The Annihilator Acoustic Sunday selection for June 6th was "Bad Child", taken from Triple Threat Un-Plugged: The Watersound Studios Sessions. Check out the clip below.
Triple Threat includes Annihilator’s classics performed acoustically, with band leader/guitarist/ songwriter and vocalist Jeff Waters bringing together band members Aaron Homma and Richard Hinks, Vancouver BC drummer and friend Marc LaFrance plus Ottawa session player Pat Robillard. Live, off the floor and in single takes at Watersound Studios in Dunrobin, Canada during late May and early June, 2016.
The release also features Annihilator’s vicious set from the 2016 Bang Your Head Festival, a set which illustrates the very best of what Annihilator is known for –tight, sharp, technically-excellent and melodic thrash metal music. Triple Threat includes some exclusive inside-Annihilator off-stage perspective, courtesy of Jeff Waters’ own camera, which captures further elements, flavors and detail of the band which fans will flip over.
For their upcoming Atavistic Black Disorder / Kommando EP, the most notorious black metal band have reflected on their influences by covering songs from bands like Discharge, Dead Kennedys, Rudimentary Peni and Ramones with an impressive bursting and darkened sound. Watch a new video trailer for the new EP:
In addition to the mentioned cover versions, Mayhem have issued a previously unreleased track called "Voces Ab Alta", which was recorded during the Daemon session.
The video was done by high the praised artwork and video wizard Costin Chioreanu (Ghost, Opeth, Napalm Death) who impressively captured the atmosphere and the darkness of this performance visually.
The video can be seen below, and the song is also available on all major streaming platforms, here.
The Atavistic Black Disorder / Kommando EP will be released on July 9.
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.
The band comments: “I always had some punk influences,” says 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 80’s, alongside heavy metal. But then I discovered Venom, that was a game changer!”
Necrobutcher further 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.”
“Atavistic Black Disorder / Kommando” EP is available in the following formats:
* Deluxe silver 180g LP + CD Box Set (incl. 3 Art Prints + Slipmat)
- The 3 available graphics make up the overall concept from the already released visuals of the Daemon Box Set. The total of 6 graphics were considered as an alternative cover versions of the Daemon album and will not be reproduced after this limited edition run.
- The Slipmat contains a special print of the back cover (Punk-Head) of this EP!
- Limited to 1,000 units
(500 CM Distro Wholesale & CM EU Shop / 300 Band Shop / 200 CM US Shop)
* CD Digipak
* 180g LP (double sided album cover!)
- Black LP (all outlets)
- Grey LP – 300 units (CM Distro Wholesale & CM EU Shop)
- Tangerine LP – 200 units (CM US Shop)
- Creamy white LP – 300 units (EMP)
- Dark Green LP – 300 units (Nuclear Blast)
- Deep Blood Red LP – 300 units (Mayhem Webshop)
- Aqua LP – 500 units (US Indie Stores)
* Digital EP
Pre-Order for all formats starts today and can be made here.
Tracklisting:
Side A
"Voces Ab Alta"
"Black Glass Communion"
"Everlasting Dying Flame"
Side B
"In Defense Of Our Future" (Discharge cover)
"Hellnation" (Dead Kennedys cover)
"Only Death" (Rudimentary Peni cover)
"Commando" (Ramones cover)
GUNS N' ROSES' Slash, DEF LEPPARD's Phil Collen and STONE TEMPLE PILOTS' Robert DeLeo performed a cover version of the Jimi Hendrix classic "Fire" as part of the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association's (GLAZA) annual fundraiser, Beastly Ball, which was held virtually on Saturday, June 5. They were joined by DELTA DEEP drummer Forrest Robinson.
In an Instagram post, DeLeo called the experience at Gold-Diggers in East Hollywood "a very memorable" and "very emotional day". He added: "This is now where my beloved 1974 Neve 8014 console resides. Lots of great music and memories have passed through this board and I know it has gone to a great home. All around it has been such an amazing day with great friends!"
Lauded as "one of the most important fundraisers" by the Los Angeles Times, Beastly Ball, now in its 51st year, started as a glitzy Hollywood gala and has evolved into a virtual global celebration that welcomes viewers from around the world to tune in and support the Los Angeles Zoo.
This year's star-studded event was hosted by actor, comedian and TV host Joel McHale and honored the philanthropic work of actors Jackie Chan and Leila George, and was filled with inspiring conservation stories; special celebrity guests; animal moments; an online auction; and additional musical performances by WEEZER, REO SPEEDWAGON's Kevin Cronin and Poet Christopher Simms reading a poem he wrote called "The Return of the Earth/She".
Prior to the event, Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association president Tom Jacobson stated: "Last year more than 21,000 people from around the globe joined the celebration, making it our biggest and wildest party to date. And with Joel McHale returning to host the event, it is guaranteed to be a laughter-filled evening of philanthropy, fun, favorite animals, and fabulous celebrity friends."
He added: "This year’s conservation honorees hail from different parts of the world and represent the diverse voices creating social awareness for the need to protect native species and wildlife habitat around the globe. And with conservation at the core of what we do, this fundraiser supports GLAZA's efforts to fund a myriad of programs including conservation, animal care, animal health, and education programs at the Los Angeles Zoo."
For the first time ever, the Beastly Ball had a dedicated art auction featuring an eclectic mix of celebrity, local, and international artists, who contributed over 65 unique and original pieces of art ranging from sculpture and paintings to prints and photographs. The theme of this year's art auction was nature, wildlife, climate change and our blue planet and included works by actor and comedian Mike Myers and the late American poet and writer Allen Ginsberg; as well as Los Angeles-based artists Narb Avedissian, Juan Bastos, Javiera Estrada, Peter Liashkov, Dan McCleary, Michael Microulis, Ramone Munoz, Melora Walters, and more; and international artists Peggy H. Lee, Kat Serediuk, Kevin Sloan and Hannah Ward, among others.
