FOO FIGHTERS performed their new single, "Shame Shame" during last night's (Thursday, November 19) episode of "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert". The pre-taped segment saw the band joined by a choir featuring frontman Dave Grohl's daughter Violet.
"Shame Shame" is taken from FOO FIGHTERS' new album "Medicine At Midnight", which will be released on February 5, 2021 via Roswell Records/RCA Records.
Regarding the track, Grohl told Kerrang!: "When we first started recording the record, we were recording songs that were recognizable as the FOO FIGHTERS. Actually, the first song that we recorded is the first song on the record: 'Making A Fire'. And that really kind of set the tone, like, 'Okay, this is really up and really fuckin' big, and let's keep moving in that direction.'
"And after a few weeks I came in with this idea, which is originally based on a simple guitar riff and this unusual rhythm which is a drum set recorded in a stairwell, but then there's this finger-snapping and stomping and clapping loop that's behind it," Dave continued. "Those two things started coming together, and rather than load a lot of things on top of it, we kept it really simple: there's an acoustic guitar, an electric guitar, a bass, a vocal, and also this keyboard part.
"It was noticeably different than anything we've ever done, and I always think that when you're releasing a song before an album, you want it to give a little bit of pretext for things to come; you want to present this to your audience as some sort of indication that we're not just making the same FOO FIGHTERS record again. And there was something about it, with the vibe and the rhythm, that just seems like new territory for us."
Earlier this month, Grohl told Planet Rock about FOO FIGHTERS' musical approach on "Medicine At Midnight": "I started thinking about the direction that we should take for the next record. And I looked at our back catalog, and I thought, okay, we've covered a lot of territory in 25 years. We've made acoustic albums; we've made noisy rock records; we've made sort of midtempo singalongs. And you look back, and you can use it as reference, but you don't necessarily wanna revisit these places that you've already been. And so of all the things that we've done, I thought the one album we haven't made yet is sort of a groove-oriented party album. I mean, if you were to hear the rest of the record, a lot of it is rooted in these grooves that come from SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE and disco and two-step shuffle sort of thing. As a drummer, I always think about that as a foundation, because that can really create the aesthetic or the vibe of an album. So I thought, okay, a lot of our favorite rock and roll bands over the years have that one record that's a rock and roll record that you can really dance to — whether it's THE ROLLING STONES' 'Tattoo You' or David Bowie's 'Let's Dance' or a POWER STATION record; things like that. I thought, 'We haven't really done that yet.' A lot of our albums are really driving and sometimes kind of morose and melancholy, introspective. I was, like, 'Fuck that! Let's have a party. Let's make that record where you can bounce around.'"
German thrash metal veterans SODOM have released the official music video for "Friendly Fire". The track is taken from the band's upcoming studio album, "Genesis XIX", which is due on November 27 via Entertainment One (eOne) in North America and Steamhammer/SPV in Europe.
"Genesis XIX" — recorded by Siggi Bemm and mastered by Patrick W. Engel — comes shrouded in the cover art of Joe Petagno of MOTÖRHEAD fame. The record will be released as a CD digipak, exclusive 2xLP (on translucent orange with opaque silver swirls — an eOne store exclusive), and digitally.
Altenessen, Germany, a northern borough of the city of Essen and a social melting-pot deep in the heart of the Ruhr Area. From the mid-nineteenth century, the region supplied Europe's industrialization with the required raw materials, mined under back-breaking conditions below ground in coal pits named Carl, Anna, Fritz-Heinrich, Helene and the like. Altenessen is also the musical domicile of Thomas "Angelripper" Such, SODOM's vocalist/bassist, who has met for some years with his band members in a ratty rehearsal room in that part of Essen to produce tough-as-nails thrash music. To other musicians, such information may be of marginal interest; to Tom it is an important component of his recipe for success.
"I want guys from the Ruhr, who share my background, with whom I can work and rehearse consistently," explains SODOM's mastermind, who has implemented his band's philosophy together with guitarists Frank Blackfire and Yorck Segatz as well as new addition, drummer Toni Merkel. It's a philosophy that yields more impressive results in 2020 than ever before.
Following the first relaxation of the lockdown rules stemming from the 2020 pandemic, SODOM immediately returned to working creatively, which is one of the reasons why "Genesis XIX" has turned into precisely what the musicians had in mind.
"This is definitely one of the toughest and most diverse studio recordings that SODOM have ever released," notes Angelripper. "Our riff suppliers, Yorck and Frank, are totally different types of musicians. Yorck is a died-in-the-wool metalhead who grew up with thrash music. Frank, on the other hand, also integrates blues and rock elements into his style, including the occasional Frank Marino or Rory Gallagher quotation, and writes songs that could have featured in the same or a similar way on 'Agent Orange'. These are the diverse influences that make 'Genesis XIX' what it is."
In addition, there's a third level that nobody expected after the — as Angelripper expressly emphasises — amicable split with drummer Husky.
"In Toni we've gained an awesome drummer," Angelripper says. "I'd even go so far as to say he's the best drummer that nobody had on the radar before now." Especially since Merkel also has, along with his furioso style, a number of other important qualities, namely his stints with death metal act SABIENDAS and a number of other black/death metal bands, where he played drums and doubled as a producer. Thus he's been a dab hand at studio technology and recording.
"We were largely autonomous during the production of 'Genesis XIX' and were free not only to concentrate on working on new songs but also to come up with the right sounds. That was important because we use neither digital amps nor plug-ins but played all the guitar parts using proper Marshall tube amps." Following the preproduction, SODOM completed the work at the renowned Woodhouse Studio in Hagen, where sound engineer Siggi Bemm recorded Angelripper's vocals and mixed the album on an analog studio console.
