**UPDATE**: The original version of this article incorrectly stated that DESTRUCTION only played one show — on Saturday (July 4) — in front of a less-than-sold-out crowd. DESTRUCTION frontman Schmier has since informed BLABBERMOUTH.NET that two concerts were held, with Friday's (July 3) show drawing 250 people and Saturday's gig — which actually went on sale first — attended by a capacity crowd of 300 fans.
German thrashers DESTRUCTION played their first two concerts after the coronavirus pandemic closures on Friday (July 3) and Saturday (July 4) in Pratteln, Switzerland. In response to COVID-19 restrictions, only 300 tickets were made available for each show at the 1,600-capacity Z7 club. According to DESTRUCTION frontman Schmier, 250 people attended Friday's gig, and 300 fans were present at last night's show.
A couple of weeks before the Z7 concerts, Schmier spoke to Anne Erickson of Audio Ink Radio about the prospect of playing shows amid the pandemic. He said: "It feels a little bit surreal. Nobody expected this to come back so quick, but we're in the lucky position to live on the Swiss border, and Switzerland is far ahead of all the other countries … And there are very little corona cases, so that will be an interesting experience… It's going to feel weird to play a show again, because this is the first time in 20 years that we didn't play a show in three months. It's the longest time ever. It's very exciting, of course. We look forward to playing again, but it's going to feel a little weird, for sure."
Schmier also expressed his optimism about the prospect of additional live events in the coming weeks.
"What we're experiencing now is the first trial of concerts, and Switzerland, also, is far ahead, so the whole world will watch the country and see the developments. So, it's going to be interesting, and hopefully we're not going to get hit hard again, but the way things go at the moment, it looks good. Switzerland is open just a couple of weeks already. In Germany, we're still wearing masks when we're going grocery shopping and stuff, but in Switzerland, there's no masks needed anymore."
In a separate interview with The Metal Voice, Schmier said that he is not interested in performing drive-in concerts during the coronavirus crisis. "I'm not playing for cars," he said. "It's wrong — it's just wrong. If this is the last step to do — to play live shows in front of cars — I might think about it. But at the moment, no way — it's not working for metal. Metal people have to move, and we wanna feel the bass. This auto concerts, the music is on your radio, on your stereo in your car. There's no P.A. system. It's not a live impression, really. You're sitting in your car.
"I understand people doing this now, because people are desperate," Schmier added. "But [it's] not for DESTRUCTION. We had the offer to do this, actually, but I don't wanna rip my fans off with shit like this. I'm sorry."
As the coronavirus disease continues to spread, live event organizers have been canceling or postponing large gatherings, including concerts and festivals.
Entertainers, crew and other workers in the industry have already lost billions of dollars as a result of COVID-19-related cancelations, representing only a small fraction of the financial devastation that will be experienced by workers in the sector as cancelations continue to roll in.
In early April, Dr. Ezekiel "Zeke" Emanuel, one of the key architects of the Affordable Care Act and a special adviser to the director general of the World Health Organization, told The New York Times that he doesn't anticipate it to be safe to return to concerts, sporting events and other mass public gatherings until the fall of 2021.
According to the Centers For Disease Control And Prevention, large events and mass gatherings can contribute to the spread of COVID-19 in the United States via travelers who attend these events and introduce the virus to new communities.
Two months ago, DESTRUCTION delivered a treat for fans stuck at home and unable to attend live shows: "Born To Thrash - Live In Germany", the band's first live album with the current lineup, is out now digitally on all streaming and download platforms.
DESTRUCTION's latest album, "Born To Perish", was released in August 2019 via Nuclear Blast.
Destruction on stage as we speak at the legendary Z7 in Pratteln, Switzerland! ?
Whitesnake's Joel Hoekstra stopped by Guitar World to give an exclusive lesson of the solo from band's single, "Get Up", off of their new album, Flesh & Blood. It features one of Joel's favorite soloing techniques, two-finger tapping.
Rhino Records recently released The Rock Album by Whitesnake - a new collection that features revisited, remixed and remastered versions of the group’s best rock songs. The album is the first release in the band’s “Red, White and Blues Trilogy,” a series of fresh, new collections organized by musical themes that will include: Love Songs (Red), The Rock Album (White) and The Blues Album (Blue).
In the album’s liner notes, Whitesnake founder and lead singer David Coverdale writes: “All the 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.”
The Rock Album spans over three decades with songs originally released between 1984 and 2011 on six Whitesnake studio albums. One track – “She Give Me” – is taken from Coverdale’s 2000 solo album, Into The Light.
