King Woman, the outfit featuring songwriter, producer, vocalist Kris Esfandiari, return with their sophomore album, Celestial Blues, on July 30 via Relapse Records. The band have shared a second song from the upcoming release, unveiling the Muted Widows-directed video for “Psychic Wound”.
“‘Psychic Wound’ is about paying the price for eating forbidden fruit,” explains Kris Esfandiari of the riveting track and its visual companion. “When desire turns into obsession it can keep you longer than you intended to stay and nearly destroy your sanity.”
Celestial Blues was recorded in Oakland, California by Grammy-nominated engineer Jack Shirley (Deafheaven, Amenra, Oathbreaker). The band is rounded out by drummer Joseph Raygoza and guitar player Peter Arensdorf. Visual collaborations featured in the album packaging and surrounding imagery were created by Nedda Afsari, Collin Fletcher, and Jamie Parkhurst.
Album pre-orders, including limited-edition vinyl and merch, are available now. Physical pre-orders are available via Relapse’s webstore, here, while digital downloads and streaming links can be found here.
Boston-based dark melodic power/thrash group, Let Us Prey, has premiered a music video for a new song titled “Deadlight Sunset”, The track - which features a guest solo by guitarist Nick Petrino (Dee Snider) - is now available for streaming and download at all digital platforms, while the video can be viewed below.
“Deadlight Sunset” represents the first new music from Let Us Prey since the release of their 2020 full-length debut, Virtues Of The Vicious, and is a companion piece of sorts to that album’s “In Suffering”, a deeply personal song that vocalist Marc Lopes (also of Ross The Boss) penned about his struggles with mental health.
Says Lopes, “Written originally as a bonus track that wasn’t finished in time for the final Virtues Of The Vicious release, it’s a Part II to 'In Suffering' in the context of its subject matter of depression, suicide and the struggles of mental dis-ease. 'Deadlight Sunset' is a journey into the mindset of wanting to commit suicide - the helplessness, the comforting thought and relief in thinking this option is the solution. This is a first-hand account from me personally - a very dark subject, a very real subject, but something that needs to be discussed and with no shame. Luckily for me, I'm still here to tell the dark tale, to hopefully convey a message that there is a better solution and to bring awareness to this growing matter. We also have our good friend Nick Petrino from Dee Snider’s band doing a killer solo that was a bit out of his normal wheelhouse as well, and it just completes the vibe on this tune. We’re never afraid to go against the norm within the metal genre, as Let Us Prey has many shades, colors and dynamics to what we do, so always expect the unexpected. (Wait ‘til you hear the next record.) Welcome to The Deadlight Sunset.”
Subway To Sally demonstrate their exceptional live presence once more, carving a unique stage experience in stone with their new BluRay/DVD/CD release, Eisheilige Nacht - Back To Lindenpark, out now.
In an intimate setting, the Potsdam based unit drops a colorful bunch of songs taken off their multifaceted discography and invites its listeners to be part of an exciting adventure, offering some great surprises and performances never heard or seen - till now! One of those highlights embodies the new live-video for the emotional track “Kein Meer zu Tief” (engl. “No Ocean Too Deep”), a song originally by German artist MajorVoice, in which Subway To Sally are accompanied by the bass/baritone vocalist.
The band on the performance: “At the Eisheilige Nacht 2017 we had Mono Inc. as a guest, who, in addition, had a guest themselves be part of their show. Someone we didn't know till then. A really tall man with an equally great voice was asked on stage during their set. That's how we got to know MajorVoice and immediately invited him to be part of our HEY! tour 2019. In the meantime, we have become close friends. Unfortunately our planned continuation of the joint HEY! tour in 2020 couldn't take place. His appearance at Eisheilige Nacht - Back to Lindenpark is far too small a consolation, but at least it reminds us of better times and stirs the anticipation on what we can do together musically in the future.”
Subway To Sally on Eisheilige Nacht - Back To Lindenpark: “After 11 years of our "Eisheilige Nacht-tradition", we definitely did not want that 2020 will be seen as a red "X" in the history of our festival series. So we thought about how we could provide our fans with the Eisheilige Nacht feeling at their homes, when we weren't allowed to tour ourselves. An online concert wasn't enough for us: Eisheilige Nacht is not only about meeting friends, but also being a highlight of the year - with several befriended bands performing live on stage. We wanted to implement all of this in one experience. We wanted to record this very special event where the Eisheilige Nacht originally began. Instead of playing a concert in an empty hall, we used the size of the hall, lined up in a circle and placed our guest musicians into our midst. This created new insights that have never been seen before in any Subway To Sally concert film! We are very pleased that we can now, as requested by countless fans, record this event for eternity as a special concert film!"
Eisheilige Nacht - Back To Lindenpark tracklisting:
CD 1
Intro
"Messias"
"Königin der Käfer"
"Unsterblich"
"Imperator Rex Graecourm"
"Dein Anblick"
"Kleid aus Rosen"
"Das Elfte Gebot"
"Sieben"
"Kalte Winde"
"Minne" (FAUN Version)
"Henkersbraut"
"Falscher Heiland"
"Tanz auf dem Vulkan"
CD 2
"Drag Me to Hell"
"Island"
"Kein Meer zu Tief"
"Arme Ellen Schmitt"
"Eisblumen"
"Sie tanzt allein"
"IX"
"Veitstanz (2014 Version)
"Grausame Schwester""
"Alles was das Herz will"
"Aufgewacht"
"Ausgeträumt"
Outro
"Julia und die Räuber"
“Drag Me To Hell” (feat. Chris Harms) video:
"Kleid aus Rosen" video:
“IX” video:
"Veitstanz" (2014 Version) video:
Subway To Sally are:
Eric Fish - vocals
Ally Storch - violine
Ingo Hampf - guitar
Bodenski - guitar, vocals, hurdy-gurdy
Simon - guitar, vocals
Sugar Ray - bass
Simon Michael - drums
UK rockers Vega are back with Anarchy And Unity, their seventh studio album overall and the culmination of a string of releases which started in 2009 with their debut album, Kiss Of Life. The new album will be released on September 17, but today fans can get their first peek at it with the release of the single and video for "Sooner Or Later". Watch the video below, and pre-order/save Anarchy And Unity on CD/LP/Digital here.