From unadulterated thrash metal tracks "Euthanasia", "Dehumanized" and "Friendly Fire" to off-the-grid numbers such as "Occult Perpetrator", SODOM delivers a wide range of facets of their signature sound. This inventiveness also applies to the lyrics on "Genesis XIX", with Angelripper presenting, as usual, his very own range of subjects: "The Harpooneer" is based on Melville's "Moby Dick" novel featuring the obsessive Captain Ahab, "Glock N' Roll" is the story of a serial killer, "Waldo & Pigpen" is an homage to the same-named U.S. fighter pilots, whose radio traffic during their mission in Vietnam has survived, and "Nicht mehr mein Land" describes the condition of western society. (Tom: "We're the very first to combine real thrash music with German lyrics.") "Naturally, thrash metal stories need to be martial, but we never intend them to be nasty or disrespectful," he stresses, explaining his lyrical approach: "I simply sing about things that weigh on my mind." A thrash metal recipe for success in true SODOM style!
SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor has shared a live performance of his single "Samantha's Gone", which was captured during his groundbreaking "Forum Or Against 'Em" global streaming event at the iconic Los Angeles venue The Forum. Originally broadcasted on October 2, "Forum Or Against 'Em" saw Taylor and crew blaze through a 23-song setlist, including every track on his debut solo album, "CMFT", songs from the SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR catalogues, and several covers.
Taylor recently made history as he reached No. 1 at Active Rock Radio with his powerful single "Black Eyes Blue". The achievement put Taylor in a class all his own, making him the first artist in the history of the format to reach No. 1 with three separate projects, following chart-topping efforts from SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR.
"CMFT" made impressive debuts on charts around the world last month, entering at No. 1 on Billboard's Current Hard Rock Albums chart, while claiming No. 2 on Current Rock Albums, No. 6 on Vinyl Albums, and No. 9 on the Top Albums charts. Furthermore, "CMFT" landed Top 10 on the official album charts in Australia, Germany, Switzerland and Austria, with Top 20 debuts in the United Kingdom, Finland and Japan (international chart).
Featured in Rolling Stone's "Fall Album Preview 2020," "CMFT" has been garnering widespread critical applause, with Forbes affirming, "Corey Taylor's singing is undeniably the best it's ever been. From SLIPKNOT's last album to his new solo material, Taylor is easily among the best sounding rock singers alive." Kerrang! raved, "Corey Taylor certainly couldn't have predicted how important a sense of uninhibited joy would be on his debut solo effort, it's just what 2020 needs — and, even more importantly, exactly what he delivers." The Daily Beast attested, "'CMFT' finds the singer broadening his horizons and showing off his considerable versatility," while Stereogum noted, "Corey Taylor's lived several lives in the span that it takes most of us to push through just one, and it's clear that he cherishes every experience he's had so far." New York magazine added that "CMFT" "bridges his vast tastes and influences, dabbling in punk rock, metal, reflective acoustic tunes, plaintive piano ballads, and hip-hop, with Taylor's power-house vocals and introspective lyrics acting as a guide."
"CMFT" is highlighted by the singles "Culture Head", "HWY 666", "CMFT Must Be Stopped" (featuring Tech N9ne and Kid Bookie), and the Active Rock radio hit "Black Eyes Blue". Taylor also hit No. 1 on Billboard's Hard Rock Songwriters chart following the unprecedented debut of "Black Eyes Blue" and "CMFT Must Be Stopped", the latter of which has racked up four million YouTube views for its star-studded music video. Furthermore, Taylor debuted the pummeling "Culture Head" during WWE's NXT broadcast on the USA network, illuminating yet another facet of "CMFT" and showcasing the broad spectrum of this fiery and fearless rock 'n' roll opus, as Taylor touches on lifelong influences ranging from hard rock to classic rock, punk rock to hip-hop. 14-time world champion and EVP of global talent strategy and development at WWE, Triple H, also shared a WWE exclusive performance of Taylor and his band tearing through the MOTÖRHEAD classic "Ace Of Spades".
"CMFT" has been a long time coming for Taylor, with newly written tracks alongside some dating back to his teens. Recorded at The Hideout Recording Studio in Las Vegas with producer Jay Ruston and his band — Christian Martucci (guitar), Zach Throne (guitar), Jason Christopher (bass), and Dustin Schoenhofer (drums) — the album traces a wild and exhilarating roadmap through Taylor's musical psyche.
When DIAMOND HEAD first released "Lightning To The Nations" four decades ago in 1980, few could have predicted the importance it would carry with regards to heavy metal's new wave and sound. Stacked and packed with riffs, "Lightning To The Nations" would be one of the prime catalysts for a movement known as the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM).
Reimagined, rerecorded, and reborn in 2020, DIAMOND HEAD's forthcoming 40-year celebration of their genre-defining debut album is a scintillating shot of fresh metal energy. With "Lightning To The Nations 2020" nearing release, listeners will soon experience not only the rare phenomenon of crisp, fresh, and new sounding songs with very little of the obvious original elements altered, they will also be treated to four supreme cover tracks, including songs from LED ZEPPELIN, JUDAS PRIEST, DEEP PURPLE... And in prime position stands METALLICA's "No Remorse".
With DIAMOND HEAD having featured so heavily in METALLICA's early career, the cover of "No Remorse" seems especially appropriate. Accompanying the release of this monumental track, DIAMOND HEAD also unveil their thought-provoking animated video, created and directed by Costin Chioreanu.
"I wanted to cover a song from METALLICA's debut album, 'Kill 'Em All'," explains founding member Brian Tatler, "partly because METALLICA covered songs from DIAMOND HEAD's debut album 'Lightning To The Nations' and it felt like things have come full circle to me. None of the band members knew how to play any of the songs from 'Kill 'Em All', and I eventually decided we should all learn 'No Remorse'. Then when we got into the rehearsal room, we played 'No Remorse' and immediately it just sounded great; it was very 'DIAMOND HEAD' and it really suited us as a band. Of the four covers we ended up doing, 'No Remorse' sounded the best straight away. I've seen METALLICA live over twenty times and they don't play 'No Remorse' very often, but it's always great when they do!"
