Metallica have released a new audio preview for their upcoming reissue of The Black Album. Watch "The Unforgiven" (Las Cruces, NM - August 27, 1992) from the Wherever We May Roam DVD included in the Deluxe Box Set edition below. Recorded live at Aggie Memorial Stadium in Las Cruces, NM on August 27, 1992, featuring John Marshall on rhythm guitar.
You knew it was coming, you’ve been patiently waiting, and finally The Black Album reissue is here. Remastered for ultimate sound quality, multiple formats will be hitting the physical and digital universe on September 10, and are available for pre-order now.
Says Metallica: "Can you believe it’s been almost thirty years since its original release? Neither can we! Then off we went to hit the road for a massive 300+ show tour, and the ‘Tallica experience went to a whole new level. To celebrate this milestone, we had to go all out with a wide variety of configurations for all your listening pleasure, including 180-gram double vinyl LP, standard CD and 3CD expanded edition, and digital (including high-def versions).
"There’s also the ultimate release for die-hard fans: a Limited Edition Deluxe Box Set containing over 24 hours of music including the album remastered on 180-gram 2LP, a picture disc, three live LPs, 14 CDs (containing rough mixes, demos, interviews, and live shows), 6 DVDs (containing outtakes, behind the scenes, official videos, and live shows), a 120-page hardcover book, four different tour laminates, three unique lithos, three guitar picks, a Metallica lanyard, a folder with lyric sheets, and a download card.
"But wait… of course there’s more! In addition to the reissue of The Black Album, we’re also pretty pumped about the release of The Metallica Blacklist which features an unprecedented 50+ artists spanning an unbelievably vast range of genres, generations, continents, and more, each contributing a unique interpretation of their favorite Black Album cut.
"Everyone who pre-orders any configuration of either release will receive digital instant grats delivered right to your inbox throughout the summer. Keep watching this site and our socials for lots of video and audio previews as well as all kinds of other Black Album related activities… it’s definitely going to be one black summer!"
Metallica recently checked in with the following update: "We told you about the re-issue of The Black Album, but we’re also really proud and excited to be releasing The Metallica Blacklist, a compilation of 50+ artists spanning an unbelievably vast range of genres, generations, continents and more, each contributing a unique interpretation of their favorite Black Album cut. Available now for pre-order, digital formats hit the internet on September 10th, CDs and LPs in stores and at your favorite online retailer on October 1st.
"With contributions from countries all over the globe from the US to Nigeria, there are tracks from singer-songwriters, country artists, electronic, and hip-hop artists alongside punk rockers, indie darlings, icons of rock, metal, world music, and many, many more covering the entire spectrum from musicians we’ve shared the stage with, to some who were not even born yet when the original album was released!
"The Metallica Blacklist will be available in multiple formats including digital (standard and high-def versions), 4CD, and a limited edition 7LP vinyl pressing. Pre-orders will instantly receive multi-platinum selling recording artist, songwriter, philanthropist, and trailblazer Miley Cyrus’ version of “Nothing Else Matters” featuring Watt, Elton John, Yo-Yo Ma, Robert Trujillo, and Chad Smith, as well as Columbian-born rock/pop superstar, and winner of 20+ Grammy & Latin Music Grammy Awards, Juanes’ interpretation of “Enter Sandman.” Additional digital instant grat tracks will be delivered right to your inbox throughout the summer.
"One hundred percent of the profits go to charity – 50% to our own All Within My Hands and 50% to a charity of each artist’s choice. In addition to raising money for charity, we wanted to show that Metallica’s music transcends genres, distance, and cultures, and we like to think that – with everyone’s help – we’ve done just that. It was important to us that the artists could choose whichever song they most connected to; it didn’t matter if we already had multiple versions of a song, if an artist wanted to cover that song, so be it. We were honored to have artists of this caliber want to be a part of the project and we hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed putting it all together!
"One album, 12 songs, 53 artists, unlimited possibilities."
Check out Biffy Clyro's take on "Holier Than Thou" below.
While the pandemic paralyzed the entire world and prevented bands from touring, Latin America's biggest metal export SEPULTURA refused to sit back and feel like animals trapped in a cage. Therefore, in early 2020, the legendary Brazilians seized the moment to start their own weekly "SepulQuarta" video podcast, in which they invited other famous musicians from all over the world to not only discuss important topics but also perform a track from SEPULTURA's massive catalog together with the band.
The resulting full-length compilation will now be released on August 13, with the album containing 15 classics featuring internationally renowned guests and friends.
Today, SEPULTURA unveils a new version of its 18-year-old sensational track "Apes Of God" that they recorded together with DEATH ANGEL guitarist and Grammy nominee Rob Cavestany.
SEPULTURA guitarist Andreas Kisser comments: "'SepulQuarta' was born at the very beginning of the pandemic when everything was halted. We had a new album out, but we couldn't tour for it. Therefore, we created this recurring event where we could talk with our fans around the world, play our music and exchange ideas. It was a blast! 'SepulQuarta' kept us alive and strong throughout one of the most difficult times in human history."
Obviously, the Brazilian/American pioneers were not the only musicians feeling this way, so they started to connect with friends and colleagues worldwide and asked them to not only be part of their weekly podcast, but also join them in playing one of SEPULTURA's classics tracks. From the safety of their homes, international stars like Devin Townsend, Scott Ian (ANTHRAX), Danko Jones, Matt Heafy (TRIVIUM), and many more recorded a SEPULTURA track together with the band, which have been mixed and mastered by Conrado Ruther for release on jewelcase CD, recycled 2LP vinyl in black and marbled (Nuclear Blast + bandshop exclusive) and all streaming platforms.
TIMES OF GRACE, featuring Adam Dutkiewicz and Jesse Leach of KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, has released its second album, "Songs of Loss and Separation", via the band's own imprint label, Wicked Good Records, distributed by ADA Worldwide. A decade removed from their debut album "The Hymn Of A Broken Man", it brings the emotionally charged intensity, artistic passion, and heartfelt lyrics that fans have grown to expect from TIMES OF GRACE.
To celebrate the album's bow, the trio has just shared the video for the fourth single, "Mend You". It's an impactful song about love, loss — and ultimately — personal redemption. The video was directed by Nick Hipa and was shot in the beautiful landscape of Joshua Tree, California.
"'Mend You' is about finding yourself at a loss for words," shares Leach. "It's about the struggle to come to terms with an unraveling and falling apart. It is also about finding the will to carry on and stay loyal to your own heart, even when no one else seems to understand what you are going through. It's a song about the journey of finding a way to mend wounds and in time find a deeper sense of self love."
Dutkiewicz, who produced "Songs Of Loss And Separation" as well as the band's debut, adds: "'Mend You' is one of my favorites since the lyrics can mean different things to different people — and I know these hit our drummer Dan at an important time in his life."
