MANOWAR has shared a performance video of the song "Warriors Of The World United", recorded live at the band's first-ever concert in Mexico at the Hell & Heaven Metal Fest on March 14, 2020.
"Warriors Of The World United", first released on MANOWAR's 2002 best-selling album "Warriors Of The World" is the group's hymn dedicated to their fans, affectionally dubbed the Manowarriors.
A few days ago, MANOWAR bassist Joey DeMaio said that the band was working on "ass-kicking" songs for its long-awaited new studio album.
Although MANOWAR has released a couple of EPs in recent years — including "The Revenge Of Odysseus (Highlights)", which came out in June — the group hasn't issued a full-length effort since 2012's "The Lord Of Steel".
Asked in a new interview with Germany's Rock Antenne when MANOWAR fans can expect to see a new studio LP, DeMaio said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Here's the problem: the stuff that we just released ['The Revenge Of Odysseus'] was a small portion of a huge, huge, big work — much bigger than [1992's] 'The Triumph Of Steel'. And so it was kind of the appetizer. Which a lot of people didn't understand. They were, like, 'What is this shit? Classical music, narrations…' But that music was all composed the way Wagner composed; it was setting the tone for the future of what this big work would be, like a meisterwerk. So a lot of people misunderstood it. Well, while we were planning this big epic about Odysseus, the gentleman who spoke the narration as Odysseus passed away. So now we can't honor him with this huge work, because he's gone; he wouldn't be able to perform it live. So now we are going to condense that into a smaller piece that will, of course, this great Greek story and honor the life of Kostas Kazakos; he was the greatest actor in Greece. So that made us kind of shift gears. So now we're working on songs that are what people would normally expect. Instead of some big, epic, long three-, four-hour piece, now we're gonna be working on songs that I think people would expect from MANOWAR — ass-kicking stuff that will fry the hair on your balls, basically."
According to the bassist, there is a good chance that some of MANOWAR's new material will be performed live on the band's "Crushing The Enemies Of Metal Anniversary Tour '23", which celebrates the band's over-four-decades-long career with focus on four signature MANOWAR albums and their anniversaries: 40th anniversary of "Battle Hymns", 35th anniversary of "Fighting The World", 30th anniversary of "The Triumph Of Steel", 20th anniversary of "Warriors Of The World".
"This anniversary tour, is what it is, we're gonna be playing, hopefully, all the stuff people want, but there'll be a couple of the newer tracks in there — stuff that's hard hitting and kicks ass, because the band now has a different guitar player, a different drummer," he said. "And, of course, that changes the energy structure of the band. It always happens when you have different members come in. They bring their energy to what MANOWAR is. It's still MANOWAR, but with a different personality. It's like a different girlfriend, whatever. You get more information. You mix whisky and beer; you still have a lot of alcohol, but it's a different fun."
Asked if the new MANOWAR album is "pretty much finished," Joey said: "Well, let's say some songs are pretty much finished. Because now that we have a new guitar player, all of a sudden, as I said, it changes things and ideas come: 'Let's try this and try that.'"
Conceived as a "thank you" for the steadfast and passionate support of the Greek Manowarriors, "The Revenge Of Odysseus" is MANOWAR's take on Homer's classic tale of the great hero Odysseus and his long and perilous quest to return to his wife and son, and protect his home and family.
MANOWAR played the first of two "secret" warm-up shows in June at Jovel Music Hall in Münster, Germany. DeMaio and his bandmates were billed as THE LORDS OF STEEL (performing "the music of MANOWAR") for the gig, which marked MANOWAR's debut live appearance with new drummer Dave Chedrick, who has previously played with RAVEN and KILL RITUAL, among others.
Chedrick joined MANOWAR as the replacement for Anders Johannson who announced earlier that day that he would be unable to join MANOWAR on the band's "Crushing The Enemies Of Metal Anniversary Tour '22/'23" due to "family commitments."
Based in Los Angeles, Chedrick has been a metal addict his entire life. Early influences include John Bonham, Neil Peart and, most of all, late MANOWAR drummer Scott Columbus. An accomplished studio musician, Dave is praised for his professionalism, easy-going spirit, and willingness to always go the extra mile in the quest for the perfect sound.
Three months ago, MANOWAR announced that it had recruited metal shred legend Michael Angelo Batio to play guitar for the band on its 2023 "Crushing The Enemies Of Metal" tour. The news came in the wake of guitarist Evandro "EV" Martel's announcement that he was taking a break from touring for a while for "personal reasons".
Batio, who will play his first shows with MANOWAR starting February 2023, is a veteran both in the studio and on stage.