"The songs started like all Vega songs, with myself, Tom, and James writing and recording. Then Billy and Pete came along and for the first time we had everyone in the band getting involved in the songwriting. The songs Tom, James and I wrote were still there, but now with a steroid injection and production touches that just took them to new levels. Everyone had such a vital part to play on this album which is why every song is written, performed and produced by Vega. As always, we had no agenda when writing, we just wrote as and when the moment took us. However, we wanted the album to have a really solid, in your face sound that you can feel pumping in your chest," says frontman Nick Workman of how Anarchy And Unity came together.
Of the first single, "Sooner Or Later", he goes on to say that it "is a three minute slap in the face. We wanted to write a song that was pretty much flat out from start to finish. It's a fun take on fake people who live their life in smoke and mirrors, but also about the fact that at some point in life we all have to go through some sort of bad shit to get to the good stuff."
Anarchy And Unity, while not a departure from the band’s defined and classy sound, shows a band determined, mature, and ready for the next step in their career. It has a crisp sound and immaculate musicianship showcasing the great talents in the band. On the songwriting front, the band have returned with a more muscular sound, but no less full to the brim with melodies that will grab you from the first note to the last.
Anarchy And Unity sees two new faces in the band, Billy Taylor (ex-Inglorious) on guitars and Pete Newdeck (Di'Anno) on drums. They join singer Nick Workman, guitarist Marcus Thurston, and the brothers Martin, keyboardist James and bassist Tom.
Vega’s members have a rich history, but it was their meeting of musical minds back in 2009 that would lead to the melodic rock genre receiving one of the finest releases of that year in the form of their debut album, Kiss Of Life. The eclectic, off-kilter style of rock made them stand out from the crowd and the band have always been keen to be more than just another “AOR” band.
After the warmly received sophomore release What The Hell, the band recorded their third album Stereo Messiah at the home studio of John Mitchell. The It Bites frontman managed to get the best out of the band as they lived at the studio and fully immersed themselves in the process. With Mitchell’s all-time favourite album being Def Leppard’s Hysteria, a production that Mutt Lange would be proud of was pursued. Coincidentally, Stereo Messiah was also graced by the vocal presence of Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott, who also gave the band a song for the album.
The fourth instalment in the Vega saga saw them releasing an album that was reckoned to be the best of their recording career. Produced and mixed by Harry Hess (Harem Scarem), Who We Are saw them in fine form. It was like they’d pulled together all the pieces of the puzzle, coming up with an album of such magnitude that it was hard to put into words. Lyrically compelling, it traversed rock genres with ease, hitting a note with pop and rock fans alike. Songs like "Saving Grace", "White Flag", and "Every Little Monster" are sublime moments on an album that was full of outstanding songs. The subsequent tour with the Dan Reed Network was one of that year’s finest pairings in the UK, whilst their Hard Rock Hell performance was the stuff of legend.
2017 saw them releasing Only Human, a collection of songs that focused on their core strengths: strong harmonies, big choruses, and compelling lyrical content. The album exceeded their expectations by hitting the UK National Rock Chart at #3 between Shinedown and Black Stone Cherry. The band toured with the Quireboys, Skid Row and many others, including a stop at Download along with their heroes Def Leppard and Whitesnake.
2020 saw the band release their well-received sixth studio album, Grit Your Teeth. The band was feeling energized and thrilled at the prospect of playing these songs to fans in the live setting. But, of course, the world wound up in the throes of a worldwide pandemic and the universe had other plans. Unable to tour as they normally would in support of a new album, the band set about to channel their energies into the writing and recording of their seventh album, Anarchy And Unity.
With pent up energy, a rejuvenated lineup, and a brand new album, Vega are firing on all cylinders. Watch out for tour dates in the UK in the fall.
Tracklisting:
"Beautiful Lie"
"Sooner Or Later"
"End Of The Fade"
"Ain't Who I Am"
"Welcome To Wherever"
"Bring The Riot"
"Live For Me"
"Kneel To You"
"Glow"
"C'mon"
"Had Enough"
"2Die4"
"Sooner Or Later" video:
Lineup:
Nick Workman - Vocals
Tom Martin - Bass
James Martin - Keyboards
Marcus Thurston - Guitar
Billy Taylor - Guitar
Pete Newdeck – Drums
Swedish melodic death metal pioneers, At The Gates, have released their new album, The Nightmare Of Being, via Century Media Records.
To enhance the album’s street date, check out the title track, “The Nightmare Of Being”, in a video directed by Patric Ullaeus / www.rEvolver.se.
Vocalist Tomas Lindberg Redant commented as follows: “ One of the key tracks on the album, this one is really dark and haunting, with some classic old school At The Gates harmonies thrown in. I guess some of you have already read up on the concept of the album, this one is the introduction to said concept, introducing the main idea that mankind's consciousness is the ghost of our nightmares, the plague that drives us to our own extinction. I am really happy that Patric Ullaeus got the chance to, once again, interpret the dark themes of our music with his video. He really gave this a special feeling, which I think goes really well with the theme of the abyss of the human soul. Today you can also, finally, listen to the whole album! Dive in! It is, as said before, the most rich, cinematic, textured, layered, progressive and dynamic album we have ever written. Thanks for listening!”
