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3 íîÿ 2024
HAVOK Release New Eyes EP; “Death Is An Illusion” Video Streaming
 Havok have released their new EP New Eyes. Get it here.
The four-track EP features two originals and two covers that will delight fans and keep them on their toes — including the band's take on Metallica's "Eye Of The Beholder" and Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Commotion."
The band has just shared the video for the original track "Death Is An Illusion."
"Death Is An Illusion" is a high-intensity, fast-paced thrash metal/D-Beat hardcore song about the first law of thermodynamics, the fact that energy cannot be created or destroyed," says the band. "The lyrics are written in a way to offer comfort and joy to the fact that all things are eternal and perpetual, including our loved ones; as their energy lives forever scientifically, and through our memories and their impact on the world they 'left behind.' "
Singer David Sanchez states, "New Eyes is an exciting step forward as it's Havok's first independent release since the early days of the band. 'Death Is An Illusion' introduces the band's first release since 2020 with ferocious speed and aggression that Havok has become known for. The EP's intro appeals to fans of metal and punk alike with its D-Beat rhythms and gang vocal choruses. The title track, 'New Eyes.' is a dynamic harmony-driven song about one's perspective changing over time and reflection. These new songs were fun to write and I think people may be surprised by the ambiguous and metaphysical nature of the lyrics."
Regarding the covers, Sanchez states, "We decided to cover a classic band that nobody would expect us to... Credence Clearwater Revival. We're all CCR fans and their song, 'Commotion,' was a perfect candidate for a proper 'metalizing,' since most of the metal was already built-in. We made it a little faster, turned up the distortion, and tweaked some riffs here and there to bend into the Havok style."
Furthermore, he says, "We had discussed covering a Metallica song for years, but didn't want to cover a big hit that had been covered to death, so we opted for the lesser-known 'Eye Of The Beholder.' We chose to cover this song because it's so damned heavy and the lyrics reflect Havok's lyrical themes throughout the last decade. We stayed true to the original where it counts, but made sure to spice up the bass guitar and drums to breathe new life into the track.
He finishes, "All in all, releasing the New Eyes EP will be a major turning point in our musical journey and we hope that we'll reach new fans and resonate with people who have been supporting Havok over the years. We're stoked to play these new songs live and give fans the chance to scream the lyrics with us!"
Speaking of playing the new songs in the live realm, Havok will also hit the road supporting Exodus in November and December. All dates are below, including a handful of headline dates.
Tour dates:
November
1 – Jacksonville, FL – Kona State Park (headline date)
2 - Tampa, FL - The Orpheum
4 - Orlando, FL - House of Blues
5 - Pensacola, FL - Vinyl Music Ha  | +7 |  |
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2 íîÿ 2024
SEBASTIAN BACH Teams With ORIANTHI For 'Future Of Youth' Music Video
 Former SKID ROW frontman Sebastian Bach has released a new video — his fifth from his current album "Child Within The Man" — for "Future Of Youth" with special guest performer, singer, songwriter and guitarist Orianthi. Watch the video for the musically explosive and lyrically unflinching single below.
"I am so excited to share this song and video with the world!" says the singer, songwriter, author, Broadway star, and actor. "This collaboration with my friend Orianthi began many years ago. The song 'Future of Youth' has always been very listenable to my ears due to the musicians involved and also the unbeatable combination of Elvis Baskette and Robert Ludwig. The chorus is something I could hear on the radio."
In tribute to the song's title, "Future Of Youth" features the Las Vegas Academy Of The Arts Choir from Bach's recently adopted hometown of Las Vegas.
"To have the Las Vegas Academy Of The Arts Choir perform and sing in the video makes my heart pound with emotion," Bach says, "because I fell in love with singing in my own church choir many, many years ago. It has always been a dream of mine to have an actual choir in one of my rock videos — to have one of the top choirs in the country rock out in 'Future Of Youth' is exactly what the message of the song is about. The future of youth belongs to the youth and no one else!”
Bach adds: "Thank you so much to Orianthi for the amazing guitars and riffs and to the Las Vegas Academy Of The Arts vocal director Matthew Ostlie — I can't thank you enough for all of your incredible performances! Thank you so much to my record label Reigning Phoenix Music for making this happen!"
"Child Within The Man" was recorded in Orlando, Florida; produced and mixed by Baskette; engineered by Jef Moll, assistant engineered by Josh Saldate; and mastered by Robert Ludwig of Gateway Mastering. Bach wrote or co-wrote all the album's 11 tracks and sang all lead and backing vocals. "Child Within The Man" features guest appearances from John 5, Steve Stevens and Orianthi — who all co-wrote their respective tracks with Bach — and two tracks co-written with Myles Kennedy ("What Do I Got to Lose?" and "To Live Again"); Devin Bronson on guitars, Todd Kerns (bass) and Jeremy Coulson (drums) round out the players on the album.
"Future Of Youth" is the latest release from his "Child Within The Man" album which has yielded four singles/videos, all of which have impacted the rock charts: "Freedom", "What Do I Got To Lose?", "Everybody Bleeds" and "(Hold On) To The Dream", along with the "(Hold On) To The Dream" alternate video. The new video is another collaboration between Bach and Jim Louvau and Tony Aguilera.
"This video is our fifth in a row with my friends Jim and Tony. Once again, they have blown my mind with their artistic vision," Bach notes.
Following a successful cross-country tour around the release of the album, Sebastian kicked off another leg of fall shows earlier this month. The dates include two shows at Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, plus 16 dates in his native Canada.
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2 íîÿ 2024
I AM MORBID To Replace MORBID ANGEL On 'Devastation On The Nation' U.S. Tour
 Florida death metal veterans MORBID ANGEL have pulled out of the previously announced seventh annual "Devastation On The Nation" U.S. tour presented by "Vox&Hops" metal podcast. They will be replaced on the bill by I AM MORBID, the band featuring former MORBID ANGEL members David Vincent (bass, vocals) and Pedro "Pete" Sandoval (drums),along with guitarists Richie Brown (EXMORTUS, THE ABSENCE, TRIVIUM) and Bill Hudson (NORTHTALE, DORO). Support on the trek will come from New York death metal legends SUFFOCATION along with UADA, MORTIFERUM, FULCI and KNOLL.
Earlier today (Friday, November 1),the "Devastation On The Nation" tour organizers released the following statement: "The highly anticipated Devastation On The Nation Tour presented by @voxandhops kicks off in less than three weeks, and we've got an important update to share!
"Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, MORBID ANGEL will no longer be joining us on this tour. Stepping up to take the headlining spot is none other than @iammorbidband! Fronted by David Vincent, the original MORBID ANGEL vocalist and bassist, the band includes MORBID ANGEL's original and legendary drummer Pete Sandoval, and guitarists Bill Hudson (DORO, NORTHTALE) and Richie Brown (TERRORIZER, ex-TRIVIUM).
"Get ready to be blown away as I AM MORBID delivers an unforgettable set, performing classic tracks from the Vincent & Sandoval era, including fan favorites from 'Altars Of Madness', 'Blessed Are The Sick', 'Covenant' and 'Domination'.
"Don't miss out on this epic tour—tickets are selling fast for all 25 shows, so grab yours now and prepare for a night of relentless metal madness!"
Vincent said: "A U.S. tour for I AM MORBID is long overdue. We are looking forward to bringing the old-school MORBID legacy to our friends across the nation!"
In October 2022, I AM MORBID parted ways with guitarist Kelly McLauchlin (POSSESSED, DIABOLIC, UNHOLY GHOST) and replaced him with Brown.
Brown made his live debut with I AM MORBID at the Grita Fest in Colombia.
I AM MORBID's spring 2022 European tour marked the first time Sandoval and Vincent played together in 12 years.
Sandoval, who now lives his life as a born-again Christian, was forced to leave MORBID ANGEL in 2010 after undergoing surgery for a prolapsed disc.
Vincent told Invisible Oranges in a December 2013 interview that Pete had "found Jesus," which meant that Sandoval and MORBID ANGEL were no longer "compatible."
Prior to joining I AM MORBID, Sandoval had spent a few years recording and touring with TERRORIZER, whose latest studio album, "Caustic Attack", was released in October 2018 via The End Records.
Vincent left MORBID ANGEL in 2015. He has since been replaced by a returning Steve Tucker, who previously handled bass and vocals on MORBID ANGEL's "Formulas Fatal To The Flesh", "Gateways To Annihilation" and "Heretic" LPs.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by 𝕯𝖊𝖛𝖆𝖘𝖙𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓 𝕺𝖓 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕹𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓 (@devastationonthenation)
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2 íîÿ 2024
QUEEN Release "QUEEN The Greatest Special: The Story Of QUEEN 1 - Episode 2"; Video
 To mark the release of the remixed, remastered and extended Queen 1 boxset, Brian May and Roger Taylor recall the rocky road that led to the recording of their eponymous debut album. Episode 2 is now available below.