Voted by Guitar One magazine the "No. 1 Fastest Guitar Shredder of All Time", Chicago native Batio is an accomplished musician in many genres, but is best known for his lightning-fast metal performances. He is renowned the world over for his technical mastery of the fretboard, extremely fast picking and his invention, the "MAB Over Under" technique. His ability to play a double-necked and quad-necked guitar using both hands has earned him the respect of fans and fellow musicians alike.
"We've known Michael for many years and have always admired his work," said DeMaio. "His technique is astounding. When we invited him to come and jam with us, we played together at the speed of light. Everything fell into place immediately. We're ready for a killer tour!"
Michael Angelo Batio said: "I could not be more excited! I love metal more than anything, and it doesn't get more metal than MANOWAR! I can't wait to get on stage and play for the MANOWAR fans!"
Multi-camera fan-filmed video of PANTERA performing the song "Cowboys From Hell" on December 11 at Knotfest Chile in Santiago can be seen below. Bassist Rex Brown was unable to make the show after testing positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, or SARS-CoV-2. Filling in for him were CATTLE DECAPITATION bassist Derek Engemann, who also plays with PANTERA singer Philip Anselmo in both PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS and SCOUR, and Bobby Landgraf, who previously played with Anselmo in DOWN.
As previously reported, the reformed PANTERA played its fourth concert without Brown on December 18 at Knotfest Brasil at Sambódromo Do Anhembi in São Paulo, Brazil.
On December 12, Brown released the following statement via PANTERA's social media: "I caught a very mild strain of Covid, but because of our own protocols, I simply do not wanna risk getting my brothers or the crew sick!! I'm feeling better & am on my way to a speedy recovery. Merry Fckn Christmas & see you all next year!"
On December 11, Chilean radio station Futuro reported that Brown flew from Bogotá, Colombia, where PANTERA performed at Knotfest Colombia on December 9, back home to the United States to quarantine, thereby missing the remainder of the PANTERA shows in South America.
Joining surviving members Brown and Anselmo in PANTERA's reformed lineup are guitarist Zakk Wylde (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY) and drummer Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX).
The new PANTERA lineup made its live debut on December 2 at Mexico's Hell & Heaven Metal Fest and also performed on December 6 at Monterrey Metal Fest in Monterrey, Mexico.
It was first reported in July that Anselmo and Brown would unite with Wylde and Benante for a world tour under the PANTERA banner.
The band will headline a number of major festivals across North America and Europe and stage some of their own headline concerts. They will also support METALLICA on a massive North American stadium tour in 2023 and 2024.
According to Billboard, the lineup has been given a green light by the estates of the band's founders, drummer Vincent "Vinnie Paul" Abbott and guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, as well as Brown, who last year said Wylde wouldn't tour with PANTERA if a reunion were to happen. It's unclear what changed his mind.
Up until his passing, Vinnie remained on non-speaking terms with Anselmo, whom the drummer indirectly blamed for Dimebag's death.
Vinnie Paul and Dimebag co-founded PANTERA. When PANTERA broke up in 2003, they formed DAMAGEPLAN. On December 8, 2004, while performing with DAMAGEPLAN at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio, Dimebag was shot and killed onstage by a troubled schizophrenic who believed that the members of PANTERA were stealing his thoughts.
Vinnie passed away on June 22, 2018 at his other home in Las Vegas at the age of 54. He died of dilated cardiomyopathy, an enlarged heart, as well as severe coronary artery disease. His death was the result of chronic weakening of the heart muscle — basically meaning his heart couldn't pump blood as well as a healthy heart.
British guitar sensation, Sophie Lloyd, has released a new shred version of the Aerosmith classic, "Dream On". Check it out below.
Following the recent release of her new single, “Do Or Die" feat. Nathan James, Lloyd has dropped a video to accompany the track.
Shot in Birmingham Film Studios by Matt Daley of Clearway Media, the video sees Sophie team up with Inglorious frontman Nathan James, and boasts a stunning performance from fire artist Lula.
“The response to ‘Do Or Die’ has been amazing, and I love seeing people react to the song” says Sophie on the reaction so far. “It's so cool seeing guitarists cover the solos and videos of people having it on in their cars and stuff. It's so awesome to see all the positive comments and it just makes me so much more excited to release the rest of the songs.”
On the video and working with Lula, Sophie says: “Working with Lula was amazing, she is such a talented performer, and takes her craft so seriously and is so dedicated. We've become such great friends and I'm so excited to see what she's doing next.”