In other news, At The Gates are launching a free full album stream premiere event to celebrate the release of The Nightmare Of Being tomorrow, Saturday, July 3 at 8 PM, CEST (2 PM, EDT) on YouTube. Tomas Lindberg Redant will be part of the chat for this exclusive album premiere, so feel free to join here.
"Spectre Of Extinction"
"The Paradox"
"The Nightmare Of Being"
"Garden Of Cyrus"
"Touched By The White Hands Of Death"
"The Fall Into Time"
"Cult Of Salvation"
"The Abstract Enthroned"
"Cosmic Pessimism"
"Eternal Winter Of Reason"
The tracklisting for the live bonus:
"Red" (King Crimson cover, Live at Roadburn)
"The Scar" (Live at Roadburn)
"Koyaanisqatsi" (Philip Glass cover, Live at Roadburn)
"The Burning Darkness" (Live at Roadburn)
"Daggers Of Black Haze" (Live in Stockholm)
"Death and the Labyrinth" (Live in San Francisco)
"A Stare Bound In Stone" (Live in San Francisco)
"Heroes and Tombs" (Live in San Francisco)
"The Night Eternal" (Live in San Francisco)
“The Fall Into Time” video:
“The Paradox” video:
"Spectre Of Extinction" video:
At The Gates lineup:
Tomas Lindberg Redant - Vocals
Jonas Björler - Bass
Martin Larsson - Guitar
Jonas Stålhammar - Guitar
Adrian Erlandsson - Drums
ONCE HUMAN has released the official music video for its new single "Deadlock", taken from the band's upcoming album "Scar Weaver", due in February 2022 via earMUSIC. "Deadlock" features a guest appearance by MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn, friend and former bandmate of ONCE HUMAN guitarist Logan Mader.
Logan's history with MACHINE HEAD is well documented, not least in recent times when he toured the globe with Robb for the Bay Area band's "Burn My Eyes" 25th-anniversary tour. As a result, this new collaboration needs no explanation, but frontwoman Lauren Hart remains thrilled by the whole experience.
"It was absolutely amazing, are you kidding?" she says. "I didn't believe it was happening until he sent something back and I heard his voice on our song. I was, like, 'Holy crap! This is real!' He came back with a new chorus and it was so much better than mine, so my chorus was gone! [Laughs] But then performing with him in the video, that was insane. The energy he brings on stage he brings in person too. It was a great experience and his energy is so powerful. The video came out amazing!"
Pieced together over the last two years, "Scar Weaver" represents a massive step forward for the band. Blessed (or perhaps cursed) with plenty of extra time during the last year's lockdown situation, the band has been able to refine and redefine its sound, inspired by a sudden creative surge from latest recruit, second guitarist Max Karon. The result is an gloriously idiosyncratic modern metal record, with Hart's career-best vocal performance just one of its dazzling revelations. With ONCE HUMAN's most intense and explosive music to work with, the singer has pushed herself to new heights, showcasing a vastly expanded vocal range in the process.
Founded in 2014, ONCE HUMAN has steadily established itself as one of the most distinct metal bands of the modern era. Founded by Mader and Hart, the quintet has had noses to the grindstone throughout its existence, exhibiting a tireless dedication to live performance and a meticulous approach to capturing its crushing anthems for posterity. Over the course of two full-length albums — 2015's much-hailed debut "The Life I Remember" and 2017's conceptual tour-de-force "Evolution" — ONCE HUMAN has pursued a militantly individual path, eschewing contemporary cliché in favor of a versatile new strain of brutal but accessible metal, with Lauren's vocals providing an endlessly emotive focal point.
Metallica have released "Sad But True" (Copenhagen, Denmark - August 10, 1991), from the Live at Gentofte Stadion DVD included in the remastered deluxe box set of The Black Album, available on September 10. Recorded during the first “proper” gig of The Black Album tour at Gentofte Stadion, Copenhagen, Denmark on August 10, 1991. Listen below:
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 continues: "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."
An update from Metallica: "Germany! 'Enter Sandman' (Remastered) is available as a limited edition, numbered, glow-in-the-dark 7" Vinyl single as well as a Maxi CD and 3" PockIt CD single, both of which include previously unreleased live tracks recorded in Germany in 1992. Pre-order here."
Tracklists:
Gllow In The Dark 7" Vinyl Single:
"Enter Sandman" (Remastered 2021)
"Sad But True" (Remastered 2021)
Maxi CD:
"Enter Sandman" (Remastered 2021)
"Sad But True" (Remastered 2021)
"Through The Never" (Live At Festhalle Frankfurt, Germany / November 26th, 1992)
"Damage, Inc." (Live at Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle Stuttgart, Germany / December 1st, 1992)
3" PockIt CD Single:
"Enter Sandman" (Remastered 2021)
"Sad But True" (Remastered 2021)
"Through The Never" (Live At Festhalle Frankfurt, Germany / November 26th, 1992)
"Damage, Inc." (Live at Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle Stuttgart, Germany / December 1st, 1992)
Official release date is August 20th, 2021. Note that the singles are only shipping within Germany.
MEGADETH's Dave Mustaine is now on Cameo, an online platform that allows fans to buy personalized video messages from celebrities. The 59-year-old guitarist/vocalist is charging purchasers $150 per video.