A message states: "Continuing our celebration of the release of the Queen 1 Box set, Brian May and Roger Taylor share their memories of recording those first tracks. Now signed to Trident, Queen can follow in the footsteps of some of their idols into the famous studios, and finally start work on their first album. However, it's not quite the experience they imagined it to be."
In the opening episode, we hear how an opportunity to be a test band for a brand new studio provides the all important breakthrough they had been desperately searching for.
Watch two segments below:
Episode 1:
Episode 2:
To celebrate the release of the Queen 1 boxset, the promo video made for Queen’s first ever single release, "Keep Yourself Alive", has been re-edited and restored. Now complete with the stunning new 2024 mix of the song, this video has been created by returning to the original rushes and producing an entirely new edit. The footage has then been painstakingly restored so it can be shared with fans in all its glory.
The 6CD + 1 LP Queen I box set (out now) contains 63 tracks with 43 brand new mixes, comprising the original album with its intended running order restored, intimate fly-on-the-wall audio of Queen in the studio, demos, rare live tracks, and previously unheard recordings from Queen’s first ever live performance in London, August 1970. Absent from the 1973 release, the song “Mad the Swine” has been reinstated to its original place in the running order. A 108-page book containing handwritten lyrics and memorabilia accompanies the release.
“This is not just a remaster,” writes Brian May in the CD sleeve insert notes, “this is a brand new 2024 rebuild of the entire Queen debut album, which, with the benefit of hindsight, we have re-titled QUEEN I.”
May continues, “All the performances are exactly as they originally appeared in 1973, but every instrument has been revisited to produce the ‘live’ ambient sounds we would have liked to use originally. The result is “Queen“ as it w | 0 | |
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2 íîÿ 2024
BREAKFAST FOR CHAMPIONS Feat. SNOWY SHAW, MAGNUS OLSFELT Announce New Mini-Album
 Breakfast For Champions - the punk rock duo side project of Magnus Olsfelt (ex-The Crown) and Snowy Shaw (solo artist, ex- King Diamond, Therion, Mercyful Fate, Notre Dame, Dream Evil, Sabaton, Memento Mori, Dimmu Borgir) released their first single and video in late 2023, the second one a few months later and now at last comes their mini-album, with the tongue-in-cheek title, Bubblegum Punk-Rock For People Who've Grown Out Of Death Metal. Vol III.
A vehicle where the two get to express a little different style of music than what they're normally known for, and an opportunity to make good use of influences from more old school garage rock and punk genres.
Out soon on Spotify and all other streaming platforms under the Snowy Shaw profile. Subscribe and follow here so you won't miss out.
Check out the video for the first single, "Street Jeans", below. Stream the second single, "The Dirty Deeds Of A Wrathchild Named Boom!", | 0 | |
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2 íîÿ 2024
GRIM REAPER Members NICK BOWCOTT, DAVE WANKLIN, MARK SIMON Come Together For First Time In 30 Years To Celebrate The Life Of Legendary Vocalist STEVE GRIMMETT
 The life of one of Swindon’s most famous residents will be celebrated heavy metal style at the Wings Of Angels Festival on Saturday, November 23.
Steve Grimmett, producer, songwriter and lead singer of the internationally renowned metal band Grim Reaper, will be remembered at the one-day Wings Of Angels Festival, named after the lead track from the band’s 2018 album Walking In The Shadows.
Grim Reaper were at the forefront of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal scene which took the world by storm in the 1980s.
Steve Grimmett, who sold over a million albums, is considered one of the greatest heavy metal singers of all time. He gained notoriety throughout the world, with a large following in Europe as well as across the Atlantic in the US, South America, and also in Japan. His career included numerous highly acclaimed studio albums, single releases and MTV airplay.
Steve passed away in August 2022. To meet the demand from the singer's global fanbase, his wife Millie is organizing the festival to celebrate his life with a musical send-off.
The Festival will include guest singers performing songs from Steve's back catalogue, and bands from around the world with a connection to Steve and his music. Former W.A.S.P. guitarist Chris Holmes is headlining the event. Original members of Grim Reaper, guitarist Nick Bowcott, bassist Dave Wanklin and drummer Mark Simon, reunite for the first time in over 30 years to perform with singer Harry Conklin of Jag Panzer fame.
Other former members of Steve Grimmett's Grim Reaper to join the festivities include Chaz Grimaldi, Paul White, Mart Trail, Mark Walker, Julian Hill, and Ian Nash. Plus there will be special appearances by Richie Yeates, Sy Davies, Kim Jennett, Mike Jurgens and Franc Potvin.
Millie Grimmett said, “Steve’s life was heavy metal. He got so much pleasure out of performing onstage, meeting fans and recording music. It’s only right that the Wings Of Angels Festival pays tribute to that through a packed line-up of metal acts from near and far. We’re looking forward to a sold-out Festival, amazing music and a fitting celebration of Steve’s life.”
In addition to Steve’s back catalogue of music dating from 1979-2022, his legacy also includes influence on popular culture in the 1990s, with Grim Reaper songs "See You in Hell" (1983), "Fear No Evil" (1985) and "Rock You To Hell" (1987) each gaining notoriety for appearing on the MTV animation Beavis and Butt-Head.
During his 45-year career, Steve shared the stage with a wealth of big names including Judas Priest, Bon Jovi, Scorpions and Deep Purple. At one time he was even touted to be the new vocalist for Iron Maiden.
Millie added, “Such was Steve’s impact on music that we have had people contact us from around the world to purchase tickets and to join us in Swindon, UK for Wings Of Angels. People have been sharing stories and pictures on our social media pages and it is really heartwarming to see this outpouring of affection for someone who did so much to shape the metal scene over several decades.”
Wings Of Angels Festival is being held at Swindon’s MECA on Saturday, November 23. Tickets are available online at wingsofangelsfest.com.
Watch Wings Of Angels: A Steve Grimmett Documentary below:
The consensus of his family, friends and fans is clear. Steve Grimmett was one of a kind. It wasn't just his absolutely amazing vocal abilities, he was a genuinely nice and extremely approachable guy, no rock star ego at all. As we reflect on his contribution to the world, remember the prophetic lines of Grim Reaper's classic anthem "Rock You To Hell" that he and Nick Bowcott gave us in response to the 1985 PMRC's attempt to censor music lyrics, in which they questioned if books were next? And here we are in 2024, and yes, Steve, you were right!
The Gauntlet listed "Rock You To Hell" as one of the top 5 Metal Songs that challenged the PMRC, writing “The song has probably immediately been dismissed as Satanic on the basis of its title alone on a few too many occasions. However, in reality, 'Rock You to Hell' is another excellent battle cry in the fight against musical suppression. The tune calls for unity between musicians and their audiences in order to be victorious in the battle, and that unity is achieved each time they play the song live. The video demonstrates how rock and metal are viewed as detrimental to society by showing the band performing in a prison, and even placing vocalist Steve Grimmett in a straight-jacket at one point. Nevertheless, Grimmett and co. summed up and validated their claim beautifully with one line: ‘It’s only entertainment, can’t they see?’”
"Rock You To Hell" lyrics:
What's wrong with our society, is it fear or apathy,
Don't let other people run your life
So those with power don't use it, they simply abuse it,
And believe me that cuts me like a knife
We gotta make sure that this don't happen,
'Cause to me and you it just ain't right,
Gonna make damn sure it don't happen,
This is what I'm gonna do
Rock you to hell, packin' up and shippin' out,
Rock you to hell, hear them scream and shout,
Rock you to hell, but I'm never giving out,
Rock you to hell, Rock you to hell
Did you always do what momma said, brush your teeth and go to bed,
'Cause that way never worked for me,
Now they wanna censor music, and if we don't fight we'll lose it,
It's only entertainment, can't they see?
We gotta make sure that this don't happen,
'Cause to me and you it just ain't right,
Gonna make damn sure it don't happen,
This is what I'm gonna do
Rock you to hell, packin' up and shippin' out,
Rock you to hell, hear them scream and shout,
Rock you to hell, but I'm never giving out,
Rock you to hell, Rock you to hell
Rock you to hell
Is this the beginning of a future
No books, no sound, no rock 'n' roll,
With only a few to fight, the manly
This is why rock 'n' roll will never die
We gotta make sure that this don't happen,
'Cause to me and you it just ain't right,
Gonna make damn sure it don't happen,
This is what I'm gonna do
Rock you to hell, packin' up and shippin' out,
Rock you to hell, hear them scream and shout,
Rock you to hell, but I'm never giving out,
Rock you to hell, Rock you to hell
About Steve Grimmett (1959-2022):
Steve Grimmett began his career on the brink of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and became known as the lead vocalist for the internationally acclaimed Grim Reaper.
Following worldwide success with the band, Grimmett featured as the Lead Singer for Onslaught for a brief period before forming Lionsheart, spawning four studio albums and a string of number one hits in Japan.
Grim Reaper achieved major success worldwide with three highly acclaimed studio albums along with single releases and extensive MTV airplay.
After Grim Reaper, Steve became the vocalist with Onslaught on their first album In Search of Sanity, with the single of their version of the AC/DC track "Let There Be Rock", charting in the UK.
