Portland, Oregon's Unto Others released their triumphant new LP Never, Neverland last month and now, the band announce a North American tour in support of the album. This November and December, Unto Others will traverse the U.S. and Canada featuring stops in Spokane, Vancouver, Calgary, Louisville, Montreal, Los Angeles and more, with additional dates to be announced very soon.  Tickets go on sale on November 1 at 10 AM local time.


Unto Others' Gabriel Franco comments, "As many of you already know, 5 weeks ago our previously planned North American tour fell through. With very little time our excellent team has managed to keep us on the road. We are making a point on this run to hit cities we do not travel to very often, or have never played at all. There are still a few TBA's right now, but we will keep you updated as we finish up the booking process. This will be our first headlining tour of the USA in 3 years, so expect a long set that covers our entire catalog, in small sweaty venues. If you don't see your town here, we have plans to hit as many major U.S. cities as we can in 2025. Until then, thanks for your support."


Additionally, Unto Others have shared a music video for their Never, Neverland Digital Deluxe Bonus Cover "Pet Sematary" which you can check out below.







Never, Neverland marks a new epoch for Unto Others (rounded out by guitarist Sebastian Silva, bassist Brandon Hill and drummer Colin Vranizan). Having emerged in 2017, the band turned heads with the Don't Waste Your Time EP, followed by the beloved 2019 full length Mana and 2021's heavy hitting Strength LP.  Now, Unto Others build upon the seductive and beguiling foundation they've hewn out of a bedrock of goth, classic rock, punk, black metal and heavy metal.  


See Unto Others on the road to close out 2024; more dates to be announced soon.





Dates:


November
15 – Spokane, WA – The Big Dipper
16 – Vancouver, BC – Wise Hall
18 – Calgary, AB – Dickens
19 – Edmonton, AB – The Starlite Room
21 – Winnipeg, MB – The Park Theatre
25 – Louisville, KY – Mag Bar
27 – Mechanicsburg, PA – Lovedraft’s Brewing Co.
29 – Syracuse, NY – The Song & Dance
30 – Montreal, QC – Cabaret Fouf


December
1 – Quebec City, QC – L’Anti Bar & Spectacles 
3 – Portland, ME – Geno’s
6 – Greensboro, NC – Hangar 1819
8 – Memphis, TN – Growlers
10 – Albuquerque, NM – Launchpad
11 – El Paso, TX – Lowbrow Palace
12 – Tucson, AZ – The Rock
13 – Los Angeles, CA – Knucklehead Hollywood 


Order Never, Neverland on Bandcamp.





Tracklisting:


“Butterfly”
“Momma Likes The Door Closed”
“Angel Of The Night”
“Suicide Today”
“Sunshine”
“Glass Slippers”
“Fame”
“When The Kids Get Caught”
“Flatline”
“Time Goes On”
“Cold World”
“I Am The Light”
“Farwell”
“Raigeki 雷撃”
“Hoops”
“Never, Neverland”
“Pet Sematary” (Bonus cover version)


"Momma Likes The Door Closed":





"Angel Of The Night":

Singer, poet, songwriter, visual artist, film producer, activist and author Serj Tankian, lead singer and lyricist for the Grammy Award-winning rock band SYSTEM OF A DOWN, has released the official music video for "Life's Revengeful Son". The track is taken from "Foundations", his latest EP of new music, which came out in late September worldwide via Gibson Records.

"Foundations" track listing:

01. A.F. Day
02. Justice Will Shine On
03. Appropriations
04. Cartoon Buyer
05. Life's Revengeful Son

"Foundations" mines music and lyrics from previous decades and reframes them in a hard-hitting, intensely focused collection. Like all of Tankian's work, the five songs that comprise "Foundations" encompass a wide range of sounds and styles. It is music that traverses multiple eras and vast swaths of emotions. It is also very much a rock album — "music of rebellion," says Tankian.

"Foundations" kicks off with "A.F. Day", a raging, heavy-riffing track that sounds like classic Tankian. The origins of the song date back almost three decades, to his earliest days with SYSTEM OF A DOWN. Tankian never brought it to the band to record, and when he happened upon "A.F. Day" more recently he "felt it should finally be released." In doing so, he retained much of the original music, including his vocals — a decision that was partly pragmatic: "My voice has naturally changed over time," Tankian explains. As the lyrics demonstrate, his attitude has not. "Medieval educators locking horns at the playground at 5 / Real live police crime shows submission of the population at large," he rails, expressing disgust with indoctrination and blind deference to authority at every turn.

"A.F. Day" is followed the album's most anthemic track, and also its emotional centerpiece: "Justice Will Shine On". Another song whose compositional roots date back to the early SOAD days, the impassioned hard rocker is nonetheless instilled with a message that is as hard-hitting and vital today. Over potent riffs and pummeling rhythms, Tankian grapples with the atrocities of the Armenian genocide experienced by his grandparents firsthand. He addresses their suffering in jarringly personal and direct terms, singing, "Can you tell me dear grandfather of your childhood so far away / You can see the death of laughter in his teared eyes disarray / Can you tell me dear grandmother of your childhood from hunger and pain / Of the orphans you called brothers in her teared eyes disarray." As the song launches into its soaring chorus, Tankian declares that his grandparents' torment, and the anguish experienced by all Armenian victims, will not be in vain. "We are the children of all the survivors / Justice will shine on!"

Elsewhere on "Foundations", "Appropriations" (an older song I've 're-appropriated' to modern times," he says) juxtaposes a snake-y, arpeggiated verse with a crushing chorus in a clash of eastern and western modalities, as Tankian unspools lyrics that play off complementary sounds and contrasting sensibilities: "Resignation, provocation, segregation… imagination and creation," he croons. And "Cartoon Buyer", which dates to a period just prior to Tankian's first solo record, 2007's "Elect The Dead", begins in hushed, almost folk-y mode, and gradually builds — both in intensity and actual tempo — before exploding in sonic and spiritual catharsis. Throughout the track, Tankian scrutinizes the divides within humanity ("You see me without emotions / I see you across the oceans," he intones) before ultimately declaring our oneness: "California to Argentina…Saudi Arabia to Tunisia…Armenia to Australia…Israel to Indonesia / They are us and we are them."

Finally, "Life's Revengeful Son", originally recorded prior to Tankian's 2010 "Imperfect Harmonies" album, incorporates a variety of instrumentation, including acoustic and electric guitars and dramatic orchestration, into an epic closer with unmatched imagery: "The final revolution will occur when the arms of the clock fall," Tankian sings. "Jesus seen in the streets, dragging a car axel instead of the cross."

A true creative tour de force, Tankian recorded "Foundations" primarily at his own Serjical Strike Studios in L.A. He wrote, performed, orchestrated and produced all the material, as well as contributed the artwork — an original piece titled "Sunburst" — that adorns the album cover. Additional instrumentation on the record was provided by Dan Monti (guitars, bass and drum programming) and, on "Cartoon Buyer", by bassist Mario Pagliarulo and SOAD drummer John Dolmayan.

"Foundations", Tankian says, is "a retrospective of songs from different eras of my life, meant to complement the memoir," and caps what has been an incredibly prolific year for Tankian, from the release of his memoir The New York Times bestseller "Down With The System", to the massive, sold-out SYSTEM OF A DOWN headlining show at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco with over 50,000 fans. But even as he is now revealing his "foundations," Tankian is already looking ahead. "The next record will likely be a record of covers, collaborations and collages," he envisions.

Credit his restless, ever-curious creative spirit. "I'm always moving in different directions," Tankian says. "Repetition is boring, and the death of art."

As previously announced, on November 1, Tankian will release a diverse selection of limited-edition variants of the "Foundations" EP on colored vinyl with an etching featured on Side B of every package. The "Foundations" vinyl package includes a red-and-black starburst vinyl available on Tankian's own official webstore, and an opaque purple version only available in U.S. record stores nationwide.

In celebration of Tankian's fall 2024 Revolver magazine cover story, an exclusive and limited-edition vinyl in a striking dark blue marble, is bundled with a special edition of the cover story wrapped in a one-of-a-kind photo slipcase.

