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5 íîÿ 2024
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5 íîÿ 2024
THE BIG DEAL Share New Single And Music Video "Survivor"
 Melodic hard rockers, The Big Deal, are pleased to share their new single and accompanying video, “Survivor”, out now via Frontiers Music Srl. Stream/download the single here, and watch a music video below.
Guitarist Srdjan Brankovic expresses his enthusiasm for the release: “Together with Frontiers Records, we are very much looking forward to presenting to you our new single, the song 'Survivor'. We are very happy that during the process we collaborated with Anders Wikström (Treat), who composed the song and wrote the lyrics!”
The Big Deal first came together in 2020 when guitarist, composer, and producer Srdjan and vocalist and keyboardist Nevena, who is an academic pianist and singer, started working on some demo songs and covers with the drummer Marko Milojevic. At the end of the year, they thought it would be interesting to include Ana's vocals in addition to Nevena's.
After Alessandro Del Vecchio heard the demo recordings, the band signed a contract with Frontiers Records, after connecting them with Srdjan. That's when the real life of the band under the name The Big Deal begins.
Alessandro became the band's bass player until 2023, when he left due to personal commitments. In joint plans with Frontiers Records, an album was recorded during 2021, which was released in May 2022, named First Bite.
The album attracted a lot of attention and got a lot of great reactions, especially the songs “Sensational” and “Never Say Never”, which was named the most viewed video of 2022 on the Frontiers YouTube channel. The album even reached the ninth place of the best-selling metal albums on the British "Amazon" list, in the first weeks after its release.
Immediately after the release of the album, the band became active in concerts and received offers to perform at many great festivals, among which performances on “The KissKruise” sea to
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5 íîÿ 2024
Watch CRYPTA Perform "Stronghold" At Bloodstock 2024; Pro-Shot Video
 Crypta, the Brazilian death metal powerhouse, delivered a thunderous performance on the Ronnie James Dio Main Stage at Bloodstock Open Air 2024 on August 10. Known for their ferocity and crushing sound, the band emerged as one of the festival’s standout acts. Led by the formidable bassist-vocalist Fernanda Lira and the relentless drummer Luana Dametto, Crypta has been rising rapidly in the metal scene since their formation in 2019.
Their music blends brutal death metal with old-school thrash, earning a loyal global following. At Bloodstock, they unleashed a crushing setlist featuring tracks from their debut album Echoes Of The Soul, alongside newer releases. A standout moment came with their performance of "Stronghold", a track embodying their intense and aggressive style. The crowd was captivated as Crypta delivered a flawless, high-energy show, further solidifying their status as a rising force in extreme metal.
This performance of "Stronghold" is a must-watch, showcasing Crypta's unmatched stage presence and technical precision. Their appearance at Bloodstock 2024 marks another key moment in their global metal domination.
Another sta
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5 íîÿ 2024
Legendary Producer QUINCY JONES Dead At 91
 Associated Press is reporting that Quincy Jones, the multi-talented music titan whose vast legacy ranged from producing Michael Jackson’s historic Thriller album to writing prize-winning film and television scores and collaborating with Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles and hundreds of other recording artists, has died at 91.
Jones’ publicist, Arnold Robinson, says he died Sunday night at his home in the Bel Air section of Los Angeles, surrounded by his family. Jones was to have received an honorary Academy Award later this month.
“Tonight, with full but broken hearts, we must share the news of our father and brother Quincy Jones’ passing,” the family said in a statement. “And although this is an incredible loss for our family, we celebrate the great life that he lived and know there will never be another like him.”
Jones rose from running with gangs on the South Side of Chicago to the very heights of show business, becoming one of the first Black executives to thrive in Hollywood and amassing an extraordinary musical catalog that includes some of the richest moments of American rhythm and song. For years, it was unlikely to find a music lover who did not own at least one record with his name on it, or a leader in the entertainment industry and beyond who did not have some connection to him.
Jones kept company with presidents and foreign leaders, movie stars and musicians, philanthropists and business leaders. He toured with Count Basie and Lionel Hampton, arranged records for Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald, composed the soundtracks for “Roots” and “In The Heat Of The Night,” organized President Bill Clinton’s first inaugural celebration and oversaw the all-star recording of “We Are the World,” the 1985 charity record for famine relief in Africa.
Lionel Richie, who co-wrote “We Are the World” and was among the featured singers, would call Jones “the master orchestrator.”
In a career which began when records were still played on platters turning at 78 rpm, top honors likely go to his productions with Jackson: Off The Wall, Thriller and Bad were albums near-universal in their style and appeal. Jones’ versatility and imagination helped set off the explosive talents of Jackson as he transformed from child star to the “King of Pop.” On such classic tracks as “Billie Jean” and “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” Jones and Jackson fashioned a global soundscape out of disco, funk, rock, pop, R&B and jazz and African chants. For Thriller, some of the most memorable touches originated with Jones, who recruited Eddie Van Halen for a guitar solo on the genre-fusing “Beat It” and brought in Vincent Price for a ghoulish voiceover on the tit
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5 íîÿ 2024
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4 íîÿ 2024
KING DIAMOND's Long-Awaited New Album To Arrive In Late 2025
 KING DIAMOND guitarist Andy La Rocque and bassist Pontus Egberg spoke to Jimmy Kay of The Metal Voice about the two new songs — "Spider Lilly" and "Electro Therapy" — the band is performing on its current North American headlining tour. The "Saint Lucifer's Hospital 1920" trek, which launched on October 15 at Boeing Center at Tech Port in San Antonio, Texas, will run through December 6 in Dallas, Texas. Support is coming from OVERKILL and NIGHT DEMON. Additional backing vocals for the KING DIAMOND set are provided by the special guest Myrkur.
Regarding "Spider Lilly", Andy said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "That idea came up from King [Diamond, KING DIAMOND singer and namesake]. I don't know exactly when, but he's been working on it quite a while. And I think the lyrics for it got done just like a few days before the tour started, actually. And he sent me the basics of the song just a few days, like a week prior to the tour start, I believe. So we had to learn it real fast, record it, because we knew that we were gonna shoot it on video, too. So that's the newest song we have right now that we actually play live. And 'Spider Lilly' is a mean girl. She can also be good. We'll see. It's gonna change a little bit, I believe. It's a character, part of the story that King is working on right now."
Asked if King had been sitting on the "Spider Lilly" musical idea for quite a while, Andy said: "No. I don't really think so. I mean, he had some ideas, but how much she had and how long, I don't really know. I just know that we realized the ideas very shortly before we actually started the tour."
Pontus chimed in: "Like Andy said, we only heard the rough demo of this song a week before we headed over to the States and quickly had to learn it and record it too. And now I think it's been mixed."
Andy added: "It's gonna be released as a video single and a single. I don't know when exactly. But we have other songs in the loop too. King has a lot of ideas and I have a lot of songs that's kind of in the demo stage done or finished."
Asked if the new KING DIAMOND album is already completed, Andy said: "No, it's not. We're still working on it. And as soon as we get back from tour, we're gonna have a little Christmas break and then we're gonna pick it up again. So the plan is to have everything done this spring, and it will be released shortly after the European summer festival tour and all that. That's the plan we have."
On the topic of the inception of "Electro Therapy", La Rocque said: "It's been around for — let's see here — a couple of years, actually. I think I wrote it, I think I wrote the start riffs on the tour back in '19, even. And there's been some changes to it back and forth, especially on the verse, trying to find the right key for King to sing on and all that stuff. And I think what we have now is probably the final version, and it's gonna end up on the album too. King is still working on some fine-tuning on the lyrics; you will hear that tonight."
KING DIAMOND 2024 touring lineup:
Andy La Rocque - guitar
Mike Wead - guitar
Pontus Egberg - bass
Matt Thompson - drums
Myrkur - additional backing vocals, keyboards
Titled "The Institute", KING DIAMOND's first studio LP in 18 years is tentatively due in 2025 via Metal Blade. It will be made available as a two-LP horror concept story, with the second part arriving at a later date.
In October 2023, KING DIAMOND released a music video for the 2019 single "Masquerade Of Madness". The clip was directed by David Brodsky and Allison Woest of MyGoodEye Visuals.
At the time of the video's release, King commented: "'Masquerade Of Madness' was released digitally in 2019 before our North American tour. During rehearsals, we took one full day to film 'Masquerade Of Madness' with David Brodsky and Allison Woest. We spent all day and all night recording while performing the song with our full tour stage show choreography. After the tour, Covid happened.
