Trivium have shared footage of "Shogun" live from the Deadmen And Dragons tour, performed in front of a sold out Orlando hometown show at the House Of Blues on October 16th. The clip below was directed, filmed and edited by Black Card Films. Additional footage was filmed by Onward Productions.
Remaining tour dates are as follows:
October
25 - Toronto, ON - Rebel
26 - Montreal, QC - MTELUS
28 - Boston, MA - House of Blues
29 - New York, NY - Palladium Times Square
30 - Silver Spring, MD - The Fillmore
31 - Charlotte, NC - The Fillmore
November
2 - St. Louis, MO - The Pageant
4 - Houston, TX - House of Blues
5 - San Antonio, TX - The Aztec Theatre
6 - Dallas, TX - South Side Ballroom
8 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theater
9 - Phoenix, AZ - The Van Buren
10 - Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern
Joe Badolato, vocalist for New Jersey deathcore outfit FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY, joined LAMB OF GOD on stage this past Thursday night (October 20) at The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory in Irving, Texas to perform the song "Laid To Rest". Fan-filmed video of his appearance can be seen below.
Irving was the final show of LAMB OF GOD's summer/fall 2022 North American tour, which kicked off on September 9 in Brooklyn, New York. FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY provided support on the trek, which also featured KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, for the last three weeks of the run.
This past April, Badolato filled in for Blythe at LAMB OF GOD's concert in Green Bay, Wisconsin after Randy tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.
Blythe spoke about what he believes makes a good frontman during a recent appearance on a recent episode of "Stoke The Fire", the alternative lifestyle and culture podcast hosted by musician Jesse Leach (KILLSWITCH ENGAGE) and DJ/presenter Matt Stocks ("Life In The Stocks"). "There are guys in their closet with their YouTube rig or in their garage who can outsing either fucking one of us," Randy said, addressing Leach. "There is no doubt about it, man. They have more talent, natural talent, in their little pinky than either of us. But the difference is… I think one of the main requirements to be a frontman, a good frontman — actually, the only requirement, probably; I mean, you've gotta have some talent — is a willingness to get up in front of people and make an idiot out of yourself and be really bad for a while until you become good. And so these people with all this natural talent, it doesn't fucking matter unless you can get in front of people and do it, and you have to do it with a group of people; you have to feel that bond; you have to deliver."
Two and a half years ago, LAMB OF GOD guitarist Mark Morton praised Blythe's abilities while discussing the band's appearance at the 2019 Sonic Temple Art + Music Festival in Columbus, Ohio. He said: "That particular Sonic Temple Festival, it was in a stadium, and Randy Blythe, who I think is the best frontman in heavy metal, made that stadium into a theater that day. I remember telling him when we walked off stage, 'Randy, you're the best in the world.' Because he took tens of dozens of thousands of people who were there, and he shrunk that whole stadium into the size of a 2,500-seat theater. That's why he's the best in the world at what he does. I will give him love all day long. He's one of my best friends and I think he's the best frontman in heavy metal. Sometimes when you have a star like that and they're 100 percent on point and the audience is willing, you can actually make that connection even in a monster arena like that."
LAMB OF GOD's latest album, "Omens", was released on October 7. LAMB OF GOD tracked the effort with longtime collaborator Josh Wilbur (KORN, MEGADETH) live in the room together at Henson Recording Studios (formerly A&M Studios) in Los Angeles, California, a location that birthed classics from THE DOORS, PINK FLOYD, RAMONES and SOUNDGARDEN, among others.
Former Alice Cooper and current Demi Lovato guitarist Nita Strauss has dropped brand new single and accompanying music video, "The Wolf You Feed". The epic, headbanger of a track features huge, chunky, metallic riffs and the insane vocal talent of Alissa White-Gluz of ARCH ENEMY.
Nita comments: "If you look back at old interviews from the last ten years, any time I was asked about collaborating with a vocalist in the future, Alissa White-Gluz was always the first name out of my mouth. She is truly one of my favorite vocalists and performers in the industry and creating this track together was everything I hoped it would be.
"I'm very proud to release this track, especially now with everything else that's going on. This time in history, whether in politics, music, social media, or our personal lives, has been an eye-opening look into the two wolves of a lot of people out there, and maybe this song will be a reminder that we all have the ability to choose how we respond to things."
The lyrics of this song were inspired by "The Story Of The Two Wolves", a legend widely attributed to Native American storytellers. An old grandfather was teaching his grandson about life: "A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy. "It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil — he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego." He continued: "The other is good — he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you–and inside every other person, too."
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "Which wolf will win?" The grandfather simply replied: "The one you feed."
Alissa adds: "Nita and I finally got to collaborate — something we have both wanted to do for years! 'The Wolf You Feed' is a kickass, catchy metal track with a really cool vibe. I kept the 'two wolves' analogy as a foundation throughout the song while playing up the dichotomy of the two sides of the tug of war we all have inside us. I recorded my parts in my home studio and it was an absolute pleasure to build this song with Nita. I am honored to be a part of it! Can't wait to do this again!"
"The Wolf You Feed" is the second song Nita has released featuring a star guest vocalist, the first being the enormously successful "Dead Inside" which featured guest vocals from DISTURBED's David Draiman and saw Nita become the first ever solo female to have a No. 1 hit at Active Rock radio. She also returned to her instrumental roots earlier this year with the release of single "Summer Storm", a fast-paced, emotive shred-fest. Combined, the two singles have had 3.5 million YouTube views and over 10 million streams on Spotify alone.
Nita made her live debut with Demi on July 14 with a performance of Lovato's single "Substance" on ABC's Emmy Award-winning late-night show "Jimmy Kimmel Live!".
Strauss had been playing with Cooper since 2014 when she replaced Australian musician and former Michael Jackson player Orianthi. She joined Alice in time for a mammoth MÖTLEY CRÜE tour. She was recommended to Cooper by the legendary rocker's former bass player and WINGER frontman Kip Winger.