In a short video message announcing his partnership with Cameo, Mustaine said: "Hey, I'm Dave Mustaine and I'd like to invite you to have me send a personalized greeting from Cameo for you to your friends. I can say 'Happy birthday,' 'Happy anniversary,' 'Merry Christmas,' 'Happy Hanukkah' — whatever. Or my personal favorite is, like, 'F—.' No, we won't get into that here. But I will tell you that if you do have me do a Cameo for you, a portion of the proceeds will go to charities that I support."
The brainchild of founder Steven Galanis, Chicago-based Cameo has been around since 2017. It reportedly features more than 40,000 celebrities — from musicians and actors to drag queens and from YouTubers to Olympic gold medallists — who, for fees from $1 to $2,500, will offer video messages that mention another person by name. Happy birthday messages are common, as are baby announcements, but some celebrities have also recorded messages for Cameo users looking to quit their jobs or ask a potential date to a prom. The price for a video is determined by the celebrity. In 2020 alone, the company fulfilled more Cameos than throughout its four-year history, with Cameos delivered on every continent in the world and it raised over $1 million for worthy nonprofits and causes through its Cameo Cares program.
MEGADETH fired David Ellefson in late May, just days after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter. A replacement bassist has not yet been announced.
MEGADETH is 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.
Metal Injection has posted a performance video for Judas Priest's "Electric Eye", taken from Slay At Home Fest in support of Musicares / The Iggy Fund / NAMI / Cancer Research Institute. The song is performed by Brandon Ellis (vocals, guitars/ The Black Dahlia Murder), Steve DiGiorgio (bass / Testament, Death To All) and Matt Thompson (drums / King Diamond).
Since beginning the Slay At Home series one year ago as a personal mission to create an entertainment fundraiser to aid the music industry and charities, mastermind Frank Godla has helped raise over $200,000 in donations for various charities through the virtual concert platform. The finale aired on June 18 and 19 in support of four great causes; Musicares, The Iggy Fund, The Cancer Research Institute and National Alliance On Mental Illness.
Video footage of Scorpions performing "Rock You Like A Hurricane", live in Brooklyn, New York in September 2015 as part of their Return To Forever tour, can be seen below:
Scorpions have offered fans a first glance at their new music. The currently untitled effort will be the band's 19th studio album; a release date has not yet been announced.
Scorpions singer Klaus Meine, along with guitarists Rudolf Schenker and Matthias Jabs uploaded the following video to social media from Peppermint Park Studios in Hannover, Germany.
According to Klaus: "We're in the studio right now, as you can see — Peppermint Park in Hannover — and this morning, we decided to give you guys a little snippet. We're here for a year. We spent so much time in here working with the recording sessions. And right now it's so very exciting to finally listen to the mixes coming in from Berlin the other day. And we just wanted to share this moment with all of you out there. And believe me, we can't wait — not only to give you a little snippet but to play you the whole damn album. All right? And we'll see you out there."
One of The Big Four turns the Big 4-0 this year and is celebrating with a number of special activities and events to honor the landmark anniversary. Formed by guitarist Scott Ian and bassist Dan Lilker in Queens, NY on July 18, 1981, Anthrax was one of the first thrash metal bands to emerge from the East Coast and quickly became regarded as a leader in the genre alongside Metallica, Slayer, and Megadeth.
Active over the past five decades, Anthrax has released 11 studio albums, been awarded multiple Gold and Platinum certifications, received six Grammy nominations, toured the world since 1984 playing thousands of shows, including headlining Madison Square Garden and playing Yankee Stadium with The Big 4. The band has built a strong reputation with fans as well as the record industry. With the lineup including Ian, bassist Frank Bello, drummer Charlie Benante, singer Joey Belladonna, and guitarist Jon Donais, the band is being feted on their 40th anniversary by a wide range of friends and music contemporaries.
Each week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and wrapping on the band's official founding anniversary of July 18, Anthrax's social media accounts will offer a series of video testimonials sent in by former band members, fellow musicians, colleagues, and industry veterans sharing behind-the-scenes stories of working with the band and what Anthrax's legacy has meant all these years on. These videos will honor each album in chronological order beginning with the original release, Fistful of Metal. Go here for the full schedule, and watch Episode #20: Volume 8 - The Threat Is Real below.
The 11-week series will include video contributions from Chuck D, Corey Taylor, Dave Grohl, Dave Mustaine, Gary Holt, Gene Simmons, Henry Rollins, John Carpenter, Kerry King, Mike Patton, Nergal, Norman Reedus, Michael Poulsen, Rob Zombie, Robert Trujillo, Roger Miret, Darryl McDaniels (Run DMC), Slash, Tom Morello and more. There will also be video clips from former Anthrax band members Dan Lilker, Dan Spitz, John Bush, Neil Turbin, and Rob Caggiano.
The finale will come as a very special Livestream performance from Anthrax on Friday, July 16, featuring a deep cuts set that will pull from the band's entire career-spanning catalog.
The special worldwide Livestream event, presented by Danny Wimmer Presents and originating from Los Angeles, will kick off in North America on Friday, July 16, beginning at 4 PM, PT and 7 PM, ET, and in the UK on Saturday, July 17, starting at Midnight, BST.
Livestream event tickets and special 40th-anniversary ticket bundles - one including a live video chat with the members of Anthrax - are on sale now. Special 40th-anniversary artwork was created by Brian Ewing and Stephen Thompson for limited-edition t-shirts, commemorative tickets, and an anniversary poster. In addition to the Livestream and merchandise bundles, fans will be able to buy a digital ticket to relive the past 40 years with exclusive interviews, testimonials, and behind-the-scenes stories of the band's legendary career. All purchasing details are accessible at AnthraxLive.com.
