Pitch Black Records announces the new, third album from Norwegian old-school heavy metal outfit, Sinsid. In Victory will be released on May 20.
In Victory is a follow-up to 2020’s Enter The Gates, and is most definitely an album that will get defenders of old school heavy metal excited about it. Through the album’s nine non-stop headbanging tracks, an epic journey will unfold where fans will identify everything that made the genre great – anthemic choruses and solos, hard-hitting riffs and faith in heavy metal as a symbol of brotherhood and the fight against Evil.
Sinsid’s new album shows the Norwegian quintet at its best, inspired and never so powerful. One thing that’s more evident compared to previous works Mission From Hell (2018) and Enter the Gates (2020) is the more frequent use of the double bass drum. The band sounds as good as ever with an improved contemporary production which however still managed to maintain that “old school” feeling.
Originally formed in 2012, Sinsid's influences include anything from the blues and rock to metal and Viking or thrash but the very core of the band is, unmistakably, traditional heavy metal. The band’s debut triumphantly introduced Sinsid to the metal world and quickly gained the band a massive new following, with reviews referring to it as “good old, honest, working-class metal” and “couldn’t be more metal if it was hammered over an anvil!”
In Victory will be available on CD and Digital with a limited LP (100 numbered copies) planned for release later in the year. Pre-order information here.
Tracklisting:
"The Northern March" (Intro)
"Iron Heart"
"Metalheads"
"Secret Of The Beast"
"In Victory"
"No Fear"
"Wrath Of Destruction"
"Headless Grinder"
"Cult Of Doom (Into The Fire)"
"Headless Grinder" video:
Lineup:
Terje Singh Sidhu – Vocals
Sten Roger Knutsen – Lead guitar
Even Haavold – Rhythm guitar
Grzegorz Urbanski – Bass
Trygve A. Tvedt – Drum
Wisconsin-based death metal band, Jungle Rot, will release their new album, A Call To Arms, on May 13 via Unique Leader Records. The band have released the new single, for the album's title track. Watch the video for "A Call To Arms" below.
A Call To Arms sees the first Unique Leader offering emerge with a punishing Dan Swano mix and eerie Voodoo themed artwork - a brutal culmination of the band's past sound melding with a slick, devastating polish bringing them firmly into 2022.
"A Call To Arms"
"Beyond the Grave"
"Genocidal Imperium"
"Asymmetric Warfare"
"Vengeance & Bloodlust"
"Maggot Infested"
"Death Squad"
"Haunting Future"
"Total Extinction"
"Population Suicide"
"A Call To Arms" video:
"Total Extinction" visualizer:
Jungle Rot have also announced the A Call To Arms US Tour with special guests, Internal Bleeding. Dates below.
Tour dates:
June
2 - Minneapolis, MN - The Cabooze
3 - Lincoln, NE - 1867 Bar
4 - Colorado Springs, CO - Black Sheep
6 - Boise, ID - The Shredder
7 - Seattle, WA - Club Sur
8 - Portland, OR - Bossanova Ballroom
9 - San Francisco, CA - DNA Lounge
10 - Anaheim, CA - Doll Hut
11 - San Diego, CA - Brick by Brick
12 - Los Angeles, CA - 1720
13 - Mesa, AZ - Nile Underground
14 - El Paso, TX - Rockhouse Bar & Grill
15 - Albuquerque, NM - Launchpad
16 - Denver, CO - HQ
17 - Kansas City, MO - BLVD Nights
18 - Sturtevant, WI - Route 20
Hungarian black/pagan metal outfit, Bornholm, have released a bass playthrough video for "My Evangelium", featured on the band's fifth studio album, Apotheosis, released last November. Watch below:
"I Divine"
"My Evangelium"
"Sky Serpents"
"The Key To The Shaft Of The Abyss"
"Black Shining Cloaks"
"Spiritual Warfare"
"Darkened Grove"
"To The Fallen"
"I Am War God"
"Apotheosis"
"Enthronement"
Helsinki, Finland "goth 'n' roll" pioneers THE 69 EYES have released "Drive", a catchy new single and the first of several new tracks to be made available in the next months. The band is currently in the studio recording its 13th album, to be released in 2023 via Atomic Fire Records (worldwide excluding Finland).
THE 69 EYES guitarist Bazie comments: "The inspiration came from the same pool of music I have always liked, mostly from the '80s.
"I never plan anything; just grab my guitar and see what comes up. We jammed a lot more as a band this time and came up with song ideas from all the guys. 'Drive' started from one little riff, which I had for a long time. It took a while, but it was worth it. It still sounds exciting, and that was the goal."
THE 69 EYES singer Jyrki 69 adds: "Bazie delivered this music, and I was blown away by how fresh it felt again. Sounded like some rock radio stuff.
"Our songs are on daily rotation on the rock channels here in Finland, but they are the ones that we did 15 years ago. So, I thought that we could have some fresh options now, let's take the airwaves!