Drummer Dan Glezak addresses this assertion and the song's effect on him, saying: "This is probably the most emotionally charged song on the record for me. Adam sent me a mix and I felt the instrumental section in the bridge could use a sample. I remembered a voice note that I sent to someone, which was saved on my phone, and it fell perfectly in line with Jesse's lyrics. Initially, I was scared to use something so personal, but the guys liked it, so it stuck. It's still really hard for me to hear this song but it's one of my favorites."
A handful of years in the making, "Songs Of Loss And Separation" mixes stark confessions of struggle with narrative storytelling. The music is just as expansive, with Adam handling lead vocals on several songs and Jesse experimenting with a lower vocal range reminiscent of post-punk and goth.
Speaking to Australia's Heavy about the musical direction of the new TIMES OF GRACE songs, Adam said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's probably not what KILLSWITCH fans are expecting. It's a different sound than anything we've ever done before. So, it's not metal all the way through. Sorry, everybody. This is a labor of love, truly. Obviously, it's our side project, me and Jesse, and we can only work on it when we have free time to do so. And now that Jesse's the singer for both bands, we decided to take it into a different direction a little bit. There's a lot of more rock and roll-vibe jams, so don't expect blazing death metal all over the place."
Asked if there were specific goals that he and Jesse were aiming to achieve with "Songs Of Loss And Separation", Adam said: "There weren't really any set goals except just try to create something that we liked. We wanted to something different, obviously, like I was saying. We didn't want it to feel like KILLSWITCH. We wanted to show maybe even a more personal, darker side to who we are. We wanted to create some songs more so from painful things in our lives — almost like a cathartic thing to make for us. So, yeah, it's definitely much different. Whereas KILLSWITCH is a lot on the more positive, hopeful light, this is a lot of darkness and just tough things to go through."
TIMES OF GRACE's debut album, "The Hymn Of A Broken Man", arrived in 2011, nearly a decade after Leach's exit from KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, the pivotal New Wave Of American Heavy Metal band the duo co-founded with friends in 1999. The first music from TIMES OF GRACE materialized during Dutkiewicz's arduous recovery from near-crippling back surgery. A collection of songs the multi-instrumentalist and producer knew would suit his once and future bandmate. The first album earned acclaim from BBC Music, The Aquarian and Rock Sound. It willfully upended expectations, with flourishes of shoegaze and ambiance in its songs.
Today, the long-awaited 39th studio album from classic metal superhero, Thor, is officially released worldwide.
The album, Alliance, includes special guest appearances from Soilwork vocalist Björn “Speed” Strid, W.A.S.P.'s Chris Holmes, Raven vocalist John Gallagher, Danko Jones, Anthrax's Neil Turbin, Ross “The Boss” Friedman and many more. It features stunning artwork from Timo Wuerz and is available on both digital as well as on CD in a digipak and limited-edition silver vinyl in a gatefold jacket.
To celebrate this monumental release, Thor shares a new video for the song "Because We're Strong". Check it out below, and order the CD and vinyl here. Order/save the digital edition here.
Tracklisting:
“We Need Musclerock” feat. John Gallagher (Raven)
“Niflhel (Realm Of The Dead)” feat. Björn Strid (Soilwork)
“The Ultimate Alliance” feat. Chris Holmes (W.A.S.P.), Ross “The Boss” Friedman (Manowar), Nina Osegueda (A Sound Of Thunder) & Fang VonWrathenstein (Lords Of The Trident)
“Ode To Odin” feat. Dan Cleary (Striker)
“We Will Fight Forever” feat. Neil Turbin (Anthrax)
“Because We Are Strong”
“Rock Around The World” feat. Danko Jones
“Queen Of The Spiders” feat. Frank Soda (The Imps)
“Power Hungry”
“Bounty Hunter” feat. Frank Meyer (The Streetwalkin’ Cheetahs) & Dennis Post (Warrior Soul)
“Battlements” feat. Trevor William Church (Haunt)
“Thor vs. The Juggernaut (War Of The Gods)” feat. Sean Peck (Death Dealer)
“Generation Now” feat. Joey Killingsworth (Joecephus & The George Jonestown Massacre)
“After The Laughter” feat. Martin Gummesson (Thundermaker)
“Good Stuff” feat. Al Harlow (Prism)
“Congregate” feat. Joey Roads & Sheldon Byer (Roadrash)
“We Will Fight Forever” (Reprise)
Melbourne based Shotgun Mistress have today released their self-titled debut album via Crusader Records, which is available now on CD and all digital platforms. The album has immediately caused a huge stir upon release, crashing in at #7 on the Australian overall iTunes Albums Chart and #2 on the Rock Albums Chart!
Shotgun Mistress is an explosive dose of pure indie contemporary hard rock at its most searing and exuberant. After a year of remarkable single releases, chart and radio play gains, Shotgun Mistress continues to solidify its position at the vanguard of Australian rock with this new album.
To celebrate the release of the album, the band have released a video clip for their hit single "Bleed Me Out".
From the relentless charge of the opening track "Born And Raised", to the restrained haunting cadences of the closing "May She Never Walk Alone", this collection of songs utilizes a blistering sonic arsenal to explore heightened emotional and personal terrain. Shotgun Mistress’s amalgamation of Vesuvian guitar fire, supercharged bass and drums and unleashed vocals is at times cathartic, seen in "No Friend Of Mine", as well as intense and rousing, such as in the track that started it all - "Save Me From Myself".
Amid the myriad of grinding power riffs and chant-inducing choruses, alongside the thunderous dynamics and gritty narratives, the band’s full panoramic vehemence blazes. Voracious and uncompromising, Shotgun Mistress’s debut album is a definitive statement from a band beginning their ascent, a multi-layered yet single-minded rock album that both transcends the times, while maintaining a wildly coherent response to them.
Tracklisting:
"Born 'N' Raised"
"Devil in Disguise"
"Bleed Me Out"
"No Friend of Mine"
"Collide"
"Natural Disaster"
"Save Me From Myself"
"Glorious Machine"
"Pretty Little Thing"
"Analyse"
"Grave Mistake"
"Technicolour Faded"
"May She Never Walk Alone"
Shotgun Mistress was formed by Matt Wilcock (The Berzerker, Akercocke, Abramelin), internationally renowned death-metal demon guitarist best known for playing at light speeds. He hooked up with “Diamond” David Lee on drums to jam out LA Strip-era rock. Ben Curnow (Earth) joined on bass, along with vocalist Glenn Patrick (Collegians).
Shotgun Mistress is the first Australian band to join Golden Robot’s new metal label Crusader Records.
Frontiers Music Srl recently announced the release of the debut album, Overload, from Brazil's Spektra, a new, exciting project by BJ, a stellar vocalist from the modern Brazilian hard rock scene.
Overload will be released on August 6, but today, fans can get a look at the album with the release of the single and video for the track "Just Because". Watch the video below, and pre-order/save Overload here.
Spektra is BJ’s musical brainchild and his first band built from scratch featuring original music inspired by his vast range of influences including Journey, Foreigner, Winger and other melodic and hard rock masters. The goal is to deliver pure stadium rock melodies and high driven hard rock vibes with music aiming straight for the hearts of melodic rock aficionados. Produced and overseen by the legendary singer Jeff Scott Soto and Italian mastermind Alessandro Del Vecchio, Spektra will introduce BJ’s amazing voice to the international scene in 2021.