"Of all the four covers, we almost didn't have to work on 'No Remorse'," furthers singer and producer Rasmus Bom Andersen. "We all had to learn the parts, and it's very difficult to play, but in rehearsal it did sound fantastic and we thought: 'yeah, yeah, it's gonna be mega.' It was almost surreal when we did it because it just felt incredibly familiar."
"Lightning To The Nations 2020" is being released today (Friday, November 20) via Silver Lining Music in CD digipak, double gatefold vinyl, and digital formats as well as special D2C bundles.
As the fortieth anniversary loomed, "Lightning To The Nations"' resonance and importance are since long-established, which meant a celebration was in order and Tatler, alongside Andersen, knew exactly what they wanted to do. "We thought it'd be great to re-record the debut album with this lineup and the modern technology available," says Tatler. "The original album was recorded and mixed in a week, and we were very young; still 19-20 years old when it was recorded, so there's a lot of that youthful energy. But we didn't have the technique, time, or craftsmanship to record it with the sort of power that we could now. So that was a real thing to savor: the opportunity to go in the studio and record these songs fresh and vibrant."
"Lightning To The Nations 2020" is an achievement along those lines and then some. It is, quite simply, a scintillating shot of fresh metal energy, with DIAMOND HEAD utilizing all their skill, experience, and revitalized energy to breathe so much new life into these freshly recorded takes that it feels like experiencing the earth shaking all over again.
Recorded over several sessions between various locations from France to band member home studios, "Lightning To The Nations 2020"'s central hub was Andersen's Raw Sound Studios in London. It's where Tatler and Andrew "Abbz" Abberley did the guitars in February and March of this year. With the COVID-19 chaos striking, Andersen worked on the album between April and July, with Tatler's watchful ear inspecting final mixes and tweaks in early August before sending off to mastering at Metropolis Studios. It is, however, fair to say that the crunch, scream, and crackle of the production is yet another feather in Andersen's producer hat.
The official music video for "Sacred Lights", the new single from FIRSTBORNE, the band featuring Grammy Award-winning artist Chris Adler and fellow MEGADETH alum James LoMenzo, can be seen below. The track is the second to be released following the arrival of FIRSTBORNE's self-titled debut EP, which came out earlier this year and marked the acclaimed drummer's first dedicated band release since his departure from MEGADETH and LAMB OF GOD.
FIRSTBORNE features Girish Pradhan on vocals and guitar, Myrone on guitar, LoMenzo on bass, and Adler on drums.
The FIRSTBORNE self-titled EP included five songs and two lyric videos. The EP represented several years of dedicated introspection and refined effort to the idea of a heavy and positive message.
As might be expected, Adler chose his bandmates in this endeavor meticulously.
Recently, Adler shared the stage across the Middle East with LoMenzo in HAIL! Prior to that, LoMenzo and Adler orbited each other for years traveling together on tours crossing the globe. The connect was inevitable.
Adler and Myrone began collaborating in early 2019 after Myrone noticed Adler's e-mail address attached to a Bandcamp sales notification email. Adler had been a fan of Myrone's talent for years prior and as soon as they connected, it was game on.
A chance meeting in India, almost a second home to Chris after eight visits, was the spark needed to form the international group FIRSTBORNE and for Chris to return to the studio. Adler met and shared the stage with Pradhan during a six-week clinic tour of India in the fall of 2019. After the first show of the clinic tour, Adler immediately called Myrone, noting he'd "struck gold" in their search for a singer for the then-unnamed project.
Girish Pradhan is the glue that united FIRSTBORNE. Pradhan on vocals represents an almost unprecedented international collaboration.
Pradhan is an established and well-known recording and touring artist in India and resides in Bengaluru. His band GIRISH AND THE CHRONICLES made international headlines earlier this year with their new album "Rock The Highway" and music videos "Rock 'N Roll Is Here to Stay", "Identity Crisis" and "Rock The Highway".
Speaking on his experience creating with FIRSTBORNE, Myrone explains: "Every single part of this experience has been extremely surreal for me. Girish is one of the best metal vocalists on the planet, Chris is one of the most influential drummers of the last 25 years, and JLO can play anything from MEGADETH to John Fogerty to Motown and everything in between. I can't believe I get to share space on a .wav with them."
Myrone is a Los Angeles-based producer/guitarist who pioneered the "soft shred" genre. In the last six years, he has released seven albums and two EPs of instrumental guitar music and racked up millions of Spotify streams. In addition to his own recordings, he has collaborated with Rivers Cuomo (WEEZER), SZA, Little Boots, Michael Christmas and Deaton Chris Anthony. Most recently, Myrone was Guitar #1 in the L.A. production of "Rock Of Ages", the 29th-longest running show in Broadway history.
LoMenzo is a veteran touring/recording musician since his multi-platinum band WHITE LION in the 1980s. Lomenzo is one of the most in-demand rock bass players in the world. His list of credits includes WHITE LION, Zakk Wylde's BLACK LABEL SOCIETY/PRIDE & GLORY, MEGADETH, Jerry Cantrell, David Lee Roth, SLASH'S SNAKEPIT, LYNCH MOB, FREHEY'S COMET and more. Recently he's been the touring/recording bassist for the legendary John Fogerty and can be seen in the live concert film "John Fogerty : My Fifty Year Trip" recorded live at Red Rocks.
LoMenzo had this to say about his collaboration within his new band, FIRSTBORNE: "I first met Chris in 2006 on MEGADETH's 'Gigantour'. I was playing bass with MEGADETH at the time. Watching Chris on that tour, I recall being struck by the creativity, speed and power of his drumming with LAMB OF GOD. In contrast, I found him to be a gentle, thoughtful soul. Years later, I had the opportunity to finally play with Chris, performing in the Middle East with the all-star metal band HAIL! We had a great time. At this time, Chris mentioned he was looking forward to exploring making all kinds of music. I suggested he keep me in mind. Next thing I know I'm being introduced to Myrone through a demo that Chris forwarded to me. I was immediately drawn to the music. Myrone's guitar is uniquely untethered to any one style. He's a brilliant and capable amalgam of classic rock, new and classic metal. Girish on top of all this had me stunned! A soaring, powerful voice that while uniquely his own, conjures images of the greatest singers of metal, blues and classic rock. His voice is a powerful, emotive vehicle to inform through his heartfelt and socially conscious lyrics. To my ear, the combination of all this musical talent is wonderfully unique and perfectly familiar. I'm very proud and excited for music fans to hear this new musical collaboration."