Mexico and US-based extreme metal band, Siglos, will release their second EP, Renacer De Las Cenizas, independently via all major streaming platforms and Bandcamp on November 15. Consisting of five tracks rooted in black metal, doom metal and industrial metal, the quintet are also releasing the featured single and music video for "El Paso De Mis Ancestros".


The second EP follows on the heels of the their debut EP, Rituales Sagrados, and singles "Morir Para Vivir" and "Por Los Siglos", and was also produced, mixed and mastered by Alex Crescioni of Stygian Sound. In reference to teaming up with Crescioni again for Renacer De Las Cenizas and Siglos’ evolving career, Grammy-nominated guitarist, songwriter and founding member Sin Quirin said this EP is about pushing boundaries.


“Throughout my career, I’m often thought of as that guitar player from Ministry, and there’s so much more music inside me that I’m starting to flex now with Siglos,” said Quirin. “I don’t want to be complacent and stagnant when it comes to songwriting, and this new EP {and Siglos} helped me to push myself and continue to do so."




One of the f

Rock & Metal From The Front Row has uploaded video of OPETH's October 27 concert at the Mission Ballroom in Denver, Colorado. Check out the clips below.

OPETH's setlist for the show 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 an interview with Pod Scum, drummer Danny Schuler of the reunited metal/hardcore band BIOHAZARD, which recently inked a deal with Frontiers Label Group's new imprint BLKIIBLK, spoke about the group's songwriting process. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's really all over the place in BIOHAZARD. Sometimes one guy brings in a couple of songs and we kind of go with that. Sometimes somebody has an idea and we're all together in the jam room and we kind of all work through it together. It kind of happens a lot of different ways, but all four guys are very creative, some more than others, but everybody creates and brings in stuff. So there's no one writer in BIOHAZARD. There's never really been. But we all write. And now we're getting ready to record a new record and we have so much new stuff. And it's been really cool lately — a very creative environment lately to be around with everybody writing new stuff and getting psyched for a new album. It's cool right now."

Asked why he thinks right now is the best time for a new BIOHAZARD album, Danny said: "Well, I don't know if right now is the best time. I don't think in terms of, like, 'Oh, well, let's do an album out now because now's the best time.' I don't know that stuff. I don't know when's a good time to do a record. I just know when I feel inspired and I know when I'm coming up with stuff that I feel is real strong and meaningful, and lately it's been a good time for that kind of creative process. So, for me, when the ideas are flowing and everything feels real natural, real strong, that's a good time to do a record. Business-wise, I don't know when's a good time to do a record. I'm not a businessman, in that regard with the music business."

In a recent interview with France's Loud TV, BIOHAZARD bassist/vocalist Evan Seinfeld confirmed that he and his bandmates were "making a new album". Evan said: "I'm really excited about it. I'm writing a lot of lyrics right now, working on some music. All the guys are writing. It's exciting."

Evan previously discussed BIOHAZARD's plans for new music this past April in an interview with El Planeta Del Rock. At the time, he said: "We're working on our process on a couple of really cool songs, and when something is special enough and we are excited about it, I imagine we'll release a single before release an album, but there's a full-length album in the works. That's the mission… We wanna go into the studio and really lock ourselves down, like we used to do in the '90s, and spend some time really [making a strong album]. For us, it's not about one song, one song. Making an album is still something that we care about."

He continued: "I know it's not the popular [way of doing things]. How many people buy new albums by artists and listen to the whole album from beginning to end? Young people don't really ingest music like that so much. But BIOHAZARD is about authenticity. We do what we do, and we're gonna make the best album we can make in 2024."

The first reunion gig from guitarist/vocalist Billy Graziadei, guitarist Bobby Hambel, Schuler and Seinfeld took place on May 26, 2023 at the Milwaukee Metal Fest at The Rave/Eagles Ballroom in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

In 2022, Graziadei said in an interview that there had been "talk" about putting BIOHAZARD back together.

The group, which is acknowledged as one of the earliest outfits to fuse hardcore punk and heavy metal with elements of hip-hop, had been out of the public eye since Scott Roberts left the band more than eight years ago.

Roberts, who played guitar on BIOHAZARD's 2005 album "Means To An End", rejoined the group in June 2011 as the replacement for Seinfeld. Scott fronted BIOHAZARD for nearly five years before exiting the band in February 2016.

In a new interview with Chuck Armstrong of Loudwire Nights, EXODUS and SLAYER guitarist Gary Holt spoke about the status of his memoir, which is due next year via Hachette Books. "A Fabulous Disaster: From The Garage To Madison Square Garden, The Hard Way" is described in a press release as "a no-holds-barred memoir from the preeminent thrasher's life in metal, from its humble (but not quiet) beginnings in the San Francisco Bay Area through today's current resurgence in worldwide popularity, as he lived big, played fast and crashed hard, written in collaboration with Adem Tepedelen."

Holt said about his upcoming book (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We're right in the final review stage in that. You can hear all the like horror stories of my own self-destruction and stuff, but the redemption as well.

"My story is a different one than most — and I hate to use the word 'rock star' 'cause I'm not — but most books involve someone achieving great success and then a freefall into the gutter," he explained. "My freefall came after marginal success, and then years in the gutter. And then I went from there to [playing] Madison Square Garden with SLAYER, of course. It's an interesting arc. The book came out really good. I'm real happy with it."

When Holt first shared the news of his upcoming memoir on social media in March 2023, he wrote: "Super stoked!!! The announcement in book circles has gone out today, so I'm sharing it in MY circle! The book about my life is under way, from the beginnings of EXODUS and thrash metal, to the drug fueled fall, to the unexpected and tragic circumstances that led me to @slayerbandofficial to the bounce back to Madison Square Garden with and @exodusbandofficial charting at number 20 on the MAIN Billboard charts, all will be told! No holds barred, all the lows and highs will be retold! Been a project very close to me, and I'm stoked to be working with @ademtepedelen_ @lauramazer @bschafer714 @hachettebooks and @wendysherman to make this a reality!"

Holt joined EXODUS in 1981, shortly after the band's formation, and has been the group's main songwriter ever since. Holt has performed on every EXODUS album, and is considered highly influential in the world of thrash metal.

Holt began filling in for SLAYER guitarist Jeff Hanneman at live shows in 2011, and became the band's full-time co-guitarist as of 2013, while remaining a member of EXODUS. Holt played on SLAYER's final album, "Repentless", which came out in 2015.

In a June 2012 interview with Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show, SLAYER's Kerry King stated about Holt: "I always regard Gary as the Glenn Tipton of our era — really good, really polished and nobody talks about him. To this day, nobody really references [JUDAS] PRIEST and Tipton that much as guitar players and I feel the same way about Gary. EXODUS have a huge following but a little more overlooked than METALLICA, MEGADETH, SLAYER, ANTHRAX — the 'Big Four,' so to speak, so [it is great] to be able to bring him to the forefront and shove him down people's throats and say, 'Hey, this motherfucker kicks ass. Pay attention.'"

EXODUS's latest album, "Persona Non Grata", came out in November 2021 via Nuclear Blast Records. The LP was recorded at a studio in Lake Almanor, California and was engineered by Steve Lagudi and EXODUS. It was produced by EXODUS and was mixed by Andy Sneap. For the third time in the band's history, they returned to Swedish artist Pär Olofsson to create the album artwork.

"Persona Non Grata" was the follow-up to 2014's "Blood In Blood Out", which was the San Francisco Bay Area thrashers' first release since the departure of the group's lead singer of nine years, Rob Dukes, and the return of Steve "Zetro" Souza, who previously fronted EXODUS from 1986 to 1993 and from 2002 to 2004.

BODY COUNT frontman, hip-hop legend, actor and director Ice-T has weighed in on the upcoming U.S. presidential election, with Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump locked in a fiercely competitive contest. He told Classic Rock magazine in a new interview: "You know, I despise Trump. I think Trump is an absolute piece of shit. I think people vote with their wallets, so they believe that he's gonna potentially put money in their pockets and some shit. But it didn't happen last time.