Later came the Steve Grimmett Band who released the album Personal Crisis in 2007, then a collaboration with highly acclaimed guitarist and YouTube sen | +3 | |
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2 íîÿ 2024
Exclusive: TROLLWAR Premieres “The Offering” Single
 Quebec, Canada's melodic symphonic metal outfit Trollwar continues to build anticipation for their upcoming EP with the release of The Offering, the second single from their forthcoming EP Tales From The Frozen Wastes. The single further showcases Trollwar's musical evolution, presenting a harmonious blend of aggressive metal riffs, intricate symphonic arrangements, and progressive elements.
The song delves deeper into the EP's overarching theme of a falling pantheon and the glooming curse that befalls adventurers who dare to tread where they're unwelcome.
The band shares their thoughts:
“This is the most recent song composition-wise. We think that this one is the best representation of where the Trollwar sound has evolved. It contains some great Melodic Death Metal riffs, a good chorus, epic symphonies... the whole package. This is also the 2nd song where we have a guest coming in to push the limit of the song with astonishing power metal vocals and choirs.”
They go on to explain that the black-metal elements are also brought forward, with an epic evil bridge that will give chills to the symphonic black metal enjoyers. The transitions are smooth and flow easily.
This is the last song off the album, leaving the listener with an enjoyable symphonic epilogue, and giving hints of something greater to come. It is a pivotal piece in the narrative of the EP, representing the moment where the veil between worlds thins, and the consequ | 0 | |
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2 íîÿ 2024
BLIND GUARDIAN - "Ashes To Ashes" (Revisited) Official Lyric Video Available
 Blind Guardian recently released Somewhere Far Beyond Revisited, which includes a complete re-recording of this classic as well as a live celebration of 1992’s Somewhere Far Beyond, a landmark record in the history of the band.
The band has shared an official lyric video for "Ashes To Ashes", taken from the album.
Somewhere Far Beyond Revisited, which was recorded in 2022 and 2023, is a refreshing and powerful tribute to one of the most influential albums in German metal history. It paved the way for Blind Guardian’s international career that is still going strong today and this re-recording impresses with all the class and quality these pioneers have been known and respected for since forming as Lucifer’s Heritage three decades ago.
Watch a live video for the revisited version of their most popular track, "The Bard's Song - In The Forest":
Somewhere Far Beyond Revisited is out today and can be listened to in full at any streaming service or purchased in physical form. Get it here
Tracklisting:
"Time What is Time" (Revisited)
"Journey Through the Dark" (Revisited)
"Black Chamber" (Revisited)
"Theatre of Pain" (Revisited)
"The Quest for Tanelorn" (Revisited)
"Ashes to Ashes" (Revisited)
"The Bard’s Song – In the Forest" (Revisited)
"The Bard’s Song – The Hobbit" (Revisited)
"The Piper’s Calling" (Revisited)
"Somewhere Far Beyond" (Revisited)
"Ashes To Ashes" live at Hellfest 2022 video:
About Somewhere Far Beyond Revisited:
Right on time with their show at 2024’s edition of Wacken Open Air, Blind Guardian proudly announced the release of Somewhere Far Beyond Revisited on August 2, which includes a complete re-recording of this classic as well as a live celebration of 1992’s Somewhere Far Beyond, a landmark record for Germany’s heavy metal titans. After three albums on No Remorse Records, it was the band’s major label debut via Virgin Records and opened the doors to the Japanese market resulting in a wider availability and presence on the global metal scene. After finding the right balance of speed, heaviness, melodies, drama, and irresistible choruses on 1990’s Tales From The Twilight World, Somewhere Far Beyond honed this approach to perfection, evolving further on a conceptual level and increasing Blind Guardian’s sonic range. On Somewhere Far Beyond the band experimented with keyboards, orchestrations, and folk elements, the latter manifesting in the group’s best-known song and live staple, "The Bard's Song (In The Forest)", whereas other tracks like "Ashes to Ashes", the rapid "Journey Through The Dark" or "The Quest For Tanelorn" connected well with previous mostly fast-paced albums yet offered an additional push in dynamics.
Fast forward 30 years! Prior to releasing the much lauded opus The God Machine in September 2022, Blind Guardian had been performing Somewhere Far Beyond in its entirety at Rock Hard Festival and Hellfest in Summer 2022 in front of tens of thousands of fans singing along to each track. Both shows were filmed and recorded professionally and aired via WDR and ARTE. For the limited triple-disc-edition of Somewhere Far Beyond Revisited the Hellfest material was newly edited by the band’s long-time videographer Dirk Behlau using additional multi-cam footage.
The idea of re-recording the album originated from the rehearsals for these shows as Hansi Kürsch explains in the detailed liner notes: “The original idea wasn’t to do a re-recording. When rehearsing for the anniversary gigs, corona h
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2 íîÿ 2024
THE PRETTY RECKLESS Announce Going To Hell 10th Anniversary Deluxe Hardback Vinyl Book
 surprise…" begins Taylor Momsen, vocalist for The Pretty Reckless.
"Going To Hell changed our lives. Even though we may not have seen it at the time, we certainly feel its effects to this day. We’re rounding out the 10th anniversary celebration with a deluxe hardback vinyl book pack with 32 pages of unseen images from the era. Purple and Beige Vinyl available in the US, and Gold Marble Vinyl available ex-US. Pre-order now."
Scheduled for release on February 7, 2025, this collector’s piece merges the visual and sonic essence of The Pre | 0 | |
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2 íîÿ 2024
CENTINEX Drop “As You Die” Single / Video, Teasing New Album
 Swedish death metallers Centinex have unleashed their “As You Die” single, accompanied by a music video. Featuring two brand-new tracks, the single carves out a fresh path for the band, infusing death ‘n’ roll fury while retaining their signature raw, aggressive extremity. These songs provide a glimpse into their 2025 album, set for release via Black Lion Records.
States Centinex bassist Martin Schulman: “Times change and so do Centinex. Our ‘As You Die’ single in a way represents a new beginning for the band, not only by working with new business partners but also by exploring a somewhat new musical direction. As previously mentioned, we have always been about not setting boundaries or limiting ourselves, and these two new tracks might be the clearest example of that. Maybe we are getting old or something, dunno... Anyway, let’s fu**ing rock!”
Watch the video for “As You Die,” below. Find the single — along with its galloping B-side, “Into Ashes” — on all major digital / streaming platforms here. | +2 | |
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2 íîÿ 2024
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2 íîÿ 2024
GEORGE LYNCH Recalls How Grunge Affected His Career - "Being Proficient At Soloing Was Something To Be Ashamed Of"
 Greg Prato, reporting for Ultimate-Guitar.com:
As rock music changes, its sub-genres could become sort of an antithesis to one another. While, today, we can freely enjoy any combination of bands and sub-genres in our personal daily playlists, grunge and the more guitar-virtuoso-friendly hard rock and heavy metal of the 1980s were two completely opposed sides. Famously, it affected many of the artists, including the likes of George Lynch, who made his name known as one of the most skilled and proficient guitar players of all time.
As George is promoting his new project Casandra's Crossing, we sat down for a chat to discuss his work and career. Among the things we touched upon was also the matter of the emergence of grunge in the late 1980s and the early 1990s, as well as its infamous impact on already established rock and metal artists.
Ultimate-Guitar.com: What was it like to be a guitar shredder during the rise of grunge, and did it affect your career?
George Lynch: "I learned one very valuable lesson, and that was for me personally, anyways, the importance of diversifying what I did. In other words, when guitar solos became out of favor, and being a shredder was sort of an embarrassing thing to admit you were… Not that I was a shredder, but you know, being proficient at soloing, or whatever, was something you should be ashamed of, and you played down guitar solos on all the songs."
Find out what else George had to say, at Ultimate-Guitar.com.
Casandra's Crossing, the new musical alliance featuring George Lynch and powerhouse singer Casandra Carson, will release their new album, Garden Of Earthly Delights, on October 25 via Frontiers Music Srl.
The musical chemistry between these two talented artists has created a magnificent modern hard rock album that showcases Lynch's trademark riffage driven by the outstanding voice of Casandra Carson, who is set to be the next rock singing sensation.
About Garden Of Earthly Delights, Casandra says: “Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would ever meet, let alone collaborate with such a legend as George Lynch. It was an absolute honor and pleasure to work with him on this record. George’s tracks were so cool and inspiring, it was probably some of the most fun I’ve ever had writing lyrics and melodies. I truly couldn’t be more proud of this album, and I’m so excited to finally share it with the rest of the world.”
Pre-order Garden Of Earthly Delights here.