"'Drive' is a traditional 69 EYES-sounding fast rocker with a Sunset Strip slap on it!"
The "Drive" music video was directed by Vicente Cordero and can be seen below.
THE 69 EYES will hit the road in Europe in November and December 2022, along with America's industrial pioneers MINISTRY and horror rockers WEDNESDAY 13.
THE 69 EYES has been haunting stages all over the world for 33 years and seem to be a truly immortal part of the dark rock/metal scene. Widely known as the Helsinki Vampires, the quintet gained several platinum albums with "Blessed Be" and "Paris Kills" and not only reached #1 of the single and album charts in their home country of Finland, but also plunged the world into a sinful cosmos of love, death and melancholy, while outliving any other band emerging from the goth hype of the early 2000s.
By developing their sound further into sleaze rock on "Devils" (2004) and "Angels" (2007) and not shying away from pitch black Elvis Presley allusions in Jyrki 69's dark voice and unique onstage dance moves, the band has established a worldwide following. Over the course of over three decades, the band has toured relentlessly throughout Europe, America, Asia and Australia and released 12 full-length studio albums.
Guitarist Thomas Zwijsen has released the new video below, in which he performs an acoustic classical guitar cover of "Lost In A Lost World", featured on Iron Maiden's latest album, Senjutsu.
Zwijsen previously released the video below, featuring an acoustic rendition of "Arc Of Space", from Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson's Accident Of Birth album, released in 1997.
Trivium frontman Matt Heafy has shared footage of the band performing the song "Sickness Unto You" live for the first time ever on March 11th in Tampa, Florida. Check out the footage below.
The song is taken from Trivium's 2020 album, What The Dead Men Say
Heafy recently shared more details about his long-awaited and much-anticipated Ibaraki project. The project's debut album, Rashomon, will be released on May 6 via Nuclear Blast.
The band has shared the video for "Akumu" (feat. Nergal). Watch below.
"'Akumu' translates to 'nightmare' - and with this piece, I encourage the listener to work to find their interpretations of what they feel from the lyrics, music, and the haunting visuals of the music video," says Kiichi. "I have always been fascinated by Sagazan's 'Transfiguration,' and for years, I have wanted to pay homage to his works with a performance art piece; to finally be able to immerse myself in his style was an intense experience."
He finishes, "Having Nergal guest in this Ihsahn co-written piece allowed me to combine many of my long-time influences; and when I presented with Nergal of the challenge of translating my lyrics into Polish, it brought the song to another level."
Last month, Ibaraki offered fans a taste and a tease of the music by sharing the video for "Tamashii No Houkai", featuring special guest Ihsahn of Emperor fame, who is a core contributor and partner in this project. Watch the video below.
Fans will be able to listen to "Akumu" and "Tamashii No Houkai" by pre-saving here. Pre-order the album Rashomon on CD, vinyl, cassette, and T-Shirt + CD bundle here.
Ibaraki - the name for a terrifying Japanese demon taken from feudal legend and the new project of Trivium's Matthew Kiichi Heafy - is more than a solo record. It's the end-result of a journey of an artist finding his voice. Its inspirations include everything from an adoration for the extremes of black metal to the exuberant storytelling of Gerard Way to the adventuresome worldliness of tragic bon viveur Anthony Bourdain. It's a reflection of Kiichi's multifaceted interests as well as a profound affirmation of his Japanese-American identity, and one that led him to confront one of his family’s most tragic moments. Like the artist behind it, there is much to the story of Ibaraki and it began with a timid email to one of black metal's most revered and influential figures.
Kiichi, a fan of black metal before he even started Trivium, reached out to label reps for Ihsahn of Emperor, and the artist personally responded. He recalls, "It was so cool to get that nod and it inspired me to start checking some of his solo stuff. He’d just released his own solo record and I'd never heard anything like it - saxophones, clean singing, jazz chords. It was incredible to me. He's this non-stop inventor. So I started writing in a totally different way."
The exposure to Ihsahn's solo work that would inspire the gradual craftsmanship that would eventually become Ibaraki. It was also the beginning of a friendship and creative collaboration that would eventually compel Ihsahn to take a leap of his own into a newfound role as producer on the project. While much of the material for Ibaraki was assembled over those months and years - as much a songwriting process as an exchange of ideas between friends - it wasn't until the pandemic that the space was created and the idea could really flourish.
"It was very loose," says Ihsahn. "We just had rough demos for a very long time because we're arguably pretty busy people, but suddenly, everything was cancelled and we had time on our hands for the first time, so it was like, 'OK, let's do this.' We never got to work in the same room; he'd track guitars and send them to me, I'd run them through my studio and send them back. It was a new way of working, but it was like he was there on the other side of the glass. Matt is a very, very positive, energetic, and passionate music fan - we have similar attitudes to music and open mindedness. We hit it off, and it's been really rewarding to me."