"The video was all but forgotten as the world came to a standstill — we never saw a single frame from all the footage. Years later, as things began to pick up and writing began for both new MERCYFUL FATE and KING DIAMOND records, we wondered, what happened to that video from four years ago? So we decided to check in with David Brodsky and a couple of weeks later, we had the first cut of the video.
"I was speechless! I had nothing to criticize and after just a few notes from Andy La Rocque, the video for 'Masquerade Of Madness' was finished! There's so much mood and black and white is used in a perfect way with Jodi's performances. The visuals fit the music flawlessly and this is now among my favorite KING DIAMOND videos along with 'Sleepless Nights' and 'Welcome Home' — and not to forget of course, our double live DVD."
A month after KING DIAMOND released "Masquerade Of Madness" in November 2019, La Rocque told The Metal Voice that he came up with the music for the track first before passing it off to King, who "needed to arrange a few things and change just a small few things for making it work with his vocals. And then, of course, he wrote the lyrics for it," the guitarist revealed. "So we [went] a little back and forth until he felt like, 'Okay, this is cool, man. This is the right key to sing in,' and all that."
At the 2022 Bloodstock Open Air festival at Catton Park, Walton-on-Trent, United Kingdom, King spoke to Bloodstock TV's Oran O'Beirne about his plans for "The Institute". "Something with KING DIAMOND, we have a very special thing [planned] for that album," King said. "It's gonna be a two-album story. But KING DIAMOND, we are building something that you will never have seen on a stage before — not that way. And with the light guy, he's never done it that way either. … It's very different, very sick. You will not have seen musicians standing on stage in that type of light. It's gonna be very dark. They have to learn to play in dark areas. It's crazy. I know that our light guy, he can't wait for us to do it. I showed him some pictures that have the kind of feelings I want, the kind of backdrops I want, stuff like that. … This is gonna blow people's minds when they see it, I am a hundred percent sure."
La Rocque, whose real name is Anders Allhage, discussed his vision for the new KING DIAMOND album with The Metal Voice, saying that it will be filled with great "melodies, of course. Super important. Without melodies, there is no music," he explained. "I'm also envisioning a more organic sound of the album. If you look back to the older albums, when Mikkey [Dee] played [drums for the band], for example, it's, like, a little bit up and down in tempo, and that makes it dynamic and also organic. So that's one thing that I would like to hear on the next album, for sure. But building up a dynamic, kind of organic feel, the drummer is a really important thing here, of course. And I know that Matt Thompson [current KING DIAMOND drummer] is the right guy to do this, for sure."
In March 2019, King told Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show that the next album from his namesake band will be "absolutely gruesome" with a story set in a 1920s mental institution. "I chose that because I think it's a very creepy scenario," he explained. "And some of the things that go on that we're gonna show onstage is also things that certainly was going on back then, when medicine was beginning to take a beneficial turn in history and actually being able to help human beings live longer. But there was some experimentation going on, too, that was absolutely gruesome. Some of that is involved in the story, but it's something totally different. Once you get to the second part of the story, you will begin to suddenly understand that, 'What the hell is going on here? What is this really about?' 'Cause there's a whole different story that will not come to you till second part. But in the first part, you're gonna get to know a lot people at a certain place… Some of it takes place here, this world, and some of it takes place in a parallel world. And there's a correlation between what happened to me and what happens to some people in this place and where they suddenly appear. And you will find out why they are there, how they appear there and the places down the road. I won't say too much right now, but it's gonna be very creepy."
KING DIAMOND received a Grammy nomination in the "Best Metal Performance" category for the track "Never Ending Hill" off the band's last album, 2007's "Give Me Your Soul … Please".
"Give Me Your Soul ... Please" sold 4,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 174 on The Billboard 200 chart.
KING DIAMOND released a DVD/Blu-ray, "Songs For The Dead Live", in January 2019 via Metal Blade Records. The set captures 1987's seminal "Abigail" album in its entirety, twice, and in very different locales: Belgium's Graspop Metal Meeting in June 2016 and Philadelphia's Fillmore in November 2015. The performances feature KING DIAMOND's current band, comprising of guitarists La Rocque and Mike Wead, bassist Pontus Egberg and Matt Thompson.
Photo courtesy of Palmer Turner Overdrive for Metal Blade Records
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4 íîÿ 2024
JUDAS PRIEST's RICHIE FAULKNER Says Second ELEGANT WEAPONS Album Is 'Halfway Done'
 In a recent interview with Clint Switzer of On The Road To Rock, JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner spoke about the status of his ELEGANT WEAPONS project, also featuring singer Ronnie Romero (RAINBOW, MSG),including a possible second album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Ronnie's fantastic. Again, he's one of those guys, he's not only a singer, he's a frontman. He fronts the band. There's a lot of people I know, they've got great voices, but it takes a frontman or frontwoman, front person to do that job. So Ronnie's definitely got that.
"We did some dates last year in Europe, which was fantastic," he continued. "We did some dates with PANTERA, which was nuts. You can imagine opening up for them. We've got a second record which is halfway done — bass, guitars and drums are done. When we get some downtime from the PRIEST tour, we're gonna get Ronnie in and see if we can put him down on the songs. And then, really, it's waiting for the PRIEST cycle to finish up, really, wherever this tour takes us. When that winds down and we find a window of opportunity to release the second record, we will.
"That's what it was about, really," Faulkner added. "It wasn't about the one record recorded during COVID; it was about a band that goes on. We've all got our different things, obviously — PRIEST, ACCEPT, Ronnie's got his stuff — but we wanted it to be a proper band with multiple records doing live dates, which we've done. But it's just, obviously, when PRIEST are out, ACCEPT are out, URIAH HEEP are out at the moment as well, when we find a window in between for that, then we'll look at releasing the second record. So, that's an exciting thing to think about, too."
Last year, Richie told Jorge Botas of Portugal's Metal Global that he plans on focusing on ELEGANT WEAPONS full-time once PRIEST has officially called it a day.
"PRIEST music is gonna be around a lot longer than we are," he said. "It's legendary music. They're genre-defining musicians and it's a genre-defining band. It will be around for a long time. But none of us gets out of this alive. That's just the reality of it. So if one day that call comes in and that's the last tour or the last album, whatever it is… I mean, I joined the band on what was the farewell tour. Luckily it wasn't, and we're still here 12 years later. [It's] fantastic. But at the time, I think I would have been silly not to consider what I was gonna do after the band, because of the circumstances of the tour. It was a farewell tour — it was [supposed to be] the last tour — so what am I gonna do after? So it's always been in the back of my mind. And this is a band that seems natural to me to continue with if that call ever came in."
ELEGANT WEAPONS made its first two festival appearances in June 2023 at Hellfest in Clisson, France and on June 18 at Graspop Metal Meeting in Dessel, Belgium.
ELEGANT WEAPONS' debut album, "Horns For A Halo", was released in May 2023 via Nuclear Blast. The LP was recorded with bassist Rex Brown (PANTERA, DOWN) and drummer Scott Travis (JUDAS PRIEST) and was helmed by acclaimed British producer Andy Sneap, who has previously worked with JUDAS PRIEST, ACCEPT, EXODUS and MEGADETH, among many others.
ELEGANT WEAPONS, which is rounded out by Dave Rimmer (URIAH HEEP) on bass and Christopher Williams (ACCEPT) on drums, played additional shows in Erope through July 2023. The trek included additional performances with PANTERA, festival appearances and headlining shows. | +2 | |
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4 íîÿ 2024
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4 íîÿ 2024
BRUCE KULICK Defends KISS For Allegedly Using Backing Tracks: 'All I Know Is They Made A Lot Of People Happy'
 Former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick has defended KISS against claims that the band was using pre-recorded tracks during its farewell tour.
Ever since KISS's "End Of The Road" trek launched in early 2019, there had been persistent online chatter about frontman Paul Stanley allegedly singing to a backing tape. The speculation stemmed from the fact that Stanley had been struggling to hit the high notes in many of the band's classic songs for a number of years.
Kulick, who joined KISS in 1984, and accompanied the band on the "Animalize" tour and continued with them until the reunion tour, weighed in on the rumors of playback tracks being using at KISS concerts while responding to a question from the Syncin' Stanley YouTube channel at this weekend's Spooky Empire convention in Orlando, Florida. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I didn't study all the — I know there were people doing video proof and the whole thing, and I know that there's plenty of video out there that shows what was happening with backing tracks. I know at one point [KISS's longtime manager] Doc McGee finally let it out that that's what that was happening. And I always felt like, quite honestly, KISS is much more than just that, and they wanted to do this show and they were going to try to do it any way they did. And it's not fair for me to judge on it. All I know is they made a lot of people happy. I do prefer when people — like I know Jon Bon Jovi doesn't wanna perform if he can't sing. But I can't fault Paul for going out there and putting on a hell of a show, even if it was with some of these — the help, shall we say, okay? So, it was a weird thing."
