Italy’s cult heavy rock band, Death SS, will release their new studio album, The Entity, early next year. The concept album was produced by mastermind and frontman, Steve Sylvester, along with the English Grammy winner producer, Tom Dalgety (Rammstein, Ghost, The Cult).
 
The literary inspirations of the 12-song opus range from Aleister Crowley, who seeks to liberate man by awakening his artistic genius, to the characters of writers James Hogg and Robert Louis Stevenson, who explore the dark side of mankind. It also includes figures such as Jack the Ripper, Walter Sickert, Cemetery and others, ultimately linking to the band's history.
 
The album will be preceded by four digital singles, released not only digitally but also as 12" Limited Deluxe version.


The first single, "Dr. Jeckyll & Sister Hyde", is a powerful dark metal song in pure Death SS style, which ironically quotes the 1971 Hammer Production film of the same name. As in the film and the song's amusing promotional video clip, the story is set in late 19th century London, where Dr. Jekyll, the famous character from gothic fiction created by the writer Robert Louis Stevenson, gives life to his evil alter-ego Hyde, who however in this case is a woman.


Pre-order "Dr. Jeckyll & Sister Hyde" here.
 
The 12" Limited Deluxe edition will feature a special shaped cover with transparent red smoke-effect vinyl and will contain the first of the four-part booklet with the full story behind the concept The Entity, along with two other tracks on Side B, "Ave Adonai" and "Possession", which are included on the new album as well.

TheRealConcertKing has uploaded video of OPETH's entire October 30 concert at the YouTube Theater in Inglewood, California. Check out the clips below.

OPETH's setlist was as follows:

01. §1
02. The Leper Affinity
03. The Grand Conjuration
04. Demon Of The Fall
05. Eternal Rains Will Come
06. In My Time Of Need
07. Face Of Melinda
08. Heir Apparent
09. §3
10. Ghost Of Perdition

Encore:

11. Sorceress
12. Deliverance

OPETH's North American tour kicked off on October 11 in Milwaukee, and includes stops in New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, New Orleans, Austin and more.

OPETH's new album, "The Last Will And Testament", will arrive on November 22 via Reigning Phoenix Music/Moderbolaget. Speaking to United Rock Nations about his decision to include growling vocals in the recently released first single from the LP, "§1", guitarist/vocalist Mikael Åkerfeldt said: "I wanted to try it out. I had been thinking, and we had been talking in the band that we should, maybe we could try and see what happens if we write something that's slightly heavier. And I felt I wanted to try and see if I could write music and fit that type of vocals on to new music. And I hadn't done that for many years… It's been a while. So I wrote a few parts and tried the death metal vocals, and it sounded awesome. Besides, it also provided a different voice to this character in the story. It became an asset that I haven't really had the need for, for the last four albums. But now it was an asset that actually could be beneficial for the whole concept, for the whole record. It sounded awesome too. I'm happy."

Last month, Åkerfeldt addressed the fact that OPETH fans have reacted positively to his return to growling vocals on "§1", telling "Coffee With Ola": "I don't have social media. Obviously, the record is not out yet, so I haven't read any reviews, but I'm on YouTube, believe it or not, every now and then, so I've seen some comments and videos, 'Oh, my god, OPETH is back. Mikael's back,' that type of thing. And yeah, there are some screams on there. And it's cool that they appreciate it. It's also slightly annoying."

Elaborating on why he finds it "annoying" that so much of the focus has been on the fact that he is growling on an OPETH album again, Mikael said: "I choose not to get upset. I'm an old guy. I decided I'm just gonna take in, like, 'You love it? You love that I do that stuff? Fine. I'm gonna be happy about it. But it's also, is that all we are? We've done four records in a row without that type of vocals, which people have liked, but it's been… It's so much focus on the screams, I almost feel like I wanna troll, just do a shit record, like really shit, obvious shit, with great screams and see what they think."

He continued: "But I'm really happy with the record. The screams sound really good. They fit this music and the concept of the record. So, all in all, I'm happy."

When host Ola Englund noted that there are "a lot" of growling vocals on "The Last Will And Testament", Mikael concurred. "Yeah, maybe it's 50-50, maybe more. But it was fun doing it again. I hadn't done it on an OPETH record for quite some time. 'Watershed' was the last [album] with that type of vocals. I wrote the songs. I started with the one called 'Paragraph One' ['§1']. So I tried some screams to see if it fit with the music, because I hadn't written music with the intention of having that type of vocal for a long time. So I didn't know if it was gonna work, but it sounded great to me. So I was, like, 'Okay.' Besides, it's a concept record and it gave a voice to that main character in the story. So that felt, like, 'Okay, I'm gonna try.'"

Regarding the concept for the new OPETH album, Mikael said: "People heard that first song, 'Paragraph One'. It starts with footsteps leading up to a door. A door opens and then off we go. And a patriarch, a father has died. He's a rich, conservative, stern old fucker who's passed away and the album starts when his children, his three children, arrive to attend the reading of his last will and testament, basically to see what they're, so to speak, getting. And then throughout the album, through his testament, all the lyrics are written as if they were written like a proper testament, with paragraphs, which explains the titles, or the lack of titles. And throughout the reading, he will reveal secrets about himself mostly, but many of these secrets will immediately affect his children and kind of turn their lives upside down. And then there's a twist to the story as well in the end."

"The Last Will And Testament" was written by Åkerfeldt, with lyrics conferred with Klara Rönnqvist Fors (THE HEARD, ex-CRUCIFIED BARBARA). "The Last Will And Testament" was co-produced by Åkerfeldt and Stefan Boman (GHOST, THE HELLACOPTERS),engineered by Boman, Joe Jones (KILLING JOKE, ROBERT PLANT) and OPETH, with Boman, Åkerfeldt and the rest of OPETH mixing at Atlantis and Hammerthorpe Studios in Stockholm. The strings on "The Last Will And Testament" were arranged by Åkerfeldt and returning prog friend Dave Stewart (EGG, KHAN) and conducted by Stewart at Angel Studios in London. Not one to miss a beat, visual artist Travis Smith returns to the fold, crafting his 11th cover, a haunting "photograph" reminiscent of Stanley Kubrick's infamous "Overlook Hotel" photograph. Miles Showell (ABBA, QUEEN) also revisits mastering and vinyl lacquer cutting at Abbey Road Studios in London.

Åkerfeldt rolls out the red carpet for storied flautist and JETHRO TULL mainman Ian Anderson. Not only do Anderson's signature notes fly on "§4" and "§7", he narrates on "§1", "§2", "§4", and "§7". Joining Anderson, EUROPE's Joey Tempest lends a backing vocal hand on "§2", while Åkerfeldt's youngest daughter, Mirjam Åkerfeldt, is the disembodied voice in "§1".

"The Last Will And Testament" is a concept album set in the post-World War I era, unfolding the story of a wealthy, conservative patriarch whose last will and testament reveals shocking family secrets. The narrative weaves through the patriarch's confessions, the reactions of his twin children, and the mysterious presence of a polio-ridden girl who the family have taken care of. The album begins with the reading of the father's will in his mansion. Among those in attendance is a young girl, who, despite being an orphan and polio-ridden, has been raised by the family. Her presence at the will reading raises suspicions and questions among the twins.

"The Last Will And Testament" is the darkest and heaviest record OPETH has made in decades, and it is also the band's most fearlessly progressive. A concept album recounting the reading of one recently deceased man's will to an audience of his surviving family members, it brims with haunting melodrama, shocking revelations and some of the wildest and most unpredictable music that Åkerfeldt has ever written.

The follow-up to 2019's widely acclaimed "In Cauda Venenum", "The Last Will And Testament" is set in the shadowy, sepia-stained 1920s. It slowly reveals its secrets like some classic thriller from the distant, cobwebbed past, with each successive song shining more light on the stated machinations of our dead (but definitely not harmless) protagonist. The emotional chaos of the story is perfectly matched by OPETH's vivid but claustrophobic soundtrack, which artfully winds its way towards a crestfallen but sumptuous finale. Masters of their own idiosyncratic musical domain, OPETH have never sounded more unique.

"The Last Will And Testament" is destined to be a milestone in OPETH's illustrious recorded history. The band's first out-and-out concept record, it features guest cameos from JETHRO TULL legend Ian Anderson and Joey Tempest, frontman with Swedish rock gods EUROPE. Only one of the album's eight songs has a title: closing ballad "A Story Never Told". The rest are simply labeled as numbered chapters in this slowly unfolding saga of deceit, recrimination and betrayal. Enigmatic, unsettling and immersive, "The Last Will And Testament" is a turbulent, prog metal tale like no other.

Making his recorded debut alongside OPETH's long-established lineup of Mikael Åkerfeldt, guitarist Fredrik Åkesson, bassist Martin Mendez and keyboard maestro Joakim Svalberg on "The Last Will And Testament" is new drummer Waltteri Väyrynen, who joined the band in 2022.

In a new interview with "The Bobby Bones Show", Scott Stapp was asked if he had any idea the CREED reunion would be as big as it has turned out to be. The CREED singer responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I had no expectations of it ever coming back as big as it has. I mean, the last tour was sold out. We were doing 20-plus thousand a night. It was crazy. And I was grateful. There were, moments, man, where my eyes were just watering with gratitude… Just because I know what it's like to have it, and I know what it's like to not. And so there's a much greater appreciation and respect for everything and everyone around me. It takes a village."

CREED's "Summer Of '99" tour was put on sale in November 2023, and exceeded expectations, leading to a fall leg announced in February. The "Are You Ready?" tour will feature 3 DOORS DOWN and MAMMOTH WVH, this time taking in arenas in new markets and some repeats, with many dates selling out immediately, according to Pollstar.

CREED's reunion started in April with a pair of cruises, before the North American trek kicked off on July 17 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

This past August, CREED guitarist Mark Tremonti told Michael Christopher of Vanyaland that he had "thousands" of riffs and other ideas stockpiled for the band's next album. "Literally thousands," he said. "I hoarded my ideas since I was, gosh, since I bought my first little handheld tape recorder — the little micro cassettes — saved my ideas since I was maybe in junior high school, high school."

Regarding the fact that a whole new generation of fans is discovering CREED for the first time and coming out to see the band on the current reunion tour, Mark said: "I think slowly but surely the world's come around and I think people have just kind of aged out of that mind frame with the band. A lot of people went after the personal behind-the-scenes stuff with CREED as well, instead of just listening to the music. I think people just grew up with this music now. They don't care about all that stuff. They don't care about the drama; they just appreciate the music.

