METALLICA, KORN, MASTODON, Billy Corgan, Dave Navarro and Krist Novoselic are among the artists who took part in virtual tribute performances when ALICE IN CHAINS was presented with this year's Museum Of Pop Culture (MoPOP) Founders Award on Tuesday (December 1). ALICE IN CHAINS also played at the event.
METALLICA and KORN both covered "Would?", while MASTODON offered a rendition of "Again", and a one-off supergroup featuring SLIPKNOT's Corey Taylor, FOO FIGHTERS' Taylor Hawkins and JANE'S ADDICTION's Dave Navarro and Chris Cheney played "Man In The Box".
The entire event can be viewed below.
Featured songs:
8:18 - ALICE IN CHAINS - Your Decision
14:09 - ANN WILSON - Rooster
27:07 - DAVE NAVARRO, TAYLOR HAWKINS, COREY TAYLOR, CHRIS CHANEY - Man In The Box
34:08 - DUFF MCKAGAN & SHOOTER JENNINGS - Down In A Hole
43:04 - KORN - Would?
47:15 - NANCY WILSON, MARK LANEGAN, LIV WARFIELD - Brother
53:40 - FISHBONE - Them Bones
1:01:07 - DAVID'S VAN - Dam That River
1:02:01 - THE HUMAN MISSILE CRISIS - Swing On This
1:02:52 - KATYROSE - Your Decision
1:04:44 - TALAYA - All I Am
1:07:09 - DALLAS GREEN - Rain When I Die
1:12:45 - LIV WARFIELD - Put You Down
1:19:56 - MASTODON - Again
1:26:41 - KIM THAYIL, SHAINA SHEPHERD, BUBBA DUPREE, BILL HERZOG, NATHAN YACCINO - It Ain't Like That
1:32:37 - KRIST NOVOSELIC, KIM THAYIL, JILLIAN RAYE, JENNIFER JOHNSON, JEFF FIELDER, BEN SMITH - Drone
1:43:20 - LILY CORNELL SILVER, CHRIS DEGARMO - Black Gives Way To Blue
1:47:36 - MARK LANEGAN, MAGGIE BJORKLUND, JEFF FIELDER, BEN SMITH, RYAN WATERS - Nutshell
1:52:00 - AYRON JONES, JEFF FIELDER, BEN SMITH, ANDY STOLLER, RYAN WATERS - Heaven Beside You
1:58:52 - Members of SOUNDGARDEN + TAD DOYLE, MIKE MCCREADY, MEAGAN GRANDALL - Angry Chair
2:04:10 - BILLY CORGAN - Check My Brain
2:07:47 - METALLICA - Would?
2:15:23 - ALICE IN CHAINS - No Excuses
2:23:47 - ERIC & ENCARNACIÓN - Black Gives Way To Blue
Prior to the event, ALICE IN CHAINS guitarist/singer Jerry Cantrell said in a statement: "It feels truly special to receive the MoPOP Founders Award in our home town of Seattle. It's also humbling to be joined by so many of our friends, peers and heroes to rock some AIC tunes. Music has the power to unite, heal and inspire. It is all of ours. Let's continue to create and celebrate that which feeds the soul. Rawk on!"
ALICE IN CHAINS drummer Sean Kinney added: "When we got to make our first record, I thought, great, we will be able to make one record, do our thing and hope for the best. Now, 30 years later, to get this award and still be touring and making music is the most amazing feeling. We are brothers with all of the craziness that goes with it. This is for Layne, Mike, and for all of us now. We can't wait to get back out on the road once this hellish pandemic is behind us."
MoPOP executive director Alexis Lee said: "As our principal fundraiser, Founders Award is always a special event for MoPOP and we're thrilled this year to honor ALICE IN CHAINS and provide free access to this magical evening fans around the world. We're able to show the next generation of creators what's possible through the funds raised at the event that support our youth development programs, our community engagement and access initiatives, and the cutting-edge exhibitions people from around the world come to Seattle to enjoy."
Since 2007, the Museum of Pop Culture Founders Award has celebrated artists whose noteworthy contributions continue to nurture the next generation of risk-takers.
ALICE IN CHAINS regrouped in 2006 with William DuVall joining the band, and released its third LP with DuVall in the lineup, "Rainier Fog", in August 2018.
Over the course of its remarkable career, ALICE IN CHAINS has garnered multiple Grammy nominations, sold more than 30 million albums worldwide, and amassed a diehard international fanbase whose members number in the millions. Their discography features some of the biggest and most important albums in rock history, including 1992's quadruple-platinum-certified "Dirt", 1994's triple-platinum-certified EP "Jar Of Flies", which was the first EP in music history to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 and 1995's self-titled double-platinum-certified "Alice In Chains", which also entered the Billboard Top 200 at No. 1. They returned in grand style in 2009 with the critically acclaimed "Black Gives Way To Blue", which hit No. 1 across the rock and alternative charts, earned a Grammy nomination, was certified gold and hailed by Vice as "a record that's as powerful as anything the band has done." The band’s latest album released in 2018, "Rainier Fog", hit No. 1 across Billboard's Rock, Alternative and Hard Music charts and No. 1 on the iTunes Rock album chart and earned them a Grammy nod for "Best Rock Album." ALICE IN CHAINS remains one of the most successful and influential American rock bands of all time.
England-based post-metalcore quintet ARCHITECTS will release its ninth studio album, "For Those That Wish To Exist", on February 26 via Epitaph. The record arrives as the follow-up to the band's critically acclaimed 2018 release "Holy Hell", which took a look at the pain and despair that lay at the heart of losing a brother, bandmate, and best friend in Tom Searle, the group's founding guitarist.
The official music video for the album's second single, "Black Lungs", can be seen below. Directed by Jeb Hardwick, the track calls for us to examine the role we are currently playing in the destruction of the world with barren landscapes and foreshadowing of extinction.
