us. And we just choose not to [respond]. It's not who I am. It's not who we are. We won't go down that road. We just wanna play music and be happy. This has really never been about a monetary aspect of things because it's known that we've been offered a good amount of money to do shows together and to reunite [with Sebastian] and whatever, but it's just never been about the money, man. I choose my happiness, my willingness to continue to be a really good friend to my best friends and a really good husband and a really good dad and bandmate and person. And I don't wanna endanger that in any way. So the people that we choose to play with, those choices are made in order to keep those particular things in line for all of us."

Bach fronted SKID ROW until 1996, when he was fired. Instead of throwing in the towel, the remaining members took a hiatus and went on to play briefly in a band called OZONE MONDAY. In 1999, SKID ROW reformed and, after a bit of shuffling over the years, featured a lineup consisting of bassist Rachel Bolan, guitarists Dave "Snake" Sabo and Scotti Hill, alongside drummer Rob Hammersmith and singer Johnny Solinger. SKID ROW fired Solinger over the phone in April 2015, a few hours before announcing ex-TNT vocalist Tony Harnell as his replacement. Eight months later, Harnell exited the band and was replaced by South African-born, British-based singer ZP Theart, who previously fronted DRAGONFORCE, TANK and I AM I. Theart was fired from SKID ROW in February 2022 and was replaced by Grönwall, who was previously a member of the Swedish hard rock band H.E.A.T.

Five years ago, Bolan also confirmed that he and his bandmates "were entertaining the idea" of reuniting with Bach following Harnell's departure. But Rachel shot down the possibility of a rekindling of his friendship with Sebastian, explaining: "Well… Here's the soundbite for Blabbermouth. I wouldn't say we were friends [when we were in a band together]. We were bandmates. You know what I mean? We're two very different people." Bolan added that he hadn't seen Bach "in years."

Six years ago, Bach was asked by Rolling Stone what it would take for SKID ROW to be reunited. He responded: "It would take those guys to realize that I have a lifetime manager. His name is Rick Sales. I've been with him since 2006. They don't want to deal with a guy like that. They want to give some singer who doesn't have a manager $700 to $800 bucks a week. I've got a team that's worked with me and don't allow me to get fucked around. I didn't have that team when I was 19 years old."

In response to Bach's statements about the earnings of SKID ROW's singer, Sabo told Rolling Stone in an e-mail: "I guess fact-checking isn't in his skill set… The five of us go on that stage as a band and we all get paid equally. We're in this together. There's no egos."

Sebastian went on to say that SKID ROW was "close to reuniting, but then it didn't happen. The fact that it didn't happen obviously makes me somewhat bitter, because life is only getting shorter, as the song says," he added.

"I wouldn't say 'came close,'" Bolan told Rolling Stone in an e-mail response to Bach's account of the reunion talks. "We entertained the idea. Snake and I went as far as talking with agents and promoters about money. But we quickly learned after a few text conversations, why we fired him in the first place. Nothing is worth your happiness and peace of mind."

OPETH's Mikael Åkerfeldt has paid tribute to Ragne Wahlquist, guitarist and vocalist for HEAVY LOAD, who died earlier this month at the age of 69.

On Wednesday (January 8),Mikael took to the OPETH social media to write: "RAGNE WAHLQUIST, 1955-2025. REST IN PEACE. It is with heavy heart we say farewell to HEAVY LOAD frontman/singer/guitarist Ragne Wahlquist. As I'm writing this I haven't been fully able to fathom this terrible loss. I first met Ragne during one of the infamous kubb-tournaments (hosted by Peder & Ewa. Thank you!) together with his brother (and HEAVY LOAD drummer) Styrbjörn Wahlquist.

"Ragne was a marvelous character. Witty, sharp, poetic, determined and just a superb and inspiring person and musician. He a friend I lament I didn't have the time to get to know better. I texted with the brothers on new years day wishing them both a 'happy new year' and got a 'thanks' and a beautiful poem back from Ragne. Little did I know that was the last I was ever going to hear from him. I (on behalf of OPETH) extend our warmest condolences to Styrbjörn and the rest of the Wahlquist family as well as to his friends and fans.