"This is a very special album for me as a singer, for sure and in a special moment of my career. I can say that I love every note, every harmony, and also these songs represent the kind of music that I love. Hard Rock, Melodic Rock, AOR....everything is there in a modern way. I sang with all my heart, with all my love. I can't wait to sing these songs live! Big fans of Journey, Talisman, Kansas, Boston, Winger, Bon Jovi, Foreigner, W.E.T., and the like will love this album, I guarantee it! I have on my side in the band my big brothers, amazing musicians that I admire and trust as a family and also the best producers ever, my big brother Mr. Jeff Scott Soto and the unbelievable talent Alessandro Del Vecchio! This is my Dream Team," says BJ.
In Spektra, BJ brings along his longtime bandmates from Tempestt and the JSS Band, Edu Cominato (drums) and Leo Mancini (guitars) as well as Henrique Canale (bass), a well known Brazilian producer and composer.
BJ is well known and respected in Brazil for his phenomenal vocal abilities and his work with Tempestt and other projects and collaborations, but also recognised internationally, being a constant member of all of Jeff Scott Soto’s bands and projects (Jeff Scott Soto Band, S.O.T.O.) as a guitarist and backing vocalist since 2009. He has recorded and released several albums with Soto, either as part of the Jeff Scott Soto band ('A Night in Madrid' CD/DVD, 'Damage Control', 'Loud and Live in Milan') or S.O.T.O. ('Inside the Vertigo', 'Divak', 'Origami'). He is also a member of the latest iteration of Talisman (on keyboards and backing vocals) for their recent appearances at major European Festivals.
Since 2014, BJ has also been the lead singer for the Greek hard rock band Danger Angel with whom he has recorded and released one album (All The King's Horses). He has toured Europe and Latin America extensively while also participating in most of the major festivals including Sweden Rock, Graspop, Hard Rock Hell AOR, Monsters of Rock Cruise, Rock of Ages, Bang Your Head, etc.
BJ has also released a solo album of covers containing music from his heroes and influences, titled Acoustic Heroes.
Tracklisting:
"Overload"
"Runnin' Out Of Time"
"Just Because"
"Since I Found You"
"Our Love"
"Breakaway"
"Don't Matter"
"Back Into Light"
"Forsaken"
"Behind Closed Door"
"Lonely Road"
"Just Because" video:
"Overload" video:
Lineup:
BJ - Vocals
Leo Mancini - Guitars
Edu Cominato - Drums
Henrique Canale - Bass
FOO FIGHTERS' will release "Hail Satin" exclusively for Record Store Day on July 17. The 10-track LP will contain the band's covers of five BEE GEES classics — "You Should Be Dancing", "Night Fever", "Tragedy" and "More Than A Woman" plus Andy Gibb's "Shadow Dancing" — as well as five FOO FIGHTERS' tracks from the "Medicine At Midnight" album recorded live at the band's 606 studio. The limited-edition vinyl will be packaged "era-appropriately in a dazzling rainbow mylar sleeve."
A new performance music video for FOO FIGHTERS' cover version of "You Should Be Dancing" can be seen below.
FOO FIGHTERS previously played "You Should Be Dancing" for the Jo Wiley's BBC show and "Shadow Dancing" for the Rock N' Relief livestream.
Frontman Dave Grohl explained how the "You Should Be Dancing" cover came about, saying: "We've been going down to our studio every day and filming things and recording things, and this one day we had our list of things we were supposed to do and it said, 'Record a cover song for Jo.' And while we were having this conversation, somebody said, 'Hey, have you seen that BEE GEES documentary?' And I was like the last person on earth — the only person that hadn't seen it! So I was, like, 'Why don't we just do a BEE GEES song?' And someone was just, like, 'Okay… how do you wanna do it?!' And I said: 'Well, let's do it like the BEE GEES.'"
He continued: "We started recording the instrumental track, and then I thought, 'Okay, well, I'm gonna go out and sing it…' and let me tell you, I have never, ever in my life sung like that, but it was the easiest song I have ever sung in my entire life! I sang the song, and it was like six minutes and I was done. I should have been singing like this for the last 25 years!'
Swedish metallers SABATON performed at the Exit festival in Novi Sad, Serbia on Friday, July 9. Professionally filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below.
42,000 fans from over 70 countries were expected to attend the multiple winner of the "Best European Major Festival" award, which also celebrated its 20th anniversary this year.
The complete techno-centric four-day program from July 8 to July 11 featured over 20 stages and zones. Live streams can be watched at Exit's YouTube channel and Facebook page.
This past April, SABATON released the English-language version of its latest single, "Livgardet" ("The Royal Guard").
SABATON's first new music since 2019's "The Great War", "The Royal Guard" honored the Swedish Royal Guards first established in the year 1521.
SABATON is arguably one of the most important bands to emerge from the modern metal scene, journeying forth with confidence on a steady ascendance that's rewarded them with five Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards (including "Best Live Band" three different years) and multiple nominations for the Swedish equivalent of the Grammy Awards, the Grammis. In 2016, "The Last Stand" debuted at No. 1 in three different European countries and cracked the Top 3 in four others. Joakim Brodén, Sundström, Chris Rörland (guitars), Hannes Van Dahl (drums) and Tommy Johansson (guitars) curate a festival of their own, Sabaton Open Air, that started back in 2008, as well as their own forward-thinking Sabaton Cruise, that is being held since 2009.
SABATON's ninth album centered on World War I, often referred to as "The Great War." "The Last Stand" delved into various "last stands" throughout history. "Livgardet" strengthened the band's well-known reputation as experts, aficionados, and storytellers regarding the triumph and tragedy of battle.
SABATON headlined London's Wembley Arena in February 2020. JUDAS PRIEST chose them as main support on their "50 Heavy Metal Years" tour of North America, scheduled for September and October 2021. The group will kick off 2022 with an unprecedented 29-city tour of their home country.
METALLICA has shared "The Unforgiven (May 14th, 1991 Rough Mix)", taken from the "Rough & Alternate Mixes" 2CD included in the remastered deluxe box set of its self-titled fifth album — also known as "The Black Album" — due on September 10 via the band's own Blackened Recordings. Check it out below.
The Black Album is one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed records of all time. Its 1991 release not only gave METALLICA its first No. 1 album in no fewer than 10 countries, including a four-week run at No. 1 in the U.S., its unrelenting series of singles — "Enter Sandman", "The Unforgiven", "Nothing Else Matters", "Wherever I May Roam" and "Sad But True" — fueled the band's rise to stadium headlining, radio and MTV dominating household name status. The album's reception from the press was similarly charged, building over the years from the top 10 of the 1991 Village Voice Pazz & Jop national critics poll to becoming a constant presence in the likes of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time. The album's impact and relevance continue to grow — as proven by one indisputable fact: The Black Album remains unchallenged as the best-selling album in the history of Nielsen SoundScan, outselling every release in every genre over the past 30 years.