The group’s music from the 1980s is well represented by “Love Ain’t No Stranger” from Slide It In (1984) and “Judgement Day” from Slip Of The Tongue (1989), as well as “Still Of The Night,” “Give Me All Your Love” and the #1 smash “Here I Go Again” from Whitesnake’s 1987 self-titled album, which has been certified mega-platinum.
Restless Heart (1997) gets its due on the collection with four songs, including the blistering “Can’t Stop Now”. The Rock Album also features music from 2008’s Good To Be Bad (“Best Years” and “Can’t You Hear The Wind Blow”), in addition to the title track from 2011’s Forevermore. Other highlights from The Rock Album include a remixed version of “All Or Nothing” that features additional guitars pulled from the original multi-track tapes, plus an alternate arrangement of “Tell Me How” from Forevermore.
The Rock Album is available digitally, on CD, and as a 2-LP set pressed on 180-gram, white vinyl. Order yours now at this location.
CD / Streaming:
“Still Of The Night”
“Best Years”
“Tell Me How”
“Love Ain’t No Stranger”
“All Or Nothing”
“Give Me All Your Love”
“Can You Hear The Wind Blow”
“Restless Heart”
“Anything You Want”
“Here I Go Again”
“Judgement Day”
“She Give Me”
“Crying”
“Can’t Stop Now”
“Always The Same” *
“Forevermore”
LP:
Side A
“Still Of The Night”
“Best Years”
“Tell Me How”
“Love Ain’t No Stranger”
Side B
“All Or Nothing”
“Give Me All Your Love”
“Can You Hear The Wind Blow”
“Restless Heart”
Side C
“Anything You Want”
“Here I Go Again”
“Judgement Day”
“She Give Me”
Side D
“Crying”
“Can’t Stop Now”
“Always The Same” *
“Forevermore”
Kamelot keyboardist Oliver Palotai has checked in with new content for the fans:
"Sometimes friends, fans, musicians come up with beautiful Kamelot covers. Here's a special one."
"End Of Innocence" is taken from Kamelot's 2015 album, Haven.
Mixing progressive rock, jazz, classical, and progressive metal, Montreal-based CYDEMIND is a special and unique band, one we’ll be hearing a lot more from in the future. Influenced by such bands as Dream Theater. Symphony X. Haken, Neal Morse Band, and jazzmen like Avishai Cohen and Tigran Hamasyan, violinist Olivier Allard describes their sound as “violin meets instrumental prog metal!”.
Prolific artists, Cydemind released its first EP Through Mists and Ages back in 2014 and soon after its single ‘What Remains’. After a few years of writing and refining their sound, the quintet (violin, bass, piano, guitar, drums) came back with their first full-length album. Entitled Erosion, its six tracks are centered around the theme of nature and its persistence through time. Epic is the word here, with one track clocking in at an impressive 27 minutes. ‘Erosion’ was released independently on Bandcamp, iTunes, Amazon, Spotify and all major online retailers.
Cydemind then branched off a bit from the usual metal band musical path to produce the music for the indie video game Navyblue And The Spectrum Killers. The game released in September 2018 and is available on Steam. In addition to writing the whole soundtrack for the game, Cydemind also released two singles ‘Navyblue’ and ‘Lights of Iberia’ as bonus content for the game.
To further expand their musical soundscape and reach new audiences, the versatile band released its first music video ‘Winter’ in March 2019. The single is an arrangement of Vivaldi’s ‘Winter Violin Concerto’ from the Four Seasons. Shot in various locations in Quebec, Canada, the video highlights both the majestic Canadian winter and the highly energetic performance of the band.
In addition to its recording experiences, the band has performed many times in the Montreal area since 2011 in venues like : the Foufounes Électriques, the Katacombes, the Plaza Theater and more. They recently created the first edition of Proggy Nights in Canada, a small tour that reunited 3 Canadian prog bands in Québec City, Montreal and Toronto.
Aside from their performance expertise, Olivier (violin) and Camille (piano) have also been teaching their instrument for many years. Olivier is a doctorate student in violin performance at University of Montreal, while Camille graduated from the classical piano program at CEGEP St-Laurent in Montreal.
For information on Cydemind go to their official Facebook page here.
One of Lenny Kravitz's classics, “Again”, has just received a folk re-interpretation courtesy of Aline Happ, frontwoman of Lyria. While in the original version, the rock n' roll sound is very present, in this version, the guitar and drums are replaced by violins, acoustic guitar, percussion, and even synthesizers and harpsichord accompanied by the bass. The song is part of a series of videos that already includes covers of “Stricken” by Disturbed, “Titanium” by David Guetta, and “We Found Love” by Rihanna.