Tracklisting:
"Stranger"
"Impatient"
"Closer To Heaven"
"Ring Me Around"
"Devastatiing Times"
"Waltzing Nites"
"Just Business"
"Mind Eraser"
"Run For Your Life"
"Wicked Woman"
"Kneel Before You"
"Closer To Heaven" visualizer:
"Impatient" visualizer:
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2 íîÿ 2024
JOHN DOLMAYAN: New SYSTEM OF A DOWN Album Would Have To Happen 'Organically'
 In a new interview with São Paulo, Brazil's 89 FM A Rádio Rock radio station, SYSTEM OF A DOWN drummer John Dolmayan and bassist Shavarsh "Shavo" Odadjian once again spoke about the possibility of the band one day making a follow-up to its "Mezmerize" and "Hypnotize" LPs, which came out in 2005. The Serj Tankian-fronted outfit has toured intermittently since ending its hiatus in 2011 but has yet to record any new music. John said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I wouldn't count on a SYSTEM OF A DOWN album anytime soon. It's very unlikely that it will happen, but if it does happen, it'll be because it's organic and the four of us just decide one day that, okay, we don't care about what happened in the past. We don't care if we had differences, either artistically or emotionally. We're just gonna get together and do it, and it'll be something that happens spontaneously. Because if we try to plan it, the anxiety involved with that will be too much. It'll splinter the band too much."
Shavo chimed in: "It's been built up too much. The time that has passed is so long, so much that I feel like if it were to happen, like [John] said, it would have to happen without thinking: 'Let's do it.' We go in, we don't announce it, we don't talk about it, we do it, and then you hear it without a big news about it. It's the only way."
John added: "We do have songs that we worked on several years ago, and they're pretty incredible."
Shavo said: "We have it. No one else has it. It's not recorded."
Last month, Shavo spoke to Chuck Armstrong of Loudwire Nights about the possibility of a new SYSTEM OF A DOWN album. He said: "Listen, bro, my door is always open with that. I have a hundred riffs waiting, if they need anything for me. The way it would work was Daron [Malakian, SYSTEM OF A DOWN guitarist] would come in and he'd have complete songs, which I fucking respect, man. The dude's a fucking sick-ass songwriter. And then Serj would have songs he'd bring in complete. It would just be Serj's were a little different than what the mold of SYSTEM became. So we would use some of it, but not all of it. And I feel like that's where the disconnect happened. It wasn't like someone fucking cursed anybody. It wasn't like someone banged anyone's girl or cussed out… Nothing happened that you can't be cool with. We're still cool with each other. We walk on stage. We love each other. So there's always gonna be that. I wanna always play shows with them. And you never know, bro. I'm always gonna leave that door open. It shouldn't be shut."
Shavo went on to say that "it's a fucking shame that" new music from SYSTEM OF A DOWN is "not happening, because we can do so much. Look, we went in, we did two songs four years ago. How they sound, man. I mean, that could be an album of that shit. And we can even write crazier songs. That was quick. Daron brought a few of those in — boom, boom, boom — and the song was done; it was, like, two days. Imagine if it was going in and writing actual music and caring about the album. 'Cause we compose albums. We're not, like, songwriters. We're songwriters that make albums. It's all about the composition of the album."
This past June, Tankian, who has been promoting his recently released memoir "Down With The System", was asked in an interview with The Jesea Lee Show what it would take for him and his SYSTEM OF A DOWN bandmates to release a new studio album,. He responded: "Egalitarian approach to everything within the band. [In other words] kind of more equality in terms of sourcing of the music, in terms of splitting everything, including publishing, in terms of ideas, in terms of sharing the vision — that kind of stuff."
He continued: "It's in the book. We call it a manifesto jokingly because I wrote points down that, years ago when I had some new songs that I thought would be amazing with SYSTEM, and so I played it for the guys. And I said, 'Guys, I've got an idea of a vision, a different way forward that I think would be very beneficial for the band.' And I presented it — we call it a manifesto in the book almost half jokingly, but bringing a manifesto to rock musicians is… [Laughs] I guess it doesn't work — it doesn't work. But I was trying to instill the same type of egalitarian principles as I love as an activist within whatever I do. And at that time, it didn't work, but maybe it will one day. We'll see."
"Down With The System" was released on May 14 via Hachette Books. In the memoir, Serj revealed that his SYSTEM OF A DOWN bandmates had auditioned a new vocalist after he had asked out of the group in 2017. Serj said that his disdain for touring led to his decision to tell his bandmates to carry on without him so they could continue living their dream. Tankian later learned that the band had begun looking at new singers, and he also shared that in "more recent years", he had pitched a close friend as a potential replacement but he didn't think the band ever seriously considered the offer.
In May, Tankian explained to Patrick Ritter of the WSOU 89.5 FM radio station why he felt, from SYSTEM OF A DOWN's early days, that the complex dynamics within the band and the resulting clash of egos and creative tensions would ultimately led to the group's demise. The singer said in part: "John [Dolmayan], my drummer who's also my brother-in-law, recently — he's got an incredible memory. My memory is not as good, but he basically said, 'Yeah, ever since '99, you were looking and going, 'This can't continue this way.'' And I think it had a lot to do with the discrepancy between our attitude and Daron's attitude toward the band and toward everything that was happening. I think for Daron, he had grown up with this becoming his everything. In John's case, for example, even though he's played drums since he was eight years old — I think it was eight — he's done many, many things in life. He's had a comic book company. Shavo's done other things as well, even though music's been a big part of his life. But for Daron, it was the only thing. And I had done many things in life — worked in different industries, got a college degree and went into music almost late, later than all the other guys, definitely. So I think there was a lack of appreciation of stuff happening or whatever it was. I can't remember the exact circumstance, but I felt like there was something wrong with this puzzle that I don't think we could solve from a very early time. And music had become my everything at that time. I had screamed at the gods saying that I wanna do music. And I knew that was my vision. I knew I'd be doing music for the rest of my life, no matter what, with or without SYSTEM OF A DOWN, 'cause that was my calling. But early on, I could see that schism, that schism developing."
Tankian previously addressed how his relationship with Malakian has evolved over the years, particularly as it relates to their collaborative partnership, earlier last month in an interview with Tom Power, host of "Q" on Canada's CBC Radio One. He said: "Well, changing the dynamic is basically years of time and the progression of the band, the success of the band, everything that happened in between the day that we met and now, basically, so 25, 30 years. A lot changes in that time. And so I think that's a part of it.
"Daron's been a lifer and he's incredibly serious about his music and he's incredibly protective of his music and vulnerable due to his music," Serj explained. "All of those things kind of go together. So it's those things, I think, that created some of the creative differences that we started finding. And it's also our progression. Listen, when Daron and I started working together, I didn't really write a lot of instrumental music — I mostly wrote lyrics; I was the lyricist; I was the singer. And he didn't write any lyrics; he just wrote music. But as time progressed and I played more musical instruments and I started becoming a songwriter/composer and he started writing more lyrics, we started kind of covering each other's territory. And I was okay with that. If he wrote lyrics, I was trying to encourage him to write more, because I believe in artistic growth. I believe in progression. I don't believe in things staying the same way, for music's sake. Otherwise the music becomes the same thing over and over again. That progression is necessary in every artist's life or in every group's life. So I was very encouraging of that. And I just wish that I got some of that back. And so that wasn't the case, and it was disappointing. And it became a creative difference over the band's path, and whatnot, over time."
Asked why he wanted to write about this in his book, Serj said: "A lot of it has been publicized in a very sensationalist format by media, music media mostly, and I kind of wanted to put it in a proper perspective and grounding perspective, but with love and with balance and understanding that these things happen. This is normal. You have a relationship and you have differences in opinion as [to] how you wanna go forward, whether it's a band or a marriage or whatever it is. And these things happen. And so I wanted to take that aspect out, I wanted to take the sensationalist aspect out of the whole thing and be, like, this is not only what happened, but this is how I see things."
Tankian also addressed the fact that SYSTEM OF A DOWN has toured intermittently since ending its hiatus in 2011, but has only managed to record two songs in the last 19 years, "Protect The Land" and "Genocidal Humanoidz". Released in November 2020, the tracks were motivated by the conflict between Artsakh and Azerbaijan, with all proceeds supporting humanitarian efforts in SYSTEM OF A DOWN's ancestral homeland of Armenia. Along with other donations from fans on their social pages, they raised over $600,000.
"We haven't been making new music," Serj said. "We only put out two songs when the invasion of Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh happened in 2020 by Azerbaijan, because we felt like the Azeri trolls, the government-sponsored trolls were taking over social media and the news networks, and the victims of these attacks weren't getting the word out. So we became kind of obsessed with getting the word out, because we were seeing our people suffer. So we put out those two songs because of that and we donated a lot of the proceeds for that to the cause as well."