Back in February, Nita told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about her upcoming LP: "It's gonna be half and half — six tracks with vocalists and six tracks of instrumental [music]. We've been doing ['Dead Inside'] live on the solo tour and it's been getting a super-good reaction from our crowds."
In early December, Nita told "The Mistress Carrie Podcast" about her decision to make the upcoming LP half vocal songs and half instrumental: "I did feel, and the label and everybody agreed, it's still important for me to keep my identity as a guitar player and not just branch off too much and go, 'Okay, well, now it's just guests.' Let me still have a little of what makes me me, which is the instrumental shred stuff. And the instrumental pieces that I've written on this record are, I think, better than anything I did on the first one — definitely more… I don't know if it could be more emotional but they're very emotional pieces of music and I think a little better crafted this time around. So I think all the songs in general are more well thought out, better put together this time around. And I do have some of my absolute favorite [singers guesting on it]. I have three amazing powerhouse female vocalists on this album so far."
Nita released "Controlled Chaos" to mass acclaim from fans and media alike, with Metal Injection calling it "a great debut that — as its creator intended — leaves no doubt", and Guitar World stating "'Controlled Chaos' is a panoramic view of Nita Strauss's many strengths".
As well as performing with Cooper, Nita has also played with R&B star Jermaine Jackson, early MTV darlings FEMME FATALE, video game supergroup CRITICAL HIT and popular tribute band THE IRON MAIDENS.
In April 2020, Nita launched "Rock Guitar Fundamentals" — a three-module online guitar teaching program suitable for learners of all levels. The course is available at www.iwanttoplayguitar.com.
According to MichaelCavacini.com, KISS played a secret show for Philip Morris International, the largest tobacco company in the world, on Saturday, October 22.
This private concert was not open to the public, and it took place at Vulcan Gas Company, a small club in downtown Austin. No more than 100 people attended the concert.
A video showing the majority of the performance can be found at MichaelCavacini.com.
Three years ago, Simmons told the "Three Sides Of The Coin" podcast that none of the KISS members smoke cigarettes. "Nobody drinks," he said. "Not because there's some kind of rule. If you wanna drink off to the side, sure, help yourself — as long as you're professional on stage. But nobody goes to the bars — there's no pub stuff. It's not part of the culture. And literally nobody in the band uses drugs. And maybe that has a lot to do with showing up on time and getting up on that stage and making the words true. 'You wanted the best' — not the second best or kind of good — 'you wanted the best. You've got the best. The hottest motherfucking band on the planet.' And the words have to mean that, or get off the stage and give — I don't know — GRETA VAN FLEET a chance."
KISS's "End Of The Road" farewell tour launched in 2019 and is scheduled to end sometime in 2023, 50 years after the band's formation.
In an interview, KISS frontman Paul Stanley stated about the band's live shows: "There's nothing really that can compete or come close to the combustive emotional nature of what we do on stage and the connection to the fans. That's something that's irreplaceable. That's something that there's nothing to compare it to."
Regarding KISS's decision to complete one last tour before calling it quits, Stanley said: "This is really a time of joy and for us to be up there and celebrate what we've done together. It's much better than finishing a tour, let's say, and then a year later deciding you don't want to go out and two years later you decide you don't want to go out. In that sense, you've called it quits, but this is so much better for us and better for the fans to go out there with the highest of spirits and the greatest of shows."
Speaking about the "End Of The Road" stage production, Stanley said: "The show this time really is the ultimate KISS show. With that in mind, we wanted to put together something that really raised the bar, not just for us, but as happened over the years, raises the bar for every act out there. That's a good thing because the fans win because of it. This show is more bombastic. There's more pyro. The lights are stunning. The automation involved, the computer synchronization is unlike anything we've ever done, and yet it doesn't lose, we don't wind up with something that's technical and sterile over something that's passionate and gritty. So it's a marvel, I've got to tell you. It left us speechless when we first saw the finished stage. And for us to be silent is a miracle in itself."
KISS was forced to put its farewell trek on hold in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In October 2021, Stanley said that the final concert of the "End Of The Road" tour will likely happen by early 2023.
"End Of The Road" was originally scheduled to conclude on July 17, 2021 in New York City but has since been extended. The trek was announced in September 2018 following a KISS performance of the band's classic song "Detroit Rock City" on "America's Got Talent".
KISS's current lineup consists of original members Stanley and Simmons, alongside later band additions, guitarist Tommy Thayer (since 2002) and drummer Eric Singer (on and off since 1991).
Formed in 1973 by Stanley, Simmons, drummer Peter Criss and guitarist Ace Frehley, KISS's first "farewell" tour in 2000 was the last to feature the group's original lineup.
To know that kiss was across the street last night @ Vulcan Gas Company is crazy !!!!!!!!🤘
Super secret KISS show at The Vulcan in Austin tonight. We made a hell of a mess. Rockin my @tonyhinchcliffe @killtonyshow TShirt!! Sorry about the confetti!!
DREAM THEATER guitarist John Petrucci played the tenth show of his first headlining solo tour on October 17 at The National in Richmond, Virginia. Petrucci performed material from his recently released solo album, "Terminal Velocity", as well as songs from his widely acclaimed debut release, "Suspended Animation". "Terminal Velocity" marked the first time that John and former DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy recorded together since Mike left the band in 2010. Now, John is taking his instrumental trio on the road performing live with Portnoy and legendary bassist Dave LaRue in an onstage reunion that has been 12 years in the making.
The setlist for the Richmond concert was as follows:
01. Terminal Velocity
02. The Happy Song
03. Jaws Of Life
04. The Oddfather
05. Gemini
06. Out Of The Blue
07. Tunnel Vision
08. Damage Control
09. Snake In My Boot
10. Temple Of Circadia
Encore:
11. Glasgow Kiss
Fan-filmed video can be seen below.