“This song is very beautiful, the melody and the lyrics are very emotional. It is also very different from what I am used to singing, so I thought it would be fun to make a version of it in a more acoustic, folk and intimate style,” says Aline Happ.
During the COVID-19 quarantine, each person discovered a new talent. In the case of Aline Happ, it was through these videos that she became a music producer in addition to editing the clips, as highlighted by Aline below:
“Since we are living these strange times, without concerts, I felt the need to produce even more, so I decided to venture into this world of production. I'm learning a lot. I've been creating a lot of videos, images, art, marketing plans, etc. for Lyria, but I don't produce the recording of the songs, just the Lockdown Sessions. I always wanted to record versions, and now, without concerts, I decided it was the right time to launch my channel and try some new things.”
Among the novelties of this video is the launch of the sponsorship of the channel, via Patreon and it already has quite a few fans, mentioned at the end of the video. The support modality acts as an incentive for artists, especially for the independent ones.
“It is like an advantage club. I offer different rewards from having the names in the credits of my videos, to chat via Skype, also surprise boxes, backstage footage, among other things. Donations are monthly and people can donate from $1 per month. Each amount has a different reward. And it is always possible to increase, decrease or even cancel the donation,” explains Aline Happ.
Known worldwide, Lyria is a Brazilian band founded in 2012 by Aline Happ. Since then, the group has released two albums with crowdfunding support, Catharsis (2014) and Immersion (2018) and played in several Brazilian cities.
Danish thrash / prog metallers, Manticora, performed inside Bullhead City Circus at Germany's Wacken Open Air festival in summer 2019. Watch the band's full set below.
Manticora recently unveiled the cover artwork for their upcoming (9th) album, To Live To Kill To Live - yet another amazing piece of art, created by the talented Danish painter / tattoo artist David Troest.
At the same time, the band exposed the tracklisting for the new album, which is the follow-up to 2018's To Kill To Live To Kill - the two albums, combined, complete the Manticora concept double-album, based on the thriller / horror novel that lead singer, Lars F. Larsen has written.
The 334 page novel itself was released in May 2018, followed by the first album of the concept in August 2018.
"Katana - The Moths And The Dragonflies/Katana - Mud"
"To Nanjing" (Instrumental)
"The Farmer's Tale Pt. 3 - Eaten By The Beasts"
"Slaughter In The Desert Room"
"Through The Eyes Of The Killer - Filing Teeth"
"Katana - Death Of The Meaning Of Life"
"Tasered/Ice Cage"
"Goodbye Tina"
"Tasered/Removal"
"Stalin Strikes" (Instrumental)
"Ten Thousand Cold Nights"
"Katana - Beheaded"
The music on both albums was recorded partially in the band's own studio and recorded / mixed in Hansen Studios, with producer, Jacob Hansen (Volbeat, Destruction) who also produced the first two Manticora albums back in the last millennium.
Guitarists Adam Bell and Ross McLellan of UK-based death metal powerhouse, Viscera, are featured in this new episode of the Guitar World series, Sick Riffs. In the clip below, they teach you how to play through the verse riff of title track of the band's new album, Obsidian.
Obsidian sees the band, which features a veteran lineup that includes ex - Sylosis and Heart Of A Coward vocalist Jamie Graham as well as former members of Martyr Defiled and Abhorrent Decimation, immediately establishing themselves as a force to be reckoned with in extreme metal. The nine track effort showcases all of the fearless brutality, thrilling technicality, and song writing maturity that one would expect from musicians of their pedigree.
The album was mixed and mastered by Michael Leo Valeri (Brand of Sacrifice) with artwork being provided by Shindy Reehal (Ingested, Harbinger). Order here.
Tracklisting:
“Delilah”
“Immersed In Ire”
“Lamb To The Slaughter”
“Carpe Noctem”
“Affliction”
“Hammers And Nails”
“Lilith”
“Obsidian”
“Silentium”
The final Quarantine Sessions video from modern metal band Imonolith, “Breathe,” is available now. Watch below.
“This is when the album takes a bit of a turn, offering a different vibe. Instantly this song sets itself apart from the others with a melodic clean guitar intro, accompanied with some cool sounding effects,” says vocalist Jon Howard. “My vocals beginning in the first verse are very relaxed and chill sounding, then build into a larger than life chorus. When I first heard the demo of this song, it sounded like it had been written before, like it was already a big hit from another band. Nope! It’s a new song, and we wrote it. So that’s a really good sign that we have something big here! Also, this song really captures our low tuned guitars, and even though it’s a slower tempo and very melodic, it crushes pretty damn hard with heavy guitars at the same time.”
