QUEEN guitarist Brian May has revealed he recently suffered a minor stroke.

Although the episode initially left the 77-year-old rock legend unable to use his left arm, he has since regained enough movement to be able to play music again.

"The good news is that I can play guitar after the events of the last few days," he said in a video posted earlier today (Wednesday, September 4) on his web site. "I say this because it was in some doubt because that little health hiccup that I mentioned happened about a week ago, and what they called it was a minor stroke. All of a sudden — out of the blue — I didn’t have any control over this arm. So it was a little scary, I have to say."

May was rushed to Frimley Park Hospital in Camberley, Surrey where he received "the most fantastic care and attention; blue lights flashing the lot, very exciting."

Brian went on to say that he did not want to go public with his minor stroke at the time "because I didn't want anything surrounding it. I really don't want sympathy. Please don't do that, because it'll clutter up my inbox, and I hate that. The good news is I'm okay. I'm just doing what I’m told, which is basically nothing. I'm grounded, I'm not allowed to go out, drive, get on a plane, I'm not allowed to raise the heart rate too high. But I am good."

May's stroke came four years after he had a "small" heart attack. At the time, he said was shocked to realize he wasn't as healthy as he thought, and he was "very near death". He discovered three arteries were "congested and in danger of blocking the supply of blood to my heart", and subsequently had surgery to fit three stents — tiny tubes to hold open blocked arteries.

Four and a half years ago, May had to be hospitalized after he tore his buttocks "to shreds" while gardening. As a result, he developed severe sciatica and suffered what he later described as a "small heart attack" from the medication. May then had a bad reaction to his heart attack medication and nearly died. More recently, Brian underwent cataract eye surgery.

He later said that he believed that coronavirus may have played a role in his heart attack because of the way the virus thickened the blood. As a result, he said he was living a "ridiculously careful" life with actress wife Anita Dobson — whom he credited with saving his life.

"She was incredible," he told the Daily Express back in 2020. "I couldn't do anything and she just kind of nursed me, so I will forever be in her debt; she did an incredible job on me."

In celebration of OPETH's new single, "§1", hitting one million streams on Spotify, the band has released a guitar playthrough video of the track by guitarist Fredrik Åkesson. Check it out below.

"§1" is taken from OPETH's upcoming album, "The Last Will And Testament", which will arrive on October 11 via Reigning Phoenix Music/Moderbolaget.

Asked in a recent interview with Bloodstock TV's Oran O'Beirne if "§1", which contains growling vocals from OPETH guitarist/vocalist Mikael Åkerfeldt, is representative of the entire record, Mikael said: "Yeah, I think so. Maybe. I mean, in that sense, yeah. There is some screams on the other songs — not all of them, but on some of the other songs. Good screams, I must say. It's a very restless record. Somebody said claustrophobic. And it's not a very happy record. It's very — I mean, every metal band says the word 'dark', but it's… restless, it is my best, to sum it up. We don't linger on anything. It's just like an explosion of ideas. It's like TikTok."

Regarding the "The Last Will And Testament" album title, Mikael said: "Yeah, well, it is a concept record that basically starts with the… The whole record is about the reading of the last will and testament of this main character that's passed away — a rich, old fuck. Conservative, old, stern, noble patriarch who passed away, and the record starts when he summoned his three children to go through with solicitors, his last will and testament."

Asked how he came up with the concept for the new OPETH album, Mikael said: "It's not completely my idea. I got interested in the topic even on the last record. There's a song on there called, the English title was 'Universal Truth' — I think we did a video for that one — which also dealt with kind of those types of, like how blood's not always thicker than water, how money can drive family members into chaos. So I got interested in that topic. And also along comes the TV series 'Succession', which is, I'm not sure if you've seen it, but a great TV series about a power struggle between siblings taking over after their Murdoch-type father."

He added: "It's interesting. And it also helps me if I have a theme of sorts if I'm gonna write lyrics. Otherwise, I end up writing stuff, I don't even know what they mean."

OPETH's fourteenth album 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 recent interview with Marcus Schleutermann of EMP, Åkerfeldt was asked how "The Last Will And Testament" is different from other OPETH albums. Mikael said: "I don't know. It's weird. That's not really different for us, I guess. But I'm doing some of the screams again, which I haven't done for a long time. And there's some guests on there. Ian Anderson from JETHRO TULL is on there doing spoken word and playing flute. And Joey Tempest [of EUROPE] is on it. But, yeah, it's a concept record. Somebody said it sounds claustrophobic. It's a claustrophobic-sounding record. And there's a lot of ideas. It's a restless record. There's not meandering stuff happening all the time. Even I don't really know the songs yet. But, of course, I would say that, but I think it's good — it's a good record."

Regarding Joey's contributions to "The Last Will And Testament", Mikael said: "Tempest doesn't sound like Tempest on [EUROPE's biggest hit] 'The Final Countdown'. I had him over at my house. I asked him, 'Could you sing a few lines?' 'Let's push the record button,' he said. At the time I didn't have the lyrics ready, so I was, like, 'I'm sorry. I have to record it from somewhere else.' But he's really going for it. He sounds amazing. I mean, I'm a big EUROPE fan, being Swedish. I love them. And I think for him to be on this record, it's a bit different by his standards because it doesn't really sound like a EUROPE record at all."

Asked if he and Joey are friends, Mikael said: "I guess. I guess we're friends. Yeah. He sent me a text one day. It's, like, 'What's up?' And I was, like, 'Hey, Joey Tempest.' And we met at festivals, and he invited me over to his house. I mean, we know the EUROPE guys. Fredrik, one of his best friends is [John] Norum, the [EUROPE] guitar player. So, we're good friends with the whole band. But, yeah, Joey Tempest, we hang out every now and then."

On the possibility of a OPETH/EUROPE joint tour, Mikael said: "We talked about it, but it's hard to know… Ultimately, we make the calls for who we gonna tour with. For instance, we gonna tour in North America soon with TRIBULATION, and they're friends. And then we're going to tour in Europe with GRAND MAGUS, which is also friends. And EUROPE, we have talked about touring together, but it's hard to know if people like that package or not. I'm not sure… I think [EUROPE] would have to play after us then, because you don't want to go up after 'The Final Countdown'."

Asked if the songs on "The Last Will And Testament" all stand on their own or if they are all connected in some way, Mikael said: "They are connected lyrically, but also to a certain extent that one song bleeds into the other, which I always liked anyways. It's basically the reading of a testament. So it's like paragraphs. There are no real songtitles on there. It's a bit odd by our standards even. But you could, of course, extract any song from — we don't have to play the whole record."

OPETH will embark on a North American tour this fall. The trek, which will kick off on October 11 in Milwaukee, includes stops in New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, New Orleans, Austin, Denver and more.

In a new interview with SDTV - Stonedead Festival, DIAMOND HEAD's Brian Tatler spoke about how he came to join SAXON in early 2023 as the replacement for the latter band's founding guitarist Paul Quinn. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "A few years ago, DIAMOND HEAD signed to the same label as SAXON and the same management, which was Adam Parsons. Then in 2022, I was asked if I would stand in for Paul, because he had COVID. And they said, 'Would you do Steelhouse Festival on the weekend? Would you be prepared to learn the set?' So I did that. And then Paul was okay, he recovered, so he was okay to do the gig. But they said, 'Thank you for learning the set and all that.' And then, of course, they knew then that, 'Oh, okay, he'd learned the set. He's interested.' So then I started to think to myself, 'Oh, I wonder if they might ask me again. Paul might even leave the band one day.' So I started thinking about it. 'What if they asked me to join? What would I say?' And I thought 'Yeah, I'd say yes.' And so about six months later, I got a phone call on in March 2023 and Adam Parsons said, 'Paul's leaving the band. Would you be interested in taking over and learning the songs, doing all these festivals that we've got lined up and we've got a tour with JUDAS PRIEST?' 'Of course. Yes, please.' So I did. And then I had a bit of time to learn the stuff properly, and then we had a couple of rehearsals. And away you go. And the first gig was in Athens opening for DEEP PURPLE. So, fantastic."

Regarding what it has been like touring all over the world with SAXON in the past 14 months, Tatler said: "Obviously, I'm very excited to do it and it's all fresh to me. It's great to play with new people. I think it's good to have a challenge as well and learn new material, play with different people, rather than be stuck in a rut. So maybe I just bring a kind of enthusiasm that I'm loving it. And it's great fun. I'm really enjoying it."

He continued: "I always thought maybe a big band would come knocking one day, 'cause it seemed to be taking a long time for DIAMOND HEAD to reach the top of the ladder. But I didn't know who it was gonna be or if it was ever gonna be… I said yes immediately, and I'm happy to do it. It's fantastic. I really enjoy it. This'll be my 80th gig tonight with SAXON and I've really enjoyed it. I can honestly say every single gig we've done so far has been great."

Tatler made his live debut as SAXON's new guitarist on July 7, 2023 at the Rockwave festival in Athens, Greece.

Brian has joined fellow guitarist Doug Scarratt, bassist Nibs Carter, drummer Nigel Glockler and singer Biff Byford for shows and studio recordings but will continue to be a member of DIAMOND HEAD.

In March 2023, Quinn thanked fans for their "outpouring of love and respect" after his announcement that he was "stepping back from touring".

As a result of Quinn's decision, SAXON canceled its April 2023 South American tour as well as the appearance at the Monsters Of Rock cruise.

SAXON's 24th studio album, "Hell, Fire And Damnation", was released in January via Silver Lining Music.