Asked in a new interview with Rob Rush Radio if there were any "first-show jitters" prior to the first concert of the tour, which took place on October 5 in Providence, Petrucci said: "There's always that. First of all, playing with Mike again is so awesome, and, of course, with Dave LaRue, my trio, is just great. [October 5] was the first night of the tour and the first time Mike and I stepped onstage and performed together in 12 years. So it was a really special moment. I've known him — we met at Berklee [College Of Music]; we were 18 years old; we played together forever, even though he's not in DREAM THEATER anymore. So there is just this chemistry and camaraderie that's just so natural. We had such a great time. But, yeah, first song you get a little jittery and then it kind of disappears. It was a lot of fun."
The historic tour will run through October and November and promises to be an unforgettable night of live musicianship. The recently reunited all-female band MEANSTREAK is the special guest openers for the tour. MEANSTREAK is comprised of guitarists Marlene Portnoy (Mike's wife) and Rena Sands (Petrucci's wife),vocalist Bettina France, bassist Martens Myung (wife of DREAM THEATER bassist John Myung) and drummer Yael.
Portnoy, who co-founded DREAM THEATER more than 35 years ago, abruptly quit the band in September 2010 while on tour with AVENGED SEVENFOLD. He has since been replaced by Mike Mangini (ANNIHILATOR, EXTREME, JAMES LABRIE, STEVE VAI).
In March 2021, Petrucci and Portnoy's instrumental progressive rock/metal project LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT released its third album, "LTE3", via InsideOut Music. The effort arrived 22 years after the release of 1999's "Liquid Tension Experiment 2".
Petrucci previously said that having Mike play drums on "Terminal Velocity" was a "really special" experience for him. "And he did an absolutely incredible job navigating the various styles and technical challenges my music presented in the way that only he can do," John said.
"It was very cathartic for the both of us, I think, to be playing music together again after all these years, and it really felt great. Mike's spirited, intuitive and energetic playing truly helped to elevate these new songs to a level that I couldn't be happier with."
An additional date in Sherbrooke, QC on Nov 18 has been added to the JP solo tour with Mike Portnoy, Dave LaRue and special guests Meanstreak!
Fan-filmed video of LAST IN LINE performing a new song called "Hurricane Orlagh" on October 21 at Goldfield in Roseville, California can be seen below. The track is taken from LAST IN LINE's upcoming EP, "A Day In The Life", which is due on November 11 via earMUSIC. The effort is numbered and limited to 3,000 copies worldwide.
This past July, the "A Day In The Life" title track, which was described in a press release as "one of the heaviest versions" of THE BEATLES classic "ever recorded," was made available digitally. The silver colored 12-inch vinyl also includes two live tracks and a recently recorded new track, which gives us a first hint of how LAST IN LINE's third album will sound like.
The trippy visuals in the accompanying "A Day In The Life" music video are by artist Matt Mahurin — a big fan of LAST IN LINE and a four-decade filmmaker for rock and metal greats like METALLICA, U2, R.E.M. and DEF LEPPARD.
"A Day In The Life" EP track listing:
01. A Day In The Life
02. Hurricane Orlagh
03. Devil In Me (Live)
04. Give Up The Ghost (Live)
In July, LAST IN LINE drummer Vinny Appice told Robert Cavuoto of Metal Rules that the band had just completed work on its third studio album. He said: "Chris Collier, who mixes a lot of KORN stuff, he did our albums. He just finished the mix. And it sounds fantastic. And that's coming out next year on the earMUSIC label. And we have an EP coming out on earMUSIC as well. And that EP has a cover version of a BEATLES song we did. It came out great. Something different. And a new song, one of our new songs, and then two live tracks."
This past May, LAST IN LINE bassist Phil Soussan told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that the band's new EP is "very special. There's something very, very cool about it — and there's gonna be a great video that goes with that," he said.
earMUSIC is the recorded music label of German entertainment group Edel AG which boasts a roster of global artists including DEEP PURPLE, Alice Cooper, BABYMETAL, THUNDER, STATUS QUO and many more.
The news of LAST IN LINE's partnership with earMUSIC was shared eight months ago by Appice during a appearance on "Waste Some Time With Jason Green". Vinny also revealed that LAST IN LINE completed recording six more new songs in late January at Danny "Count" Koker's Desert Moon studios in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Formed in 2012 by Appice, bassist Jimmy Bain and guitarist Vivian Campbell — Ronnie James Dio's co-conspirators and co-writers on the "Holy Diver", "Last In Line" and "Sacred Heart" albums — LAST IN LINE's initial intent was to celebrate Ronnie James Dio's early work by reuniting the members of the original DIO lineup. After playing shows that featured a setlist composed exclusively of material from the first three DIO albums, the band decided to move forward and create new music in a similar vein.
LAST IN LINE's debut album, "Heavy Crown", was released in February 2016 via Frontiers Music Srl, landing at No. 1 on Billboard's Heatseekers chart. Initially, the release had been preceded by tragedy when Bain unexpectedly died at the age of 68 on January 23, 2016. LAST IN LINE, honoring what they knew would be Bain's wish to keep the band moving, brought in Soussan and committed to sustained touring in support of the album before beginning work on the follow-up release, 2019's "II", which was also made available through Frontiers Music Srl.
In June 2021, Soussan spoke to Metal-Net.com about the progress of the writing and recording sessions for LAST IN LINE's third album. "I've been quite motivational with the band," Phil said. "I'm trying to keep things happening. We wanted to work on a few different aspects [during the pandemic]. And we also had to go about getting a new record deal — we were changing labels — so that's something we're in the process of doing, and we're getting pretty close now. But part of that was writing a third record. So we've been hard at work trying to write a third record and even record that third record while we've been in different locations around the world. And, obviously, this band works as a unit in every sense of the word, so it's a real handicap not being able to be in the same room as everybody and trying to make it happen."