On "For Those That Wish To Exist", ARCHITECTS examine the part we are all playing in the world's slow destruction, and tackle the biggest questions facing the future of our planet. Such concerns that have long been prevalent in the music of a band who have continually championed and shared their platform with causes such as Sea Shepherd, are outspoken critics of barbaric exercises such as fox hunting, and who focus on sustainability in everything from their touring to merch production.
The record's 15 tracks hang in a limbo between energizing positivity that it is not too late to correct our collective course, and a paralyzing negativity of defeatism; where hope and despondency are bed-fellows triggered daily by the simple act of existence. A reflection of human condition, "For Those That Wish To Exist" calls for all of us to rise to challenge established models and strive for a collective betterment.
"This album was me looking at our inability to change to a way of life that would sustain the human race and save the planet," summarizes principal songwriter Dan Searle. "I wanted to look in the mirror and ask ourselves the question of what are we going to do, as opposed to trying to point the finger at politicians. Change has to start on a personal level. The world has developed a culture of wanting someone else to deal with it, when we need to take our own responsibility. It has to start there."
"For Those That Wish To Exist" track listing:
01. Do You Dream Of Armageddon?
02. Black Lungs
03. Giving Blood
04. Discourse Is Dead
05. Dead Butterflies
06. An Ordinary Extinction
07. Impermanence (feat Winston McCall of PARKWAY DRIVE)
08. Flight Without Feathers
09. Little Wonder (feat. Mike Kerr of ROYAL BLOOD)
10. Animals
11. Libertine
12. Goliath (feat. Simon Neil of BIFFY CLYRO)
13. Demi God
14. Meteor
15. Dying Is Absolutely Safe
ARCHITECTS is vocalist Sam Carter, drummer Dan Searle, bassist Ali Dean and guitarists Josh Middleton and Adam Christianson.
Dutch heavy rockers WITHIN TEMPTATION have released the official music video or their brand new single "The Purge", the follow-up to "Entertain You". You can now watch it below.
"The Purge" is a high-energy rock song that shows the diversity of WITHIN TEMPTATION's musical progression. Now that all 2020 shows have been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the band remains productive by focusing on writing and releasing new songs. Therefore, more singles are to come.
Frontwoman Sharon Den Adel told Germany's Rock Antenne about the track: "'The Purge' is about self-reflection; that's the main theme of the song. It's about the choices in life everone makes. And sometimes when you make the big choices in life — what kind of life you're gonna lead; how you're gonna lead it; what political choices you make — everything you do in life, all these big choices, they have a certain effect also, of course, on people around you. We take one road, and you exclude a lot of other roads. And that also has an impact on other people's lives sometimes, and you have to deal with that when you get to a certain point in your life."
She continued: "I think probably most people can relate to that, because the whole world has come to a stop, all of a sudden, in this roller coaster we're all living in. So maybe people will be able to relate to that, because I think a lot of people had time for self-reflection. It's more a mental cleansing than it's actually a physical one."
Speaking to Kerrang! about WITHIN TEMPTATION's plans to release three standalone singles in 2020, Sharon said: "It's something we've wanted to try for a long time already: to be able to share new music in a quicker way, instead of having wait two or three more years before an album comes out. Something sometimes feels better in the moment rather than having to wait a few years until the album comes out.”
When asked about the streaming world and if albums have perhaps lost a bit of impact these days, she said: "I think albums and streaming services are two different things; they serve a different purpose. One is more physical of course — you can read the lyrics and look at the artwork — and the other one is more direct, an easier way to access music. It doesn't have to stand in the way of each other, as it serves a different purpose in my opinion."
"Entertain You" kicked off of a series of digital single releases and exceeded all expectations. "Entertain You" was No. 1 most added on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Indicator chart, with airplay on at least 40 radio stations, including Music Choice, SiriusXM Octane, WZOR and KQXR, No. 5 in the Contraband Metal chart, and at No. 18 in the Billboard Mainstream Rock Indicator chart in USA.
WITHIN TEMPTATION released the official music video for "Entertain You" in May. The song was a surprisingly quick follow-up to WITHIN TEMPTATION's seventh studio album, "Resist", which came out in February 2019.
"Resist" debuted in several Top 10 charts worldwide and was the first WITHIN TEMPTATION album to ever reach a No. 1 position on the official German chart.
"Entertain You" arrived one week after the last show of the "Worlds Collide" tour was supposed to happen. The co-headline trek with American rock band EVANESCENCE was originally planned for April, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it has now been postponed to September 2021. The trek, for which an impressive 150,000 tickets were sold in eight countries, is slated to take place across venues such as the O2 Arena in London, AccorHotels Arena in Paris, Velodrom in Berlin, and Palais 12 in Brussels.
DEFTONES will celebrate the 20th anniversary of their third album, "White Pony", by releasing a remix LP called "Black Stallion" on December 11 via Reprise/Warner. The official Aaron Hymes-directed music video for the latest single from the effort, a remix of "Teenager" by Robert Smith, can be streamed below. DEFTONES also enlisted such producers and artists as DJ Shadow, Clams Casino, Purity Ring, LINKIN PARK's Mike Shinoda, Squarepusher, Blanck Mass and Salva for "Black Stallion" for reimaginings of other "White Pony" favorites.
"Black Stallion" track listing:
01. Feiticeira (Clams Casino remix)
02. Digital Bath (DJ Shadow remix)
03. Elite (Blanck Mass remix)
04. Rx Queen (Salva remix)
05. Street Carp (Phantogram remix)
06. Teenager (Robert Smith remix)
07. Knife Prty (Purity Ring remix)
08. Korea (Trevor Jackson remix)
09. Passenger (Mike Shinoda remix)
10. Change (In the House of Flies) (Tourist remix)
11. Pink Maggit (Squarepusher remix)
DEFTONES announced their plans for a "White Pony" remix album during a virtual press conference in June. At the time, singer Chino Moreno stated: "We're going to be releasing later in the year a reissue of ['White Pony'] and we're going to do sort of a split side of the record, a remixed version of it titled 'Black Stallion'. So we have a bunch of different people on it, some that actually inspired some of the writing of the record itself, the original album. So it's kind of come full circle."