Asked how he balances the love and obligation he might feel toward his fans, those who love SYSTEM OF A DOWN, and the internal struggles within the band, Tankian said: "That's an incredibly smart question. It's really hard catering — when you're an artist, it's really hard catering. If you're an entertainer, catering is [what you do], but if you're an artist, then you're just creating what comes to you. You're almost unaware of what people want. Yes, if it's something heavier, you know people are gonna like it more. But if you're a good songwriter, you could do both. I do orchestral music, I do film music, I do rock music — I do it all. So I enjoy 'em all, but I know that if I do rock, more people are going to listen to it than a piano, instrumental orchestral piece of music, soundtrack kind of music. But it doesn't mean that you don't do both, as an artist. So it's hard to really cater to people's feelings. What I love is, and I know that I can speak for the rest of the guys in the band, that no matter what's going on with our creative difference or the band not making new music or not touring fully or whatever, everyone's incredibly appreciative of what we have in terms of the love that we get from our fans and the way that people react to our music and the way that we get all these e-mails about how it's changed people's lives and all of that stuff, and that is mind-blowing. It's the biggest honor. And when I meet people on the street, I'm still incredibly honored that someone would pick me out and look at me in a positive light, not knowing who I am personally, but knowing me through my music, through our music, let's say. And I think that's a great fucking honor. I feel blessed for it. But it doesn't mean that that thing should continue forever either."
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2 íîÿ 2024
GHOST's Debut Feature Film 'Rite Here Rite Now' To Receive Physical Home Video Release
 The prayers of the legions of the GHOST faithful have been answered: On December 6, the physical home video release of the band's worldwide Top 10 box office smash feature film debut "Rite Here Rite Now" will bring its mesmerizing live ritual to your living room.
Following a rapturously received global streaming premiere, "Rite Here Rite Now" is now available for pre-order on DVD, Blu-ray, 4K and VHS — to stream at Veeps, and to pre-order for purchase or rental in advance of its October 28 digital release via iTunes and Amazon. The film captures all songs played during GHOST's now-legendary sold out two-night stand at Los Angeles's Kia Forum — including tracks not on its No. 1-charting soundtrack album — while proving to be much more than a mere concert film: Stunning performance footage is interwoven with a narrative that develops and advances plot threads from the band's long-running "Chapters" webisode series, featuring familiar faces interacting behind the scenes with GHOST's Papa IV, as his future and fate rest with the Ministry.
For more information, go to ghost-official.com.
"Rite Here Rite Now" premiered globally in cinemas on June 20 through 23, with additional screenings added due to insatiable fan demand. It's an unforgettable, immersive event that combines narrative storytelling with live performances from the sold-out two-night finale of the band's "Re-Imperatour" U.S.A. 2023.
A phantasmagorical blend of live performance and cutaway sequences that immerses viewers in the technicolor melodrama of GHOST's vaunted live rituals, the film picks up plot threads from the band's long-running "Chapters" webisode series. It captures flesh and bone renditions of fan favorites from all five of GHOST's albums, as well as the RIAA platinum-certified "Mary On A Cross", interwoven with the silver screen debuts of familiar faces — all interacting behind the scenes with GHOST's Papa Emeritus IV, as his future and fate lay in the hands of the Ministry.
Whether a devoted disciple reliving treasured memories of the GHOST live spectacle or a curious newcomer, "Rite Here Rite Now" transports viewers into the heart of the performance. The film captures the essence of living in the moment, with a shadow of uncertainty looming, leaving the audience completely spellbound and enthralled by this bombastic yet intimate cinematic portrait of GHOST.
For its theatrical run, which was distributed by Trafalgar (Taylor Swift's "Eras" tour and Beyoncé's "Renaissance"),"Rite Here Rite Now" entered the Top 10 of the North America box office with a cumulative total gross of $2.65 million, making it the highest-grossing hard rock cinema event ever in North America. After its opening weekend, it entered the worldwide Top 10 box office at No. 9 with a total gross of $5.04 million worldwide. Regional highlights also included U.K. and Ireland with a $606,000 gross and No. 5 at the box office, Germany with a $332,000 gross and No. 3 at the box office, Mexico with a $326,000 gross and a No. 5 box office position for the weekend, and Australia with a $178,000 gross and No. 6 at the box office. The film has captivated audiences, receiving a stellar 99% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
"Rite Here Rite Now: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack", mixed by Rich Costey, was released worldwide on July 26 via Loma Vista Recordings. A fitting 18-song complement to GHOST's debut feature film, the band's first ever original soundtrack is available on all formats (digital, CD, 2xLP).
Last October, GHOST mastermind Tobias Forge confirmed that footage from the band's September 2023 two shows at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California would be used as part of the film.
"When I first started putting it together, I was, like, 'Oh my god, I'm going to faint because there's so much to think about,'" Forge told Metal Hammer magazine. "Then it was, like, 'No, no, just don't think about it at all.'"
Both GHOST shows at the Forum were device-free experiences. Use of phones and smart watches was not permitted in the performance space. Upon arrival at the venue, devices were secured in individual Yondr pouches that were opened at the end of the event.
"I have never seen a crowd interact the way that they did since I was in a club band," Forge said. "They were the best shows I've ever done with GHOST, just because I didn't have to see those fucking mobile phones."
At the Forum shows, GHOST performed the song "Twenties" live for the very first time live. They also played their cover of Roky Erikson's "If You Have Ghosts", which was originally reimagined by GHOST for their 2013 EP "If You Have Ghost". The band's version of the track at the Forum featured two cellists with a piano playing, and it was performed on a separate stage from the rest of the set. | +2 | |
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2 íîÿ 2024
JOEY ALLEN Says WARRANT Documentary Is In The Works
 In a new interview with Become A Guitarist Today, WARRANT guitarist Joey Allen spoke about whether there has been any talk of a follow-up to 2017's "Louder Harder Faster" album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Here's the deal with WARRANT on records, is that the first three records, [original WARRANT frontman] Jani Lane was the the creative force behind all the songwriting, which is fantastic. I mean, he was great at it. And it was a magic time for everybody. When you've got a guy that's bringing in songs like '[Mr.] Rainmaker' and 'Uncle Tom's Cabin', and nobody else is bringing in 'Uncle Tom's Cabin', you're, like, 'Okay, keep on going.' And so when he wasn't in the band, and then you've got the five of us, it's kind of the same thing. Whoever writes the music brings it in. If it's good and it's complete, then there you go. And I'm not a songwriter as much as I am a guitar player. I'm great at interpreting people that can't play guitar great and turning it into some cool-sounding riffs, the way I play. But it gets to the point where if there's riffs out there and you need somebody to come in and write lyrics to it, well, then everybody should pay attention and see if there's a riff out there. So the choices of songs and how we put a record together is very arduous. It's very difficult for WARRANT, for some reason. And it's amazing that after a record like 'Louder, Harder, Faster' that the band was still together. So, looking forward to another record, you're, like, 'Hmm.' [Laughs] 'Do you wanna do that again now — what is it? — seven years later?' And I think there's some desire, but it's not heavy."
He added: "New music's different now. People do records, nobody cares. So do we do a few songs at a time and release a song or two? I don't know what our model is gonna be. We're not going away. How's that? You want us to go away? We're not. And we still do 50 or 60 shows a year over here [in the U.S.]."
Allen went on to say that WARRANT fans can expect to see something else that might satisfy their craving for new product.
"We've gotten through a lot of our archives of videotapes and pictures and things that we all four of us have in our boxes in the attic and we've gotten them down," he said. "Because everybody had those little video cameras back in the day. So, there is private video from 1987. And I think we're trying to catalog all that data and kind of put together some type of a documentary with that stuff. And that's the next project. So if anybody was in the band from the front end on, from 'Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich' on, they're gonna get a peek behind what we were doing, what you thought we were doing. Were you right? Were you wrong? I mean, it's certainly not gonna be X rated by any means, but if you see some of the shit that did go on, it's great fun. I don't know if it'll be rated as a comedy or what, but there's some funny shit in there. So that's it."
Joey previously talked about the possibility of a new WARRANT album this past March in an interview with the "Rimshots With Sean" podcast. He said at the time: "New record? I don't know. The last one was fun to make, and [producer] Jeff Pilson was fun to work with. And the one before that [2011's 'Rockaholic'] with [producer] Keith Olsen — God rest his soul — was great and fun to do.
"It's such an undertaking for us, and the return on making a record is [miniscule]," he explained. "You know what I mean? And not everything's about money. It's, like, can we play it live? Well, you can, but people are just gonna sit there and look at you, like, 'Where's 'Cherry Pie'? Where's 'Uncle Tom's Cabin'? Where's 'Down Boys'? Where are those hits I wanted to hear?' And so you can't go out and play three or four or five new tunes, which would be — for me, thumbs up. I would dig to do that. But we have a responsibility to play the songs that people really wanna hear too. So it's a double-edged sword. And that's what I mean when I [say], what's in it for us? It's not financially. The thing in it for us is to play new music, to create new music, to grow. Let's not be a nostalgia act. So I don't know if it'll be a new record or if it'll be a song at a time or whatever — I'm sure sooner than later something [will] happen — but nothing's going on right now."
Last December, WARRANT guitarist Erik Turner told Robert Miguel of Uvalde Radio Rocks that he and his bandmates were "not sure" what they were going to do as far as new music was concerned. "It's just been a little bit — there's just been some stuff going on where we haven't really been doing any new music," he revealed. "We have some riffs [being thrown] around. We have some half-finished songs going on. Due to some personal stuff going on, we're just kind of on hold as far as the new record goes. Nothing horrible, but just band stuff."