"A lot of our fans, the largest base that we have now is under 30, 40 years old, which is very surprising to us," he continued. "When you sell a ticket nowadays, you find out the gender of the person buying the ticket and where they're from, and how old they are. So, when we saw those statistics, we were blown away with the age groups that were buying these tickets. When we play a live show now and Scott asks the crowd, 'How many of you are seeing your very first CREED show tonight?', it seems like almost every hand is up in the air, which blows us away."

With more than 53 million albums sold worldwide, CREED remains one of modern rock's most successful acts. Now, 30 years into their incredible journey, CREED is bigger than ever. In late 2023, the Texas Rangers made "Higher" their unofficial anthem, as it spurred them to their first World Series win. Earlier this year, the song appeared in a high-profile Paramount+ Super Bowl commercial, while a NASCAR Daytona 500 campaign also incorporated the hit single. Along the way, CREED has gained a new generation of fans, thanks to countless TikTok videos that feature their songs.

In the summer of 2023, after an 11-year hiatus, CREED announced its long-awaited reunion — returning to the stage for the first time at the sold-out Summer Of '99 cruise and Summer Of '99 And Beyond cruise. In May, meanwhile, the band's multiplatinum-selling "Greatest Hits" collection made its wide debut on vinyl (via Craft),this month landing the collection back into the Billboard Top 200, as well as hitting Top Hard Rock & Alternative Albums, Top Alternative Albums, and moving up the Top Hard Rock Albums rankings. Originally issued in 2004, the 14-track compilation spans the band's first three albums (1997's "My Own Prison", 1999's "Human Clay" and 2001's "Weathered").

During an October 24 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", DREAM THEATER's founding drummer Mike Portnoy, who rejoined the progressive metal legends in October 2023 after a 14-year absence, was asked if he and his bandmates are recording and filming any of the shows on the current 40th-anniversary European tour for a future release. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, we filmed and recorded the big O2, first night [of the tour in London], just mainly for posterity and for the archives. But we do have plans to film our show in Paris [on November 23] for a live Blu-ray and a live album.

"The thing is we're gonna be on the road till the end of next year, and the new [DREAM THEATER] album doesn't even come out till February, so this world tour is gonna kinda go through two phases," Mike explained. "The whole first phase, which would be the first six to eight months will be the 40th-anniversary reunion celebration, but at some point mid-next year, we're gonna transition into a full tour cycle supporting the upcoming album. So even with the live album we're gonna record in Paris [in November], that's probably one of two releases that we'll probably do because we're gonna wanna do a proper live release once we start playing the new album as well."

Asked what it was like to play his first show back with DREAM THEATER after 14 years, Portnoy said: "It was surreal. I've said this a lot of times already since the reunion was announced, but I have dreamt of that moment, being on stage with the guys for the first time in all these years, I dreamt about it hundreds of times through the last decade or so to, so to actually have gone through those emotions and to be up there and to have the Kabuki drop and there's 10,000 of the biggest DREAM THEATER fans all gathered in one place to celebrate not only the band's 40th anniversary, but to celebrate the reunion of this lineup, it was so emotional. I mean, people crying — everywhere I looked, there was people crying, people singing and celebrating. It was just surreal, it was emotional, it was glorious. And I was scared shitless, to be honest. I never get scared before shows, but it was nerve-racking, to be honest… I mean, because there was such such focus on this first show. And we knew there were people coming from all over the world to be a part of the opening night and to have that first experience. And there's nothing better than seeing the first show on the tour, too, and you don't know the setlist. So there's been no spoilers, and from song to song, you're just wondering what's gonna be next. But it was really incredible. Like I said, the most hardcore fans from all around the world wanted to be part of this first one to experience it. And the O2 is massive. I mean, that's where [LED] ZEPPELIN did their reunion show, and that's where GENESIS did their last show. It's London's Madison Square Garden, for all intents and purposes. And it was really one of the greatest nights of my life. I think it was not only a career highlight for DREAM THEATER, but it was a life highlight for all of us as well."

Portnoy co-founded DREAM THEATER in 1985 with guitarist John Petrucci and bassist John Myung. Mike played on 10 DREAM THEATER albums over a 20-year period, from 1989's "When Dream And Day Unite" through 2009's "Black Clouds & Silver Linings", before exiting the group in 2010. Portnoy returned to DREAM THEATER in October 2023 after being replaced by Mike Mangini, who played with DREAM THEATER across five studio albums and accompanying world tours.

London marked the kick-off concert of DREAM THEATER's 2024-2025 40th-anniversary tour. The European leg of the trek — presented as "An Evening With Dream Theater" — will run through November 24 in Amsterdam, hitting cities in numerous countries along the way.

DREAM THEATER will release its sixteenth studio album, "Parasomnia", on February 7, 2025 via InsideOut Music. The LP marks the band's first release with Portnoy since 2009's "Black Clouds & Silver Linings".

"Parasomnia" was produced by guitarist John Petrucci, engineered by James "Jimmy T" Meslin, and mixed by Andy Sneap. Hugh Syme returns once again to lend his creative vision to the cover art.

The first single, "Night Terror", is a musical thrill ride captured in the just shy of ten minutes listening experience. A music video for the song — directed by Mike Leonard — is now available.

FEAR FACTORY has recruited LIONS AT THE GATE's Stephen Brewer to play bass on the veteran Los Angeles-based act's upcoming shows in Australia and Japan.

Brewer, who also previously played guitar for WESTFIELD MASSACRE, will fill in for FEAR FACTORY's longtime bassist Tony Campos, who is currently on the road with STATIC-X.

Earlier today, Brewer posted the following statement on his social media: "I'm excited to announce I'll be playing Bass with my friends @fearfactory next month in Australia and Japan, filling in for the legendary Tony Campos.

"Thank you Dino, Pete and Milo for having me on board, let's go!"

Brewer will play bass for FEAR FACTORY for the following shows:

Nov. 09 - Adelaide, Australia @ Froth & Fury
Nov. 12 - Tokyo, Japan @ Akabane Reny Alpha

In a recent interview with Germany's MoreCore.TV, FEAR FACTORY guitarist Dino Cazares was asked what the response has been to the live performances so far with the band's new lead singer, Milo Silvestro. He said: "Well, the funny thing is we missed [what was supposed to be] our first show [with Milo in February 2023]. Because in California we got some really bad snow weather, so we got stuck in the snow. So we missed our first show. And it was really unfortunate because a lot of people from other parts of the world flew in to see him at his first show — people from Holland, people from Germany. So they were very upset. But luckily, we went back and made it up. But we missed our first show. But the reaction has been 100 percent positive ever since."

Milo concurred, saying: "We were all very thankful to the fans that they accepted this new era, because you don't take such thing for granted, because you're replacing a member, a singer in a such iconic band. It's always almost like a Russian roulette. Dino was, like, when we were doing the audition, 'Get ready for some backlash,' and stuff like that. Fortunately, the majority of the fans were, and still are, super happy about it. And I'm so thankful to them."

Added Dino: "I think people are happy just in general for us to be back. And because of Milo, to get these opportunities, and, of course, the legendary status of FEAR FACTORY that we're able to come back and do these well-established, legendary festivals."

Asked about what fans can expect from FEAR FACTORY in the future, Dino said: "Classic FEAR FACTORY record. Next year. For sure. We've been touring since February of 2023. We've been touring non-stop. And I think we're very lucky that a lot of the promoters and a lot of fans are happy to have us back, and we're excited to get out there and play for them."

At this past summer's Download festival in the United Kingdom, Cazares told Primordial Radio about how things are going with the band's current lineup, also featuring Silvestro, Campos and Pete Webber on drums: " At the moment, smooth sailing. And it's been great. Everybody's on point. Pete Webber's on drums. He's sick. He came from a thrash metal band called HAVOK. Killer drummer. We call him Pete The Feet. Milo Silvestro — new kid on the block. He came straight from Rome, Italy. He sounds like a young Burton [C. Bell, original FEAR FACTORY singer], you know what I mean? [He sounds like Burton did] back in the day. He sounds amazing. He's probably the most musically talented in the band. And then Tony Campos, my old friend. He's been with the band since, like, 2015. He comes from a band called STATIC-X. He's been my mate for 30-plus years, and it's always good to play with him, and I'm glad he's with us."

Dino continued: "It's a great place right now. We are trying to avoid any of that drama. And luckily we have for the past year and a half since we came back."

Silvestro's addition to FEAR FACTORY was officially announced in February 2023.

In a recent interview with Brutal Planet Magazine, Dino was asked whether Milo is a "good lyricist". Cazares responded: "Oh, yeah. He's got some other little projects that he works on and the lyrics are really good. So we're not gonna have any issues with that. That was one of the main things that a lot of people have been complaining — not complaining, but the Internet type of bitching. It was, like, 'Okay. Yeah, he could sing great live. He could do all the songs great live. But what's it gonna be like when he does the record? How's his lyrics gonna be? How's this gonna be?' Relax. It's all gonna be good. Don't worry."

In the fall of 2023, Dino told Nyva Zarbano that Milo "brings obviously a freshness that FEAR FACTORY needed. The last singer that we had [Burton C. Bell], obviously he had a lot of vocal issues and he really couldn't sing or do any of this kind of heavy touring," he explained. "It just was a big setback for us. So bringing Milo into the band, obviously he's got a great voice, he's very talented, he's a multi-instrumentalist. He could play more than one instrument. The kid's very talented. Of course, the story is I found him on the Internet. He was releasing videos of him doing FEAR FACTORY covers and he was posting them on all the FEAR FACTORY fan sites. And I saw him there, and I was, like, 'Okay, that's really got my attention.' But we had many people audition, but he was the one that really stood out. And he's a huge fan of FEAR FACTORY. And he pretty much learned from listening to our older vocalist. So he learned a lot of his stuff. And so, I mean, if you close your eyes, you think it's the original singer."

In a separate interview with Australia's "Everblack" podcast, Cazares was asked if Silvestro was "getting more comfortable" with his position as the frontman of the long-running California metal act. Dino responded: "Oh, yeah. I mean, from the first day, we talked about a lot of stuff. Before the tour started, we rehearsed, and we were, like, 'Okay, these are the kind of things that we've done before. And I think you need to do this, this, this.' And he goes, 'Okay.' So then the first day [of the tour] comes, he just goes wild. And I'm, like, 'Oh, shit.' I was, like, 'Calm down.' I go, 'You don't need to go insane everywhere. Just focus on singing, focus on getting everything, giving the crowd all equal attention,' blah, blah. There's certain things you just gotta teach him a little bit, right? And so he pretty much nailed it the first day."