Howard has also been testing his editing skills with each of the Quarantine Sessions videos, with each band member recording his own footage at home and sending video to the singer to compile.
“Each video in the quarantine series is footage taken by the band members in their home,” Howard says. “They record video with several different angles playing each song on the album, then send the footage to me for editing. Each song has a unique feeling, so when editing each video, I try to capture that with different filters and editing techniques. The goal when recording my own video footage is to do something completely different each time. I am fortunate to have a lot of space in my home and have come up with several new ideas when shooting my play through footage. For example, in this video I sang in a room with all the guitars I own. The various colors and lighting create a very warm vibe for this song. Since this is a more melodic slower tempo song, I felt this was a great approach.”
Imonolith features drummer Ryan Van Poederooyen (Devin Townsend Project), guitarist Brian ‘Beav’ Wadell (Devin Townsend Project), Jon Howard (Threat Signal), guitarist Kai Huppunen (Methods of Mayhem, Noise Therapy) and Scott Whalen (Econoline Crush). The collective of heavy-hitting players is at the top of their game recently releasing their debut album, State Of Being. The album features special guest appearances from Jens Kidman (Meshuggah) and famed Swedish vocalist Johannes Eckerström and is made up of 10 hook-laden, riff-heavy tracks that center around the theme of how people deal with various stages of life.
Tracklisting:
"State Of Being" (intro)
"Becoming The Enemy" (feat. Johannes Eckerstrom)
"Instinct"
"Dig"
"The Mourning"
"Forgone"
"Breathe"
"The Reign" (feat. Jens Kidman)
"We Never Forget"
"Hollow"
"Persevere"
Swedish multi-instrumentalist Rikard Sjöblom recently announced his new album under the Gungfly moniker, Alone Together. Set for release on September 4, it follows an extremely productive past few years, whether it be working with English progressive rockers Big Big Train, or taking the lead with Gungfly.
Today sees the launch of the first single, "Happy Somewhere In Between" and you can watch the video below.
Rikard comments: “I wanted to write an upbeat prog-rocker about a subject I was reading about, and got intrigued by: the dynamics in a relationship - how one person can be needy and the other one avoidant. These personality traits sometimes attract each other but then things get problematic when one needs a lot of attention and the other one tends to feel trapped by it. It’s also about mixing things up in general and pretty much a fun song about serious stuff.”
Alone Together will be available as a Limited CD Digipak (with two bonus tracks), Gatefold LP + CD & as Digital Album. Pre-order here.
Rikard comments: “I started writing these songs about a year ago but then it took some time to get started with the production because I had two tours lined up, one with Big Big Train in November and then opening solo for The Flower Kings on their European tour in December. After that my focus shifted back to Gungfly and it felt really nice so it all came together pretty fast!”
Alone Together saw Gungfly recording as a trio, with brothers and previous collaborators Petter and Rasmus Diamant on drums and bass respectively. “It was a lot of fun playing both keyboards and guitar because I had come up with a lot of nice parts but I knew early on that I wanted to make the album with the brothers on drums and bass - luckily they were very up for it!” This ‘power-trio’ have focussed on the rock this time, and you can hear that loud and clear: “I didn’t want to smother the production with layers upon layers of keyboards and bells and whistles but instead tried to keep it prog rock with the focus on ROCK. I wanted every instrument to mean something in the mix.” This is evident on tracks like "Happy Somewhere In Between" and the 13-minute epic "Traveler", where Gungfly have never hit harder.
The album cover features a painting by American artist Kevin Sloan (The Flower Kings). Rikard comments of the piece: “I had just written lyrics for the song ‘From Afar’ and was looking at Kevin’s paintings when I came across this one and I couldn’t believe the connection, particularly the lyric “A million eyes watching glimpses of each other’s lives”.”
Tracklisting:
"Traveler
"Happy Somewhere In Between"
"Clean as a Whistle"
"Alone Together"
"From Afar"
"On The Shoulders Of Giants"
"Grove Thoughts" (Bonus Track)
"Shoulder Variations" (Bonus Track)
Ennio Morricone, the Oscar-winning composer of "The Ecstasy Of Gold", the song from the classic film "The Good, The Bad And The Ugly" which has been opening METALLICA live shows since 1983, has died. He was 91.