DJ Frank Delgado revealed that "Black Stallion" was in the works before "White Pony" even saw the light of day.
"We would talk about ['White Pony' before it came out], how good it was going to be, and we'd immediately jump to, 'It's going to be so good, we're going to have [DJ] Shadow remix it and we'll call it 'Black Stallion'. I think one time we actually hit him up. He was playing here in town and I was opening DJing and me and Chino kind of cornered him."
"White Pony (20th Anniversary)" is available in three physical formats: 2 CD + digital download; limited-edition deluxe box set (2 double LPs + 2 CDs); and a vinyl box set (2 double LPs).
DEFTONES' ninth album, "Ohms", arrived in September.
THE DEAD DAISIES — the hard rock "collective" founded by Australian musician and businessman David Lowy — has released the official music video for the song "Holy Ground (Shake The Memory)". The track is taken from the band's fifth album, "Holy Ground", which is due on January 22, 2021. The LP was recorded at La Fabrique Studios in the south of France with producer Ben Grosse. The follow-up to 2018's "Burn It Down", will be the band's first to feature Glenn Hughes (DEEP PURPLE, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION), who joined the group last year as its new bassist and vocalist, replacing John Corabi (MÖTLEY CRÜE) and Marco Mendoza (THIN LIZZY).
"Holy Ground (Shake The Memory)" was the first song Glenn wrote for the album during the pre-production sessions at Sunset Sound Studios in Los Angeles.
Hughes says: "'Holy Ground' has an intense groove, dramatic light and shade and a massive chorus. It's about awakening to the present moment, shaking the memory and a transformation into consciousness."
With this crazy year nearly over, this track is aptly named and highlights living in the moment and making the most of it. Its positive message is a reinforcement to enjoy what life has to offer at any given time.
Aldrich states: "'Holy Ground' is a deep intense musical ride that takes unexpected turns and drops you off exhausted but happy."
"Holy Ground" track listing:
01. Holy Ground (Shake The Memory)
02. Like No Other (Bassline)
03. Come Alive
04. Bustle And Flow
05. My Fate
06. Chosen And Justified
07. Saving Grace
08. Unspoken
09. 30 Days In The Hole
10. Righteous Days
11. Far Away
This past September, THE DEAD DAISIES released another new single, "Bustle And Flow". The track arrived two months after the release of THE DEAD DAISIES' "The Lockdown Sessions" digital EP. That effort contained four acoustic tracks, all of them exclusive to this EP: "Unspoken", "Righteous Days" and a version of the HUMBLE PIE classic "30 Days In The Hole". The EP rounded out with a stripped back version of "Fortunate Son", featuring Castronovo on lead vocals.
In an interview with "The Blairing Out With Eric Blair Show" at this past January's NAMM convention in Anaheim, California, Hughes spoke about how he came to be involved with THE DEAD DAISIES. He said: "They wanted someone in, and they were asking me about a year ago if I would be interested in doing this. And I've been doing the 'Glenn Hughes Performs Classic Deep Purple' [shows] for a couple of years, and I thought it would be appropriate for me to take a break from that and do something other than [that]. And I got together with the guys and we had a play. I've known Doug a long time, as you know. And it just fell together beautifully. It's a beautiful piece of music. I can't wait for people to hear it."
Asked what the new DEAD DAISIES material sounds like, Glenn said: "It's classic rock and it's a groovy album. It's got a lot of melodies to it. It's what you can imagine with me joining them — what could have happened and what has happened. It's a very interesting piece of music."
Hughes told "That Jamieson Show" about the lyrical themes covered on "Holy Ground": "Since I've been clean and sober now almost 30 years, I think in PURPLE, in the '80s and '70s, I wrote about fiction. Then, when I got sober, the more time I have under my belt, and the years I have under my belt, I'm really, really honing in on life — what happens between life and death: fear, no fear, love, faith, hate, giving. And THE DEAD DAISIES album is one story after another.
"I know you've interviewed a lot of people that have done their work, and their work is about to be released, and they're looking at this work going, 'Wow! I'm writing this stuff, and it really means something now.' Well, funny enough, the record I wrote with THE DEAD DAISIES, the songs that you go, 'Surely he wrote this when the [coronavirus] crisis started.' No, I wrote this [in] August [2019].
"So the album is self-explanatory," Hughes added. "It's about autobiographical stuff. I do write stuff about what happens in my life. But I think people will hear it and they will relate to it, because they're probably going through the same [stuff] — whether it's fear or happiness or sadness or whatever. I'm a 'feelings' kind of dude."
WHITESNAKE's official music video for "Yours For The Asking", taken from "Love Songs", a new collection that contains remixed and remastered versions of the group's best love songs, can be seen below.
"Love Songs" is the second release in the band's "Red, White and Blues Trilogy", a series of compilations organized by musical themes that began this summer with "The Rock Album" (white) and will conclude next year with "The Blues Album" (blue).
Issued on November 6 as a CD , as a double-LP set pressed on 180-gram red vinyl, and digitally, the new collection includes a mix of hits and deep tracks that were originally released between 1987 and 2011 on five WHITESNAKE studio albums and David Coverdale's third solo album, "Into The Light".
Like "The Rock Album", Coverdale says all the tracks on "Love Songs" have been revisited, remixed and remastered. "Some have been musically embellished where my co-producer Michael McIntyre, my new mixer Christopher Collier and I felt it appropriate or necessary to bring out the best in these songs," he explains.