FEAR FACTORY played its first headlining concert with Silvestro and touring drummer Pete Webber on May 5, 2023 at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California.

Earlier last year, FEAR FACTORY completed the "Rise Of The Machine" U.S. tour as the support act for STATIC-X marked the Cazares-led outfit's first run of shows with Silvestro and Webber.

Webber had been filling in for FEAR FACTORY's longtime drummer Mike Heller who was unable to play with the band due to "scheduling conflicts."

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Guitarist Phil Sgrosso has announced his departure from AS I LAY DYING. His exit comes just six days after drummer Nick Pierce and guitarist Ken Susi left the group, and 12 days after bassist/vocalist Ryan Neff said he was also leaving the band.

Earlier today (Wednesday, October 30),Sgrosso released the following statement via social media: "Hey everyone,

"Thank you for your patience as I took time to gather my thoughts before speaking on the current state of AS I LAY DYING.

"With recent events, including the departure of band members and the cancellation of our European tour ahead of a new album release, it's clear we’re in a difficult and serious situation. Simply put, recent actions have shown that AS I LAY DYING no longer offers a healthy or safe environment for anyone involved — whether creatively, personally, or professionally. After witnessing some concerning patterns of behavior, I've realized that I can no longer, in good conscience, enable further actions that could negatively affect anyone working within this space. For these reasons, I feel it's in my best interest to completely distance myself, both creatively and personally, from AS I LAY DYING.

"I also want to share my full support for Ryan, Ken, and Nick, who made the choice to step away recently. I'm grateful for our accomplishments and friendship over the past 3 years.

"With 21 years that I have dedicated to this band, it does not sit well with me to leave or abandon what I've considered to be my 'life's work.' I don't feel that I, or others, should be forced out like so many have in the past.

"After all that's been put into this, I believe that with the right adjustments and restructuring, our music can continue to thrive and explore new possibilities in a healthier environment.

"Over time, AS I LAY DYING has been held back by dysfunction, and I feel that it's no longer my responsibility to bear that burden.

"Thank you to everyone who has shown support for me and the music of AS I LAY DYING. I[m looking forward to putting my energy and creativity into new, more positive ventures in the near future."

On October 24, Pierce released the following statement via social media: "As of now, I am no longer playing drums for AS I LAY DYING. This is far from being the ending I anticipated, and I feel I need to distance myself from the band in an effort to retain my personal health and integrity.

"I want to express my deepest gratitude to everyone who followed and supported me throughout this journey. My goal has and always will be to create unforgettable memories with my friends and write music that will truly resonate with our fans. I'm proud of what I've accomplished on the road touring, as well as writing and recording drums for the new album.

"Looking ahead, I'm excited to continue my drumming career and pursue what I love most which is making music. My touring and session schedule is now actively open for new opportunities."

When Susi announced his exit from AS I LAY DYING, he wrote in a statement: "My time playing with AS I LAY DYING has come to an end today. I leave with so much gratitude for everyone who followed and supported me from my days in UNEARTH to this era of my career.

"I jumped into the AILD camp with full knowledge of the heightened dramatic history but had a drive to just play great music with great friends. Unfortunately, my personal morals have recently been tested to a breaking point, and it's now the saddest ending to what could have been the greatest second chance for this band.

"Ryan Neff is receiving a lot of backlash for stepping down first, and I regret not sharing this decision sooner and standing confidently with my friend — he's a flawless musician and an even better person.

"I'll miss you all on this stage, and I look forward to seeing you on the next one. Anyone looking for a guitar player? My resume is ready."

Neff announced his exit from AS I LAY DYING on October 18, writing in a statement: "This choice comes after much reflection, and I believe it is the right step for my personal and professional journey.

"I am grateful for the experiences and connections I've made during my time with the band.

"Thank you to all the fans for your support."

AS I LAY DYING's European tour, "Through Storms Ahead", which was scheduled to kick off on November 15 in Würzburg, Germany, has now been canceled. TuskaLive and Grey Beard, the promoters of the Helsinki, Finland concert on the trek, which was supposed to take place on November 21 at Kulttuuritalo, wrote in a social media post that "the tour will not be rescheduled."

AS I LAY DYING's eighth full-length studio album, "Through Storms Ahead", will be released on November 15 via Napalm Records. The LP features the tracks "Burden", "The Cave We Fear To Enter", as well as the recently revealed "We Are The Dead" featuring guest vocalists Alex Terrible (SLAUGHTER TO PREVAIL) and Tom Barber (CHELSEA GRIN, DARKO).

"Through Storms Ahead" was produced by guitarist Phil Sgrosso and Hiram Hernandez, mixed by Aaron Chaparian, mastered Ted Jensen and album art once again created by Corey Meyers.

In June 2022, drummer Jordan Mancino announced that he would sit out AS I LAY DYING's tour due to "a number of ongoing internal issues" that "have not yet been resolved."

Mancino's announcement came less than a month after bassist/vocalist Josh Gilbert revealed that he was leaving the band. In a statement, the remaining members of AS I LAY DYING said that Gilbert "decided to exit" the group "to pursue other musical opportunities."

Josh was the second AS I LAY DYING member to leave the band in less than a year. In August 2021, guitarist Nick Hipa confirmed his exit from AS I LAY DYING, explaining that he could no longer justify being part of "a superficial pursuit" of the "story and meaning" that the band's 2018 reunion was built upon.

AS I LAY DYING singer Tim Lambesis was famously convicted in 2014 for his role in a murder-for-hire plot against his estranged wife.

In May 2014, Lambesis was sentenced to six years in jail after pleading guilty to paying a San Diego police officer posing as a hitman $1,000 to kill his wife. Approximately two and a half years later — on December 17, 2016 — he was discharged from a California detention facility and was transferred to the Division of Adult Parole Operations.

In June 2018, AS I LAY DYING played its first show with Lambesis in five years and released a new single. Lambesis also owned up to his crimes in a long apology on the band's Facebook page after his release.

The return of AS I LAY DYING raised some questions, particularly since Hipa categorically denounced the band's disgraced frontman as a "sociopathic narcissist in definite need of rehabilitation" in a social-media post back in 2014.

In September 2021, AS I LAY DYING released a new song called "Roots Below" which was originally a B-side leftover from when the sessions for "Shaped By Fire".

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During an October 29 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", GUNS N' ROSES bassist Duff McKagan confirmed that he and his bandmates have been working on fresh material. "There's definitely a desire and a plan for new music," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "Yeah, for sure."

Addressing the fact that GUNS N' ROSES hasn't performed live since completing a North American tour in November 2023 at the Hell & Heaven Metal Fest in Mexico, Duff said: "You can go on a tour and you can have peaks and valleys on the tour. And we never do. It's always, like, every gig is super special. Even when we extended our tour — after touring for so much, extending it for another four weeks, that can destroy a band. I've seen it happen. That's too long. You went too long. And everybody's starting to snap at each other and the crew and all that stuff. But it doesn't happen with our band or our crew. So we ended on this really highlight, which was Mexico City, this huge gig we did. And we played two nights at the Hollywood Bowl right before that. It was really special. We had THE BLACK KEYS opening at the Hollywood Bowl — a really cool, different sort of show. So I think we ended and were, like, 'Oh, man. Let's not end. Let's get back to this soon.' But I think for me, I know I had to rest — I had to rest my body. A lot of hours on stage. A lot of traveling. And I've gotta listen to my body these days. I've gotta listen. So I had to rest. I think we all need to rest. [GUNS N' ROSES guitarist] Slash, he'll go out and tour, like, four weeks later [with one of his projects] and do it all over again. I'm, like, 'Okay, dude. More power to you. I'm gonna go to Hawaii. I'm going to Hawaii, man.'"

GUNS N' ROSES released a four-song EP, "Hard Skool", in February 2022. The effort, which was exclusive to the GUNS N' ROSES' official store, contained the two new songs the band released in 2021 — the title track and "Absurd" — as well as live versions of "Don't Cry" and "You're Crazy".

The legendary hard rock outfit has not released a full-length effort since 2008's "Chinese Democracy", which included only singer Axl Rose from the band's classic lineup. McKagan and guitarist Slash reunited with Axl in 2016 and have since released several standalone singles — "Absurd" (stylized as "ABSUЯD"),"Hard Skool", "Perhaps" and "The General" — but have not made any announcements about another LP.

This past June, Duff was asked during an appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" if he thinks GUNS N' ROSES will ever release more "newly written music" again as opposed to continuing to rework and put out previously composed songs. The GN'R bassist responded: "Absolutely. Yeah, absolutely. There's new material. I don't know how we're gona put it out. I think that's a question too. Like, do you put out a record? Do you just keep putting out singles? I don't know what the right answer is there in this day and age."

If and when it happens, the new GUNS N' ROSES studio album will be the first under the GUNS banner since "Chinese Democracy" and the first to feature Slash, Rose and bassist Duff McKagan since 1993.

Written by Rose and co-produced by Rose and Caram Costanzo, "Hard Skool", which had the working title "Jackie Chan", was originally recorded during GN'R's "Chinese Democracy" era but was eventually omitted from that album. Short clips of the song were later posted online and a full version was leaked in August 2019.

"Absurd" came out on August 6, 2021, three days after GUNS N' ROSES performed the tune live for the first time during its concert at Boston's Fenway Park.

GUNS N' ROSES last performed "Silkworms", which was also reportedly written during the "Chinese Democracy" sessions, in 2001.

"The General" was the B-side of GUNS N' ROSES' limited-edition seven-inch vinyl single titled "Perhaps", which was made available for pre-order in August 2023.

Like "Perhaps", "Hard Skool" and "Absurd", "The General" was written during the sessions for the "Chinese Democracy" album. It was previously talked about by ex-GN'R drummer Bryan "Brain" Mantia, who reportedly wrote some of the song's music and gave it its title, and former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach.

Epic metal pioneers, Warlord, have released a new single, “The Rainbow” via High Roller Records. 


Vocalist Giles Lavery on the video release:


"For each of the 4 great festivals we have performed in 2024, we wanted to offer something unique. Four new Warlord recordings were offered as free downloads, with the links hosted on the festivals respective websites/social media.




“Warlord's return to Greece at the Golden R Festival was a significant event. Greece has always been very important to Warlord and this was an amazing night for the band and the audience!