In a December 2023 interview with Robert Cavuoto of Metal Rules, Byford talked about his working relationship with Tatler. Biff said: "He's great, actually, Brian. He's a legend as well, isn't he? He's sort of up there with Paul Quinn, I suppose. Especially with METALLICA covering some of [DIAMOND HEAD's] songs, he's a bit of a riffmeister. So I suppose we're replacing one riffmeister with another riffmeister. So, I think that works really well. But it's nice working with him. He's a pretty cool guy, and he's got some great ideas. I don't think DIAMOND HEAD heard the riff of [SAXON's new song] 'Madame Guillotine' [from 'Hell, Fire And Damnation']. I think that was a fairly new riff. I think maybe they heard the riff that he had for [the] 'Hell, Fire And Damnation' [title track], but I don't think DIAMOND HEAD would have written a song like 'Hell, Fire And Damnation', if you know what I mean. It would have been a different title, different lyrics, different melody. So, it's good working with him. He wants to write great music. That's what's great about Brian. He really cares about writing a great song, which is great."

Former LAMB OF GOD drummer Chris Adler has joined forces with vocalist Alex Villarreal, guitarist Tim Ossenfort, bassist Taylor Brandt and keyboardist Tim King in a new modern American rock band called SHALLOW RISING.

SHALLOW RISING came to life one winter in a cold basement in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, where Ossenfort started writing demos and sharing them with his friend Adler. The duo initially met at a recording session in Nashville, becoming good friends and later working together on a hardcore project.

Ultimately, they decided to take these new demos to a studio in Los Angeles, accompanied by Taylor Brandt. After some work it became obvious what was missing, and they added Tim King onto the team. King, Brandt and Ossenfort had all previously toured the country together extensively. Finally, Ossenfort reached out to Alex, another longtime friend, and the new group spent the next year rewriting their songs.

In a recent interview with "The Liquid Conversations" host Shawn SixX, Adler stated about how SHALLOW RISING came together: "Well, it's been an interesting process to not only remove myself from those bands that I felt were amazing and I loved everything about doing them, but it was, in the end, pretty unhealthy. So getting myself out of that, and I had this really strange random opportunity to do a project in Nashville, just like as a session player. And so I go there, as most guys do as session players, you just show up and do what you're supposed to do. And I met Tim Ossenfort, and he and I just got along, like, we just vibed correct. There was something about the wavelengths of friendship that made sense, and we've kept in touch since. He reached out to me and said, 'Hey, I got this thing going on with a bunch of dudes, and I'd love to have you involved. Let's go to L.A. and record some drums.' So I go to L.A., and in my mind, it's like, 'Well, clearly they want death metal drums. I guess that's what I'm supposed to be doing.' So I go there and he's playing me the tracks and I go in and record 'em, and then we get to, like, song three, and I'm, like, 'This is not really death metal.' This is like — I don't want to call it 'friendly,' but it's a different animal than what I thought I was hired to do. So we kind of changed, or at least in my mind, changed the perspective and just talked about it for a good while and kind of made it into something that I think is wildly different than what I've ever done and really special. It is something that has a lot of heart… It has all the elements of all that we love about metal, but it also really carries like a positive message and a lot of love, which is something clearly I've been missing for a long time. So it's been a real pleasure to not only find the friendship with Tim, but to do something a little bit outside of what is expected."

In June 2020, Adler addressed his exit from LAMB OF GOD, saying that "everybody parted on good terms. I left my drum throne in good hands with Art [Cruz, current LAMB OF GOD drummer], who has been a friend. I think I met Art when he was 17 years old — I've got a picture of me and him standing outside the bus when he stood there waiting for an autograph. So he and I have been friends for a long time. And, obviously, the guys in the band are not only family," referring to the fact that his brother Willie plays guitar for LAMB OF GOD, "but became great friends over 25 years. And it was quite a career that we had. It didn't end — I don't think anybody from either side would say it ended really particularly well in that I think we all hoped and dreamed and wanted all the same thing but just couldn't seem to get ourselves on the same page, for whatever reason.

"As much as I loved doing what I was doing, it certainly seems like it was kind of a good time to maybe step away," he added. "And I think everybody wins in that regard. And I wish the best for them, and I'm sure they do… You have to speak to them — I'm not sure — but I hope they do for me.

"I didn't leave because I didn't want to be involved with music or play the drums. [And] I didn't leave the band because I was wanting to do something too heavy or too light or anything like that. It was just kind of a mutual crossroads… The shoe didn't fit anymore on either side.

"I'm happy to have had been a part of it. I think if I was [still] in that band, I would be pushing even further than what we've ever done before."

Taylor Brant - Bass, Tim Ossenfort - Guitar, Alex Villarreal - Vocals

Posted by Shallow Rising on Friday, August 30, 2024

Chris Adler on drums

Posted by Shallow Rising on Friday, August 30, 2024

Posted by Shallow Rising on Tuesday, March 5, 2024

MASTODON has hinted at the release of a new song.

The Atlanta metallers, who haven't put out any fresh music since the arrival of 2021's "Hushed And Grim" LP, floated the possibility of a new track in a social media update commemorating the 20th anniversary of their "Leviathan" album.

The band wrote: "Happy 20th Anniversary, 'Leviathan'!

"It's wild to look back at how far we've come in the past two decades. In the 'Leviathan' days, we were grinding it out in a van, dreaming of something bigger. Who would've thought that would lead to 20 years of incredible experiences! Grammy nominations and a win! #1 spots on the Billboard Rock Chart, and even a cameo in 'Game Of Thrones' amongst other things!

"We've had the honor of touring the world, playing everywhere from small clubs to massive festivals, sharing the stage with our favorite bands like SLAYER, METALLICA, and PRIMUS. Now, celebrating 20 years of 'Leviathan' alongside our good ole' buddies [LAMB OF GOD] as they mark 20 years of 'Ashes Of The Wake' on a co-headline arena tour — just wow!

"Seeing our fanbase grow into a global community has been amazing. Thank you to everyone who's been rockin' with us since 'Leviathan' and to those who've joined us along the way! The last 20 years have been an incredible ride, and it feels like we're just getting started.

"We're excited for what's next… maybe even a new song sooner than you think... maybe…"

MASTODON's "Ashes Of Leviathan" co-headlining tour with LAMB OF GOD celebrates the 20th anniversary of "Leviathan" and LAMB OF GOD's "Ashes Of The Wake" albums, both of which were released on the same date in 2004 (August 31).

"Ashes Of Leviathan" has taken MASTODON and LAMB OF GOD through the U.S. and Canada, culminating on the exact 20th anniversary of each album on August 31 in Omaha, Nebraska at the Astro Amphitheater.

"Leviathan", released on Relapse Records, was MASTODON's first concept album, loosely based on the 1851 novel "Moby-Dick" by Herman Melville. Three magazines named the LP "Album Of The Year" in 2004: Revolver, Kerrang! and Terrorizer. In 2009 and 2015, MetalSucks named "Leviathan" the best metal album of the 21st century. "Leviathan" was also released with an audio DVD in a limited-edition set with a black-and-gold slipcase.

MASTODON's latest album, the aforementioned "Hushed And Grim", was a double LP recorded at the band's Atlanta studio, West End Sound. The effort was produced by David Bottrill (TOOL, RUSH, MUSE, PETER GABRIEL) and was MASTODON's most expansive song cycle to date, featuring 15 distinct tracks. It achieved the band's third consecutive No. 1 debut on the Billboard Hard Rock Albums chart and earned MASTODON a Grammy Award nomination for the track "Pushing The Tides". Additionally, the album's single "Teardrinker" secured a top 10 position on the rock radio charts, a further testament to the band's widespread acclaim.

Happy 20th Anniversary, Leviathan!

It's wild to look back at how far we've come in the past two decades. In the...

Posted by Mastodon on Saturday, August 31, 2024

New Jersey thrashers OVERKILL played their first concert with their new drummer Jeramie Kling (VENOM INC.) on Friday (August 30) at the Posada Rock festival in Câmpulung Muscel, Romania. Kling joined the veteran outfit as the replacement for Jason Bittner, who announced his exit from OVERKILL earlier this month.

According to Setlist.fm, the setlist for OVERKILL's performance at Posada Rock was as follows:

01. Scorched
02. Rotten To The Core
03. Hello From The Gutter
04. Bring Me The Night
05. Wicked Place
06. Mean, Green, Killing Machine
07. Electric Rattlesnake
08. Horrorscope
09. Necroshine
10. Deny The Cross
11. The Surgeon
12. Ironbound
13. Elimination

Encore:

14. In Union We Stand
15. E.vil N.ever D.ies
16. Fuck You (THE SUBHUMANS cover)

Fan-filmed video of the show can be seen below.

When OVERKILL announced Kling's addition to the band on August 23, the group said in a statement: "We're gearing up for an epic European and North American tour this August through December and are excited to announce a special addition for the tours. Here comes a thunderous old friend, who had done work with us, as well as THE ABSENCE & VENOM INC. Please welcome, with drum sticks in hand, Jeramie Kling!"

Jeramie added: "Words cannot express how stoked I am to share the stage with my good friends in OVERKILL. We will be laying waste to everyone throughout Europe and North America (with KING DIAMOND). Check the dates online and come out to see an unforgettable night of metal \m/".

A founding member of THE ABSENCE, Kling appeared on VENOM INC.'s second album, 2022's "There's Only Black", and has played with such acts as FORE, RIBSPREADER, GOREGÄNG and NECROMANCING THE STONE. He was also briefly affiliated with the reunited Florida death metal band MASSACRE, which led to the formation of INHUMAN CONDITION, alongside Terry Butler (OBITUARY, ex-DEATH) and Taylor Nordberg (DEICIDE). In addition to being a drummer, Kling is a recording engineer, producer and live sound engineer.

Bittner joined OVERKILL in 2017 and played drums on the band's last two studio albums, 2019's "The Wings Of War" and 2023's "Scorched"

When Bittner has announced his departure from OVERKILL on August 5, he said in a statement: "On August 1, 2024, I played the Vagos Metal Fest in Portugal, and it was the last show I will play in the band OVERKILL.