According to Morricone's longtime lawyer, the composer died early Monday in a Rome hospital of complications following a fall, in which he broke a leg.
In response to the news, METALLICA wrote on social media: "R.I.P. Ennio Morricone, Your career was legendary, your compositions were timeless. Thank you for setting the mood for so many of our shows since 1983."
Back in the mid-1980s, METALLICA frontman James Hetfield explained why he and his bandmates chose "The Ecstasy Of Gold" as their intro music.
He said: "Originally we had a really dreadful tape as our intro. Just the sound of a heart with the beat getting faster. Rubbish. Then our manager at the time came up with the idea of replacing it with 'The Ecstasy Of Gold'. And from the first time we used it, something happened. It just set us up for the night, and got the fans excited."
METALLICA eventually recorded a metalized cover version of "The Ecstasy Of Gold" for inclusion on a tribute to Morricone, also featuring some of the greatest names from the worlds of contemporary pop, rock, jazz, and classical music. It was released in February 2007 via Sony Classical.
METALLICA played "The Ecstasy Of Gold" live for the first time ever in July 2009 at the Forum in Copenhagen, Denmark.
R.I.P. Ennio Morricone
Your career was legendary, your compositions were timeless. Thank you for setting the mood for so many of our shows since 1983.
Sweden’s HammerFall have returned with another episode of HammerFall TV, this time guitarist Oscar Dronjak discusses 2016’s Built To Last album.
Episode 9 focused on 2002's Crimson Thunder.
Episode 8 centered on 2006's Threshold.
Episode 7 revolved around 2011's Infected:
HammerFall recently announced they have cancelled their scheduled North American tour. A message from the band follows:
"Some of you have already started to get your refunds, so now it's official: the North American tour that was to take place in September/October is cancelled. That sucks, but with the current global pandemic wreaking havoc on the world we (meaning the local promoters, booking agent and the band) had no choice.
"We are hopeful to be able to rebook the tour for a future time, but since everything is so unstable at the moment the decision was made to scrap it altogether and return to it when things have calmed down. We are as sorry for this as you are, but hope you have understanding for our predicament brought on by the Corona virus.
"Stay safe, stay healthy, stay metal, and take care of each other!"
Swedish doom / sludge metal band Serpent Omega are back after seven years away with their new single / video "Land Of Darkness", taken from the band's forthcoming new full-length, II. The album arrives September 4th via Icons Creating Evil Art.
“Land Of Darkness” is a showcase for vocalist Urskogr’s rasped and guttural delivery, filthier than ever but tempered by clean passages, adding elements of both strength and vulnerability which only deepen the overall sense of a looming end. Urskogr from the band explains:
"'Land Of Darkness' basically sums up the essence of Serpent Omega with its brutal energy and simple yet complex sound. The lyrics were written by me and Jonson while we were recording the song. Like most of the stuff Serpent Omega does, we do it together and everyone contributes with a lot of passion. That is usually a really time-consuming process since we rarely agree about stuff in the band, but 'Land Of Darkness' was more like binge drinking with Lemmy, in comparison to our usual way of working. The riffs were written a while before the lyrics but when they merged together it was a perfect fit. The song was just there. 'Land Of Darkness' needed to be unleashed and it basically wrote itself."
Serpent Omega meld sludge, doom, metal and crust into a unique and sordid brew. The first and self-titled album was released in 2013. The long-awaited sequel II was recorded in Stockholm, Sweden by Jonsson at Dark Prod Studios, mixed at Studio Humbucker by Robert Pehrsson (Runemagick, Death Breath, Robert Pehrsson’s Humbucker) and finally mastered by Magnus Lindberg Productions (Cult Of Luna).
To say it sounds grotesquely heavy and good is obviously an understatement. Seven years since its debut, the Stockholm-based quartet offers the perfect soundtrack to what may well be the end of the world as we know it. It’s all here… despair, hopelessness, fury, and perhaps a glimmer of bloody triumph and distant hope in the inevitability of a new beginning. The songs are a pile of bleak upon bleaker riffs that move from a slow and low crawl into d-beat and black metal territory with a smattering of NWOBHM in for good measure.
Serpent Omega has recently changed personnel, bringing well-renowned drummer Peter Stjärnvind, a.k.a Fast Feet Pete (Entombed, Nifelheim, Merciless) joining original members Urskogr (vocals), Brief (bass) and Jonsson (guitar).
For further details, visit Serpent Omega on Facebook.
Finnish war-machine Front has released their new video, "Venom & Salt". The track hails from the band's new mini-album, Antichrist Militia, released June 5th via Iron Bonehead Productions.