In February 2021, Appice told Metal From The Inside that former DOKKEN and current FOREIGNER bassist Jeff Pilson, who produced both "II" and "Heavy Crown", is not involved with the upcoming LAST IN LINE album. "We made a change," he said. "Actually, the guy who mixed the last record, Chris Collier — he's great; he's working with KORN — he recorded this record. And we're kind of producing it ourselves, between all of us.
"Jeff is great — Jeff's a great producer, and [he has] great ideas and stuff, but we just felt that we could probably do what we wanna do now that we're a band, we've been on the road, and we know what we wanna hear," he explained. "But it's coming out great. The stuff sounds fantastic.
"And yeah, I've been through a lot with Jeff Pilson. I've known him for years. He's a great guy. He's like my brother."
Also in February 2021, Soussan told the "Pat's Soundbytes Unplugged" podcast about the musical direction of the new LAST IN LINE material: "The songs are another progression from the last album — the difference between 'Heavy Crown' and 'II', and now 'II' and whatever this next album is gonna be called; we don't know yet, by the way. But it's definitely evolved even more; it's gone into even more of an evolution, but we are always trying to keep the characteristics of LAST IN LINE there. I mean, you can't shake those things — you can't shake Vinny's drumming, you can't shake Vivian's playing. And I'd like to say the same thing about myself, and, of course, [singer] Andrew [Freeman]."
Some of the early recording sessions for LAST IN LINE's third album took place in January 2020 at Steakhouse studio in North Hollywood, California.
STILLWELL, the band featuring KORN bassist Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, vocalist/guitarist Anthony "Q-Unique" Quiles and P.O.D. drummer Noah "Wuv" Bernardo, has released the official music video for its new single, "Rock The House". The Ahren Anthony-directed clip pays homage to BEASTIE BOYS and is the title track of STILLWELL's upcoming fourth album.
Last month, STILLWELL released "Can't Stop Now", which marked the band's first new music since the release of the group's third album, "Supernatural Miracle", which came out in September 2020. The follow-up to STILLWELL's past albums — "Raise It Up" (2015) and "Dirtbag" (2011) — was described in a press release as "the culmination of years' worth" of the individual members "finding their voice."
Last month, Fieldy issued a statement saying that STILLWELL "has nothing to do with KORN". On September 6),he wrote on his social media: "Some clarity about STILLWELL. I've been doing STILLWELL for about 16 years, this isn't something new, although to some of you it is, that's cool. Along with my bros Wuv (POD) and Q (ARSONISTS, RADAMUS),we've put out 3 albums, we're about to drop our 4th.
"It has nothing to do with KORN or my status with KORN or anything else. It isn't Heavy music, it's alternative rock.
"We've always wrote STILLWELL music while on tour with KORN or at home. We've actually opened for KORN back in 2011, and to add one more little fact, the 1st STILLWELL video 'Killing Myself to Live' was during a KORN concert (2006),back when David [Silveria, drums] was in KORN, he's in the video, that's how far back STILLWELL goes. Again, it isn't metal or nu metal or heavy music, and that was my way of being respectful to the integrity of KORN, I knew STILLWELL had to be different.
"Thank you to those who have shown love and support and to those that aren't into STILLWELL, there's plenty of heavy bands out there to fulfill your needs.
"Thank you, Fieldy".
"We intentionally made sure to not sound like the other bands we're a part of, out of respect, integrity and just wanting to push ourselves creatively," Arvizu stated at the time. "If people want to hear KORN, P.O.D. or the 10 bands Q works with, they can just listen to those, STILLWELL is its own thing. We put together what I think is our best work yet."
Fieldy announced in June 2021 that he would sit out KORN's ongoing tour in order to "heal" after "falling back" on some of his "bad habits." He has since been replaced on the road by SUICIDAL TENDENCIES bassist Roberto "Ra" Díaz.
When Fieldy broke the news of his absence from KORN's summer 2021 trek, he wrote in a social media update: "To all KORN fans worldwide. The past 6 years I've been dealing with some personal issues that at times have caused me to fall back on some of my bad habits and has caused some tension with the people around me. It's been suggested to me to take some time off to heal. I'm going to respect what was asked of me and take that time. Unfortunately you will not see me on stage with my band. I will be working towards getting the bad habits out of my system. In the meantime I will be staying creative to keep my mind & soul in a good place.
"I'm thankful for all of your support, patience & understanding as we all have something that we deal with.
"Jonathan, Munky, Ray and Head, I love you and I don't want to bring any tension or bad vibes to the circle."
A short time later, KORN's official social media shared Fieldy's statement, along with the following message: "We love and support our brother, Fieldy. Health and family always comes first."
During a press conference at this year's Hellfest in Clisson, France, KORN guitarist James "Munky" Shaffer was asked about Fieldy's current status. He said: "[Fieldy] needed a little time at home with his family to kind of regroup. We decided we were gonna make a record during the pandemic and use that time constructively. And once the pandemic was over and we were ready to go back on the road, he wasn't quite ready to do that yet. So the rest of us were anxious to get back in front of our fans and play for everybody."
Earlier in June, KORN guitarist Brian "Head" Welch told Kerrang! Radio that he had "been in contact" with Fieldy. "I just e-mailed him the other day," he said. "So we're gonna get together and talk to him, see how he's doing, see where his head is at, after this tour. Me and Munk were just talking about it. We love him, we've been in communication with him, and we'll see."
KORN drummer Ray Luzier told Germany's MoreCore that Fieldy is "doing good. He's our brother. We love him. We support him 110 percent," he said. "Bands are like marriages. Sometimes you need to step away a little bit to look at the picture and see what's going on with your individual life, and I think that's where we're all at now with Reggie. He's such a great dude and he's one of my best buds, so we support him in everything he does. No one has a crystal ball — I don't know what's gonna happen in the future — but we definitely miss him out here."
According to Luzier, Díaz is "doing a great job. He's doing a hell of a job. But there's a sound about Fieldy that isKORN," he said. "There's that signature thing that not many bass players can say that. Just that sound — you pop a KORN album on, and you're, like, 'Woah.' That bass, you take that out and it wouldn't sound normal, because Munky and Head [Brian Welch] don't sound normal, and neither does Jon [singer Jonathan Davis]. But that bass, man, it's just leading a lot of those older records."