"For a while now I have been juggling a few different bands along with OVERKILL, and I knew at some point something would have to give since I simply can’t be three places at once. Over the course of this last year, my schedule has reached that breaking point.

"At this time SHADOWS FALL is working towards completion of our new material that will take us back out on the road sometime in 2025, as well as our fall shows we have booked for the rest of this year celebrating 20 years of 'The War Within'. Compounded on top of this is my new band, Metal Blade recording artists CATEGORY 7, whose album just hit the shelves last month and will start touring soon through 2025. All of this adds up to something having to 'take a break', so as of today I no longer play drums in OVERKILL so I can concentrate solely on the bands that I am a full member/owner of.

"Now don't worry — they currently have another great drummer already learning the material, and he will be ready to do battle for the upcoming tours.

"I would like to thank EVERYONE in the OVERKILL extended family for 7 1/2 years of laughs, killer shows, and fun around the globe. All our crew members throughout my run, our agents Dolores Lokas and Mike Monterulo, my tech Animal for always having my back (Shake and Bake),as well as all of our crew past and present, the SKULLKRUSHERS (much love Jurgen),and all the fans who supported my tenure in the band, I love you all, thank you, and will miss you on the European and KING DIAMOND tours… but I'll see you out there with SHADOWS FALL and CATEGORY 7."

SLAYER guitarist Kerry King's solo band performed at Red Rocks Amphitheatre near Morrison, Colorado on Thursday, August 29. The show was part of the "Ashes Of Leviathan" tour, which is co-headlined by MASTODON and LAMB OF GOD.

Fan-filmed video of King's performance can be seen below (courtesy of In Agony).

The Red Rocks Amphitheatre is the "only naturally occurring, acoustically perfect amphitheater in the world," according to the venue's web site.

Located about 10 miles southwest of Denver, Colorado, the Red Rocks Amphitheatre began hosting concerts in 1908 and has welcomed everybody from classical symphonies and THE BEATLES to John Denver and U2.

Former MACHINE HEAD and VIO-LENCE guitarist Phil Demmel, who is a member of King's solo band, took to his Instagram Live on Friday (August 30) to reflect on the experience of performing at Red Rocks. He said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Most of you probably have not been there, but Red Rocks is an amphitheater, a natural amphitheater in the Denver area, outside of Denver. And it's made inside of this natural rock formation and it's one of the most unique venues that I've ever been to. It sounds amazing. It was like a destination gig on the tour. So people were flying out to the show. So we had a lot of friends in from all over the area to go to the show. And so we wanted to put a lot of emphasis on killing it and being extra on point for this one. So it was cool having all our friends there. And LAMB OF GOD and MASTODON had a bunch of family out. The MALEVOLENCE guys had a bunch of guests out there too. So, yeah, [it was] my first time being there, even watching a show or performing or whatever, first time being there, so [I was] trying to take it all in, trying to see all the nooks and crannies. And it was great. It sounded great on stage. I felt that we had a really strong performance."

Demmel added: "We do a block of a couple of SLAYER songs [during King's set] — 'Raining Blood' goes into 'Black Magic', which was one of my favorite first SLAYER songs. I saw them their first show ever in the [San Francisco] Bay Area. They became my favorite band. They're the reason why I play heavy music. But after finishing playing that song and looking up and into this spectacular view, because it was full by the time we finished that, and it was all the way to the top and it was nice, sun against the clouds and this rock formation, I had to walk off the stage. I was just overcome with the gravity of it all."

King's vocalist Mark Osegueda also took to social media to reflect on the Red Rocks experience. He wrote: "[Thursday] night I fulfilled a career long dream! Ever since I started performing music I have always wanted to play at Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre! Well.. Last night it finally happened with Kerry King.

"We had a great set! And the crowd was amazing! It truly was such an incredible experience!

"The whole 'Ashes Of Leviathan' tour featuring LAMB OF GOD, MASTODON, KERRY KING and MALEVOLENCE has been amazing! All the bands and their crews have been wonderful! Ours included! So.. A HUGE Thank you to all of them!

"I love all of the incredible experiences and opportunities music has brought to my life! But! Some have that special check this one off of the dream come true list. And.. Playing Red Rocks was one of them! I only hope that I'm fortunate to play there again some day! But! You only walk onto that stage for the first time once! And… Yesterday I did just that!"

The SLAYER guitarist's solo band played its first concert as the support act for LAMB OF GOD and MASTODON on July 19 at the Texas Trust CU Theatre in Grand Prairie, Texas.

The six-week "Ashes Of Leviathan" tour will wrap on August 31 in Omaha, Nebraska.

Joining Kerry in his new band are Osegueda, Demmel, Kyle Sanders (bass; HELLYEAH) and drummer Paul Bostaph (SLAYER, TESTAMENT, EXODUS).

In early May, the KERRY KING band performed its first live show at Reggies in Chicago. In the days following, the band went from playing an intimate venue to performing at the huge U.S. festivals Welcome To Rockville (Florida) and Sonic Temple (Ohio).

KERRY KING launched a European tour on June 3 — King's 60th birthday – in Tilburg, The Netherlands. The trek combined headline shows in the U.K., The Netherlands, Germany, Italy and Spain but also festival appearances such as Rock Am Ring, Hellfest, Tuska, Download, Sweden Rock Festival and many more.

King's debut solo album, "From Hell I Rise", was released in May. All material for the LP was written by the 60-year-old SLAYER guitarist. Helming the sessions at Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles last year was producer Josh Wilbur, who has previously worked with KORN, LAMB OF GOD, AVENGED SEVENFOLD and BAD RELIGION, among others.

"From Hell I Rise" was released in May. All material for the LP was written by the 60-year-old SLAYER guitarist. Helming the sessions at Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles last year was producer Josh Wilbur, who has previously worked with KORN, LAMB OF GOD, AVENGED SEVENFOLD and BAD RELIGION, among others.

Last night I fulfilled a career long dream!
Ever since I started performing music I have always wanted to play at Red...

Posted by Mark Osegueda Official on Friday, August 30, 2024

Video has appeared on YouTube of Ace Frehley’s 1992 show in Cincinnati, OH from Bogart’s on July 28. 


The concert was during the original KISS guitarist’s Just For Fun Tour and the setlist featured tracks from his KISS days and also from his then most recent solo album, Trouble Walkin’.


The video of the show cuts out during the Dynasty cut “Hard Times”.

Former Dream Theater drummer, Mike Mangini, has shared a new video along with the following message;


"I realized that I never posted 'A View From The Top Of The World' with any album tracks. Essentially, this is a cover song (of myself - weird).  Drums are mixed up and so is the Helicopter generated electronic step hi-hats effect to hear the LRR foot pattern I discuss in classes, etc." 







M

Slipknot have released the new video below, recapping the band's sold out show at New York City's famed Madison Square Garden on August 12.





Slipknot’s Here Comes The Pain Tour, produced by Live Nation, includes arena plays nationwide this summer, followed by global performances across arenas later this year and throughout 2025. Knocked Loose, Orbit Culture and Vended are confirmed as support on select dates.




Tickets are on sale now. See below for a full list of dates.


2024 dates:


September
1 - Pryor, OK - Rocklahoma
7 - Auburn, WA - White River Amphitheatre #
8 - Ridgefield, WA - RV Inn Styles Resorts Amphitheater #
11 - Nampa, ID - Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater #
13 - Inglewood, CA - Intuit Dome #
14 - Inglewood, CA - Intuit Dome #
15 - Phoenix, AZ - Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre #
17 - Austin, TX - Moody Center #
18 - Dallas, TX - Dos Equis Pavilion #
21 - Des Moines, IA - Knotfest Iowa at Waterworks Park #
26 - Louisville, KY - Louder Than Life Festival


October
11 - Sacramento, CA - Aftershock Festival
19 - São Paulo, Brazil - Knotfest Brasil


November
8 - Guadalajara, Mexico - Calle 2
9 - Mexico City, Mexico - Parque Bicentenario


December
5 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Ziggo Dome
6 - Dortmund, Germany - Westfalehallen
8 - Stuttgart, Germany - Schleyerhalle
9 - Leipzig, Germany - Quarterback Immobilien Arena
11 - Zürich, Switzerland - Hallenstadion
12 - Paris, France - Accor Arena
14 - Leeds, UK - First Direct Arena
15 - Glasgow, UK - Ovo Hydro
17 - Manchester, UK - Co-op Live
18 - Birmingham, UK - Utilita Arena
20 - London, UK - The O2
21 - London, UK - The O2


* w/ Special Guests Knocked Loose and Orbit Culture
# w/ Special Guests Knocked Loose and Vended


2025 dates:


June
6-8 - Nurburg, Germany - Rock Am Ring
6-8 - Nuremberg, Germany - Rock Im Park
12-14 - Nickelsdorf, Austria - NovaRock







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On August 17, Swiss heavy metal force, Burning Witches, performed at Summer Breeze 2024 in Dinkelsbühl, Germany. ARTE Concert has uploaded professionally-filmed footage of the band's full set, which can be viewed below.


Burning Witches' setlist (as per Setlist.fm):


"Unleash The Beast"
"Wings Of Steel"
"Dance With The Devil"
"Hexenhammer"
"Lucid Nightmare"
"Evil Witch"
"The Dark Tower"
"Burning Witches"







Burning Witches cannot be stopped. After winning over American audiences earlier this year on their support run with the mighty KK's Priest, the blazing quintet returns for a US headline tour this fall.


Featuring support on select dates from Graveshadow, the tour kicks off in Hollywood, CA on October 24 and hits several major markets, ending in Satellite Beach, FL on November 15. Tickets for all dates are on sale now, head here for more information.