Last week, BAD WOLVES announced its new lead singer Daniel "DL" Laskiewicz and the title of its upcoming third album, "Dear Monsters". Today, the band followed up that news by dropping a new video on their social media, giving fans a behind-the-scenes look at the recording of the new LP in the studio. The footage shows all five band members — founding member and drummer John Boecklin, guitarist Doc Coyle, guitarist Chris Cain, bassist Kyle Konkiel and Laskiewicz — creating together and speaking with excitement about their next chapter.
"Dear Monsters" is expected to be released later this year via Better Noise Music.
Laskiewicz has carved out an impressive career for himself over the last 15-plus years, most notably as a founding member and lead guitarist of metalcore band THE ACACIA STRAIN, of which he was a member from 2001 to 2013. A talented songwriter and producer, he's also worked on projects with ALL THAT REMAINS, LEGION, FOR THE FALLEN DREAMS and collaborated with BAD WOLVES on their 2019 studio album "N.A.T.I.O.N.", where the creative relationship with the band started.
BAD WOLVES are led by Boecklin, who has honored his commitment to the band's fans by continuing with the group when the previous singer, Tommy Vext, quit in January 2021.
BAD WOLVES broke the news of Laskiewicz's addition to the band via a statement on social media on June 2. The group wrote: "DL is a tremendous songwriter and singer, and we can confidently say that the album we are working on, titled 'Dear Monsters', is the best BAD WOLVES album to date.
"DL is one of the most talented and hard-working people we have ever had the pleasure to know. He is a team player, a creative force, and overall a great human being who fits perfectly with our BW family. It feels incredible to be surrounded with such positive energy and the music we've made is certainly reflective of this new-found optimism and collaborative spirit. This new album shows a more cohesive and unique reflection of the band. There is a lot to prove and expectations are high with a new singer coming in. And we nailed it. The songs speak for themselves, and if you're a BAD WOLVES fan we know you won't be disappointed.
"So much has happened since Tommy publicly quit BAD WOLVES a few months ago — and we disagree with the validity of much of what he has said publicly about our parting of ways — but we would prefer to not look back on the past and instead focus on this new chapter. And most importantly, we'd like to let the music speak for itself."
Vext originally announced his exit from BAD WOLVES in a since-deleted Instagram Live video, insisting that he was forced out by his former bandmates and record label, Better Noise Music, over his conservative political views. The singer also announced plans to launch a solo career while claiming he wrote a significant portion of the new BAD WOLVES album, apparently referencing the band's upcoming third LP.
In recent months, Vext — who is black — has been vocal about his support for former U.S. president Donald Trump while insisting he had never experienced racism in America and that it was all "manufactured." In June 2020, Vext posted a six-plus-minute video on Instagram in which he suggested, without evidence, that "Black Lives Matter" was created by people like George Soros, the Holocaust survivor and billionaire who is the subject of many right-wing conspiracy theories, along with the Clinton Foundation. He also offered up the debunked theory that they invest in "Black Lives Matter" to profit from media coverage. The singer said he made the video "after weeks of research & interviews with independent journalist(s), military personnel, entertainment industry professionals, a virologist & many ex Democrats."
Coyle later took to his social media to "apologize to anyone who was hurt" by Tommy's comments and to offer up his perspective on what he called a "distraction" from BAD WOLVES' message of "inclusion and positivity."
BAD WOLVES broke through in 2018 with a cover of THE CRANBERRIES hit "Zombie". CRANBERRIES vocalist Dolores O'Riordan was supposed to contribute to the track but died the day she was supposed to go into the studio.
LIGHT THE TORCH — Howard Jones (vocals), Francesco Artusato (guitar), and Ryan Wombacher (bass) — has released the official music video for the song "Let Me Fall Apart". The track is taken from the band's second full-length album, "You Will Be The Death Of Me", which is due on June 25 via Nuclear Blast.
"I loved this song as soon as I heard it," says Jones. "The music stuck in my head, so I knew I had to work on it right from the beginning of writing the new album. Francesco wrote a huge chorus so I did my best to match that energy. We are thrilled for this to finally see the light of day."
Artusato also weighs in on the track, saying: "The initial idea for this song was to combine an 'old-school' type of guitar riff and vibe — because I love to hear Howard sing over that style — with a more 'contemporary' type of arrangement and chorus. I remember writing and arranging the chorus, and feeling that it had the potential to become great knowing what Howard could do with it. And, of course, he delivered once again. This was one of the first songs that we worked on during pre-production and it felt really good right away. It was definitely one of the songs that helped shape the sound for the rest of the record."
The video was directed by Ramon Boutviseth, who also lensed the video for first single "Wilting In The Light".
LIGHT THE TORCH has announced a full-length performance airing on album release day — Friday, June 25 at 7 p.m. ET. The set will include several songs from "You Will Be The Death Of Me" which have never been performed live before. It will also include a VIP Zoom hangout with the band beforehand. Tickets for the performance are just $12 and are available here.
"'You Will Be The Death Of Me' has been a journey — even without the pandemic," said Jones. "This album has been emotional and rewarding in every way, and we couldn't be more excited to finally release it. Maybe there was a bit of desperation writing and recording these songs."
He shared: "Going through personal turmoil and watching Francesco deal with injuries, we knew this could change things drastically for us. The album was a welcome distraction, and we dumped every emotion we had into 'You Will Be The Death Of Me'. To watch Fran heal and become an even more complete artist in front of my eyes has been amazing to watch. Everything we went through individually and together with this album drew Fran, Ryan, and I together. I couldn't be more proud of this album knowing I made it with my family."
Artusato opened up about his experiences, saying: "This record is special to me in a different way. From writing the music during one of the toughest times of my life while dealing with a bad injury due to a car accident to being obsessively involved with every aspect of its production, recording, and creating the artwork. It's hard to describe how I feel, and to finally see this record getting ready to be released."
