METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett has released a music video for his solo song "High Plains Drifter". The track opens the second side of Kirk's debut solo EP, "Portals", which will arrive on April 23 via Blackened Recordings across digital platforms, on CD, and as a Record Store Day-exclusive ocean blue vinyl EP (including a download card). The animated clip, directed by AWESOME + modest (Bo Burnham, THE MOUNTAIN GOATS, "U2: From The Sky Down"), creates an ever-morphing psychedelic dreamscape that perfectly complements the song.
Featuring contributions from Edwin Outwater (with whom Kirk had previously collaborated on METALLICA's "S&M²" concerts and releases), Jon Theodore of QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE (and Kirk's THE WEDDING BAND bandmate), members of the LA Philharmonic and more, "High Plains Drifter" shares a unique inspirational relationship with the 1973 cinematic classic of the same name. The song, Kirk explains, "was not meant to be specifically music for that film, but it was once it was written, I immediately thought it conveyed the same sentiment as the film, so the piece was christened accordingly.
"The music for 'High Plains Drifter' initially came from a flamenco piece I had written," he continues. "It was a two-and-a-half-minute piece, and I really liked it, but it was one of those riffs that would be hard to integrate into METALLICA. I knew I wanted to do something with it, even though it came out spontaneously. I had been sitting outside messing around with a flamenco acoustic guitar I'd just bought, and it flowed out in the moment. I was determined it would have a life. It would have its moment."
True to its title, "Portals" is a collection of gateways to musical and psychic destinations. Recorded around the world, from Los Angeles to Paris to Oahu, "Portals" is the result of Kirk's life's journeys and an invitation to tap into your own inner world. Heavily influenced by classical music, soundtracks, horror movies, and maybe a little Ennio Morricone, Kirk wanted the EP to span the decades and touch upon all the horror he loves. The idea behind the EP was to have all the songs flow into each other, so he relied on a whole cast of his friends to record the four songs.
Produced by Kirk, "Portals" is comprised of the songs "Maiden And The Monster" and "The Jinn" on side A, followed by "High Plains Drifter" and "The Incantation" on side B. The latter two were co-written with Outwater, who also contributed keyboards and led the orchestral players from the LA Philharmonic on "Portals".
Other familiar names amongst the "Portals" players include drummer Abraham Laboriel, Greg Fidelman on bass, Emmy-winning arranger Blake Neely and Bob Rock.
Says Hammett: "Initially, before I even had the idea for a solo EP, I was inspired by the need to create some sort of soundtrack music to accompany The Kirk Hammett Collection for the first 'It's Alive' exhibition at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts, 2017. I wanted to conceive music to play on a loop in the background as people walked through the exhibit. I sat down one night with a progression, and before I knew it, all the parts were there for 'Maiden And The Monster'.
"The initial concept for 'Portals' started with that one song. Following that, I realized I could create different soundtrack moments. These songs are what I call 'audio cinematic'; I'm creating sounds and pieces of music for the movies playing in my head. Hopefully they'll create movies in other people's heads in a similar fashion."
"Portals" will be available to order on the Met Store and the Probity U.K. shop on Saturday, April 23.
On the heels of the announcement last month that he is releasing a collection of Frank Sinatra covers to support NDSS (National Down Syndrome Society), Grammy Award-winning musician, producer, author and founding member of the hard rock bands ALTER BRIDGE, CREED and TREMONTI, Mark Tremonti has released another music video from his "Tremonti Sings Sinatra" album. The video for "Fly Me To The Moon" — shot in all black-and-white — documents Mark in the studio performing the timeless Sinatra classic with members of Frank's original band.
"Tremonti Sings Sinatra", and album of selections from Frank Sinatra's catalog, is being released as part of a new charity initiative created by Tremonti called Take A Chance For Charity. Proceeds from the album — scheduled for release on May 27 — will go to support NDSS and the work they do to advocate for and support individuals with Down syndrome and their families. Mark and his family were blessed to welcome their first daughter Stella last March — who was born with Down syndrome — and the idea for the project was born.
"For years, I've loved singing along to Frank's songs," Mark explains. "One night, I found an old video of him performing 'The Song Is You' from 1944. It made me want to dive into his vocal approach. I was all in and I wanted to do something with it. When we found out about our daughter Stella's Down syndrome diagnosis, the stars aligned. My obsession with Sinatra had its reason. Frank Sinatra raised more than a billion dollars for charity and that is a fact I wish the public the public knew more about. Beneath his cool and calm persona, he had a big heart. Doing this charity in his name was another way the stars had aligned. I decided to do this record to raise funds for families and individuals with Down syndrome. This project is the start of a new purpose that I will have for the rest of my life."