Says the band: “We are stoked to continue our conquest of the USA with this new tour leg through the Western and Southern states! America has treated us so amazingly since our first shows - we feel deeply connected with the country of Rock N Roll! Our run in July was so overwhelming, we are looking forward to new adventures in October! See you soon again, ‘Merica!”





Tour dates:


October
24 - Hollywood, CA - The Whisky
25 - Roseville, CA - Goldfield Trading Post*
26 - Fresno, CA - Fulton 55
27 - Morro Bay, CA - The Siren*
29 - Salt Lake City, UT - Leatherheads*
30 - Grand Junction, CO - Mesa Theater*
31 - Denver, CO - HQ Live*


November
2 - Las Vegas, NV - Vamp'd*
3 - Glendale, AZ - 44 Sports Grill and Nightlife*
6 - El Paso, TX - Rockhouse Bar and Grill
8 - San Antonio, TX - Fitzgerald's
10 - Dallas, TX - Sundown at Granada Theater
11 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Live Midtown
13 - Buford, GA - 37 Main
15 - Satellite Beach, FL - Wynfields


* with Graveshadow


Lineup:


Laura Guldemond - Vocals
Romana Kalkuhl - Guitars
Courtney Cox - Guitars
Jeanine Grob - Bass
Lala Frischknecht - Drums







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Rejoice, all ye disciples of doom and sludge, Restless Spirit release a string of good news:


The trio from Long Island has announced a digital live EP entitled The Doomed And The Dead... Live, to be released on October 2. The recording took place at the RPM Fest in Massachusetts, USA in September 2023. And even better: the Americans already serve the digital single, "Lord Of The New Depression" (Live At RPM Fest) as a delicious appetizer right now. Listen below.


Restless Spirit comment: "The track 'Lord Of The New Depression' has been a staple in our set since our second EP, which turned releasing it on our first ever official live recording into a no-brainer", singer and guitarist Paul Aloisio writes. "It's one of the shorter songs in our discography but still contains all the hallmarks of our sound, which makes it both a nod to our longtime supporters and an introduction for those just getting into us that have not yet discovered our earlier works. After hearing the live recordings from RPM Fest in Massachusetts last September, we figured that it was time to release something that showcases our live sound. It was an awesome event all around with a great community taking part, and we were more than happy to be there and have our performance captured."







Tracklisting:


"Judgement And Exile"
"All Furies"
"Cascade Immolator"
"Lord Of The New Depression"
"From The Dust Returned"


"Lord Of The New Depression":





Restless Spirit will be joining The Obsessed as the direct support on all dates of their 30th Anniversary of The Church Within tour in the US this October.





Lineup:


Paul Aloisio – guitar, vocals
Jon Gusman – drums
Marc Morello – bass


(Photo - Susan Hunt)







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DESTINY INVEILED is a metal band from Turku Finland founded in 2018. They combine different sub genres of metal in their music. Leaning towards modern metal and influenced by bands such as Stam1na and Vola, their songs will make the audience headbang while also including catchy choruses. This band is an interesting, growly but melodic fusion that you should definitely check out.

Watch ‘Burden’ lyric video on YouTube, listen on music services


Destiny Inveiled is collaborating with Turku Rock Academy of Rock Academy Finland. The band has been touring extensively after the pandemic and is consistently cooking up new material. For now the band has released four singles, all produced by Mark Bertényi and Tuomas Riihimäki. As mixing engineers, the band has been extremely fortunate to use rock solid professionals such as Joonas Parkkonen, Hiili Hiilesmaa,Jori Saloranta and Aleksi Rintala.

The band comments:
The burden that one carries accumulates over time and the weight has to be eased before its too late. The weight can be shared with others, even if its terrifying to carve it up. No one should have to break under the pressure of their own burden.

Composer: Tuomas Kapuinen
Lyrics: Tuomas Kapuinen
Arrangement: Tuomas Kapuinen, Julius Pinomäki, Lassi Kriikkula, Leo Lintupuro
Production: Mark Bertényi, Tuomas Riihimäki
Recording: Tuomas Riihimäki, Auran Panimo
Mixing engineer: Aleksi Rintala
Mastering: Jackson Shuudifonya, Southwest Mastering
Catalog number: VRDIG317
ISRC: FIV2U2400048
Distributor: Playground Music Scandinavia.
Destiny Inveiled are:
Tuomas Kapuinen – guitars, vocals
Julius Pinomäki – guitars, vocals
Lassi Kriikkula – bass
Leo Lintupuro – drums

Horns Up Games, the metal masters behind Lord Of Metal, are proud to announce their game and the launch of its Kickstarter. Brought to you by veterans from Epic Games, Wargaming and seasoned metal artists, Lord Of Metal promises to deliver a gaming experience as heavy as the riffs it celebrates. Rock and metal meets video games in this pure nostalgic tribute for and from old-school gaming kids from the 1980s and 1990s. An honest game with no gimmicks and tricks.

Prepare to be blown away as Horns Up Games unleashes Lord Of Metal, a headbanging new single-player story-driven heavy music festival management simulator where your goal is to start small and go big organizing concerts and festivals bringing life and colors to a dystopian bleak world overtaken by the Grey. Launching its campaign on Kickstarter today, this game is set to be the ultimate experience for metalheads and gamers alike.

It's a long way to the top if you wanna rock 'n' roll, and Horns Up Games is thrilled to announce that Lord Of Metal is set to launch on Steam in early 2027, with subsequent releases planned for Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch. Horns Up Games aims to provide an electrifying premium core game experience across all major platforms including DLCs and expansions. Fans can look forward to a sneak peek, as Horns Up Games plans to have the first demo build ready by the next GDC (Game Developers Conference) event.

Epic stories: Horns Up Games is implementing some real stories that it has witnessed at events and those it just has heard about… Or that it claims to say it has heard about.

Authenticity: Experience the thrill of running a heavy metal festival based on real-world insights. Make decisions that impact your band's success and legacy. You'll scout for locations, sign up sponsors, book bands, arrange for infrastructure and supplies for the festivals, negotiate with local factions, hire staff and much more.

Creative Freedom: Build your dream metal empire by recruiting a unique crew and curating the ultimate lineup. Personalize the decorations, FX, sound, stage presence and even your iconic tour bus. The game is non-linear and, therefore, there is always something to explore.

Unique Gameplay: Dive deep into festival management with a blend of strategy, real-time action, and storytelling. Manage concerts how you want: be there for the money, praise or recognition.

Authentic Music: Enjoy a curated soundtrack featuring a variety of metal genres and iconic references.

Engaging Narrative: Uncover a captivating story filled with charismatic characters and unexpected twists.

Stunning Visuals and Locations: Immerse yourself in a vibrant world brought to life with gorgeous art and epic crowd scenes. Plan and execute epic concerts around the globe in majestic locations in its nonlinear campaign. Want to organize a concert on the slope of a volcano? Or on a huge iceberg? Or atop a giant oil rig? Sure thing!

The disciple of the Lord Of Metal will be able to experience the game localized in several languages: English with voiceover, and text localizations in German, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Brazilian Portuguese, Ukrainian and Polish. Horns Up Games is also building its game in Unreal Engine 5 to ensure the best-in-class visual experience for our players. Horns Up Games will feature a rich soundtrack, representing a variety of metal and rock genres, utilizing modern sound technologies in game development.

Horns Up Games aims to create a solid, old-school game focused on gameplay rather than monetization. No in-game purchases, no game-as-a-service mechanics and tricks. You buy the whole thing and enjoy all the content available on release.

Bassist Pär Sundström of Swedish metallers SABATON, who serves as the CEO of Horns Up Games, comments: "Hello there! My name is Pär and I play bass guitar in a heavy metal band SABATON. For the past 25 years my life has revolved around the music industry: playing live shows, managing a band, performing at and organizing festivals. I wanted to make an exciting single-player game that I myself wanted to play. Not some mobile game with tons of in-app purchases and no gimmicks... So join us on this adventure and support us on Kickstarter."

Alexey Morozov, creative director for Lord Of Metal at Horns Up Games, adds: "Lord Of Metal is a story-driven music festival management sim being developed for PC and consoles. We're building our game in Unreal Engine 5 to ensure the best-in-class visual experience for our players.

"As avid gamers with decades of experience, we appreciate it when we know exactly what we're getting. That's why from the very start we've decided that we’re going to deliver the game as a single-player 'box' product. No in-game purchases, no game-as-a-service mechanics and tricks. In Lord Of Metal you get a glimpse of what's going on 'under the hood' of festivals and find out what's happening backstage, on and off site of the festival grounds."

Join Horns Up Games on this epic journey and become the true Lord Of Metal. With gameplay as intense as a thrash metal riff and strategy as deep as the growl of a death metal vocalist, this game is set to crush the competition and melt faces worldwide.

UK-based, saxophone-driven, instrumental, avant-garde/post-black metal, eccentrics, FIVE THE HIEROPHANT, announce new studio album “Apeiron”, set for release on October 18th via Agonia Records.

Listen to the first single “Initiatory Sickness”, here:


A European tour will coincide with the release of “Apeiron”, starting from October 11th. Supporting the band on select dates will be Thantifaxath and Inter Arma.

FIVE THE HIEROPHANT continues to walk the winding path they’ve chosen for themselves in the beginning; further down towards within, and further out towards new horizons. Refusing to ascribe to a singular style, they blend elements of black/doom, psychedelic, ambient, experimental and jazz into one syncretic trip. “Apeiron” is a hypnotic, hallucinatory experience with heavy emphasis on the dark atmosphere, cinematic dreamscapes, and repetitive ritualistic trance-inducing sounds. The production, without a doubt, is a step up from the previous installment, “Through Aureate Void”. The band keeps expanding the use of atypical instruments, such as: horns, trumpets, gongs, bells, violins, skull shakers, ritual drums and other tools, which help to capture the haunting spirit of the music.