Guitarist / songwriter Von Bastard states: "As we made the Antichrist Militia record by ourselves all the way - produced, engineered, recorded, mixed - we wanted to try if we could pull out a video also. We didn't want to do another easy lyric video with a few still images looping around mindlessly like the trend is today. We wanted to do the video in an old-school way, and I think we captured that spirit. The video was made with zero budget, DIY all the way. It really is an honest attempt, despite its warts and all. It was clear to us that the place where to shoot the video should be in the very same place where the record was created."
"This song is an all-out attack on sheep mentality spread by Abrahamic religions. Their ignorance shall be reduced to ashes and scattered into the scorched ground with all the venom and salt," vocalist / lyricist Kaosbringer rasps out.
Antichrist Militia cover art, courtesy of Jenglot Hitam, and tracklisting are as follows:
Night Demon have announced their new single, "Vysteria", for worldwide release via Century Media Records. A music video can be found below.
The "Vysteria" single marks Night Demon’s fourth 7” vinyl release of 2020. The song title is a fictitious word conjured by the band’s own darkened fertile imagination. It is defined as “exaggerated or uncontrollable emotion or excitement incited by the media, especially among a group of people during a pandemic.”
Lyrically, the song is a clear-eyed, unflinching examination of what life has become during the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic. “Vysteria” is not a political statement for these emotionally charged times; however, it does single out for critical scrutiny the mass media’s role in igniting, fueling and exacerbating the virus-related fears that have gripped so many from all different walks of life, socioeconomic statuses, and cultural backgrounds. The band penned this song in late March 2020, and ensuing events have only served to reinforce and validate their observations.
Musically, “Vysteria” is as savage, hard-charging and relentlessly uncompromising as anything in Night Demon’s catalog. It has to be, really. The song channels all of our collective anger and frustration with the present state of affairs into a mighty roar, a cathartic primal scream from the rooftops.
As a special treat, the 7” vinyl version of the song features an exclusive mix by legendary producer Randy Burns, whose credits include Megadeth's Peace Sells … But Who’s Buying?, as well as thrashterpieces by Possessed, Nuclear Assault, Dark Angel, Kreator and Death, among others. The Randy Burns vinyl mix is completely different than that featured on the digital / video version of “Vysteria,” which was mixed by Kurt Ballou, guitarist of seminal hardcore punk pioneers Converge. The vinyl also includes a highly prized B-side, in the form of a live rendition of Iron Maiden’s “Wasted Years”. Although “Wasted Years” has sporadically been featured as an electrifying encore to Night Demon’s live performances, this version holds particular significance for die-hard fans. You see, this recording is the lone previously unreleased track from the band’s historic set at the Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland, Ohio on December 2, 2017, which became the acclaimed triple-live opus Live Darkness. “Wasted Years” was Night Demon’s final encore on that magical winter’s night, and the Vysteria 7” vinyl is the only place where it can be re-lived in all of its unvarnished glory.
The single will be available as:
- Lilac 7” (200 - High Roller / Band Shop)
- Transparent green 7” (300 Band Shop)
- Digital Audio Bundle (all platforms)
Polish female-fronted heavy metal act, Crystal Viper, have released a special lockdown version of "Still Alive", the single taken from their last studio album, Tales Of Fire And Ice.
"All our recent live shows got canceled or moved to 2021, so we decided to work on new music, and to give our fans something extra in the meantime", says Crystal Viper frontwoman Marta Gabriel. "All the tracks were recorded live at our homes. It's also worth mentioning that it's the very first Crystal Viper recording with 3 guitarists," she adds.
LINKIN PARK's music video for the song "In The End" has surpassed one billion views on YouTube. It is the second LINKIN PARK track to reach the milestone; back in November 2018, "Numb" achieved the same feat.
The official "In The End" clip that has hit the one-billion wasn't uploaded to YouTube until October 2009, almost a decade after the video's original release.
LINKIN PARK's Mike Shinoda spoke about the creation of "In The End" in an interview with Linkin Park Web. He said: "I came up with the piano and the chorus music and chorus lyrics. Then Brad [Delson, guitar] came up with the guitar in the verse and we worked on the bassline and composition. From there, I think everybody in the band began chipping in and adding their parts and critiquing each other's parts. And right before we went into the studio to record it, we scrapped the beat I had originally written for the verse, and had Rob [Bourdon, drums] do a new one, which is the one that we recorded."