The creative interactions between the pair are the result of a deep trust borne of a commonality of their experience. "We both started our respective bands when we were 13," Ihsahn says. "We got signed when we were 16. That's young, and in essence we both found our path in life at an early age. We've talked a lot about that and our different experiences with that, because it's like we know nothing else."
While material was primarily written by Kiichi, Ihsahn engineered and produced and contributed some song structures, plus Trivium drummer Alex Bent, bassist Paolo Gregoletto, and guitarist Corey Beaulieu contributed to various tracks. Ihsahn's wife Heidi even sampled some natural sounds from the forest near their home and his entire family. Additional guests include the aforementioned Way and Behemoth's Nergal.
Ihsahn also encouraged Kiichi to seek out new avenues for lyrical inspiration, namely his Japanese heritage. While an array of stories have been told via the tattoos on his body, such as the specific ancient Japanese story of gods, goddesses, and monsters from the Shinto religion taught to him by his mother, he began pouring the stories into lyrics.
While the rich mythology and folklore of Japan that would give Ibaraki its unique aesthetics and influences, it also provides the artist with the catalyst to contemplate his own identity and to consider how recent tragedies stateside have highlighted the need for better representation in metal.
Swedish extreme metal band Darkane have just released a new video for the song "Convicted" from their debut album Rusted Angel, originally issued in 1999, to celebrate its re-release on all digital platforms on Friday, April 15th.
The new clip, which can be seen below, was filmed by Philipp Koch in 2014 at Bibelot Poppodium in Dordrecht, Netherlands.
Pre-save or pre-add Rusted Angel in digital format here. CD and LP will be available later on. Darkane's complete back catalogue will be re-released over the coming weeks, further details to follow shortly.
Late last month, Darkane announced that they are going to release their long-awaited new studio album Inhuman Spirits on June 24, 2022 via Massacre Records.
It was mixed and mastered by Lawrence Mackrory at Rorysound Studios, and is packed with intense, brutal, groovy and catchy melodic death/thrash metal!
The cover artwork - available below - was created by Mathias Blom / The Happy Creative.
Inhuman Spirits will soon be available to pre-order as a CD Digipak and limited edition vinyl LP as well as in digital formats.
Canadian progressive death metal quintet Truent will self-release their full-length debut album, Through The Vale Of Earthly Torment, on June 17.
The official video for album track "The Last Hunt" can be seen below.
Born in a small town outside of Vancouver, BC, Truent is an exhilarating Canadian metal act on the rise. Combining massive riffs, head-spinning technicality, and sharp songwriting, Truent has crafted a crushing brand of groove-laden progressive death metal that is uniquely their own.
The band has released the following statement concerning the forthcoming new album:
"Written and recorded while the world was being ravaged by the pandemic, Through The Vale Of Earthly Torment was an exercise in escapism for us from the grim realities of life in turbulent times. While not a concept album in the traditional sense, we turned to themes of mythology and lore, exploring how people from all corners of the globe across all time periods have used myths to create vivid descriptions of their values. Each song centres itself around a creature or deity, and each of these entities are made to represent one of the seven deadly vices, giving the album a consistent through-line to follow."
"Musically, we expanded our sound with influences from all across the heavy music spectrum in order to create the most dynamic record we could. The songs weave together pummeling and technical riffs, triumphant choruses, and a number of oddball moments that hit seemingly from nowhere. There’s a wide mix of subgenres and sounds we explore throughout the album, often within the same song. We incorporate elements of everything from tech death to thrash metal to metallic hardcore into the records core sound of groove-filled progressive death metal. We do not want to be an easy band to categorize, and we feel this record is our most diverse work to date."
Tracklisting:
"Blood And Dust"
"Usurper Of The Sky"
"Silk And Bone"
"The Last Hunt"
"This Verdant Coil"
"In The Mire"
"Scathe Of Branches"
"Damned To The Deep"
Keaton Campbell from Of Modern Architecture contributes guest vocals to "Scathe Of Branches".
Pre-order your digital copy of Through The Vale Of Earthly Torment now at this location.
New SKID ROW singer Erik Grönwall has uploaded a video of him playing an acoustic cover version of GUNS N' ROSES' "Nightrain" with his longtime friend Philip Näslund, recorded in SKID ROW's dressing room prior to one of the band's performances as the support act on SCORPIONS' Las Vegas residency.
In a message accompanying the YouTube release of the video, Erik wrote: "My buddy Philip flew in to Las Vegas to check out the SKID ROW show and we just had to jam a bit.
"I won't always be able to give you the full studio experience and that's why I started this unplugged playlist. I want to be able to release music on this channel even when I'm on the road.