"I think the good thing about Trump is that he let the world see how fucked up the United States is," Ice-T continued. "He let the world see how racist and how scandalous a great portion of our country is. Nobody can just look at dude and say he's a solid motherfucker. He's got more fucking felonies than all my criminal friends put together and doesn't even have an ankle bracelet on. It's just showing us how this country is operated and run, so it's crazy."

Back in February 2017, shortly after Trump was inaugurated as the 45th president of the United States, Ice-T was asked by Playboy.com if he was surprised that the billionaire real estate mogul won the U.S. presidency. He responded: "I think we all were surprised that Trump won, because dude be lying. He's a motherfucker. He didn't never show his taxes. He's the ultimate con artist. He's the kind of rich person, when people say they don't like rich people — that's what they mean. I know Richard Branson, I know Mark Cuban — billionaires that you can sit up and kick it with. But Trump is an elitist. He's a demagogue. And yeah, it's scary, man. He's got a lot of power. I come from the gang world, you know. You can't just be talking shit and think the other gangs don't hear you. You can't talk the way he talks and think the rest of the world doesn't see him as their enemy. Once the dude told the world, 'I'm smarter than the generals,' I knew we were up shit creek. But I predict his own supporters will turn on him in six to eight months. So let's just cross our fingers."

In March 2017, Ice-T's BODY COUNT bandmate, guitarist Ernie Cunnigan, better known by his stage name Ernie C, also weighed in on Trump's presidency based on his first six weeks in the Oval Office. Speaking to Metal Wani about how the political climate in the United states had affected the lyrical content of the band's then-new album, "Bloodlust", Ernie said: "We kind of felt that we would have the president that we would have now — just 'cause of the way the climate of the country felt. It just felt like it was going in the wrong direction. So when he got elected, it wasn't a big surprise, 'cause everything was going in the wrong direction, with him running for office. So he brought up a lot of undercurrent; it came up bubbling up to the top."

He continued: "We had Obama for eight years, and everyone got kind of of comfortable. He was a good president, and we got a little comfortable, and we didn't actually notice all the underlying things that were going on. But Trump got here, and in six weeks — it seems like he's been president for a long time, but it's been six weeks — and he kind of tipped over the table, and everyone's kind of looking around, saying, 'What's going on?' But we felt it all along. You know what I mean?"

The guitarist added: "Twenty-five years ago, we did 'Cop Killer' as a warning. So now, twenty-five years later, it's still going on. Now we're saying, on this record, 'Watch out.' 'Civil War' and songs like that, it's kind of warnings of what we feel. 'Cause being a musician, you get the opportunity to travel to different places, travel around the world. We've gone around the world, and we felt that America, something was happening and it's not exactly right. And it's happening in a lot of different places now — from France to Italy to… even Sweden. A lot of things are happening."

Calling the process of making albums "a way of venting," Ernie praised protesters demonstrating against Trump's executive orders and offered his opinion on why Trump was elected in the first place.

He said: "We need for people to get out and about and get out and protest and even vote, but do it in a positive way and have a direction. You can't just say, 'I don't like the president.' You've gotta get out and vote and find something better. 'Cause this last election here in America, we didn't really have a good choice. That's why he won. There's no good choices anymore. People don't want to be in public office — good people. Every once in a while, you get good people in there."

He continued: "Obama was a good man. I always say, whether you liked him as a president or not, he was a good man, he had good values. Right now we've lost all our values. We have someone that's lying… He's on television right now lying. He's just lying and you know it's a lie, but there's still 40 percent of people who follow a person that lies, and they know it's a lie, and they're not worrying about it. They're worrying about getting a job and things like that that are more important. That's more important than morals. And morals help out in a lot of different ways."

BODY COUNT's new album, "Merciless", will be released on November 22 via Century Media.

Indiana-based doom metal trio, The Gates Of Slumber, return with their eponymous new full-length, set for release on November 29 via Svart Records. The record serves as the band’s first new output since 2011’s The Wretch, and their sixth overall.


In advance of the record’s release, the band has shared their second single, “Full Moon Fever”, perfectly timed for the Halloween season.


Comments founding guitarist/vocalist Karl Simon, “If my memory serves me right, ‘Full Moon Fever’ was the first song for the new album. The music was written around about when Tom Petty died. And yes, the song is dedicated to him. Not inspired by his music per se, but I was always a big Petty fan and yeah. Figure it out on your own time… The first set of lyrics I did for the song had more of a comical feel to them. More of a Motörhead treatment: A werewolf chasing cars and shit like that. But that’s not the feel I wanted for the song in the end. The band was always meant to be a serious band. But I would be denying the truth if I said that it didn’t have a lot of tongue in cheek moments. That wasn’t what we wanted to do with it at all. Part of the fun is playing it straight. So, I reworked the lyrics a few weeks before we actually recorded the album. I have to pat myself on the back. I think the break down is one of the best bits I ever came up with.”




Stream/download the single here, and listen below:





The Gates Of Slumber was formed by Karl Simon in 1998. Various people were in and out of the group between 1998 and 2001, when the Blood Encrusted Deth Axe demo was recorded with Jamie Walters of Boulder on drums and Dr. Phibes/Athenar (later to form the cult black metal band Midnight) on bass. In 2003 Jason McCash took over the bass duties and was a long-time member of the band until his untimely demise in 2014, after which Simon decided it was time to call it quits.


That was until 2019 when the renowned metal festival Hell Over Hammaburg wanted to bring the band back on stage to perform at the festival’s 2020 edition. Simon reformed the band with its original drummer Chuck Brown and bassist Steve Janiak. “We’d been asked several times to play Hell Over Hammaburg. But there was no “we” to play. The germ of the idea started. We started re-learning songs from the first LP. It wasn’t too long into the rehearsals that we started coming up with new songs,” states Simon.


Following a short reunion tour, the COVID pandemic decelerated the band’s writing process. Half of the album was written however the remaining half was left to stew in its juices. But they toiled on ultimately composing six wholly engrossing new hymns of true doom metal excellence. With chest quaking songs honoring such greats as Saint Vitus and Penance, straight forward bangers, and lyrics inspired by t

On October 26, BLACK STONE CHERRY was inducted into the Kentucky Music Hall Of Fame. As a band that has always embraced and celebrated their home state, this was a tremendous honor.

BLACK STONE CHERRY comments: "We started this band in middle of the woods in 2001, in a dry county, and no driver's license between us. Playing restaurants, gymnasiums, coffee shops, and anywhere that would allow us to set up our gear. We made our own t-shirts, we made our own backdrop, we made our stickers, and we made our own music. Our 'always say WHEN, not IF' mentality coupled with the support of Jesus, our families and communities have allowed us to do some incredible things so far in our career. However, having our band name forever etched inside the walls of our state's music Hall Of Fame is incredibly humbling and something we will carry with us forever. It is also a testament to pouring absolutely everything you have into whatever passion burns inside you. We are extremely thankful, honored, and blessed for this achievement."

Over the past two decades, the Kentucky Southern rockers have shaken stages from arenas to festivals across Europe, North America and other territories across the globe. The band just completed a tour in the U.S. with CLUTCH and RIVAL SONS and today head out on a run of performances from October 29 through November 15 with AYRON JONES. On November 17, SKILLET will join the bill for appearances through November 23.

BLACK STONE CHERRY's latest album, "Screamin' At The Sky", was released on September 29, 2023 via Mascot Records. The opus was made available in white solid vinyl, limited edition vinyl boxset, CD and digitally.

Earlier last year, BLACK STONE CHERRY released the album's lead single, "Out Of Pocket", which went on to be a crowd favorite on the band's U.K. arena shows.

The Kentucky-based band, featuring Chris Robertson (lead vocals/guitar),Ben Wells (guitar/backing vox) and John-Fred Young (drums/backing vox),are joined for the first time on an album recording by Steve Jewell Jr.. The band's fanbase will be more than familiar with Steve, as he has been touring with BLACK STONE CHERRY since 2021.