“Therefore we offered ‘The Rainbow’ as a download, a very early Warlord Demo from the early days that we have newly re-recorded, due to many fans asking us to not overlook this ‘lost�

Swedish doom and hard rock collective, Avatarium, has finally revealed the first details about their forthcoming studio album, entitled Between You, God, The Devil And The Dead. Slated for release on January 24, 2025 via AFM Records, the band's sixth full-length offering will be available as ltd. LP Vinyl (Black, Orange/White, Silver), 2-CD Ear Book, CD Jewelcase and Digital formats. The physical album pre-sale is available at this location.


New single / video for "I See You Better In The Dark" is streaming below.


More than ten years ago with founding Avatarium, Candlemass icon Leif Edling made the doom metal world a darker and ultimately more interesting place. Over the next years, they released two EPs, four critically acclaimed full-length records, and a live DVD, 'An Evening With Avatarium – Live in Stockholm'. Edling eventually left Avatarium's ranks due to health issues, but the band forged onward, and 2022 found them capping off a prolific decade with their latest album and AFM Records debut, 'Death, Where Is Your Sting'. 




Following the much-acclaimed record release, lauded by fans and music press worldwide and numerous live appearances at prestigious festivals or on tour with acts such as Swallow The Sun, early 2025 will see the Swedish doom maestros even double down on all expections! Their forthcoming studio offering, Between You, God, The Devil And The Dead, featuring eight new enthralling tracks, showcases the band's exceptional songwriting skills and qualities. Avatarium have evolved since their 2013 self-titled debut, and although they have always introduced new elements along the way, with their epic fusion of a doom-ladden occult sound and dark, heavy yet melancholic, poetic facets, the Swedish collective fronted by extraordinary vocalist Jennie-Ann Smith proves, why they belong to one of the most unique acts the modern heavy music scene has to offer!


"Eighteen months ago we decided to make another album and now it's (finally) written, recorded and mixed!“ Jidell says. "At one point I thought we would never be able to finish it but here we are now! This album has the doom, the old school heavy metal riffs, the acoustic numbers and the classic dark gospel of Avatarium. I am very proud of what we have achieved and if this is our last album, we'll definitely end with a bang!"


Between You, God, The Devil And The Dead was produced and mixed by Marcus Jidell, with a mastering by Svante Forsbäck (Candlemass, Amorphis and many more). The album artwork was created by Erik Rovanpera.  





Tracklist:


"Long Black Waves"
"I See You Better In The Dark"
"My Hair Is On Fire (But I'll Take Your Hand)"
"Lovers Give A Kingdom To Each Other"
"Being With The Dead"
"Until Forever And Again"
"Notes From Underground"

Extreme metal legends, Cradle Of Filth, performed at the 2024 edition of Germany's famed Wacken Open Air festival. The fest has shared professionally filmed footage of the band performing "Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids, "Dusk And Her Embrace", and "Nymphetamine Fix". Watch the clip below, and watch the full show at Magenta Musik.





Cradle Of Filth recently previewed their "By Order Of The Dragon" UK/European tour in the most grandiose macabre style - with a brand-new, entrancing single.




“Malignant Perfection” arrived just in time for the Halloween season, haunting with eerie keys, vampiric atmosphere, intricate riffs and revered frontman Dani Filth’s iconic soaring vocals. The track is accompanied by a deliciously dark new official music video, which promises to be only the first of several upcoming visual delights brought to you by Cradle Of Filth as they creep closer to the release of their 14th full-length album and Napalm Records studio debut.





Dani Filth divulges about the track and video: "Our new single and video, 'Malignant Perfection’, is our horrific homage to All Hallows Eve, as embodied by the female deification of evil. It is a perfect musical accompaniment to the spirit of the witching season; invoking dark, Autumnal splendour and celebrating the time when the thin line between life and death is at its most tenuous and the denizens of the otherworld seek to break the veil into ours.


The video, directed by the imitable Vicente Cordero and featuring the creative masterstrokes of one Missy Munster, is a playground of seductive darkness rife with malicious monsters and cryptid creations, all vying voraciously for the viewer’s eternal soul.


This comes at a perfect juncture for the Halloween period and our ‘By Order Of The Dragon’ UK/European Autumn tour. It also arrives on the back of a sensational collaboration with massive fashion label Vetement and also Blackcraft Clothing, and in the fiery wake of a successful sold-out Australian tour."


Stream/download “Malignant Perfection” here, and watch the official music video below:





Cradle Of Filth “By Order Of The Dragon” UK tour dates:


November
1 - Swansea, Wales - Patti Pavilion
2 - Manchester, UK - Damnation Festival
3 - Nottingham, UK - Rock City
5 - Belfast, Ireland - Limelight
6 - Dublin, Ireland - Academy
7 - Glasgow, UK - SWG3
8 - Newcastle, UK - NX


Cradle Of Filth “By Order Of The Dragon” EU tour dates:


November
11 - Cologne, Germany - Kantine
13 - Hamburg, Germany - 02 Markthalle
14 - Aarhus, Denmark - Voxhall
15 - Stockholm, Sweden - Fryshuset Klubbe
16 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Brewhouse
18 - Prague, Czech Republic - Lucerna Music Bar
19 - Ljubljana, Slovenia - Kino Siska
20 - Milan, Italy - Live Club
22 - Barcelona, Spain - Salamandra
23 - Madrid, Spain - BUT
24 - Lisbon, Portugal - LAV Lisboa ao vivo
26 - Bilbao, Spain - Santana 27
28 - Lyon, France - La Rayonne
29 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z7
30 - Vaureal, France - Le Forum


December
2 - Luxembourg, Luxembourg - Rockhal
3 - Karlsruhe, Germany - Substage
4 - Berlin, Germany - SO36
5 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Melkweg
7 - Leige, Belgium - OM
8 - Tilburg, Netherlands - 013


Positioned firmly at the top of the extreme metal genre, Cradle Of Filth reign supreme as one of the most revered, formative and notorious names in the scene, and are responsible for breaking ground for many of today’s top metal artists with their trademark mixture of grim blackened heaviness, macabre theatricality and scintillating gothic style. The rule of Filth began in 1991, followed by the unleashing of 1994’s The Principle Of Evil Made Flesh – humble beginnings that expanded into cinematic classics like Cruelty And The Beast and Midian.
 
The band’s unyielding international touring schedule has garnered them a massive following both in the cult underground and at the top of the mainstream, defying trends while staying true to their roots. More recent offerings such as 2015’s Hammer Of The Witches and 2017’s Cryptoriana - The Seductiveness Of Decay continued to bolster the unremitting legacy of Filth, until the band, along with the rest of the universe, was abruptly halted by the global pandemic in 2020. But, as is evident by the staggering response from their devoted legion of followers, that time was put to good use, spurring the emergence of the band’s latest, breathtakingly h

Swedish gothic metal maestros, Tribulation, have released their sixth studio album, Sub Rosa In Æternum, via Century Media Records. The nine new tracks take the audience on a suspenseful journey of goth rock, and it is part psychological horror of Italian cinema, part gaunt British goth, and part Art Deco opulence.


In celebration, the band is now sharing the artistic music video for the single "Poison Pages", which can viewed below.


Guitarist Adam Zaars comments on the album release, "It's finally getting released! This album is really special to us and we're all very proud of what we managed to create, with invaluable help from both Tom Dalgety and Ola Ersfjord. Artistically, we've always been on the move, sometimes in a big way and sometimes to a lesser extent, but we knew we had to do something different with this album. We didn't know what, but luckily the album gradually revealed itself to us. We hope you'll enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed making it!"




Order the new album here.





Tracklisting:


"The Unrelenting Choir"
"Tainted Skies"
"Saturn Coming Down"
"Hungry Waters"
"Drink The Love Of God"
"Murder In Red"
"Time & The Vivid Ore"
"Reaping Song"
"Poison Pages"
"I takt med otiden" (Bonus track on Ltd. CD Mediabook + Ltd. Deluxe LPs only)


"Poison Pages" video:





"Murder In Red" video:





"Hungry Waters" video:

Havok have released their new EP New Eyes. Get it here.


The four-track EP features two originals and two covers that will delight fans and keep them on their toes — including the band's take on Metallica's "Eye Of The Beholder" and Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Commotion." 







The band has just shared the video for the original track "Death Is An Illusion."


"Death Is An Illusion" is a high-intensity, fast-paced thrash metal/D-Beat hardcore song about the first law of thermodynamics, the fact that energy cannot be created or destroyed," says the band. "The lyrics are written in a way to offer comfort and joy to the fact that all things are eternal and perpetual, including our loved ones; as their energy lives forever scientifically, and through our memories and their impact on the world they 'left behind.' "


Singer David Sanchez states, "New Eyes is an exciting step forward as it's Havok's first independent release since the early days of the band. 'Death Is An Illusion' introduces the band's first release since 2020 with ferocious speed and aggression that Havok has become known for. The EP's intro appeals to fans of metal and punk alike with its D-Beat rhythms and gang vocal choruses. The title track, 'New Eyes.' is a dynamic harmony-driven song about one's perspective changing over time and reflection. These new songs were fun to write and I think people may be surprised by the ambiguous and metaphysical nature of the lyrics."


Regarding the covers, Sanchez states, "We decided to cover a classic band that nobody would expect us to... Credence Clearwater Revival. We're all CCR fans and their song, 'Commotion,' was a perfect candidate for a proper 'metalizing,' since most of the metal was already built-in. We made it a little faster, turned up the distortion, and tweaked some riffs here and there to bend into the Havok style."


Furthermore, he says, "We had discussed covering a Metallica song for years, but didn't want to cover a big hit that had been covered to death, so we opted for the lesser-known 'Eye Of The Beholder.' We chose to cover this song because it's so damned heavy and the lyrics reflect Havok's lyrical themes throughout the last decade. We stayed true to the original where it counts, but made sure to spice up the bass guitar and drums to breathe new life into the track.


He finishes, "All in all, releasing the New Eyes EP will be a major turning point in our musical journey and we hope that we'll reach new fans and resonate with people who have been supporting Havok over the years. We're stoked to play these new songs live and give fans the chance to scream the lyrics with us!"





Speaking of playing the new songs in the live realm, Havok will also hit the road supporting Exodus in November and December. All dates are below, including a handful of headline dates.





Tour dates:


November
1 – Jacksonville, FL – Kona State Park (headline date)
2 - Tampa, FL - The Orpheum
4 - Orlando, FL - House of Blues
5 - Pensacola, FL - Vinyl Music Ha

Former SKID ROW frontman Sebastian Bach has released a new video — his fifth from his current album "Child Within The Man" — for "Future Of Youth" with special guest performer, singer, songwriter and guitarist Orianthi. Watch the video for the musically explosive and lyrically unflinching single below.