"Philip and I went to high school together and started our first metal band RAID when we were 16-17. He was the guy who introduced me to all these great rock bands like SKID ROW. He's had a huge influence on my singing. He moved to L.A. when we graduated and has been working as a producer, songwriter and guitar player since then."
Grönwall recently joined SKID ROW as the replacement for ZP Theart, who had been in the group for more than six years.
SKID ROW played its first show with Grönwall on March 26. During its nine-song set, SKID ROW performed its new single, "The Gang's All Here", which was made available last month. The song is the title track of the band's upcoming album, which will arrive on October 14 via earMUSIC.
SKID ROW recorded most of "The Gang's All Here" in Nashville, Tennessee with producer Nick Raskulinecz, who has previously worked with FOO FIGHTERS, STONE SOUR, HALESTORM, EVANESCENCE, RUSH and ALICE IN CHAINS, among many others.
SKID ROW bassist Rachel Bolan discussed Grönwall's addition to the band in a recent interview with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station. Asked about the "stresses and challenges of bringing a new singer into the band," Bolan said: "It is a challenge and you're under a microscope for sure. This time was different, though, man; it's just different. His ability and his… just the way he does things and his work ethic is one I've never seen other than the four of us that are already in the band. He just doesn't stop until he gets things absolutely right. Whether it's his version, what he thinks is right, or what we think is right, he works hard — he works hard. And you can see why he had the success he did overseas because he's a really, really hard-working singer that takes care of his instrument and that takes pride in his craft."
Rachel also reflected on SKID ROW's first live performance with Grönwall, saying: "We all really wanted to get that first one under our belt, that first show as a whole. But we just were, like, 'Okay, let's do this, man.' 'Cause we had two days of rehearsal. We got together on a Wednesday and a Thursday, then we took a day off so he could rest his voice. And plus he's jetlagged by nine hours. And then we all got together and talked. And it was, like, 'Okay, let's try and get this rhythm of the pace of the show' and this and that. And then the first down beat hit, we were out on stage, and I just remember looking over at Snake [guitarist Dave Sabo] after Erik started singing, I look at Snake and he was just smiling. We're tough guys; we're not supposed to smile onstage… Honestly, dude, from the minute he opened his mouth… His timing is impeccable. We knew it was gonna be cool. And each show has gotten even better, 'cause we're learning each other's rhythm on stage. When I walked away from that show, I said to Erik, I go, 'This was show one. I cannot wait for show one hundred. It's gonna be amazing.'"
Bolan previously talked about how Erik came to join SKID ROW during an appearance on the latest episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation L.A. Invasion", recorded just hours before SKID ROW's first performance with the Swedish singer. "We toured together. H.E.A.T. was on tour with SKID ROW. What year was that? '18? And we'd hear him every night from the dressing room," he said. "And a couple of times, I was, like, 'Man, listen to this guy sing. He's phenomenal.' And then, I forget who told me, someone that was with us, 'Yeah, he won 'Idol' in Sweden.' And I was, like, 'Man, he's got pipes.' And I was listening. Then I went behind the monitor board a couple of times. And in my head, I'm, like, 'Wow! When SKID ROW has some downtime, I'm gonna get in touch with this dude and start a side project with him.' And obviously, that never happened. But as time went on and we got to the point to where we were with ZP and stuff, Erik was our first… I told Snake, I go, 'We've gotta check this guy out.' And along with Snake and the rest of the guys, and Nick, our producer, Nick Raskulinecz, were, like, 'He's the guy, man. Send him some songs.' So we sent him some songs that we were recording, just with a guide vocal on it, and it came back about 24 hours later, and we were, like, 'All right. He's the guy. Get him on a plane. Let's do this.'"
He continued: "We've been recording this record… We've never done it like this before. He's been recording at his house in Sweden and sending it to Nick and sending it to Snake and I, and we've just been going, 'Okay, change this part. Do this. Do this.' And I just found out last night at dinner, he's, like, 'I've never recorded myself this before.' [Laughs] And I was, like, 'I'm so glad I didn't know that.' As if my stress level isn't high enough. I would have just completely combusted right there. But, yeah, man, and then actually Tuesday [March 22], when we all flew to Vegas for rehearsals, was the first time we met face to face — other than on tour; we saw each other in the hallway a couple of times. But other than that, Tuesday was the first time, other than a Zoom call, that we met face to face."
Touching upon the circumstances that led to SKID ROW's split with Theart, Sabo said: "It got to a point where the situation with Zee kind of put itself forth where we had to make a decision, because something still wasn't working correctly. And that's when the idea with Erik came up. And ironically enough, years ago, a good friend of mine, Rob Hoffman, had said, 'If something ever happens, there's this guy in Sweden.' And he said the same thing to our manager as well years ago. And all of a sudden, as life happens, it kind of came full circle and it became a reality.