Tremonti has come together with surviving members of Frank Sinatra's orchestra, creating new takes on some of the classics and some deeper cuts from Frank's catalog. From the opening horns and piano of "I've Got You Under My Skin" to final vocal outro of "All Or Nothing At All", Tremonti showcases the signature vocal approach and exemplary musicianship that made Sinatra's work timeless. To see his vision through, Mark reached out to Sinatra's musical director Mike Smith who collected as many remaining members as possible of Frank's touring band to record the music for "Tremonti Sings Sinatra". Popular standards like "I've Got The World On A String", "My Way" and "That's Life" find new life in the hands of these incredible musicians. Tremonti — known for his guitar work that has won him countless accolades — leaves the instrument behind and just sings on the 14-track album. The artwork on the album cover is an original painting that Tremonti created especially for this project.
The track listing for "Tremonti Sings Sinatra" is:
01. I've Got You Under My Skin
02. I've Got The World On A String
03. I Fall In Love Too Easily
04. Wave
05. Fly Me To The Moon
06. Nancy (With The Laughing Face)
07. My Way
08. You Make Me Feel So Young
09. Luck Be A Lady
10. That's Life
11. Come Fly With Me
12. In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning
13. The Song Is You
14. All Or Nothing At All
A recently announced live performance of "Tremonti Sings Sinatra" with members of Frank's orchestra on May 14 in Orlando, Florida at The Abbey sold out in days.
Take A Chance For Charity is a new charity focused on giving artists, actors, athletes and anyone with a platform the ability to get out of their comfort zone. The idea is to have people get out of the genre they are known for to raise funds and awareness for the charity of their choice. An actor can sing, an athlete can dance, a musician can perform a song out of their musical genre - any artistic interpretation. This gives participants the ability to do something out of the ordinary — in fact, extraordinary — all in the name of charity. "Tremonti Sings Sinatra" will be the first release for the cause, the recipient being NDSS.
The National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) is the leading human rights organization for all individuals with Down syndrome. NDSS envisions a world in which all people with Down syndrome have the opportunity to enhance their quality of life, realize their life aspirations, and become valued members of welcoming communities. Founded in 1979, NDSS supports and advocates for the Down syndrome community by focusing on three key areas of programming: resources & support, policy and advocacy, and community engagement. Within these focus areas, NDSS engages in various activities, events, and programs on topics that are critical to our community such as federal and state advocacy and public policy, health and wellness, education, and employment. NDSS creates resources to support individuals with Down syndrome, their families, and caregivers across the lifespan and hosts awareness and engagement events throughout the country including the National Buddy Walk Program, the Times Square Video presentation and New York City Buddy Walk, Racing for 3.21 on World Down Syndrome Day, Run for 3.21, DC Golf Outing, the annual NDSS Gala & Auction, and various other events. Visit www.ndss.org for more information about NDSS.
Some quotes about "Tremonti Sings Sinatra":
Hank Cattaneo, Frank Sinatra's "Duets" producer: "Mark did a fantastic job on this record, His voice and take on the tunes are amazing!"
Slash (GUNS N' ROSES): "Mark's take on Sinatra is nothing short of uncanny. I could never have expected one of my fave metal guitarists to do such faithful renditions of Sinatra classics. Not only instrumentally, but vocally! And these recordings are for a cause near and dear to my heart; I was very close to an uncle who had Down syndrome when I was growing up. I fully appreciate and support Mark's commitment to NDSS."
Kirk Hammett (METALLICA): "Holy shit, I knew Mark was a ripping guitar player, but no way did I ever have a notion that he had golden pipes as well!!! Totally blown away. Totally into it. Let's hear more, Mark."
Chris Daughtry: "When Mark first played me a track from this project, my jaw dropped. Gave me chills! This is a side of Mark's voice that people need to hear and I'm certain they will be just as blown away as I was."