The Global Livestream event, debuting July 16/17 (depending on your global location), will remain available to fans worldwide to tune in through July 25 at 11:59 PM, ET via video on demand. The band - Joey Belladonna/vocalist, Scott Ian/rhythm guitar, Frank Bello/bass, Charlie Benante/drums, and Jon Donias/guitar, will perform an extensive set of hits and deep cuts that will pull from the band's entire catalog.
"I was a 17-year-old metal-head kid from Queens when I started this band," said Scott Ian. "I am a 57-year-old metal-head kid from Queens about to celebrate the 40th anniversary of this band. That means for 40 years, I've gotten to do exactly what I've wanted to do - and getting to do what I love and being a part of something so much bigger than myself has made the time, the unbelievable weight of 40 seems so light. It's been an amazing story so far, and I see 40 as a milestone that absolutely should be recognized and celebrated. Congratulations to us! I also see 40 as a stepping stone to the next chapter of Anthrax - we still have a lot to say and some killer riffs to unleash. I'm not going to say, "Here's to 40 more" because nobody wants to see that (I'd be 97). How about, "Here's to at least ten more, and we'll go from there! Thank you for enabling me, my friends."
RATT singer Stephen Pearcy and his solo band performed at this year's Freedom Festival on June 26 at the Arapahoe County Fairgrounds Event Center in Aurora, Colorado. Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below.
Last month, Pearcy spoke to Vintage Rock Pod about his upcoming follow-up to 2018's "View To A Thrill" solo album. He said: "So much time has passed since we started writing, Erik [Ferentinos] and I — my guitar player and co-writer guy [for] most of my solo [stuff]. It was so long ago. And the record was done; we had the songs written, like, six months ago. And that was a year process. Since then, I've been writing like a fool and writing with him, and all these new songs [came out]. So I figure let's do a double record and give it all you've got — just go in there and lay it down and say, 'Here. This is what happens in two years when you write tunes.' 'Cause they're way different. It goes all over the place, this record. Our new bass player, Jerry Montano, he did time in HELLYEAH; he's more of an aggressive writer/player. So these songs could be real heavy, heavy or they could be RATT sounding, obviously, if I write 'em. I'm trying to take 'em outside. I'm trying to do a lot of different things. And it's gonna be interesting, because it's gonna go all over the place, so good luck."
According to Pearcy, fans shouldn't expect to see his new solo LP until sometime in 2022. "It's been put off," he explained. "We're gonna try to get through this year. I've got some things to take care of with what the band RATT's gonna do… And once I get in the studio, I don't mess around. That's one thing I learned from [producer] Beau Hill, is you make shit happen. Don't waste time. And we don't. I crack a whip."
Less than three months ago, the 64-year-old founding RATT vocalist, who has been focusing mostly on his solo career while the band has been off the road, dropped the official music video for a previously unreleased solo song called "Don't Wanna Talk About It". The track was written "circa 2000s" entirely by Pearcy and features Stephen on vocals and guitar, Ferentinos on lead guitar, Mike Duda on bass and Greg D'Angelo on drums.
"Don't Wanna Talk About It" arrived two months after the release of Pearcy's cover version of DURAN DURAN's 1981 hit "Girls On Film". Prior to that, Pearcy issued another new solo single, "Night Flight", a collaboration between Pearcy and Ferentinos, which is expected to appear on Stephen's upcoming LP.
Pearcy's fifth solo LP, "View To A Thrill", came out in November 2018 via Frontiers Music Srl. The follow-up to 2017's "Smash" was produced by Matt Thorne and Pearcy and was mixed and mastered by Thorne and Ferentinos.
Pearcy and bassist Juan Croucier are the sole remaining original members in RATT's current lineup, which made its live debut in July 2018 in Mulvane, Kansas. Joining them in the band are drummer Pete Holmes (BLACK 'N BLUE, RATT'S JUAN CROUCIER) and guitarists Jordan Ziff (RAZER) and Frankie Lindia.
In January, Pearcy told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that he was open to the idea of making a new RATT album with all the surviving members of the band's classic lineup.
RATT hasn't released any new music since 2010's "Infestation" LP.
MOTIONLESS IN WHITE has shared the official music video for its single "Thoughts & Prayers". The song remains a standout from the band's most recent full-length album, "Disguise". The visual was notably directed by MOTIONLESS IN WHITE guitarist Ricky Olson, marking his first time in the director's chair.
Olson commented: "I'm super excited to have been given the opportunity to combine both of my passions into one project. Chris and the guys trusted me with a vision, and I think we were able to put together something we are all very proud of. I hope all the fans enjoy — they were at the forefront of the project and without them this video wouldn't have been possible. This one's for you guys!" He continued: "Again, extreme gratitude to the band and to everyone at Roadrunner for giving me the opportunity to do something I've wanted to do for years. Hopefully, this is the first of many!"
Last month, MOTIONLESS IN WHITE delivered a global livestream performance, "Deadstream #2 Pennhurst Asylum". They served up a set of fan favorites outside of one of the most notorious haunted locales in the country. Raving about the event, Rock Sound attested: "On the one hand, this was a breathless and bludgeoning display that celebrated MOTIONLESS IN WHITE's past, present, and future. On the other, it was a career milestone from a band that has never allowed themselves to slow down or give up," and went on to call it "the perfect taster for whatever the next chapter of MOTIONLESS IN WHITE is set to be." Furthermore, the band dropped "Voices: Synthwave Edition", adding another dimension to the 2017 fan favorite.
Up this summer, MOTIONLESS IN WHITE will make its much-anticipated return to the road in the States as it appears on various festivals throughout the fall, including Rocklahoma, Blue Ridge, Inkarceration and Rebel Rock, with more dates to be announced in the coming weeks.