"HEAVY LOAD are Sweden's first Heavy Metal band and also contributed to the scene outside of their own music by operating Thunderload studios. Ragne also authored the two epic books 'The Wahlgaard Saga Pt 1 & 2'. A project I know he was incredibly fond and proud of, and is well worth investigating. Ragne (nor Styrbjörn) never compromised with anything related to his artistry and creativity. Despite the hardship that comes with this stance in the commercial world of music and art, it certainly demands ones respect.

"I experienced this determination when Ragne and Styrbjörn kindly invited me over to Thunderload studios to hear a rough mix of their latest masterpiece 'Riders Of The Ancient Storm'. It was incredible! Just to sit there and eat cinnamon rolls and drink coffee with these two legends of heavy metal would have been well (or more than) enough for me. But to then get a pre-release listening to their first record since 1983!? It was awesome to the point of absurdity. The brothers were so proud (as they should be). They treated me with such respect and warmth that day (and every other time we met). I will never forget it.

"Ragne's music will surely continue to shake the very foundations of Valhalla! He will be sorely missed!"

According to SVT, Ragne and his younger brother Styrbjörn were in the middle of recording HEAVY LOAD's fifth album at the time of Ragne's death. The intention is to complete the album and to carry the band forward.

It is generally believed that HEAVY LOAD was the band that started the Swedish wave of heavy metal in the middle of the 1970s — their first album was released in 1978. They are also considered to be the first Viking metal band in the world.

HEAVY LOAD was established in Stockholm during the grim winter of 1974-1975 by the two brothers Ragne (vocals, guitars and keyboards) and Styrbjörn (vocals and drums). The vision and the passion of the Wahlquist brothers was always the kernel of the band's audacious drive; its drive to venture out on musical journeys and to spread their music to the world. The Viking heritage has been an important source of inspiration ever since their childhood. The brothers' emotional connection to people of a remote past, people with whom they share everlasting human challenges, was destined to find an outlet in their music. As a consequence, the brothers merged 1970s hard rock with Viking settings and sentiments, resulting in the band's distinctive style of music and lyrics: Viking metal — a style which came to inspire later bands in Sweden and elsewhere.

HEAVY LOAD released its first album, "Full Speed At High Level", during an era when the Swedish media and record industry claimed that hard rock was dead and that the band was doomed to fail. The Wahlquist brothers' vision has always been the core of what HEAVY LOAD was all about. So after expanding the band with a second guitarist, they founded their own recording facility, the famous Thunderload Studios, along with their own label, Thunderload Records. On their own label, they released timeless classics such as "Metal Conquest" (1981),"Death Or Glory" (1982) and "Stronger Than Evil" (1983) by HEAVY LOAD.

In 2023, HEAVY LOAD released a 40th-anniversary comeback album, "Riders Of The Ancient Storm". "Stronger Than Evil" was also made available to stream on Spotify for the first time, including six bonus tracks from the 2018 album reissue.

At their Thunderload recording facility, the Wahlquist brothers recorded CANDLEMASS's legendary debut album "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus", along with LPs from HAMMERFALL and Yngwie Malmsteen.

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Hailing from the withering depths of the UK, Vacuous make their Relapse Records debut with their new album, In His Blood, out February 28. Today, Vacuous shares the official video for the album’s title track, “In His Blood”. Watch the clip below, and find the track on all streaming services here.


Vacuous guitarist Michael Brodsky comments: "We put alot of ourselves into In His Blood. Our goal was to pull in our personal influences from different genres of music, blending everything together and pushing it all to the extreme in a very bold way. It's raw, organic, unhinged and at times very imperfect, but feels like our most personal and honest music to date, which is what death metal is all about ultimately (to us, anyway). We can't wait for everyone to hear it and couldn't be more excited for the legendary Relapse Records to be releasing it."


An overdose of death metal, In His Blood is a compelling mix of blazing speeds, chilling atmospherics, and angular riffing that bring the band into their own unique space.




“We’ve talked about having different influences, and it felt like a bit of a dare to push things further,” Michael Brodsky says. “Back in death metal’s formative days, with bands like Autopsy, Obituary, Incantation, none of those bands sounded like each other: they were just pushing their collective influences together to the extreme. I think we’re still doing the same thing, just from the point of view of people who grew up in the 2000s.”