He continued about the redemptive power of the album, offering: "We are all very satisfied with how this record showcases the evolution of our band and our evolution as individuals. Without our brotherhood, this music could not have happened. Music is what kept us strong together during our toughest times. There's nothing like art that expresses pure and deep emotions, and that's what I feel when I listen to Howard's performance on this record."
Wombacher concurred: "I think this album shows the growth the band has experienced after years on the road together, and a friendship that has continued to thrive doing what we love together."
The guys returned to Sparrow Sound in Glendale, California to once again work with the production team of Josh Gilbert and Joseph McQueen (BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, AS I LAY DYING, SUICIDE SILENCE). This time around, they also welcomed WHITECHAPEL's Alex Rudinger on drums. "He's incredible," said Artusato. "He was exactly what we needed."
Upheld by head-spinning seven-string virtuosity yet anchored to skyscraping melodies, LIGHT THE TORCH crafted 12 metallic anthems, including an unexpected and awesome cover of the '80s hit "Sign Your Name" by R&B singer Terence Trent D'Arby.
"You Will Be The Death Of Me" track listing:
01. More Than Dreaming
02. Let Me Fall Apart
03. End Of The World
04. Wilting In The Light
05. Death Of Me
06. Living With A Ghost
07. Become The Martyr
08. Something Deep Inside
09. I Hate Myself
10. Denying The Sin
11. Come Back To The Quicksand
12. Sign Your Name
The group shot out of the gate as a contender on their full-length debut, "Revival". It bowed at No. 4 on the Billboard U.S. Independent Albums chart and at #10 on the Hard Rock Albums chart in addition to receiving acclaim from Revolver, Outburn, and many more. "Calm Before The Storm" racked up a staggering 14.5 million Spotify streams, while "The Safety of Disbelief" remains one of SiriusXM Octane's all-time most requested songs. They also crisscrossed North America and Europe on tour with the likes of TRIVIUM, AVATAR, IN FLAMES, ICE NINE KILLS, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE and AUGUST BURNS RED, to name a few.
RESURRECTION KINGS, the project featuring Craig Goldy (guitar), Chas West (vocals) and Vinny Appice (drums), will release its sophomore album, "Skygazer", on July 16 via Frontiers Music Srl. The follow-up to 2015's self-titled debut picks up where that LP left off, offering a magnificent set of songs with big, heavy riffs coupled with loads of catchy hooks and melodies.
Today, the band has released the song "World's On Fire". Check it out below.
Goldy says: "Once again, with the talent pool in which we have access to create, we all brought our 'A' game to the writing and recording of this album. With the freedom to utilize the music that we all were influenced by that started our musical endeavours to begin with, hopefully we expanded upon them in a way in which to inspire another generation of listeners to start a similar journey."
Goldy is truly on fire here, hitting every note with passion and feel. West shows off his massive pipes, delivering an exquisite hard rock performance. Appice is, as always, rock solid behind the kit. Fans who loved the '80s hard rock/metal vibe coupled with touches of '70s legends of the band's debut, will have much to celebrate with "Skygazer".
Of the first single, the title track, Goldy says: "'It started out with a drum groove sent to me by Vinny. His unequaled playing style automatically inspired the music and then Alessandro [Del Vecchio, Frontiers Music Srl's in-house producer] wrote most of the melody lines and lyrics. Besides the music, I wrote the melody and lyrics for two pre-choruses that sum up the song's meaning. It is a metaphor for the lengths to which our nations' leaders will go to acquire, keep, or grab more power for their own ambitions. That leaves us in their wake asking what measures are needed to defend ourselves. All of this comes at what price though?"
The idea for RESURRECTION KINGS sprang from a set of demos Goldy recorded with West, a vocalist with an unbelievable set of pipes, who has worked over the years with Jason Bonham, FOREIGNER, TRIBE OF GYPSIES, and his own band, WEST BOUND. From there, Frontiers president and head of A&R Serafino Perugino became involved and prompted Goldy to put together a lineup which also included Appice. Produced and co-written by Del Vecchio, the resulting self-titled debut album was an impressive example of classic hard rock with contemporary production and edge, mixing a vibe of WHITESNAKE's "1987" with DIO's "Dream Evil" and adding a touch of classic LED ZEPPELIN and RAINBOW. An extremely fun, rockin' record where the musicians were able to stretch their wings and really go for it in their performances.
Track listing:
01. Skygazer
02. World's On Fire
03. Tears
04. Fight Against Our Pride
05. Angry Demons
06. Savior Of Souls
07. Don't Blame Our Love
08. Is This The End
09. Troubled Soul
10. Set Me On Fire
11. Calling All Angels
Recording lineup:
Chas West - Vocals
Craig Goldy - Guitars, keyboards, bass
Vinny Appice - Drums
Alessandro Del Vecchio - production, bass and keyboards
Former ILL NIÑO members Cristian Machado (vocals), Ahrue "Luster" Ilustre (guitar) and Diego Verduzco (guitar) have launched a new band called LIONS AT THE GATE. The group's lineup is completed by bassist Stephen Brewer (WESTFIELD MASSACRE) and drummer Fern Lemus.
The official music LIONS AT THE GATE's debut single, "Not Even Human", can be seen below.
Machado says: "I feel so blessed to be in LIONS AT THE GATE. We've all been making albums for a long time but I think it was time for us to make something special and memorable again. This album is exactly that. Take away our musical history, take away our long hair, take away our personal feelings, just make believe we were never there. This LIONS AT THE GATE album is amazing. We finally made a modern metal album that metalheads will enjoy beginning to end. It's deep, it's memorable, I can't wait for everyone to hear it, I can't wait for everyone to hear the featured female artist on one of the songs."
Verduzco adds: "I'm beyond proud and excited to announce our new band LIONS AT THE GATE. Life is all about change and I feel that this music is the most dynamic and honest that we've ever written. I feel a sense of freedom and am completely reinvigorated and even anxious (in a good way) to be a part of something that pulls influence from so many directions . Each member brings a unique set of talent and tools. It's quite frankly some of the best music we've ever written. Organic, honest, and true."