Adler added: "I've been incredibly fortunate in my creative endeavors. From the start, I sought out the best players I could find to work alongside. It's been an incredible journey that is clearly not over. Some things have changed. This may not be exactly what people expect from me right now, and I'm aware and embrace that. It's time for something new. I'm have a platform to present something important, true and collaborative. Creating FIRSTBORNE beckons cohesiveness as a mission statement. This is not about being mad all the time, egos or fabricating polarizing drama. 'This is right' is now my alarm clock. Girish, Myrone and James have the exact locker room mentality of 'kill 'em all! but let's make sure everyone is okay and having a kick-ass time' that I try and bring to everything I do. FIRSTBONE is the result of all of my experiences, both positive and negative, and I'm proud of what we are doing together."
Adler is a Grammy-winning American metal drummer from Richmond, Virginia. Chris founded LAMB OF GOD in 1994 and helped usher in what critics have dubbed the "New Wave Of American Heavy Metal." LAMB OF GOD's discography with Chris includes multiple gold records and platinum DVDs as well as five Grammy nominations.
Chris received a Grammy for playing drums on legendary thrash metal band MEGADETH's 2016 record "Dystopia". Chris also toured with MEGADETH in support of the record while juggling and occasionally combining tour dates with LAMB OF GOD.
Chris has collaborated and contributed to records with PROTEST THE HERO, TESTAMENT, THAIKKUDAM BRIDGE, Michael Angelo Batio and Ron Jarzombek.
In 2018, Chris created an artist management firm Kintsugi Management.
BUTCHER BABIES have released the official music video for their latest single, "Bottom Of A Bottle". The song is the first taste of the band's forthcoming fourth studio album, tentatively due in early 2021 via an as-yet-undisclosed record label.
BUTCHER BABIES vocalist Heidi Shepherd stated about the writing process for "Bottom Of A Bottle": "It was a beautiful, summer evening in the Arizona desert when 'Bottom Of A Bottle' was created. I sat outside watching the sunset while sipping on a drink and realized that all the inspiration I needed was all around me.
"This song is a product of the environment it was created in," she continued. "In that moment, I was the guy at the end of the bar telling stories from yesterday-year. I've been there a time or two so the lyrics just flowed. This song holds a special place in my heart because of that exact moment. We've been sitting on this song for a long time so I cannot wait for our fanbase to take the trip with us!"
Added co-vocalist Carla Harvey: "Haven't we all been at the bottom of the bottle at some point? Name a better way to to commiserate about it than by writing an anthem that turns the heartache into a celebration. We are pumped to finally release some new tunes that showcase a different side of who we are, yet remain uniquely BUTCHER BABIES."
Asked in a recent interview with Syfy Wire's "Metal Crush" how BUTCHER BABIES' new LP differs from 2017's "Lilith", Shepherd said: "It differs a lot. You still have the classic BUTCHER BABIES metal behind us, but I found myself wanting to sing more.
"When I first started BUTCHER BABIES, I was an angry young girl, and I had a lot to scream about. I'm a happy 35-year-old woman now, so I have a lot that I wanna sing about."
BUTCHER BABIES next album will be the band's first since its split with Century Media over a year ago.
This past April, Shepherd told ELUVEITIE's "Corona Talk" that "it was a hard decision to part ways with Century Media." She explained: "Here in the U.S., the label doesn't exactly exist much here anymore. And so it was a really difficult decision. We were with them for our entire career; we've been a band for 10 years. It just wasn't working here in the States. But we do love our Century Media family."
"Lilith" was produced by Steve Evetts (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, SEPULTURA, SUICIDE SILENCE) and marked BUTCHER BABIES' recording debut with drummer Chase Brickenden, who replaced Chris Warner in 2016.
In July 2019, longtime BUTCHER BABIES bassist Jason Klein announced his departure from the band. He has since been replaced by Ricky Bonazza.
Welcome to a hard gritty look at the state of the world in 2020 from the eyes of Truth Decayed, a newly formed thrash metal outfit from Durban (South Africa).
Their debut EP, Modern Day Illusion was recently released (on October 23), and BraveWords is hosting the premiere of the official music video for their second single “Opposing Direction”!
Founder, vocalist, and guitarist Ryno Theron shares that "‘Opposing Direction’ was originally written by our guitarist and my long-time friend Warren Jones, about one of his guitars. He would buy it, then sell it again ... and so on (several times). He eventually decided to keep it, as he has real love for this instrument. Then, with the formation of the band, Warren decided to re-apply this same boomerang concept (aligned to the vision and lyrical theme of Modern Day Illusion), to mature the song about how your words and actions can also have a boomerang effect (especially on social media)! It is also the same social commentary we've approached and applied to date, but with an ever deeper look at the psychology of it all."
Modern Day Illusion is the debut EP from Truth Decayed, who have seemingly come out of nowhere and has taken the metal scene by storm, raking in an African Metal Week Award with BurgStudio Radio, triumphantly earning a Band Battle Accolade with The Metal Lab in the UK and receiving international airplay for their debut single on various stations (and all this before their debut EP even released)!
No stranger to hard graft and sonic success, A.S. Guitars Ambassador and solo artist Ryno Theron heads up this new outfit as vocalist and guitarist. Long-time friend and muso compadre Warren Jones takes up fellow Guitar Duties, perfectly complemented by Johan Maree on Bass and Backing Vocals as well as Brandon Carey on Drums.