MOTIONLESS IN WHITE's first "Deadstream" happened just prior to Halloween 2020, to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the band's acclaimed debut album, "Creatures". A month earlier, the band surprised fans with a cover of THE KILLERS' "Somebody Told Me", which is available now on all streaming platforms. The cover followed the arrival of MOTIONLESS IN WHITE's "Another Life / Eternally Yours: Motion Picture Collection" EP, which was produced by Justin Deblieck and mixed by Steve Sopchak. For the EP, the acclaimed Scranton, Pennsylvania band reconstructed, reimagined, and reinvigorated two fan-favorite singles: "Another Life" and "Eternally Yours". Additionally, they included brand new cinematic instrumental tracks for both. For this big screen-worthy interpretation of "Another Life", they recruited dark pop Estonian artist Kerli to contribute an emotionally charged vocal. Over a bed of orchestral strings and sparse piano, frontman Chris Motionless locks into a haunting and hypnotic duet with her. The official music video offers a ghostly counterpoint and alternate view of the original as well.
In October, MOTIONLESS IN WHITE released a brand-new standalone single, "Creatures X: To The Grave".
Norwegian black metallers MAYHEM return this year with an EP called "Atavistic Black Disorder / Kommando" with additional material from the "Daemon" session, including a homage to bands that laid the foundation for what was to come. The EP will be released on July 9. The official visualizer for the song "Everlasting Dying Flame" can be seen below.
The lords of darkness have dug deep and reflected their influences to create a musical odyssey that shows them multifaceted in several ways.
For this goal, cover versions of bands like DISCHARGE, DEAD KENNEDYS, RUDIMENTARY PENI and RAMONES were chosen, which in typical MAYHEM manner impressively fit into their bursting and darkened sound. The band also recruited Billy Messiah and Maniac, who took over vocal performances on two songs!
In addition to the named cover versions, a previously unreleased track called "Voces Ab Alta" is featured on the EP, which continues the musical journey alongside "Black Glass Communion" and "Everlasting Dying Flame", which were used as bonus tracks for the 2019 album "Daemon".
The EP thus closes the capital, which was opened with the release of "Daemon" back in 2019 and illuminates the band once again in typical unusual and surprising-sounding way.
The visual concept was once again handled by Italian designer Daniele Valeriani (LUCIFER'S CHILD, DARK FUNERAL) who already took care of the artwork for their previous long player "Daemon".
"I always had some punk influences," says vocalist Attila. "I guess it comes from my childhood when we were constantly looking for more extreme music. That's how I discovered DEAD KENNEDYS, GBH, THE EXPLOITED, SEX PISTOLS, U.K. SUBS, DISCHARGE, RUDIMENTARY PENI and so on, in the early '80s, alongside heavy metal. But then I discovered VENOM. That was a game changer!"
Necrobutcher adds: "We got some extra time in the studio recording the 'Daemon' album two years ago, all band members were asked to punch in two cover tracks for some extra material. I chose songs by DEATHSTRIKE ('The Truth') and DEATH ('Evil Dead') which were both used as the bonus tracks on the album. My other contribution was to bring in two old members because of their obvious connection with punk: Maniac on the DEAD KENNEDYS track and Billy (Messiah) on the DISCHARGE track and some of the others."
As part of BODY COUNT's music video contest where fans could contribute and submit their very own visual work to the band's song "The Hate Is Real", the Grammy Award-winning band fronted by hip-hop legend, actor and director Ice-T has now chosen the second version, which skillfully and perfectly transmits the mood and expressiveness of the track in every visual aspect. The video was created by German filmmaker Joerg Harms (Black Vision Films) and can be seen below.
"The Hate Is Real" is taken from BODY COUNT's latest album, "Carnivore", which came out in March 2020 via Century Media.
Ice-T told Metal Hammer about "The Hate Is Real": "One day, I heard Jim Jones from [American hip-hop group] DIPSET say, 'Love is fake, but the hate is real.' I said, 'That's a song, because I believe when people say they love you, that could be a figure of speech.' It's, like, 'Yo, man, I love this dude.' But when someone hates you, they really hate you. Hate is fuckin' real. Whether it's racial hate, religious hate, whatever it is, it divides us. I feel like we’re dealing with all kinds of really hateful shit and we just need to address it."
Earlier this month, BODY COUNT announced plans to write and record a new studio album called "Merciless". The upcoming disc will be the follow-up to "Carnivore", which continued the path of its uncompromising and critically acclaimed predecessors, "Bloodlust" and "Manslaugther", in pairing Ice-T's impassioned and socio-critical lyrics with thick guitar riffs and nods to metal and hardcore greats like SLAYER, METALLICA, PANTERA, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES and RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE. Guest musicians included Amy Lee (EVANESCENCE), Dave Lombardo (ex-SLAYER), Jamey Jasta (HATEBREED) and Riley Gale (POWER TRIP).
BODY COUNT was honored with a Grammy in the "Best Metal Performance" category in the pre-telecast ceremony at the 63rd annual Grammy Awards, which was held on March 14 in Los Angeles. BODY COUNT was nominated for "Bum-Rush", a track from "Carnivore".
Get the party started with the hottest metal tribute to The Bee Gees and beyond. New York-based cover song reinventors, Tragedy, sweat glitter with their heavy metal induced interpretation of all time disco, soft-rock and pop favorites on their remastered “best-of” album, Disco Balls To The Wall (out July 30 via Napalm Records), and fuel the party feeling even more with the new single, “Sweet Caroline”.