"He is just fantastic," Wells told the Richmond Register of Jewell, who had previously played guitar in the band OTIS, but was asked to switch to bass when he joined BLACK STONE CHERRY. "He has brought the musical ability of the band up an extra level. His bass playing is unreal — and you can hear it all over this record. He knocked it out of the park… He makes our sound a little grittier. He plays with a different attack. It's really great."

"Screamin' At The Sky" features all-new material written collaboratively while on tour, but when it came time to record, BLACK STONE CHERRY decided to try something it's always dreamed of doing: tracking an album at The Plaza Theater in Glasgow, Kentucky — a legendary 1020-seat venue built in 1934 that boasts meticulous acoustics.

Photo courtesy of Steve Karas / SKH Music

AVENGED SEVENFOLD frontman M. Shadows says that he longer regrets the way the band's 2016 album "The Stage" was marketed. The surprise release of the disc, which was announced the night it went on sale eight years ago, earned the lowest sales of an AVENGED SEVENFOLD album in eleven years. It sold seventy-six thousand copies in its first week, seventy-three thousand of which were physical.

After M. Shadows marked "The Stage"'s eighth birthday with a post on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter),one of his followers chimed in: "I remember this, M. Shadows said he liked how Beyonce secretly released her album, so he wanted to follow suit but ultimately regretted it and said he'd never do it again lol." This prompted Shadows to respond: "I take that back now…. It couldn't have happened any other way and I'm so proud of this album and the way it was released."

M. Shadows addressed AVENGED SEVENFOLD's decision to secretly release "The Stage" in a 2017 interview with Revolver magazine. He said at the time: "I think it came down to being off for two and a half years, and sitting at home and watching what other people were doing. And I hate throwing other bands under the bus, but with a lot of bands I would get excited by the announcement that a new record was coming — but then there would be teaser after teaser after teaser after teaser, and there would be three or four singles before the album came out. It just became one of these things that we didn't want to do. We were, like, 'Well, we're going into the studio, but we don't really want to put up an Instagram pic, because what does that really do for us?' All it does is get a bunch of people hyped up about that you're in the studio, and saying things like, 'Look at the guitar they're using — it must be a thrash record.' And then that takes off in the press, and all of these things get so blown out of proportion… Eventually, we got so far down the line with the record that we were, like, 'Let's just put this thing out as a surprise.' It was exciting to us; you had five guys who were actually excited about releasing a record, instead of dreading [having to do] all the advance press and everything that comes with a record release. It's not that we didn't want to do the work — it's that you get asked a bunch of questions by a bunch of guys that have never heard the record. 'Is it fast? Is it melodic? Is it heavy? Are you screaming?' I feel like it's been easier to let people hear it first and form their own opinions on it, and then talk to them about it."

"The Stage", AVENGED's debut for Capitol, sold less than half as many copies in its first week as the group's two previous efforts, 2010's "Nightmare" and 2013's "Hail To The King".

The group made the album available at midnight on October 27, 2016 with almost no promotion beforehand, save for the arrival of a new song one week earlier.

In October 2017, M. Shadows admitted in an interview that the band "definitely dropped the ball in terms of the casual fan" when it came to the marketing of "The Stage". Shadows told ABC Radio: "Do I think it was a good strategy for the casual fan? No, it was horrible for the casual fan. Most casual fans don't even know about it, or they've written it off as… 'Why would you release a record secretly? It must not be good.' And we weren't expecting that at all."

The singer admitted that it's unlikely AVENGED SEVENFOLD would ever do the surprise release again.

"If we were to do it over, I would've tried to do something that encompasses the casual fan that's not living and breathing what bands like us are doing," he said.

Shadows told The Pulse Of Radio that the band did the surprise release partially out of a desire to let fans hear it and form their own opinions. "It's almost like the jury has already, you know, decided if they like a record or not before it even comes out, because there's so many reviews and opinions," he said. "And we just wanted people to hear it for themselves and make their own opinions."

The deluxe version of "The Stage" arrived in December 2017. This edition featured seven additional studio songs plus four previously unreleased live tracks recorded during the band's shows at The O2 arena in London. Among the seven bonus tracks was the band's cover of the PINK FLOYD classic "Wish You Were Here".

Shadows defended "The Stage" in a 2018 issue of Metal Hammer magazine. He said at the time: "I think it will stand the test of time in terms of AVENGED's legacy and I think that at some point it will be a lot of people's favorite record. I just think that when you're in the middle of the process of writing a record and you know that things are going to be a little complex or a little over people's heads, then you've got to know that a backlash is coming. And it did. But you know that going into it. I just wish that we didn't do so many crazy things at once."

He continued: "I feel that all of the initial backlashes that we've had, people have grown into it. They try it on and see how it fits. The backlash to 'City Of Evil' was insane — and then the next one was insane because it wasn't 'City Of Evil'. The next one was actually fine because Jimmy ['The Rev' Sullivan, drums] had died. We didn't get much of a backlash because I think that people felt bad for us. But then when 'Hail To The King' came out, there was a huge backlash. The different thing on the backlash with 'The Stage', though, was it was the first time that we had a great critical response and more of a fan backlash."
I take that back now…. It couldn’t have happened any other way and Im so proud of this album and the way it was released. 🙏

— Shadows (@shadows_eth) October 28, 2024

earMUSIC has set a January 24, 2025 release date for "Iggy Pop Live At Montreux Jazz Festival 2023".

Pop is an avant-garde icon and a punk pioneer. The Montreux Jazz Festival is a boundary-pushing event that brings the best of all musical genres to one gorgeous location every year. "Live At Montreux Jazz Festival 2023" captures the dazzling Iggy Pop performance that could only happen there.

First in a series of earMUSIC releases from the festival, this concert marked Iggy's third appearance at the 57th edition of Montreux. Backed by a seven-piece band, Iggy breathes new fire into STOOGES classics like "I Wanna Be Your Dog" and "T.V. Eye" and ignites the adoring crowd with visceral run-throughs of "The Passenger" and, of course, "Lust For Life".

2023 marked Iggy's return to the top 10 in major territories with his album "Every Loser". It was the perfect moment to showcase his classic songs and share new ones ("Modern Day Ripoff", "Frenzy") at the venerated Stravinski Auditorium.

With the artist going from strength to strength in this new phase of his career, "Live At Montreux Jazz Festival 2023" is the perfect mix of vintage Iggy and new Iggy with astounding audio (recorded in multi-track). It's a singular moment in a singular career.

"Iggy Pop Live At Montreux Jazz Festival 2023" track listing:

01. Five Foot One
02. T.V. Eye
03. Modern Day Ripoff
04. Raw Power
05. Gimme Danger
06. The Passenger
07. Lust For Life
08. Endless Sea
09. Death Trip
10. Sick Of You
11. I Wanna Be Your Dog
12. Search And Destroy
13. Mass Production
14. Nightclubbing
15. Down On The Street
16. Loose
17. Frenzy

Widely acknowledged as one of the most influential artists and dynamic live performers of all time, Pop is a singer, songwriter, musician, author, record producer, DJ, and actor whose epic body of work has earned him both worldwide critical acclaim and fanatic cult success. Beginning in 1967 with his era-defining group THE STOOGES, Pop merged primal rock, blues, and free jazz into something altogether dangerous and new, paving the way for punk, post-punk, hard rock, and grunge. His landmark solo career — which kicked off with 1977's David Bowie-produced "The Idiot" and "Lust For Life" — has seen Pop traverse a stunning span of musical genres, inspiring generation after generation of rock 'n rollers with his iconoclastic songcraft, uncompromising performance style, and one-of-a-kind charisma. Perhaps the greatest living embodiment of rock and roll, Pop has never slowed down, pushing the art form forward for more than half a century, including his 2019's contemplative, critically acclaimed full-length album "Free".

In a new interview with The Adventures Of Pipeman, JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner spoke about a pairing of PRIEST and IRON MAIDEN on a festival bill, such as at last year's Power Trip and this year's Aftershock. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I was talking to Rob [Halford, PRIEST singer] about it the other day. And the last time they played together like that [before this year's Aftershock] — we played with them last year at the [Power Trip] festival, but that was not on the same day. But I asked Rob, 'When was the last time you guys played with MAIDEN on the same day?' And he thinks it's back on 'Point Of Entry' when they played together, like back in the early '80s. So it would be great to — as a fan as well, I'd love to see PRIEST and MAIDEN on a bill."