"I am so excited to share this song and video with the world!" says the singer, songwriter, author, Broadway star, and actor. "This collaboration with my friend Orianthi began many years ago. The song 'Future of Youth' has always been very listenable to my ears due to the musicians involved and also the unbeatable combination of Elvis Baskette and Robert Ludwig. The chorus is something I could hear on the radio."

In tribute to the song's title, "Future Of Youth" features the Las Vegas Academy Of The Arts Choir from Bach's recently adopted hometown of Las Vegas.

"To have the Las Vegas Academy Of The Arts Choir perform and sing in the video makes my heart pound with emotion," Bach says, "because I fell in love with singing in my own church choir many, many years ago. It has always been a dream of mine to have an actual choir in one of my rock videos — to have one of the top choirs in the country rock out in 'Future Of Youth' is exactly what the message of the song is about. The future of youth belongs to the youth and no one else!”

Bach adds: "Thank you so much to Orianthi for the amazing guitars and riffs and to the Las Vegas Academy Of The Arts vocal director Matthew Ostlie — I can't thank you enough for all of your incredible performances! Thank you so much to my record label Reigning Phoenix Music for making this happen!"

"Child Within The Man" was recorded in Orlando, Florida; produced and mixed by Baskette; engineered by Jef Moll, assistant engineered by Josh Saldate; and mastered by Robert Ludwig of Gateway Mastering. Bach wrote or co-wrote all the album's 11 tracks and sang all lead and backing vocals. "Child Within The Man" features guest appearances from John 5, Steve Stevens and Orianthi — who all co-wrote their respective tracks with Bach — and two tracks co-written with Myles Kennedy ("What Do I Got to Lose?" and "To Live Again"); Devin Bronson on guitars, Todd Kerns (bass) and Jeremy Coulson (drums) round out the players on the album.

"Future Of Youth" is the latest release from his "Child Within The Man" album which has yielded four singles/videos, all of which have impacted the rock charts: "Freedom", "What Do I Got To Lose?", "Everybody Bleeds" and "(Hold On) To The Dream", along with the "(Hold On) To The Dream" alternate video. The new video is another collaboration between Bach and Jim Louvau and Tony Aguilera.

"This video is our fifth in a row with my friends Jim and Tony. Once again, they have blown my mind with their artistic vision," Bach notes.

Following a successful cross-country tour around the release of the album, Sebastian kicked off another leg of fall shows earlier this month. The dates include two shows at Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, plus 16 dates in his native Canada.

Florida death metal veterans MORBID ANGEL have pulled out of the previously announced seventh annual "Devastation On The Nation" U.S. tour presented by "Vox&Hops" metal podcast. They will be replaced on the bill by I AM MORBID, the band featuring former MORBID ANGEL members David Vincent (bass, vocals) and Pedro "Pete" Sandoval (drums),along with guitarists Richie Brown (EXMORTUS, THE ABSENCE, TRIVIUM) and Bill Hudson (NORTHTALE, DORO). Support on the trek will come from New York death metal legends SUFFOCATION along with UADA, MORTIFERUM, FULCI and KNOLL.

Earlier today (Friday, November 1),the "Devastation On The Nation" tour organizers released the following statement: "The highly anticipated Devastation On The Nation Tour presented by @voxandhops kicks off in less than three weeks, and we've got an important update to share!

"Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, MORBID ANGEL will no longer be joining us on this tour. Stepping up to take the headlining spot is none other than @iammorbidband! Fronted by David Vincent, the original MORBID ANGEL vocalist and bassist, the band includes MORBID ANGEL's original and legendary drummer Pete Sandoval, and guitarists Bill Hudson (DORO, NORTHTALE) and Richie Brown (TERRORIZER, ex-TRIVIUM).

"Get ready to be blown away as I AM MORBID delivers an unforgettable set, performing classic tracks from the Vincent & Sandoval era, including fan favorites from 'Altars Of Madness', 'Blessed Are The Sick', 'Covenant' and 'Domination'.

"Don't miss out on this epic tour—tickets are selling fast for all 25 shows, so grab yours now and prepare for a night of relentless metal madness!"

Vincent said: "A U.S. tour for I AM MORBID is long overdue. We are looking forward to bringing the old-school MORBID legacy to our friends across the nation!"

In October 2022, I AM MORBID parted ways with guitarist Kelly McLauchlin (POSSESSED, DIABOLIC, UNHOLY GHOST) and replaced him with Brown.

Brown made his live debut with I AM MORBID at the Grita Fest in Colombia.

I AM MORBID's spring 2022 European tour marked the first time Sandoval and Vincent played together in 12 years.

Sandoval, who now lives his life as a born-again Christian, was forced to leave MORBID ANGEL in 2010 after undergoing surgery for a prolapsed disc.

Vincent told Invisible Oranges in a December 2013 interview that Pete had "found Jesus," which meant that Sandoval and MORBID ANGEL were no longer "compatible."

Prior to joining I AM MORBID, Sandoval had spent a few years recording and touring with TERRORIZER, whose latest studio album, "Caustic Attack", was released in October 2018 via The End Records.

Vincent left MORBID ANGEL in 2015. He has since been replaced by a returning Steve Tucker, who previously handled bass and vocals on MORBID ANGEL's "Formulas Fatal To The Flesh", "Gateways To Annihilation" and "Heretic" LPs.

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To mark the release of the remixed, remastered and extended Queen 1 boxset, Brian May and Roger Taylor recall the rocky road that led to the recording of their eponymous debut album. Episode 2 is now available below.


A message states: "Continuing our celebration of the release of the Queen 1 Box set, Brian May and Roger Taylor share their memories of recording those first tracks. Now signed to Trident, Queen can follow in the footsteps of some of their idols into the famous studios, and finally start work on their first album.  However, it's not quite the experience they imagined it to be."


In the opening episode, we hear how an opportunity to be a test band for a brand new studio provides the all important breakthrough they had been desperately searching for.




Watch two segments below:


Episode 1:





Episode 2:





To celebrate the release of the Queen 1 boxset, the promo video made for Queen’s first ever single release, "Keep Yourself Alive", has been re-edited and restored. Now complete with the stunning new 2024 mix of the song, this video has been created by returning to the original rushes and producing an entirely new edit. The footage has then been painstakingly restored so it can be shared with fans in all its glory.





The 6CD + 1 LP Queen I box set (out now) contains 63 tracks with 43 brand new mixes, comprising the original album with its intended running order restored, intimate fly-on-the-wall audio of Queen in the studio, demos, rare live tracks, and previously unheard recordings from Queen’s first ever live performance in London, August 1970. Absent from the 1973 release, the song “Mad the Swine” has been reinstated to its original place in the running order. A 108-page book containing handwritten lyrics and memorabilia accompanies the release.





“This is not just a remaster,” writes Brian May in the CD sleeve insert notes, “this is a brand new 2024 rebuild of the entire Queen debut album, which, with the benefit of hindsight, we have re-titled QUEEN I.”


May continues, “All the performances are exactly as they originally appeared in 1973, but every instrument has been revisited to produce the ‘live’ ambient sounds we would have liked to use originally. The result is “Queen“ as it w

Breakfast For Champions - the punk rock duo side project of Magnus Olsfelt (ex-The Crown) and Snowy Shaw (solo artist, ex- King Diamond, Therion, Mercyful Fate, Notre Dame, Dream Evil, Sabaton, Memento Mori, Dimmu Borgir) released their first single and video in late 2023, the second one a few months later and now at last comes their mini-album, with the tongue-in-cheek title, Bubblegum Punk-Rock For People Who've Grown Out Of Death Metal. Vol III.


A vehicle where the two get to express a little different style of music than what they're normally known for, and an opportunity to make good use of influences from more old school garage rock and punk genres.







Out soon on Spotify and all other streaming platforms under the Snowy Shaw profile. Subscribe and follow here so you won't miss out.


Check out the video for the first single, "Street Jeans", below. Stream the second single, "The Dirty Deeds Of A Wrathchild Named Boom!",

The life of one of Swindon’s most famous residents will be celebrated heavy metal style at the Wings Of Angels Festival on Saturday, November 23.


Steve Grimmett, producer, songwriter and lead singer of the internationally renowned metal band Grim Reaper, will be remembered at the one-day Wings Of Angels Festival, named after the lead track from the band’s 2018 album Walking In The Shadows.


Grim Reaper were at the forefront of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal scene which took the world by storm in the 1980s.




Steve Grimmett, who sold over a million albums, is considered one of the greatest heavy metal singers of all time. He gained notoriety throughout the world, with a large following in Europe as well as across the Atlantic in the US, South America, and also in Japan. His career included numerous highly acclaimed studio albums, single releases and MTV airplay.


Steve passed away in August 2022. To meet the demand from the singer's global fanbase, his wife Millie is organizing the festival to celebrate his life with a musical send-off.





The Festival will include guest singers performing songs from Steve's back catalogue, and bands from around the world with a connection to Steve and his music. Former W.A.S.P. guitarist Chris Holmes is headlining the event. Original members of Grim Reaper, guitarist Nick Bowcott, bassist Dave Wanklin and drummer Mark Simon, reunite for the first time in over 30 years to perform with singer Harry Conklin of Jag Panzer fame.


Other former members of Steve Grimmett's Grim Reaper to join the festivities include Chaz Grimaldi, Paul White, Mart Trail, Mark Walker, Julian Hill, and Ian Nash. Plus there will be special appearances by Richie Yeates, Sy Davies, Kim Jennett, Mike Jurgens and Franc Potvin.


Millie Grimmett said, “Steve’s life was heavy metal. He got so much pleasure out of performing onstage, meeting fans and recording music. It’s only right that the Wings Of Angels Festival pays tribute to that through a packed line-up of metal acts from near and far. We’re looking forward to a sold-out Festival, amazing music and a fitting celebration of Steve’s life.”


In addition to Steve’s back catalogue of music dating from 1979-2022, his legacy also includes influence on popular culture in the 1990s, with Grim Reaper songs "See You in Hell" (1983), "Fear No Evil" (1985) and "Rock You To Hell" (1987) each gaining notoriety for appearing on the MTV animation Beavis and Butt-Head.


During his 45-year career, Steve shared the stage with a wealth of big names including Judas Priest, Bon Jovi, Scorpions and Deep Purple. At one time he was even touted to be the new vocalist for Iron Maiden.