Pre-order the album on LP/CD/Digital


"In His Blood"
"Stress Position"
"Hunger"
"Flesh Parade"
"Public Humiliation"
"Contraband"
"Immersion"
"No Longer Human"





One look at the striking, blood-soaked cover art for Vacuous’ second album In His Blood, and you know the London-based death metallers aren’t messing around. Examining ideas of violence and voyeurism, the album’s title was inspired by a disturbing image the band came across on social media.


“The internet is like a graveyard of people’s trauma,” adds guitarist Michael Brodsky. “Seeing all that does something to you as a person.”


Michael and Jo formed Vacuous at the end of 2019. They started out as a trio but when the pandemic hit, they hunkered down to write and realized their ambitions demanded a bigger band. They’re now a five-piece, joined by Max Southall on drums, Ezra Harkin on guitars and Zak Mullard on bass. Their debut album, Dreams of Dysphoria, came out in 2022, but it’s with their new, second album In His Blood that they’ve really hit their stride.


From the roaring, quick-fire intensity of the title track to the haunting atmospherics of "Hunger" and the cinematic rumbles of "Contraband", with In His Blood Vacuous push the limits of what listeners might expect from death metal.


“The song ‘Contraband’ is about the 39 Vietnamese migrants who were suffocated in a lorry trying to come over to England,” Jo says. “It was such a tragedy, but it was blink and you miss it; news today and gone tomorrow.


The album was recorded at Holy Mountain Studios in Hackney with Stanley Gravett, who Jo an

Rock Duck Radio producer Mark Christopher Garrett has shared a restored version Savatage's classic Streets as a double album, as it was originally intended, via YouTube. Check it out below.


Garrett: "Savatage's and Paul O'Neills' Streets: A Rock Opera was released in 1991 by Atlantic Records. Originally intended as a double album, Atlantic Records decided to scratch the double album and released it as a solo album/cd/tape. All the recordings for the project were then stored at the Atlantic Records vault. 


Years later, after the success of Paul O'Neills' and Jon Oliva's Trans-Siberian Orchestra, they wanted to release Srreets: A Rock Opera - The Story Of D.T. Jesus in its entirety, only to find out Atlantic Records misplaced the original recorded tracks in their vault and cannot find them. Oliva and O'Neill even offered a $1000.00 reward for anyone who could find them; none could.




Rock Duck Radio is now proud to present for the first time ever, the infamous Streets A Rock Opera Double Album restored in its entirety (almost). Some are the original recordings, just lower quality, others such as 'Desiree' are familiar to the Savatage fanbase with Zach Stevens singing, butt can now be heard in its proper context of the full D.T. Jesus storyline, kind of like the song 'Stay' as well. One song I was not able to get and that was 'Sanctuary', but it was substituted with the song 'Target', which is what it was originally based on anyway. 


Songs like 'Beyond Broadway' and others are the original 'lost tracks'. The worst track I found was 'Island Of The Kings'. It was a very rough 4-track demo with a lot of tape hiss; fortunately, in the context of the  D.T. Jesus storyline it really works. A lot of work went into the making and restoration of this rock masterpiece, I hope you enjoy!


Pau

Dragonknight has released a lyric video for “Pirates, Bloody Pirates!”, third single taken from the debut album “Legions” to be released on January 17 by Scarlet Records.


A crew of proud seafarers, all boasting more gold in their dreams than in their purses, set their sails for distant lands and uncharted waters, driven by rumours of riches beyond imagination. Pirates, the same “bloody pirates” they'd scoffed at in taverns and whispered about in hushed tones, soon closed in upon them. These villains did swoop, their cutlasses sharp and their laughter sharper still. The sailors, once so bold and boastful, found their boots suddenly far heavier than their spirits.


Dragonknight is a new conceptual band baptized by a bunch of seasoned Finnish metal veterans, skillfully forging a smooth and fresh rendering of the classic North European power metal style through soaring melodies, thunderous rhythms, and epic orchestration, fused with crushing riffs – an unforgettable sonic journey of legendary proportions.