When Pipeman noted that MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris once told Faulkner in Richie's pre-PRIEST days that if MAIDEN ever needed a guitarist, Faulkner would have been Harris's first phone call, Richie said: "Well, yeah, he said, yeah, if anything happened to any of his guys, I would have been the next phone call, which is — I don't know what you call it; like a validation and then some. If Harris would have you in his band, that's amazing. But Steve was one of the first people I told when I got the gig in PRIEST. I was obviously in Lauren, his daughter's band, and I told [Lauren and her] band first, and then I told Steve. And he couldn't have been happier. He thought it was a great opportunity. He loves PRIEST, and he was more than happy to see me do something like that."

He added: "Obviously, I knew Steve before before PRIEST, and, yeah, it's great to be in those two camps. They're both favorite bands of mine, obviously, so it's good to now know both MAIDEN and PRIEST personally. It's crazy, really."

Faulkner, nearly three decades K.K. Downing's junior, joined PRIEST in 2011 after K.K. left amid claims of band conflict, shoddy management and declining quality of performance.

JUDAS PRIEST recently kicked off leg two of its "Invincible Shield" tour with special guest SABATON. Produced by Live Nation, the 23-date tour launched on September 13 at Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec and is making stops in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Omaha, Nebraska; Spokane, Washington; Portland, Oregon; Los Angeles, California; Phoenix, Arizona and more before wrapping up with three shows in Texas on October 22, 24 and 26.

JUDAS PRIEST's latest album, "Invincible Shield", entered the U.K. chart at No. 2, just behind Ariana Grande's "Eternal Sunshine".

Prior to "Invincible Shield"'s arrival, PRIEST's highest U.K. chart achievement was with 1980's "British Steel", which reached No. 4.

PRIEST's 2018 album "Firepower" entered the chart at No. 5.

"Invincible Shield" was JUDAS PRIEST's fifth Top 10 album, after the aforementioned "British Steel" and "Firepower", as well as 2014's "Redeemer Of Souls" (No. 6) and the 1979 live album "Unleashed In The East" (No. 10).

"Invincible Shield" landed at No. 1 in Germany, Finland, Sweden and Switzerland, as well as No. 5 in France, No. 8 in Italy and No. 16 in Australia.

Five Finger Death Punch have released a recap video for their recent show in Mexico City with Metallica. Watch below.


Says the band: "Join us as we dive into the of the M72 tour’s Mexico stop with Metallica! As James Hetfield told us on arrival, 'You have no idea what you’re in for today.' He was right!


"This tour has taken us to every corner of the globe, and our visit to Mexico takes us just three shows away from closing out an epic 2024. This episode finds us in sleep deprivation mode experiencing the full range of life on the road… But we sure as hell woke up from the roar of the crowd! The show was insane."







Five Finger Death Punch donated $200k from a portion of ticket sales from their massively successful headlining arena and amphitheater North American tour this past summer/fall. The funds will be split between two charities handpicked by Ivan Moody and Zoltan Bathory.


Ivan chose Covenant House, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping homeless, trafficked, and exploited youth and young families, in support of Youth Homelessness Awareness Month in November. With 34 locations across the Americas, Covenant House’s mission is to provide shelter, support, and comprehensive services to youth facing homelessness. Highlighting this issue, Five Finger Death Punch leveraged their platform by including facts and resources for the cause in the music video for their 2023 single “Judgement Day” (watch below). An acoustic version of the song is available as a bonus track on the digital deluxe edition of Afterlife, alongside acoustic renditions of “The End,” “Thanks for Asking” and “This is the Way” (feat. DMX), marking the late rappers first #1 at Rock Radio.


“Many of our songs and music videos speak directly to the issues being addressed by Covenant House,” says Ivan. “Our commitment to donating to support their programs and using our platform to raise awareness perfectly aligns with the band's and our fans' values.”


"When a band like Five Finger Death Punch approaches you about raising awareness and funds for children and youth facing homelessness and human trafficking, you say yes,” exclaims Bill Bedrossian, President & CEO of Covenant House International. “For the past year, 5FDP has shared stats and stories about Covenant House on their social media platforms, and now their fans have joined the fight to end youth homelessness. We are thrilled to be in partnership with a group so devoted to the safety and well-being of young people."


Ivan Moody has made significant contributions to raising awareness in the recovery community. As someone in recovery himself, he has devoted both time and hundreds of thousands of dollars to support various recovery-focused organizations. Taking his commitment even further, he has established his own Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), ‘Ciara Coral’, in Cheyenne, WY, dedicated to guiding and assisting addicts throughout the process of recovery and helping them regain control of their lives.


Zoltan chose to support the Call of Duty Endowment, a non-profit organization that helps veterans find high-quality careers by supporting groups that prepare them for the job market and by raising awareness of the value that veterans bring to the workplace. His connection to this charity was forged when he was featured as a character—an in-game operator named Oz—in two Call Of Duty® games: “Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® II” and “Call of Duty®: Warzone™.


“Thank you to Zoltan and Five Finger Death Punch for their generous support that will make a significant impact in the lives of those who have served,” said Helene Imperiale, Senior Director, Call of Duty Endowment. “This donation is instrumental in helping us continue our mission and will assist approximately 150 veterans in finding high-quality careers."


Ove

Duff McKagan has issued two new recap videos for his Lighthouse Tour '24. Watch three available segments below:


#1:







#2:





#3:





McKagan is heralding the US kickoff of his Lighthouse Tour ’24 with the recent premiere of three new songs that see him joined by a trio of iconic punk legends set to accompany him on select dates of the upcoming headline run. All three songs are available now. "All Turning Loose" (Feat. Lee Ving) and "My Name Is Bob" (Feat. Joey Shithead) will be on an exclusive 7” available on this tour.


“'All Turning Loose' seems to highlight those times in life that you just wanna pull your fuckin’ hair out! Lee Ving adds his pure brilliance...and it makes me so happy!” says Duff McKagan. “'My Name Is Bob' is a fun rocker that seemed to write itself one day. Having Joey Shithead be my compatriot along for the ride is one of the best things that could ever happen.”


“Witness the power and glory from Duff & Co on the forthcoming single 'All Turning Loose'," says Lee Ving. “Don’t miss it (especially with me singing on it)! Range War is honored to play upcoming shows with Duff McKagan this November. Keep an eye out for surprises! Don’t miss your chance to see Range War on its first tour in over 35 years! We look forward to seeing you all there!”





“Hey it was great to be invited to sing on 'My Name Is Bob',” says Joey Shithead. “It’s a great story about how messed up life can be for the average person. Duff hit the nail directly on the head with this one. My name is Joe but I’m glad to help kick ass in the name of Bob! Ya Hey!!!”





The US leg of McKagan’s Lighthouse Tour ’24 gets underway on November 4 at Boston, MA’s Paradise Rock Club. Highlights include intimate shows at New York City’s Le Poisson Rouge (November 6), Chicago, IL’s Outset (November 8), and Denver, CO’s Bluebird Theater (November 10), all of which will see support from Lee Ving’s Range War, marking the first live performances from the famed Fear founder’s groundbreaking country-punk outfit in over three decades.


Lighthouse Tour ‘24 then hits Los Angeles, CA’s historic El Rey Theatre (November 13) with support from acclaimed singer-songwriter Grace McKagan, before wrapping up at Portland, OR’s Aladdin Theater (November 18) and Seattle, WA’s The Showbox (November 20) joined by extremely rare solo acoustic performances by leg

Following the October 21 death of original Iron Maiden singer, Paul Di'Anno, the band's self-titled debut album lands on a pair of charts in the United Kingdom, the country where the group formed and got their start.


Forbes Senior Contributor, Hugh McIntyre, reports that the full-length debuts on the Official Album Downloads chart this week. The set comes in at #65 on the list of the bestselling legal downloads in the UK.