This past February, Welch told Spotlight Report that Fieldy was "just taking a little time to be with his family. He is a great dad," Welch said. "He has so many kids. He has adult kids, teenagers and young kids. He is just taking time, and we are giving him the time. We want everyone to be healthy and happy.
"I guess we will go and tour this record," Head continued, referencing KORN's recently released album "Requiem". "I don't know a lot more other than that. We love him very much and we hope to communicate with him during the year at some stage, to see where everyone is at."
Welch previously addressed Fieldy's position in KORN during a November 2021 interview with U.K.'s Kerrang! magazine. At the time, he stated: "The best thing to do is stay at home, be with your family, and start processing. He's got to find that healing. I still struggle with it. I had a few slip-ups with my 'bad habits' three to four years ago, so I understand it, but I dealt with it by hitting it head-on and stopping it from becoming a problem. I'm not concerned because I know he's going to be okay."
Davis expressed a more worried outlook on Fieldy's predicament, saying: "I love him; he's my brother. But I watched somebody I care about die and I'm not going to fucking do that again. I refuse to. I will feel guilt for the rest of my fucking life because of that. I tried my hardest but perhaps if I'd been a little bit tougher there'd have been a different outcome. I pray that he can figure it out and get better and come back and be a huge part of this band again."
Despite the fact that he is not joining his KORN bandmates on their current tour, Fieldy did play on "Requiem".
Earlier in November 2021, Shaffer told "Loudwire Nights" host Toni Gonzalez about Fieldy: "Right now he's just taking some time to kinda figure out what makes him happy and figure out his happiness and what he wants to do with his life, I guess is the best way to put it. And make sure his mental health is at its best, because if your mental health isn't good, or you're not clear, you're gonna make bad choices.
"I make an example," he continued. "I had my own challenges through the years, and once you get clarity, your life becomes a lot easier to manage. We're just giving him time to, like, no pressure, just figure out what you want to do because we can still work and we can still go out and tour. But we miss him. We love the guy, and we want him to just be healthy."
Regarding how KORN ended up recruiting Díaz to fill in for Fieldy, Welch told 97.9 GRD: "Well, there's COVID and everything, so when we started talking about it, it was a thing where we wanted to be careful still and whatnot. So we just started brainstorming and hitting up friends and whatnot. We need the slap — we need the slap bass, we need the finger playing, we need someone, 'cause Fieldy is unique — very unique. So it just kind of happened that way, man, where Ra, he was open because SUICIDAL [was] not going out [on tour] until [the following] year. So it just worked out, man. He came down, we jammed. He's a really humble guy, and just very talented. He can play anything — from jazz to slap to anything. He played all the songs with, like, three mistakes out of 10 songs or something — little mistakes. I mean, not even mistakes — it was just, like, 'I thought I heard it that way.' They weren't even mistakes. So we were, like, 'Okay. You got it down.'"
Canadian metal outfit Iron Kingdom are gearing up for their fifth full-length effort, The Blood Of Creation, out November 4th. Today, these '80s throwbackers meet modern progressive riffs have unveiled the video for their latest single, “Queen Of The Crystal Throne”. Musically, the group is influenced by fantasy mixed with some added darker emotions following the Covid-19 pandemic, making it an interesting take on the band’s continuous evolution.
The band explains: “This powerful mid-tempo banger was written about a dark seductress: cold, aloof, and dangerous, you show interest at your own peril. We wanted a straight rocker tune, and that’s exactly what we did here with ‘Queen Of The Crystal Throne’, with hints of early Queensrÿche or Accept, the riffs have some balls, but they also keep a cool pace, it’s really just a super fun tune.”
The Blood Of Creation artwork and tracklisting:
"Tides Of Desolation"
"Sheathe The Sword"
"Queen Of The Crystal Throne"
"Hunter And Prey"
"Witching Hour"
"In The Grip Of Nightmares"
"Primordial"
"The Blood Of Creation"
Teaser:
"In The Grip Of Nightmares":
In additional news, Iron Kingdom have announced their album launch show for November 4th in Vancouver, BC at The Wise Hall. For more info, head here.
Swedish modern metal sensation, Amaranthe, are currently on their European co-headlining tour with Beyond The Black, with Butcher Babies and Ad Infinitum as support. The band have released a recap video for Week 1. Watch below:
Remaining tour dates are listed below.
Tour dates:
October
21 - Berlin, Germany - Columbiahalle
22 - Offenbach, Germany - Stadthalle
23 - Zürich, Switzerland - X-Tra
25 - Milan, Italy - Live Club
26 - Lausanne, Switzerland - Metropole
28 - Geiselwind, Germany - Event Hall
29 - Zlin, Czech Republic MOR Cafe
30 - Budapest, Barba Negra
31 - Munich, Germany - Zenith
November
2 - Warsaw, Polabnd - Progresja
4 - Oberhausen, Germany - Turbinenhalle
5 - Hamburg, Germany - Zeltphilharmonie
6 - Utrecht, Netherlands - Tivoli Ronda
8 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Amager Bio
9 - Oslo, Norway - Sentrum Scene
11 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Pustervik
12 - Stockholm, Sweden - Klubben Fryshuset
Amaranthe released their new single, “Find Life”, right in time for the start of the tour.
Olof Mörck comments: "’Find Life’ sees Amaranthe exploring a more somber and mature mood, all while keeping our trademark high energy rhythms and explosive riffs. Ethereal layers of keyboards meld seamlessly with a modern pumping bass line, topped off with some of the greatest vocal performances from vocalists Elize Ryd and Nils Molinyet. After quite some time we have reunited with video director and longtime Amaranthe collaborator Patric Ullaeus, for a video that is both intimate and explosive. We wanted to scale things down, and focus entirely on the individuals of the band, and Patric delivered as always!"