In March 2023, Allen told Mankato, Minnesota's "The Five Count" radio show that he and his WARRANT bandmates were "actually writing right now for a record. So people are sending riffs around. You can do it on the Internet nowadays," he explained. "We just have a cloud-based files system where we just upload ideas. And somebody will take an idea, a music idea, and put some lyrics to it, and we'll start to craft our songs. So maybe by this fall we'll dig into the studio again and [record] the follow-up to 'Louder Harder Faster', which came out, I think, six years ago this year. The recording process takes about four or five weeks, so maybe early next year we'll have something new out for everybody to listen to and back on the road we will go to support that."
Three years ago, WARRANT singer Robert Mason told the "Thunder Underground" podcast that there wasn't "a defined schedule" for the group's next studio album, but he added that he and his bandmates are "always writing."
In 2020, Turner told the "Talking Metal" podcast that WARRANT was "throwing some ideas around" for a new LP. He said: "I've been sending Robert some riffs, and Robert's been working on songs. I've got a song going with Jerry [Dixon, bass]. So it's a slow, long process for us, but the seed of a new record has been started. Now, that doesn't mean the seed will grow into a record. We've got a long way to go. We don't have one finished song. We've got a couple of things cooking, and we're actually sending ideas around back and forth to each other."
"Louder Harder Faster" was released in May 2017. The disc was recorded with Pilson — a veteran bassist who has played with DIO, FOREIGNER, DOKKEN and T&N, among others — and was mixed by Pat Regan, except for the song "I Think I'll Just Stay Here And Drink", which was mixed by Chris "The Wizard" Collier (FLOTSAM AND JETSAM, PRONG, LAST IN LINE).
Mason replaced Lane in 2008 and has brought a degree of stability to the band after Lane's unceremonious departure and subsequent 2011 death.
WARRANT is rounded out by original drummer Steven Sweet. | 0 | |
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2 íîÿ 2024
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2 íîÿ 2024
Japan's BRIDEAR - “Voice Is To Silence” Live Video Streaming
 Japanese metal band Bridear released their new album, Born Again, on June 28 via Psychomanteum Records. A vinyl release is planned for December 1. A CD and merchandise bundle is available to order now at psychoshop.net.
Bridear is about to begin a tour in Australia with Dream Evil and have dates planned for Japan, Europe, UK, the United States, and Canada. The Japanese act has shared an official live video for "Voice Is To Silence", taken from their live show on June 29.
Check out the previously uploaded "Born Again":
Tour dates:
October (supporting Dream Evil)
31 - Soapbox Beer - Brisbane, Australia
November (supporting Dream Evil)
1 - The Abyss - Canberra, Australia
2 - Marrickville Bowling & Recreation Club - Sydney, Australia
4 - The Leadbeater Hotel - Melbourne, Australia
April
4 - Stereo - Glasgow, UK
5 - The Cluny 2 - Newcastle, UK
6 - Deaf Institute - Manchester, UK
9 - The Par | 0 | |
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2 íîÿ 2024
BAT Feat. MUNICIPAL WASTE Members Release "Horror Vision" Music Video
 Richmond, Virginia metal-punk trio, Bat, are ringing in Hallows Eve with the perfect onslaught of horror movies and speed metal. The track "Horror Vision" is taken from the band's second full-length album, Under The Crooked Claw, available via Nuclear Blast Records.
The brainchild of Municipal Waste guitarists Ryan Waste & Nick Poulos, Bat ascended from the underground a decade ago on a dark, leather-winged trajectory. The band delivers their own blood-spattered horror leaning heavily on the dirtier side of speed metal.
The track features 20 of the 'video nasty' titles highlighted throughout the song along with other classic horror clips edited together by Jim Stramel and Ryan Waste.
Ryan Waste states, "I grew up watching horror movies at a young age, and just like with heavy metal, I became obsessed, delving deeper into the obscure. In the early 80s, UK starch conservative Mary Whitehouse spearheaded a campaign against certain films she deemed unsuitable for viewing at home and coined the term 'video nasties'. There was an initial list of 72 'obscene' films on VHS, so of course I had to hunt them down and watch all of them in reverse protest. I inserted 20 Video Nasty movie titles in the lyrics for 'Horror Vision' as a tribute to anti-censorship. In the music video, we highlight those films plus many more in the horror realm. I called upon fellow fright enthusiast Jim Stramel (BAT, Streetbanger) for his editing skills once again to create this onslaught of terror. We made sure that Mary Whitehouse not only rolls in her grave, but rocks her stiff bones down to hell with this video clip."
Watch the music video for the single "Horror Vision":
Order/stream Under The Crooked Claw at this location.
The power trio, completed by drummer Chris Marshall, decamped to Philadelphia in June 2021 where Arthur Rizk recorded the basic tracks for Under The Crooked Claw. Yavé Rust tracked lead guitars and vocals later when the band was back in Richmond, ultimately to be mixed by Rizk and mastered by Joel Grind. The artwork for the album was inked by Brandon Holt and colored by Margaret Rolicki.
Jam-packed with tight, concise songs loaded with punchy choruses and lightning-laced leads, each of the 13 tracks offers a new horror short story mixing the perfect blend of heavy metal, punk, and rock ‘n’ roll or as Waste coins it "primitive heavy speed".
Tracklisting:
“Una torcia illumina il cielo”
“Vampyre Lore”
“Rite For Exorcism”
“Streetbanger”
“Just Buried”
“Warshock”
“Horror Vision”
“Battered”
“Revenge Of The Wolf”
“Marauders Of Doom”
“Electric Warning”
“Bastardized Force”
“Final Strike” | +1 | |
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2 íîÿ 2024
UK Death Metal Outfit CELESTIAL SANCTUARY Signs To Metal Blade Records
 Metal Blade Records is pleased to welcome UK death metal outfit, Celestial Sanctuary, to their esteemed roster.
Forged in 2019, Celestial Sanctuary burst onto the scene with their brutal blend of death metal pulling influence from the likes of Carcass, Dying Fetus, and Cannibal Corpse and injecting their own fetid flavor into the genre.
Celestial Sanctuary released their sophomore album, Insatiable Thirst For Torment, on Church Road Records in August of 2023.
Comments the band on their signing, "We are chuffed to bits and extremely proud to have signed with Metal Blade Records. All of us have grown up listening to CDs and records that brandish the mark of The Blade, so to be a part of that history and stand on a roster alongside the best artists in the world of metal is an honor that isn't lost on us. We're well into the writing process for our next album, and having the backing of Metal Blade is inspiring us to write our most brutal, unhinged, and best shit yet. See you fucks on the road!"
Having played and toured with such scene giants as Obituary, Cattle Deca
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2 íîÿ 2024
THE HELLACOPTERS To Release Overdriver Album In January; Cover Art Revealed
 Swedish high-energy rock'n'roll pioneers, The Hellacopters, have revealed the cover and release date for their brand new studio album, Overdriver, which will see the light of day on January 31 via Nuclear Blast Records.
Less than three years after their triumphant, chart-storming comeback record, Eyes Of Oblivion, Sweden's most consistently great rock outfit is back with another banger of an album. Overdriver was recorded at Strawberry Studio & The Honk Palace and is the first Hellacopters album entirely produced by Nicke Andersson.
As you might expect from a Hellacopters album it's filled to the brim with roaring guitars and earth-shattering grooves, fist-raising energy and anthemic choruses, while keeping the variety richer than ever before.
The striking cover for Overdriver was created by German illustrator Max Löffler. More info on pre-order and tracklisting will follow very soon.
And since they're also celebrating their 30th anniversary in 2025, The Hellacopters could have a few more tricks up their sleeves to keep you boys and girls in line, so keep your eyes peeled!
About The Hellacopters:
Swedish high energy rock and roll band, The Hellacopters, released its eighth studio album, Eyes Of Oblivion, on April 1st, 2022. It marked the first full-length since the release of their temporary farewell record Head Off in 2008, which Nuclear Blast Records reissued in October 2024.
Eyes Of Oblivion was met with massive acclaim from fans and media alike. Charting #1 in Sweden, #3 in Germany, #6 in Finland, the band cel
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2 íîÿ 2024
Phil Anselmo's SCOUR Performs Cover Of ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN's "The Killing Moon"; Video
 eme metal supergroup featuring heavy music veterans, including Philip H. Anselmo (Pantera, Down), Derek Engemann (Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals), John Jarvis (Nest, Agoraphobic Nosebleed), Mark Kloeppel (Misery Index), and Adam Jarvis (Pig Destroyer, Lock Up), will play at Southport Hall in Jefferson, Louisiana with special guests Pentagram, Exhorder, and Soundi
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2 íîÿ 2024
IRON MAIDEN's The Future Past World Tour Lands In Toronto; Fan-Filmed Video Of Entire Show Streaming
 Iron Maiden's The Future Past World Tour, currently hitting North American venues, landed at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario on October 26. Fan-filmed video from the concert can be viewed below.