To commemorate its 30th anniversary, the Grammy-winning, 16-times-platinum-certified Black Album is receiving its definitive re-release. Remastered for ultimate sound quality, The Black Album remaster will be available in multiple configurations including 180-gram double vinyl LP, standard CD and 3 CD expanded edition, digital, and limited-edition deluxe box set (containing the album remastered on 180-gram 2LP, a picture disc, three live LPs, 14 CDs (containing rough mixes, demos, interviews, live shows), 6 DVDs (containing outtakes, behind the scenes, official videos, live shows), a 120-page hardcover book, four tour laminates, three lithos, three guitar picks, a METALLICA lanyard, a folder with lyric sheets, and a download card).
Much more than a mere tribute album, "The Metallica Blacklist" celebrates the enduring influence of this musical milestone with one of the most ambitious projects ever conceived by the METALLICA team: An unprecedented 50+ artists spanning an unbelievably vast range of genres, generations, cultures, continents and more, each contributing a unique interpretation of their favorite Black Album cut.
"The Metallica Blacklist" offers up new dimensions of the record whose gravitational pull first drew the mainstream to METALLICA — and provides new insights into the universal and timeless appeal that kept it there: the boundary-smashing influence these 12 songs have had on fans and musicians of all stripes. "The Metallica Blacklist"'s 53 tracks find singer songwriters, country artists, electronic and hip hop artists sharing their love of these songs alongside punk rockers, indie darlings, icons of rock, metal, world music and many, many more… and for 50+ good causes: Profits will be divided evenly between charities of the artist's choice and METALLICA's All Within My Hands foundation.
"The Metallica Blacklist" is a fitting and limitless homage, one that features bands who've shared stages with METALLICA alongside artists who are younger than the original album. It's a truly staggering, at times mystifying assemblage of musicians, dozens of whom have little to nothing in common other than the shared passion for the music that's united them for this album: 1 Album. 12 Songs. 53 Artists. Unlimited Possibilities.
"The Metallica Blacklist" will be available in formats including digital, four-CD and a limited-edition seven-LP vinyl pressing. Pre-orders will instantly receive multi-platinum selling recording artist, songwriter, philanthropist and trailblazer Miley Cyrus's version of "Nothing Else Matters" featuring Andrew Watt, Elton John, Yo-Yo Ma, Robert Trujillo and Chad Smith, and Colombian-born rock/pop superstar, and winner of 20+ Grammy and Latin Music Grammy Awards Juanes's interpretation of "Enter Sandman".
All profits from "The Metallica Blacklist" will be split evenly between the All Within My Hands foundation and 50+ charities chosen by the artists who play on the album. All Within My Hands was founded by the band in 2017 as a way for the entire METALLICA family to give back to communities that have supported the band by supporting workforce education, the fight against hunger, and other critical local services.
"The Metallica Blacklist" features the following tracks:
* ALESSIA CARA & THE WARNING - Enter Sandman
* MAC DEMARCO - Enter Sandman
* GHOST - Enter Sandman
* JUANES - Enter Sandman
* RINA SAWAYAMA - Enter Sandman
* WEEZER - Enter Sandman
* SAM FENDER - Sad But True (Live)
* JASON ISBELL - Sad But True
* MEXICAN INSTITUTE OF SOUND FEAT. LA PERLA & GERA MX - Sad But True
* ROYAL BLOOD - Sad But True
* ST. VINCENT - Sad But True
* WHITE REAPER - Sad But True
* YB - Sad But True
* BIFFY CLYRO - Holier Than Thou
* THE CHATS - Holier Than Thou
* OFF! - Holier Than Thou
* PUP - Holier Than Thou
* COREY TAYLOR - Holier Than Thou
* CAGE THE ELEPHANT - The Unforgiven
* VISHAL DADLANI, DIVINE, SHOR POLICE - The Unforgiven
* DIET CIG - The Unforgiven
* FLATBUSH ZOMBIES FEAT. DJ SCRATCH - The Unforgiven
* HA*ASH - The Unforgiven
* JOSÉ MADERO - The Unforgiven
* MOSES SUMNEY - The Unforgiven
* J BALVIN - Wherever I May Roam
* CHASE & STATUS FEAT. BACKROAD GEE - Wherever I May Roam
* THE NEPTUNES - Wherever I May Roam
* JON PARDI - Wherever I May Roam
* SEBASTIAN - Don't Tread On Else Matters
* PORTUGAL. THE MAN FEAT. AARON BEAM - Don't Tread On Me
* VOLBEAT - Don't Tread On Me
* THE HU - Through The Never
* TOMI OWÓ - Through The Never
* PHOEBE BRIDGERS - Nothing Else Matters
* MILEY CYRUS FEAT. WATT, ELTON JOHN, YO-YO MA, ROBERT TRUJILLO, CHAD SMITH - Nothing Else Matters
* DAVE GAHAN - Nothing Else Matters
* MICKEY GUYTON - Nothing Else Matters
* DERMOT KENNEDY - Nothing Else Matters
* MON LAFERTE - Nothing Else Matters
* IGOR LEVIT - Nothing Else Matters
* MY MORNING JACKET - Nothing Else Matters
* PG ROXETTE - Nothing Else Matters
* DARIUS RUCKER - Nothing Else Matters
* CHRIS STAPLETON - Nothing Else Matters
* TRESOR - Nothing Else Matters
* GOODNIGHT, TEXAS - Of Wolf And Man
* IDLES - The God That Failed
* IMELDA MAY - the god that failed
* CHERRY GLAZERR - My Friend Of Misery
* IZÏA - My Friend Of Misery
* KAMASI WASHINGTON - My Friend Of Misery
* RODRIGO Y GABRIELA - The Struggle Within
Back in 2017, METALLICA announced that it was preparing deluxe remastered versions of its "…And Justice For All" (1988) and "Metallica" (1991) albums and reached out to its hardcore fans for help to get content for the new editions. "…And Justice For All" has since been reissued for its 30th anniversary in 2018.
METALLICA's self-titled LP in 2014 became the first album to sell 16 million copies since Nielsen SoundScan started tracking sales in 1991.
"Metallica" was already certified 16 times platinum on December 13, 2012 by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association Of America) for shipments in excess of 16 million copies in the U.S.
The album in 2009 surpassed SHANIA TWAIN's 1997 record, "Come On Over", as the best-selling CD of the SoundScan era.
"Metallica" was the first of four collaborations with producer Bob Rock, with whom the band clashed throughout the recording of the disc.
METALLICA performed "the black album" in its entirety at a number of European festivals in 2012.
British heavy metal legends IRON MAIDEN have released another video teaser inviting their fans to the "Belshazzar's Feast".
"Belshazzar's Feast" is the story of the writing on the wall in the Bible, and IRON MAIDEN fans have been speculating that the band has been teasing the announcement of its 17th album, possibly to be titled "Writing On The Wall".