Commented by FIVE THE HIEROPHANT: “After a few years of wait, and a lineup change, we are happy to present you our new album. We feel like it’s a very Five The Hierophant album, set within the specific sound we managed to forge, but with a fair bit of new ideas, twists and turns. In our opinion its more trippy and hypnotic, but less monotonous than the previous work. Once again, this is an all instrumental work, without any samples or spoken word this time. The album is called «Apeiron», meaning boundless in Greek, which reflects the atmosphere of the record very well.”


Tracklisting:
1. Apeiron
2. Moon Over Ziggurat
3. Tower of Silence I
4. Initiatory Sickness
5. Uroboros
6. Tower of Silence II

“Apeiron” was recorded and mixed between summer and autumn 2023. It was engineered and mixed by Sam Thredder at Cro’s Nest in south London. Haldor Grungerg performed the mastering of the album at Satanic Audio (Azarath, Behemoth). The front cover contains a painting by Odd Nerdrum, used with kind permission.

Tour dates:
11/10 NL Nijmegen – Soulcrusher*
12/10 DE Dresden – TBA*
13/10 PL Krakow – Alchemia / Soulstone Gathering *
14/10 PL Warsaw – Klub Hydrozagadka#
15/10 PL Poznan – Klub pod Minogą #
16/10 DE Berlin – Neue Zukunft / Unlimited Sonic Use*
17/10 FR Nancy – MDE artem*
18/10 BE Antwerp – Desertfest Belgium
19/10 SCO Glasgow – Sword of Damocles Festival

*with Thantifaxath
#with Inter Arma & Thantifaxath

Line-up:
Jon – sax
Gavin – bass, effects
Chris – drums, percussion
Kali – guitars, effects

Aussie melodic death metal titans, Orpheus Omega, are back with a music video release for their soul-crushing track, "Star Maps". Taken from their new album, Emberglow (out now via WormHoleDeath), the "Star Maps" video is a poignant exploration of isolation, regret, and the desperate hope for redemption.


“'Star Maps' is an expression of stoicism and its effects on one's self-image. When moments in life have taken hold and feel overwhelming, emotionally removing one's self by pushing compassion away can be a coping mechanism. This is a journey of one performing such stoicism, defining their life and the path they've taken," said bassist Leon Monaco.


"Musically it contains some of the most emotive moments of the album Emberglow, using atmosphere and long melodic passages to represent the repressed emotion given within the lyrics. Every time the chorus explodes, the emotions held back by the storyteller are kicking against its cage showing how poorly holding back such emotions can be. The bridge pulling back represents a full shift into one's internal control, where the storyteller truly loses their sense of self and can no longer recognize the individual."







With a career spanning four albums, three EPs, and countless tour cycles both domestically and abroad, Orpheus Omega has cemented themselves as one of the hardest-working and entertaining mainstays of the Australian metal scene.


Beginning with a sound forged along the lines of the great Gothenburg melodeath era, the band has since grown further and further into a unique entity feeding off each member’s personality and life, bringing them to touring with the likes of: Insomnium, Trivium, At The Gates, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Lacuna Coil and many more.


The continued evolution of Orpheus Omega has kept the band relevant and ever-growing, and in 2024 brings with it the release of their most ambitious album yet, Emberglow, through WormHoleDeath Records.





Tracklisting:


"We Were Kings" 
"Emberglow" 
"Atomizer" 
"Destiny Machine" 
"The Tangle" 
"Star Maps" 
"Marionette" 
"The Collector" 
"Paper Dreams And Concrete Walls" 
"Bound To Apathy" 

KK'S PRIEST, which features former JUDAS PRIEST members K.K. Downing (guitar) and Tim "Ripper" Owens (vocals),performed on Sunday, September 1 at the Rainbow Bar & Grill Backyard Bash 2024 in West Hollywood, California. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below.

According to Setlist.fm, KK'S PRIEST's setlist was as follows:

01. Hellfire Thunderbolt
02. Strike Of The Viper
03. One More Shot At Glory
04. The Ripper (JUDAS PRIEST song)
05. Reap The Whirlwind
06. Night Crawler (JUDAS PRIEST song)
07. Sermons Of The Sinner
08. Burn In Hell (JUDAS PRIEST song)
09. Diamonds And Rust (Joan Baez cover)
10. Hell Patrol (JUDAS PRIEST song)
11. The Green Manalishi (With The Two Prong Crown) (FLEETWOOD MAC cover)
12. Before The Dawn (JUDAS PRIEST song)
13. Breaking The Law (JUDAS PRIEST song)
14. Sinner (JUDAS PRIEST song)

Encore:

15. Raise Your Fists

KK'S PRIEST added two PRIEST classics to its setlist on KK'S PRIEST's recent European tour: "Sinner" and PRIEST's version of the Joan Baez song "Diamonds And Rust".

KK'S PRIEST, which also includes guitarist A.J. Mills (HOSTILE),bassist Tony Newton (VOODOO SIX) and drummer Sean Elg (DEATHRIDERS, CAGE),and German/American metal legends ACCEPT have joined forces for a North American tour. The massive run began on August 31 in Los Angeles, California, visiting a slew of major cities in the USA and Canada — such as Toronto, Montreal, New York and Nashville — before coming to an end in San Francisco, California on October 7.

KK'S PRIEST's first-ever U.S. headlining tour, which featured support from L.A. GUNS and BURNING WITCHES, kicked off on March 7 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and concluded on March 24 at Keswick Theatre in Glenside, Pennsylvania.

KK'S PRIEST's sophomore album, "The Sinner Rides Again", came out in September 2023 via the Austrian label Napalm Records.

KK'S PRIEST made its live debut on July 6, 2023 at Downing's KK's Steel Mill in Wolverhampton, United Kingdom.

K.K. formed KK'S PRIEST after JUDAS PRIEST turned down his offer to rejoin the band for their 50th-anniversary tour. It followed a couple of celebrated stage appearances, first with former MANOWAR guitarist Ross The Boss in the summer of 2019, then with a one-off lineup that included former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson and former PRIEST drummer Les Binks later that year.

KK'S PRIEST released its debut album, "Sermons Of The Sinner", in October 2021 via Explorer1 Music Group/EX1 Records.

Downing spent four months writing and recording "Sermons Of The Sinner" and, along with new ideas, he even resurrected a few archived riffs from the 1980s.

Downing was reunited with JUDAS PRIEST for a performance at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony in November 2022 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

PRIEST received the Musical Excellence Award at the event, which honored Eminem, Dolly Parton, DURAN DURAN, Lionel Richie, Pat Benatar, EURYTHMICS and Carly Simon in the Performers category.

Downing left PRIEST in 2011 amid claims of band conflict, shoddy management and declining quality of performance. He was replaced by Richie Faulkner, nearly three decades his junior.

In 2019, Downing said that he reached out to JUDAS PRIEST about taking part in the band's 50th-anniversary tour but that their response was that they were not interested in including him in the celebrations.

In 2018, Downing revealed that he sent two resignation letters to his bandmates when he decided to quit JUDAS PRIEST. The first was described as "a graceful exit note, implying a smooth retirement from music," while the second was "angrier, laying out all of his frustrations with specific parties."

Downing later said that he believed the second letter was "a key reason" he wasn't invited to rejoin PRIEST after Glenn Tipton's decision to retire from touring.

Owens joined PRIEST in 1996 and recorded two studio albums with the band — 1997's "Jugulator" and 2001's "Demolition" — before PRIEST reunited with Rob Halford in 2003.

Polish extreme metal giants BEHEMOTH have announced the release of their monumental anniversary concert "XXX Years Ov Blasphemy" which originally streamed online in 2021. The career-spanning show, held at and filmed on three different locations, has a total running time of 90 minutes, divided into three different acts. This very special set features fan favorites as well as a few selected deep cuts that BEHEMOTH had rarely played live before.

For this event, BEHEMOTH went all in and took the concept of streaming shows during the pandemic to a whole new level, with a full production, incredibly detailed stage set-ups, breathtaking photography and a high-end sound recording.

Way too good to only be seen or heard once, "XXX Years Ov Blasphemy" will now be officially released on October 25 as three-CD + Blu-ray, three-LP and digital album.

As an appetizer, you can now watch the live video for the song "Cursed Angel Of Doom", which originally appeared on BEHEMOTH's first demo, "Endless Damnation", back in 1992.

BEHEMOTH frontman Adam "Nergal" Darski commented: "This project encompasses the BEHEMOTH mantra — connecting the ancients with the modern era by building a bridge through each decade. Join us in this celebration of black metal and unholy worship, as we continue to outlive Jesus Christ himself!

"We are delighted to put the spotlight on 'Cursed Angel Of Doom', the track that started it all. It signifies the beginning of an incredibly inspiring artistic journey that changed our lives forever.

"Legions — we hope you enjoy."

"XXX Years Ov Blasphemy" track listing:

Act 1

01. Chant Of The Eastern Lands
02. Lasy Pomorza
03. Summoning (Of The Ancient Ones)
04. Blackvisions Of The Almighty
05. Cursed Angel Of Doom
06. Pure Evil And Hate

Act 2

01. The Thousand Plagues I Witness
02. Decade Ov Therion
03. Christians To The Lions
04. 44 (The Youth Manifesto)
05. Heru Ra Ha: Let There Be Might
06. Chant For Ezkaton 2000

Act 3

01. Demigod
02. At The Left Hand Ov God
03. Alas, Lord Is Upon Me
04. Ora Pro Nobis Lucifer
05. Rom 5:8
06. O Father O Satan O Sun!