Setlist:
“Caught Somewhere In Time"
“Stranger In A Strange Land"
“The Writing On The Wall"
“Days Of Future Past"
“The Time Machine"
“The Prisoner"
“Death Of The Celts"
“Can I Play With Madness"
“Heaven Can Wait"
“Alexander The Great"
“Fear Of The Dark"
“Iron Maiden"
Encore:
“Hell On Earth"
“The Trooper"
“Wasted Years“
Following the October 21 death of original Iron Maiden singer, Paul Di'Anno, the band's self-titled debut album lands on a pair of charts in the United Kingdom, the country where the group formed and got their start.
Forbes Senior Contributor, Hugh McIntyre, reports that the full-length debuts on the Official Album Downloads chart this week. The set comes in at #65 on the list of the bestselling legal downloads in the UK.
This week, Iron Maiden collects their first new win on the Official Album Downloads tally in two years. The last time they debuted a title on the ranking was in October 2022, when Somewhere In Time launched, and eventually rose as high as #92.
Iron Maiden hasn’t appeared as high on the same tally as they do right now in a little bit longer. The rockers reached #1 on the ranking of the top downloaded albums in the UK in 2021, with Senjutsu.
The self-titled affair can also be found on the Official Rock & Metal Albums chart this frame, which is specific to those styles. On that list, Iron Maiden re-enters the race at #33, becoming a Top 40 win once more for the outfit.
Read more at Forbes.
A memorial show has been announced in tribute to Paul Di'Anno. His manager Stjepan Juras, who on October 21 had the difficult job of announcing Paul's death, shared the following update:
"After the indescribable shock and sadness when we found out about the sudden death of the true legend of rock and heavy metal music - Paul Di'Anno, the whole world united in order to pay the last respect to Paul and send him to the other world the way he knew and did it whole life; loud, fierce and energetic.
"Camden Underworld has always been Paul's favourite venue where he always had fantastic shows. In this club, his last show in 2023 was sold out, as would be this one in 2024, which he unfortunately did not manage to play. However, his friends Electric Gypsy, Gypsy's Kiss and Hi-on Maiden, who were supposed to play with him that night, will hold an unforgettable in memoriam show together with their guests, who will sing and play a Paul Di'Anno set from this tour.
"Singers Guzz Colins (Electric Gypsy) and David Smith (Gypsy's Kiss) will sing Paul's songs, and in the meantime we are expecting many other guests. Also guest musicians will be Terry Wapram (ex-Iron Maiden) and Tino Troy (Praying Mantis), and in the near future we expect the response of other musicians and friends, who due to the close date of this event have to schedule their previously agreed commitments.
"The show will take place on November 7 at Camden Underworld, and you can find out about ticket prices and program times at theunderworldcamden.co.uk.
"As merchandise (fc magazine/tour program, t-shirts, patches) was previously printed for the upcoming (cancelled) tour, a very limited number will be available at this event, so if you want to have it, hurry to the club as early as possible.
"You will be able to hear various anecdotes from the stage from friends who worked with Paul. We will raise a glass in his name and once again sing the legendary songs that he performed the loudest, so that he can hear us.
"See you at Camden Underworld."
Juras issued the following statement on October 21, announcing Paul's passing:
"On behalf of his family, I am very sad to confirm the death of Paul Andrews, professionally known as Paul Di'Anno. Paul passed away at his home in Salisbury at the age of 66.
"Born in Chingford, East London on 17th May 1958, Paul first came to prominence as lead singer of English Heavy Metal band, Iron Maiden between 1978 and 1981. He sang on their groundbreaking debut album Iron Maiden, and the influential follow up release, Killers. Since leaving Iron Maiden, Paul Di'Anno had a long and eventful recording career with Battlezone and Killers as well as numerous solo releases and guest appearances.
"Despite being troubled by severe health issues in recent years that restricted him to performing in a wheelchair, Paul continued to entertain his fans around the world, racking up well over 100 shows since 2023.
"In 2024 he published his new album with the band Warhorse, and only few month later his retrospective album. His first career retrospective album, The Book Of The Beast was released in September 2024 and featured highlights of his recordings since leaving Iron Maiden.
"I was so proud to call him my friend and I ask his legion of fans to raise a glass in his memory."
Iron Maiden paid tribute to their former vocalist.
Said Iron Maiden: "We are all deeply saddened to learn about the passing of Paul Di'Anno earlier today. Paul's contribution to Iron Maiden was immense and helped set us on the path we have been travelling as a band for almost five decades. His pioneering presence as a frontman and vocalist, both on stage and on our first two albums, will be very fondly remembered not just by us, but by fans around the world."
“It’s just so sad he’s gone,” commented Steve Harris. “I was in touch
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2 íîÿ 2024
THE 69 EYES Live At Wacken Open Air 2024; Pro-Shot Video Released
 Thirty-five years after their founding, Finland's dark rock masters, The 69 Eyes, finally played at Wacken Open Air 2024. Watch them performing on the W:E:T Stage at midnight below. Pro-shot video features the songs "Brandon Lee", "Dance D'Amour", and "Lost Boys"
Earlier this year, The 69 Eyes released their new single, "Fade To Grey". A visualizer for the song can be found below.
The band teamed up with American songwriter Diane Warren, and the result of this exciting collaboration is the soulful power ballad, "Fade To Grey", with music and lyrics by Warren, available via Reigning Phoenix Music (RPM). Save it here.
Diane Warren, often referred to as "the most important songwriter in the world," wrote an impressive list of timeless hits, collaborating with iconic pop stars like Taylor Switf and Lady Gaga alongside legends such as Cher ("If I Could Turn Back Time"), Celine Dion ("Because You Loved Me") and Whitney Houston. She is also known for her works with rock icons such as Aerosmith ("I Don't Want To Miss A Thing"), The Cult ("Painted On My Heart") and Meat Loaf ("I'd Lie For You (And That's The Truth)"). She is a Grammy winner with 15 nominations, has two Golden Globe awards and is a 15-time Oscar nominee who received an "Honorary Oscar" as voted by the Academy's Board of Governors in 2022.
The Warren/The 69 Eyes single "Fade To Grey" combines Diane's conspicuous artistic signature with the group's trademark soundscapes with both melting into an epic power ballad. This creative collaboration is not only a highlight in music, but also pushes the boundaries of handmade music.
Diane Warren previously stated, "The year before last I walked into a store and saw someone so cool who just epitomized rock 'n' roll. That was Jyrki, the amazing singer from The 69 Eyes. Now here we are with my song with them, 'Fade To Grey' about to be released. I am very excited for everyone to hear it!"
Jyrki 69, The 69 Eyes' charismatic frontman, also shared his excitement about the collaboration: "This was exactly like one of those Hollywood dreams: I was hanging on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills when a lady asked me who I was out of the blue. I got confused and that's about it. Later on, I realised that the lady was Diane Warren, the ultimately greatest songwriter on earth and writer of my favourite The Cult song, 'Painted On My Heart.' That was my opportunity to start a musical collaboration with her but I missed my once-in-a-lifetime ch
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2 íîÿ 2024
VACUOUS Sign To Relapse Records; New Album Coming 2025
 Hailing from London, UK; death metal legion Vacuous has signed to Relapse Records and are prepared to release their sophomore full-length album in early 2025.
Stay tuned for new music and live performance announcements in the near future.
Vacuous was formed at the end of 2019 by guitarist Michael Brodsky and vocalist Jo Chen. They started out as a trio but when the pandemic hit, they hunkered down to write and realized their ambitions demanded a bigger band. They’re now a five-piece, joined by Max Southall on drums, Ezra Harkin on guitars and Zak Mullard on bass. | 0 | |
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2 íîÿ 2024
THANTAOS Shares “Global Purification” From Upcoming Anniversary DVD
 Hollands' oldest death metal band Thanatos is premiering a video from the group's upcoming anniversary album and DVD Four Decades Of Death, set to celebrate the 40th year of the band's existence on November 15 via Agonia Records. Watch "Global Purification" below.
The album consists of previously unreleased songs and a bonus DVD, which captures, on a multi-cam recording, the band's last live show from 2022.
"From beyond the grave we bring you this album with unreleased stuff from the past four decades plus a cool live registration of our last show ever," comments Thanatos's founder, Stephan Gebédi (Hail Of Bullets). "Filmed at the Baroeg Open Air festival in our hometown Rotterdam on September 10th 2022, the band played songs ranging from the early demo days to our final album Violent Death Rituals in front of about 8000 people. This is a posthumous celebration of our 40th anniversary. Releasing this rare, unreleased stuff on CD/vinyl and our final show on DVD feels like a great way to end things or, to put it more bluntly, put the last nail in our coffin!"
Four Decades Of Death will be released in CD, LP (both formats to include the bonus DVD) and digital. The cover artwork was drawn by Toni Hietomaa.