In the 14-second video message posted to MAIDEN's social media earlier today, the "Belshazzar's Feast" poster is removed from a wall to reveal the slogan "WOTW", which fans have theorized refers to "Writing On The Wall".
The latest clip comes less than a week after MAIDEN posted a video message from singer Bruce Dickinson teasing the July 15 Belshazzar's Feast event.
Late last month, Dickinson sported a "Belshazzar's Feast" shirt in a TV interview with Sky News. During the conversation, he teased MAIDEN's future plans, saying, "I can't tell you what it is, but it's right in front of you."
A number of other recent MAIDEN-related graphics have featured the slogan "WOTW". In addition, a "Belshazzar’s Feast" poster was spotted at the Download Pilot festival last month bearing the date "15/07" and the letters "IMXVII," which fans believe are a reference to IRON MAIDEN and 17 in Roman numerals.
IRON MAIDEN hasn't released any fresh music since 2015's "The Book Of Souls" LP, which was recorded in late 2014 in Paris, France with longtime producer Kevin "Caveman" Shirley.
"The Book Of Souls" was the longest MAIDEN album, clocking in at 92 minutes, with lyrics heavily based in the themes of death, reincarnation, the soul and mortality.
Back in May 2019, Italian web site Maiden Concerts first speculated that IRON MAIDEN was putting the finishing touches on a new album. The site concluded that the LP was nearing completion after gathering social media evidence that all six members of the band, their wives and Shirley were in Paris at the same time. The producer even posted new pictures of Guillaume Tell Studios, where MAIDEN recorded "Brave New World" (2000) and "The Book Of Souls", saying he was finalizing a major project.
During MAIDEN's summer 2019 North American tour, Dickinson hinted at new material, telling the crowd at the group's Oakland, California concert: "New IRON MAIDEN songs — sooner than you think." At MAIDEN's Nashville show in August 2019, Dickinson said that fresh music from the band wasn't "beyond the bounds of possibility," adding that a new MAIDEN record was essentially a "certainty."
If the reports of a new MAIDEN album are true, it will mark the band's sixth to be produced by Shirley, who has worked with MAIDEN for the past two decades.
In addition to MAIDEN, Shirley has collaborated with dozens of notable acts, including Joe Bonamassa, JOURNEY, DREAM THEATER and LED ZEPPELIN.
During the making of "The Book Of Souls", Dickinson was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor at the back of his tongue. He recorded all the vocals for the album with the tumor before undergoing treatment and making a full recovery in time for the LP's release in September 2015.
EUROPE frontman Joey Tempest has paid tribute to legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio by performing an acoustic cover version of the classic BLACK SABBATH song "Heaven And Hell". Check out the video below.
Ronnie passed away of stomach cancer on May 16, 2010 at the age of 67.
Dio was renowned throughout the world as one of the greatest and most influential vocalists in heavy metal history. The singer, who was recording and touring with BLACK SABBATH offshoot HEAVEN & HELL prior to his illness, was diagnosed with stomach cancer in late 2009. He underwent chemotherapy and made what is now his final public appearance in April 2010 at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards in Los Angeles.
Dio's long-awaited autobiography, titled "Rainbow In The Dark: The Autobiography", will be released on July 27 via Permuted Press. It was written with longtime friend of 30 years and esteemed music writer Mick Wall, who took up the mantle after Ronnie's passing.
EUROPE has released six albums since reuniting 18 years ago: "Start From The Dark" (2004), "Secret Society" (2006), "Last Look At Eden" (2009), "Bag Of Bones" (2012), "War Of Kings" (2015) and "Walk The Earth" (2017).
"Walk The Earth" was made available via Hell & Back Recordings (Silver Lining Music). It was recorded at famed Abbey Road Studios in London with Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb (RIVAL SONS, Shooter Jennings, Jason Isbell, Chris Stapleton).
George Lynch rejoined DOKKEN on stage last night (Friday, July 9) in Moline, Illinois to perform the band's classic song "Kiss Of Death". Fan-filmed video footage of his appearance can be seen below.
Prior to last night's concert, George had played three songs with DOKKEN at the Live United Live Music Festival in Sunbury, Pennsylvania in early June.
Four months ago, Lynch was asked in an interview with Jeff Gaudiosi of MisplacedStraws.com if there has been any talk of more shows featuring the reunited classic lineup of DOKKEN. He responded: "I've actually been talking to Don [Dokken] a little bit, and we're both in agreement that that should probably happen — meaning some kind of a meaningful reunion done in the right way, carefully and with proper preparation and time and rehearsals and not just throwing it out there like we did last time." George went on to say that "the obvious choice" to replace DOKKEN's recently retired drummer "Wild" Mick Brown would be Mick's brother Steve, who can be heard playing alongside Lynch and ex-DOKKEN bassist Jeff Pilson on the latest THE END MACHINE album, "Phase2".
In a separate interview with Alamo True Metal, Lynch reflected on the last time DOKKEN's classic lineup — Dokken, Lynch, Pilson and Mick Brown — reunited for a short Japanese tour in the fall of 2016. The trek marked the first time in 21 years the four musicians had hit the road together.
"I think I was slightly disappointed in it — not overwhelmingly disappointed, but I have some regrets," he said. "I wish we had prepared more. And I know we all feel that way. 'Cause of the logistics, we all had things we had to do right after the time we had allotted and beforehand. So we just were barely able to even pull it off with everybody else's pre-existing commitments. The fact that we got to do it at all was… you know, we were fortunate for even being able to pull it off. So we were a little underprepared, I feel. And yes, we were offered a good amount of money to go to Japan and do some other things, so it made it just kind of a no-brainer."
A DOKKEN concert DVD focusing on the band's reunion tour, "Return To The East Live (2016)", was made available in 2018. In addition to the Japanese performance, the set included footage from the classic lineup's only U.S. show in September 2016 at Badlands in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, as well as newly recorded acoustic reworkings of "Heaven Sent" and "Will The Sun Rise". Also featured on "Return To The East Live (2016)" was "It's Just Another Day", the first DOKKEN track featuring the group's classic lineup since 1997's "Shadowlife".
Since completing the Japanese reunion dates, DOKKEN has continued to perform with the group's current lineup — including bassist Chris McCarvill, guitarist Jon Levin and drummer BJ Zampa (HOUSE OF LORDS).
Over the past four years, Lynch has appeared on recordings by THE END MACHINE, KXM, ULTRAPHONIX and SWEET & LYNCH. He will release his first-ever full-length instrumental album, "Seamless", in August via Rat Pak Records.
Legendary guitarist George Lynch has been added to our Friday July 9th line up Dokken/Lynch Reunion; Firehouse, & Jack Russell's Great White - get tickets now at the following link: https://bit.ly/3cZJ35j
Dave Mustaine has unveiled the first glimpse of the bassist that re-recorded David Ellefson's bass tracks on the upcoming MEGADETH album.
Mustaine made the revelation while filming a new video message on Cameo, which lets users hire celebrities to record brief, personalized video messages about virtually any topic.