Dive into Tragedy's mind-blowing interpretation of the Neil Diamond anthem, including heavy riffs and organ, and follow the band deep into the woods of their music video. But beware, you might get lost, as you’ll never imagine what happened there...
Did Tragedy get turned into vampires? And what does Neil Diamond have to do with this?
Tragedy says: "This is the true story of when we went into the woods to shoot a music video, then things turned all Blair Witch and True Blood on us. An unlikely scenario, for sure. But no more unlikely than a metal tribute to the Bee Gees doing a King Neil Diamond song! The chilling tale of when "sweet" Caroline and her creatures set their sights on a group of innocent, handsome, muscular musicians, luring them to their untimely undeaths.”
It doesn’t matter at all if you love or hate disco or metal - you will unabashedly love Tragedy and their bombastic, crazy mix of disco, metal, glitter and revelry. The band’s first offering with Napalm Records will include Tragedy’s unique twist on hits such as Abba’s “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)” and “Dancing Queen”, Toto’s “Africa”, Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse Of The Heart” and Adele’s intense super-hymn ''Skyfall”, just to name a few. These fearsome brothers drop the perfect selection of all-time favorite disco, soft-rock and pop favorites - completely reimagining them as glorious, red-hot heavy metal treatments.
Get your body shaking when Tragedy start to rock out with The Bee Gee’s “Stayin' Alive”, “How Deep Is Your Love” and “Tragedy”, and headbang to the tunes of Slayer’s heavy riffing thrash thunder “Raining Blood” combined with “It’s Raining Men” from American duo The Weather Girls in a way absolutely never heard before. Disco Balls To The Wall is finally topped by a smashing live version of Donna Summer’s fabulous “Hot Stuff”, featuring Alex Skolnick of Testament on lead guitar.
The band adds: "Disco Balls To The Wall is the biggest, sexiest collection of hits we've ever released. It’s as if the Bee Gees turned into werewolves, ate some teens, then bred with the local dog population; thus creating the world's most beastly recordings of disco and soft-rock songs ever made. Sharing this album with your friends and lovers will make you 500% more desirable.”
Disco Balls To The Wall will be available in the following formats:
- 2-LP Gatefold (Orange transparent) - strictly limited to 300 copies worldwide
- 1-CD Digipack
- Digital Album
"Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)"
"You're The One That I Want"
"Evil / Baker Street"
"Stayin' Alive"
"Sweet Caroline"
"Raining Blood" / "It's Raining Men"
"How Deep Is Your Love"
"Aquarius" / "Let The Sunshine In"
"Africa"
"Total Eclipse Of The Heart"
"Tragedy"
"Dancing Queen"
"Skyfall"
"Hot Stuff"
"Stayin' Alive" video:
"You're The One That I Want" video:
Tragedy is:
Disco Mountain Man - lead vocals, lead keyboards
Mo'Royce Peterson - lead vocals, lead guitar
Andy Gibbous Waning - lead bass, lead vocals
Garry Bibb - lead guitar, lead vocals
The Lord Gibbeth - lead drums
Lance - towel boy, complete idiot
Finland's Steve'N'Seagulls have released the video below, performing a bluegrass version of the Janis Joplin classic, "Piece Of My Heart", with Battle Beast singer, Noora Louhimo.
Says the band: "Original song by Janis Joplin translated to bluegrass. Noora Louhimo visited Seagulls' Nest and we arranged this awesome song with our twist. Hope you like it!"
Long-running Southern California metallers ARMORED SAINT have released the official music video for the song "Lone Wolf". The clip was directed by Robert Graves who previously produced the videos for ARMORED SAINT's "End Of The Attention Span" and "Missile To Gun".
"Lone Wolf" is taken from ARMORED SAINT's eighth full-length album, "Punching The Sky", which came out last October via Metal Blade Records.
Graves comments: "With 'Lone Wolf', the band and I agreed right away that this was an opportunity to create a narrative driven video that would convey the song's lyrical themes, while also creating an engaging visual experience. And so a noir-styled heist in the heart of L.A. just seemed to fit the song perfectly.
"We decided to keep the story simple and allow the tone of the video to help convey the song's significance. This gave us (the crew) the opportunity to create an aesthetic that intensified the song's mood, while also getting some incredible action scenes to tell the story. Needless to say, ARMORED SAINT fans are in for a ride. I think they're gonna love it!"
Bassist Joey Vera adds: "Working again with director Robert Graves was incredible. Not only is this video great to watch, but underneath the storyline lies a layer of allegory, metaphor and symbolism. Kind of a first for us. John Bush's great lyrics twist and turn into meanings not visible at first sight. It's a view into a person's journey through life and how they maneuver through it all and what they gain from that experience in the end. The neo-noir look Robert created in both the story and the band performances make this a great addition to the ARMORED SAINT video catalogue."
Vocalist John Bush adds: "Working with Robert is awesome. The guy is truly amazing. He's gonna be a star.
"This time we pushed the dialogue. It was challenging for me, but I had fun with it. For motivation, I tried to channel some of the great actors who come into the casting studio that my wife and I run.
"'Wolf' tackles the view of people who spend a lot of time on their own. Something I spent years doing. The solitary individuals that always keep us guessing. This video is dedicated to them."
Leaders and stalwarts of the American heavy metal scene since the early 1980s, ARMORED SAINT's "Punching The Sky" saw them returning hard. A diverse, attitude-drenched collection, it's everything the band's faithful have come to expect from them while pushing their signature sound forward.