Millie added, “Such was Steve’s impact on music that we have had people contact us from around the world to purchase tickets and to join us in Swindon, UK for Wings Of Angels. People have been sharing stories and pictures on our social media pages and it is really heartwarming to see this outpouring of affection for someone who did so much to shape the metal scene over several decades.”


Wings Of Angels Festival is being held at Swindon’s MECA on Saturday, November 23. Tickets are available online at wingsofangelsfest.com.


Watch Wings Of Angels: A Steve Grimmett Documentary below:





The consensus of his family, friends and fans is clear. Steve Grimmett was one of a kind. It wasn't just his absolutely amazing vocal abilities, he was a genuinely nice and extremely approachable guy, no rock star ego at all. As we reflect on his contribution to the world, remember the prophetic lines of Grim Reaper's classic anthem "Rock You To Hell" that he and Nick Bowcott gave us in response to the 1985 PMRC's attempt to censor music lyrics, in which they questioned if books were next? And here we are in 2024, and yes, Steve, you were right!


The Gauntlet listed "Rock You To Hell" as one of the top 5 Metal Songs that challenged the PMRC, writing “The song has probably immediately been dismissed as Satanic on the basis of its title alone on a few too many occasions. However, in reality, 'Rock You to Hell' is another excellent battle cry in the fight against musical suppression. The tune calls for unity between musicians and their audiences in order to be victorious in the battle, and that unity is achieved each time they play the song live. The video demonstrates how rock and metal are viewed as detrimental to society by showing the band performing in a prison, and even placing vocalist Steve Grimmett in a straight-jacket at one point. Nevertheless, Grimmett and co. summed up and validated their claim beautifully with one line: ‘It’s only entertainment, can’t they see?’”


"Rock You To Hell" lyrics:


What's wrong with our society, is it fear or apathy,
Don't let other people run your life
So those with power don't use it, they simply abuse it,
And believe me that cuts me like a knife


We gotta make sure that this don't happen,
'Cause to me and you it just ain't right,
Gonna make damn sure it don't happen,
This is what I'm gonna do


Rock you to hell, packin' up and shippin' out,
Rock you to hell, hear them scream and shout,
Rock you to hell, but I'm never giving out,
Rock you to hell, Rock you to hell


Did you always do what momma said, brush your teeth and go to bed,
'Cause that way never worked for me,
Now they wanna censor music, and if we don't fight we'll lose it,
It's only entertainment, can't they see?


We gotta make sure that this don't happen,
'Cause to me and you it just ain't right,
Gonna make damn sure it don't happen,
This is what I'm gonna do


Rock you to hell, packin' up and shippin' out,
Rock you to hell, hear them scream and shout,
Rock you to hell, but I'm never giving out,
Rock you to hell, Rock you to hell
Rock you to hell


Is this the beginning of a future
No books, no sound, no rock 'n' roll,
With only a few to fight, the manly
This is why rock 'n' roll will never die


We gotta make sure that this don't happen,
'Cause to me and you it just ain't right,
Gonna make damn sure it don't happen,
This is what I'm gonna do


Rock you to hell, packin' up and shippin' out,
Rock you to hell, hear them scream and shout,
Rock you to hell, but I'm never giving out,
Rock you to hell, Rock you to hell





About Steve Grimmett (1959-2022):


Steve Grimmett began his career on the brink of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and became known as the lead vocalist for the internationally acclaimed Grim Reaper.


Following worldwide success with the band, Grimmett featured as the Lead Singer for Onslaught for a brief period before forming Lionsheart, spawning four studio albums and a string of number one hits in Japan.


Grim Reaper achieved major success worldwide with three highly acclaimed studio albums along with single releases and extensive MTV airplay.


After Grim Reaper, Steve became the vocalist with Onslaught on their first album In Search of Sanity, with the single of their version of the AC/DC track "Let There Be Rock", charting in the UK.


Later came the Steve Grimmett Band who released the album Personal Crisis in 2007, then a collaboration with highly acclaimed guitarist and YouTube sen

Quebec, Canada's melodic symphonic metal outfit Trollwar continues to build anticipation for their upcoming EP with the release of The Offering, the second single from their forthcoming EP Tales From The Frozen Wastes. The single further showcases Trollwar's musical evolution, presenting a harmonious blend of aggressive metal riffs, intricate symphonic arrangements, and progressive elements. 


The song delves deeper into the EP's overarching theme of a falling pantheon and the glooming curse that befalls adventurers who dare to tread where they're unwelcome. 


The band shares their thoughts:




“This is the most recent song composition-wise. We think that this one is the best representation of where the Trollwar sound has evolved. It contains some great Melodic Death Metal riffs, a good chorus, epic symphonies... the whole package. This is also the 2nd song where we have a guest coming in to push the limit of the song with astonishing power metal vocals and choirs.”





They go on to explain that the black-metal elements are also brought forward, with an epic evil bridge that will give chills to the symphonic black metal enjoyers. The transitions are smooth and flow easily.


This is the last song off the album, leaving the listener with an enjoyable symphonic epilogue, and giving hints of something greater to come. It is a pivotal piece in the narrative of the EP, representing the moment where the veil between worlds thins, and the consequ

Blind Guardian recently released Somewhere Far Beyond Revisited, which includes a complete re-recording of this classic as well as a live celebration of 1992’s Somewhere Far Beyond, a landmark record in the history of the band.


The band has shared an official lyric video for "Ashes To Ashes", taken from the album.







Somewhere Far Beyond Revisited, which was recorded in 2022 and 2023, is a refreshing and powerful tribute to one of the most influential albums in German metal history. It paved the way for Blind Guardian’s international career that is still going strong today and this re-recording impresses with all the class and quality these pioneers have been known and respected for since forming as Lucifer’s Heritage three decades ago.


Watch a live video for the revisited version of their most popular track, "The Bard's Song - In The Forest":





Somewhere Far Beyond Revisited is out today and can be listened to in full at any streaming service or purchased in physical form. Get it here





Tracklisting:


"Time What is Time" (Revisited)
"Journey Through the Dark" (Revisited)
"Black Chamber" (Revisited)
"Theatre of Pain" (Revisited)
"The Quest for Tanelorn" (Revisited)
"Ashes to Ashes" (Revisited)
"The Bard’s Song – In the Forest" (Revisited)
"The Bard’s Song – The Hobbit" (Revisited)
"The Piper’s Calling" (Revisited)
"Somewhere Far Beyond" (Revisited)


"Ashes To Ashes" live at Hellfest 2022 video:





About Somewhere Far Beyond Revisited:


Right on time with their show at 2024’s edition of Wacken Open Air, Blind Guardian proudly announced the release of Somewhere Far Beyond Revisited on August 2, which includes a complete re-recording of this classic as well as a live celebration of 1992’s Somewhere Far Beyond, a landmark record for Germany’s heavy metal titans. After three albums on No Remorse Records, it was the band’s major label debut via Virgin Records and opened the doors to the Japanese market resulting in a wider availability and presence on the global metal scene. After finding the right balance of speed, heaviness, melodies, drama, and irresistible choruses on 1990’s Tales From The Twilight World, Somewhere Far Beyond honed this approach to perfection, evolving further on a conceptual level and increasing Blind Guardian’s sonic range. On Somewhere Far Beyond the band experimented with keyboards, orchestrations, and folk elements, the latter manifesting in the group’s best-known song and live staple, "The Bard's Song (In The Forest)", whereas other tracks like "Ashes to Ashes", the rapid "Journey Through The Dark" or "The Quest For Tanelorn" connected well with previous mostly fast-paced albums yet offered an additional push in dynamics.


Fast forward 30 years! Prior to releasing the much lauded opus The God Machine in September 2022, Blind Guardian had been performing Somewhere Far Beyond in its entirety at Rock Hard Festival and Hellfest in Summer 2022 in front of tens of thousands of fans singing along to each track. Both shows were filmed and recorded professionally and aired via WDR and ARTE. For the limited triple-disc-edition of Somewhere Far Beyond Revisited the Hellfest material was newly edited by the band’s long-time videographer Dirk Behlau using additional multi-cam footage.


The idea of re-recording the album originated from the rehearsals for these shows as Hansi Kürsch explains in the detailed liner notes: “The original idea wasn’t to do a re-recording. When rehearsing for the anniversary gigs, corona h

surprise…" begins Taylor Momsen, vocalist for The Pretty Reckless.


"Going To Hell changed our lives. Even though we may not have seen it at the time, we certainly feel its effects to this day. We’re rounding out the 10th anniversary celebration with a deluxe hardback vinyl book pack with 32 pages of unseen images from the era. Purple and Beige Vinyl available in the US, and Gold Marble Vinyl available ex-US. Pre-order now."


Scheduled for release on February 7, 2025, this collector’s piece merges the visual and sonic essence of The Pre

Swedish death metallers Centinex have unleashed their “As You Die” single, accompanied by a music video. Featuring two brand-new tracks, the single carves out a fresh path for the band, infusing death ‘n’ roll fury while retaining their signature raw, aggressive extremity. These songs provide a glimpse into their 2025 album, set for release via Black Lion Records.


States Centinex bassist Martin Schulman: “Times change and so do Centinex. Our ‘As You Die’ single in a way represents a new beginning for the band, not only by working with new business partners but also by exploring a somewhat new musical direction. As previously mentioned, we have always been about not setting boundaries or limiting ourselves, and these two new tracks might be the clearest example of that. Maybe we are getting old or something, dunno... Anyway, let’s fu**ing rock!”


Watch the video for “As You Die,” below. Find the single — along with its galloping B-side, “Into Ashes” — on all major digital / streaming platforms here. 

Greg Prato, reporting for Ultimate-Guitar.com:


As rock music changes, its sub-genres could become sort of an antithesis to one another. While, today, we can freely enjoy any combination of bands and sub-genres in our personal daily playlists, grunge and the more guitar-virtuoso-friendly hard rock and heavy metal of the 1980s were two completely opposed sides. Famously, it affected many of the artists, including the likes of George Lynch, who made his name known as one of the most skilled and proficient guitar players of all time.


As George is promoting his new project Casandra's Crossing, we sat down for a chat to discuss his work and career. Among the things we touched upon was also the matter of the emergence of grunge in the late 1980s and the early 1990s, as well as its infamous impact on already established rock and metal artists.




Ultimate-Guitar.com: What was it like to be a guitar shredder during the rise of grunge, and did it affect your career?