He continued: "I always feel bad for the singers that were known for these high-register things to carry on. But I know that this podcast has had a lot of fun with it… But no matter how anyone wants to look at it, Paul Stanley's an icon and he's always gonna be loved by everybody. And I'm just grateful that they did finally wrap up, and 'Kisstory' is now 50 years, and that's done."
In recent years, more and more artists have been given a pass for relying on pre-recorded tracks, drum triggers and other assorted technology that makes concerts more synthetic but also more consistent. For better or worse, pre-recorded tracks are becoming increasingly common for touring artists of all levels and genres and they're not just used in pop music — many rock artists utilize playback tracks to varying degrees.
Back in 2015, KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons slammed bands who used backing tapes for not being honest enough to include that fact on their concert tickets.
"I have a problem when you charge $100 to see a live show and the artist uses backing tracks," Simmons said. "It's like the ingredients in food. If the first ingredient on the label is sugar, that's at least honest. It should be on every ticket — you're paying $100, 30 to 50 percent of the show is [on] backing tracks and they'll sing sometimes, sometimes they'll lip sync. At least be honest. It's not about backing tracks, it's about dishonesty.
"There's nobody with a synthesizer on our stage, there's no samples on the drums, there's nothing," Gene continued. "There's very few bands who do that now — AC/DC, METALLICA, us. I can't even say that about U2 or THE [ROLLING] STONES. There's very few bands who don't use [backing] tracks."
In March 2023, McGhee defended Stanley's vocal performance on "End Of The Road", explaining that the "Star Child" "fully sings to every song" at every concert. He explained: It's enhanced. It's just part of the process to make sure that everybody hears the songs the way they should be sang to begin with. Nobody wants to hear people do stuff that's not real, that's not what they came to hear."
When McGhee was asked to clarify if he was "actually saying there are backing tracks that [Paul is] singing to," Doc said: "He'll sing to tracks. It's all part of a process. Because everybody wants to hear everybody sing. But he fully sings to every song."
In March 2020, SHINEDOWN guitarist Zach Myers said that "90 percent" of rock artists use at least some pre-recorded tracks during their live performances. He told Rock Feed: "It bothers me that it bothers people. I'm, like, 'Why does this bother you?' It's the way it is. People have been doing this since the '80s. And we want the sound to be the best it can be. Could we go up there, just the four of us, and put on the best rock show ever? Of course. But that's not how we wanna do it."
Former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach has previously said that he is "one of the last people" who are still not using pre-recorded tracks at their live shows. "I don't know how much longer I can say to you that I don't use tapes onstage, because I don't, and I never have," he told Consequence Of Sound. "And I still don't. When I have opening bands, and they're using tapes, and then I come out and I don't use tapes… sometimes, it makes me feel stupid, because I'm like, 'What am I doing, when all these kids half my age can come onstage and do all of my moves, but they don't have to warm up for an hour before the show, or weeks, before the first show?' Sometimes, I'm like, 'Why do I even bother, if the public is so used to this other way?' It's becoming very rare to come see a good band that's actually a real band — that's not miming or doing silly moves while a tape is running. It just becomes more rare as the years go on."
In 2019, IRON MAIDEN guitarist Adrian Smith said that he doesn't "agree" with certain rock artists relying on pre-recorded tracks during their live performances. "I tell you what, I see it with a lot of younger bands, and I don't think it's a good thing at all," he told the New York Post. "I mean, the music is getting too technical now. You have computerized recording systems, which we use, but I think we use them more for convenience than because we need to. We've toured with a couple bands that use tapes — it's not real. You're supposed to play live; it should be live. I don't agree with using tapes … I think it's a real shame."
One musician who has been open about his band's use of taped vocals during live performances is MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx, who said: "We've used technology since '87." He added the group employed "sequencers, sub tones, background vox tracks, plus background singers and us. [MÖTLEY CRÜE also taped] stuff we can't tour with, like cello parts in ballads, etc.... We love it and don't hide it. It's a great tool to fill out the sound."
In a 2014 interview, MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist Mick Mars admitted that he wasn't comfortable with the fact that his band used pre-recorded backing vocals in its live shows, claiming that he preferred to watch groups whose performances are delivered entirely live. "I don't like it," he said. "I think a band like ours… I have to say '60s bands were my favorite — '60s and '70s bands — because they were real, like, three-piece bands or four-piece bands, and they just got up there and kicked it up. Made a mistake? So what? Sounded a little bit empty here or there? So what? It's the bigness and the rawness and the people that developed and wrote the songs and made them and presented them. To me, that's what I really like. I mean, I could put on a MÖTLEY CD and play with it all day long. I don't wanna do that."
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4 íîÿ 2024
See LINKIN PARK Perform New Single 'Over Each Other' Live For First Time
 Fan-filmed video of LINKIN PARK's November 3 concert at La Défense Arena in Paris, France can be seen below.
The setlist for the show was as follows, according to Setlist.fm:
01. Somewhere I Belong
02. Crawling
03. Points Of Authority
04. Lying From You
05. New Divide
06. The Emptiness Machine
07. The Catalyst
08. Burn It Down
09. Waiting For The End
10. Castle Of Glass
11. Joe Hahn Solo
12. When They Come For Me / Remember The Name
13. Over Each Other (live debut; with Emily Armstrong on guitar)
14. Lost In The Echo
15. Given Up
16. One Step Closer
17. Lost
18. Breaking The Habit
19. What I've Done
20. Leave Out All The Rest
21. My December
22. Friendly Fire
23. Numb
24. In The End
25. Faint
Encore:
26. Papercut
27. Heavy Is The Crown
28. Bleed It Out
As previously reported, LINKIN PARK played its single "Heavy Is The Crown" on Saturday, November 2 at the 2024 League Of Legends World Championship opening ceremony at the O2 Arena in London.
"Heavy Is the Crown" is the 2024 League Of Legends World Championship Anthem, marking the band's first collaboration with Riot Games.
Since its September 24 release, "Heavy Is The Crown" has become the most-streamed Worlds anthem, with over 270 million audio streams and 57 million views on YouTube.
"Heavy Is The Crown" will appear on LINKIN PARK's upcoming album, "From Zero", due on November 15 via Warner. It will mark LINKIN PARK's first full-length effort since 2017's "One More Light", which was the last LINKIN PARK album before the death of lead vocalist Chester Bennington.
"From Zero" features LINKIN PARK's new singer Emily Armstrong and drummer Colin Brittain, who have joined returning members Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson, Dave "Phoenix" Farrell and Joe Hahn in the band's new lineup. Guitarist Alex Feder is filling in for Delson at all LINKIN PARK concerts for the foreseeable future.
In an interview with Billboard about LINKIN PARK's comeback, Shinoda explained that drummer Rob Bourdon — who had founded the band with Mike and Brad — had decided to exit LP.
"Rob had said to us at a point, I guess it was a few years ago now, that he wanted to put some distance between himself and the band," Shinoda said. "And we understood that — it was already apparent. He was starting to just show up less, be in less contact, and I know the fans noticed it too. The 'Hybrid Theory' re-release [in 2020] and 'Papercuts' release [this past April], he didn't show up for anything. So for me, as a friend, that was sad, but at the same time, I want him to do whatever makes him happy, and obviously everybody wishes him the best."
According to a press release, Shinoda, Delson, Farrell and Hahn "quietly began meeting up again in recent years" and "rather than 'trying to restart the band,'" they worked with numerous musicians and "found a special kinship with Armstong and Brittain."
Regarding the band's new lineup and future plans, Shinoda said in a statement: "Before LINKIN PARK, our first band name was XERO. This album title refers to both this humble beginning and the journey we’re currently undertaking. Sonically and emotionally, it is about past, present, and future — embracing our signature sound, but new and full of life. It was made with a deep appreciation for our new and longtime bandmates, our friends, our family, and our fans. We are proud of what LINKIN PARK has become over the years, and excited about the journey ahead."
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4 íîÿ 2024
THE DOORS Drummer JOHN DENSMORE Endorses KAMALA HARRIS In Presidential Race Against DONALD TRUMP
 THE DOORS drummer John Densmore has endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris over Republican Donald Trump for president.