In a new interview with The Rock N' Roll & Coffee Show, ex-WHITE LION singer Mike Tramp was asked what his former bandmate, guitarist Vito Bratta, thinks about Mike releasing two albums of reimagined WHITE LION songs with a lineup that includes guitarist Marcus Nand. Tramp said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I can't sit here and completely honestly confirm what Vito thinks. He did give Marcus his blessing and so on. I have a feeling that it might awaken a few wounds. I mean, there are times when I sit and watch a JOURNEY [video] with Arnel Pineda singing, and I close my eyes and go, '[Steve] Perry's back.' And I think, man, how does Steve Perry feel? Probably one of the greatest voices next to Freddie Mercury. How does he feel? Has it really, really ever been completely confirmed that that's where he wanted to be, that's what he wanted to happen?

"You almost feel like my woman went away with the pool boy," Mike continued. " It's, like, 'Well when he can do it, we'll bring someone in who can do it and he's gonna be 100 percent.' And there will be people in the 25th row that [do] not know it's Steve Perry up there, I'll guarantee you.

"I haven't really gotten the chance to really say this in any interviews, and that is that when I turned to Vito three days before we were playing the final [WHITE LION] show on the first tour with the new rhythm section, and something had happened, and we were backstage waiting for the power to come back, I turned to Vito and go, 'When we play Boston the day after tomorrow, it's the final show. I'm done.' And Vito, with the classic Vito look, just goes to me. 'Okay.' Just like that. The day after the show, I fly back to Los Angeles, he flies to New York and stuff like that. And I've said this many times, but I don't think people listen. There [was] not one person in the big WHITE LION machine — record company, managers, publishers, merchandisers, road crew and Vito — who said, 'Let's just give Mike a couple of days to fucking calm down. And then we'll say, 'Okay, how about a break right now? And let's regroup and see where we're going with the next…' And up until today, and up until also tomorrow, not one single time in even in between the lines, in a hidden way or a sign in the sky has Vito ever come out with even anything that just smelled like, 'I would like to do something with Mike.' Not necessarily a WHITE LION reunion."

Tramp added: "If Vito had called me and [said], 'Let's do what Robert Plant and Jimmy Page did.' They knew they weren't gonna put LED ZEPPELIN back together because they felt John Bonham was [impossible to replace]. 'Let's do an album together. We're not gonna go out touring. Let's do something, let's see how strong our songwriting is.' Not a single word, but I have had to defend every time I brought WHITE LION back in one way or another — either with lawsuits, that I came too close to, 'Oh, you're calling it…' and stuff like that, all those things. And every time, after the smoke clears, I call Vito and he tells me 'you're my friend' and stuff, and we talk and we don't fucking get any further than just the weather today. But I still have to defend. And Vito has not done the courtesy, both to me and the fans… And as I say that, I consider Vito my friend, and I would do almost anything for him. He has not gone out and told the fucking world that 'I'm not coming back on stage. I'm not recording anything else. There will not be a reunion.' Instead, there's this old interview [that Vito gave to] Eddie Trunk. Eddie was part of WHITE LION at the beginning, so him and Vito and I have always been very, very, very close. And Vito is up there talking to Eddie — it's almost probably even 10 years ago — [and saying] 'Oh, well, the door's not closed.' Door's not closed? But it leaves me being sort of the bad guy, but I'm not gonna feel like the bad guy. I'm just going out there. I've been the only person keeping WHITE LION alive since WHITE LION broke up. One way or another, you can't do an interview or anything with me without WHITE LION being mentioned."

Tramp will release "Songs Of White Lion - Vol. II" on August 23 via Frontiers Music Srl.

MIKE TRAMP'S WHITE LION, the band fronted by the former WHITE LION singer, will embark on a U.S. tour this summer.

Last year, Tramp was asked in an interview about the possibility of WHITE LION reforming for a tour. He said: "When we broke up in '91, we always knew we would never go back together. And a lot of people always talk about reunions. WHITE LION reuniting would not be a better WHITE LION than WHITE LION was, so I'm out there performing the songs, not trying to recreate WHITE LION."

Asked if he has ever thought of calling his solo band WHITE LION and touring with new members, Mike replied: "I can't call it WHITE LION." Pressed about whether he would call his band WHITE LION if he could, Mike said: "I tried, and it cost me money. [Laughs] I think that the audience now is understanding that I'm just keeping the songs alive, and I'm able to perform it in a different way. I'm able to show the image that I'm not coming out there and doing a show but I'm gonna take them through like a greatest hits. I like to tell stories about what the songs are. You can't always do that on a festival when you have one hour, but that is my goal, that I will keep the songs alive. And I think that all the fans and the music fans know who Mike Tramp is and it doesn't need to be called WHITE LION. But it's called 'Songs Of White Lion'."

Back in 2019, Tramp revealed in an interview that he had apologized to Bratta for trying to resurrect his former band without his onetime songwriting partner and bandmate.

The Danish-born singer hasn't played with Bratta since WHITE LION performed its last concert in Boston in September 1991.

In the 33 years since WHITE LION broke up, Bratta's public profile has been virtually nonexistent, while Tramp has remained active, recording and touring as a solo artist and with the bands FREAK OF NATURE, THE ROCK 'N' ROLL CIRCUZ and, more recently, BAND OF BROTHERS. Tramp also attempted to revive WHITE LION with the 2008 album "Return Of The Pride", featuring new members. Two years later, Tramp ceded ownership of the name WHITE LION to Bratta in an out-of-court settlement.

Speaking to SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation", Tramp said that he and Vito are once again on speaking terms following his ill-fated attempt to bring back WHITE LION a decade and a half ago.

"I have, over the past couple of years, been the one out there basically both admitting and apologizing that the only thing that I never planned to do in my career and wanted to do was go back and rehash a version of WHITE LION that had nothing to do with WHITE LION, nothing to do with the guys that played in the band," Mike said. "Mike Tramp's heart was not in it. It was just a moment of weakness, not believing enough in my solo albums. [You listen to] some guys saying, 'Hey, if you put a new WHITE LION together, you can play festivals and get much more money.' And then you fall for that and you engage in it and you go out there, and then you realize it's not what you wanna do. And then, of course, Vito did not want the name WHITE LION to be used without him being in the band. And it actually took a couple of years for me to really understand how much it meant to Vito. And when Vito one day told me in one of these conversations… First of all, he told me, 'Mike, I'm not against you. I just don't wanna turn YouTube on and see the title 'WHITE LION live in so and so,' and somebody doing 'When The Children Cry' solo and it's not me. WHITE LION was you and me, it was our band, we wrote the songs. That is the memories I want for the rest of my life.' And when he told me that, I had tears in my eyes and I totally understood it, because I had also gotten to that point that when we closed WHITE LION, we felt that this is where we wanted to stop it. There was something, going into the '90s, that didn't agree with the things we were looking at, and we wanted to somehow end it on a higher level than something that would not represent us in the future. But it just took many years to really understand it."

Asked if he understands why Vito doesn't want to play music professionally anymore, Mike said: "Yes, I do, because there are actually times when I also don't feel like doing it anymore. When all the magic around us, the stuff that made us fall in love with rock and roll — first of all, our heroes, then the industry, then the touring stuff — when all of that was really exposed that it was a two-faced kind of thing, that the people we thought loved us — and I'm not talking about the fans; I'm talking about the people that made money from us, and stuff like that — turned their back on us and stabbed us in the back, it really ripped us apart. And maybe it's just that I came from a different background than Vito, that I maybe was a little bit stronger or just of a different nature that I just fought back, but Vito just said, 'I just don't wanna deal with this.' And I understand now — I understand it from every conversation that I have with him."

Tramp also once again closed the door on a possible WHITE LION reunion, saying: "I can't be Mike Tramp 1988. I can't sing like that, and I'm not going up on stage and doing a half-assed job, which most of the bands out there are doing."

Mainly active in the 1980s and early 1990s, WHITE LION released its debut album, "Fight To Survive", in 1985. The band had its breakthrough with the double-platinum-selling "Pride" album, which produced two Top 10 hits: "Wait" and "When The Children Cry". The band continued its success with the third album, "Big Game", which achieved gold status.

By the time WHITE LION released its final album, 1991's "Mane Attraction", alternative rock was in the ascendancy, leading to a swift decline of the so-called "hair metal" scene in terms of sales, popularity, radio play, and most importantly, relevance.

Mike released "Songs Of White Lion", in April 2023 via Frontiers Music Srl.

The Black Dahlia Murder recently performed at the 2024 edition of Germany's Wacken Open Air festival. Professionally-filmed footage of the band performing "What A Horrible Night To Have A Curse", "Nightbringers", and "Deathmask Divine" can be viewed below:





"Mammoth's Hand" is the latest single from The Black Dahlia Murder. The track comes by way of the band's upcoming tenth studio album, Servitude, set for release on September 27 via Metal Blade Records.




"Mammoth's Hand" is partly inspired by a scene from Don Coscarelli's 1982 swords 'n' sorcery epic, The Beastmaster. "We usually like to give some idea of what kind of diversity is gonna be on the album with the first two tracks we release," vocalist Brian Eschbach offers. "[guitarist] Ryan Knight wrote the music for this, and the slow rhythm made me think of these barbaric warriors riding mammoths out in the snow or that scene from The Beastmaster when the Jun horde takes the village."


Eschbach further elaborates, "'Mammoth's Hand' is a romp through a fictitious frozen tundra in which a clan of nomadic mammoth riding cannibals conquer villages in a time devoid of technology. The slow groove of this song is a vibe not often implemented by the group but immediately inspired a vision in my mind of a slow moving yet gigantic and powerful beast of antagonistic nature."