Ryno Theron states that "the songs are made up from old riffs Warren and I wrote some years ago. Hearing our respective songs come to life has been an awesome experience, giving birth to the Truth Decayed sound, combined with the input from Johan and Brandon.”
Guitarist Warren Jones comments that "I'm glad these songs turned out the way they did. Great bunch of guys turned these riffs into something unthinkable."
Drummer Brandon Carey adds that "It was really fun and interesting working with Ryno and Warren on these songs with Johan bringing in a fresh take on bass. The songs with every member's different backgrounds in music influences shines through and gives a unique sound that I'm sure people will enjoy. Keep it brutal!"
Bassist Johan Maree concludes that "It has been an amazing trip so far to work with friends, making music we love. I look forward to the future and the experiences ahead."
Pitch Black Process, formerly known as Affliction, has released the second single from their SIR EP, which is a cover of “Buselik Makamına”. It is one of the most renowned and classical songs of MFÖ, who is one of the best-loved, iconic and oldest bands from Turkey.
The SIR EP, produced and recorded by Daniel Bergstrand at Dugout Studios-Sweden, will be released by Rakun Müzik.
The video clip of “Buselik Makamına” is directed by well-known Turkish director Ender Mıhlar, who also directed the video clip of “Zahid Bizi Tan Eyleme”. Two successful and beloved actors Celil Nalçakan and Sitare Akbaş, are also featured in the video.
Statement from the band:
“Hello everyone,
“First of all, although we thought about postponing the release of our new song due to the disastrous earthquake in which we also have friends and acquaintances who lost their lives and homes, that happened just three days ago; we decided to go ahead as planned, for the reason that art is the product of the human being’s strivings of making sense of life and existing.
“However hard it is to prepare this announcement which we’ve thought to make to give information before the release of our new song on Wednesday; we would like to say a few things about the song and the EP, which includes that song, that we put a lot of effort into, the publication process of which is an ‘adventure’ in itself and which is very precious to us, because of this process and effort.
“The song you’re about to listen to is one of three songs waiting for more than five years to meet you which we wanted to put on the Derin album, but couldn't. Since we think that these three songs deserve to be shared with you, we’ve added “Zahid Bizi Tan Eyleme” alongside these three songs and returned to Sweden to record the SIR EP.
“We already released ‘Zahid Bizi Tan Eyleme’ from SIR as a single in March 2019. However, after that, since the conditions we expected were not met, we didn't deliver the rest of the EP to you.
“In addition to this situation, it took us a very long while to solve the puzzle that emerged later in the story, which will definitely be told in the future, of the song that we prepared the video for in May 2019. The adventure, which lasted almost 2.5 years in total, finally resulted in a happy ending last month.”
Bay area experimental metal quartet Gürschach have revealed a video for their cover of Metallica’s controversial single “St. Anger,” reimagined with a Gürschach twist.
“‘St. Anger’ was actually the first Metallica song I heard, and it was the whole reason I got into the band,” says guitarist/vocalist X. “It's still one of my favorite songs by the band, but I couldn't deny the issues that many people have with it. I just wanted to address all the common complaints with the album in order to show people that the song has more potential than most people think.”
The video has also received more than 40,000 reviews, and as expected, not everyone has been happy with Gürschach’s audacity to tamper with the might Metallica. The quartet has not taken the criticism to heart, though, even offering up a 20-minute video where band members read and react to the harsh criticism, which is balanced with a healthy dose of admiration for their version. Check out the “Hate Comments” video below:
“We knew that when we covered the song that there would be hate, because a lot of Metallica fans are extremely dedicated and would reject our version, whether they liked the original or not,” says vocalist/bassist Scotty McRib. “The joke's on them though, we got a good kick out of hate comments!”
Originally formed in 2011 by X, guitarist Leyland Reid and drummer Daniel Justo- Sanchez, Gürschach’s lineup was finally complete in 2014 when they welcomed Scotty McRib to the fold.
With a vision to create an unfamiliar yet captivating listening experience, Gürschach independently released their debut EP, Beautiful Nightmares, in 2015. After touring through 2016 and 2017, the foursome returned to the studio to complete their first full-length, Dark Matter, in December 2017. The band continued to tour through 2018 and 2019, embarking on the Kiss Our Jobs Goodbye Tour in 2019 and joined festivals such as Redwood Metalfest before releasing the “St. Anger” cover this year. Keep an eye out for more material soon.
In support of their upcoming livestream event, Trans-Siberian Orchestra have released a new visualizer featuring "A Mad Russian's Christmas" from Christmas Eve And Other Stories (1996) with narration. Watch below:
In August, Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO) was forced to make the heartbreaking announcement that, for the first time in more than 20 years, the group will not be able to tour during the holiday season. The multi-platinum, critically acclaimed, progressive rock group, is proud to make an exciting announcement today - to keep its rock holiday tradition alive, TSO will bring a performance right into fans' homes with the world premiere of its first-ever livestream event, Christmas Eve And Other Stories Live In Concert, on Friday, December 18.
TSO performing an all-new staging of its beloved album Christmas Eve And Other Stories, means that fans, despite missing so much in 2020, won't have to miss their favorite holiday tradition. This electrifying livestream will bring some much-needed rockin’ Christmas spirit to fans everywhere. In addition to the full album concert, fans will view special pre-show content including behind-the-scenes footage and classic interview segments.
General public on sale begins today. Keeping the TSO tradition of offering huge entertainment value for a low ticket price, advance tickets for TSO’s “Christmas Eve and Other Stories Live In Concert'' will be offered as a family-friendly $30 all-in ticket. For fans unable to view the livestream’s debut on Fri., Dec. 18, TSO will make the performance available for streaming on demand through midnight on Sun., Dec. 20. In addition to purchasing the stream, fans will have the option to purchase gift packages, including T-shirts, ornaments, and masks, plus livestream tickets can be sent digitally to friends and family as presents. For more details and to purchase tickets and packages, visit trans-siberian.com.