Coverdale continues: "As most of you know, pretty much all the songs I write are love songs in some way, shape or form. These are some of my favorites. Not all are ballads. Some are out and out rockers with powerful romantic themes…and of course…include heavy breathing in all of them!!"
In addition to the album tracks "Don't You Cry" and "Midnight Blue", the set also introduces three previously unreleased outtakes from the "Into The Light" album sessions: "With All Of My Heart", "Yours For The Asking" and "Let's Talk It Over". The albums "Restless Heart" (1997), "Good To Be Bad" (2008) and "Forevermore" (2011) are also represented on the compilation with multiple tracks ("Too Many Tears", "Summer Rain" and "Easier Said Than Done").
Former W.A.S.P. guitarist Chris Holmes has released the official music video for the song "The Devil Made Me Do It". The track is taken from his "Under The Influence" EP, which came out in December 2018.
"Under The Influence" was recorded in Cannes, France, where Holmes has lived since 2014.
According to Holmes, the lyrics to his songs are "just things that I've done in the past." "The Devil Made Me Do It" is "about drinking and driving. It's saying 'the devil made me do it.' It's about reality. It's not about the cosmos."
As previously reported, the documentary film "Mean Man: The Story Of Chris Holmes" will be made available on Blu-ray, DVD and VOD on January 15.
Written and directed by French filmmakers Antoine De Montremy and Laurent Hart (whose music production career includes televised interviews with SCORPIONS, DEEP PURPLE, SLAYER, GUNS N' ROSES and more), "Mean Man: The Story Of Chris Holmes" was a project that was born in 2014 after they had an opportunity to meet and direct Holmes in a music video for the Holmes-penned song "Let It Roar" in Cannes, France. At that time, the former W.A.S.P. guitarist had more or less disappeared from the music scene, leaving his home in the U.S. to seek a new beginning with his wife Sarah in France. Not content with merely directing a music video for the reborn Holmes, De Montremy pursued his bigger dream of writing and directing a documentary film about this iconic metal guitar legend, and for the next several years shadowed him throughout Europe while filming everything from band rehearsals, to recording sessions to live performances.
By creatively combining archival footage, interviews with past and present band members and musical peers, family members and childhood friends — interspersed with beautifully filmed concert performances of Holmes's current solo band — De Montremy skillfully portrays the story of an iconic guitar player who has lived a life of extreme highs and lows. After losing the publishing rights of his own songs and combating dangerous addictions, the legendary W.A.S.P. guitarist is shown starting over from scratch while living at his mother-in-law's in Cannes, France as he puts together, with his wife, a brand new band and a brand new musical role as not only the main guitarist, but now as the actual lead singer of this newly born musical project aptly named MEAN MAN.
Holmes joined W.A.S.P. in 1982 and remained with the group until 1990. In 1996, the guitarist returned to W.A.S.P. and stayed with the band until 2001. Chris has not played with W.A.S.P. since.
During a November 2017 press conference in Moscow, Russia, W.A.S.P. leader Blackie Lawless was asked what he would say to those fans who continue to call for the band to reunite with Holmes. He responded: "People get divorced for certain reasons, and there's times when the kids want the parents to get back together, but sometimes it never happens. And this is one of those [times]. Sorry."
QUEEN + ADAM LAMBERT have shared a fan video for "Don’t Stop Me Now" from the recently released "Live Around The World" album. Check it out below.
The band wrote in an accompanying message: Thank you for sharing all your QUEEN + ADAM LAMBERT Memories! This is your story. Although we are apart, we can be Live Around The World. Enjoy your memories to 'Don't Stop Me Now'. #QALLive".
"Live Around The World" was released on October 2 in CD, CD+DVD, CD+Blu-ray and vinyl formats. The set presents a compilation of concert highlights captured the world over personally selected by Roger Taylor, Brian May and Adam Lambert from over 200 shows they have performed with several featured here becoming available for the very first time. These cover concerts from Rock In Rio, Lisbon, to the U.K.'s Isle Of Wight festival, Summer Sonic, Japan, selected U.K. and North America tour dates, and — from one of their very last performances before lockdown — the Fire Fight Australia benefit show. All formats include the band's entire 22-minute Fire Fight Australia appearance in which they performed QUEEN's original history-making 1985 Live Aid set in full: "Bohemian Rhapsody", "Radio Ga Ga", "Hammer To Fall", "Crazy Little Thing Called Love", "We Will Rock You" and "We Are The Champions".
The 20 tracks featured include firm QUEEN fan favorites like "Don't Stop Me Now" and "I Want To Break Free" as well as rarities such as their versions of the Freddie Mercury-penned "Love Kills" and "I Was Born To Love You". The live album comes in CD, CD+DVD, CD+Blu-ray and vinyl versions, with the DVD and Blu-ray featuring extra performance footage which include a Roger Taylor "Drum Battle" with drummer son Rufus Taylor, and Brian May "Last Horizon" guitar solo.
Since their first appearance together in 2009 when QUEEN members May and Taylor appeared as guests on the finale of the eighth season of "American Idol" on which Lambert was a contestant, the combination of QUEEN + ADAM LAMBERT has gone from strength to strength becoming one of the world's biggest drawing touring bands. Their most recent tour of Oceania saw them selling out to massive audiences, with a single show at Sydney's ANZ stadium drawing a record crowd of over 60,000. To date the band has played to a worldwide audience approaching four million.