“Do Or Die" feat. Nathan James sees the shred extraordinaire team up with the Inglorious frontman for a high octane, hard rocking collaboration, with music written by Sophie, vocals and lyrics by Nathan and a stunning production from famed studio wizard Romesh Dodangoda (BMTH, Nova Twins, BFMV, Motörhead), who will produce the debut album.
Entitled Imposter Syndrome, the full length album is expected next year on Sophie’s own Autumn Records, and will see her collaborating with some impressive names from the world of rock.
“I can finally say that I have new music coming!” says Sophie. “All my music before was instrumental, so this is a very special release for me as it includes vocals, and some of the people we’ve worked with are people I used to have as posters on my wall as a kid, so it feels very full circle. It's something that I have been working on before the first lockdown, and to be here talking about it feels amazing!”
“Do Or Die" is streaming now on all platforms. Watch the video below:
Dave Grohl and Greg Kurstin held the first-ever live edition of their "Hannukah Sessions" project on December 5 at the 250-capacity Largo in Los Angeles, California. This year's event, which was presented by director Judd Apatow, with profits going towards the Anti-Defamation League, featured Jewish rockers presenting both their own songs and choice covers, with Grohl on drums and Kurstin on keys.
The concert was recorded and is now being released as this year's "Hannukah Sessions" video series. The latest track to be made available, a rendition of RUSH' "The Spirit Of Radio", with Jack Black on vocals, can be seen below.
In a note accompanying the cover's release, Grohl wrote: "Geddy Lee's mother was so proud of her son that she put RUSH posters up all over their family store and gave away RUSH albums to kids who didn't have money to buy them. In tribute to that proud Jewish mother, we give you — free of charge — 'The Spirit Of Radio' featuring Jack Black!"
The setlist for the Largo concert was as follows:
01. Spinning Wheel (BLOOD, SWEAT & TEARS cover) (with Judd Apatow)
02. Get The Party Started (P!NK cover) (with P!nk)
03. The Things We Do For Love (10CC cover) (with Inara George)
04. At Seventeen (JANIS IAN cover) (with Violet Grohl)
05. E‑Pro (BECK cover) (with Beck)
06. Heads Will Roll (YEAH YEAH YEAHS cover) (with Karen O)
07. The Spirit Of Radio (RUSH cover) (with Jack Black)
08. We Love L.A. (RANDY NEWMAN cover) (with Greg Kurstin)
09. Just A Gigolo / I Ain't Got Nobody (LOUIS PRIMA cover) (with Kyle Gass)
Grohl and Kurstin originally launched the "Hanukkah Sessions" project during the pandemic. The inaugural "Sessions" featured covers of songs by BEASTIE BOYS ("Sabotage"),Drake ("Hotline Bling"),MOUNTAIN ("Mississippi Queen"),PEACHES ("Fuck The Pain Away"),Bob Dylan ("Rainy Day Women #12 & 35"),ELASTICA ("Connection"),THE KNACK ("Frustrated"),and THE VELVET UNDERGROUND ("Rock & Roll"),while the 2021 follow-up included a black metal take on Lisa Loeb's "Stay (I Missed You)", along with THE RAMONES' "Blitzkrieg Bop", Barry Manilow's "Copacabana", THE CLASH's "Train In Vain", KISS's "Rock And Roll All Nite", VAN HALEN's "Jump", Amy Winehouse's "Take The Box" and Billy Joel's "Big Shot".
The addresses YouTube channel has uploaded 4K video of QUEENSRŸCHE's entire October 21, 2022 concert at Wings Event Center in Kalamazoo, Michigan. QUEENSRŸCHE was the support act on the fall 2022 leg of JUDAS PRIEST's "50 Heavy Metal Years" tour, which kicked off on October 13 in Wallingford, Connecticut.
Featured songs:
01. Queen Of The Reich 0:00
02. Warning 4:31
03. En Force 9:14
04. Behind The Walls 15:20
05. Empire 21:39
06. Operation: Mindcrime 26:01
07. Screaming In Digital 29:11
08. Eyes Of A Stranger 32:53
Earlier this month, QUEENSRŸCHE announced an early 2023 U.S. tour in support of its sixteenth studio album, "Digital Noise Alliance". Direct support on the trek will come from former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman, with TRAUMA opening each show.
Speaking to Canada's The Metal Voice, QUEENSRŸCHE singer Todd La Torre stated about the upcoming trek (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We have Marty Friedman as direct support, which I think people will really dig, 'cause it's kind of a more rare sighting to see him over here. So I'm really looking forward to that. And then we also have the band TRAUMA, who's first on the bill. For those that don't know, that was the band that Cliff Burton was in before he joined METALLICA. So they have a brand new record out called 'Awakening' that I've been listening to. It's really good.