"I've been on a high for probably the last month, just hearing the way the songs are coming out, seeing the enthusiasm in everybody, seeing the positive reactions we're getting from playing it for people," Snake added. "And it feels so amazing. I feel like I'm 25 years old again… But it's been an incredible experience, and the way this whole thing has sort of come to fruition, it makes you just go, 'Man, there's something going on that's beyond our control.' The stars aligned, if you will."
Grönwall sang on H.E.A.T.'s last four studio albums — "Address The Nation" (2012), "Tearing Down The Walls" (2014), "Into The Great Unknown" (2017) and "H.E.A.T II" (2020) — before exiting the group in October 2020.
Grönwall was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in March 2021. A short time later, he wrote on his social media: "I am extremely privileged and grateful to live at a day and age where a disease like this is curable. There's been so much progress made in this field. My body is reacting well to the treatment but it's a long treatment and it's going to be the toughest challenge of my life so far, for me and my family."
Last September, Grönwall released his cover version of SKID ROW's "18 And Life" via all streaming platforms. At the time, he said about his version of the track: "This song was basically the starting point of my professional career as an artist. I performed this song during my 'Swedish Idol' audition back in 2009. 12 years later it's time to give this bad boy a try again. Here's my version of the SKID ROW song '18 And Life'."
In 2018, Grönwall debuted in the U.S. for 10 million viewers in NBC's live broadcast of Andrew Lloyd Webber's and Tim Rice's musical "Jesus Christ Superstar". Along with John Legend, Alice Cooper, Sara Bareilles and others, Erik played the key role of Simon Zealotes.
TESTAMENT, EXODUS and DEATH ANGEL kicked off the 2022 edition of "The Bay Strikes Back Tour" this past Saturday night (April 9) at the Fremont Theater in San Luis Obispo, California. The show marked TESTAMENT's first appearance with drummer Dave Lombardo since he rejoined the group earlier this year.
An original member of thrash metal legends SLAYER, Lombardo was the guest drummer on TESTAMENT's 1999 studio album "The Gathering", which also marked the first time the band worked with then-up-and-coming British producer/engineer Andy Sneap.
The members of TESTAMENT discussed Lombardo's return to the band during a March 1 appearance on SiriusXM's Liquid Metal with host Jose Mangin. Asked if he had to physically audition for the drummer spot in TESTAMENT this time around, Dave quipped: "I just sent them a link to my Wikipedia. 'I've done these records, including one of yours. Can I come back?' [Laughs]"
Lombardo said that he reached out to the TESTAMENT camp the same day that the band announced it was splitting with its longtime drummer Gene Hoglan.
"I was still asleep, and my wife, she just said, 'Hey, Gene just left TESTAMENT,'" Dave recalled. "And she's been always telling me, 'Man, I can't wait for you guys to get together for that 'Gathering' reunion.' 'Cause we had been talking about this two and a half, three years ago — before the pandemic. And so I immediately — I didn't even get my other eye open and I was texting [TESTAMENT singer] Chuck [Billy]. I said, 'Hey, man, what's going on?' I don't know exactly what I mentioned in my text, but it was very simple, 'Hey, what's happening?' And he immediately called me back. And I remember Tiffany [Chuck's wife] was on the phone; Chuck was on the phone. We were, like, 'Hey.' It was a great come-together moment, like, 'Hey, here we go. This is the moment we've been waiting for.'"
Dave went on to say that the timing was right for his return to TESTAMENT.
"'The Gathering' reunion didn't have to happen putting Gene out, separating Gene and saying, 'Gene, we're gonna go with Dave for a while now.' Nothing like that happened," he said. "This happened organically. And it happened at a time where my other bands, two of the bands that I have, MR. BUNGLE and DEAD CROSS, [Mike] Patton sings in them and he's trying to get healthy and is taking a little hiatus. And SUICIDAL TENDENCIES hasn't been touring much lately. So that leaves me with a lot of little odd projects here and there that I work on in my free time. So it just felt like the right moment.
"I know it can be deceiving because I am in so many different bands, but there's 24 hours in a day and I only sleep eight hours, or seven to eight hours, so that leaves me 16 other hours," he explained. "And I don't take Saturdays and Sundays off. So it was a no-brainer."
Chuck said that he was surprised to hear from Dave so quickly after TESTAMENT made the news of its split with Gene public.
"Right when it happened, it was within minutes after the announcement," Billy recalled. "And Dave doesn't remember, but [his text message to me was] simply 'Lombardo?' That was the text. I'm, like, 'You're shitting me. Tiffany, Lombardo just wrote me, 'Lombardo?'' I called him right away. I said, 'Hey, dude, what's happening?' He was, like, 'Dude, I heard the news.' I'm, like, 'Dude, I would have called you right away, but I just thought it was kind of far-fetched for you to kind of jam because I know you're probably pretty busy with all the other projects going on.' And he was, like, 'No. I've got a big opening and I'd love to get back.' And we talked about 'The Gathering', doing that again. And here we are — it could be a reality to get to play 'The Gathering' like we spoke of."