Had this been different times, Brian, Roger and Adam would have just ended a further tour with a colossal run of 27 shows across nine European countries. However, the arrival of COVID-19 forced their European summer tour to be postponed until next year. With this in mind, QUEEN + ADAM LAMBERT looked to other ways to console the almost half a million disappointed fans already holding tickets. This is when they turned first to YouTube. No strangers to the platform with 12.5 million subscribers already following them, the band presented a special QUEEN + ADAM LAMBERT "Tour Watch Party", an hour-long show of live highlights from previous tours across the world. The positive engagement from fans worldwide showed that despite the global blackout of live shows, the show could still go on. But it wasn't just the 500,000+ viewing fans who were impressed, so were the band themselves.
"We hadn't really watched those clips before; we were always too busy touring," Taylor said. "We weren't aware of how good the band sounded. So we thought, well, maybe there's a live album of highlights of concerts that we've done over the last eight years with Adam Lambert to be made."
May said of the historic live album: "As we all grapple with the challenge of creating live shows in a world dominated by a formidable viral enemy, it seemed the perfect time for us to create a collection of hand-picked live highlights from our QUEEN shows over the last seven years with our brother Adam Lambert.
"It's a first! As you watch and listen to these tracks you'll be journeying all around the world with us, and experiencing a complete virtual live set. The collection climaxes in Sydney earlier this year when, in support Fire Fight Australia, we recreated the complete QUEEN Live Aid set. It was a historic event for a great cause — with perhaps the highest adrenaline level since the original Live Aid in 1985. It makes me particularly happy that we can now share this unique moment with the whole world."
Lambert added: "When we couldn't tour this year, we wanted to give the fans something in place of that, and a live album just felt right. It's the first time we have released an album together, and we have had a lot of fun putting it together, picking out favorite performances over the past seven years."
QUEEN + ADAM LAMBERT's postponed 27-date European "Rhapsody" tour is now rescheduled to begin May 23, 2021, in Bologna, Italy, with its final date to be played in Madrid, Spain, on July 7. The full set of dates includes a 10-day residency at London's The O2 Arena in June.
ARMORED SAINT has released a "home" music video for the song "Never You Fret". The track is taken from the band's eighth full-length album, "Punching The Sky", which was released in October via Metal Blade Records.
Leaders and stalwarts of the American heavy metal scene since the early 1980s, ARMORED SAINT's "Punching The Sky" sees 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," says bassist Joey 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 vocalist John 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," states 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 says. "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 says. "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 reflects on.
"Part of me feels like I can't believe we've been doing this for that long. It's kind of incredible," Vera says. "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."
STYX has released a video for its classic hit "Too Much Time On My Hands", filmed from the band's home studios specifically for Pittsburgh #SteelersNation in time for yesterday's (Wednesday, December 2) game against the Baltimore Ravens.
STYX's affiliation with the Pittsburgh Steelers has been strong for years. One of the band's other signature hits, "Renegade", has been an adopted theme song of the team for over a decade, and they've sung the national anthem at many Steelers games in recent years.
STYX recently asked fans for donations to be made to the Pittsburgh Foundation Emergency Action Fund. The Pittsburgh region is facing unprecedented economic, health and human services challenges in the global public health pandemic brought on by the COVID-19 virus. In response, on March 16, local philanthropies partnered to create the Emergency Action Fund, which awarded operating grants on a rolling basis to emergency service providers and nonprofit organizations serving on the front lines of recovery.
STYX has spent the last few months working on its new studio album, The upcoming effort will be the follow-up to "The Mission", which was released in June 2017. That disc marked STYX's first new LP in 14 years. It was recorded at Blackbird Studios in Nashville, co-produced and co-written with Will Evankovich, a longtime collaborator of guitarist/vocalist Tommy Shaw's in the SHAW/BLADES band and who also plays with THE GUESS WHO.
STYX's James "JY" Young told Radio Forrest in September that the band will hold off on releasing the new album until it can go back on tour. "That's the current plan," he said. "Because we like to have everything kind of get launched at once. It's easier to make people aware of it if it's not released in a vacuum. But if you can get a tour going, and tickets are selling, and then the record's out, it's easier to build a critical mass for awareness."
This past August, Young told the Q105.7 radio station that STYX's next LP may not arrive for at least another year. "If Dr. Fauci [Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases] is right, [we won't be able to tour until] the end of [2021], so that would put us out in 2022, which would be the 50th-anniversary year of us signing our first recording contract, which is February 22, 1972," he said. "But if it's in '22 that this record comes out, it'll be 2-22-22, so maybe that's what we've gotta wait for."
During the late 1970s and early 1980s, four straight STYX albums sold at least two million copies — "The Grand Illusion" (1977), "Pieces Of Eight" (1978), "Cornerstone" (1979) and "Paradise Theatre" (1981). The band eventually replaced original singer/keyboardist/songwriter Dennis DeYoung in 1999 with Lawrence Gowan.
The list of metal classics that the late/great Ronnie James Dio was responsible for penning or co-penning is endless - “Man On The Silver Mountain,” “Heaven And Hell,” “Holy Diver,” “Rainbow In The Dark,” “The Last In Line,” etc. And now, in honour of the man (who passed away in 2010 at the age of 67, from stomach cancer), several renowned names of the metal world have united to record a cover of “Stand Up and Shout” - which was originally the lead-off track from Dio’s classic solo debut from 1983, Holy Diver.
The song can be streamed here, and you can watch the video below.
Produced by David Bendeth (who has previous worked with Of Mice And Men, Breaking Benjamin, and I Prevail, among countless others), the track features contributions from the newly-formed LeRoi XIII (Thirteen), which is comprised singer Terry LeRoi (Granny 4 Barrel), guitarists Troy McLawhorn (Evanescence) and Sammy Boller, bassist Aaron Pauley (Of Mice and Men), and drummer Will Hunt (Evanescence). 100% of the proceeds/profits from this song go to the Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund (for the mission of support, research, and education that furthers early detection, prevention, and treatment of prostate, colon, and stomach cancers).