Addressing a fan named Alex, Mustaine said: "I'm walking around the studio right now. That's [engineer] Chris Rakestraw sitting back there on the consol. And you've got our mystery bass player hiding behind the chair down there on the floor, so you can't see him. But we will be saying who that is soon. And you actually saw him before anybody else — even though you can't really see him."
Although it's impossible to tell who the bassist is based on the video, the mystery musician appears to be using an Ibanez bass.
Ellefson laid down his bass tracks on MEGADETH's sixteenth LP in May 2020 at a studio in Nashville, Tennessee. A short time later, he raved about his performance on the record, telling the 96.7 KCAL-FM radio program "Wired In The Empire" that his musical chemistry with MEGADETH drummer Dirk Verbeuren was comparable to the interplay between Geddy Lee and Neil Peart on classic RUSH albums. "I feel like on the new MEGADETH record, me and Dirk have those same moments," he said. "It's MEGADETH — it's not RUSH, obviously — but in the field of what we do, there were these moments that I was just going, 'Oh, my God.' This is me as a kid going, 'This is my Geddy/Neil moment right here.'"
Last month, Mustaine announced during an episode of his Gimme Radio program "The Dave Mustaine Show" that Ellefson's bass tracks would not be used on the new MEGADETH LP.
"I just wanna thank you for all the kinds words and support as we get ready for this next tour and continue to hunt for a new bass player," the MEGADETH leader said. "We are making progress. The record's being completed, and we're gonna have someone coming in in a couple of weeks to replace the bass tracks that we had. Which should be relatively quick because the person we're talking to is a stellar bass player. And hopefully this will be an ongoing thing after the recording. Or we will find someone prior to the recording that will be our permanent guy going forward."
Ellefson was dismissed from MEGADETH in late May, just days after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter. The longtime MEGADETH member later released a statement on Instagram denying all social media chatter that he "groomed" an underage fan. He also filed a report with the police department in Scottsdale, Arizona alleging unlawful distribution of sexually explicit images of Ellefson by unknown offenders. In the report, Ellefson admitted that he had been exchanging sexual text messages with a Dutch teenager, who captured a video of several of their virtual "masturbating encounters" without his consent and shared them with friends. (According to Ellefson, the woman was 19 at the time of their first virtual sexual encounter.) The 56-year-old Ellefson, who lives in Scottsdale, first became aware of the video on May 9, when the claim "David Ellefson of MEGADETH is a pedophile" appeared on Instagram. Ellefson told police he was notified on May 14 by MEGADETH that the band would be parting ways with him. Three days later, he was fired.
On May 24, Mustaine — who formed MEGADETH with Ellefson in 1983 — announced the bassist's departure from the band, saying, "We do not take this decision lightly. While we do not know every detail of what occurred, with an already strained relationship, what has already been revealed now is enough to make working together impossible moving forward," Mustaine wrote. Two days later, Ellefson released a follow-up statement in which he vowed to file a "defamation lawsuit" against the person who "illegally posted a very private video" of the bassist and made "false allegations" against him. He also said he was working with the police in Scottsdale "in their investigation into charges regarding revenge pornography to be filed against the person who posted the video. This person will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," Ellefson wrote. He went on to say that he was "taking this time to be with my family" and wished his "bandmates" the best with their upcoming tour.
MEGADETH is currently scheduled to take part in "The Metal Tour Of The Year" with LAMB OF GOD, beginning on August 20 in Austin. MEGADETH is also slated to appear at the SLIPKNOT-curated Knotfest in September in Iowa.
Ellefson was in MEGADETH from the band's inception in 1983 to 2002, and again from 2010 until his latest departure.
David, who studied for a year at Concordia Lutheran Seminary in St. Louis nearly a decade ago, and his wife Julie Ellefson have been married for 27 years. They have two children.
Danish/American rock and rollers VOLBEAT have shared their new music video for "Wait A Minute My Girl". The clip was directed by Sean Donnelly, founder of AWESOME+modest, with collages by Mengqing Yuan, and animation by Steve Yeung. AWESOME+modest is an animation studio based in Los Angeles, California that specializes in mixed media techniques. They most recently created all of the animation in the HBO documentary miniseries "The Lady And The Dale", Marvel's "Behind The Mask" and Showtime's "The One And Only Dick Gregory".
The band said of the video: "After seeing the work they did on 'The Lady And The Dale', we knew that Sean and the team at AWESOME+modest could do something trippy and creative for 'Wait A Minute My Girl'. This video exceeded even our wildest expectations. It's weird, fun and crazy — we absolutely love it."
In a recent interview with Brazilian music journalist Igor Miranda, VOLBEAT drummer Jon Larsen spoke about the progress of the recording sessions for the band's follow-up to 2019's "Rewind, Replay, Rebound" LP. He said: "The album is done; it's ready. But I can't reveal the release date yet. Of course, in modern times, you'll find out online. But it's all set, it's ready to go, and I'm pretty sure it's gonna blow your socks off."
Asked if VOLBEAT's recently released two new singles, "Wait A Minute My Girl" and "Dagen Før", will also appear on the upcoming album, Jon said: "Oh, yeah. Of course they will. Why shouldn't they? I don't think they really represent how the total of the album sounds, but it's two typical VOLBEAT songs — straight-up rock and roll. Good for the summer — sit outside, have a cold one, some barbecue or whatever, tap your feet along, sing along. But, yeah, of course those two songs will be on the album as well."
Larsen was also asked if there is any truth to VOLBEAT frontman Michael Poulsen's previous claim that the group's new material was shaping up to be more aggressive and more thrash-oriented than the last two LPs. He responded: "Well, it's definitely heavier — let me put it that way. I wouldn't really call it more aggressive. It might be — I'm not really sure — but it's definitely got some of the old vintage VOLBEAT heavy elements to it. There's definitely some really heavy songs on it. Yeah, there might be a little bit of thrash on it as well — might be even a little venture into Swedish death metal perhaps. A little bit, yeah. Don't get too scared, though. But, yeah, I think it's a very mixed album, because you've definitely got the more heavier sound. We still have the more happy, punkish, even maybe pop songs, if you wanna call it that. And there's also, I think, a few surprises on there that will definitely make people go, 'Okay, I didn't see that coming.' But, yeah, I think it definitely has a mix of everything we've done up until now. And the vibe for the album, I think it sounds maybe more spontaneous this time, perhaps. And it definitely has a few nods and winks to our past. But, yeah, 'heavy' is probably the right word for it."
"Wait A Minute My Girl" and "Dagen Før" were written and recorded while the world was in lockdown during the pandemic. Poulsen, Larsen and Kaspar Boye Larsen (bass) recorded their parts with longtime producer Jacob Hansen in Denmark, while Rob Caggiano (guitar) worked remotely from New York.