The eleven anthemic chapters of the first record Legions tell of heart-wrenching battles, strong-willed warriors and the beauty of glorious death, but also the treasure hunts gone awry, conquest, and the inner power to rise from the hopeless pit of despair yet again in the face of adversity – hear the armies and swords clash, seafaring vessels creak and the wings of the serpents soar.


Produced by Dragonknight; mixed by Mikael Grönroos at Crownhook Studio; mastered by Svante Forsbäck at Chartmakers West, and featuring the flashy artwork courtesy of Tommi Aaltonen, Legions will be released in the following formats:


- digipack CD
- vinyl LP: 300 marbled red
- digital


Artwork by Tommi Aaltonen:





Tracklisting:


“Ascendance – Through Sea And Fire”
“The Legions Of Immortal Dragonlords”
“The Imperator�

Italian progressive death metal legends, Sadist, announce their tenth studio album, Something To Pierce, set for release on March 7 via Agonia Records. Pre-order here, pre-save here.





The song "No Feast For Flies" is the first single to be released off the album. It's being premiered in the form of a lyric video, which can be found below.




Following the well-acclaimed Firescorched, released in 2022, the new album Something To Pierce promises to be even more aggressive, both musically and lyrically. The band's tenth instalment is a bold amalgamation of technique, aggression and experimentation; in short, "a further step towards the definition of a unique music style, which you can’t help but love…or hate," comments founding member & mastermind, Tommy Talamanca. "Like it or not, nobody sounds like Sadist!"


Something To Pierce was record, mixed and mastered by Tommy Talamanca at Nadir Music Studios in Genoa, Italy. The cover artwork was created by Andreas Christanetoff of Armaada Art (Aborted).


Sadist started out in the early nineties, having emerged from Genoa in Italy. The band went ahead of its time, with an adventurous take on the then-developing progressive death metal sub-genre. Its presence was firmly established through an unmistakable style, detectable since the debut instalment Above The Light (1993). After a five year hiatus (2000-2005), Sadist returned to its proven sonic formula of jazz-infected epic prog-death, fraught with Middle-Eastern influences.


Along its path, Sadist kicked off concerts for Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Slayer and Motorhead, and gained exposure at high-pro

"This song is this record.” exclaims vocalist Ethan Harrison on single “Echoes Of War” out today. “The keystone that holds the entire thing together. The culmination of everything we took into the studio and of everything we hoped to accomplish with Tragedy Of The Commons creatively. This is the foundation of the new Great American Ghost.”


A strong statement that fits the intense track, serving as the final preview of Tragedy Of The Commons out January 31 on SharpTone Records. Screeching and squealing guitars pierce the barrage at the center of “Echoes Of War,” and Harrison carries a hauntingly hypnotic hook. Great American Ghost’s metalcore roots push through industrial influence to create pure chaos, lined with lyrics about about disbelief in the concept of free will.


Upholding an uncompromising vision with clear intention, Great American Ghost know exactly what they want to say about their community, the greater world around them, and humanity as a species. Tragedy Of The Commons offers a powerful statement on exploitation, oppression, and scarcity. On the Will Putney produced record, Great American Ghost transmit their message without filter delivered through a combination of basement-born hardcore spirit, staggering metallic precision, polemic lyrical provocations, and unexpectedly arresting melodies.




Tragedy Of The Commons is available for preorder through Sharptone Records.


Great American Ghost have a hometown headline show in Manchester, New Hampshire on December 14 at Jewel Music Venue. The band will join Bleed From Within and After The Burial on a European tour next fall.


Great American Ghost is Ethan Harrison (vocals), Grayson Stewart (guitar), Anthony Laur (bass) and Niko Gasparrini (guitar).





Tracklisting:


“Kerosene”
“Echoes Of War”
“Lost In The Outline”
“Forsaken”
“Ghost In Flesh”
“Writhe”
“

In a new interview with Radioactive MikeZ, host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM program "Wired In The Empire", British guitar sensation Sophie Lloyd was asked which METALLICA album she thinks is better, "Ride The Lightning" or "Master Of Puppets". She responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "That's a really hard question, but I would have to say 'Master Of Puppets'. That's what got me into METALLICA, a hundred percent. And just the catchiness of the riffs and stuff, everything on that, that was another album that really got me into guitar. But 'Ride The Lightning' is amazing as well."