"So that's gonna be a good six-and-a-half-week, whatever that turns out to be, tour, and then we've got other stuff in the works for later in the year. But that's the first thing that's gonna be coming up," he added.
As for QUEENSRŸCHE's setlist for the upcoming tour, Todd said: "We're gonna play a nice handful of songs from ['Digital Noise Alliance'] and the last three records. And then I think we're talking about doing some pretty deep cuts that have never been done since the beginning of the band and maybe something that hasn't been done for sure at least maybe since I joined the band. And then you'll have a few staple songs, but I'm pretty sure that this setlist is gonna be really for the diehards that follow everything we do, because you're gonna have a huge chunk of my era with the band being played. If you [think] you're just gonna get a lot of the old stuff that we kind of usually play, a lot of that stuff is not gonna happen on this tour. So I'm looking forward to it."
QUEENSRŸCHE guitarist Micheal Wilton previously discussed the band's 2023 tour in an interview with Rock Show Critique. He said: "It's a full 'Digital Noise Alliance' headline tour. We're really excited to get out there and get touring again. We're rebuilding and establishing again, because for us it's a bit of the Wild West. There's a lot of congestion out there, there's a lot of bands touring, and to put a tour together like this, we're really happy that we can get out there and do a full tour."
"We appreciate the fans, their input," he continued. "For us, I think we're gonna make this different than previous tours 'cause we're really gonna mix up the setlist. So, for people saying, 'Oh, they're just gonna play the same stuff again,' they'll be surprised.
"You've gotta keep a balance, 'cause you've got the hardcore fans that wanna hear the deep cuts and they wanna hear the new stuff," Wilton explained. "And then you've got the casual fans that just wanna hear the hits, the staples from the legacy albums. But it's a headline set, so we have 90 minutes. There's a lot of wiggle room in there for some different stuff."
"Digital Noise Alliance" came out on October 7 via Century Media. The record was once again helmed by Chris "Zeuss" Harris, who previously worked with QUEENSRŸCHE on 2015's "Condition Hüman" and 2019's "The Verdict" LPs.
Guitarist Mike Stone, who rejoined QUEENSRŸCHE last year, contributed guitar solos to the band's new studio album.
Since late May 2021, Stone has been handling second-guitar duties in QUEENSRŸCHE, which announced in July 2021 that longtime guitarist Parker Lundgren was exiting the group to focus on "other business ventures."
Stone originally joined QUEENSRŸCHE for the 2003 album "Tribe" and stayed with the band for six years before leaving the group.
For the past five and a half years, drummer Casey Grillo has been filling in for Rockenfield, who stepped away from the band's touring activities in early 2017 to spend time with his young son.
In October 2021, Rockenfield filed a lawsuit against Wilton and Jackson, alleging, among other things, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and wrongful discharge. A few months later, Wilton and Jackson filed a countersuit against Rockenfield, accusing him of abandoning his position as a member of the band and misappropriating the group's assets to his own personal benefit.
In the video below, drummer Thomen Stauch (Mentalist, ex- Blind Guardian) performs an alternate drum cover of "For Whom The Bell Tolls", from Metallica's Ride The Lightning album
This version was performed and recorded by Thomen at his ThomenDrumChamber (TDC) in 47506 Neukirchen-Vluyn, NRW, Germany, where he also offers local and online drum classes via Skype with multiple webcams, as you can see in his uploaded YouTube videos.
Says Thomen: Contact me by email, if you are interested in drum classes online or local and want to know more details about my fair prices, required equipment, a.s.o.! unterricht@thomen-drumchamber.com. Enjoy the video and watch out for my next performances. Please, leave a thumb up, if you like what you hear and see."
Thomen has also shared a drum cover of the Roxy Music classic, "Oh Yeah (On The Radio)". Watch below:
New York’s Streetlight Circus have released the official video for "Take Me To The River", the current single from the band's new album, Super Fine Sugar, released back in September via UK-based label, Escape Music.
The video features a collection of live clips from the band's summer 2022 Road To Rock Fest North American tour. Included in the video are clips from Rock Fest in Wisconsin in July at which Streetlight Circus shared the bill with heavyweights such as John 5, Evanescence, The Pretty Reckless, Nothing More, and Halestorm.
Viewers will also see live and behind-the-scenes clips from tour stops in Chicago, Toledo, Grand Rapids, Indianapolis, Toronto, and Rochester as well as moments from the Super Fine Sugar record release party in New York City, The Interstate Rock Fest in Boonsboro, MD, an Arlene's Grocery NYC livestream, and the Tally Ho Theater in Leesburg, VA where the band supported Firehouse.