Surprisingly, LINKIN PARK frontman Chester Bennington didn't care for "In The End" when it was first recorded. "I was never a fan of 'In The End' and I didn't even want it to be on the record, honestly," he told VMusic back in 2012. "How wrong could I have possibly been? I basically decided at that point I don't know what the fuck I'm talking about, so I leave that to other people who are actually talented at somehow picking songs that people are going to like the most. It also gave me a good lesson, as an artist, that I don't necessarily have to only make music, in my band, that I want to listen to. More often than not, something that I like, very few other people like, and something that those people like is something that I kind of like, or don't like at all. And that's cool, it gives me a new appreciation for the songs. But, you know, now I love 'In The End' and I think it's such a great song. I actually see how good of a song it is, it was just hard for me to see it at the time."
LINKIN PARK recently said it had some "special things planned" this year to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its debut album, "Hybrid Theory".
The band's YouTube channel boasts more than 16 million subscribers, and the highest-viewed video on the channel is the aforementioned official clip for "Numb", which has been seen 1.4 billion times.
LINKIN PARK has not performed together in public since October 2017, when the surviving members staged a tribute concert in Los Angeles to Bennington.
The band has not officially announced whether it intends to carry on following the death of the singer, who committed suicide at the age of 41.
U.D.O. and the Musikkorps der Bundeswehr/Band of the German Armed Forces have released their second single and video, "Neon Diamond". Watch the clip below.
In "Neon Diamond", Udo Dirkschneider shows his entire vocal range in a ballad-like duet with the exceptional singer, Manuela Markewitz.
“The guitar riff immediately reminds you of the time of Metal Heart, plus the incredible voice of the charming Lady Manuela in a duet with Udo, which ensures a great, unique timbre and puts the icing on the cake!"
The new album, We Are One, is due for release on July 17 and can be pre-ordered here.
U.D.O, featuring icon Udo Dirkschneider (the original voice of Accept) presents, together with the renowned Concert Band of the German Armed Forces under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Christoph Scheibling, a unique worldwide musical project.
The album contains 15 new songs that will be released through AFM Records/Soulfood Music. All songs have been developed and arranged by U.D.O. together with Christoph Scheibling. The two former Accept musicians Stefan Kaufmann and Peter Baltes have been part of the songwriting too - as well as the German Armed Forces' composers Guido Rennert and Alexander Reuber. The title of the album, We Are One has been the driving force for everyone involved.
Whatever anyone might think about the 'rock band meets orchestra' collaborations that already exist in the music world, this is far from what We Are One really is. This is one of the most elaborate concept albums the market has ever seen, the hard rocking sound of U.D.O. has not only been intensified by a 60 piece orchestra, but contains some unique arrangements that underline how characteristic yet versatile U.D.O. is.
This project surprises the listener in every aspect, and is a project with a clear statement: We Are One is a critical reflection of a world in which we all leave our mark, and in which we all have to show responsibility.
The songs on We Are One are about the different challenges we are currently facing, climate change ("Future Is The Reason Why"), the worldwide refugee movements ("Live Or Die", "Fridays For Future", "Children Of The World") or the pollution of the environment ("Mother Earth"). With the track "Pandemonium", both parties, U.D.O. as well as the German Armed Forces, also take a clear position against society's right wing. The song "Rebel Town" is a hymn for a 30 years reunited Germany.
This is a project that has made all participants think deeply about the challenges not only for the world, but for their own futures. For Udo Dirkschneider We Are One is a dream that he has had for a long time. Since the show with the Concert Band of the German Armed Forces in Wacken (2015) as well as the Navy Metal Night in Tuttlingen (2014), he fervently wanted to continue and grow the collaboration.
Lieutenant Colonel Christoph Scheibling also agrees: "All composers have done a fantastic job. The songs are excellent and really show the very best of orchestra and band. The album offers a variety that reaches from speed metal to classical metal, from ballad to funk style. As an orchestra, we brought in everything we could, a solo singer, a pipe, a drumline and some oriental percussions included."
Scheibling has been on stage together with U.D.O. in Wacken 2015 already. "The motto back then was Metal, mud and military music", he resumes. "An event that definitely awoke the wish to work together more intensely. Now our crossover project really finds its highlight with We Are One."
U.D.O. and the German Armed Forces are also talking the same language when it comes to the message of We Are One. For the German Armed Forces international, engagements as well as the protection of the environment are two major focus points. Former military areas are becoming integral nature reserves. Soldiers are recruited to fight forest fires and ecological disasters. The German Armed Forces are also supporting the protection of Germany's coastal regions by monitoring the air space to protect it from people polluting the ocean.