On Saturday (November 2),John shared a message on Instagram in which he wrote: "Dear Fans, in the past, when I posted something political, most of you knew THE DOORS were a rather 'liberal' thinking group. A few of you said, 'John, just shut up and drum.' Next Tuesday is so important for the future of OUR country, I feel the need to speak out. I guess I'm mostly speaking to those who think I should 'shut up.'
"Last night Trump said that Republican Liz Cheney should be put before a firing squad for not supporting him. If he wins, it looks like yours truly will be 'taken out' as well. On the other hand, Kamala Harris has implied that she will put a Republican in her cabinet. That is America — inclusive.
"I urge you to consider voting for the continuation of the America Dream — the dream of many different folks living together & working out their differences peacefully.
"Sincerely, John Densmore".
This past September, Densmore was among the musicians who performed at the "Musicians For Kamala" national livestream musical event produced by top music and entertainment industry professionals in partnership with the Harris-Walz campaign and the Harris Victory Fund.
The 79-year-old musician was far more than merely the rhythmic engine of THE DOORS. Strongly influenced by jazz skinsmen like Elvin Jones and the supple grooves of the Brazilian wave, he brought a highly evolved sense of dynamics, structure and musicality to his beats.
In the mid-1960s he joined guitarist Robby Krieger in a band called PSYCHEDELIC RANGERS, shortly thereafter joining forces with keyboardist Ray Manzarek and Jim Morrison, and an explosive chapter in the development of rock and roll began.
Following his time in THE DOORS, Densmore explored reggae and jazz in subsequent projects, became active in L.A.'s adventurous theater community, and wrote articles and books, including his autobiography "Riders On The Storm: My Life With Jim Morrison And The Doors", a New York Times bestseller. His work has been featured in Rolling Stone, London Guardian, The Nation and many nationally syndicated newspapers. In his most recent book, "The Doors Unhinged: Jim Morrison's Legacy Goes On Trial", Densmore wrote about his lawsuit against former doors bandmates Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger.
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4 íîÿ 2024
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4 íîÿ 2024
ALICE COOPER Shares Rare 1971 French TV Interview + Performance Video
 footage of his concert at Théâtre des Ambassadeurs in Paris on November 2, 1971 as part of the “Love It To Death” tour. Alice was interviewed for French TV about his musical inspiration and the sources of his image. Watch below:
Alice Cooper's Too Close For Comfort Tour continues with new 2025 tour dates taking | +1 | |
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4 íîÿ 2024
Exclusive: WORLDWIDE PANIC Premieres “Break Me Down” Music Video
 Los Angeles alt metal/rock act Worldwide Panic has premiered their new music video for “Break Me Down” exclusively through BraveWords! The video was directed by Andre Brown and filmed at Monarch Studios in Los Angeles.
Lane Steele of Worldwide Panic says, "The song - like almost all of our songs - has a rich backstory. We were looking for producers to hire to work on this record we just now finished. We met with a famous producer at a multi-million dollar studio. We were told that our material wasn't good and ‘Where’s the hook’ when it’s staring you in the face the whole time. We left and simply said to each other in the band at the time ‘Why should we work with someone who wants to break us down, just to build us up again?’ And then the song was written within the next 48 hours. We recorded the song with a legend, Bob Marlette. He and his family poured their hearts and souls into this track. It helped make Worldwide Panic sound bigger then I could even imagine. The experience was great and I am super proud of this track."
Worldwide Panic was formed in 2016 with the aim of writing heavy music with catchy hooks and personal, meaningful lyrics. Giving a relatable take on everyday life, the songwriting approach focuses on a mix of clean and aggressive vocals and a guitar-driven sound.
With influences that range from Rammstein, Pantera, and Slayer to Strapping Young Lad and KISS, the band put out an eponymous LP, Worldwide Panic in early 2023. The LP was mastered by Chris "Zeuss" Harris (Shadows Fall, Hatebreed, Demon Hunter, Rob Zombie). The release made inroads at Active Rock Radio, charting with the singles "I Tried" (#23 on the Billboard Rock Indicator, #16 on the SMR Chart) and “Falling Apart” (#20 on Billboard Rock Indicator and # 6 on the SMR chart). | 0 | |
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4 íîÿ 2024
Former DELAIN Vocalist CHARLOTTE WESSELS Shares "All You Are" Recording Session Video
 Former Delain vocalist Charlotte Wessels has shared a new video along with the following message:
"This video was shot in December 2023 during the drum recordings for The Obsession. It was recorded in two takes - once for filming the band and once for filming Charlotte - the audio is from those takes respectively. You don't get much closer to being a fly on the wall of the recordings than this! Claire (Blond & Blauw Films) was there to film us.
This video, as well as the recordings for The Obsession, wouldn't have been possible without the support of my patrons. That's why they get an extra shoutout in this video!"
After chart-breaking success and ruling stages worldwide with Delain, Wessels takes her solo career to the next level with her first traditional full-length, full-band solo album. Having already gained a devoted following with her previous solo offerings, The Obsession is sure to impress fans and critics alike. The multifaceted record marks an exciting and touching listening experience and, together with its honest storytelling, it acts as Wessels’ most mature solo offering so far.
While still writing and producing the songs in her Six Feet Under basement home studio and sharing their first incarnations with her patrons, Charlotte Wessels now takes the songs from her new album, The Obsession, to the next level with a band of her fellow ex-Delain cohorts Timo Somers (guitars, additional arrangements), Otto Schimmelpenninck van der Oije (bass) and Joey Marin de Boer (drums) as well as Sophia Vernikov (piano/hammond), contributing to the new heavier sound. The album also features arrangements by Vikram Shankar (Silent Skies, Pain of Salvation), cello by Elianne Anemaat, was mixed by Guido Aalbers (Muse, Coldplay, The Gathering) and was mastered by Andy VanDette (Porcupine Tree, VOLA, Dream Theater).
Charlotte Wessels about the new album: "On the one hand, this album tells a very personal story – through its unintended theme of fear, obsessive thoughts and the escapes from them – and at the same time it represents the joy of finding the song's true forms with everyone involved in the making of this record. That’s why I chose The Obsession as a title. It refers to my personal challenges with OCD that inspired many of the songs - but I’ve also started referring to the band as The Obsession - because there were moments in the studio with them that truly reminded me of why I'm obsessed with making music in the first place."
Themes of fear, obsessive thoughts and escapism run rampant on the album, presenting dark and heavy on songs like “The Exorcism”, “The Crying Room” and “Ode To The West Wind” (feat. Alissa White-Gluz of Arch Enemy). In addition, there are songs that offer a more upbeat approach to the subject – like “Dopamine” (feat. Simone Simons of Epica) which deals with SSRI-induced numbness, or “Praise” – which sings the gospel of needing external validation in order to feel anything. The reimagining of fan-favorite “Soft Revolution” won’t leave a dry eye in the room, while “Soulstice” and “Serpentine” present an unprecedented dark sensuality. Each song itself functions like an exorcism, an attempt to cast out a little of the fear it deals with.
Charlotte Wessels about the guests: “I’m extremely grateful and proud to add Simone Simons and Alissa White-Gluz to the line-up of this album. They are creative powerhouses that I have so much love and respect for. Whenever we get to work together is an absolute treat and they really elevated the songs with their performances.”
The Obsession is available in the following formats:
- Gatefold 2-Vinyl Splatter + 2 Bonustracks (“Backup Plan” + “Breathe; Extended“), D-Side Etched – ltd. to 200 copies worldwide *Napalm Records Mailorder Only*
- Gatefold 2-Vinyl Recycled Black + 2 Bonustracks (“Backup Plan” + “Breathe; Extended“), D-Side Etched
- Gatefold 2-Vinyl Inkspot + 2 Bonustracks (“Backup Plan” + “Breathe; Extended“), D-Side Etched *Patreon Exclusive*
- Digisleeve + Shirt Bundle
- Digisleeve
- Digital Album
Order here.
The Obsession tracklisting:
"Chasing Sunsets"
"Dopamine"
"The Exorcism"
"Soulstice"
"The Crying Room"
"Ode To The West Wind"
"Serpentine"
"Praise"
"All You Are"
"Vigor And Valor"
"Breathe"
"Soft Revolution (2024)"
“The Crying Room” video: | 0 | |
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4 íîÿ 2024
NITRATE Releases “Tough Guys Don’t Cry” Single
 British melodic rock band Nitrate have unveiled their new single and accompanying lyric video “Tough Guys Don’t Cry” and announced the release of the deluxe edition of their latest album, Feel The Heat, available digitally on December 20 via Frontiers Music Srl.