"Wait A Minute My Girl" features saxophone player Doug Corcoran and piano player Raynier Jacob Jacildo, who both perform with JD McPherson's band and previously appeared with VOLBEAT on 2019's "Die To Live (feat. Neil Fallon)". Singer Mia Maja, who has worked with the band since "Seal The Deal & Let's Boogie", also appears on backing vocals. "Dagen Før" features guest vocals from Danish artist Stine Bramsen, who is known for her solo work as well as being a member of the band ALPHABEAT. The song, in the tradition of "The Garden's Tale", "Maybele I Hofteholder" and "For Evigt", features both English and Danish lyrics, and marks the first commercially released song that features Stine singing in her native Danish.
THE BLACK CROWES have joined forces with The Coda Collection to premiere "Brothers Of A Feather", a new film celebrating the welcomed 2020 reunion of the Robinson brothers as well as three superb concert and studio performance programs which present the band at the peak of their power. The partnership culminates today with the release of "Brothers Of A Feather", which captures THE BLACK CROWES founders Chris and Rich Robinson reuniting as a duo at an intimate, sold-out concert from San Francisco on March 6, 2020 — just prior to the pandemic shutdown. Never before seen in full, the intimate, stripped-down arrangements of CROWES standards such as "She Talks To Angels", "Remedy" and "Wiser Time" give the music's lyrics and structures a welcomed new perspective. "Brothers of a Feather" is available to stream in full exclusively on The Coda Collection beginning July 9.
Over the past few weeks, The Coda Collection has dug into its vast archive and presented unforgettable moments from THE BLACK CROWES' illustrious career. Additional films in this series include "Live at Landgraaf 1993", which showcases the band's ferocious live set in the Netherlands in the immediate aftermath of the release of their acclaimed second studio album "The Southern Harmony And Musical Companion". Ferocious renditions of favorites such as "No Speak, No Slave", "Thorn In My Pride" and "Jealous Again" stand among the many highlights of this superb performance, which is available on The Coda Collection now.
Also available to stream now is 1996's "Amsterdam Sessions", which was filmed at a recording studio in Holland. The program provides an intimate look at the band showcasing highlights of the band's third and fourth LPs while providing an intimate portrait of the group's creative interplay. Performances include inspired renditions of "Downtown Moneywaster", "How Much For Your Wings" and "Evil Eye".
"Live At Landgraaf 1990" showcases the group's European debut on behalf of the release of their first album "Shake Your Money Maker". High-energy performances of classics such as "Hard To Handle" thrilled the massive audience and proved to be one of the high performances of the famed Pinkpop festival.
Launched at the beginning of 2021, The Coda Collection is a subscription streaming offering featuring an exclusive, curated selection of the most iconic music documentaries, concert films, and episodic series spanning decades and genres via Amazon Prime video channels paired with a complementary website exploring new perspectives on music.
The Coda Collection is available to Amazon Prime members in the U.S. now for $4.99 per month, with a free seven-day trial, and will roll out globally throughout the rest of the year.
To explore The Coda Collection and to sign up for a free seven-day trial, visit www.codacollection.co.
Fan-filmed video footage of Yngwie Malmsteen performing a cover version of DEEP PURPLE's "Smoke On The Water" on June 26 at the Arsenal Fest in Kragujevac, Serbia can be seen below.
Yngwie's studio recording of "Smoke On The Water" was featured on his 2019 album "Blue Lightning", which paid homage to those from the blues world who have fueled his artistic spirit for so long.
Malmsteen told Classic Rock magazine about his decision to cover "Smoke On The Water": "I called this 'Rauch Auf Dem Wasser' throughout the sessions. What can I say? It's just something I wanted to do. I've been doing it live for a long time.
"The first album I ever had was DEEP PURPLE's 'Fireball', when I was just eight years old. By the time I was ten, I could play 'Made In Japan' inside out, upside fucking down. Every single note. And this resulted in me becoming a fan of 'Selling England By The Pound' by GENESIS, and then EMERSON LAKE AND PALMER, then classical — Vivaldi, Bach — and eventually Paganini. I said, 'Enough of the pentatonic blues stuff. I'm going in this direction!'"
Two years ago, Yngwie stated about DEEP PURPLE guitarist Ritchie Blackmore: "When I was eight years old, the only guitar player I knew was Ritchie Blackmore. I thought he was extremely good and I still think he's good. I disagree with the idea he was the first to bring classical ideas to guitar; that's a large misconception. He's a blues guitar player. 'Made In Japan' is a blues album — let's not be confused about this. It's all pentatonic blues — extremely good pentatonic blues, to be fair. 'In Rock' is a fuckin' incredible… his playing was really good on that.
"As for classical, my introduction came from GENESIS's 'Selling England For The Pound'… that's what brought all the harmonic minors, inverted or suspended or diminished chords and pedal notes to my ears. I thought that album was great. Then I listened to my mom's Bach and Beethoven records. But when I heard Paganini, everything else meant nothing to me anymore."
Yngwie's new album, "Parabellum", will be released on July 23 via Music Theories Recordings/Mascot Label Group. Only four of the songs on the LP feature vocals. The album title is Latin, translating as "Prepare For War".
After working with some of the top hard singers of the past four decades, Yngwie now handles much of the lead vocals himself in his own band, backed by a lineup that includes keyboardist Nick Marino, bassist/vocalist Ralph Ciavolino and drummer Brian Wilson.
Last month, Yngwie announced a month-long fall 2021 U.S. tour. Support on the trek will come from former MARILYN MANSON and current ROB ZOMBIE guitarist John 5.
PUDDLE OF MUDD has released a new music video for the song "Just Tell Me". The track comes from the band's 2019 album, "Welcome To Galvania", which is available via Pavement Entertainment.
Frontman Wes Scantlin says: "I love this song. 'Just Tell Me' is about falling in love… and when the relationship goes sideways, you're just trying to do whatever you can to save it. Communication is key. It will heal your soul."
After changing his life around and getting the band back in order, Scantlin and his bandmates rebuilt a touring base, which paved the way to new music and a new album. The first single, "Uh-Oh", proved to be a comeback for the band, landing them a top 10 single at Mainstream Rock. The success furthered the group's demand to play at festivals and worldwide events.
"Welcome To Galvania" was PUDDLE OF MUDD's first album in a decade. Scantlin stated about the LP title: "My dad measures my songwriting by the galvanic skin response, which is an electric current. It's when you get goosebumps and you feel this insane, awesome sensation in your body."
"Welcome To Galvania" consists of ten new tracks and was produced by Cameron Webb (ALKALINE TRIO, DISTURBED, MOTÖRHEAD).
PUDDLE OF MUDD was formed in 1991 in Kansas City by Scantlin, the only original member still with the band.
Wes had almost non-stop problems with the law, alcohol, finances and other issues, before finally getting sober in 2017. He and the rest of PUDDLE OF MUDD rebuilt a touring base, which paved the way to new music and a new album. Scantlin said that he ended up going back to rehab and receiving treatment "because there's really nowhere else to go." He also credited his family and fans for giving him the strength to try to get better.