TSO’s Music Director & lead guitarist Al Pitrelli said, “So many things have changed in 2020. Masks, social distancing, home schooling, and of course live entertainment. What will not change is all of us being able to celebrate the holidays together. It will just be in a different way. For 21 years we’ve had the privilege of bringing our tours, including Christmas Eve And Other Stories, to hundreds of cities and millions of people. This year we will bring this timeless story to your living rooms. We will miss seeing all of you in person, but like Paul O’Neill always said, ‘adapt, overcome, and improvise.’ That’s exactly what we are going to do. This will be an opportunity to see your favorite holiday story up close and personal. We can’t wait to share this with all of you. In the meantime... Stay safe. Stay healthy. We’re on our way!”
This special event will bring together members of both the East and West bands for the first time since 2000 when TSO first began touring with two full groups. For the livestream, Bryan Hicks will narrate and Al Pitrelli (guitar) and Derek Wieland (keyboards) will serve as musical directors. The band will feature Chris Caffery (guitar), Mee Eun Kim (keyboards), Johnny Lee Middleton (bass), Asha Mevlana (violin), and Jeff Plate (drums). Vocalists will be Russell Allen, Nate Amor, John Brink, Erika Jerry, Chloe Lowery, Georgia Napolitano, and Jeff Scott Soto.
A product of the vision and imagination of TSO’s late founder, composer, and lyricist Paul O’Neill, Christmas Eve And Other Stories gave birth to the unique format O’Neill called “Rock Theater.” The story is set on Christmas Eve when a young angel is sent to Earth to bring back what is best representative of humanity. Following favorite TSO themes of “strangers helping strangers” and “the kindness of others,” “Christmas Eve and Other Stories” takes listeners all over the world to help reunite a young girl with her distraught father. The album features such fan-favorites as both of which have not been performed live in recent years. The rock opera also features such TSO classics as "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24," "O’ Come All Ye Faithful," "Good King Joy," "Promises To Keep," "This Christmas Day," “Ornament,” and the epic “Old City Bar.”
The debut studio album of Christmas Eve And Other Stories is available as a part of "The Christmas Trilogy," a three-album collection that also includes definitive TSO albums The Christmas Attic and The Lost Christmas Eve. "The Trilogy," which has been out of print for several years, will be available on November 20, and is available for pre-order now.
Since its historic touring debut, TSO has played approximately 2,100 concert dates for more than 17 million fans and has sold in excess of 12 million albums and DVDs.
Leviathan Records, the label run by guitarist David Chastain, has posted more live footage from the archives.
A message states: "Chastain featuring Leather (Leone) on vocals met up in Cincinnati, Ohio shortly after the release of their debut album, Mystery Of Illusion, for a concert at Bogart's. The band also consisted of David T. Chastain (Guitar), Russell Jinkens (Guitar), Mike Skimmerhorn (Bass) and Les Sharp (Drums) aka CJSS. While this was a fan video transferred from a beta tape we still consider it a rare find despite the lower quality video equipment of the time. Definitely metal history."
Watch "I've Seen Tomorrow", "The Black Knight", "Endlessly", "I Fear No Evil", and "Mystery Of Illusion" from the same show below:
After three decades, it’s time for No Return to show their live prowess on record. Thus, they bring you, Live XXX, which is much more than a “simple” live record. With a chronological setlist, which traces the career of the French band from the debut album Psychological Torment (released back in 1990) to the latest The Curse Within, Live XXX was recorded in La Manufacture, in the French city of St. Quentin, in December 2019.
Watch a live video for "The Crimson Rider" below.
“Live XXX is the first live album in the history of the band. People have been asking us for it for a long time and we are very happy to finally be able to release it,” guitar player Alain Clément comments. “We are very excited by the release of this live concert because it really shows the energy and aggressiveness of No Return on stage.”
Live XXX will be released in digital and CD formats by Mighty Music on December 18. Pre-orders can be placed now at this location.
Tracklisting:
"Mutants' March"
"Vision Of Decadence"
"Memories"
"Civil War"
"Fanatic Mind"
"Disillusion"
"Disease"
"Don't Judge Me"
"News Item"
"Inquisitive Hegemony"
"Stronger Than Ever"
"Submission Falls"
"Paint Your World"
"The Crimson Rider"
"Despise Your Heroes"
Reigning as one of the most well-known and highly acclaimed experimental instrumental groups out there with a respected musical legacy spanning nearly 20 years, Irish four-piece God Is An Astronaut will reach a career benchmark upon the release of their 10th studio album, Ghost Tapes #10, out February 12 via Napalm Records.
Along with an artful black and white music video (by Chariot Of Black Moth), the hypnotizing first offering “Burial” captivates with atmospheric yet melancholic, bewitching instrumental lines, and God Is An Astronaut’s full extent of power. The seven-minute piece showcases the band’s unique ability to explore plaintive wistfulness and shuddering riffs, forming a perfect storm whilst also creating intense sonic-spheres that are second to none. Watch the video for "Burial" below.
Ghost Tapes #10 is certainly the most ferocious God Is An Astronaut full-length to date – it still retains all the rich musical and emotive elements the band is known for by wheeling around luminance, but offering its harsh and deep reminiscences as well. Works of art like “Burial”, “In Flux” and “Barren Trees”, with additional guitars by Jimmy Scanlan, amongst others are proof of these creations of sound. The album’s closer, the atmospheric “Luminous Waves”, captivates in a trance-like mindset – putting one deeply in touch with their inner self, drifting away to stirring tunes of guest cello virtuoso Jo Quail.
The artwork was illustrated by David Rooney, who has worked with the band in the past, and plays into the sense of the foreboding and uncertain times we live in. Ghost Tapes #10 will be available as a four-page digipack as well as in multiple limited LP options. Pre-order here.