Preorder here.
Vocalist Alexander Strandell comments on the release, by saying: “It feels great to give the fans something more from this amazing album. It’s an honour to be involved with the Nitrate guys.”
Nitrate’s fourth studio album, Feel The Heat, was released on October 13, 2023. Produced and mixed by Martin Bros Productions (Vega), it features a duet and backing vocals by female rock artist Issa, backing vocals by rock legend Paul Laine (Danger Danger/The Defiants), along with a song co/written by legendary song writer Bob Mitchell (co-writer of the Billboard #1 song Cheap Trick’s “The Flame”).
There are also backing vocals by Leon Robert Winteringham (LRW Project), Alan Clark (Change of Heart), and a couple of co-writes by Rob Wylde (Midnite City/Tigertailz). With Richard Jacques and Alex Cooper (Devilfire, Corvus) coming on board, Nitrate delivered a record full of anthemic hook filled tracks and a more intense AOR style.
Formed in 2015 in Nottingham, England by bass player Nick Hogg, Nitrate is a Melodic/AOR rock band heavily inspired by the late ‘80s rock scene. Influenced by the likes of Def Leppard, Europe, Journey, and Bon Jovi, they have previously released three critically acclaimed albums: Real World in 2018, Open Wide in 2019, and Renegade, in 2021.
For “Real World” in 2018, Nick brought in Rob Wylde (Tigertailz, Midnite City) to get the project started and help with the song writing/recording process; Joss Mennen (Zinatra, Mennen) on vocals gave an authentic 80’s sound, Pete Newdeck (Eden’s Curse, Vega, Grim Reaper) mixed the album and played drums with the whole thing being mastered by Harry Hess of Harem Scarem fame.
The second album, Open Wide, in 2019, saw a couple of changes in personnel including a new singer in Philip Lindstrand (Find Me, East Temple Avenue), and Marcus Thurston (Vega) on guitars alongside Nick and Rob with Pete and Harry Hess again Mastering. The names may have changed but the same concept of classic melodic rock still applied with the album getting rave reviews and featuring on several “Best of the Year” accolades.
This was again the case for the third album which featured a more AOR style, with more changes in personnel. The new line-up for Renegade was Nick Hogg on bass, Alexander Strandell on vocals, Tom Martin on rhythm guitars, James Martin on keyboards, Dario Nikzad on lead guitar, Mikey Wilson on drums plus Alessandro Del Vecchio (Edge of Forever, Revolution Saints, Giant) on backing vocals and mastering. The album sold | 0 | |
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4 íîÿ 2024
FELLOWSHIP – New Single “Victim” Streaming
 Fellowship has released "Victim", second single taken from the new album The Skies Above Eternity to be released on November 22 by Scarlet Records.
"Victim" is the Fellowship’s darkest song to date and centered on just how heavy the burdens we carry around with us can feel, and how addictive our vices can be when life gets hard. Isolated, lonely verses lead to a tour-de-force chorus that unleashes a pent up anger and, over the course of the song, morphs it into something positive. "Victim" is not just about feeling like the world is out to get you, it’s about overcoming that feeling and fighting back against your inner demons with everything you’ve got.
Fellowship was the absolute power metal revelation of 2022 with their magnificent debut album The Saberlight Chronicles; after successfully bringing their positive vibes live in Europe and Japan, and hitting the American stage for the first time as headliners of the Mad With Power Fest on August 2, the English band is now ready to take things to the next level with their sophomore record.
Once again recorded by Richard Campbell at Orpheus Studio, mixed and mastered by Alexander Backlund and Ricardo Borges at Fascination Street Studios, and graced by a stunning artwork courtesy of the Hungarian maestro Peter Sallai, The Skies Above Eternity is a journey into a new side of the Fellowship sound.
Darker, and more dynamic, but still retaining that classic Fellowship sense of joy, this album tells a new story that delves into a deeper sense of melancholy with themes of helplessness and resistance, asks us to find joy in the darkest of places through its uplifting, powerful choruses, and reminds us that with each new day comes new hope – because sometimes all it takes to find it is looking up at the skies above you.
Drawing additional influence from Japanese power metal and delivering non-stop bangers from start to finish, this might just be the work that catapults Fellowship all the way up to the stars.
The Skies Above Eternity will be released in the following formats:
- digipack CD
- vinyl LP: 350 marbled silver (retail exclusive), 150 marbled purple (mailorder exclusive)
- digital
Artwork by Peter Sallai:
Tracklisting:
“Hold Up Your Hearts (Again)”
“Victim”
“The Bitter Winds”
“Dawnbreaker”
“Eternity”
“King Of Nothing”
“World End Slowly”
“A New Hope”
“Memories On The Wind”
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4 íîÿ 2024
LUMINARE CHRISTMAS! Shares New Single “Like A Child”
 Luminare Christmas!, the acclaimed holiday music sensation known for their innovative take on Christmas classics, shares the new single, "Like A Child," from their forthcoming debut album Mistletoe Madness, out on November 22 via Frontiers Music Srl.
Get ready for an unforgettable holiday experience, led by former Mannheim Steamroller keyboardist and longtime musical director for Dennis DeYoung of Styx. Luminare Christmas! brings a fusion of reimagined holiday classics, high energy symphonic rock and cinematic magic.
Preorder Mistletoe Madness here.
Their sound can be described as a blend of Mannheim Steamroller’s holiday classic vibes, the high-energy rock of Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and the cinematic atmosphere of Hans Zimmer. The result is a musical fusion that’s sure to leave you breathless and wanting more.
With a phenomenal lighting show and a heartwarming story woven throughout the performance, Luminare Christmas! creates a magical atmosphere that’s perfect for all ages. You’ll feel the holiday spirit and be swept away by the passionate and sonically lush vocal and instrumental musical performances.
Unleash your festive side and experience the exhilarating energy of a high-octane holiday rock concert with Luminare Christmas!, the ultimate celebration!
Tracklisting:
“The Light That Shines”
“Mistletoe Madness”
“Oh Holy Knight”
“Carol Of The Bells”
“Toy Soldiers”
“Like A Child”
“A Ray Of Hope”
“Winter”
“His Majesty”
“You Look Like Christmas”
"Like A Child":
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4 íîÿ 2024
GRAVEMASS Feat. Former ZIMMERS HOLE, 3 INCHES OF BLOOD, REVOCATION Members Shares “Spitting Hell” Video
 Just in time for Devil's Night! and your Halloween scares! Canada's newest black / death metal demons GraveMass (ft. members from Zimmers Hole, West of Hell, The Golers, Punch Drunk, 3 Inches of Blood, Revocation) are unleashing their next single and music video "Spitting Hell", which will be featured on their forthcoming debut album in 2025.
The full-length, written by Mayan Hate and with lyrics by Lorde Heathen, promises to be a masterclass in extreme death metal, capturing the true spirit of Canadian black metal.
GraveMass embodies the essence of sonic brutality with their sinister riffs, bone-crushing rhythms, and unholy vocals. Drawing inspiration from legends like Slayer, Venom, Morbid Angel, Watain, and Napalm Death, the band’s music is a relentless onslaught of evil, guaranteed to leave a lasting impact on any listener. The members of GraveMass, with decades of experience between them, have united to create a sound that is both devastating and true to the roots of black metal.
The band’s debut music video “Slave To Pain” offers fans a glimpse into the raw power and intensity that defines GraveMass. The track, steeped in the tradition of early black metal and tape trading, addresses the harsh realities faced by foll | 0 | |
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4 íîÿ 2024
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4 íîÿ 2024
EXTREME Shares 'Small Town Beautiful' Music Video
 Massachusetts rockers EXTREME continue to highlight the many sides of "Six", their first album for earMUSIC released in June 2023, with a new video for the charmingly gentle and lyrical track "Small Town Beautiful".
"Six" was conceived as an album-length journey. With the tenth video to be released from that album (a run that began with "Rise" amassing millions of views followed by "#Rebel", through "Thicker Than Blood", up to "Beautiful Girls" and "Save Me" garnering millions more) the story and the journey continue as Nuno Bettencourt, Gary Cherone, Pat Badger and Kevin Figueiredo explore the beauty in the small things of the places we call "home."
Bettencourt states: "'Small Town Beautiful'... is a beauty that is simple, kind and caring. You can see it in her smile, gentle, warm, pure, familiar. The girl next door from a small community, a small town that no matter where she will journey to, a big city or even off to serve... There is an aura, a glow around her...her small town comes with her wherever she goes and whomever she touches."