This week, Iron Maiden collects their first new win on the Official Album Downloads tally in two years. The last time they debuted a title on the ranking was in October 2022, when Somewhere In Time launched, and eventually rose as high as #92.




Iron Maiden hasn’t appeared as high on the same tally as they do right now in a little bit longer. The rockers reached #1 on the ranking of the top downloaded albums in the UK in 2021, with Senjutsu.


The self-titled affair can also be found on the Official Rock & Metal Albums chart this frame, which is specific to those styles. On that list, Iron Maiden re-enters the race at #33, becoming a Top 40 win once more for the outfit.


Read more at Forbes.








A memorial show has been announced in tribute to Paul Di'Anno. His manager Stjepan Juras, who on October 21 had the difficult job of announcing Paul's death, shared the following update:


"After the indescribable shock and sadness when we found out about the sudden death of the true legend of rock and heavy metal music - Paul Di'Anno, the whole world united in order to pay the last respect to Paul and send him to the other world the way he knew and did it whole life; loud, fierce and energetic.


"Camden Underworld has always been Paul's favourite venue where he always had fantastic shows. In this club, his last show in 2023 was sold out, as would be this one in 2024, which he unfortunately did not manage to play. However, his friends Electric Gypsy, Gypsy's Kiss and Hi-on Maiden, who were supposed to play with him that night, will hold an unforgettable in memoriam show together with their guests, who will sing and play a Paul Di'Anno set from this tour.


"Singers Guzz Colins (Electric Gypsy) and David Smith (Gypsy's Kiss) will sing Paul's songs, and in the meantime we are expecting many other guests. Also guest musicians will be Terry Wapram (ex-Iron Maiden) and Tino Troy (Praying Mantis), and in the near future we expect the response of other musicians and friends, who due to the close date of this event have to schedule their previously agreed commitments.


"The show will take place on November 7 at Camden Underworld, and you can find out about ticket prices and program times at theunderworldcamden.co.uk.


"As merchandise (fc magazine/tour program, t-shirts, patches) was previously printed for the upcoming (cancelled) tour, a very limited number will be available at this event, so if you want to have it, hurry to the club as early as possible.


"You will be able to hear various anecdotes from the stage from friends who worked with Paul. We will raise a glass in his name and once again sing the legendary songs that he performed the loudest, so that he can hear us.


"See you at Camden Underworld."





Paul Di’Anno's Croatian compatriots in Warhorse, Hrvoje Madiraca and Ante Pupačić, paid tribute to Di'Anno following the tragic news of the metal legend's passing. Paul Di'Anno's Warhorse released their debut full-length album back in July via BraveWords Records.





Madiraca and Pupačić shared the following tribute to Paul via Facebook on Wednesday, October 23:


"R.I.P. dear Paul. Hope you'll continue rocking on the other side!


"As sad as we are, the fact that so many people around the world celebrate his legacy is just incredible!!!! True testament to his legacy and to the joy he brought to millions.


"Truth is - he was an incredible guy, not just a legendary singer!!!


"Rock on Paul, wherever you are!"





Di’Anno's manager Stjepan Juras issued the following statement on October 21, announcing Paul's passing:


"On behalf of his family, I am very sad to confirm the death of Paul Andrews, professionally known as Paul Di'Anno. Paul passed away at his home in Salisbury at the age of 66.


"Born in Chingford, East London on 17th May 1958, Paul first came to prominence as lead singer of English Heavy Metal band, Iron Maiden between 1978 and 1981. He sang on their groundbreaking debut album Iron Maiden, and the influential follow up release, Killers. Since leaving Iron Maiden, Paul Di'Anno had a long and eventful recording career with Battlezone and Killers as well as numerous solo releases and guest appearances.


"Despite being troubled by severe health issues in recent years that restricted him to performing in a wheelchair, Paul continued to entertain his fans around the world, racking up well over 100 shows since 2023.


"In 2024 he published his new album with the band Warhorse, and only few month later his retrospective album. His first career retrospective album, The Book Of The Beast was released in September 2024 and featured highlights of his recordings since leaving Iron Maiden.


"I was so proud to call him my friend and I ask his legion of fans to raise a glass in his memory."





Juras then issued the following update:


"Dear friends,


"Sometimes a man thinks he is strong and can handle anything. When I got the phone call yesterday morning about Paul's death, I stayed calm and tried not to break down, knowing that it was going to be a long day, a lot of phone calls, and something I had never faced before. All day and all night I answered literally thousands and thousands of messages, until I collapsed into bed in a sleepless dream. However, when I woke up in the morning and saw all the overwhelming messages of support, all the emotional memories and events, I couldn't stop crying, finally realizing how much Paul meant to people around the world and how much our frantic battle for his life meant to them.


"Paul definitely left too soon. Perhaps the year 66 sounded cool and close to his inimitable temperament, but there was much more ahead of him. I'm not trying to write his obituary, because that's impossible. Paul, both as an artist and as a person, is simply indescribable and those who never knew him personally will never be able to fully understand who Paul was and what Paul was like. I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the nice messages and help from all over the world and all those who are interested in being informed that Paul will be buried at the City of London Cemetary and that way he will be close to his mother and his friend Clive Burr. We still don't know what day it will happen, but we will let all our friends know everything in time. After the funeral, we will all go together to the nearby Cart and Horses, to raise a glass in memory of Paul, and at the same time we will all be able to donate to cover the costs of his funeral.


"What I'm about to tell you now sounds completely crazy, but that's exactly what happened. The book you see in the picture is the story of Paul and his and our fierce fight for his life. The same morning, when the book came out of the press, I received the news of his death. Just a few days earlier, he and I had joked that the contents of this book would completely shock the world and that he didn't know if he was ready for it, but we decided that for his sake and his future life, people needed to know what was going on, because only on that way everyone can help him. Unfortunately, he left too early, he was unable to sign the copy that I intended to give him on the tour in a few days. While I was returning from the printing office with a book in my hand, my heart could not stand it when I passed the Westin Hotel, so I turned towards the hotel and sat on the terrace where we spent a lot of time in recent years. I did not expect that the news of his death spread so quickly that at the same moment all the waiters stood in line and came to bow, sharing with me some of their memories with Paul.


"If the death of Bon Scott ended one era of rock, with the death of Paul Di'Anno also ended another era. He will never, ever be able to be replaced. A book about him is available at www.maidencroatia.com and will be soon at www.pauldianno.co.uk and I will also be happy to help his family financially to give Paul a dignified burial.


"When we have official news about the date of the funeral, we will inform you, and you will be able to find the notice on the Cart and Horses pages. Together with his family, we are working on this and we thank you once again for your great support and help. I'm sorry that we will all have to see each other in such terrible circumstances, but once again we will remember Paul and toast everything he has done.


"I can firmly promise you that I will never allow his legacy to be neglected. As long as I live, the story of Paul will live on. On his official pages and social networks, we will always share memories and thousands of photos and videos that we have taken, and together with all of you, we will make him immortal, even though he already is." - Stjepan Juras





Iron Maiden paid tribute to their former vocalist.


Said Iron Maiden: "We are all deeply saddened to learn about the passing of Paul Di'Anno earlier today. Paul's contribution to Iron Maiden was immense and helped set us on the path we have been travelling as a band for almost five decades. His pioneering presence as a frontman and vo

Last Temptation have released the new single, "Heart Starter". The song is the title track of their new studio album, out on November 22nd via Metalville Records. 


The song indicates where the journey on the new album Heart Starter will take us. Powerful hard rock that catapults the sound of the '70s and '80s into the here and now. Lush riffs and hooks that burn themselves directly into the ear, refined by a great guitar solo and an outstanding vocal performance. It's a song that manages to whet the appetite for the entire new album by the French full-blooded rockers.


Check out "Heart Starter" below.







After two successful albums acclaimed by fans and media alike, as well as appearances at such renowned festivals as Hellfest, the band founded by guitarist Peter Scheithauer (Killing Machine, Belladonna, Temple of Brutality) is ready to embark on the next phase of their musical career.