"The Gathering" was widely considered to be an improvement over 1997's "Demonic", an album that saw Billy employ a more guttural style of vocals and was released at a time when thrash acts as TESTAMENT had fallen out of favor.
Hoglan originally played drums on "Demonic", but didn't stick around long enough to do any touring with the band. He officially joined TESTAMENT in 2011 and played on the group's last three albums: 2012's "Dark Roots Of Earth", 2016's "Brotherhood Of The Snake" and 2020's "Titans Of Creation".
TESTAMENT, EXODUS and DEATH ANGEL played the sole 2021 date of "The Bay Strikes Back Tour" last November at the Fox Theater in Oakland, California. The gig took place less than two months after the three bands shared the stage at the Aftershock festival in Sacramento.
Touch was the first band to play at the inaugural Monsters Of Rock Festival at Castle Donington in 1980, along with Rainbow, Scorpions, Judas Priest and Saxon. A live version of their hit, "Don't You Know What Love Is", appeared on the compilation LP Monsters Of Rock, documenting the performances at the festival.
Touch's first album was released on Atco Records and their first singles, "Don't You Know What Love Is" and "When The Spirit Moves You", charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Their follow-up album was recorded in 1982 and produced by Todd Rundgren, The record never came out and Touch disbanded thereafter.
The original band recently reformed after almost 40 years to create the new album, Tomorrow Never Comes, out now. Today, the band releases a music video for the song, "Run For Your Life". Check it out below, and get the new album here.
Tomorrow Never Comes tracklisting:
"Tomorrow Never Comes"
"Let It Come"
"Swan Song"
"Try To Let Go"
"Fire and Ice"
"Trippin' Over Shadows"
"Frozen Ground"
"Lil Bit of Rock N Roll"
"Glass"
"Scream at the Sky"
"Wanna Hear You Say"
"Run For Your Life"
Below is fan-filmed video of Sepultura's entire April 6th show at the House Of Blues in San Diego, CA. It was the band's first show with Angra drummer Bruno Valverde behind the kit, who was sitting in for Eloy Casagrande, who was forced to drop off the band's North American tour after breaking his leg a few days earlier in El Paso, TX.
The setlist on the night was as follows:
"Refuse/Resist"
"Territory"
"Means to an End"
"Attitude" (tour debut)
"Cut-Throat" (tour debut)
"Kairos"
"Sepulnation"
"Slave New World" (tour debut)
"Agony of Defeat"
"Orgasmatron" (Motörhead cover - tour debut)
"Arise"
"Ratamahatta"
SiriusXM radio personality Eddie Trunk has blasted the rock band SANTA CRUZ for allegedly using pre-recorded tracks during a recent concert, saying it's "unreal" how fans and promoters are seemingly okay with the practice.
This past Wednesday (April 6), SANTA CRUZ — whose current lineup consists of longtime frontman Archie Cruz along with new recruits Jerry Jade (guitar), Tommy Bradley (bass) and Randy McDemian (drums) — played a show at the legendary Whisky A Go Go venue in West Hollywood, California. The following day, a fan-filmed video of SANTA CRUZ performing the song "Under The Gun" was posted on the "concertsrock" YouTube channel, showing Cruz at one point walking away from the microphone while the singing continued to be heard through the P.A. until Cruz, Jade and Bradley returned to their microphones for what was the song's chorus section.
On Friday, Trunk took to his Facebook to share the concertsrock video of the "Under The Gun" performance, and he included the following message: ""This is beyond words … everyone I guess just okay with this?! As I've said and have been saying this has become an epidemic that needs to stop . So bad it's to the point this band doesn't event attempt to fake their lip synching.. stunning. Imagine paying to see a band you love 'live' and it's anything but. What's the point? Imagine you are a band that puts the work in to be live, and others don't, play to a computer , and fans talk about how great they sound.. pathetic. It's the norm in pop, it's gotta stop in rock. Bands, fans and promoters have to care that a live rock show is live or it will only get worse. Madness."
Eddie later shared an image on Twitter of a mock t-shirt promoting a fictitious 2022 tour by him under the banner "Eddie And The Traxx" with the slogan "Sounds Like The Album – Because It Is". He wrote in an accompanying caption: "Very close to starting my own band. And I can't sing or play. But if everyone is okay spending hard earned money to see a band play 'live' & instead hear a computer then why not? Guess it doesn't matter? Plenty of bands I can open for sadly doing the same thing".
Archie responded to the criticism in an Instagram Story on Saturday, suggesting the whole thing was planned and intentional. "Pro-tip: fuck up a track live on purpose & get a shit-ton of free publicity," he wrote. "Y'all fucking bought that shit".