Watch The Black Dahlia Murder's video for "Mammoth's Hand," created by Marco Pavone:





The guitars, bass and vocals for Servitude were recorded at guitarist Brandon Ellis'  home studio in New Jersey. The drums were recorded by Mark Lewis in Nashville, Tennessee where the album was also mixed. Servitude was mastered by Ted Jensen.





Servitude will be released on digipak CD, cassette, and digital formats as well as vinyl in the following color variants and special editions:


- Electromagnetic (US)
- Rising Smoke (US)
- Transcosmic Blue (US)
- Endless Tide (US)
- Utopian Black (US)
- Cursed Creation (US - Exclusive Band Tour Variant)
- Limited Edition Box Set *(with Ephemeral vinyl variant and a bonus LP that Includes 3 Live Tracks (US - Ltd. 400 / EU - Ltd. 600)
- 180g Black (EU)
- Bloody Pulp (EU - Ltd. 1000)
- Nature's Grain (Impericon Exclusive - Ltd. 300)
- Blood Spray (EMP Exclusive - Ltd. 200)
- Stone Cold (EU - Ltd. 200)
- Lost Nobility (UK - Ltd. 300)


Find pre-orders here.





Servitude tracklisting:


"Evening Ephemeral"
"Panic Hysteric"
"Aftermath"
"Cursed Creator"
"An Intermission"
"Asserting Dominion"
"Servitude"
"Mammoth's Hand"
"Transcosmic Blueprint"
"Utopia Black"


"Aftermath" video:










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INFRARED - "Demon's B

BLANDINI videos by Eric Hutcheson has uploaded multi-camera video of ANTHRAX singer Joey Belladonna performing the RAINBOW classic "Man On The Silver Mountain" with his tribute band to Ronnie James Dio on August 18 at Conduit in Orlando, Florida. The new group, in which Belladonna is joined by Mike Rivera on guitar, Rob Stokes on bass, and Jim McCourt on drums, is performing music from DIO, BLACK SABBATH and RAINBOW. Check out the clip, along with the previously released video of Belladonna performing the DIO classic "Holy Diver", below.

A decade ago, Belladonna spoke to Jay Nanda of the San Antonio Metal Music Examiner about the ANTHRAX frontman's involvement in "This Is Your Life", the tribute to album to Ronnie James Dio. Asked why ANTHRAX chose to record a cover version of the BLACK SABBATH classic "Neon Knights", Belladonna said: "I think I suggested it. When we talked about doing something, collectively, we all like the song, so it was a no-brainer. We could pretty much pick anything… I went for the heavier."

Asked if recording the "Neon Knights" cover was a more emotional experience than some of the other cover versions ANTHRAX had recorded over the years, Belladonna said: "For me, no. I just love doing that type of thing, and it was another day for me to sing something of his. Obviously, I'm excited, because it is a record, but I don't think I did it any different. In fact, I only did a couple of takes. I mean, I actually have on video the first time I tried it, and it pretty much sounds like what it sounds like already. It was business as usual for me."

Regarding what Ronnie meant to him, Joey said: "Ronnie's an inspirational singer for me." He added: "I really believe that as you grow up, you're inspired by the people that perform and things that you would like to hear yourself be in that kind of category and have such a talent like he did and just be inspired. [He was a] great human being, great musician — just all that… He was just the slickest. He was so heavy but melodic, as well as his attitude about everything. He had great charisma."

Belladonna also spoke about the first impression Ronnie made on him. "He made me laugh big time," Joey said. "He just want[ed] to be funny. And yet he [was] so sincere and [could] have that serious point of view. You need to be enthralled with that when you're around him, to have him speak to you with that kind of attitude and spunk that he had. And I'd been around him when things weren't so good, which I won't bring up right now, but to have him share that with me, which was more private, about being in his band — things like that. Just to engage in that with me and run that by me."

Belladonna, whose most recent return to ANTHRAX was officially announced in May 2010, was originally the lead singer of ANTHRAX from 1984 to 1992, and was considered part of the influential thrash metal group's classic lineup (alongside guitarists Dan Spitz and Scott Ian, bassist Frank Bello and drummer Charlie Benante),which reunited and toured during 2005 and 2006. His voice was featured on over 10 albums, which reportedly sold eight million copies worldwide.

METALLICA has shared a new music video for "(Anesthesia) Pulling Teeth" — late METALLICA bassist Cliff Burton's bass solo on the band "Kill 'Em All" album — featuring previously unseen photos of Burton from shortly before his death.

METALLICA commented: "We recently acquired hundreds of photos shot by late photographer Russ Marino in Detroit and Chicago in 1985 and 1986. While a few of the photos got the print treatment in magazines back in the ’80s, the vast majority — many of which are alternate images from the same shoot — are seeing daylight for the first time.

"Clark Eddy, whose name you may recognize from the credits of several other METALLI-projects, edited a new music video for '(Anesthesia) Pulling Teeth' featuring some of the more electric moments and portraits.

"Visit the METALLICA Black Box at Metallica.com to check out 'Orion: A Tribute To Cliff Burton', an exhibit dedicated to honoring the man and musician's life and legacy. Including photos, images, and video from the past alongside newly conducted interviews, we hope this collection helps you connect with Cliff in a larger way than before.

"A huge thanks to the Burton family and friends for helping us celebrate Cliff this way."

Cliff was asked to join METALLICA in 1982 after the band saw him perform with his group at the time, TRAUMA.

The bassist was not willing to move to Los Angeles, where METALLICA was based, so they decided to move to the San Francisco area so that he would join.

Burton played on METALLICA's first three studio albums — "Kill 'Em All", "Ride The Lightning" and "Master Of Puppets" — and co-wrote classic songs like "Ride The Lightning", "For Whom The Bell Tolls", "Fade To Black", "Creeping Death" and "Master Of Puppets".

His life was tragically cut short at the age of 24 in a tour bus crash on September 27, 1986 in Sweden.

Burton's initial replacement in the group was Jason Newsted, who stayed in the lineup until 2001. Robert Trujillo joined in 2003 and remains in the band to this day.

February 10, 2018 was proclaimed "Cliff Burton Day" by Alameda County supervisors. The late METALLICA bassist would have turned 56 years old on that date had he lived.

Back in 2016, METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich spoke to Seattle's KISW 99.9 radio station about Burton's tragic loss when METALLICA's tour bus skidded on ice while the group was on tour in Scandinavia and Cliff was thrown out the window and crushed. Lars said: "We were so shocked and stunned that we didn't know what hit us. And, like most, I guess, kids in their early 20s who get ambushed with that type of thing, we jumped into a bottle of, in this case, vodka, for me, and stayed in there for quite some time. We weren't mature enough or seasoned in life enough to know how to deal with this other than just to sort of, basically, almost hide behind the alcohol and compartmentalized it. So the next few months were very difficult, and it was crazy, but we just put the blinders on and started auditioning bass players. And we knew in our hearts that Cliff would be the first one to kick us in the ass and tell us to keep going, if he could see us mope. And so there was no moping; we just kept going the best we knew how to."

METALLICA frontman James Hetfield was asked in an interview with TeamRock what he thinks Burton might have thought about the drastic changes in its look and sound that METALLICA made through the 1990s and early 2000s with albums like "Load", "Reload" and "St. Anger". Hetfield replied: "Well, I certainly would have thought there would have been some resistance, for sure. I think the 'Black Album' was a great album and I appreciate the fact that we did have the balls to do that… I would certainly think that the 'Load' and 'Reload' [era], I would have had an ally that was very against it all — the reinvention or the U2 version of METALLICA."

Asked if Hetfield was personally comfortable with the more "alternative" image and music METALLICA made on those albums, the singer/guitarist replied: "No, no, not at all. There’s some great, great songs on there but my opinion is that all of the imagery and stuff like that was not necessary. And the amount of songs that were written was… it diluted the potency of the poison of METALLICA. And I think Cliff would have agreed with that."

Burton's huge talent and achievements were chronicled in book form with the 2009 global publication of "To Live Is To Die: The Life And Death Of Metallica's Cliff Burton", written by U.K.-based author Joel McIver and published by Jawbone Press. The foreword was provided by METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett.

PRETTY MAIDS singer Ronnie Atkins has crossed the five-year mark since he was diagnosed with lung cancer.

Earlier today (Tuesday, September 3),Atkins shared the following update via social media: "On this very day it's been 5 years ago since I was diagnosed with cancer. But as it happened, in those 5 years I managed to write and record a lot of music. I got back on stage and toured around the world in different constellations and counting. I had a beautiful grand daughter and in a few days I'll follow my daughter up the aisle. This was all something I hardly dared dream about back then 5 years ago when I faced the devastating bad news. But I'm still here alive and kicking. I still have dreams to follow and above all I still have a huge lust for life !!!

"That said !!! I'm also aware that I wouldn't have been here if it wasn't for the skilled onkologists/doctors, the ever evolving treatment methods, the fantastic staff/nurses that's been around me through this and finally God the allmighty for watching over me.

"I sincerely hope that my situation can serve as an example or at least a light in the dark to others who might find themselves tangled up in the despair and hopelesness that comes with this horrible disease.

"So let me use the opportunity to once again thank all my family and friends and all of you out there for having my back.
For all the blessings, greetings and love that was passed my way through these 5 years. I'm beyond grateful".

After being diagnosed with lung cancer in 2019, the now-59-year-old Atkins underwent at least 33 radiation and four chemotherapy treatments in the fall of that year before being declared cancer-free. In October 2020, he announced that his cancer had returned.

In a 2013 interview with Myglobalmind, Atkins joked that the secret to keeping his voice in shape was "twenty cigarettes a day and little drink now and then."

Formed in early 1982 by Atkins and guitarist Ken Hammer, PRETTY MAIDS' third album, 1987's "Future World", is still today regarded as a "classic."