Luster states: "I'm more excited about LIONS AT THE GATE than anything that I've been a part of since I started my musical career."
LIONS AT THE GATE's debut album was produced by FAILURE ANTHEM's Kile Odell, who has previously worked with FOZZY and MOTIONLESS IN WHITE.
Luster discussed his renewed collaboration with Machado and Verduzco in a recent interview with Pierre Gutierrez of Rock Talks. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I can't even explain how happy I am with how this came out. It sounds, in my opinion, better than anything that Cristian and I have ever done together, and that includes all the ILL NIÑO records that we've done together."
Asked about the musical direction of LIONS AT THE GATE, Ahrue said: "It's a very polished sound, similar to… I don't wanna say it sounds like [ILL NIÑO's 2003 album] 'Confession', but there's a lot of singing on it, there's a lot of production. But at the same time, there's heaviness to it. But the songs are better than anything we've written. And the crazy thing was the process of writing 'em was way easier than it has ever been for us. Usually an ILL NIÑO record would take us three to six months to finish. We finished this record in 20 days, and we believe it sounds better than anything we've ever done in the past."
Speaking about LIONS AT THE GATE's collaboration with Odell, Ahrue said: "He's worked with BAD WOLVES. I think he may have co-wrote with them. But he has a huge resume, and he's had, like, five Number One hits last year. And he was amazing to work with. I've worked with Ross Robinson, I've worked with Johnny K, I've worked with Terry Date, as a mixer, and I've worked with some other big names in the industry that have all had platinum records, and I'll say, hands down, Kile Odell is amazing. I would say, second to [MACHINE HEAD's] 'The Burning Red', it was an amazing experience. It was a different way. As far as Ross Robinson was really into the emotion and getting the emotion out of the players and the music, Odell is very musical and he's really able to help with the songs, and he has a great ear and a great vision."
In March 2020, Machado, Ilustre, Verduzco, drummer Dave Chavarri and bassist Laz Pina announced that they had "reached a mutual, amicable and binding agreement" that would allow Chavarri and Pina to continue with ILL NIÑO while Machado, Verduzco and Ilustre would move on with new projects. A joint statement released by the five musicians also indicated that the parties had "entered into a confidential settlement agreement."
In January 2019, Chavarri and Pina launched a new version ofILL NIÑO with vocalist Marcos Leal (SHATTERED SUN), lead guitarist Jes DeHoyos (SONS OF TEXAS) and rhythm guitarist Sal Dominguez (UPON A BURNING BODY). The Chavarri-led ILL NIÑO also issued a new single, "Sangre". A day later, Machado, Ilustre and Verduzco dismissed reports that they had left ILL NIÑO and vowed to continue with their own version of the band. Two months later, the trio filed a lawsuit against Chavarri and Pina, accusing the drummer and bassist of failing to pay the band's tour rental company and engineers, slandering Machado by spreading rumors that he has a drug problem, collecting and spending the band's money without consulting in all of the members and refusing the members access to the group's financial records.
In a statement announcing the launch of his new version of ILL NIÑO, Chavarri said about the split with his former bandmates: "Being in a band is much like being married, and sometimes people grow apart, and no longer see eye to eye, and a separation becomes inevitable."
THE PRETTY RECKLESS's music video for the song "Only Love Can Save Me Now" can be seen below. The track, which features special guests Matt Cameron and Kim Thayil, both members of SOUNDGARDEN, is taken from THE PRETTY RECKLESS's latest album, "Death By Rock And Roll", which was made available in February via Fearless Records in the U.S. and Century Media Records in the rest of the world.
"Only Love Can Save Me Now" was recorded at Seattle's legendary London Bridge Studios, where seminal LPs like PEARL JAM's "Ten" and SOUNDGARDEN's "Louder Than Love" were laid down.
"It's hard to describe the feeling around our song 'Only Love Can Save Me Now'," says THE PRETTY RECKLESS singer Taylor Momsen. "The song was born out of tragedy and brought to life by two of my favorite musicians of all time — Matt Cameron and Kim Thayil. Hearing them play it is simply surreal. This song represents getting through the worst time in my life, and yet, is one of my proudest achievements. It means that there is hope, and that life has to go on, and most importantly, is worth living."
Thayil says: "It was super fun to spend time in the studio with Taylor, Ben and Matt, and to have the opportunity to contribute to this THE PRETTY RECKLESS song. 'Only Love Can Save Me Now' has elements of classic SOUNDGARDEN and the riff would probably be at home on 'Louder Than Love'. These are great guitar parts that Ben came up with. They lay down a heavy foundation that allows the entire song to open up with Taylor's powerful and haunting vocals. Cheers, and thanks to THE PRETTY RECKLESS for inviting Matt and me to play on this track!"
Cameron shares: "Kim and I had a blast recording with Taylor and THE PRETTY RECKLESS on their new single 'Only Love Can Save Me Now', a fantastic rock track that sounds amazing at full volume. Many thanks to the band for inviting us to play on their new album 'Death By Rock And Roll'."
Upon release, "Death By Rock And Roll" topped multiple sales charts — including Billboard's Top Albums, Rock, Hard Music, and Digital Charts. The record also yielded two back-to-back No. 1 singles — "Death By Rock And Roll" and "And So It Went" (featuring Tom Morello). The band has tallied six No. 1 singles at the rock format throughout its career.
"Death By Rock And Roll" is THE PRETTY RECKLESS's first album to be made without longtime producer Kato Khandwala, who died in April 2018 from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident.
Polish extreme metallers BEHEMOTH have released the official music video for "Shadows Ov Ea Cast Upon Golgotha", a track taken from last summer's "A Forest" EP. The clip, produced by longtime BEHEMOTH collaborators Grupa 13, brings to life some of the spectacular artwork by renowned Polish artist and photographer Sylwia Makris, featured on the band's much lauded 2018 album "I Loved You At Your Darkest".