“I am so pleased with this cover of ‘Stand Up And Shout,’ and I know Ronnie would be so honored.” - Wendy Dio
“This was an amazing and unforgettable experience working with these incredibly talented artists and legendary producer David Bendeth! It’s truly an honor to pay tribute to Ronnie James Dio and to have this opportunity to support Wendy and the Dio Cancer Fund.” - Terry LeRoi
“Working with this great crew of people, and paying homage to Ronnie James Dio, one of the greatest rock singers that ever lived, was an amazing experience...When you hear it, just stand up and shout! FUCK CANCER!” - David Bendeth
“I’ve been a fan of Dio for as long as I can remember. To play on this cover with such amazing musicians was a real honor.” - Sammy Boller
“‘Stand Up And Shout’ is such a timeless and more meaningful than ever classic metal masterpiece. We had a great time making this and knowing that it’s to support the Dio Cancer Fund made this whole experience even better” - Will Hunt
“When I was asked to join these great musicians to record a tribute to Dio with ‘Stand Up And Shout,’ I was honored and excited. When I found out the proceeds would go to this great cause, I was 100% in.” - Troy McLawhorn
When David Bendeth gives me a call to work together, I'm onboard. When that opportunity involves working with incredibly talented musicians like Terry, Troy, Will, and Sammy to recreate a metal classic - with all proceeds from the track going to the Dio Cancer Fund - it doesn't get much better than that!" - Aaron Pauley
As fans will soon hear for themselves, new energy and passion has been infused into this song 30 years later, and Stand Up and Shout Board unanimously approved the song. Keeping true to the honor and memory of Ronnie James Dio, this song was recorded in the month of May 2020 - which was the month of his passing 10 years ago. And due to COVID-19, all of the events that were planned for the 10th year anniversary of Ronnie’s passing were unfortunately canceled. But through the determination and creativity of these musicians and producer of this song, it was still able to be recorded... despite the virus.
And one can’t overlook the timely nature of the song, and how thematically, it’s more relevant than ever - encouraging empowerment, finding inner strength, using your voice and having the courage to take charge of your destiny. Help keep Ronnie’s legacy, music, and memory alive - and support a great cause - by purchasing, streaming the “Stand Up And Shout” single by LeRoi XIII.
"Stand Up And Shout" video:
The band had a chance to connect with radio/TV personality Matt Pinfield. Watch below:
Recently, Swedish visionary metallers Soilwork released a brand new song called "The Nothingness And The Devil". It foreshadows the band's upcoming A Whisp Of The Atlantic EP that will be released on December, 4th via Nuclear Blast.
Drummer Bastian Thusgaard recently signed with Search Drumheads and today he presents a new drum playthrough video in which he demonstrates their products. You can watch Bastian’s take on "The Nothingness And The Devil" below.
Bastian on the video: "I’m stoked to announce that I’ve officially signed with Search Drumheads, a new brand based in Denmark. Having been a customer in the brand owners drum shop for many years, I also love the fact that I can work with a domestic brand and support local business. In this play-through of the latest Soilwork single ‘The Nothingness And The Devil’ I’m testing Search D57’s, S3’s, S10’s and S10D5’s which makes the playing experience even better. Fans do really have something to look forward to when Soilwork’s EP, A Whisp Of The Atlantic, drops in a few days. We have challenged ourselves beyond anything with this release and something truly epic is coming your way."
On December 4th, Soilwork will release the new EP, A Whisp Of The Atlantic, via Nuclear Blast. You can preorder the EP in various formats here. To give an idea of the overwhelming energy driving Soilwork into the creation of their masterpiece, the band recently released the first single, "The Nothingness And The Devil". Check out the video below.
Guitarist David Andersson states: "Between 'The Nothingness And The Devil' is a song about how the old concept of a patriarchal God doesn’t work anymore, and how everyone with any logic reasoning must accept that we have to create our own deities, if we need them. Or if we don’t, we’ll have to accept the fact that our lives are essentially meaningless unless we are able to find our meaning and make ourselves feel fulfilled. The video also hints at the emasculation of a male god, and how gender shouldn’t be a factor in any form of religious discourse anymore. Perhaps this is the time to question your beliefs and accept that no God will correct the mess that we all have put ourselves into."
Soilwork's musical and their philosophical approach on the new EP does not only close the circle of the The Feverish Trinity, but also invites the listener to dive deep into the most primal element: Water.
Starting with "Feverish" and ending with "A Whisp Of The Atlantic", the whole EP is a journey from the rage of individuals to the search for something that replaces religion.
Andersson: “From the desire of 'Feverish', the urge of 'Desperado', the determinism of 'Death Diviner', the insights and questions of 'The Nothingness And The Devil' and the acceptance and spiritual searching of A Whisp of the Atlantic. The whole song and video sequence is like a slightly different take on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. It’s all about realising that we’re all stuck on this rock and that we need to find something more inclusive than religion to get through this together. Because in the end, we’re all outsiders, genetically hunter-gatherers trying to fit in in a world that we created but at the same time wasn’t really made for us. The overarching theme is liberation from the extremely low level of the social and cultural debate these days, and it starts with the fundamentals and ends with the phenomenological. From liberation into ascension.”
The tracklist reads as follows:
"A Whisp Of The Atlantic"
"Feverish"
"Desperado"
"Death Diviner"
"The Nothingness And The Devil"
The "not so distant future" has arrived and with it comes Night Cobra. The Houston heavy metal band -- featuring current and former members of Necrofier, Venomous Maximus, Killer Hearts and The Satanic Overlords of Rock N Roll -- plays uncaged music for an age of discontent as heard on its debut EP, In Praise of the Shadow. As the unceasing insanity that is 2020 crawls to a close, Night Cobra unveils "Escape From Earth", a five and a half minute mini-film that takes inspiration from the shelved John Carpenter film of the same name and the proposed second sequel to Escape From New York that would have starred Kurt Russell reprising his famous role as former Special Forces operator/war hero turned criminal Snake Plissken.