The video is the band's second from Super Fine Sugar, following one for the album's title track. Plans to film a third Super Fine Sugar video in February are underway.
The "Take Me To The River" video was edited by former MTV Producer Rick Ernst who directed the band's "Ghettoblaster," "Needle Down," and "Downside" videos. Ernst is the producer and director of the award-winning Get Thrashed, the definitive documentary on the birth and rise of thrash metal.
Written by David Shaw, produced by Streetlight Circus, and mixed and mastered by Grammy winner Bob St. John, "Take Me To The River" features Streetlight Circus at its best, combining crisp musicianship, energetic riffs, and ear-worm melodies.
Super Fine Sugar is available for purchase on CD as well as download on all major streaming platforms. For more information, head here.
Tracklisting:
"Super Fine Sugar"
"Drive It Like I Stole It"
"Cherry Cola"
"Ex Machina"
"Pay My Rent"
"Dirty Earth"
"Take Me To The River"
"This Means War"
"Trouble"
"Clown Parade"
"Zero At The Bone"
"Rattle The Cage"
Finland's Arched Fire, signed to Wormholedeath Records, have released a video for "Fear", the first single off their second album, Trust Betrayal, which will be released in spring of 2023. The B-side, "Trigger", is a Motörhead cover originally recorded for Antichrist Magazine's tribute album.
"'Fear' is one of those songs that just happen," says guitarist Ari Väntänen. "I had some riffs that I asked Kristian (Herkman / vocals) to record. As it turned out, the song was right there, just waiting to be born. We came up with the chorus part while recording the verses and the bridges. Kristian probably wrote the vocal parts while driving home from my place. And after the guys arranged their own parts, 'Fear' started to sound like Arched Fire."
The band also consists of Aslak Purojärvi (drums), Mika Rytilahti (bass), and Janne Särkelä (lead & rhythm guitar). Musically, Arched Fire is where heavy metal meets speed metal. Mixing rock groove and metal riffage, "Fear" represents a lighter side of the dark theme on the Trust Betrayal album. It’s about how a general lack of trust can make things difficult.
“Don't be afraid to live! Do things before it's too late! And be careful because everything tries to kill you and death is horrible!” says Herkman.
The prologue of the band took place in 1989–1990 when a bunch of school kids formed Arched Fire in Finnish Lapland. Thirty years later they got back together and recorded their acclaimed first album, Remote Control, out on Wormholedeath Records in 2021. The band’s second full-length effort, Trust Betrayal, takes their old-school metal game to a whole new level.
METALLICA performed its new single "Lux Æterna" live for the first time on December 16 at its "Helping Hands Concert & Auction", which took place at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. The third edition of the "Helping Hands Concert & Auction" opened with a special set from guest GRETA VAN FLEET followed by a unique set from METALLICA. Professionally filmed video of the "Lux Æterna" performance can now be seen below.
Earlier this month, "Lux Æterna"landed at position No. 2 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Airplay chart. The band now boasts 25 top 10s on the tally, with its first, "Enter Sandman", arriving in 1991. "Lux Æterna" also entered Billboard's Hot Hard Rock Songs chart at No. 1 and at the Rock & Alternative Airplay chart at No. 2.
"Lux Æterna" is the first single from METALLICA's upcoming 12th studio album, "72 Seasons", which is due on April 14, 2023 via the band's own Blackened Recordings. Produced by Greg Fidelman with METALLICA's James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich, and clocking in at over 77 minutes, the 12-track "72 Seasons" is METALLICA's first full-length collection of new material since 2016's "Hardwired…To Self-Destruct".
In a recently released behind-the-scenes look at the making of "72 Seasons", Hetfield stated about "Lux Æterna": "'Lux Æterna' is an upbeat, kind of fast and joyous song, I would say — really indicative of New Wave Of British [Heavy] Metal stuff, so kind of a harkening-back-to-'80s kind of riff. It's just fun and makes me move. It was fun making the video, fun recording a song that comes out really easy, that was a real easy song to write and to perform, like I said, very much like the early '80s for us."
As for the inspiration for the "72 Seasons" album title, Hetfield said: "'72 Seasons' came out of a book I was reading about childhood, basically, and sorting out childhood as an adult. And 72 seasons is basically the first 18 years of your life. How do you evolve and grow and mature and develop your own ideas and identity of self after those first 72 seasons? Some things are more difficult than others — you know, some things you can't unsee and they're with you for the rest of your life, and other things you're able to rewind the tape and make a new tape in your life. So that's the real interesting part for me, is how you're able to address those situations as an adult and mature."