Tracklisting:
"Adrift"
"Burial"
"In Flux"
"Spectres"
"Fade"
"Barren Trees"
"Luminous Waves"
"Burial" video:
God Is An Astronaut are:
Torsten Kinsella - Guitar, Piano/Synths
Niels Kinsella - Bass
Lloyd Hanney - Drums
Jamie Dean - Guitar, Piano
New Jersey-based hard rock quartet Weapons Of Anew will release their sophomore album Art Of War in early 2021. The band - which consists of seasoned musicians guitarist Freddy Ordine (ex-Axiom, ex-HavocHate) and vocalist Ray West (ex-Spread Eagle) along with bassist Stefan “Reno” Cutrupi and the newest addition, drummer Chad Szeliga (ex-Breaking Benjamin, ex-Black Label Society) - have revealed its debut single, a cover version of The Chainsmokers’ “Sick Boy”, premiering through BraveWords!
The band’s single is presently streaming nice numbers (over 250,000) via the Spotify play listing on New Noise, Rock Hard, Best Of Rock, along with Apple’s Breaking Hard Rock - and the track is inside the top 40 and climbing on active rock radio.
Art Of War was produced by longtime band collaborator Grammy Award-nominated Mike Ferretti (Sevendust, Warren Haynes, Saliva), mixed by multi-platinum Grammy-winner David Bendeth (Papa Roach, Paramore, Bring Me The Horizon) and mastered by A-list mastering engineer Ted Jensen (Evanescence, Korn, Lamb Of God). With its profoundly personal but accessible lyrics, the album creates an unadulterated fusion of hard rock with hints of p-funk and thrash creates a loose yet focused atmosphere of good times.
“There is a line in the song where it says, ‘How many likes is my life worth,'” shares Ordine. “The reality of that line hit home like few songs have in my life because of the pressure people have on them to be relevant at all costs. It was awesome and cathartic to be able to recreate such an awesome song and I hope it connects with people and makes them think, like it did with me.”
About a year ago, the German progressive metal band Vanden Plas delivered the music world part one of their two part concept album, The Ghost Xperiment. Entitled The Ghost Xperiment - Awakening, the album ended on a cliffhanger, where during a séance, Gideon Grace, the main character, at last encounters the ghosts who have haunted him since his childhood. Ghosts? Exactly! Now comes the dramatic conclusion of the story with their new album, The Ghost Xperiment - Illumination, out on December 4.
Watch a video for the album opener "When The World Is Falling Down" below, and pre-order/save The Ghost Xperiment - Illumination on CD/LP/Digital here.
"For years, I've felt driven by the idea of writing a ghost story that casts a different light on the genre, and .. at the end leaves the audience with a plausible explanation," author and Vanden Plas lead vocalist Andy Kuntz elucidates. As for his inspiration for the story, Kuntz came across the Phillip-Experiment, an authentic and credibly documented investigation of necromancy... literally, conjuring dead spirits. "I knew immediately that I had found the basis for the story that I had been seeking for so long."
Thus developed the story for The Ghost Xperiment, which continues in the second part Illumination, and reaches its startling conclusion. But of course these intelligent, inventive story telling lyrics need a strong musical vehicle for delivery and Vanden Plas astounds in that respect. While the orchestral arrangements in the first album in the saga had been reduced compared to the two previous Chronicles Of The Immortals series, this time the progressive aspects of the band’s sound are even more apparent. Along with the band's brilliant musicians, Stephan Lill (guitar), Günter Werno (keyboards), Andreas Lill (drums), and Torsten Reichert (bass), prestigious guests also add to this incredible showing. Alea from the leading German medieval rock band Saltatio Mortis joins Kuntz for a duet on the bonus track "Krieg kennt keine Sieger", Snow White Blood singer Ulli Perhonen shines in "Black Waltz Death" and "The Ghost Engineers", and the backing vocals team is made up of longtime musical colleagues including Oliver Hartmann from Avantasia and Herbie Langhans from Firewind.
This highly concentrated musical power, paired with unexpected twists such as in "Black Waltz Death" or the 13-minute long "The Ouroboros" is what makes The Ghost Xperiment - Illumination so incredibly gripping. In addition, with the opener "World is Falling Down", Vanden Plas has created an unbelievably driving steam hammer engine and with "Under the Horizon", a true prog anthem. After hearing its hypnotic refrain just once, it's already impossible to imagine the band's musical universe without it.
In short, Vanden Plas continues to dedicatedly pursue their own unique path.
The band’s creativity has not been deterred by the current pandemic. Theater engagements naturally had to be temporarily suspended, but in the months preceding, Vanden Plas had already showcased their own rock opera Everyman in Pforzheim, Der Herbst des Winterkönigs (The Autumn of the Winterking) in Amberg, and American Idiot at the Prinzregententheater in Munich as well as at the Tiroler Landestheater in Innsbruck. Those kinds of productions are no small undertaking, but despite the limits being pushed, the band performed Concerto For Group and Orchestra, the masterwork from Deep Purple keyboardist Jon Lord, in Kaiserslautern and also found time to finalize the song material for The Ghost Xperiment - Illumination.
Even in a time of crisis, the band has managed to progress, to give their best, and to present their fans with another glorious work that literally explodes with variety and vitality. The Ghost Xperiment - Illumination is precisely the medicine that we all need right now.
Tracklisting:
"When The World Is Falling Down"
"Under The Horizon"
"Black Waltz Death"
"The Lonely Psychogon"
"Fatal Arcadia"
"The Ouroboros"
"Ghost Engineers"
"Krieg kennt keine Sieger" feat. Alea/Saltatio Mortis (Bonus Track)
"When The World Is Falling Down" video:
"Under The Horizon" lyric video:
Lineup:
Andy Kuntz - Vocals
Stephan Lill - Guitar
Günter Werno - Keyboards
Andreas Lill - Drums
Torsten Reichert - Bass
Dee Snider and HALESTORM's Lzzy Hale have teamed up for their thoroughly rock 'n roll rendition of the Snider-penned holiday classic "The Magic Of Christmas Day". This version features lots of bells, rowdy riffs, and the two iconic vocalists playing off one another for an unforgettable offering. This festive and fiery duet is sure to find itself on repeat on the Christmas playlists of rockers, rollers, and headbangers everywhere this holiday season.