Classless Act, who spent the summer touring North America as the opening act on The Stadium Tour - featuring Mötley Crüe, Def Leppard, Poison, and Joan Jett - will be releasing an acoustic EP in the near future, which was mixed by bassist Franco Gravante.
While we await complete details of the acoustic EP, Classless Act has offered up a teaser in the form of the video for the acoustic version of the song “Classless Act”.
In live news, Classless Act will be joining Giovannie And The Hired Guns for a run of east coast shows in December. "We're so excited to be back on the road. Tickets are on sale now," says the band. Confirmed dates are as listed:
December
1 - Soul Kitchen Music Hall - Mobile, AL
2 - Club LA - Destin, FL
8 - The Barrelhouse Ballroom - Chattanooga, TN
9 - Mercury Ballroom - Louisville, KY
10 - Capone's - Johnson City, TN
14 - Wonder Bar - Asbury Park, NJ
16 - The Lost Horizon - Syracuse, NY
17 - Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center - Harrisburg, PA
18 - The Broadberry - Richmond, VA
Johan Kihlberg's Impera have made their new single and video, "The Empire Strikes Back (Medley)", available on streaming services and digital service providers. A video for the song can be found below.
Johan Kihlberg says: "I've been a huge John Williams fan ever since I first watched the Star Wars movies that Williams so brilliantly composed the music for. And after hearing MECO's covers of Williams' score, I always wanted to do a rocking version of one of those songs. In waiting for the release of our upcoming live album (recorded this summer in Gothenburg, Sweden as special guest to KISS), it felt like a good opportunity to finally release this as a single and video."
"The Empire Strikes Back (Medley)" credits:
Johan Kihlberg - Guitar
Kay Backlund - Keyboards
Kristoffer Ehn - Bass
Lars Chriss - Drums
Mixed by: Lars Chriss
Mastered by: Mike Lind
Artwork by: Tommy Denander
Video by: Tommy Denander
Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame-inducted, Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Sammy Hagar released "Father Time", the emotionally reflective final music video from his new chart-topping album "Crazy Times" with THE CIRCLE. The album, released September 30, debuted at No. 6 on Billboard's Top Albums chart, his second top 10 in the last four years. Hagar, who just celebrated his 75th birthday, wrote the song as an introspective look back at his life, illuminated in the music video through a collection of his personal photos.
Reflecting on the intense personal nature of the song, Hagar said: "When I first wrote 'Father Time', I kept it from everyone because it was so personal that I'd get too choked up to actually sing it. I wrote it just after turning 70 while I was at our then-home in Maui. That house was my sanctuary in the middle of the jungle, overlooking the ocean — it was just paradise. The words 'Father Time's over there looking over my shoulder' just kept going through my head, so I picked up my guitar and the rest of the song just came spilling out. I turned on my iPhone and recorded it. I cried my eyes out after I wrote and played it back. It's probably the most personal song that I've ever written and now, after just turning 75, I'm finally ready to release it."
Upon the release of the album's title track "Crazy Times" in July, Guitar World said, "Front and center we have Hagar's voice, … all syrup and gravel and soul. Stick your best pair of headphones on and listen to the track – you can hear that this choice is money well spent." The album, set for release on Friday, September 30 via Ume, finds Hagar, fellow Hall Of Famer and longtime bassist Michael Anthony, Grammy-winning drummer Jason Bonham and Grammy-winning guitar virtuoso Vic Johnson changing course, traveling to Nashville's RCA Studio A to record with Cobb. The eight-time Grammy Award-winning producer, who grew up obsessively listening to Hagar, set out to record "the definitive Sammy Hagar record." The new album includes 10 songs, nine of which Hagar wrote or co-wrote, along with the notable cover "Pump It Up". As Hagar explained, "We went in the studio with six songs and came out with 10. We ended up cowriting three songs with Dave Cobb and he played rhythm guitar on every track. 'Pump it Up' was a surprise, that when we played back we all went 'that sounds f'ing great'."
Fans and critics have been raving about the new SAMMY HAGAR & THE CIRCLE songs, which have found their way into the band's recent tour's greatest hits-heavy setlist. Produced by Live Nation, the trek hit amphitheaters in major cities throughout the U.S. before wrapping on October 1 in Sacramento, California. Following the tour, Hagar celebrated his 75th birthday at his annual week of Birthday Bash concerts at his Cabo Wabo Cantina in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
Hagar told Cincinnati.com about "Crazy Times": "I didn't write any different going in. Dave told me, 'I want the definitive Sammy Hagar record.' He knows how writers my age, when you've written 30 albums or whatever, four or five hundred songs, start questioning — I've said that before. Oh, I played that. He coached me when we talked about it: 'I want to hear 'Standing Hampton'. I want to hear VAN HALEN.' I'd just sit in the room with my guitar and turn on my iPhone and scream into it. And he gave me that kind of feedback, and I got into it.
"I went in with five songs. Then I wrote a couple more for him. And then we got in there and we ended up with 10. Every song is a five-piece. Dave cut every single song with us on guitar. And he was so musical. He led the arrangements. He got us in and out of there in five days for 10 songs. Most guys five days in are still getting the drum sounds."
Hagar remains committed to social advocacy and philanthropy through his Hagar Family Foundation. For more than a decade, the foundation uses music and Sammy's entrepreneur endeavors as a means to give back to causes special to him and his family; mainly food pantries and children's music and health related causes. To date, they have supported these causes with personal contributions of more than $4 million.