George Lynch: "I learned one very valuable lesson, and that was for me personally, anyways, the importance of diversifying what I did. In other words, when guitar solos became out of favor, and being a shredder was sort of an embarrassing thing to admit you were… Not that I was a shredder, but you know, being proficient at soloing, or whatever, was something you should be ashamed of, and you played down guitar solos on all the songs."


Find out what else George had to say, at Ultimate-Guitar.com.


Casandra's Crossing, the new musical alliance featuring George Lynch and powerhouse singer Casandra Carson, will release their new album, Garden Of Earthly Delights, on October 25 via Frontiers Music Srl.


The musical chemistry between these two talented artists has created a magnificent modern hard rock album that showcases Lynch's trademark riffage driven by the outstanding voice of Casandra Carson, who is set to be the next rock singing sensation.


About Garden Of Earthly Delights, Casandra says: “Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would ever meet, let alone collaborate with such a legend as George Lynch. It was an absolute honor and pleasure to work with him on this record. George’s tracks were so cool and inspiring, it was probably some of the most fun I’ve ever had writing lyrics and melodies. I truly couldn’t be more proud of this album, and I’m so excited to finally share it with the rest of the world.”


Pre-order Garden Of Earthly Delights here.





Tracklisting:


"Stranger"
"Impatient"
"Closer To Heaven"
"Ring Me Around"
"Devastatiing Times"
"Waltzing Nites"
"Just Business"
"Mind Eraser"
"Run For Your Life"
"Wicked Woman"
"Kneel Before You"


"Closer To Heaven" visualizer:





"Impatient" visualizer:

In a new interview with São Paulo, Brazil's 89 FM A Rádio Rock radio station, SYSTEM OF A DOWN drummer John Dolmayan and bassist Shavarsh "Shavo" Odadjian once again spoke about the possibility of the band one day making a follow-up to its "Mezmerize" and "Hypnotize" LPs, which came out in 2005. The Serj Tankian-fronted outfit has toured intermittently since ending its hiatus in 2011 but has yet to record any new music. John said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I wouldn't count on a SYSTEM OF A DOWN album anytime soon. It's very unlikely that it will happen, but if it does happen, it'll be because it's organic and the four of us just decide one day that, okay, we don't care about what happened in the past. We don't care if we had differences, either artistically or emotionally. We're just gonna get together and do it, and it'll be something that happens spontaneously. Because if we try to plan it, the anxiety involved with that will be too much. It'll splinter the band too much."

Shavo chimed in: "It's been built up too much. The time that has passed is so long, so much that I feel like if it were to happen, like [John] said, it would have to happen without thinking: 'Let's do it.' We go in, we don't announce it, we don't talk about it, we do it, and then you hear it without a big news about it. It's the only way."

John added: "We do have songs that we worked on several years ago, and they're pretty incredible."

Shavo said: "We have it. No one else has it. It's not recorded."

Last month, Shavo spoke to Chuck Armstrong of Loudwire Nights about the possibility of a new SYSTEM OF A DOWN album. He said: "Listen, bro, my door is always open with that. I have a hundred riffs waiting, if they need anything for me. The way it would work was Daron [Malakian, SYSTEM OF A DOWN guitarist] would come in and he'd have complete songs, which I fucking respect, man. The dude's a fucking sick-ass songwriter. And then Serj would have songs he'd bring in complete. It would just be Serj's were a little different than what the mold of SYSTEM became. So we would use some of it, but not all of it. And I feel like that's where the disconnect happened. It wasn't like someone fucking cursed anybody. It wasn't like someone banged anyone's girl or cussed out… Nothing happened that you can't be cool with. We're still cool with each other. We walk on stage. We love each other. So there's always gonna be that. I wanna always play shows with them. And you never know, bro. I'm always gonna leave that door open. It shouldn't be shut."

Shavo went on to say that "it's a fucking shame that" new music from SYSTEM OF A DOWN is "not happening, because we can do so much. Look, we went in, we did two songs four years ago. How they sound, man. I mean, that could be an album of that shit. And we can even write crazier songs. That was quick. Daron brought a few of those in — boom, boom, boom — and the song was done; it was, like, two days. Imagine if it was going in and writing actual music and caring about the album. 'Cause we compose albums. We're not, like, songwriters. We're songwriters that make albums. It's all about the composition of the album."

This past June, Tankian, who has been promoting his recently released memoir "Down With The System", was asked in an interview with The Jesea Lee Show what it would take for him and his SYSTEM OF A DOWN bandmates to release a new studio album,. He responded: "Egalitarian approach to everything within the band. [In other words] kind of more equality in terms of sourcing of the music, in terms of splitting everything, including publishing, in terms of ideas, in terms of sharing the vision — that kind of stuff."

He continued: "It's in the book. We call it a manifesto jokingly because I wrote points down that, years ago when I had some new songs that I thought would be amazing with SYSTEM, and so I played it for the guys. And I said, 'Guys, I've got an idea of a vision, a different way forward that I think would be very beneficial for the band.' And I presented it — we call it a manifesto in the book almost half jokingly, but bringing a manifesto to rock musicians is… [Laughs] I guess it doesn't work — it doesn't work. But I was trying to instill the same type of egalitarian principles as I love as an activist within whatever I do. And at that time, it didn't work, but maybe it will one day. We'll see."

"Down With The System" was released on May 14 via Hachette Books. In the memoir, Serj revealed that his SYSTEM OF A DOWN bandmates had auditioned a new vocalist after he had asked out of the group in 2017. Serj said that his disdain for touring led to his decision to tell his bandmates to carry on without him so they could continue living their dream. Tankian later learned that the band had begun looking at new singers, and he also shared that in "more recent years", he had pitched a close friend as a potential replacement but he didn't think the band ever seriously considered the offer.

In May, Tankian explained to Patrick Ritter of the WSOU 89.5 FM radio station why he felt, from SYSTEM OF A DOWN's early days, that the complex dynamics within the band and the resulting clash of egos and creative tensions would ultimately led to the group's demise. The singer said in part: "John [Dolmayan], my drummer who's also my brother-in-law, recently — he's got an incredible memory. My memory is not as good, but he basically said, 'Yeah, ever since '99, you were looking and going, 'This can't continue this way.'' And I think it had a lot to do with the discrepancy between our attitude and Daron's attitude toward the band and toward everything that was happening. I think for Daron, he had grown up with this becoming his everything. In John's case, for example, even though he's played drums since he was eight years old — I think it was eight — he's done many, many things in life. He's had a comic book company. Shavo's done other things as well, even though music's been a big part of his life. But for Daron, it was the only thing. And I had done many things in life — worked in different industries, got a college degree and went into music almost late, later than all the other guys, definitely. So I think there was a lack of appreciation of stuff happening or whatever it was. I can't remember the exact circumstance, but I felt like there was something wrong with this puzzle that I don't think we could solve from a very early time. And music had become my everything at that time. I had screamed at the gods saying that I wanna do music. And I knew that was my vision. I knew I'd be doing music for the rest of my life, no matter what, with or without SYSTEM OF A DOWN, 'cause that was my calling. But early on, I could see that schism, that schism developing."

Tankian previously addressed how his relationship with Malakian has evolved over the years, particularly as it relates to their collaborative partnership, earlier last month in an interview with Tom Power, host of "Q" on Canada's CBC Radio One. He said: "Well, changing the dynamic is basically years of time and the progression of the band, the success of the band, everything that happened in between the day that we met and now, basically, so 25, 30 years. A lot changes in that time. And so I think that's a part of it.

"Daron's been a lifer and he's incredibly serious about his music and he's incredibly protective of his music and vulnerable due to his music," Serj explained. "All of those things kind of go together. So it's those things, I think, that created some of the creative differences that we started finding. And it's also our progression. Listen, when Daron and I started working together, I didn't really write a lot of instrumental music — I mostly wrote lyrics; I was the lyricist; I was the singer. And he didn't write any lyrics; he just wrote music. But as time progressed and I played more musical instruments and I started becoming a songwriter/composer and he started writing more lyrics, we started kind of covering each other's territory. And I was okay with that. If he wrote lyrics, I was trying to encourage him to write more, because I believe in artistic growth. I believe in progression. I don't believe in things staying the same way, for music's sake. Otherwise the music becomes the same thing over and over again. That progression is necessary in every artist's life or in every group's life. So I was very encouraging of that. And I just wish that I got some of that back. And so that wasn't the case, and it was disappointing. And it became a creative difference over the band's path, and whatnot, over time."

Asked why he wanted to write about this in his book, Serj said: "A lot of it has been publicized in a very sensationalist format by media, music media mostly, and I kind of wanted to put it in a proper perspective and grounding perspective, but with love and with balance and understanding that these things happen. This is normal. You have a relationship and you have differences in opinion as [to] how you wanna go forward, whether it's a band or a marriage or whatever it is. And these things happen. And so I wanted to take that aspect out, I wanted to take the sensationalist aspect out of the whole thing and be, like, this is not only what happened, but this is how I see things."

Tankian also addressed the fact that SYSTEM OF A DOWN has toured intermittently since ending its hiatus in 2011, but has only managed to record two songs in the last 19 years, "Protect The Land" and "Genocidal Humanoidz". Released in November 2020, the tracks were motivated by the conflict between Artsakh and Azerbaijan, with all proceeds supporting humanitarian efforts in SYSTEM OF A DOWN's ancestral homeland of Armenia. Along with other donations from fans on their social pages, they raised over $600,000.

"We haven't been making new music," Serj said. "We only put out two songs when the invasion of Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh happened in 2020 by Azerbaijan, because we felt like the Azeri trolls, the government-sponsored trolls were taking over social media and the news networks, and the victims of these attacks weren't getting the word out. So we became kind of obsessed with getting the word out, because we were seeing our people suffer. So we put out those two songs because of that and we donated a lot of the proceeds for that to the cause as well."

Asked how he balances the love and obligation he might feel toward his fans, those who love SYSTEM OF A DOWN, and the internal struggles within the band, Tankian said: "That's an incredibly smart question. It's really hard catering — when you're an artist, it's really hard catering. If you're an entertainer, catering is [what you do], but if you're an artist, then you're just creating what comes to you. You're almost unaware of what people want. Yes, if it's something heavier, you know people are gonna like it more. But if you're a good songwriter, you could do both. I do orchestral music, I do film music, I do rock music — I do it all. So I enjoy 'em all, but I know that if I do rock, more people are going to listen to it than a piano, instrumental orchestral piece of music, soundtrack kind of music. But it doesn't mean that you don't do both, as an artist. So it's hard to really cater to people's feelings. What I love is, and I know that I can speak for the rest of the guys in the band, that no matter what's going on with our creative difference or the band not making new music or not touring fully or whatever, everyone's incredibly appreciative of what we have in terms of the love that we get from our fans and the way that people react to our music and the way that we get all these e-mails about how it's changed people's lives and all of that stuff, and that is mind-blowing. It's the biggest honor. And when I meet people on the street, I'm still incredibly honored that someone would pick me out and look at me in a positive light, not knowing who I am personally, but knowing me through my music, through our music, let's say. And I think that's a great fucking honor. I feel blessed for it. But it doesn't mean that that thing should continue forever either."