BEHEMOTH frontman Nergal states: "'Shadows Ov Ea Cast Upon Golgotha' is the final piece of the puzzle to complete the 'I Loved You At Your Darkest' cycle. An amazing album campaign for BEHEMOTH, and this is its grand sendoff! Once again, we collaborated with Grupa 13 and created a very cinematic script and vision.
"There are numerous references linking this new video and our previous videos for 'God=Dog' and other 'I Loved You At Your Darkest' videos," he continues. "It's all high-end, unseen footage and has a cool and intriguing story running through it.
"And Legions, we have a busy end to the year and we HOPE to see many of you in the fall on 'The European Siege' with ARCH ENEMY, CARCASS and UNTO OTHERS. Regardless, prepare yourselves for some monumental announcements to come over the next 12 months!"
The "I Loved You At Your Darkest" album was met with vast critical acclaim upon release in 2018 and marked a milestone in BEHEMOTH's history, not only being the band's most successful album to date but also as an audiovisual masterpiece. Its intricate, blasphemous artwork was showcased in a number of special gallery events across the globe.
AC/DC's official music video for the song "Witch's Spell" can be seen below. The clip was directed, edited and animated by Wolf & Crow, with live action band footage production by Collider.
"Witch's Spell" is taken from AC/DC's latest album "Power Up", which was released in November. The LP features AC/DC's current lineup of Brian Johnson (vocals), Phil Rudd (drums), Cliff Williams (bass), Angus Young (guitar) and Stevie Young (guitar). It was recorded over a six-week period in August and September 2018 at Warehouse Studios in Vancouver with producer Brendan O'Brien, who also worked 2008's "Black Ice" and 2014's "Rock Or Bust".
"What I like about Brendan is that he keeps you working when you're doing a project with him," Angus told Rolling Stone. "He's talented himself. He knows his bass and his guitar and a bit of drums. And piano. He covers the spectrum for what we can do musically. It's very good because you’re working with a musician, since he can apply that musical knowledge."
Although AC/DC originally planned on releasing "Power Up" in early 2020, the pandemic forced the band to reconsider.
"We were hoping to get the album out before all this happened," Angus said. "They were getting ideas together for packaging and video promo things. And then that virus thing came along. It kind of put everyone on hold."
"Power Up" landed at the No. 1 spot in 18 countries, including in the U.S., where it sold over 117,000 copies in the first week. "Power Up" marked AC/DC's sixth No. 1 album in Australia where the band is the only Australian group in history to have had a No. 1 album across five decades: "Back In Black" (1980s), "Ballbreaker Live" (1990s), "Black Ice" (2000s), "Rock Or Bust" (2010s) and "Power Up" (2020s).
"Power Up" was the fastest-selling album of 2020 in at least three of its biggest markets — U.S., Australia and the U.K. — where it debuted at No. 1.
King Crimson founder Robert Fripp and his singer wife Toyah Willcox - joined by the mysterious stranger Sidney Jake - are back with another episode in their "Toyah & Robert’s Sunday Lunch" series. This time they take on the ZZ Top classic "Sharp Dressed Man" Watch below:
A selection of Robert & Toyah's previous Sunday Lunch videos can be seen below:
Dream Theater keyboardist Jordan Rudess has posted another video from home along with the following message:
"EastWest Sounds Hollywood Choirs with Word Builder is just incredible! With a little work I was able to program the virtual choir to sing all the words while being able to play from my keyboard."
Rudess recently released a video for "I Surrender" from his new solo album, A Chapter In Time. Get the album here, and watch the new clip below.
Tracklisting:
"Weightless"
"I Surrender"
"Light As A Feather"
"The Quiet Mind"
"After The Storm"
"Once Upon A Time"
"Empty Streets"
"And Breathe"
"Into Sleep"
"Flying"
"Patterns Of Thought"
"Touching Light"
"Twilight Rain"
"Stellar Enigma"
"Beyond The Clouds"
Amon Amarth have shared pro-shot video of their entire Pol'and Rock (Woodstock Poland) show, which took place on August 24th, 2017. Check it out below.
The setlist was as follows:
"The Pursuit of Vikings"
"As Loke Falls"
"First Kill"
"The Way of Vikings"
"Asator"
"At Dawn's First Light"
"Cry of the Black Birds"
"Deceiver of the Gods"
"Death in Fire"
"Father of the Wolf"
"War of the Gods"
Encore:
"Raise Your Horns"
"Guardians of Asgaard"
"Twilight of the Thunder God"
In celebration of the 20th anniversary of their third full-length album, The Crusher, Sweden’s celebrated Viking overlords and undisputed modern masters of epic heavy metal, Amon Amarth, have released a special, re-recorded version of the track “Masters Of War”. Find the track on your streaming platform of choice here and watch the accompanying visualizer below.
Speaking on the band’s celebratory re-working of “Masters Of War”, frontman Johan Hegg shares, "Celebrating the 20th anniversary of The Crusher album, we felt we wanted to re-record one of the main songs from the album and put a bit of a modern Amon Amarth touch on it. Enjoy!"
To coincide with the release and further the festivities, the band have also announced the release of a special edition “Masters Of War” merch collection exclusively available from the band’s store, Victorious Merch.
Amon Amarth stand tall and unassailable: over 25 years into a career that has seen them evolve from humble origins in the dark, dank rehearsal rooms of their native Tumba to their current status as explosive festival headliners and one of the metal world’s most widely adored bands.
Formed in 1992, Amon Amarth became modern metal greats the hard way. Ruthlessly dedicated to creating new music and taking it out on the road, the Swedes steadily built a formidable reputation as a ferocious live band and, as the years passed, were increasingly recognized for their recorded achievements too. Since the dawn of the millennium, Amon Amarth have been unstoppable.