With "Small Town Beautiful", EXTREME also wishes to shine a light on fans' hometowns around the world — embracing where they come from.
Many of us leave our homes to chase our dreams, whatever those may be, but these small towns leave an everlasting mark on us.
That is why EXTREME is asking all fans to be a part of this song and to journey together. The band will create a special fan-edit of the music video to feature the fans themselves... their hometowns and their stories.
Head over here to submit a photo in your small town for a chance to be featured in the new video. EXTREME wants to see the places that shaped the person that you are today. Because we all have a story to tell, and it starts with home.
The idea is to rally EXTREME fans around the song and create a virtual space where all can be "home" together as the holiday season approaches.
As most folks are thinking about being "home for the holidays," EXTREME will travel to India for the Bandland festival in November and has once again confirmed its presence on the Monsters Of Rock cruise in 2025.
"Six" landed at position No. 10 on Billboard's Top Album Sales chart with first-week sales of 12,500 copies. The set marked the band's first studio album since 2008. The act was last in the Top 10 with "III Sides To Every Story", which debuted and peaked at No. 10 back in October 1992.
Last year, Nuno told Tiago Ribeiro, that he was thrilled with how "Six" turned out. "I would put our album up against anybody's album; I feel that confident," Nuno said. "And I think the album itself — never mind me or EXTREME — if I heard that album and it wasn't us, I would think the same way I think about the album now. I think it belongs there. I think it's a well-made album. I think the songs are there. I think that the musicianship, the chemistry and the guitar playing. But I think, more importantly, what's really there and what people are connecting with is the mythology of rock and roll. I think that's really what's missing a lot in guitar-driven music, is that…
"I think when people saw a guitar player that's in a band with songs and arrangements and the videos and everything, it was almost like seeing something that… People are saying it's so fresh, but for us, it's, like, this is like going back for us," he explained. "This is more of a reminder than it is anything else that you can still be passionate and have fire and do all those things. And the people are letting us know that they're starved — they're starved for rock and roll like this, I think."
In September 2023, Nuno told American Musical Supply about the long delay in getting "Six" released: "The recording [of 'Six'], a lot of people are saying like, 'Man, [it took] 15 years,' obviously, minus a few of the handmaid's tale years, pandemic years. But the album itself probably, if you add it up, it took the same length as an album takes to record. It didn’t take 15 years to record the album. It's just that we probably had, like, three albums' worth of material. The guys kept coming out to L.A., and we would do a crop of songs, and we'd write another crop of songs or record another couple crop of songs."
Bettencourt went on to say that he and his EXTREME bandmates had "set a bar" for themselves. "You really have to be super proud and super excited to share your music with anybody, even if it's your brother or it's your family member or if it's Tom Morello that you happen to know," he explained. "Once you have that feeling of, 'Would you play these songs in front of your peers?', then you kind of know you got something there and you're ready to go." | +2 | |
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4 íîÿ 2024
EXODUS Releases Cover Of AC/DC's 'Beating Around The Bush'
 San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal veterans EXODUS have released their cover of the AC/DC classic "Beating Around The Bush". The track, which features a guest solo by former EXODUS guitarist Rick Hunolt, was originally recorded during the sessions for EXODUS's 2021 album "Persona Non Grata" but has not been released until now.
EXODUS said: "Unbeknownst to anyone, while recording 'Persona Non Grata' we also busted out a few cover songs by our favorite bands, and there's no band we love more than AC/DC! So we decided to do our own take on 'Beating Around The Bush'! We love the song and we stoked on our rendition. Hope you dig it too!"
Fan-filmed video of EXODUS performing "Beating Around The Bush" at several shows on the band's 2022 tour can be seen below.
EXODUS singer Steve "Zetro" Souza is also the frontman of the long-running San Francisco Bay Area-based AC/DC tribute band AC/DZ, also featuring DEATH ANGEL drummer Will Carroll.
In an interview with Myglobalmind, Souza stated about AC/DC's singer change following the death of Scott: "You know, it took a while for everybody to get used to Brian Johnson after Bon. I was 16 when Bon Scott died, and I remember, I was, like, 'Oh, my god, what are they going to do?! That voice is that music.' He fitted that guitar, what they were doing; it was like a glove. How do you replace that? And then in time, Brian has become that, and out of everybody, I would have to say him and Bruce Dickinson [IRON MAIDEN] taking over from Paul Di'Anno did an amazing job in the transition."
Back in 2015, Souza told Southeast Of Heaven that he preferred the Scott era of AC/DC over the Johnson era. "There's no comparison," he said. "That's not to say that Brian's not any good. I respect Brian. Hell, he took over and if you think about it, he's been in the band three times longer than Bon. Bon, the way that he sang. The way he wrote that tongue-in-cheek stuff. Like 'Big Balls'. What's that about? It's about dance? It's about his balls? [Laughs] The metaphors in that song were just clever as hell, and it's hard to write clever."
"Persona Non Grata" 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" is 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 Souza, who previously fronted EXODUS from 1986 to 1993 and from 2002 to 2004.
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A post shared by Gary Holt (@garyholt_official) | +6 | |
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4 íîÿ 2024
Watch: CORROSION OF CONFORMITY Performs With New Touring Bassist BOBBY LANDGRAF On 2024 'Headbangers Boat'
 Fan-filmed video of CORROSION OF CONFORMITY performing on this year's edition of the Headbangers Boat cruise can be seen below. Presented by Sixthman, Lamb Of God Presents Headbangers Boat 2024 sailed October 28-November 1, 2024 from Miami, Florida to the brand new port of Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic aboard the Norwegian Gem.
CORROSION OF CONFORMITY recruited onetime DOWN guitarist and current PANTERA bass tech Bobby Landgraf to play bass for the band on Headbangers Boat.
On October 26, two days before the launch of this year's Headbangers Boat, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY released the following statement via social media: "Yo Yo Yo!! To all our CORROSION friends and Family ( the Free Thinkers and Beer drinkers) We are proud to announce that Austin's finest world class ripper, Bobby Rock will be throwing down on the Bass for the wild assed Headbangers Boat We are stoked to have him on the open Seas. Jason 'pickles' Paterson will be joining us again beating on the Skins. We've been woodshedding for the past 2 weeks. Gotta say it's a hella powerful Rock outfit. See you on the horizon….CORROSION Stay tuned Rockers!!"
Last month, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY's founding bassist Mike Dean announced his departure from the band.
Dean revealed his decision to leave CORROSION OF CONFORMITY in a statement posted on social media on September 20. He wrote: "Recently I made a decision to step away from CORROSION OF CONFORMITY, a band started 40-odd years ago by Reed Mullin, Woody Weatherman, and myself.
"I'm extremely proud of everything we've done together, and look forward to hearing more from the band going forward.
"When I rejoined COC for the finishing touches of the 'Deliverance' album, I moved back to Raleigh, NC for an all-in creative campaign, but time, distance and side projects and life in general has changed all of that.
"Ever since Reed drifted away from the band and then passed away, it's been difficult for me to collaborate on new material with bandmates who live hundreds of miles away.
"I look forward to putting together a new Raleigh-based outlet to create new music with more alacrity and with more of an emphasis on my own ideas than in recent times. Also, I look forward to continuing to record and produce other artists.
"All the best to Woodroe, Pepper, and COC crew, and most importantly, many big thanks to the fans of all iterations of the band, who have made this real for all of these years. Salute!"
The remaining members of CORROSION OF CONFORMITY — Pepper Keenan (vocals, guitar) and Woodroe "Woody" Weatherman (guitar) — added in a separate statement: "We, Woodroe and Pepper, are in full support of Dean's future endeavors and wish him all the best in the quest. Thankful for the music made and (R)evolutionary paths created. That being said, this book of CORROSION is not finished, nor will the train stop.
"The opportunity to play music and create is something that we don't take lightly, and we will not waver. New COC recording is well underway and will be released in 2025.
"Much love and respect to all the free thinkin' beer drinkin' friends and fans worldwide, looking to making more. Without you, we are just growing deaf in a garage."
A year and a half ago, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY confirmed the return of drummer Stanton Moore for its upcoming album. The "brutal-sounding" follow-up to 2018's "No Cross No Crown" is tentatively due in 2025.
Mullin died in January 2020 at the age of 53. The drummer, who co-founded CORROSION OF CONFORMITY in 1982 as a hardcore punk act alongside Weatherman and Dean, had missed a number of shows in the preceding four years due to a variety of health issues, including an alcohol-related seizure he suffered back in June 2016.