While most of Trunk's followers were in complete agreement with him on this topic, several took the opportunity to criticize him for failing to call out FOZZY frontman Chris Jericho — whom Eddie has repeatedly referred to as a "close friend" in the past — for recently admitting that his band uses "backing tracks for some songs" and insisting that "everybody" else does as well. Jericho was a guest on the April 4 episode of Trunk's SiriusXM show "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" but was not questioned about the backing-tracks comments that he had made just days earlier.
In recent years, more and more artists have been given a pass for relying on pre-recorded tracks, drum triggers and other assorted technology that makes concerts more synthetic but also more consistent. For better or worse, pre-recorded tracks are becoming increasingly common for touring artists of all levels and genres and they're not just used in pop music — many rock artists utilize playback tracks to varying degrees.
Speaking to Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station, Jericho stated about rock bands using pre-recorded backing tracks during live performances: "We use backing tracks for some songs, and everybody does. Unless you're GUNS N' ROSES… Let me rephrase that… If you're in Slash's band… GUNS N' ROSES has backing tracks. They have a keyboard player. It's just the way of the world right now. It doesn't mean we're not singing and not playing. If you're listening to a record, you go to a DEF LEPPARD gig and you hear 'Pour Some Sugar On Me' that was recorded with 25 tracks of guitars, you can't just go with two guitars on stage and in your right mind think there wasn't something building up the background there. It's just kind of the way that bands are. It doesn't make you any less of a band. 'Cause you know what? QUEEN used tracks in the '70s. If you don't believe me, watch it when they play 'Bohemian Rhapsody' live."
Back in July 2020, Jericho was accused by Sebastian Bach of using pre-recorded lead vocal tracks during live performances. The former SKID ROW frontman, who has also been outspoken about rock bands using pre-recorded backing tracks during live shows, initially claimed Jericho was "miming to a tape" at FOZZY concerts in a social media post. In response, the wrestler-turned-rocker insisted that he had "never mimed anything ever" and challenged Bach to a "singoff" with "no effects, no tuning, no bullshit", saying "Bas is a great singer...but I'm better".
In March 2020, SHINEDOWN guitarist Zach Myers said that "90 percent" of rock artists use at least some pre-recorded tracks during their live performances. He told Rock Feed: "It bothers me that it bothers people. I'm, like, 'Why does this bother you?' It's the way it is. People have been doing this since the '80s. And we want the sound to be the best it can be. Could we go up there, just the four of us, and put on the best rock show ever? Of course. But that's not how we wanna do it."
Bach had previously said that he is "one of the last people" who are still not using pre-recorded tracks at their live shows. "I don't know how much longer I can say to you that I don't use tapes onstage, because I don't, and I never have," he told Consequence Of Sound. "And I still don't. When I have opening bands, and they're using tapes, and then I come out and I don't use tapes… sometimes, it makes me feel stupid, because I'm like, 'What am I doing, when all these kids half my age can come onstage and do all of my moves, but they don't have to warm up for an hour before the show, or weeks, before the first show?' Sometimes, I'm like, 'Why do I even bother, if the public is so used to this other way?' It's becoming very rare to come see a good band that's actually a real band — that's not miming or doing silly moves while a tape is running. It just becomes more rare as the years go on."
In 2019, IRON MAIDEN guitarist Adrian Smith said that he doesn't "agree" with certain rock artists relying on pre-recorded tracks during their live performances. "I tell you what, I see it with a lot of younger bands, and I don't think it's a good thing at all," he told the New York Post. "I mean, the music is getting too technical now. You have computerized recording systems, which we use, but I think we use them more for convenience than because we need to. We've toured with a couple bands that use tapes — it's not real. You're supposed to play live; it should be live. I don't agree with using tapes … I think it's a real shame."
One musician who has been open about his band's used of taped vocals during live concerts is MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx, who said: "We've used technology since '87." He added the group employed "sequencers, sub tones, background vox tracks, plus background singers and us. [MÖTLEY CRÜE also taped] stuff we can't tour with, like cello parts in ballads, etc.... We love it and don't hide it. It's a great tool to fill out the sound."
In a 2014 interview, MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist Mick Mars admitted that he wasn't comfortable with the fact that his band used pre-recorded backing vocals in its live shows, claiming that he preferred to watch groups whose performances are delivered entirely live. "I don't like it," he said. "I think a band like ours… I have to say '60s bands were my favorite — '60s and '70s bands — because they were real, like, three-piece bands or four-piece bands, and they just got up there and kicked it up. Made a mistake? So what? Sounded a little bit empty here or there? So what? It's the bigness and the rawness and the people that developed and wrote the songs and made them and presented them. To me, that's what I really like. I mean, I could put on a MÖTLEY CD and play with it all day long. I don't wanna do that."
KISS lead singer Paul Stanley, who has been struggling to hit the high notes in many of the band's classic songs for a number of years, has been accused of singing to a backing tape on KISS's ongoing "End Of The Road" tour.