During the ensuing years, PRETTY MAIDS continued to release albums usually followed by European and Japanese tours.

PRETTY MAIDS' latest album, "Undress Your Madness", came out in November 2019 via Frontiers Music Srl.

In July 2022, Atkins spoke about his cancer battle during an interview with Chaoszine. Regarding his prognosis. Ronnie said: "I don't know about my own situation. I'm living in intervals of three months — from scan to scan. You never know what's gonna happen. I never know what they're gonna tell me next time I turn up. I feel okay now, but it can happen pretty fast sometimes. The red light's been flashing a couple of times. They didn't find anything. The last two years I've been cancer-free, so to speak. It's still there; I've got metastasis in my bones — it's spread to the bone now, which is very bad. But I had immunotherapy for two years, which is probably why I'm still here. Now I'm not getting any treatments. I'm just saying that the future is very unpredictable."

Asked how long he thinks he can keep recording music and touring, Atkins said: "I'm happy every day I can open up my eyes. That's just the conditions of my life now. The cancer thing is totally a game changer, not just for me but for my family too. It's there 24-7 in your subconscious. But I feel good. It's not that I'm whining all the time or anything like that. I just go ahead and try to live my life as I used to, as much as I can. And that's it. It's not that I'm sitting [and saying], 'I've got half a year left.' I don't know how [long I have]. I'm not terminal. I just take it as it comes, really. That's all I can do."

He continued: "If you read the statistics, four or five percent [of the people with my type of cancer] are alive after five years. That's not really good. I'm on my third year now. So I try not to think about that. As I say, I take it as it comes."

Regarding how much of his daily thought process is occupied by his cancer battle, Ronnie said: "It's in your subconscious, 'cause you get reminded every day. Now I'm doing an interview with you, and we're talking about it. So I can never really let it go. I might meet somebody at the grocery store [and they ask you], 'Hey, how are you doing?' and stuff like that. You go on the Internet, and somebody died of cancer. You get constantly reminded about it. So that, of course… it's a bit of a dagger hanging above your head. But it is what is, and I can't change that. I'm alive."

Ronnie previously opened up about his cancer battle in a March 2022 interview with "The Bay Ragni Show". Reflecting on how he was first diagnosed with the disease, Ronnie said: "When I first got it… I knew there was something wrong during the summer of 2019. I had back issues for years, but I had this kind of non-pain, strange pain. It's something you know yourself if there's something wrong. My mother had the same thing, and she died of it. I was 22, actually; my mother was 57. So I went to the doctor, and he said, 'I think you just struck a nerve or something.' I said, 'We should check it out.' And they sent me off. And then, the very same day, they said they found a spot in the lungs. Then I had to go through the whole thing. I had two biopsies, having a needle stuck into my lungs. It was just a very bad experience."

He continued: "I'd been smoking for 40 years at the time — or 35 years at that time. I actually quit smoking, but I'd been a heavy smoker for years. And I also had my share of alcohol; that's no secret. And those two things combined is deadly. But I lived a fucking rock and roll life. I don't regret my life, because I had a great life; I had a great run. And that's also what some of the songs [on my solo albums] are all about. We take everything for granted. That's what life is all about. That's what we do — when we're good and we're healthy — and that's the way it should be; we shouldn't walk around thinking about death. So when I finally was told it was cancer, I wasn't surprised. But then again, I had some panic attacks. It took me a long time to kind of cope with it. But music helped me through it."

Asked if it's difficult for him to talk about his cancer battle now, Atkins said: "When I did [my] 'One Shot' [solo] album [in 2020], it's maybe a little bit more emotional and melancholic and reflecting than [my latest] album ['Make It Count'] is, but this album is as well 'cause it's still in my head. But I was kind of weak when I did that album in the summer of 2020. When we did this one. I kind of learned how to cope with it — if you can ever learn to cope with it. You've just gotta be realistic and say, 'Okay, it is what it is.' I can't change that. I can just hope that science can prolong my life as much as possible. I do everything I can myself… Well, I don't. I train every day. I still have a glass of wine and a beer and stuff like that. I don't smoke anymore, of course. So I hope that with the help of the higher powers and the good doctors and science that I'll be allowed some more years in life 'cause I've got a lot more to offer.

"I'm very realistic about the situation, so I can talk to people," he explained. "People come and say to me, 'But you look good.' I had immunotherapy and that kind of fucked things up in my body, but I was never really sick from the chemo and the radiation and the immunotherapy. Sometimes I was, but basically when I look at a lot of other people with cancer, I've been very fortunate. So I basically have been feeling good — as good as I can."

Photo credit: Tallee Savage

On this very day it's been 5 years ago since I was diagnosed with cancer.

But as it happened, In those 5 years I...

Posted by Ronnie Atkins Official on Tuesday, September 3, 2024

German power metallers PRIMAL FEAR have recruited André Hilgers as their new drummer.

The 50-year-old Hilgers ranks among the best and most accomplished heavy metal and hard rock drummers in Germany. He has previously played with such acts as AXXIS, RAGE, SILENT FORCE, SINNER and BONFIRE.

Earlier today (Saturday, August 31),PRIMAL FEAR released the following statement via social media: "And now it's official. We confirm our new drummer and it's none other than the powerhouse André Hilgers — as many of you already expected. André helped out on our last tour with U.D.O. and is a longtime friend. Now his time has come!"

Comments André: "I'm really happy that I'm a full member of the band right now and after our sensational tour together. Sometimes what belongs together comes together. Cheers Metal Heads!"

Adds PRIMAL FEAR bassist and producer Mat Sinner (a.k.a. Matthias Lasch): "André totally deserves it. We're looking forward to enter the studio with him soon and record a crushing new album!"

Earlier this week, PRIMAL FEAR recruited Italian/Cuban sensation Thalìa Bellazecca (ANGUS MCSIX, ex-FROZEN CROWN) as its new guitarist. The 24-year-old musician joined PRIMAL FEAR following the recent departures of guitarists Alex Beyrodt and Tom Naumann, drummer Michael Ehré and bassist Alex Jansen.

In announcing Bellazecca's addition to PRIMAL FEAR, singer Ralf Scheepers said: "After my last show in Italy, I got to know Thalìa personally and I realized what a wonderful person she is... Anyone who knows me knows that personal contact and sympathy is very important to me. So I read up on her musical projects and skills and was blown away by her incredible talent! I can't wait to work with her in the studio and of course live soon!"

Thalìa added: "I'm stoked and excited to have the opportunity to play with these giants of the heavy and power metal scene. I feel so honored to share the stage with these amazing musicians and to start a new journey also with this incredible and historical band! Can't wait to start working with all of you!"

Earlier in the month, PRIMAL FEAR confirmed that Swedish guitarist Magnus Karlsson, who has been primarily a studio member of the band for much of the past decade, will rejoin PRIMAL FEAR on the road.

PRIMAL FEAR said in a social media post: "To answer some of your questions - Magnus Karlsson is still in the band! The only difference to a week ago is that he will join PRIMAL FEAR permanently on albums (like always) and from now on @ all live shows and tours again!"

Added Magnus: "Can't wait to hit the stage with PRIMAL FEAR again! It's going to be an incredible ride! We're going to create something truly special together, both live and in the studio, and I'm so grateful to share this journey with all you metalheads! Metal is forever".

On August 23, Beyrodt, Naumann, Ehré and Jansen announced their departures from PRIMAL FEAR, writing in a statement: "Dear fans and friends of PRIMAL FEAR, we unfortunately have to inform you today that Alex Beyrodt, Tom Naumann, Michael Ehré and Alex Jansen, who helped us on bass for the last two years, are no longer part of the band PRIMAL FEAR. Triggered by decisions within the band that we do not agree with, this step was anything but easy for us to take. We would like to make it clear that despite the differences of opinion, there was no argument or bad blood.

"We would like to thank you for the time we spent together, the numerous albums, the tours, shows and festivals that have taken us around the world together, and of course for the love of the fans. We wish Mat and Ralf all the best for the future!"

This past June, it was announced that PRIMAL FEAR had officially signed a deal with new record label Reigning Phoenix Music (RPM) for the release of the band's next studio album.

PRIMAL FEAR's latest album, "Code Red", came out last September through Atomic Fire. The 11-track follow-up to 2020's "Metal Commando" included the single, "Cancel Culture", themed around a topic that has been heavily discussed in recent years.

Recorded in Germany at Sebastian "Basi" Roeder's Backyard Studios, with the helping hands of Scheepers as well as Mitch Kunz, "Code Red" was produced by Sinner and co-produced by Scheepers and Naumann. Longtime PRIMAL FEAR collaborator Jacob Hansen once again took care of mixing and mastering at his own Hansen Studios in Denmark. Additionally, Stan W. Decker, who created previous works for the band, including 2017's "Angels Of Mercy - Live In Germany", 2018's "Apocalypse" and 2021's "I Will Be Gone", provided the record’s magnificent artwork.

Back in August 2021, PRIMAL FEAR announced that it was scrapping all of its previously announced dates for 2021 and 2022 "due to a serious illness issue." Four months after canceling the concerts, Sinner revealed that he had spent the previous eight months in eight different hospitals.

Formed by Sinner in 1997 as an outlet for Scheepers (who had left GAMMA RAY and was a rumored candidate for the then-open JUDAS PRIEST vocal spot, but was considering early retirement from metal),PRIMAL FEAR has emerged as one of the most consistent European metal bands, rarely straying from its core PRIEST-styled power metal sound.

For more than a decade, Sinner had been the musical director and co-producer for the prestigious European arena tour "Rock Meets Classic".

….. and now it’s official. We confirm our new drummer and it’s non other than the powerhouse André Hilgers - as many of...

Posted by Primal Fear on Saturday, August 31, 2024