In 2014, after nearly a straight decade traversing the globe as a guitarist with New Orleans supergroup DOWN, Pepper reconnected with the core CORROSION OF CONFORMITY trio of Weatherman, Dean and Mullin to hit the road hard. "Reed called me and mentioned maybe playing a couple shows," Keenan recalled back in 2017. "I said, 'Let's just go to Europe and see if it works.' So we went to Europe and then ended up going back four times in one year... We toured for a year and then started tracking."
CORROSION OF CONFORMITY recorded "No Cross No Crown" in about forty days over the course of a year at a North Carolina studio with longtime producer John Custer.
And just like that, there was Corrosion Of Conformity We're still docked but man that was a fine howdydoo on this Monday afternoon
🤘👽🤘
Posted by Melissa Pape on Monday, October 28, 2024 | +1 | |
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4 íîÿ 2024
SOPHIE LLOYD Recaps Her First Ever Headline Show; Video
 Guitar sensation, Sophie Lloyd, has shared the video below, recapping her first ever headline show.
Says Sophie: "Thanks to everyone who came down to allow me to shred your faces off at my first ever headlined sold out show at the amazing Underworld in Camden, London!" 🎸
Sophie recently dropped her latest music for “Won’t You Come” with Marisa Rodriguez of Marisa And The Moths. The track is taken from her Imposter Syndrome album, out now.
Sophie's debut album, Imposter Syndrome, is available via her own Autumn Records. The album is available as a digipack CD, Black Gatefold Vinyl and Limited Edition Gatefold Purple Splatter Vinyl. Orders can be placed here.
Tracklisting:
"Do Or Die" (feat. Nathan James)
"Pressure" (feat. Brandon Saller)
"Imposter Syndrome" (feat. Lzzy Hale)
"Let It Hurt" (feat. Chris Robertson)
"Runaway" (feat. Michael Starr)
"Fall Of Man" (feat. Matthew K. Heafy)
"Lost" (feat. Cole Rolland)
"Hanging On" (feat. Lauren Babic)
"Avalanche" (feat. Trevor McNevan)
"Won't You Come" (feat. Marisa Rodriguez)
"Judge And Jury" (feat. Tyler Connolly)
"Judge And Jury" video:
"Runaway" featuring Michael Starr of Steel Panther:
"Lost" featuring Cole Rolland: | +1 | |
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4 íîÿ 2024
Canadian Thrashers SACRIFICE To Release Volume Six Album In January
band, Sacrifice, will release their new album, Volume Six, in January, 2025.
Band founder and guitarist, Rob Urbinati, states, "I am not saying anything. We will let this record do the talking. Volume Six, January 2025."
Volume Six was recorded at Phase One by Darius Szczepaniak in 2023/2024. The album was produced by Rob Urbinati, and features artwork by Todd Kowalski of Canada's Propagandhi. Layout & design by Annick Giroux.
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4 íîÿ 2024
BLACK STONE CHERRY Share Pro-Shot Video Of Entire Hellfest 2024 Show
 Southern rockers, Black Stone Cherry, have shared pro-shot footage of their entire Hellfest 2024 show, which took place in Clisson, France on June 29th.
Setlist:
"Me And Mary Jane"
"Again"
"Out Of Pocket"
"Like I Roll"
"Cheaper To Drink Alone"
"When The Pain Comes"
"White Trash Millionaire"
"Blame It On The Boom Boom"
"Lonely Train"
Black Stone Cherry kicked off their current European headline tour by sharing a rip-snorting cover of The Cult's hit song, "American Horse", featuring their tour compadres Ayron Jones and Skillet's John Cooper.
The track was originally released in 1989, on The Cult's Sonic Temple album, which landed in the UK official album chart at #3 and went on to be certified platinum in the USA.
Black Stone Cherry enthuse, “We are extremely excited to be coming back to the UK and bringing Ayron Jones and Skillet with us. Talk about a badass package of riff rock! We are pumped to have a single out featuring all three bands, something we have never done before, and we hope it gets people as excited as we are!"
Ayron Jones says, "As an artist I believe it’s my duty to pay tribute to other great artist in my work. That’s why when BSC reached out to me to be on this track by The Cult I jumped at the opportunity. It was insanely fun to work on this tune and help put a spin on this classic. Did you need anything else for the moment?"
Stream / download here, listen below:
The tour began October 29th in Berlin, Germany and calls through Luxembourg, The Netherlands, France, Switzerland, Italy, Belgium and the UK, finishing on November 23rd in London. Ayron Jones will support BSC on the entire run, with Skillet joining them for the UK leg of shows.
Talking about the tour, Black Stone Cherry said, “Our beloved Cherry Heads in Europe, we have seen your comments and read all of your messages which have kept us feelin’ fuzzy since the last time we saw you. With that said, it’s been too damn long, and we can’t wait to come back for a full headline tour in October and November!! We look forward to seeing your faces and hearing your voices! Let’s goo!!”
Tickets are available here.
Remaining EU/UK dates:
November
2 - Batschkapp - Frankfurt Am Main, Germany
3 - Rockhal - Esch-sur-alzette, Luxembourg
5 - Effenaar - Eindhoven, Netherlands
6 - Olympia - Paris, Franc
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4 íîÿ 2024
SKUMLOVE Unleashes New Single "Ride Or Die"
 Industrial metal, dark rock band Skumlove is back with a vengeance, unveiling their latest single, "Ride Or Die". Known for their raw energy and unique fusion of sounds, Skumlove takes it up a notch with a new vibe and heavier direction, pushing the boundaries of industrial metal.
Teaming up with acclaimed engineer and producer Sean Dever at The Forge Recording, "Ride Or Die" was mastered by Maor Appelbaum. The band has crafted a hard-hitting, roadworthy anthem that is already being hailed as a fusion of White Zombie and Rammstein meets Fear Factory.
With its thunderous beats, crushing guitars, and dark, aggressive vocals, "Ride Or Die" is built for burning rubber on the highway straight to hell. "We wanted to create something that not only hits hard but also feels like a journey - dark, gritty, and relentless," says Skumlove. "'Ride Or Die' is for anyone who craves that adrenaline rush and lives life with no limits."
"Ride Or Die" is available on all major streaming platforms.
What the industry is saying:
"Best thing you guys have done. Love the old school feel of it!" - David Draiman (Disturbed)
"This sh*t goes hard af. Highly recommend it!" - Meegs Rascon (Coal Chamber / Gemini Syndrome)
"F*kkk! That's heavy! Love the lyrics too, Love it!" - Dug Pinnick (Kings-X)
"New Skumlove brings industrial metal back hard!" - Tommy Victor (Prong / Danzig)
"'Ride Or Die' is a ripper! I Love the sleazy trudging feel, it's a catchy tune with great instrumentation as well as vocals, l've got the chorus riff stuck in my head bigtime." - Miles Dimitri Baker (Ice Nine Kills / Interloper)
"With 'Ride Or Die', Skumlove's sound, and style, has fully manifested into a band with a clear vision. 'Ride Or Die' is a great sign of more great songs to come." - Burton C Bell
Skumlove's previous music videos for "Ego" and "Turbo Lover XL" can be seen below. | 0 | |
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4 íîÿ 2024
WEAPON OF PRIDE Drops Spine-Chilling New Single / Video "Axeman"
 Get ready for a Halloween treat that bites back! Weapon Of Pride unleashed their new single, "Axeman", today. Inspired by the notorious Axeman of New Orleans, who instilled fear in the Crescent City in the early 20th century, this track will take you deep into the mind of a chaotic force that thrives on fear.
Stream this 'ax-cellent' track here, and check out the music video below.
"Axeman" is the second single from the band's upcoming album, Beneath The Surface, wh | 0 | |
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4 íîÿ 2024
Watch: LINKIN PARK Performs 'Heavy Is The Crown' At 2024 'League Of Legends' World Championship Opening Ceremony
 LINKIN PARK played its new single "Heavy Is The Crown" earlier today (Saturday, November 2) at the 2024 League Of Legends World Championship opening ceremony at the O2 Arena in London. Check out video of the band's performance below. Also scheduled to appear were Ashnikko, Mars Atlas Of Forts and Tiffany Aris.
"Heavy Is the Crown" is the 2024 League Of Legends World Championship Anthem, marking the band's first collaboration with Riot Games.
Since its September 24 release, "Heavy Is The Crown" has become the most-streamed Worlds anthem, with over 270 million audio streams and 57 million views on YouTube.