John Petrucci (DREAM THEATER): "Wow! I am absolutely blown away by Mark's performance on this album!! He delivers the songs authentically, embodying all that is Frank but giving us a glimpse of his own personality as well. I love the arrangements and the fact that some of Frank's original band members contributed to these tracks. Honestly, I've known Mark for a long time and know he is super talented but had no idea he was capable of channeling Old' Blue Eyes like that! Just absolutely beautifully done and what makes everything even that much more touching is the cause. I bet Mark's daughter Stella was in his heart during every step of the recording processes. Incredible!"
Tyler Connolly: "Okay this is so frickin' good! I had a smile on my face when I heard marks voice come in on 'I've Got You Under My Skin'. The production is fantastic, and I love that he has gifted the album to the NDSS (National Down Syndrome Society) Not surprised that he's killed it on this one. Congrats, Mark. This is amazing!"
Brent Smith (SHINEDOWN): "Once again, Mark Tremonti never ceases to amaze me. These renditions of some of the most beloved Sinatra tunes, are so eloquently done that it is remarkable. And what a beautiful gift to the NDSS. Much love, respect, and success to this incredible project."
James LaBrie (DREAM THEATER): "I met Mark around 10 years ago. First thing that struck me was his easy going, down-to-earth, respectful nature. That, to me, is a priority and a true measure of one's makeup. Mark's talent precedes him, I've listened to him since the '90s 'til present day. It wasn't until I listened to Mark's solo albums that I was able to fully realize his vocal abilities. What a great voice!!! A beautiful and unique sound, alongside perfect delivery, dynamics and feel.
"When asked for my take on Mark's Sinatra project, I really didn't know what to expect. I went into this from the perspective of what I've heard. I was asked to listen to two tracks. I listened to the whole damn thing!!! I was completely blown away. He sounds just like Frank, with just enough of his own vocal characteristics to infuse just the right amount of himself while honoring Frank's musicality. Mark did absolute justice to the number one iconic, legendary crooner of all time. A stellar job, nailing the inflections, nuances and all the subtleties in Frank's delivery that made him unparalleled. Bravo, Mark. An admirable endeavor and cause for NDSS. All the best, Mark, Vicky and lovely Stella."
BLACK LABEL SOCIETY has shared the official music video for the single "You Made Me Want To Live" from the band's latest album, "Doom Crew Inc.". You can now watch it below.
BLACK LABEL SOCIETY frontman Zakk Wylde commented: "BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's new video for 'You Made Me Want To Live' is so good it gave me temporary relief from my excruciating jock itch."
BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's 11th studio album, "Doom Crew Inc.", was released last November via MNRK Heavy (formerly eOne Music).
In an interview with the Morristown, New Jersey radio station 105.5 WDHA, Wylde stated about the writing process for "Doom Crew Inc.": "The way it always goes, it's always the music first and then a melody. And then I've gotta find out something I wanna sing about. So then I'll write the lyrics. That's usually always the way it goes. And then, when it's all done, then the solos go on it. The painting's all done, and the solo is the frame that goes on the thing. So you can sit back and look at the whole thing. That's the way we pretty much always do it.
"We did the box set, and then we did videos for that, and then, after that, [my wife Barbaranne] was just, like, 'Maybe you guys can do a record,'" he recalled. "I said, 'All right. No problem.' So I said, 'How long till the guys come out?' [She said], 'You've got a month till the fellows come out.' So I was just, like, 'All right. Let me get started.' So I would just have a cup of coffee and just start writing riffs. You always get inspired by — for me, it's always Mount Riffmore, which is CREAM, MOUNTAIN, [LED] ZEPPELIN, [BLACK] SABBATH, DEEP PURPLE… If you're not getting inspired by the riffs those guys have created, it's just like… So I'll just go fishing and just start writing till you get to something you like.
"What we ended up doing [was] tracking about 30 songs and then whittled it down to the 12 that we have [on the album]," Zakk explained. "It's funny, 'cause the 'Farewell Ballad' thing has been sitting around on YouTube for probably about 11 years or something like that — just that instrumental strip of music. And so I was just, like, 'You know what? Let me just get around to finishing this thing.' 'Cause we had that bit of music, the chord progression that I wrote. So then I just finished it — I just wrote a melody, I wrote a song with that intro. So we finished that thing. And then 'Love Reign Down', the piano ballad, that was sitting around. I wrote that about my mother who passed away. That was during [the making of Ozzy Osbourne's] 'No More Tears', actually. I remember noodling on the piano at A&M and I wrote that song. So it was good to actually finally put that on an album. But the rest of it is all brand new. 'Set You Free' was pretty much right at the end, when we were tracking everything else. So that definitely popped in there late at the end of the whole thing. But the album's probably almost about a year old now, since we recorded it and finished it and mastered it and everything like that. But it's just been sitting in the can until right now."