Breakthrough releases like 2006’s With Oden On Our Side and its now legendary follow-up, 2008’s Twilight Of The Thunder God, further cemented their popularity throughout the metal world, while the band’s stage show evolved with each successive tour, transforming into one of modern metal’s truly great spectacles. Amon Amarth returned in 2019 with their biggest, boldest and most bombastic musical statement to date - Berserker - which brought with it an epic, history-making trek across North America with fellow Swedes Arch Enemy, At The Gates and Grand Magus and saw multiple sell-outs. To date the band have clocked up a mammoth 270 million YouTube views and 547 million streams across their releases with over 2 million albums sold worldwide.
Guitarist Dave Carlo of Canadian thrash metal legends Razor has released the new video below, stating, "Shred session number one. Non stop, unedited guitar riffage."
Back in May, Carlo launched a new YouTube series, Road Stories. Episode one, which focuses on the 1990 Shotgun Justice Tour, can be seen below.:
Sheboygan, Wisconsin’s Toxic Ruin have unleashed the playthrough video for “Divine Acclimation", the third preview track from their forthcoming sophomore album (and M-Theory Audio debut), Nightmare Eclipse.
The song shows off the combination of energetic thrash metal, death metal brutality and clinical technicality that propelled the band to the final round of the 2019 Wacken Metal Battle. The playthrough video can be viewed below, while the song itself is now available for streaming/download through all major digital music platforms.
Nightmare Eclipse, which features artwork by Mark Richards (Revocation, The Black Dahlia Murder, Municipal Waste),will be released by M-Theory Audio on August 27. Pre-orders are now available for CD, digital, and limited-edition maroon-colored vinyl editions of the album, here.
Tracklisting:
"Until Everything Is Gone"
"Ritual Rebirth"
"Defiler"
"Voices Of Death"
"It Of The Horrid Storm"
"Divine Acclimation"
"Liquor Blood Bound"
"Nightmare Eclipse"
"Lord Of Pandemonium" (Bonus Track)
"Nightmare Eclipse" lyric video:
“Ritual Rebirth” video:
The current lineup of Toxic Ruin began writing and recording songs for Nightmare Eclipse while relentlessly touring the United States in 2019 alongside bands such as Lich King, Micawber and Stonecutters and playing multiple festivals including Full Terror Assault and Slam Dakota, plus winning 2nd Place in the 2019 edition of Wacken Metal Battle USA. The result is the band's most mature and complex material to date, while also being their heaviest display of metallic force so far. Guest appearances from guitarists Glen Drover (Eidolon, ex-Megadeth), Derek DeBruin (Micawber) and Nick Weyers (Aronious) provide additional ear candy for aficionados of guitar wizardry.
Toxic Ruin was formed in 2014 with a mission of blending classic thrash metal, old-school death metal and modern technicality and tones into a wicked headbanging brew. Operating out of their collective hometown of Sheboygan, the band released their debut album, Subterranean Terror, in 2016. This opening serve showcased the group's already-burgeoning barrage of furious riffs and lyrical content ranging from the sociopolitical commentary of tracks such as “Seat of Corruption” to the beloved craving of a good drink on songs such as “Alcoholocaust.”
The group followed up that debut record with the release of their 2018 EP, Mortal Insolence. The effort saw the current lineup of Toxic Ruin take shape with Behrendt stepping into the vocalist position and the debut of rhythm guitarist Blake Toltzmann alongside lead guitarist Jacob Baneck and drummer David Miller.
Toxic Ruin is:
Stephen Behrendt (vocals/bass)
Jacob Baneck (lead guitar)
Blake Toltzmann (rhythm guitar)
Dave Miller (drums)
This past April, Endseeker released their new album, Mount Carcass, via Metal Blade Records. Today, the band has launched a video for the album track, "Escape From New York", a cover version of the John Carpenter classic. Watch below.
Endseeker comments: "We have a long tradition of cover songs, but this is the first time we chose an instrumental track, and even a main theme from a movie, but 2021 is the 40th anniversary of John Carpenter's masterpiece, which just never gets old. The main theme has this iconic beat and mesmerizing melodies that sound so creepy and haunting in their original synth sound that we thought this would be the perfect template for a massive metal version. When we started to play around with it and try out different things for the arrangement, it was clear very fast that this works out absolutely great. We tried to stick quite close to the original and keep that eerie feeling over the song as a deeply respectful homage to this awesome movie and composition."
Having become one of the premier German death metal bands - and rapidly rising the ranks of the genre as a whole - Endseeker storm back into the fray with Mount Carcass. Building on the groundwork laid down on 2017's Flesh Hammer Prophecy and having the difficult task of besting 2019's stunning The Harvest, they have returned with a streamlined, powerful collection that further raises the bar.
Like both of its predecessors, Mount Carcass was recorded, produced, mixed, and mastered by Eike Freese at Chameleon Studios in Hamburg, Germany. Going into the record, Endseeker knew they wanted something rawer and more organic than The Harvest, and while COVID was causing global havoc, the band embraced the time they would have otherwise spent touring, using it to rehearse and discuss what they wanted the record to be. From this process they knew they wanted the songs to be quite straightforward and even have something of a "punkish / crust feel, so to speak. The songs are pretty reduced to the core with all the ballast removed. Every part and every riff has a meaning and isn't just there for no other reason than extending the song. The album is also very melodic. There are a bunch of very strong guitar hooks and vocal compositions that really stick in your ears for days. It's way simpler and probably more easy to listen to compared to 'The Harvest' or 'Flesh Hammer Prophecy', but at the same time, it has a very spontaneous and lively attitude with a big chunk of personality."
To keep the genre sounding fresh in 2021, they focused on the production, having just a touch of the old school vibe to remain rooted, and they did not limit themselves too hard to the Swedish death metal style of songwriting they previously embraced, but also let other influences into their songs.
"You can hear all kinds of stuff that is inspired by bands like Morbid Angel, Bolt Thrower, Slayer, Dissection, Gorefest, etc. We listen to so many different bands, and somehow, a bit from all of this keeps adding to our music."
RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist and acoustic troubadour Tom Morello and the punk-fueled electronic artist The Bloody Beetroots have announced a collaborative new project, "The Catastrophists" EP, to be released on June 18. The seven-track EP is executive produced by Morello, and produced by The Bloody Beetroots, along with Carl Restivo.
"Radium Girls", the second song from the EP, is a true tour de force, co-written with Jehnny Beth from SAVAGES, Carl Restivo, Nadya Tolokonnikova and Simone Cogo. Once again, Tom joins forces with PUSSY RIOT, as well as with Aimee Interrupter (THE INTERRUPTERS), Mish Way (WHITE LUNG), and The Last Internationale on vocals. You can see the official "Radium Girls" music video — directed by Morello — below.
Morello stated about "Radium Girls": "Four extraordinary women (PUSSY RIOT's Nadya Tolokonnikova, THE INTERRUPTERS' Aimee Interrupter, WHITE LUNG's Mish Way, THE LAST INTERNATIONALE's Delila Paz) and the ferocious production of The Bloody Beetroots breathe life into the true story of the Radium Girls, young Illinois factory workers who were the victims of one of the most heinous crimes in U.S. industrial history. I spent every summer as a kid near Ottawa, Illinois where these doomed girls used deadly radium-laced paint to make glow in the dark watches. They were encouraged to lick the paintbrushes to a point to increase productivity and profit and in the end their bones literally fell apart from cancer and they were so toxic they had to be buried in lead lined coffins. The resulting court cases and publicity led to historic nationwide labor protection legislation. Every year I place flowers at the small monument to these quiet heroes and this song is dedicated to their memory."
The Bloody Beetroots said about "Radium Girls": "'Radium Girls' is what happens when two punks go off to battle; each with his weapon of choice."
Earlier last month, Morello revealed the protest song "Weather Strike" featuring PUSSY RIOT's Nadya Tolokonnikova. The song was produced by Carl Restivo and came alongside a music video directed by filmmaker and 3-D artist Ksti Hu. The dazzling remixed version by Bloody Beetroots added another layer of energy to the already dynamic track.
Morello, known for his innovative guitar solos and thunderous chords, is a groundbreaking artist whether in his solo career or as an original member of the rock bands RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and AUDIOSLAVE, two acts responsible for multiple Grammy Awards and a combined 30 million albums sold worldwide. He's released four solo albums as THE NIGHTWATCHMAN, created the genre-obliterating ATLAS UNDERGROUND project, and formed the band STREET SWEEPER SOCIAL CLUB with Boots Riley of The Coup. Morello has also been recognized by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the "100 Greatest Guitar Players of All Time" (#26). Morello has produced or collaborated with artists of diverse genres, including WU-TANG CLAN, Johnny Cash, TOOL, John Fogerty, ANTI-FLAG, PUBLIC ENEMY, Joe Strummer, CRYSTAL METHOD, Calle 13, DAVE MATTHEWS BAND, Johnny Cash, Killer Mike, Travis Barker and Pete Seeger. In addition, he joined Bruce Springsteen and the E-STREET BAND for six years on tour and is featured lead guitarist on Springsteen's "Wrecking Ball" and "High Hopes" albums. In 2016, Morello joined forces with fellow RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE bandmates Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk, as well as CYPRESS HILL's B-Real and PUBLIC ENEMY's Chuck D and DJ Lord to form the band PROPHETS OF RAGE. In 2020, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE announced its reformation and an extensive world tour. Morello is also known for his lifelong valiant activism.
The Bloody Beetroots is the creation of Sir Bob Cornelius Rifo. Inspired by his lifelong love of punk rock and comic books, Rifo unleashed The Bloody Beetroots in late 2006 and has since crafted an intense sound that mixes his classical training, his punk rock obsession and his passion for electronic music into an edgy rock-meets-dance hybrid sound. His 2009 critically acclaimed debut album, "Romborama", featured the iconic track "Warp 1.9." with Steve Aoki, both of which helped launch the American EDM boom at the end of the 2000s. His 2013 sophomore album, "Hide", featured crossover tracks with rock icons and alternative stars like Sir Paul McCartney, Tommy Lee and others. Rifo's third full-length album, "The Great Electronic Swindle" (2017), continued the electronic-rock narrative via collaborations with Perry Farrell, JET, Gallows, Deap Vally and more. In 2019, The Bloody Beetroots released the "Heavy" EP, which saw Rifo revisiting his classic electro style and also features collaborations with Ephwurd and Dr. Fresch. Via his boundary-pushing full live band shows and DJ sets, The Bloody Beetroots has performed at every major music festival around the world in addition to several headlining solo tours.
"The Catastrophists" EP track listing:
01. The Devil's Infantry
02. Radium Girls (feat. PUSSY RIOT, Aimee Interrupter, Mish Way and THE LAST INTERNATIONALE)
03. Lightning Over Mexico (feat. Ana Tijoux)
04. Keep Going
05. Weather Strike (The Bloody Beetroots Remix) (feat. PUSSY RIOT)
SCORPIONS have shared the first snippet of their upcoming album. The LP is currently being mixed at the legendary Hansa Studios in Berlin, Germany with engineer Michael Ilbert, who has earned multiple Grammy nominations for his mix work with producer Max Martin on albums by Taylor Swift and Katy Perry.
Earlier today, SCORPIONS singer Klaus Meine, guitarist Rudolf Schenker and guitarist Matthias Jabs checked in from Peppermint Park Studios in Hannover, Germany, where most of the recording sessions for the new disc took place. Klaus, who celebrated his 73rd birthday last month, stated in a video message (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "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," he continued. "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."
Tentatively due later this year, SCORPIONS' new album will mark their first release since 2017's "Born To Touch Your Feelings - Best Of Rock Ballads", which was an anthology of new and classic material.
SCORPIONS originally intended to record the new album in Los Angeles with producer Greg Fidelman, whose previous credits include SLIPKNOT and METALLICA. However, because of the pandemic, some of the initial work was done with Greg remotely, after which SCORPIONS opted to helm the recordings themselves with the help of their engineer Hans-Martin Buff.