The official music video for the song, which is now available at all DSPs via BFD/The Orchard, can be seen below.
"Originally written and recorded as a Christmas gift for my wife Suzette with no plan for commercial release, years later 'The Magic Of Christmas Day (God Bless Us Everyone)' was discovered and recorded by Celine Dion for her holiday record 'These Are Special Times', which went on to become the biggest selling holiday album in history — and is the reason we refer to her as 'Saint Celine' in my house. When it was recently suggested that I should finally record this song myself, I knew I needed to bring in a young powerhouse vocalist to not only duet with me, but light a Yuletide fire under my ass! I only knew of one rock vocalist who could deliver on all those fronts, and she did in spades: the incredible Lzzy Hale of HALESTORM!"
Hale weighs in, saying: "If you're ever in your life gonna go full-on, all-gas, no-brakes 'Christmas Cheer,' you do it Dee Snider-style. I was so honored to get the call from Dee on his holiday classic 'The Magic Of Christmas Day'. After exchanging a few very affectionate '[email protected]&k yous' as we rediscovered our respect and admiration for each other's talent, the final recording produced by the legendary Jeff Pilson is insanely epic. Thank you so much to everyone for having me. And considering we will ALL be experiencing a very different holiday season in 2020, I hope that this song brings you joy and puts a smile on your face. God bless us everyone!"
This past August, Snider said during an appearance on the "Behind The Vinyl" podcast that he was recording a new version of "The Magic Of Christmas Day" with ex-NIGHTWISH frontwoman Tarja Turunen.
Dion reportedly heard "God Bless Us Everyone" from a sound engineer and wanted to record it for her first Christmas album, 1998's "These Are Special Times". Snider gave his blessing, but he asked that nobody reveal his identity, because he feared Dion would change her mind if she discovered the man behind the tune was a controversial rocker. The song, retitled "The Magic Of Christmas Day (God Bless Us Everyone)", went on to sell 10 million copies worldwide. The album credit reads D. Snider.
The next year, Dion and Rosie O'Donnell redid the song as a duet on Rosie's Christmas album and opened O'Donnell's Christmas special on ABC with it.
German progressive metallers M.I.GOD. performed a livestream show on Saturday, November 14th over YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. Check out the full show below; it begins at the 6:20 mark.
M.I.GOD's latest album, Specters On Parade, was released in February 2019 and is the first of two concept albums from M.I.GOD. It features 21 tracks in total, 13 being full songs connected with short interludes to tie the concept together. Specters On Parade in the follow-up to M.I.GOD.'s 2012 album, Floor 29, marking an epic return following the tragic death of bassist Matt Weber that sidelined the band.
The tracklist is as follows:
"Vertigo"
"The Solitary Ghost"
"Tongues Of Poison"
"We All Belong To The Dark"
"Embracing The Neon"
"Titans Of The Void"
"The Sleeping Cruelty"
"Atelier Macabre"
"Specters On Parade"
"Sonata In Tenebris (Interlude I)"
"Tears Of Today"
"What's Your Favorite Scourge"
"Chances"
"The Call"
"Weight Of A Million Souls"
"Cluster (Interlude II)"
"Bound To A Daydream"
"Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea"
"The Threshold"
"Terminus Life"
"I Feed You My Love"
For information and updates on M.I.GOD. go to the band's official Facebook page here.
Bark is a metal band from Antwerp, Belgium, which had its beginning in late 2014 and was born from the ashes of the rock ‘n’ roll band Aguardente. Drummer Ward Van der Straeten and guitarists Rui Da Silva and Martin Furia (ex-Jesusmartyr and Furia), began to play and laid the foundations for a new band. Given the nature of the short, rabid songs they were making, they decided to call the band Bark.
With a view to the release of Written In Stone, their third full-length material that will be released on December 10, the group presents the official video for the song "I'm A Wreck", the first single of the aforementioned album in question.
The track is a brutal and faithful demonstration of the essence of the band. Aggressive riffs, forceful drums and fierce voices are some of the features present in the first single of the new Bark LP, which acts as a prelude to everything that the audience will be able to find on the album.
The band recorded their new LP where the limits have been pushed even further, turning it into an album of extremes, in which brutality meets melody in a more than wild way. Produced, mixed and mastered by Martín Furia (Nervosa, Evil Invaders, Destruction, Flotsam and Jetsam) at Trix in Ambers, this LP will set the bar high for the whole.
Written in Stone will be Bark's third studio album and will be available on December 10 on all digital platforms.The album cover was designed by the Brazilian artist Alcides Burn, who has worked with such artists as Krisiun, Obituary, Lockup, among others.
Martín Furia, guitarist and producer of the album, had the following to say regarding this release:
“After two albums with great reception in Europe, we are very excited that" Written in Stone "can be released in Latin America. We are proud to have done it entirely from songwriting to final mixing ourselves. We think this is the best example of what the band is capable of, from brutality and intensity to groove and melody. "
US glam rockers Wildstreet have released a brand new music video for “Still Love You”, it's the full version of their new single which was released in October via Golden Robot Records.
Two Minutes To Late Night is back, this time with a cover of Thin Lizzy's "Emerald", lifted from the band's 1976 album, Jailbreak.
A message states: "Body Positivity Lizzy! We covered 'Emerald' with some old friends, new friends, and a couch you've all become very concerned for over the past 9 months. This is our 30th (!!!) bedroom cover made with the support of Patreon. With so many musicians stuck at home with no outlets, we're going to keep producing these style videos and use Patreon to give some money to everyone who has a part in them. Please support our friends by donating to our newly redone Patreon at honorableswords.com.
This cover features Nate Garrett and his puppies (Spirit Adrift), Santos Montano (Old Man Gloom), Jeff Matz (High On Fire), Brett Campbell (Pallbearer), Jeff Martin (Lo-Pan), and Jordan Olds aka Gwarsenio Hall.
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