The prayers of the legions of the GHOST faithful have been answered: On December 6, the physical home video release of the band's worldwide Top 10 box office smash feature film debut "Rite Here Rite Now" will bring its mesmerizing live ritual to your living room.

Following a rapturously received global streaming premiere, "Rite Here Rite Now" is now available for pre-order on DVD, Blu-ray, 4K and VHS — to stream at Veeps, and to pre-order for purchase or rental in advance of its October 28 digital release via iTunes and Amazon. The film captures all songs played during GHOST's now-legendary sold out two-night stand at Los Angeles's Kia Forum — including tracks not on its No. 1-charting soundtrack album — while proving to be much more than a mere concert film: Stunning performance footage is interwoven with a narrative that develops and advances plot threads from the band's long-running "Chapters" webisode series, featuring familiar faces interacting behind the scenes with GHOST's Papa IV, as his future and fate rest with the Ministry.

For more information, go to ghost-official.com.

"Rite Here Rite Now" premiered globally in cinemas on June 20 through 23, with additional screenings added due to insatiable fan demand. It's an unforgettable, immersive event that combines narrative storytelling with live performances from the sold-out two-night finale of the band's "Re-Imperatour" U.S.A. 2023.

A phantasmagorical blend of live performance and cutaway sequences that immerses viewers in the technicolor melodrama of GHOST's vaunted live rituals, the film picks up plot threads from the band's long-running "Chapters" webisode series. It captures flesh and bone renditions of fan favorites from all five of GHOST's albums, as well as the RIAA platinum-certified "Mary On A Cross", interwoven with the silver screen debuts of familiar faces — all interacting behind the scenes with GHOST's Papa Emeritus IV, as his future and fate lay in the hands of the Ministry.

Whether a devoted disciple reliving treasured memories of the GHOST live spectacle or a curious newcomer, "Rite Here Rite Now" transports viewers into the heart of the performance. The film captures the essence of living in the moment, with a shadow of uncertainty looming, leaving the audience completely spellbound and enthralled by this bombastic yet intimate cinematic portrait of GHOST.

For its theatrical run, which was distributed by Trafalgar (Taylor Swift's "Eras" tour and Beyoncé's "Renaissance"),"Rite Here Rite Now" entered the Top 10 of the North America box office with a cumulative total gross of $2.65 million, making it the highest-grossing hard rock cinema event ever in North America. After its opening weekend, it entered the worldwide Top 10 box office at No. 9 with a total gross of $5.04 million worldwide. Regional highlights also included U.K. and Ireland with a $606,000 gross and No. 5 at the box office, Germany with a $332,000 gross and No. 3 at the box office, Mexico with a $326,000 gross and a No. 5 box office position for the weekend, and Australia with a $178,000 gross and No. 6 at the box office. The film has captivated audiences, receiving a stellar 99% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

"Rite Here Rite Now: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack", mixed by Rich Costey, was released worldwide on July 26 via Loma Vista Recordings. A fitting 18-song complement to GHOST's debut feature film, the band's first ever original soundtrack is available on all formats (digital, CD, 2xLP).

Last October, GHOST mastermind Tobias Forge confirmed that footage from the band's September 2023 two shows at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California would be used as part of the film.

"When I first started putting it together, I was, like, 'Oh my god, I'm going to faint because there's so much to think about,'" Forge told Metal Hammer magazine. "Then it was, like, 'No, no, just don't think about it at all.'"

Both GHOST shows at the Forum were device-free experiences. Use of phones and smart watches was not permitted in the performance space. Upon arrival at the venue, devices were secured in individual Yondr pouches that were opened at the end of the event.

"I have never seen a crowd interact the way that they did since I was in a club band," Forge said. "They were the best shows I've ever done with GHOST, just because I didn't have to see those fucking mobile phones."

At the Forum shows, GHOST performed the song "Twenties" live for the very first time live. They also played their cover of Roky Erikson's "If You Have Ghosts", which was originally reimagined by GHOST for their 2013 EP "If You Have Ghost". The band's version of the track at the Forum featured two cellists with a piano playing, and it was performed on a separate stage from the rest of the set.

In a new interview with Become A Guitarist Today, WARRANT guitarist Joey Allen spoke about whether there has been any talk of a follow-up to 2017's "Louder Harder Faster" album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Here's the deal with WARRANT on records, is that the first three records, [original WARRANT frontman] Jani Lane was the the creative force behind all the songwriting, which is fantastic. I mean, he was great at it. And it was a magic time for everybody. When you've got a guy that's bringing in songs like '[Mr.] Rainmaker' and 'Uncle Tom's Cabin', and nobody else is bringing in 'Uncle Tom's Cabin', you're, like, 'Okay, keep on going.' And so when he wasn't in the band, and then you've got the five of us, it's kind of the same thing. Whoever writes the music brings it in. If it's good and it's complete, then there you go. And I'm not a songwriter as much as I am a guitar player. I'm great at interpreting people that can't play guitar great and turning it into some cool-sounding riffs, the way I play. But it gets to the point where if there's riffs out there and you need somebody to come in and write lyrics to it, well, then everybody should pay attention and see if there's a riff out there. So the choices of songs and how we put a record together is very arduous. It's very difficult for WARRANT, for some reason. And it's amazing that after a record like 'Louder, Harder, Faster' that the band was still together. So, looking forward to another record, you're, like, 'Hmm.' [Laughs] 'Do you wanna do that again now — what is it? — seven years later?' And I think there's some desire, but it's not heavy."

He added: "New music's different now. People do records, nobody cares. So do we do a few songs at a time and release a song or two? I don't know what our model is gonna be. We're not going away. How's that? You want us to go away? We're not. And we still do 50 or 60 shows a year over here [in the U.S.]."

Allen went on to say that WARRANT fans can expect to see something else that might satisfy their craving for new product.

"We've gotten through a lot of our archives of videotapes and pictures and things that we all four of us have in our boxes in the attic and we've gotten them down," he said. "Because everybody had those little video cameras back in the day. So, there is private video from 1987. And I think we're trying to catalog all that data and kind of put together some type of a documentary with that stuff. And that's the next project. So if anybody was in the band from the front end on, from 'Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich' on, they're gonna get a peek behind what we were doing, what you thought we were doing. Were you right? Were you wrong? I mean, it's certainly not gonna be X rated by any means, but if you see some of the shit that did go on, it's great fun. I don't know if it'll be rated as a comedy or what, but there's some funny shit in there. So that's it."

Joey previously talked about the possibility of a new WARRANT album this past March in an interview with the "Rimshots With Sean" podcast. He said at the time: "New record? I don't know. The last one was fun to make, and [producer] Jeff Pilson was fun to work with. And the one before that [2011's 'Rockaholic'] with [producer] Keith Olsen — God rest his soul — was great and fun to do.

"It's such an undertaking for us, and the return on making a record is [miniscule]," he explained. "You know what I mean? And not everything's about money. It's, like, can we play it live? Well, you can, but people are just gonna sit there and look at you, like, 'Where's 'Cherry Pie'? Where's 'Uncle Tom's Cabin'? Where's 'Down Boys'? Where are those hits I wanted to hear?' And so you can't go out and play three or four or five new tunes, which would be — for me, thumbs up. I would dig to do that. But we have a responsibility to play the songs that people really wanna hear too. So it's a double-edged sword. And that's what I mean when I [say], what's in it for us? It's not financially. The thing in it for us is to play new music, to create new music, to grow. Let's not be a nostalgia act. So I don't know if it'll be a new record or if it'll be a song at a time or whatever — I'm sure sooner than later something [will] happen — but nothing's going on right now."

Last December, WARRANT guitarist Erik Turner told Robert Miguel of Uvalde Radio Rocks that he and his bandmates were "not sure" what they were going to do as far as new music was concerned. "It's just been a little bit — there's just been some stuff going on where we haven't really been doing any new music," he revealed. "We have some riffs [being thrown] around. We have some half-finished songs going on. Due to some personal stuff going on, we're just kind of on hold as far as the new record goes. Nothing horrible, but just band stuff."

In March 2023, Allen told Mankato, Minnesota's "The Five Count" radio show that he and his WARRANT bandmates were "actually writing right now for a record. So people are sending riffs around. You can do it on the Internet nowadays," he explained. "We just have a cloud-based files system where we just upload ideas. And somebody will take an idea, a music idea, and put some lyrics to it, and we'll start to craft our songs. So maybe by this fall we'll dig into the studio again and [record] the follow-up to 'Louder Harder Faster', which came out, I think, six years ago this year. The recording process takes about four or five weeks, so maybe early next year we'll have something new out for everybody to listen to and back on the road we will go to support that."

Three years ago, WARRANT singer Robert Mason told the "Thunder Underground" podcast that there wasn't "a defined schedule" for the group's next studio album, but he added that he and his bandmates are "always writing."

In 2020, Turner told the "Talking Metal" podcast that WARRANT was "throwing some ideas around" for a new LP. He said: "I've been sending Robert some riffs, and Robert's been working on songs. I've got a song going with Jerry [Dixon, bass]. So it's a slow, long process for us, but the seed of a new record has been started. Now, that doesn't mean the seed will grow into a record. We've got a long way to go. We don't have one finished song. We've got a couple of things cooking, and we're actually sending ideas around back and forth to each other."

"Louder Harder Faster" was released in May 2017. The disc was recorded with Pilson — a veteran bassist who has played with DIO, FOREIGNER, DOKKEN and T&N, among others — and was mixed by Pat Regan, except for the song "I Think I'll Just Stay Here And Drink", which was mixed by Chris "The Wizard" Collier (FLOTSAM AND JETSAM, PRONG, LAST IN LINE).

Mason replaced Lane in 2008 and has brought a degree of stability to the band after Lane's unceremonious departure and subsequent 2011 death.

WARRANT is rounded out by original drummer Steven Sweet.