“Night Cobra’s style of old heavy metal fits perfectly with the dystopian-style future of the 'Escape from New York' and 'Escape from LA' films,” says Night Cobra frontman Christian Larson. “‘Our song, "Escape from Earth", is based off the idea of the third John Carpenter movie in the series that was never made. I thought it would only be fitting to make a video inspired by his work as tribute.”
“Night Cobra’s vocalist, Christian, asked if we could pull off an 'Escape from New York' style music video on almost no budget, with minimal crew and without the band playing in the video,” confirms video director Dwayne Cathey. “It would be ‘all story’ like the classic videos of old. Challenge accepted!”
In Praise Of The Shadow artwork and tracklisting:
"Chains Of The Beast"
"Escape From Earth"
"In Praise Of The Shadow"
"Nightmare Eternal"
For further details, visit Night Cobra on Facebook.
Javier Estrada and Evgeny Gromovoy (pictured above) of Adamantis have joined forces with members of Traveler, Borrowed Time, Hellville and Lethargus to pay tribute to metal legends Queensrÿche with a cover of their classic track, “Eyes Of A Stranger”, filming a video to capture the proceedings.
Drums recorded by Steve Aliperta from Kennedy Studios. Mixed by Jan Loncik.
Lineup:
Vocals - Jean-Pierre Abboud (Borrowed Time, Traveler, Gatekeeper)
Guitars - Oscar Chaves (Hellville)
Guitars - Javier Estrada (Adamantis)
Bass - Dennis Schwan (Borrowed Time)
Keys - Elena Alonso (Lethargus)
Drums - Evgeny Gromovoy (Adamantis)
Bliss Of Flesh have released their brand new video for “Krieg”, taken from the band’s new album Tyrant, released on October 30 via Listenable Records.
Necurat comments: "The accession to the Tyrant's Throne is done at the expense/price of His humanity/humanness. From this rebirth, chaos will arise from violence."
"The cover of this new album is a hand drawing made by the Hungarian artist Balázs Jacsó especially for us," says the band. "Inspired by medieval artists, he tried to imitate the techniques of this area, creating an infinity of details. In the vein of the Etienne de la Boétie’s concept dealing with the voluntary servitude, the artist tried to enlighten the overwhelming power of a tyrant, placing the viewer in the situation of the servant. As you can notice, he has no face. Everyone is free to see the tyrant he has accepted to serve obediently. We’re all someone’s bitch.
“The three circles drawn around the frame symbolize the three elements of the submission: the whip for the oppressive strength, the crown for the symbol of power and the key for the illusional hope of freedom. It’s like the holy trinity. The tyrant also wears broken chains, underlining his past as a servant himself… and the fact that we are most of the time our own tyrant, prisoner of a vicious circle."
Israeli progressive metal group, Scardust, have released a new music video for "Break The Ice:. The track is taken from their new album, Strangers, which was released on October 30 via M-Theory Audio. Watch below:
Mastered by Jens Bogren (Opeth, Devin Townsend, Arch Enemy), Strangers was written and composed jointly by singer Noa Gruman and composer Orr Didi, who also collaborated with Gruman on Scardust's full-length debut, Sands Of Time, and their 2015 EP Shadow. The album features guest appearances from German folk musician Patty Gurdy, as well as vocals by the Hellscore choir and England’s prestigious Westbrook Hay Prep School Chamber Choir.
Voyager recently debuted an online concert via the Veeps Platform. The show was filmed in the band's hometown of Perth, Australia, and saw immense success. Now, the band is sharing the standalone performance video for "Severomance", which is taken from the same set, ahead of their upcoming February Australian tour dates and one-off show at Milk Bar in Perth on December 12. The video can be seen below.
The show, dubbed Voyager Biosecurity (Human Biosecurity Emergency) (Human Coronavirus with Pandemic Potential) (Overseas Travel Ban Emergency Requirements) Determination (Cth) Online Show 2020, was named after the legislation that was passed in Australia that is preventing the band from touring. The stream took place at the "Department of Prog, Synths and Riffs" and can still be seen until December 31, 2020. The full set can be viewed here.
The band comments, "We really enjoyed experiencing a new kind of live experience, and it was beautiful seeing fans join us all around the world. We don't know what the future holds, but right now we're going to make the best of it and try to unite us and our fans in an alternative way. Right now, it's looking positive for our Australian tour in February and we're taking this show for a test run on December 12 at Milk Bar in Perth."
The band's 2019 release, Colours In The Sun, can be ordered here.
Tracklisting:
"Colours"
"Severomance"
"Brightstar"
"Saccharine Dream"
"Entropy"
"Reconnected"
"Now Or Never"
"Sign Of The Times"
"Water Over The Bridge"
"Runaway"
"Saccharine Dream" playthrough video:
"Entropy" video:
"Water Over The Bridge" playthrough video:
"Colours" video:
Lineup:
Danny Estrin - Vocals
Simone Dow - Guitars
Alex Canion - Bass
Scott Kay - Guitars
Ash Doodkorte - Drums
After gathering millions of clicks on YouTube and Spotify, Italy’s finest up-and-coming comedy metal outfit, Nanowar Of Steel, will re-release their previously sold out 2018 album, Stairway To Valhalla, with an exclusive first ever vinyl reissue via Napalm Records this Friday, December 4.
To celebrate Stairway tT Valhalla’s re-release, the band have revealed the music video for their power metal anthem “In The Sky”, where they go on a mission to seek their way into, well… the sky. Watch below.
Bassist Gatto Panceri 666 states: “‘In The Sky’ is the first video about the sky actually being recorded in the sky while at the same time not being in the sky. Potowotominimak, Mr. Baffo and some fans - the winners of the In The Sky Nanowar challenge last year - were lucky enough to be in the sky while not being in the sky thanks to the sophisticated technology of FlyX.