In 2019, Last Temptation released their self-titled debut album, and in 2022, Fuel For My Soul marked their final breakthrough. At the beginning of 2023, a line-up change marked an important turning point for the band.  Years in the band with long-time Annihilator drummer Fabio Alessandrini, a real high-caliber performer joined the band. Franz OA Wise (Hellbats) took over on bass. Finally, Loup Malevil (Sabotage) adds his melodic, charismatic voice, which enriches the music with raw energy and infectious joy.


"The variety of musical styles we now bring to the table is broader than ever before," explains Peter. "With Loup and F

Neal Morse & The Resonance is the new band from Neal Morse (Transatlantic, Flying Colors) and a brand new set of young musicians from his local Tennessee area, who brought with them a sense of newness and immediacy.


Their new album entitled, No Hill For A Climber, will be released on November 8 via InsideOut Music; the title is taken from a resonant line in Barbara Kingsolver’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Demon Copperhead.


Earlier today, October 28, Morse shared a video of his first writing session with The Resonance, which took place in January 2024. In the clip below, Neal says to the band, "Let me play you this thing that I thought of on the plane." That "thing" is an early demo of "No Hill For A Climber".







“Awesome album! I can safely say this will be a fave of the year for me!” – Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater, The Winery Dogs)


Faithful to any Neal Morse prog album, No Hill For A Climber features two epics (the 28 minute "No Hill For A Climber" and "Eternity In Your Eyes", which clocks in at 22 minutes) as well as three shorter songs: "Ever Interceding", "All The Rage" and "Thief". The latter, Morse admits, is his current favorite: “It’s so different… it’s in all these different sections, and I’m really happy with the way each part has come out. It’s pretty crazy. There’s even a really cool King Crimson-style instrumental bit in the middle that Chris Riley originally came up with at the Radiant School a couple of years ago.”


For all of these reasons, Morse believes that the whole album is unique, but notes that “if I was going to compare its structure to an album I've done in the past, it might be along the lines of Bridge Across Forever or Spock's Beard’s V; it’s not that it sounds at all like those albums, it’s just structurally similar. It has voices and playing styles and soundscapes that many people will have never heard before! Everyone you work with changes you a little bit, so even I sound a little different on this one, but I hope that everyone will love it!”


The album will be available as Limited 2CD Digipak (incl. a second disc of instrumentals), Standard CD Jewelcase, Gatefold 2LP & as Digital Album. Pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


"Eternity In Your Eyes"
"Thief"
"All The Rage"
"Ever Interceding"
"No Hill For A Climber"

Slipknot / ex-Sepultura drummer, Eloy Casagrande, has shared drum-cam video from the band's performance of "Only One", filmed at Moody Center in Austin, Texas on September 17, 2024. Check it out below:





Returning for the third time, Slipknot's Knotfest tour will hit Australia in early 2025. Dates are as follows:




February
28 - Flemington Racecourse - Melbourne


March
2 - Brisbane Showground - Brisbane
8 - Centennial Park - Sydney


Go to the official Knotfest Australia 2025 website here to sign up for early access pre-sale tickets.




 

 
 

 


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Founding BLACK SABBATH drummer Bill Ward has shared a new original poem called "It's Near". Check it out below.

Ward has released a number of poems in recent years, some inspired by the coronavirus pandemic and others celebrating the fall–winter holiday season, including Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Bill was on board for the SABBATH reunion when it was first announced 13 years ago, but backed out soon after. The drummer later claimed that he sat out the recording and touring sessions because of unfair contractual terms, although the members of SABBATH have hinted in other interviews that he wasn't physically up to the task.

All four original members of SABBATH were present when the band announced its reunion in late 2011. But Ward split from the group in 2012, citing an "unsignable" contract, and singer Ozzy Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi and bassist Geezer Butler carried on with their Rick Rubin–produced "13" LP and extensive international touring without him.

Ozzy told The Pulse Of Radio during SABBATH's last tour that Ward was not in shape to participate. "Bill Ward has got the most physically demanding job of the lot of us, 'cause he's the timekeeper," he said. "I don't think personally he had the chops to pull it off, you know. The saddest thing is that he needed to own up to that, and we could have worked around it, whether we had a drummer on the side with him or something."

It was rumored that SABBATH wanted to bring a second drummer on the road to share duties with Ward, something that Iommi confirmed in 2017 during a question-and-answer session about SABBATH's "Ten Year War" box set.

In 2015, Ward released his first solo album in 18 years. Titled "Accountable Beasts", the record can be purchased on iTunes.

In November 2017, Ward's band DAY OF ERRORS released its first two songs, "Day Of Errors" and "Blaspheming At Creation", via iTunes, Spotify, Amazon MP3 and Google Play. Two more tracks, "Dark" and "Ghost Train", followed in 2019.

In March 2021, Ward revealed that he was working on an autobiography.

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A post shared by 🕊⬛️Bill Ward Official⬛️🕊 (@billwarddrummer)

Jake E. Lee says that he is "on the mend", more than two weeks after the former OZZY OSBOURNE guitarist was shot in Las Vegas.

The 67-year-old musician was hit three times in a shooting about 10 miles from the Las Vegas Strip early on Tuesday, October 15. He was later taken to the Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center's intensive care unit.

Earlier today (Wednesday, October 30),Jake took to his social media to share a photo of his dog Coco and he included the following message: "Hi, been two weeks so I feel I should post something. I'm on the mend, no complications so far. Can't put any weight on my foot for another month, so I have a knee scooter for around the house. More fun than the walker. No updates from the detectives on the case. I will address the time of day I was walking my pup at, to fill some space in this post. I'm a night owl, always have been. My wife works graveyard in a casino. 2-3 in the morning is the middle of the day for us! And during the summer, with temps 115-120° [Fahrenheit] during the day, walking Coco in the early morning can still be over 100°. So we walk when it's coolest, and have for the last two years without mishap, until recently. Nothing nefarious. Ok, now what you've been waiting for, another Coco pic!"

Jake's daughter Jade shared the first photo of the guitarist after he was shot. Check out her Facebook post below.

On October 20, Jake posted a photo of his dog on the RED DRAGON CARTEL Facebook page and included the following message: "Thank you again for all your concern. A quick update: back home recuperating. A big thanks to those at Sunrise Hospital for taking such good care of me.

"And some brief details about that night. Walking home from our walk Coco and I crossed paths with a couple of thieves. Dressed darkly, hoodies pulled down their faces and masks covering their mouths. Standing in a neighbor's driveway checking out his motorcycle. There was a verbal confrontation which ended with an agreement that I would walk one way and they would walk the opposite. That didn't work out. I'll probably talk in more detail about it later but right now I can only comfortably do a little at a time."

On October 17, Jake said in another social media post that "the police found 15 shell casings at the scene" where he was shot "which means [the shooter] emptied his clip on me. I could only dodge so many so one bullet went through my forearm, one through my foot, and one in the back which broke a rib and damaged a lung."

According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Lee was in his driveway about to walk his dog at about 2:40 a.m. when he was shot in the forearm; in the back, with the bullet breaking a rib; and in the foot. None of the shots hit a vital organ. A neighbor heard the shots, hid his kids, grabbed a gun and called 911. Lee's dog was unharmed.

The Las Vegas Police Department later released a statement in which they said: "Officers responded to a shooting incident in the 11000 block of Alora Street. Officers arrived and located a male victim suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. The male was transported to the hospital. No arrests have been made at this time. This is an ongoing investigation."

Lee, who was tapped by Ozzy Osbourne to replace the late Randy Rhoads in the singer's solo band, played on two Ozzy records: 1983's "Bark At The Moon" and 1986's "The Ultimate Sin".

In a statement to TMZ, Ozzy said: "It's been 37 years since I've seen Jake E. Lee, but that still doesn't take away from the shock of hearing what happened to him today. It's just another senseless act of gun violence. I send my thoughts to him and his beautiful daughter, Jade. I just hope he'll be OK."

Bret Michaels of POISON wrote on X (formerly Twitter),"To our friend Jake E. Lee — our thoughts, prayers and concerns go out to you, my friend, after hearing the news of you being shot in Las Vegas today. We are all pulling for you & hoping that you will have a speedy & incredible recovery."