PUDDLE OF MUDD broke into the mainstream with 2001's "Come Clean", which yielded three hits — "Control", "Blurry" and "She Hates Me".
Serj Tankian has released "Cool Gardens Poetry Suite", a rich collection of four elegant cinematic works layered with intimate recital of poetry performed by Tankian. The Suite is available now on all major streaming platforms.
The verses, which are migrated from his first ever published poetry book of the same name, complement the musical landscape. Tankian explains: "'Cool Gardens Poetry Suite' animates the book to where the words come off the page and dance into the auditory canals of listeners sweetened by intimate musical landscapes." In total, he narrates 87 poems over the nearly 48 minutes of music, weaving his way through a spectrum of topics ranging from humorous to sullen.
"Cool Gardens Poetry Suite" is accompanied with videos by visual artist David Bradford, a previous collaborative partner on other Tankian projects. Bradford's visuals quite literally animate pixelated paint onto digital canvas as viewers are caravanned across their screens via Tankian's soundtrack and the gradual unveiling of his visual compliment.
The video for "Cinematic Piano Theme (With Poetry)" was released a few weeks ago and is now accompanied with the full bevy of tracks from "Cool Gardens Poetry Suite". Rolling Stone debuted the "Disarming Time: A Modern Piano Concerto (With Poetry)" video yesterday, saying it "further animates and complements Tankian's mix of music and poetry."
"Cool Gardens Poetry Suite" track listing:
01. Cinematic Piano Theme (With Poetry)
02. Les Melodies (With Poetry)
03. Percussion (With Poetry)
04. Disarming Time: A Modern Piano Concerto (With Poetry)
Tankian has slated a multitude of additional music releases for later this year. Up next is an assemblage of 25 cinematic compositions that roam through classical ("Illuminate") and modern ("Violent Violins") soundscapes. The release will be called "Cinematique" and split up into two collections released at the same time on August 6. Before the end of year, listeners can also expect two film soundtrack releases from Tankian, for "Truth To Power" and "I Am Not Alone", both being documentaries that the composer produced and scored.
A singer, poet, songwriter, visual artist, film producer, activist, and composer, Tankian has always created music as an outlet to express his thoughts and feelings with a level of passion and consciousness that few in today's world of music can rival. An Armenian born in Lebanon and re-rooted in Los Angeles, Tankian was introduced to the melding of cultures, ideas, and ideals from a very young age. The principles learned from this integration and adaptation have led to his understanding of the oneness of all things and have since maneuvered and transfigured into the music and art that he lives to create. As the lead singer and songwriter for SYSTEM OF A DOWN, Serj has released five studio albums, winning a Grammy Award in 2006 for "B.Y.O.B." and selling over 40 million albums worldwide. Despite this success, Serj has never grown complacent with his art, always striving to open up new channels of sound and arrangement to articulate his artistic expressions. He has released five albums of solo material, beginning with 2007's chart-topping hard rock album "Elect The Dead". His sophomore solo album, "Imperfect Harmonies", was released in 2010, followed by "Harakiri" in 2012. 2013 saw two distinct releases from Serj, the first being the critically acclaimed "Orca Symphony No. 1", released in June of that year, followed up with the very unique "Jazz-Iz Christ" one month later.
Over the past few years, his time spent in the recording studio has been focused on creating musical scores and compositions for film and video game projects. Serj recently lent his vocals to a modern-day cover of BLUE ÖYSTER CULT's rock classic "Godzilla" for the blockbuster Michael Dougherty film "Godzilla: King Of The Monsters". He also recorded a modern version of the Armenian folk song "Sari Siroun Yar" along with the Authentic Light Orchestra for the film "The Promise", directed by Terry George and starring Christian Bale and Oscar Isaac. Serj was also brought on by Survival Pictures, the producers of the film, to serve as an executive music consultant.
More recently, Tankian composed the full musical score for award-winning documentary "I Am Not Alone" directed by Garin Hovannisian and the Live Nation Productions film "Truth To Power", which chronicles Serj's own journey through the crossroads of music and activism. In 2017, Serj composed music for Emmy-nominated "Intent To Destroy", a gripping film directed by award winning documentarian Joe Berlinger. That same year he created an intense score for the epic Russian action film "Furious - The Legend of Kolovrat", followed by his 2018 musical score for award-winning film "Spitak", directed by Alexander Kott. Additionally, Tankian composed the full musical score for independent films "1915" and "The Last Inhabitant", an original composition for Ilya Naishuller's "Hardcore Henry" and video game musical scores for "Midnight Star" and its sequel, "Renegade", which were created by one of the chief architects of the famed "Halo" game franchise.
Serj's resume also includes the formation of a record label, Serjical Strike Records (established in 2001), which has released albums from many critically acclaimed artists, including FAIR TO MIDLAND, Buckethead and DEATH BY STEREO.
Along with fellow musician Tom Morello (RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, AUDIOSLAVE), Serj co-founded the non-profit organization Axis Of Justice in 2002, which strives to bring together musicians, music fans and grassroots political organizations to fight for social justice. He has also dabbled in the world of broadcasting as co-host of the Axis Of Justice Radio Network, which can be heard via SiriusXM and KPFK in Los Angeles. With a mission of spreading diversity and understanding through music, poetry and activism, Serj will continue to surprise and enlighten those who listen to his music and hear his words.
In recent years, Tankian has split his time between holding a mic and a paintbrush, having feverishly created over 60 pieces of art since 2013. His journey into the world of fine art began with his "Disarming Time Musical Paintings", which were exhibited at Project Gallery in Los Angeles. Since then, he has had multiple exhibitions at galleries in both the United States and New Zealand. In 2015, his artwork was exhibited at the grand opening of New Museum Los Gatos in Northern California as part of a group exhibit that ran from May through September of that year. Most recently, Serj's artwork was exhibited at two notable galleries in New Zealand during February and March of 2019.
SYSTEM OF A DOWN hasn't released a full-length album since the "Mezmerize" and "Hypnotize" LPs, which came out in 2005.
French metallers Naraka have checked in with the following update:
"We present you 'Mother of Shadows', our second single taken from our upcoming album, In Tenebris, that will out October 8th, 2021. Lindsay Schoolcraft from Antiqva is on featuring on the song and the music video."
Lindsay: "Thank you to JP and the guys for having me on board for this song and letting me bring along my harp too! Their album is gonna be dripping with darkness and heaviness."
Naraka is a French metal band with members from Paris and Marseille. Naraka is a mix of modern, death and thrash metal with some few touches of black metal and arrangements orchestral like symphonic black metal. The debut album In Tenebris was mixed and mastered by Logan Mader and the artwork was created by Seth Siro Anton. There are two guest vocalists on the album: Veronica Bordachinni from Fleshgod Apocalypse on the track "Of Blood And Tears" and Lindsay Schoolcraft (ex-Cradle of Filth, Antiqva) on the track "Mother of Shadows". In October 2021, the band will be in support of Fleshgod Apocalypse on the Veleno European Tour.
Stay tuned for updates.
For information on Naraka go to their official websiite here.
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