Tracklisting:
Album
“A-Thanasia” (2021 remake, originally recorded in 1989)
“Putrid Existence” (2021 remake, originally written in 1988)
“Thou Shalt Rot” (2021 remake, originally recorded in 2000)
“Tied Up, Sliced Up” (2021 new vocals, original recording 1992)
“Violent Death Rituals” (2018 studio demo)
“Corporate Indoctrination” (2018 studio demo)
“The Silent War” (2018 studio demo)
“They Feed On Fear” (2006 studio demo)
“Destruction. Chaos. Creation.” (2006 studio demo)
“Justified Genocide” (2006 studio demo)
“March Of The Infidels” (2006 studio demo)
“Unholy Predators” (2023 version feat. Michelle Nocon)*
*CD bonus track
DVD
“Intro”
“Dawn Of The Dead”
“The Murder Of Innocence”
“Violent Death Rituals”
“And Jesus Wept”
“Unholy Predators”
“Angelic Encounters”
“Feeding The War Machine”
“Outward Of The Inward”
“Global Purification”
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2 íîÿ 2024
BRAZEN ABBOT Streaming “Bad Religion” Feat. Göran Edman
 Frontiers Music Srl recently announced the upcoming release of reissues of Brazen Abbot’s studio albums, Eye Of The Storm and Bad Religion, out on December 6.
"Bad Religion" featuring Göran Edman and taken from theBad Religion album is available below. Pre-order Eye Of The Storm here, and Bad Religion here.
Talking about Eye Of The Storm, Nikolo Kotzev says: “Here’s the second Brazen Abbot album. As always - a labour of love with many memorable tracks. The great Joe Lynn Turner and the Europe guys gave it a special flavour. With this re-release Brazen Abbot comes to life once again! Enjoy!”
“Here’s the re-release of the third Brazen Abbot album. It saw the light of day in 1997, and now, almost 30 years later, it still shines bright as a sunny morning! As usual - brilliant singers and top notch musicians in this musical gem. Rock on!”, he adds in regards to Bad Religion.
Brazen Abbot was originally conceived as a studio project by Bulgarian guitarist, producer, and songwriter Nikolo Kotzev. The band has since performed live on several occasions, particularly in the early 2000’s.
A unique feature of Brazen Abbot is its use of multiple singers on each album. Göran Edman and Joe Lynn Turner have contributed with vocals on most of their records. Initially, Kotzev planned to work with a single vocalist, Göran Edman (ex-Malmsteen) but, due to contractual restrictions, he could only record two songs for the debut album. The “Voice of Rock” Glenn Hughes was then lined up to sing the remaining tracks, but similar issues limited him to three songs.
To complete the album, Thomas Vikström (Talk Of The Town and later on Therion) was brought in, and Kotzev was so satisfied with the outcome that he decided to continue the multi-singer approach for future albums. However, during live performances, Joe Lynn Turner (ex-Malmsteen, Rainbow, Deep Purple) usually handled all lead vocals.
Several Brazen Abbot members also participated in Kotzev’s rock opera Nostradamus (2001). During the rock opera’s development, Brazen Abbot was temporarily on hiatus. Former members of the band include Mic Michaeli, John Levén, and Ian Haugland, all of whom are also members of the legendary rock band Europe.
Eye Of The Storm is the second album from Brazen Abbot. Released originally in 1996 on the Japanese label Zero/JVC and shortly after by the German label USG Records, Eye Of The Storm sees the addition of the awesome singer Joe Lynn Turner to the line-up.
His influence is particularly evident on songs like “Twist Of Fate”, “Line Of Fire”, and “Road To Hell”, while the Europe influence can be found in “Wake Up Everybody”, with a great vocal performance from Thomas Vikström. Göran Edman also appears on lead vocals stamping his mark especially on the power-ballad “Everything's Gonna Be Allright”.
The album cemented the reputation that Brazen Abbot managed to achieve with their first album and offers a truly solid and brilliant melodic hard rock release for all the fans of the genre.
Bad Religion is Brazen Abbot’s third studio album, released in 1997 simultaneously by the Japanese label Zero/JVC and by the German label USG Records.
The record builds from where the previous album left off, offering a hard rock sound heavily influenced by Rainbow, Deep Purple, Yngwie Malmsteen, Whitesnake and of course Europe, with a slight symphonic edge which came from the mastermind’s Nikolo Kotzev classical training.
Bad Religion sees again three members of Europe in the lineup of musicians, while singers Joe Lynn Turner, Göran Edman and Thomas Vikström put their own stamp on some truly amazing hard rock belters.
Eye Of The Storm tracklisting:
"Eye Of The Storm" (Joe Lynn Turner, vocals)
"Twist Of Fate" (Joe Lynn Turner, vocals)
"Fool In Love" (Göran Edman, vocals)
"Line Of Fire" (Joe Lynn Turner, vocals)
"Wake Up Everybody" (Thomas Vikström, vocals)
"Everything's Gonna Be Allright" (Göran Edman, vocals)
"Common People" (Göran Edman, vocals)
"The Road To Hell" (Joe Lynn Turner, vocals)
"Restless In Seattle" (Göran Edman, vocals)
"Highway Cindy" (Thomas Vikström, vocals)
"Devil's Allegro" (instrumental)
"I'll Be There For You" (Göran Edman, vocals)
"Eye Of The Storm" feat. Joe Lynn Turner:
Bad Religion tracklisting:
"The Whole World's Crazyv (Joe Lynn Turner, vocals)
"Nightmares" (Thomas Vikström, vocals)
"Two Of A Kind" (Göran Edman, vocals)
"I Will Rise Again" (Joe Lynn Turner, vocals)
"Day Of The Eagle" (Göran Edman, vocals)
"We Don't Talk Anymore" (Thomas Vikström, vocals)
"Wings Of A Dream" (Joe Lynn Turner, vocals)
"Bad Religion" (Göran Edman, vocals)
"Father To Child" (Thomas Vikström, vocals)
"Love Is On Our Side" (Joe Lynn Turner, vocals)
"The Empire Of The Sun" (Göran Edman, vocals)
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2 íîÿ 2024
Canada’s MUTANK Return With Think Before You Think Album In November
 Canadian thrash maniacs Mutank return with their newest collection of bangers and first taste of new neck-breaking tunes in seven years since releasing their mosh heavy EP "W.H.A.T.S.T.H.A.T." in 2017 via Boonsdale Records.
Entitled Think Before You Think, it will be released once again on Boonsdale Records on November 29, 2024, and features ten volcanic thrash tracks to blaze a new path to jackhammer a pure audio assault. Live favourites such as "Running Reds", "Abortron", and "Thrash Primordial" are sure to please die-hard fans for easy repeat listens.
Vocalist/bassist Stephen Reynolds comments:
"We want this album to energize people and make them feel the way we do when we listen to some of our favourite artists. This album is the most material we have ever put out! 50 minutes of pure metal across 10 tracks. The songs really picked themselves as we kept writing tracks we really enjoyed playing.”
With a passion for classic thrash and a desire to play radical riffs, Mutank made a deservedly big splash on the Canadian metal scene with their debut EP "M.E.C.H METAL" and a performance at Wacken Open Air after being declared champions of the 2014 Wacken Metal Battle Canada | 0 | |
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2 íîÿ 2024
INTO ETERNITY Celebrates 20 Years Of Buried In Oblivion With Vinyl Reissue
 It might seem hard to fathom in a post-djent era, but once upon a time, it was unthinkable to mix progressive metal and technical death metal, two decidedly distinct subgenres of heavy metal whose disparate fan bases overlapped little, if at all. The pioneering “extreme progressive metal” group Into Eternity, however, showed that it was not only possible, but inconceivable that no one had done so sooner.
Bridging the gap between Death and Dream Theater, the influential Canadian band – founded by guitarist Tim Roth – paved the way for scores of today's genre-agnostic acts. True extreme music pioneers, Into Eternity showed the world just how limitless metal could be – and also how glorious it could sound in the process.
On Friday, November 1, M-Theory Audio will honor Into Eternity's continued legacy by reissuing another of their most significant albums. The 20th Anniversary edition of Buried In Oblivion – the group's 2004 classic heralded by many as their breakthrough album. The album will be reissued as a limited-edition (400 copies) pressing on Splattered in Oblivion colored vinyl, and an exclusive (webstore and bandcamp) direct-only 100 copy pressing on Marbled in Oblivion, each includes newly-written liner notes by Tim Roth and drummer Jim Austin in an expanded layout.
“Buried In Oblivion is one of my very favourite albums. It’s album number 3 and it's the album that really put us on the metal map. We started touring all the different countries and got to play with all of our favourite bands. The tour that really stands out was the Opeth/Nevermore/Into Eternity USA Tour and we were out supporting Buried In Oblivion,” recalls Tim Roth. “This is an album worth spinning again for the 20th anniversary. It's one of our best albums with some of our best songs. There's a lot of ear candy going on as well as some great instrumental music with brutal death vocals but also excellent vocals/harmonies. Thanks to M-Theory Audio for releasing this very special album in our band career!”
The original album was released in 2004 on Century Media, who graciously once again agreed to license us the band’s backcatalogue -- we pressed the vinyl firsts of the Into Eternity’s self-titled debut and the classic ‘Incurable Tragedy’ in | 0 | |
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Havok