He continued: "There's been a lot of darkness in my life and in our career and things that have happened with us, but always having a sense of hope, always having the light that is in that darkness… Without darkness, there is no light, and being able to focus a little more on the light in life instead of all of the… how it used to be and how horrible it is... There's a lot of good things going on in life — focusing on that instead, and it helps to balance out my life. And there's no one meaning to it — everyone has some sense of hope or light in their life, and, obviously, music is mine. And the song specifically talks about gathering of people at a concert and [being] able to see the joy and the life and the love that comes out of music and the family and the kinship in that, and just a sense of uplifting."
Late last month, METALLICA released the Tim Saccenti-directed music video for "Lux Æterna", along with details about the album's accompanying "M72" world tour featuring two-night stops in nearly two dozen cities. Presented worldwide by Liquid Death and Blackened American Whiskey (in North America only) and promoted by Live Nation, the 46-show trek will launch in Amsterdam on April 27 and will include shows all over Europe and North America through 2024. Each "No Repeat Weekend" on "M72" will feature two completely different setlists and support lineups. The "M72" tour will feature a bold new in-the-round stage design that relocates the famed METALLICA Snake Pit to center stage, as well as the "I Disappear" full-tour pass and the debut of discounted tickets for fans under 16 years of age. Opening acts for the tour include PANTERA, MAMMOTH WVH, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, ICE NINE KILLS, ARCHITECTS, VOLBEAT and GRETA VAN FLEET.
In the six years since the arrival of "Hardwired… To Self-Destruct", METALLICA has reissued some of its classic albums, released a second live album with the San Francisco Symphony, commissioned a covers album featuring the likes of GHOST, VOLBEAT, WEEZER, Corey Taylor and THE HU, and landed on the Billboard songs chart with "Master Of Puppets" after a prominent placement in the hit Netflix show "Stranger Things".
Loudness frontman Minoru Niihara performed with Japanese drum prodigy Yoyoka Soma at Takutaku in Kyoto, Japan on July 18th. Yoyoka has released a new clip from the show featuring their performance of Bon Jovi's "Livin' On A Prayer'.
Check it out below along with performances of Van Halen's "Dreams", the Loudness classic "Crazy Doctor", and Deep Purple's "Burn".
Tucson, AZ thrashers Scars Of Atrophy, formerly known in the ‘80s as Atrophy on Roadrunner Records, rebranded their lineup in 2020 and recently unleashed their return to the mosh pit with the new EP Nations Divide in June 2022, 30-plus years after the release of their last full-length 1990's Violent By Nature.
The band approached this comeback EP as both the entertainers and the audience. They love the thrash metal genre and for them, there is nothing better than watching a huge mosh pit break out while playing on stage.
Closing the chapter for their breakthrough return that saw them touring the country and sharing the stage with bands such as Exhorder, W.O.R. plus a performance on Dimestock (Watertown, WI), Scars of Atrophy is sharing with fans their latest music video for the "Nations Divide" title track, which features clips from this year's shows and insane mosh pits.
Scars Of Atrophy are currently working on their follow-up record for 2023, the band comments:
"Our yet-to-be-titled forthcoming album still needs tweaking and a hint of flavoring here and there and will be a greater representation of our EP 'Nations Divide". All songs on the EP will be on the album as well. Musically, the songs are all hard-hitting with our signature tempo and riffage. Definitely an aggressive approach with the thunderous double bass of veteran thrash drummer, Tim Kelly. The album will also have new tracks, Purge, Burn the Veil, and A Trophy Kill, which are currently being played live."
Guitarist Thomas Zwijsen has released the new video below, in which he performs an acoustic cover of Iron Maiden's "Losfer Words (Big ’Orra)", featured on the band's 1984 album, Powerslave.
LOVEBITES, the all-female heavy metal band from Tokyo, Japan, has returned from its hiatus with a new member, a new music video and news of a fourth studio album coming in February 2023. The LP is also available to preorder today from JPU Records, and is available physically in three editions.
"Judgement Day", the fittingly titled album, will be the first to feature the band's new lineup, which includes bassist Fami, who was selected after an audition process and is just 20 years of age. The fast, melodic and heavy metal sound that LOVEBITES has excelled at since its debut is still burning strong, but has been sublimated further. Newcomer Fami also brings an added charm to the quintet, including her signature slap technique. The album contains ten completely new songs, mixed and mastered by Finnish masterminds Mikko Karmila and Mika Jussila, who have worked on all of the band's studio albums.