She added: "Yeah, you can listen to ['Master Of Puppets'] front to back. And, yeah, just how listenable it is — from the first song to the last song, it tells a story throughout it. I think it's a masterpiece."

Sophie released her debut full-length album, "Imposter Syndrome", in 2023. The LP saw Lloyd teaming up with some of rock's biggest names and her own personal heroes to create a stunning collection of work spanning a variety of genres from the rock and metal world. Released totally independently via her own Autumn Records, the album debuted at No. 3 in the rock charts and 11 in the indie charts, receiving rave reviews in the press.

Last October, Sophie played her debut headline show at a sold-out London Underworld. Sophie also announced a concert at the Whisky A Go Go in Hollywood, California on January 16, 2025.

"Imposter Syndrome" featured blazing singles and guest collaborations like "Judge And Jury" (featuring THEORY OF A DEADMAN's Tyler Connolly),"Fall Of Man" (featuring TRIVIUM's Matt Heafy),"Do Or Die" (featuring Nathan James),"Lost" (featuring Cole Rolland),"Runaway" (featuring STEEL PANTHER's Michael Starr),"Hanging On" (featuring Lauren Babic)", "Imposter Syndrome" (featuring HALESTORM's Lzzy Hale) and "Let It Hurt" (featuring BLACK STONE CHERRY's Chris Robertson).

Two years ago, Sophie told Guitar World magazine that PANTERA's "Cowboys From Hell" is one of the top 10 albums that changed her life. "I love how heavy and primal this album is," she said at the time. "Dimebag is one of my biggest inspirations for lead guitar. He always knew how to think outside the box and elevate a song with his soloing."

She added that Joe Satriani's "Surfing With The Alien" was one of the first instrumental guitar albums she ever heard. "I loved the way Joe can tell a story through his music and really take you on a journey," she explained. "I spent a lot of time studying the songs on this album trying to perfect techniques he used and understand his writing style."

Finnish deathgrind band, Cannibal Accident, is set to release their fifth studio album, Disgust, on February 28th via Inverse Records. The video for "Darken The Attic" is released today and it's available here. 


Vocalist Kurwa Doktor comments: "'Darken The Attic' tells about the horrors of delirium tremens after sacrificing your mind, body and soul to excessive amounts of alcohol for so many years you have already lost the count." 


Bassist Jondom: "Musically, 'Darken The Attic' is quite far from our comfort zone with dissonant riffs which are like made to create feelings of pure anxiety for the listener. Song is one of 'weirdos' off the coming Disgust album, and the goal was to highlight how guitar and bass has own place and space in our music even these two instruments aren't necessarily always playing same kind of riff, part or even notes in a song. This 'chaotic harmony' can be heard particularly in this song. The idea for the video came also partly because of the nature of the song. Quick clips of grotesque and graphic content forced to listeners eye receptors are just like made to underline the musical feeling and lyrical theme of the song."

Michigan rockers POP EVIL will release their eighth album, "What Remains", on March 21 via MNRK.

The vinyl pre-order on the band's web site begins this Friday, January 10.

To celebrate the news, the band has shared the video for the third single, "Wishful Thinking". Watch it below.

"'Wishful Thinking' pushes us into a realm that's deeper, darker, and more intense than ever before," says vocalist Leigh Kakaty.

For two decades, Kataky has needed to mine the deepest of reserves in order to drag POP EVIL up from the blue-collar grassroots of his local Michigan scene to stand proud at the top of the modern rock game. Soaring successes, bitter defeats… Kakaty has survived it all.

"What Remains" is the culmination and story of this journey with POP EVIL, laid bare like never before. Continuing in the recent vein of 2023's acclaimed "Skeletons", the new opus is both sonically and thematically POP EVIL's heaviest ever offering; a thundering collection of arena-ready modern rock and metal hits in which Kakaty opens heart, mind, and soul.

"There are a lot of issues and things that I've dealt with in this journey of POP EVIL that I've buried for a long time," the frontman explains of this document of resilience, perseverance, and accountability.