"Heavy Is The Crown" will appear on LINKIN PARK's upcoming album, "From Zero", due on November 15 via Warner. It will mark LINKIN PARK's first full-length effort since 2017's "One More Light", which was the last LINKIN PARK album before the death of lead vocalist Chester Bennington.
"From Zero" features LINKIN PARK's new singer Emily Armstrong and drummer Colin Brittain, who have joined returning members Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson, Dave "Phoenix" Farrell and Joe Hahn in the band's new lineup. Guitarist Alex Feder is filling in for Delson at all LINKIN PARK concerts for the foreseeable future.
Late last month, LINKIN PARK added three November dates to the "From Zero" tour, in Paris, Dallas, and São Paulo.
In an interview with Billboard about LINKIN PARK's comeback, Shinoda explained that drummer Rob Bourdon — who had founded the band with Mike and Brad — had decided to exit LP.
"Rob had said to us at a point, I guess it was a few years ago now, that he wanted to put some distance between himself and the band," Shinoda said. "And we understood that — it was already apparent. He was starting to just show up less, be in less contact, and I know the fans noticed it too. The 'Hybrid Theory' re-release [in 2020] and 'Papercuts' release [this past April], he didn't show up for anything. So for me, as a friend, that was sad, but at the same time, I want him to do whatever makes him happy, and obviously everybody wishes him the best."
According to a press release, Shinoda, Delson, Farrell and Hahn "quietly began meeting up again in recent years" and "rather than 'trying to restart the band,'" they worked with numerous musicians and "found a special kinship with Armstong and Brittain."
Regarding the band's new lineup and future plans, Shinoda said in a statement: "Before LINKIN PARK, our first band name was XERO. This album title refers to both this humble beginning and the journey we’re currently undertaking. Sonically and emotionally, it is about past, present, and future — embracing our signature sound, but new and full of life. It was made with a deep appreciation for our new and longtime bandmates, our friends, our family, and our fans. We are proud of what LINKIN PARK has become over the years, and excited about the journey ahead." | +1 | |
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4 íîÿ 2024
POISON Will Play 'A Minimum Of 40 Shows And Maybe More' In 2026
 During an October 31 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", POISON drummer Rikki Rockett spoke about the band's plans to return to the road in 2026 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of POISON's debut album, 1986's "Look What The Cat Dragged In". Asked if he and his bandmates will embark on a headline tour or if they will package with another band, possibly as part of another stadium tour, the 63-year-old Rikki, whose real name is Richard Allan Ream, said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's not figured out. We have agreed to do a minimum of 40 dates and maybe more. So whatever it works out to be, but it's for sure gonna be that many, at least. And I don't know. I mean, if there's somebody that we can package with that makes sense, great. If there isn't, then we'll headline. Whatever makes sense. I don't know who's going out yet that year, in '26, but if it makes sense to package with somebody, we'll do it. If it doesn't, we'll do it ourselves. It's like Bret [Michaels, POISON frontman] said, if you can't do it right, do it anyway. But we'll be doing it right. [Laughs]"
This past September, Bret told Arizona Republic about POISON's plan to tour in 2026: "Yeah, that would be incredible. We've just got to work out all the moving parts. But all original members. There's so much planning goes behind that. When I'm out as Bret Michaels, it's simpler because I'm making all the end decisions. When you're in a band like POISON, it's a committee. You go in there, and you figure it out together. You make sure everyone's good. And hopefully, we can make that work in '26."
Asked if things were "good" between him and his POISON bandmates during the 2022 "The Stadium Tour" with DEF LEPPARD, MÖTLEY CRÜE and Joan Jett, Bret said: "Absolutely. I want to be very clear. Other than an occasional throw down fistfight — I'm not making this up — we're like best friends. But there's no gray area. All of a sudden, we'll get in a fistfight. But the next day, we'll go out and play. We'll work it out like a band of brothers. 'The Stadium Tour' was amazing. We were having fun. We didn't get too many soundchecks. We just dealt with what we were given and were grateful to be there. DEF LEPPARD and MÖTLEY, they were amazing. They played great. But we just came out, and we knew we had one hour at 6 o'clock to go out there and give it everything we had. And it was one of the only stadium tours that from Live Nation's lips to everyone's ears, it was 98 to 100% filled when POISON went on."
Earlier in September, Michaels released a statement via social media in which he said that he was planning to "perform limited shows" in 2025 to focus primarily on his health, "starting with my diabetes which needs a tune-up, not to mention a little R&R." He added that 2026 "would be the perfect" time for a POISON 40th-anniversary tour, "with 40 awesome limited dates to go out, play real live hit songs, and rock the world."
Bret's explanation came two days after Rockett revealed on social media that Michaels was no longer interested in touring with POISON next year.
On September 10, the POISON drummer took to his official Facebook page to write: "I keep getting asked multiple times a day, 'Why isn't POISON touring in 2025 now?' Super simple answer, Bret doesn't want to." The following day, Rikki clarified: "People, I never said that Bret is cancelling the 2025 tour. It didn't get booked. I said the reason POISON isn't touring in 2025 is because Bret doesn't want to. Doesn't matter what the reason for him is as far as what I said. I'm simply telling you why so that CC [DeVille, POISON guitarist], Bobby [Dall, POISON bassist] or myself doesn't get blamed. It isn't dirt. It isn't a fight. Just the facts, ma'am. Surmise what you want from it. You will anyway!"
Just five months ago, Rikki wrote on social media that POISON would be touring in 2025." He added at the time: "As usual, there will be no backing tracks. Live, raw and uncut. Warts and all."
Nine months ago, Bret spoke about POISON's plans to regroup for more shows following the band's 2022 participation in "The Stadium Tour" alongside MÖTLEY CRÜE, DEF LEPPARD and Joan Jett. During a February 25, 2024 question-and-answer session aboard the Rock Legends Cruise XI, he said: "When we go back, I think in 2025, it's always been, to me, all-original POISON. We'll have C.C and Bobby and Rikki and myself and go do another big stadium tour and arena tour in 2025."
Regarding his motivation for going back out on the road with POISON after spending most of his time touring with his solo band, Bret said: "We've known each other since we've been in junior high school… I wouldn't be here without Bobby or Rikki or C.C. And then, as you go along, we've been together a long time — still great friends. If anyone saw 'The Stadium Tour', that was a party. And when you're out there with that DEF LEPPARD and MÖTLEY and Joan, you're talking A-plus awesomeness. And we just came out and brought it.
"For me, what it is, we do about a couple of years solo, and then we'll go out and do 35 or 40 dates with POISON," he explained. "And we set it up, we schedule it."
POISON's long-delayed North American trek with DEF LEPPARD, MÖTLEY CRÜE and JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS was originally planned for 2020 and later moved to 2021 and then to 2022.
In 2018, POISON completed the "Nothin' But A Good Time" tour with CHEAP TRICK and POP EVIL.
POISON's last album of new material was 2002's "Hollyweird". An album of covers, "Poison'd", followed in 2007.
Back in 2018, Dall said that POISON "should" be making a new studio album but claimed that he didn't know if it would happen. "I'm not going to bullshit you and say there's any [new music] in the process [of being made]," he told All That Shreds. "Would I like there to be? Yes. But, it's a matter of everyone having the time. Everybody in the band has other commitments. Some members have younger children than others. So between those two issues, it's difficult, and, you know, [there are] health issues as we get older. Should we be making a new record? Yes, definitely. But will it happen? I don't know."
In a 2017 interview, Rikki acknowledged that part of the reason the band hasn't been motivated to work on new music has been the fact that fans rarely show interest in hearing fresh material performed live when classic rock groups go on tour. "We could write the second coming of 'Talk Dirty To Me', and I don't know if people wanna hear it or not, and that's a frustrating thing; it really is," he said. "AEROSMITH was able to do it, but not everybody is. I mean, even THE ROLLING STONES have had problems with that in the last few years. So… I don't know. But I do think it's important to stay viable. For the 'über fans,' it's always a really, really good thing. And that's what you do it for — you do it for you, you do it for the real fans, the real true fans."
More recently, Rockett admitted that he and other members of POISON harbored some resentment toward Michaels, whose frequent tours as a solo artist caused the band to take a five-year break from the road.
"I think we need to get away from each other and do other things, but at the same time, I think he spent a little too much time away," Rockett said. "There's definitely some resentment, but not resentment like I want him to fail. I want him to do good. I just want POISON to be important too, and I would like [him] to put a little more energy into POISON."
Photo credit: Mark Weiss | +1 | |
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The Bottle Doom Lazy Band