JOURNEY's Neal Schon also took to the social media platform. "Crazy world," he wrote. "take care Jake."

NIGHT RANGER's Brad Gillis, who also played guitar in Osbourne's band in the past, shared his own statement on X regarding the shooting. "I just heard about Jake E Lee. Glad to hear he is doing well," he said. "My thoughts are with ya, buddy!"

After performing with Ozzy, Lee formed the hard rock band BADLANDS. He released the solo albums "Retraced" and "Guitar Warrior" in 2005 and 2007, respectively. After a self-imposed exile from the music industry and the public eye, Lee returned with a new band called RED DRAGON CARTEL, releasing a self-titled album in 2013 followed by "Patina" in 2018.

Hi, been two weeks so I feel I should post something. I'm on the mend, no complications so far. Can't put any weight on...

Posted by Jake E Lee's Red Dragon Cartel on Wednesday, October 30, 2024

Posted by Jade Williams on Friday, October 25, 2024

Aston Villa has unveiled an exciting collaboration with Adidas and rock icons BLACK SABBATH, bringing together the power of football and music.

This new launch features a limited-edition Predator football boot and a specially designed Villa shirt that pays homage to Ozzy Osbourne, the "Prince Of Darkness", and the legendary band BLACK SABBATH.

Both pieces celebrate Osbourne's influence in music and culture and offer a unique bridge between sport and rock history, continuing the creative journey of Adidas x Villa and BLACK SABBATH, where Ozzy and Geezer Butler of BLACK SABBATH featured in a one-of-a-kind launch video to announce the partnership.

The custom version of the Predator 24 boot was hand-painted by artist Jordan Dawson, who drew inspiration from the iconic albums from the band as well as their live shows that made them one of the most popular bands of all time. Together, they encapsulate BLACK SABBATH's aesthetic through a colour palette that embodies the band's signature style, creating a striking, cohesive visual.

Speaking of his custom design, Jordan said: "Hand-painting this design on to one of adidas' most iconic boots allowed me to merge fine artistry, sport and the spirit of heavy metal music, resulting in a truly one-of-a-kind custom piece. This collaboration brings together creativity and craftsmanship, offering a unique expression that stands out in both the world of sports and art."

While this exclusive Predator boot will not be for sale, fans can catch a glimpse of it on the pitch as Villa goalkeeper Emi Martínez will wear the custom boot in an upcoming fixture.

In conjunction with the launch of the Predator boot, Adidas and Aston Villa are releasing a limited edition shirt emblazoned with "Black Sabbath" on the back. This distinctive design will debut on the field when Aston Villa face Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup this evening. Available in limited quantities through the Aston Villa Store, this shirt extends the legacy of Osbourne and BLACK SABBATH to fans and offers a tangible piece of history for supporters of both football and rock.

Only 250 adult men's shirts will be available to buy with a BLACK SABBATH patch (200 home shirts, 50 black goalkeeper). They will cost £120, not eligible for any discounts and limited to one per customer.

Speaking about the collection, Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame legend Ozzy Osbourne said: "My absolute favorite colours in the world have always been purple and black. It's been BLACK SABBATH colors for over 50 years. Tony, Geezer, Bill and I look at this as a huge honor. UP THE VILLA!!"

Photo credit: Ross Halfin

The Preds of Darkness 🤝 Prince of Darkness || Aston Villa and adidas celebrate legacy of Ozzy Osbourne and Black...

Posted by Aston Villa FC on Wednesday, October 30, 2024

Adidas chuan Aston Villa fan Ozzy Osbourne leh an band Black Sabbath hmehbelin boot leh jersey an siam.

Boot hi Villa...

Posted by Inkhel Xtra on Wednesday, October 30, 2024

PARADISE SLAVES, a brand new band featuring former members of 36 CRAZYFISTS and DIECAST, has released its debut single, "A Fever To Defeat". Watch the lyric video below.

The Boston-by-way-of-Anchorage quartet cements an uncanny union between vocal powerhouse Brock Lindow (36 CRAZYFISTS),solo artist and guitarist Tyler Stroetzel, guitarist Jon Kita (DIECAST),bassist Brad Horion (DIECAST),and drummer Ryan Manning (PENTAGRAM, BLITZKID).

Mutual admiration and respect sparked the initial flame for PARADISE SLAVES, yet their newly forged friendship lit up their chemistry as brightly as a pyre. That same energy surges through their full-length debut album, due out via Spinefarm in 2025.

Their first single mirrors what brought them together and the one thing that affected us all at the top of this decade.

"It's specifically about COVID," says Lindow. "It was written at the height of the pandemic."

As the story goes, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE guitarist Joel Stroetzel shot a text over to Lindow mid-pandemic. As it turned out, his younger brother Tyler was putting together a solo album, "Dark Verses, Vol. 1", and wanted Lindow to sing on a track. Right away, the duo hit it off as collaborators and buddies.

Following the first song, they continued to write and record. Given his longstanding friendship with Brock, Kita naturally fit in and joined the fold followed by Horion and Manning. Jamming away, they nodded to formative inspirations such as SOUNDGARDEN and ALICE IN CHAINS twisted up with just the right amount of hardcore grit and heavy metal eloquence. In between, they performed alongside the likes of KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY and more. Eventually, the group congregated at Tin Bridge Studios in Massachusetts in order to record.

"This band is something I didn't expect," admits Lindow. "After it fell in my lap, I was making new music with new people and we became brothers, and for that, I'm so grateful. When you get a gift like this, you need to put your best foot forward and have some fire. I definitely still have the same fire and love for making music I always had and it manifests in PARADISE SLAVES."

Photo: Josh DeForge

Drummer Tim "Herb" Alexander has left PRIMUS.

The news of his departure was shared by his bandmates, who claim that they received an e-mail from him nearly two weeks ago saying he had "lost his passion for playing."

Alexander joined PRIMUS in 1989 and left in 1996, then rejoined when they reformed in 2003. He exited the group again in 2010 but returned in 2013.

PRIMUS isn't planning to cancel any upcoming shows; their New Year's gig will feature an "augmented version of PRIMUS featuring members of HOLY MACKEREL and FROG BRIGADE," and for TOOL's "Live In The Sand" destination festival, they will be joined by the latter band's Danny Carey. As for their 2025 "Sessanta" dates, they're planning on "searching for the 'greatest drummer on earth'."

PRIMUS's full statement reads as follows:

"On Thursday, October 17th, we received an email from Tim 'Herb' Alexander expressing that effective immediately he would no longer be involved with PRIMUS. It came as a complete shock to all of us here in the PRIMUS camp.

"On the heels of a wonderful Spring & Summer of touring and some fabulous plans ahead, it has been a bit bewildering for us that Herb would so abruptly opt out. After several attempts to communicate with Herb, his only response was another email stating that he has 'lost his passion for playing'. As disappointing as that is, we respect his choice and it’s forced us to make some tough decisions.

"We considered cancelling the annual New Year's show, but after much talk Les and Ler have decided to pivot to an augmented version of PRIMUS featuring members of HOLY MACKEREL and FROG BRIGADE. This will be an exciting special, one-time event.

"As far as future PRIMUS, the band is looking forward to performing in the Dominican Republic with TOOL and others. Danny Carey has once again graciously offered to fill the drum throne. For 'Sessanta', PRIMUS plans on searching for the 'greatest drummer on earth'. Details to follow...

"Thank you for all your support and understanding."

In July 2016, Alexander revealed that he suffered a second heart attack after he previously endured a similar health scare in 2014.

A decade ago, Les Claypool's plan to reform the "classic" PRIMUS lineup — with Alexander and guitarist Larry Lalonde — was put on hold when Alexander suffered his first heart attack, a "minor" attack that resulted in the drummer requiring triple bypass surgery. To fulfill its touring obligations, PRIMUS recruited Carey to fill in for a few dates. Three months after open-heart surgery, Alexander rejoined PRIMUS on the road.

On Thursday, October 17th, we received an email from Tim "Herb" Alexander expressing that effective immediately he would...

Posted by Primus on Tuesday, October 29, 2024