Meine previously told Talking Metal that the goal with using Fidelman to produce the new LP was to bring "the old vibe from albums like 'Blackout', 'Love At First Sting' or even 'Lovedrive'. We try to focus on those albums and this attitude," he said. "If we get there, who knows — it's so many years later. But it's the spirit and it's the whole vibe around this album. This time, the focus is on the harder songs."
According to Meine, SCORPIONS' new LP features "no outside writers at all," unlike 2015's "Return To Forever", which was largely co-written by the album's producers, Mikael Nord Andersson and Martin Hansen.
SCORPIONS' last full-length collection of new recordings was the aforementioned "Return To Forever", partially comprising songs the band had in the vault from the '80s. It was the final recorded appearance of SCORPIONS' longtime drummer James Kottak, who was dismissed from the band in September 2016. He has since been replaced by Mikkey Dee, formerly of MOTÖRHEAD.
NONPOINT's music video for "Ruthless", the recently released title track off the band's upcoming EP, can be seen below. The single was made available through the group own label 361 Degrees Records LLC and was this year's featured track on AEW's "Blood And Guts" on TNT.
The team at 361 Degrees Records comments: "When [singer] Elias [Soriano] presented the concept to the label, it was so brutal, we honestly weren't sure if it would even get played. Now that it's done, we realize it's exactly the video they needed to do and the definition of 'Ruthless'."
NONPOINT has never done a video like this before, but says it was like being on a movie set with director Francesca Ludikar at the helm, leading moment after bloody moment of this fast-paced, heart-pounding roller coaster of a video.
"We're aiming for the temple, swinging for the fences and making heads rock in this one," the band says. "Only one of us will be left standing in the end."
The concept was written by Soriano, and even he warns viewers: "This is what happens when you take an infectious riff, athememic lyrics, an aluminum baseball bat, some duct tape, and a grudge, put it in a blender and serve it cold blooded."
Soriano told Reno's rock radio station Rock 104.5 about the musical and lyrical inspiration for "Ruthless": "When we came out of [2018's] 'X' [album], we sat down with our producer, Fred Archambault, and had some very deep conversations about where we wanted to take our next body of work. And he felt like what we've heard from a lot of our fans and a lot of our peers that there is a more dangerous route that we can go. And safety wasn't really what we should be aimed at. And right now we're very — we're coining the term 'irresponsible music.'"
He continued: "It is definitely a fun record. We know our fans are reacting well to it. The AEW fans have reacted amazing over the last couple of weeks in the promo for 'Blood And Guts', which a shoutout to that entire camp — an amazing group of people. The administrative side is such a good camp, AEW. But now our fans have really hit the gas with it, and we're noticing with the reaction and seeing it online that things are definitely balled up and ready to go."
NONPOINT launched its independent record label 361 Degrees Records LLC in January of this year. They filmed the process of starting the label and making new music in a docu-series titled "A Path To Independence" that can be seen on the band's YouTube and official web site.
NONPOINT's songs "Bullet With A Name", "Alive And Kicking", "In The Air Tonight", "Circles", "Your Signs", "Everybody Down" and many others have been featured in trailers, hit movies, television, iconic video games, as well as broadcasts from NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, WWF.
NONPOINT has toured with major acts like DISTURBED, PAPA ROACH, MUDVAYNE and SEVENDUST, to name a few. They have also been featured on the main stages and support stages of iconic festivals like Soundwave, Rock Am Park, Rock Am Ring, Ozzfest, Rock On The Range, Welcome To Rockville and many more.
"Two Minutes To Late Night", which bills itself as the world's only heavy metal-themed talk show, has uploaded a cover version of the Prince classic "I Would Die 4 U" recorded in quarantine by members of LAMB OF GOD, GORILLA BISCUITS, HARM'S WAY and MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, among many others.
Featured musicians:
* Randy Blythe (LAMB OF GOD)
* Walter Schreifels (GORILLA BISCUITS, QUICKSAND, RIVAL SCHOOLS)
* Urian V. Hackney (ROUGH FRANCIS, THE ARMED)
* Rachel Rosen (MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, INDECISION)
* Bo Lueders (HARM'S WAY)
* Jeffrey Eaton (MODERN LIFE IS WAR)
* Christina Michelle (GOUGE AWAY)
* Dwid Hellion (INTEGRITY, VERMAPYRE)
* Brody King (GOD'S HATE)
* Djamila Azzouz (ITHACA)
* Lisa Mungo (FILTH IS ETERNAL, HE WHOSE OX IS GORED, DAUGHTERS)
* Dimitri Minakakis (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN)
* Shawna Potter (WAR ON WOMEN)
* James Muñoz (THE BLED, XED OUT)
* Miss Eaves
* Jenna Pup (THE HIRS COLLECTIVE)
* Ryan Bland (ACHE)
* Mike Lennon (HEALTHY SCRATCH)
* Peter Bruno (TYRANNOSAUR)
* Malachi Kies (DOGMEAT, Gwarsenio's old band)
* Jordan Olds (a.k.a. Gwarsenio Hall)
In a 2016 interview with Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show, Blythe stated about Prince's death just a couple of months earlier: "Well, for one thing, I think it's obvious due to the, the wide reaching and highly varied nature of this huge outpouring of sadness at his passing that the man's music crossed a lot of borders. It touched a lot of different people and he... I don't know. Prince was pretty punk rock, if you ask me, yeah. I don't know of any other human being who has ever changed their name to an unrecognizable, unpronounceable symbol — period — much less done it in order to like, deal with record company contracts. I thought that was pretty freaking genius. I don't know, man. He was just a huge talent. He played something like 27 instruments and played [them] well. He wasn't a hack. To me, [as] more and more of the news comes out about the way he passed, it just makes me sad. So, he was a huge talent — he really was. I certainly, [when] he died — [I] cruised around listening to some 'Purple Rain' and some 'Controversy'. Some old stuff."
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