Fans can get a taste of the new LOVEBITES today with the release of the digital single and music video to the album's title track, available to download, stream and watch now.
The cover art for the album features a wolf, an incarnation of the band that has appeared on all of LOVEBITES's previous albums. This time, as the title suggests ("Judgement Day"),the wolf clutches scales that weigh good and evil within its jaws, and is captured sprinting between the sun and the moon. Further meaning from the cover art can be discovered in the title track's music video, and further details will likely be revealed in the future too.
"Judgement Day" will be released digitally worldwide on February 22, 2023, and released on CD from JPU Records from February 24, 2023. A video-on-demand and CD bundle is also available directly from JPU Records' web site. It features a documentary of the bassist auditions which includes interviews with the members of the band, as well as Fami while she was still one of the finalists — all with English subtitles. It also includes four studio sessions; "The Hammer Of Wrath", "Golden Destination" and "Shadowmaker" from the audition finals, and "Bravehearted", the first session with Fami as an official member of LOVEBITES. There is also a third edition that includes the CD, the video on demand content and a "Judgement Day" t-shirt. Additionally, 50 orders of this latter bundle will randomly receive a sleeve case that has been signed by the members of the band.
"Judgement Day" track listing:
01. We Are The Resurrection
02. Judgement Day
03. The Spirit Lives On
04. Wicked Witch
05. Stand And Deliver (Shoot 'Em Down)
06. Victim Of Time
07. My Orion
08. Lost In The Garden
09. Dissonance
10. Soldier Stands Solitarily
LOVEBITES formed in 2016 with vocalist Asami, guitarists Midori and Miyako, bassist Miho and drummer Haruna. The band's EP "The Lovebites" EP was mixed by Mikko Karmila and mastered by Mika Jussila, a team of talented Finnish engineers known for their work with NIGHTWISH, CHILDREN OF BODOM and AMORPHIS. In May 2017 LOVEBITES made their debut and released "The Lovebites" EP through London's JPU Records, followed by full length album "Awakening From Abyss" in October 2017 and had a series of shows in Japan and the U.K.
In 2018 LOVEBITES made their first festival appearance at Vans Warped Tour Japan 2018, as well as a headline show in June for mini album "Battle Against Damnation". In July they participated in Headstrong Fes.18 organized by ANTHEM, followed by performing at the world's biggest metal festival Wacken Open Air in Germany and Bloodstock Open Air in the U.K. They also toured Europe with X-ray Touring. After returning to Japan, LOVEBITES completed their second album "Clockwork Immortality" by the end of the year, and performed at Metal Mania, which also featured LOUDNESS.
LOVEBITES began 2019 by touring Japan, followed by supporting ARCH ENEMY on tour in China. First live album "Daughters Of The Dawn: Live In Tokyo 2019" was released in July, recorded at Mynabi Blitz Akasaka in Tokyo in support of "Clockwork Immortality". The same month the band toured festivals, including Download Festival in the U.K., Graspop Metal Meeting in Belgium, and Download Festival Madrid in Spain. At Download Festival in the U.K., Asami joined HALESTORM on stage to sing "Love Bites (And So Do I)", the song that gave LOVEBITES their name. When the band returned to Japan they toured Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka before appearing at Summer Sonic 2019. They then joined DRAGONFORCE for their U.K. tour in November as special guests.
In January 2020, the band released third album "Electric Pentagram". It became the band's first album to enter Japan's Oricon Top 10 rankings, peaking at number nine. The band then kicked off tour of Japan in February and released "Five Of A Kind: Live In Tokyo 2020" in July, recorded at Zepp DiverCity, which reached number one in the Oricon Music Blu-ray chart.
In March 2021 they released mini album "Glory, Glory, To The World", which reached No. 10 in the Billboard general chart. Immediately afterwards the band began the "Ride For Vengeance" tour 2021, touring four cities across Japan. In August Miho left the band and it was announced that LOVEBITES would take a break. In the meantime, "Heavy Metal Never Dies – Live In Tokyo 2021" was released in the U.K. as a CD and video on-demand release, featuring the Tokyo show from the "Ride For Vengeance" tour 2021, followed by best album "In The Beginning: The Best Of 2017-2021".
In April 2022, the band held an audition for all nationalities, ages, and genders worldwide to find a new bassist. After a long selection process, fami joined in October of the same year, leading to LOVEBITES once again being composed of five members.