"Doom Crew Inc." was made available digitally on CD and vinyl plus a deluxe edition that includes vinyl, CD longbox, cassette and more. The 12-track album is both a tribute to the band's "first to bleed, last to leave" road crew and a salute to the legion whose support, stretching back to 1998, rivals that of the KISS Army.
The songs are odes to celebration and mourning, the soundtracks to jubilant evenings and bewildering days recorded in Wylde's home studio, the Black Vatican. On this album, Zakk trades solos and twin-guitar parts with Dario Lorina, backed by the rumble of longtime bassist John "J.D." DeServio and powerhouse drummer Jeff Fabb.
BLACK LABEL SOCIETY and ANTHRAX will team up for a 24-date North American tour this summer. The five-week trek will kick off on Tuesday, July 26 at Van Buren in Phoenix, Arizona and wrap up on Sunday, August 28 at the Fillmore in Philadelphia. Both bands will play headline sets. HATEBREED, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the "Perseverance" album, will be special guest.
Aimée Osbourne, the eldest daughter of Ozzy and Sharon, has shared a new song, "Against Mine", released under the ARO banner. Her first new track in two years, it exhibits her sultry, dark, and melodic electro-pop sound in all its glory.
ARO's debut album, "Vacare Adamaré", was released in 2020. Osbourne told Rolling Stone she plans on putting out singles rather than albums.
"I feel a different sense of freedom and excitement that comes from releasing a couple of songs or a single at a time," she said.
Regarding what her father thinks about her music, Aimée said: "My dad has responded really positively to a lot of it. It's been a really fun way to connect with him about being in the same industry now. He is so dedicated and his ability to continue working and creating, his appetite for that is so admirable, it's unbelievable. Nothing stands in his way when it comes to anything creative, whether it's painting, writing lyrics, melodies. From the minute he's awake to when he goes to sleep, that's what he does. And so to have that as an example has been such a gift and to feel like something to live up to has been a great way to connect with him."
Two years ago, Aimée opened up about her decision to not participate in the family's reality TV show, "The Osbournes". Aimée, who was only 15 years at the time, reportedly went as far as to move out of the family home in an effort to stay away from the cameras.
"To me, I'd grown up around having a pretty well-known dad anyway, and I always really valued my privacy within that family," the now-38-year-old told New York's Q104.3 radio station. "For me personally, for who I am, as far as morally, and also just to give myself a chance to actually develop into a human being as opposed to just being remembered for being a teenager, it didn't really line up with what I saw my future as. It definitely worked great for the rest of my family, but for me and who I am, I just knew it was never something that I would have been able to consider realistically."
That was not the first time Aimée had spoken about her refusal to appear in "The Osbournes". A few years earlier, she said: "I want to be a singer, and I felt if I'd stayed with 'The Osbournes' and done the whole thing, I would have been typecast right away."
She elaborated in a 2015 RollingStone.com interview, saying: "I don't think I will ever cross-contaminate my private life and my family life with my public and professional worlds. For me, nothing's more important than having a very clear boundary between the two. That's just part of who I am."
During an episode of "The Talk", Sharon admitted that she had feelings of guilt over her daughter's decision to leave home because she couldn't stand filming "The Osbournes".
"I know that my eldest girl, Aimée, left home at 16 and she couldn't live in our house because we were filming and it drove her insane," she said. "She felt, too, that she didn't want to grow up on camera. She hated the idea; it was appalling to her. And so she left at 16 and I regret every day that she did."
The "fly-on-the-wall" TV series, which became the highest rated original program in MTV's history, started in 2002 and ended in 2005. The show followed the lives of the BLACK SABBATH singer and his family, including Sharon's battle with cancer, as well as younger children Kelly and Jack Osbourne's stints in rehabilitation for drug and alcohol abuse.
"The Osbournes" was credited with being the first show where cameras followed celebrities around and led to a number of copycats like A&E's "Gene Simmons Family Jewels", which followed the life of KISS bassist Gene Simmons and his family, and A&E's "Growing Up Twisted", about the family of TWISTED SISTER frontman Dee Snider.