"Several songs are pointing out the problems we have with pollution of our environment. We really have some heavy words about our global responsibilty", Christoph Scheibling says. "Never before critical words agains worldwide exaggeration of consumption or all this cyber insanity have been this loud. Never before the voice against protectionism, nationalism and against the right wing have been that intense. Let us join forces for a better planet! We are one!"
Tracklisting:
"Pandemonium"
"We Are One"
"Love And Sin"
"Future Is The Reason Why"
"Children Of The World"
"Blindfold (The Last Defender)"
"Blackout"
"Mother Earth"
"Rebel Town"
"Natural Forces"
"Neon Diamond"
"Beyond Gravity"
"Here We Go Again"
"We Strike Back"
"Beyond Good And Evil"
Swedish hard rockers, Deaf Rat, have released a video for "Bad Blood", a song from the band's debut album, Ban The Light, out now via AFM Records. Watch the clip below, and get the album here.
With Ban The Light, the band serves a dark longplayer with heavy riffs, strong melodies and seductive tunes to twist your mind. The title was taken from the first song that was written for the album - an emotional masterpiece about being different and about standing up for your individuality towards prejudicial people.
Tracklisting:
"Fallen Angels"
"Hail The End Of Days"
"Tying You Down"
"Save Me From Myself"
"Ban The Light"
"Bad Blood"
"Make You Suffer"
"Say You Love Me"
"Wanted Forever"
"Welcome To Hell"
Germany's Stillbirth will release their new beast, Revive The Throne, via Unique Leader Records on August 7. A video for the song "Revive The Throne" can be found below.
The album features 11 songs (36 minutes) and is "the heaviest material we have written so far."
"You can expect razor sharp guitar riffs, pounding drums, a superb vocal arrangement and the first Stillbirth recording with two basses for maximum brutality," says the band. "Once again we had the pleasure to record and mix the album at DPK Studios and got a banging master from our good friends over at Demigod Recordings. Our cover-designer Aghy R Purakusuma did an amazing job as well and we think this is the best Stillbirth album in our history. We can't wait to hear the opinions of our fans."
Tracklisting:
"Degraded To Mutilation"
"Revive The Throne"
"Degeneration"
"Mans Tormentor"
"Panem Et Circenses"
"Breed Of Bestiality"
"Eating Flesh Of The Objector"
"Revolt Of The Weak"
"Echoes Of The Trumpets"
"Unleash The Mutation"
"Dethrone The King"
Tallah will release their new album, Matriphagy, on October 2 via Earache Records. Pre-order the album here, and watch a video for the song "We, The Sad" below.
An original dose of fucked up and disturbing alt-metal insanity! Exhilaratinghly fresh whilst incorporating nostalgic 90s nu-metal vibes - vocalist Justin Bonitz is a man possessed, wildly careering form blood curdling shrieks to lightning quick rap bars. Throw in electronic elements and almighty riffs plus modern hardcore breakdowns and Tallah are 2020's answer to Slipknot.
Notorious for their wild, unhinged and downright dangerous live shows, Tallah have cultivated a fierce live reputation on the underground circuit with multiple US tours and a European festival trip last summer, including their UK debut at Boomtown Fair opening for Napalm Death and Prophets Of Rage.
Matriphagy is a concept album about how an overprotective mother pushes her son to the edge of insanity through psychological and physical abuse. Having spent two decades trapping inside a glorified prison, and after some failed rescue/escape attempts, the son, in a state of heavy delirium, does the unforgivable to free himself from his mother's wicked hold. A disturbingly graphic tale that is to be taken both literally and metaphorically, Matriphagy is set to a pleasurably harrowing backdrown of brutally heavy musicianship, an unapologetic love-letter to chaos, and the sickening twist of the macabre.
Max Portnoy offers the following insight into the musical direction of the band’s latest single: "'The Silo' is the lightest track on the album, and the first time we've experimented with using more dynamics in our music. This song is a good example of showcasing what else we can do with our sound aside from the raw heaviness displayed in all our other tracks."
Tracklisting:
"[Redacted]
"No One Should Read This"
"Kungan"
"Overconfidence"
"Placenta"
"L.E.D."
"The Silo"
"We, The Sad"
"Too Quick To Grieve"
"Cottonmouth"
"Murder Seed"
"The Borderline Of Pain"
"Red Light"
"We, The Sad" video:
"The Silo" video:
Lineup:
Justin Bonitz - Vocals
Max Portnoy - Drums
Derrick Schneider - Guitar
Andrew Cooper - Bass
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