Diabolical black/death metal squadron, Belphegor, performed the track "Virtus Asinaria - Prayer" - from their new album The Devils - during their set at the 2022 edition of Bloodstock Open Air festival. Watch professionally-filmed footage below:
With The Devils, Belphegor unleash their twelfth studio album upon the masses, which proves to be one of the strongest and most elaborate records in the group’s career. Mixed & mastered at renowned Fascination Street Studios by Jens Bogren (Kreator, Rotting Christ, At The Gates), The Devils sounds absolutely crushing and dynamic, sonically pushing the immense variety of the eight tracks to new heights.
Forged from the melting pot of Detroit's underground metal scene, Asylence is a well-oiled metal machine built with passion, intent, and ferocity like no other. They are gearing up to release their first full-length, Endanger Us All, next year and to whet the appetite of listeners they are dropping their single, “In Solidarity We Die”.
The track is guitarist Aaron Lumsden’s favorite track and for good reason. The guys really put their heads together on this one - musically this song just rips with a melodic twist on the chorus.
The band dogs into the meaning behind it: “The song to us sounds like it was written by the last person on Earth, writing the final texts about the tragic failing of humankind that brought us to our doom. It’s one of those songs where the message is pretty straightforward, that we are all eventually going to die so why not be good to one another and recognize each of us is the same lost creature on this planet? We are lucky children of this Earth, we are no better than the animals we share the planet with. We need to take care of our home, or we will lose it all.”
The timeline for writing the album was pretty wide with the pandemic hampering some of it, but ultimately it came together in the way it was meant to be. Each of the songs are personal, the riffs are impressive and the band confidently remarks that it is their best effort yet and anyone who likes what they do is going to love it. Listeners are going to recognize their signature sound for sure but they will be pleasantly surprised with some new angles that they decided to take with this one.
When it comes to live performance, fans can expect to bang their heads,, while taking in an onslaught of fast death metal he emphasizes a certain deathly serious vibe to the stage which translates gravely to the crowd; prepare to rock out while contemplating the meaning of existence.
The single, “In Solidarity We Die”, is recommended for fans of Devildriver, In Flames, and Amon Amarth. Find it on digital networks here, and watch the music video below:
Endanger Us All is due out on February 24. Stay tuned for further details.
KISS have released the rare video below, stating: "December 21, 1973 - We opened a 2-night stand at the Coventry in New York City. A planned 3rd night did not happen. Here's 'Deuce' from night 2."
Robomagic Live have announced that KISS will play their final UK dates ever in June / July 2023. Tickets are on general sale here.
Tour dates:
June
3 - Plymouth, UK - Home Park Stadium
5 - Birmingham, UK - Resorts World Arena
6 - Newcastle, UK - Utilita Arena Newcastle
July
5 - London, UK - The O2
7 - Manchester, UK - AO Arena
8 - Glasgow, UK - OVO Hydro
The complete KISS tour itinerary can be found here.
Over the last year, Scardust have been teasing a “Secret Project” on their social media channels, asking their fans to guess what the secret is about. Today, the secret is finally revealed. A magical fairy tale or heavy progressive complexity? Why not both?
"We didn't have to think too much about this one, our fans did it for us,” explains singer Noa Gruman. “Over the years, they have called us ‘Disney Metal’ on so many occasions while describing our music, we felt like we owed it to them and to the rest of the world!"
Scardust is proud to present "Evolution Of The Disney Princess - But She's METAL". A journey through the years, chronologically representing the different Disney princesses, backed up with the band's heavy and complex instrumentation, Noa's versatile singing, and the epic Hellscore choir. All this goodness is brought to life in a complementary one-take video, emphasizing the evolving medley concept.
Between writing and recording their next album, and while touring again after the pandemic pause, Scardust were able to put this project together and even document the entire process. A recording VLOG can be found below, and soon after the video release, a behind-the-scenes video will pop up as well. Additionally, the song is available for streaming and download on Bandcamp and various other digital platforms.
Scardust’s last album, Strangers, was released in late 2020 and despite the world’s Covid setback the Israeli quintet persevered through the challenges presented to them and recorded and released a phenomenal effort described by Dead Rhetoric as “captivating from start to finish.” Their sophomore record, Strangers, presented a unique concept album built of complementary song pairs working from the outside in resulting in something fresh which received strong critical and fan approval. Seven music videos were presented and the band played shows in their native land, as well as various spots throughout Europe culminating with an appearance at Wacken Open Air Fest.
Noa Gruman is also recognized as a verifiable talent and has also been a featured guest lead vocalist on albums from noteworthy artists including Therion, Amorphis, Orphaned Land, Gloryhammer, Mike LePond, Winterhorde, and Subterranean Masquerade.
ÑØÀ
Manowar
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