Hard rock group POP EVIL has released a gritty new single, "Eye Of The Storm", along with an accompanying video directed by Sam Shapiro. The track is a powerful number that conveys the chaos of a hurricane through dark, electric instrumentals with a pummeling, chaotic metal maelstrom that contains an uplifting message at its center. The video is an allegory of the song's meaning and paints a picture of the storm with rapid, flashing lights and rain flooding the scene.
As for the song's lyrical plea, the band explains: "It doesn't matter who you are or where you come from, at some point we all face a situation beyond our control. The wind howls at your door as darkness fills the sky and everything you know is being tested. You don't know if you can survive it. At times, it feels hopeless, but it's not. There is a path through the chaos and a way out of the confusion. You are stronger and closer than you think you are. The storm will pass. Don't let it bury you."
POP EVIL will begin its headlining tour on June 23 in Milwaukee at Summerfest, concluding on August 14 in Wichita at The Cotillion with special guests ZILLION and OXYMORRONS. POP EVIL will also support SHINEDOWN on its summer 2022 Canadian tour, starting on July 19 in Quebec City at Centre Videotron and ending on August 3 in Abbotsford at Abbotsford Centre.
POP EVIL celebrated its seventh career No. 1 single on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart in late 2021 with "Survivor" marking a historic milestone. "Survivor" joined the previous Top 10 single "Work" and No. 1 single "Breathe Again" from POP EVIL's latest album "Versatile", out now via MNRK Heavy. Over the course of its career, POP EVIL has achieved four gold singles with "Torn To Pieces" and "Trenches" from "Onyx", "Footsteps" from "Up" and "100 In A 55" from the band's debut studio album, "Lipstick On The Mirror".
POP EVIL's longtime bassist Matt DiRito announced his exit from the band last July, saying in a statement that "the details surrounding my departure are only known by a few people, and respectfully it will remain that way." He added: "Walking away from something I've helped build is not easy — but it is the best thing for the band, myself and our respective futures. POP EVIL will continue on and so will I, just not together." He has since been replaced by Joey "Chicago" Walser of EGYPT CENTRAL and DEVOUR THE DAY.
KORN has released the official music video for the song "Worst Is On Its Way". The clip, which was directed by Craig Bernard and Culley Bunker, can be seen below.
"Worst Is On Its Way" is taken from KORN's latest album, "Requiem", which was released on February 4 via Loma Vista Recordings. The band celebrated the LP's arrival with a special record-release event on February 3 at the Hollywood United Methodist Church in Los Angeles, California. "Requiem Mass" saw the Southern California heavy music pioneers perform an intimate set in front of a 300 attendees.
KORN vocalist Jonathan Davis told Metal Hammer magazine about the track: "Right now everything is going good, but always in the back of my head I'm just waiting for that next bad thing to happen. I thought it was an amazing way to end the record because it's all about me battling the darkness and coming out on top, but life is a never-ending loop and there's always more bullshit ahead."
"Requiem", which was produced by Chris Collier and KORN, entered Billboard's Hard Rock Albums chart at No. 1. The band sold 23,000 equivalent album units in the February 4-10 tracking week, according to Billboard. Of that sum, 20,000 units were from album sales. "Requiem" also landed at No. 2 on the Top Rock Albums and Top Alternative Albums charts. On the all-format Billboard 200, it arrived at No. 14.
In a recent interview with Midwest Beatdown, KORN drummer Ray Luzier spoke about the fact that "Requiem" consists of only nine songs, with just one being more than four minutes long. "We tracked about, I wanna say 16, 17 tunes or something like that," he said. "And there's a lot of records where if you think a song is a filler, it doesn't necessarily mean the next guy thinks it's a filler; they might like the songs that aren't singles better than the singles, so everyone's got opinions. But on this record, we tracked a lot. There's some that didn't make it [where] I was literally, like, 'Wait. How can that not make it? That's an amazing song.' But when you listen to 'Requiem' as a whole, I really believe that that's the best possible material we could pick at this time. It's like giving birth — there's your babies, your songs, and you want everyone to hear 'em and receive them as well as they possibly can.
"We just had such a great time making this record over COVID," Ray continued. "There was no rushing. We just went, 'Hey, let's meet in Bakersfield,' our California studio; Head [guitarist Brian Welch] and I live in Nashville. And we'd fly out there and just take it little by little. There was no, 'Oh, let's rush this [before] we have to go on tour.' It was, like, 'Hey, let's just make good music' and come back and listen to it and weed out the bad and really make the good stuff stick."
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