For more than five decades, Hagar has been recognized as one of the best and most accomplished lead singers and songwriters in rock music. From breaking into the industry with the seminal hard rock band MONTROSE, to his multi-platinum solo career, to his ride as the frontman of VAN HALEN, CHICKENFOOT and his latest best-selling supergroup, THE CIRCLE, Hagar has amassed 25 platinum albums on sales surpassing 50 million worldwide. Along his journey, he has set the tone for some of the greatest rock anthems ever written with songs like "I Can't Drive 55", "Right Now" and "Why Can't This Be Love", and earned the highest respect of the music industry with a Grammy Award and induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Since launching his flagship Cabo Wabo Cantina in 1990, he's turned a lifelong passion for great food, music and spirits into a thriving and iconic lifestyle brand. A pioneer in the spirits industry, Hagar's development and nine-figure sale of his Cabo Wabo Tequila to Gruppo Campari in 2008 is widely credited as the start of the celebrity-owned spirits trend. His portfolio of spirits now includes Sammy's Beach Bar Rum, Santo Tequila and Sammy's Beach Bar Cocktail Co., as well as several restaurants. Never one to hit the brakes, he's also found success in publishing, TV, radio and beyond, including five seasons of his hit TV show "Rock & Roll Road Trip with Sammy Hagar" and as host of "Sammy Hagar's Top Rock Countdown", his syndicated radio show that's broadcast on over 90 U.S. stations. He's also a New York Times bestselling author, a dedicated philanthropist and since January 5, 2022, the first Honorary Ambassador to Los Cabos, an honor he was bestowed in recognition of his longtime investment in the people and economy of Mexico.
Fantastical heavy metal band, Spell, will release its new LP, Tragic Magic, on October 28 via Bad Omen Records. The band have released a music video for the single, "Fever Dream", which can be found below.
Featuring ten tracks of prime, progressive heavy music flooded with mesmerizing atmospheres, Tragic Magic sees Spell take a decidedly grittier lyrical approach, leaning less into escapism, while confronting real life challenges of modern times. Striking cover art by Canadian artist Francesco Gemelli (Master, Esoctrilihum) portends the palpable potency that the record promises.
Tragic Magic was written and recorded entirely as a collaboration between brothers Cam and Al (Lester); the record's songcraft is steeped in the atmosphere of the arcane, yet the hooks are more razor-sharp than ever. While influences like the esoteric charge of the aforementioned Blue Öyster Cult and the elemental expansions of Camel and King Crimson drift through these crepuscular melodies, Spell are as likely to be influenced by the life-affirming energy of '60s Motown, the ethereal dimensions of Cocteau Twins, the strident woe of Candlemass, and the classic songwriting chops of Russ Ballard.
"The themes on this album are more concrete, guided by personal experience," offers Mesmer. "Tragic Magic' has to do with mental illness, ageing, the death of a loved one, the decay of time… this is what Tragic Magic means to us - loss and tragedy outside of our control, which fundamentally alters our perceived reality. This album is our response to the world as it currently is: music for an ascetic age."
"And we couldn't be happier about the result," Mesmer continues. "The identity of Spell came into sharp focus as it was always intended to be. Music is magic, and Spell is a spell. Fundamentally, it is a forum to make our dreams come true."
"Fatal Breath"
"Ultraviolet"
"Hades Embrace"
"Fever Dream"
"Sarcophagus"
"Cruel Optimism"
"A Ruined Garden"
"Souls In Chains"
"Watcher Of The Seas"
"The Watching"
HALESTORM has released the official live video for "Wicked Ways", a song from the band's latest studio album, "Back From The Dead". The clip was filmed during HALESTORM's October 4 concert at Pikes Peak Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
"Back From The Dead" was released in May via Atlantic. The follow-up to 2018's "Vicious" was produced by Nick Raskulinecz (FOO FIGHTERS, MASTODON, ALICE IN CHAINS) with co-production by Scott Stevens (SHINEDOWN, DAUGHTRY, NEW YEARS DAY).
When the "Wicked Ways" music video was released in July, HALESTORM's Lzzy Hale stated about the song and the clip: "In this eerie confessional…. I'm confronting the darkness inside of me, but this isn't my first time... Thanks to the vision of Dustin Haney, who is also responsible for our 'Back From The Dead' video, I return to light that darkness that I will never betray."
According to a press release, "Back From The Dead" quickly evolved from songwriting exercises into a matter of survival for HALESTORM. Lzzy said: "We started writing this album about three months B.C. (Before COVID). Once we went into lockdown and were unable to perform and tour, I fell into a dark place and something of an identity crisis. This album is the story of me carving myself out of that abyss. It is a journey of navigating mental health, debauchery, survival, redemption, rediscovery, and still maintaining faith in humanity."
Last November, Lzzy told the 105.7 The Point radio station about the musical direction of the new HALESTORM material: "This album is absolutely a banger. It's on eleven. We have really just kind of exceeded all of the energy that has come before on these albums, both technically, music-wise, vocally, drum, lyric-wise. I think because of the roller-coaster ride when we were making this record, and just through the pandemic and all the different phases of that, we just kind of looked at each other, like, if the future is unknown and we don't know whether we're actually going to be out and playing these things, everything has to be, like I said, at eleven. It's HALESTORM elevated."
According to Lzzy, she and her bandmates recorded the new HALESTORM album in a different way. "This is the first time that we've ever had dual producers," she explained. "We went back with Nick Raskulinecz [who helmed 'Vicious']. And then I ended up doing my vocals with Scott Stevens from THE EXIES. He's like a brother from another mother with me. We've written together before, and we've known each other for probably just shy of a decade now. He and I, we produced and did all the vocals for [HALESTORM's recently released single] 'Back From The Dead' with each other, because I went out to L.A. And then we ended up sending it to Nick, and Nick's, like, 'This is just absolutely amazing. We have to do every song this way.' So we kind of did it differently. We ended up with the bare bones of a demo. I ended up finishing all of my vocals — like dunzo — before we ended up building the track musically. So it's kind of like building a pyramid upside down. But it ended up really just having this different energy, because what we were able to do with the lyrics and melody and all the vocals being done would really accentuate all of that — matching the theme to whatever I was singing about, but also just kind of really supporting the vocals musically when we went in to do the guitars and drums and bass. It's so crazy — it definitely has this very forward, very aggressive nature to it because of the way that we did that."