POP EVIL were born in North Muskegon, Michigan in 2001, Kakaty drawing on the lessons of a youth first shaped not by music, but by high school basketball — leadership, team work, the drive to improve in the lonely hours put in at the gym at 5 a.m., the will to win suppressing any fear — in order to fight tooth and nail for their break-out moment.

"I was hustling and learning every day to make my dreams come true," Kakaty recalls of his time playing local bars and slinging early EPs out of the back of his truck. "Studying never interested me. Neither did getting a regular job. A knee injury wrecked my shot at playing sports. Music was all I wanted to do from that moment, and I didn't give myself a backup plan. POP EVIL gave me a purpose, and a reason to get up every day. It became a crusade."

"Lipstick On The Mirror", POP EVIL's 2008 debut, and its follow-up, "War Of Angels", brought acclaim and global attention; 2013's "Onyx" delivered the first of the band's nine No. 1 singles and six RIAA-certified gold and platinum plaques, but also a period of darkness brought on by the grief of Kakaty losing his father. "I was completely lost … I had just missed the last five years with my dad, chasing this dream when I could have been with him. I didn't know if I wanted or could do POP EVIL anymore," he says. The band's 2017 self-titled album, opened by the smash-hit "Waking Lions" was written "pretty much to save my life" – but in turn "reminded me of the fire I have inside, and that God put me here to make music that could help people."

It's a mission statement enshrined in POP EVIL to this day — and which provided the spark for the genesis of "What Remains".

"You're always chasing that one song that can connect with that one person," Kakaty says. "And that process has to start with yourself. There's a lot of personal healing on this record, a lot of things I wanted to get out for my own mental well-being. I'm finally at a place where I can confront my demons."

Sonically, the album is a riotous explosion of life-affirming noise; a vortex of scything riffs and gut-punch drum beats that regularly give way to POP EVIL's hallmark anthemic choruses.

"We set out to push boundaries," nods Kakaty. "Metal has always been a part of our DNA, but we've never made it such a focal point before. A lot of writing on this record has been about listening to what my soul is saying and letting the songs find their own path, rather than chasing a sound that might fit in on the radio. I think you can really hear the mood and emotion of the album's themes in the music."

"What Remains" track listing:

01. The Bullet That Missed
02. Deathwalk
03. What Remains
04. Wishful Thinking
05. Side Effects
06. Criminal
07. Enough Is Enough
08. Zero To None
09. Knife For The Butcher
10. Overkill

Photo credit: Nick Fancher

Alt-rock trailblazers COLD will celebrate the 20th anniversary of their second album, "13 Ways To Bleed On Stage", and 25th anniversary of their fourth LP, "A Different Kind Of Pain", on a spring 2025 U.S. tour. Support on the trek, which will kick off on April 3 in Cleveland, Ohio and conclude on June 1 in Covington, Kentucky, will come from SEPTEMBER MOURNING and UNIVERSITY DRIVE.

Tickets and VIP packages will go on sale at ColdArmy.com at noon ET this Friday, January 10.

COLD says: "Can't wait to share these two special albums with you all!"

At the turn of the century, COLD unveiled the seminal "13 Ways To Bleed On Stage", which went gold and yielded hits such as "Just Got Wicked", "No One" and "End Of The World". Their 2003 follow-up, "Year Of The Spider", marked their highest chart position, bowing at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, receiving a gold certification, and spawning the smash "Stupid Girl", accompanied by Rivers Cuomo of WEEZER. 2005's "A Different Kind Of Pain" illuminated melodic strides to the tune of 37,000-plus copies sold first-week and a Top 30 debut. Meanwhile, 2011's "Superfiction" continued this streak, crashing the Top 10 of the Top Rock Albums chart upon arrival and extending a growing legacy.

The past few years have been transcendent for COLD — peaking with the successful 2019 release of "The Things We Can't Stop", subsequent singles "Shine", "Without You", "The Devil We Know", "Run" and "Quiet Now" and a North American comeback tour boasting several sold-out shows.

Come join us this Spring for a celebration of 13 ways to Bleed on Stage and A different kind of Pain Anniversary...

Posted by Cold on Tuesday, January 7, 2025