"The goal is to write really good music. I know I'm stating the obvious here but that's about the size of our agenda," said Vera. "We've been able to shed a lot of expectations that sometimes plague a band like ours that has been around a long time, and we've recently moved into a comfort zone with just being ourselves. We have this kind of freedom now that we didn't really have early in our career, and we can take some chances and make the kind of music that we want to hear. This record is a reflection of where we are at, right now."
Exploding to life with the crunchy, rousing "Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants" and not letting up until the closing ruthless riff of "Never You Fret", the record is possessed of an urgency and vigor which very much places it in the right now, but could only be the work of Vera, guitarists Phil Sandoval and Jeff Duncan, drummer Gonzo Sandoval and Bush.
"When you're a band that began four decades ago, you really have to push yourself harder than ever when it comes to making a new record," stated Bush. "The last thing you ever want is for it to appear as though you were going through the motions or that you're just putting a product out to do some touring. The records are immortal. They'll be here long after us. Every one needs to count in its own individual way."
With Vera acting as producer, he recruited the same engineering team that worked on "Win Hands Down", with drums recorded by Josh Newell at El Dorado Studios in Burbank, California, guitars tracked by Bill Metoyer at Skullseven studios in North Hollywood, California, and vocals, bass and additional recordings by the bassist at his studio.
"I like working with people that I trust and have a good personal rapport with," Vera said. "That same reason is why I hired Jay Ruston (ANTHRAX, AMON AMARTH, STONE SOUR) to mix the record. It's important to be able to work with people who understand what the end goal is."
The process of realizing the album was a lot of hard work, Vera admitting he took on too many of the tasks himself, but he states that overall it was a good experience and everyone brought their A-game to the table and the right attitude for getting things done.
"At the end of the mixing stage, I always have a hard time walking away from the project we've been working on for so long," he said. "It's hard to let it go. The end result is good though. Everyone played and sang their asses off and it shows."
"Punching The Sky" features a few guest musicians further expanding its sonic palette, the whole thing kicking off with the sound of Uilleann Pipes, Vera finding player Patrick D'Arcy in Los Angeles and recruiting him to the cause. GUNS N' ROSES keyboardist Dizzy Reed also contributes, Vera giving both him and D'Arcy some general directions and letting them loose, both of them delivering strong performances. The band's own Gonzo Sandoval plays an American Indian flute on "Never You Fret" — a first for ARMORED SAINT and their drummer. Also Jacob Ayala, the son of a childhood friend who is a drum major in high school, added some marching snare on one of the tracks, which really stands out.
With the band's place in the metal scene firmly re-established with "Punching The Sky", they are staring down their four decade anniversary, which Vera reflected on.
"Part of me feels like I can't believe we've been doing this for that long. It's kind of incredible," Vera said. "So I feel pretty damn lucky really, that we've been able to have the support from fans and our record company for all these years. Without this support, we really couldn't do any of this. So this is the big part of what has kept us going, and when I stop and look around, I am humbled that we've had this opportunity to make music and tour for such a long time. That's what our initial goal was back when we were just 18 years old."
Nightwish vocalist Floor Jansen has shared a new fan-fuelled Q&A session. with questions about touring, After Forever, clapping, black metal and more. Check it out below.
Jansen recently uploaded a new performance video along with the following message:
"A new cover with the one and only Henk Poort! Known for his theater, musical and acting history, and of course our duet of 'The Phantom Of The Opera' at Beste Zangers. This time we decided to collaborate once more and cover a different musical song. This time it is 'Dangerous Game' from Jekyll & Hyde. A true joy to be working with Henk again! Hope you all enjoy this cover!"
Jansen performed 'Phantom Of The Opera' with Poort for the Dutch TV show Beste Zangers in 2019. The performance has attracted over 14 million viewers on Youtube as of June 2021.
On June 5, DEF LEPPARD drummer Rick Allen teamed up with world-renowned DJ Ravidrums for a "special sunset" EDM/rock performance at the WTR Pool and Grill in Tampa, Florida. You watch video of the set below.
Allen told "On The Road To Rock" about his collaboration with DJ Ravidrums: "It's basically electronic dance music and pop music and rock music in a mash-up sort of sense, and then the two of us both play live drums over the top of it, which is really exciting."
Allen became the drummer for DEF LEPPARD at age 15. At the height of worldwide fame in 1984, he had a car accident that changed his life. Rick lost an arm but turned personal tragedy into spiritual transformation and continued his musical career. While he was already a hero to millions of young people, he soon added millions of new admirers. Rick has been reaching out and giving support to others all over the globe by sharing his personal experiences and his love of drumming. Over the past 13 years, Rick has reached out to teenage cancer patients, children with special needs, at-risk youth in crisis, families of domestic violence and veterans who have served in Vietnam, Desert Storm, Iraq and Afghanistan. He was awarded the Humanitarian Award by Maria Shriver's Best Buddies Of CA in 2002 and in 2012, was also awarded the prestigious Wounded Warrior Project's Carry It Forward Award. Rick continues his work helping wounded warriors through Project Resiliency's Warrior Resiliency Program sponsored by his charity, the Raven Drum Foundation, founded by him and his wife Lauren Monroe, whose mission is support people in crisis through the alternative healing modalities and power of the drum.
Ravi Jakhotia, Tampa's hometown boy, also known by his stage name Ravidrums, is music producer, an electronic music artist DJ and drummer. He was the music director and drummer on the 2009 NBC TV series "Howie Do It" and 2011 CBS TV series "Live To Dance". He performed at the Oscars in 2009 for "Slumdog Millionaire", at Coachella, Super Bowl pre-game shows throughout the years, and every high-profile celebrity event there is: from Las Vegas to the Monaco Grand Prix. He invented the "live remix."
Small snippet of the performance from Tampa with Rick Allen and Ravidrums
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