Lzzy and her brother Arejay (drums) formed the band in 1998 while in middle school. Guitarist Joe Hottinger joined the group in 2003, followed by bassist Josh Smith in 2004.
In December 2018, HALESTORM was nominated for a "Best Rock Performance" Grammy Award for its song "Uncomfortable". Six years earlier, the band won its first Grammy in the category of "Best Hard Rock/ Metal Performance" for "Love Bites (So Do I)".
Melbourne’s alt metal titans Circles' storm continues with the release of their most dynamic track yet, "Echo". The song comes as the third single off their upcoming The Stories We Are Afraid Of | Vol.1 EP, the first part of a two-part EP, out November 25 via Wild Thing Records.
Further pushing the boundaries of the international djent movement that Circles helped characterize, the metallic chugging guitars, belting blast from the drums and serene atmospheric pads featured in their new single reinforce the band's heavy influence in the genre.
Stream "Echo" here, and watch a video for the track below.
"Echo" starts with a resonating electronic kick drum, paired with atmospheric synths and the hypnotic despair in Rechter’s vocals. The impact of the building drums and subtle guitars reflects that growing ache in one's head that's filled with voices of self-doubt, paralyzing pity and pressure. Dropping out for a glitched-filled interlude like the calm before the storm, the band erupt into a skeleton-shaking triple-time breakdown. Leading the track out with a bone-crushing riff and a powerful vocal delivery pleading to break from the foundations of one’s turmoil, this is one of Circles' most cathartic tracks to date.
Circles have composed The Stories We Are Afraid Of | Vol.1 with intention and finesse. "Echo" builds upon "Sleepwalking" and "Dig" by portraying themes of self-reflection and desperation to make a resolution; to fight your struggles and take the first steps to reacclimatize to the life you once lived.
Rechter provides insight into how "Echo" integrates into their upcoming EP: “'Echo' is Vol. 1’s lowest point, emotionally. It deals with being well and truly at the bottom, feeling as though you deserve the hopelessness that you feel. Even if that’s not a true reflection of the situation, sometimes those inner voices block out all others with a relentless drone.”
"Echo" was mastered by Luke Cinacotta (Karnivool & Dead Letter Circus) and produced/mixed by Circle’s own Ted Furuhashi. With the abundance of subtle auxiliary percussion, lush floating synthesiser pads and a pulsating electronic kick drum, Circles' new direction with production has led to a track that’s inherently progressive in nature.
Showcasing the band's refined sound with Ted Furuhashi’s production, frontman Ben Rechter makes comment on the writing process: “Ted’s production is great on this volume as a whole, but I feel that he really got to show what he’s capable of with this one, outside of heavy music. It’s probably the biggest departure from earlier Circles music, and took us on a journey that surprised us. It’s definitely an important song to us.”
Charlie Griffiths, guitarist with British progressive metal heavyweights Haken, recently released his debut solo album, Tiktaalika. With musical roots still firmly in the progressive realm, Charlie draws from his love of old-school 80s thrash, 90s tech-metal and alternative rock. Running the gamut from melodic to avant-garde to straight-up heavy, you might say Tiktaalika bridges the gap between King Crimson and King Diamond.
Today, Charlie has launched a video for the track, "Crawl, Walk, Run", which features Danïel De Jongh (ex-Textures) on vocals. Watch below.
Charlie comments: “This was actually the first track I completed for the album and it was the first track I heard with Darby Todd playing real drums, as opposed to my demo programming. Once I heard the magic he brought to the song, it really inspired me to push the other tracks further to utilise his style to the max. I’ve also been a fan of Daniel De Jongh’s voice since I heard his band Cilice on MySpace I think!? Years before he joined Textures. Hearing his blend of aggression, soul and feel delivering my lyrics was an incredible feeling too, far surpassing how I imagined it. I wanted to put together this video so people can see these guys in action in their studios, as a kind of behind the scenes look at how Tiktaalika was made."
This concept album was 375 million years in the making, with the 9 tracks drawing inspiration from themes of geological time, fossilisation, transformation and humanity’s connections with each other and the planet we inhabit. The Griffiths-penned lyrics are given voice by some of the best vocalists in the business: Tommy Rogers (Between the Buried And Me), Danïel De Jongh (Textures), Vladimir Lalić (Organised Chaos) and Neil Purdy (Luna’s Call).
As well as handling guitar duties, Charlie also takes care of bass, keyboards and on one track, makes his debut lead vocal performance. Of the creative process Charlie explains, “I picked up the 6 string guitar again, which ironically has become the more unusual option for me, after 10 or so years writing with an 8-string guitar for Haken. It definitely sent me into a different creative headspace, with riff after riff seemingly falling out of the guitar. I naturally began forming those riffs into song structures, while simultaneously writing vocal melodies and building the lyrical concept. It was a great form of escapism from my usual environment and I had a lot of fun doing it”.
The album also features a host of guest musicians: Drummer Darby Todd (Martin Barre, Frost, Devin Townsend), Keyboard wizard Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater) and Saxophonist Rob Townsend (Steve Hackett). “All of the guest musicians took the songs to another level” Charlie explains, “I had everything written and demoed, so the guys could quickly learn the parts, but I gave free rein for them to bring their personality to the party. Darby’s drumming style, is so beautifully improvised and more jazz-fusion influenced, when paired with my riffs, it resulted in something unexpected. It blows my mind that the synth solo Jordan played was the very first take! Capturing that spirit of spontaneity within a structured piece is always very special”.
The album was mixed by Adam ‘Nolly’ Getgood and mastered by Ermin Hamidovic.
The album includes stunning artwork from Dan Goldsworthy, and is available as a Ltd CD Edition, Gatefold 180g 2LP+CD & as Digital Album. Order here.
Tracklisting:
"Prehistoric Prelude"
"Arctic Cemetery"
"Luminous Beings"
"In Alluvium"
"Dead In The Water"
"Digging Deeper"
"Tiktaalika"
"Crawl Walk Run"
"Under Polaris"
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