"The video was shot in Cinecitta' World, an amusement park in the outskirts of Rome which let us organize a special event, that included a tour of the park guided by Nanowar Of Steel as well as a concert in the evening.
"We also would like to remind everyone that to be in the sky is better than not to be in the sky.“
The reissued vinyl edition will be available in two different colors and comes along with a bonus CD as well as yet-unreleased fountains of fun, starting with party smashing “Uranus” featuring Michael Starr. On their forth full-length, the five-piece offers hits such as “The Call Of Cthulhu” and “Barbie, Milf Princess Of The Twilight” featuring Fabio Lione (Turilli/Lione Rhapsody). The bonus CD also contains Nanowar Of Steel’s smashers “Norwegian Reggaeton” and “Valhalleluja” amongst others.
"Declination"
"Barbie, Milf Princess of the Twilight"
"The Call of Cthulhu"
"Heavy Metal Kibbles"
"Il maestro Myiagi di Pino"
"L'opelatole ecologico"
"Images and Swords"
"In the Sky"
"... And Then I Noticed That She Was a Gargoyle"
"Tooth Fairy"
"Vegan Velociraptor"
"Another Drill in the Wall"
"Ironmonger (The Copier of the Seven Keys)"
"Bum Voyage"
"Uranus"
"The Crown and the Onion Ring"
"The Quest for Carrefour"
"Hail to Liechtenstein"
"Uranus" (feat. Michael Starr)
Bonus CD:
"Valhalleluja"
"Sottosegretari alla presidenza della repubblica del True Metal"
"Norwegian Reggaeton"
"Bestie di Seitan"
"Sneeztem of a Yawn"
"A cena da Gianni"
"Kurograd"
"Esce ma non mi rosica" (Shahram Shabpareh Cover)
"Deep Throat Revolution" (Immanuel Casto Cover)
"Norwegian Reggaeton" (Remix)
“Uranus” video:
Nanowar Of Steel are:
Gatto Panceri 666 - Bass
Potowotominimak - Vocals
Mr. Baffo - Vocals
Abdul - Guitar
Uinona Raider - Drums
Frontiers Music Srl has announced the release of Kreek’s self-titled debut album on February 12. Kreek is a hot new British band fronted by ex-Bigfoot frontman Antony Ellis, which sees Ellis keeping his foot firmly planted in the fertile UK hard rock scene from which he emerged. Fans can get their first taste of the band's debut album with the release of the single and video for "Million Dollar Man". Watch the clip below, and pre-order/save the new album here.
Kreek offers up kick ass rock 'n' roll with strong melodies, hooks, and lyrics and is Antony’s next evolutionary step after Bigfoot. "I had a blast with my former band, but as I had personal goals and growth in my songwriting skills, I realised this new outlet was very necessary,” tells Antony. "With Kreek, I am very much the driving force behind the music and the band members are guys I handpicked so I could truly flex my musical muscles."
Kreek was first formed in the summer of 2019 after Ellis’ had parted ways with Bigfoot, who would eventually disband. Impressed with Ellis’ vocal ability from their time working with his previous band, Frontiers reached out to Ellis about continuing to work together. Ellis had already been thinking about putting something new together and was keen to create a great new hard rock band. He soon found a group of musicians in Nick Clarke (guitar), Lee Andrews (bass), Seb Sweet (drums), and later on Dan Collict (guitar), who were ready to join him and thus Kreek was born.
"Me and Nick first began jamming nearly 18 months ago and in reality we are the roots of the band that is Kreek,” continues Antony. Lee and Seb also joined the band fairly quickly after Antony started the search for the right musicians. The last find was Dan Collict. "I even contemplated just keeping it as a four piece. As time went on my gut told me that I needed the second guitar player to make the songs come alive. When Dan plugged away at the songs and sent me clips of his progress, I could see that he was gonna fit in just fine. We got in the room together to jam and it rocked!” says Antony.
Produced by Dan Rossall (Passion, Revolution Saints), Kreek’s self-titled debut is now ready to be unleashed this coming February. Fans of the fruitful British hard rock scene will find much to enjoy within Kreek.
Tracklisting:
"At The Bottom Of Hell"
"Missiles"
"Meet Your Maker"
"Million Dollar Man"
"One Voice"
"Man On My Shoulder"
"Stand Together"
"Down 'N Dirty"
"Get Up"
"On Your Own"
"Million Dollar Man" video:
Lineup:
Antony Ellis - Vocals
Nick Clarke - Guitar
Dan Collict - Lead and rhythm guitar
Seb Sweet - Drums
Lee Andrews – Bass
Scour - the extreme metal supergroup featuring Philip H. Anselmo (Pantera, Down, En Minor), John Jarvis (Agoraphobic Nosebleed), Derek Engemann (Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals), Mark Kloeppel (Misery Index), and Adam Jarvis (Pig Destroyer, Lock Up) - have released a drum playthrough video for "Doom", the lead track of the band's new release, The Black EP. Watch Adam Jarvis rip through the track below:
Mixed and mastered by Ryan Vincent at Apollo Audio Alternative with vocals and drums engineered by Stephen "Big Fella" Berrigan (Down, Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals, Eyehategod), The Black EP includes guest appearances from Erik Rutan of Hate Eternal, Pat O'Brien of Cannibal Corpse, and actor Jason Momoa (Dune, Game Of Thrones, Aquaman, et al), and serves as the final instalment of the band's EP trilogy.
The Black EP is available on CD, LP, cassette, and digital formats via Housecore Records (North America) and Nuclear Blast Entertainment (internationally). Find order options at the Scour Bandcamp page at this location, the Housecore Store here, and Nuclear Blast here.
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