Back in 2015, KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons slammed bands who used backing tapes for not being honest enough to include that fact on their concert tickets.
"I have a problem when you charge $100 to see a live show and the artist uses backing tracks," Simmons said. "It's like the ingredients in food. If the first ingredient on the label is sugar, that's at least honest. It should be on every ticket — you're paying $100, 30 to 50 percent of the show is [on] backing tracks and they'll sing sometimes, sometimes they'll lip sync. At least be honest. It's not about backing tracks, it's about dishonesty.
"There's nobody with a synthesizer on our stage, there's no samples on the drums, there's nothing," Gene continued. "There's very few bands who do that now — AC/DC, METALLICA, us. I can't even say that about U2 or THE [ROLLING] STONES. There's very few bands who don't use [backing] tracks."
"Under The Gun" is the first single from SANTA CRUZ's new album, "The Return Of The Kings", which will be released this fall via M-Theory Audio. Cruz recorded the follow-up to 2019's "Katharsis" as a one-man studio project throughout 2021 in his native Finland.
This is beyond words … everyone I guess just okay with this?! As I’ve said and have been saying this has become an...
I have long railed against the epidemic of bands using tracks live. And how fans & promoters just accept “live” acts & paying to see a band “live” and it’s anything but. This is how bad it’s become. Everyone okay with this?! Unreal! https://t.co/EHp6zW57i4 v
Because you are a REAL artist! Thx to all who deliver truly live & put the work in to do so. Appreciated it now more than ever w/what’s going on out there & how many turn a blind eye to it! And “everyone is doing it”is NOT an excuse.Because everyone isn’t! https://t.co/apcWVpqXnb
Another real artist here. In a real band. That puts the work in to actually sing and play live.. what a concept .. this shit has to stop ! Madness ! No fucks given to even try and fake it .. https://t.co/A9e8WQLAtB
Very close to starting my own band.And I can’t sing or play.But if everyone is okay spending hard earned money to see a band play “live” & instead hear a computer then why not? Guess it doesn’t matter? Plenty of bands I can open for sadly doing the same thing pic.twitter.com/wAj1GLLJpa
This is funny. 1st of all Jericho has denied lip synching repeatedly. Do you have video of him w/no mic & vocal? Did I shoot & post the video? No. How about band/bands that do this? You OK with it? I don’t care who the band is it’s ridiculous & has to stop! https://t.co/caw111wwB3
It is crazy, I get it if you need some back ground choirs or orchestra stuff or effects but I just don’t get how people wouldn’t sing and play the main stuff live ( with the exception of a few LOL )
I think the controversy is you not calling out the bands you’re friends with, but take a major jab at those you have no desire to like. I agree live shows should be live, but if you’re going to point fingers point at all involved
Spot on!!! He changes the subject back to his disdain for back tracks live. That’s fine but he completely side steps the fact that apparently Jericho admitted to it and he jumps on everyone else that does it but doesn’t say anything about his pal doing it.
This is a great point. ? I tuned in mostly to hear that topic addressed. I wanted Jericho to tell us it isn’t true because I’m really digging the things Fozzy is doing right now, creatively. Now I just imagine that he told Eddie not to bring it up. ?
I’m old enough to remember when people called for the heads of Milli Vanilli for doing this ( only worse because they didn’t even sing the recorded tracks). Now it’s SOP. Suddenly I don’t feel so bad about occasionally blanking on a lyric during a gig.
I think time and place can exist too. Take the Who and Baba. Piped in, but the rest was all live even if it meant it wasn’t as full as the recorded track. But vocals? Other guitars? Drums? Nah…then I’ll just stay home and listen to the record.
A great band is better live than in the studio- the energy and the presence. Musicians talk about recreating the record, and I say what's the point? We have the record, what happens that night makes it special.
It's easier to use tracks, and audience gets lost w/o them. Its both
I’m ok with intro tracks used on the album - symphony, choir, effects such as storms, stuff like that. But the actual playing better be live. I don’t fork out big ticket money to see Milli Vanilli. What would “A Nightmare to Remember” by Dream Theater be without the car crash?
Fucking ridiculous. At the @TheWhiskyAGoGo no less. It would be an honor and privilege for @DemonScarNYC to play that stage. I assure we don’t have tracks. We just kick ass and play rock n roll live the way it should be. ???
I’m with you 100% Eddie. If you want to hear the album, listen to it at home. Live should be live…period. @RALegault65
— BEER RUM & ROCK N ROLL ??☠️?? (@BEERRUMROCKROLL) April 9, 2022
Refund the tickets, seriously Eddie, if 71 yo Biff Byford can smash out a 2 hour set LIVE for @SaxonOfficial like it was 1980, everyone else should do the same…
Absolutely agree! I will not pay top dollar to see bands live that do this. I’ll stick to small clubs and seeing local bands that actually play. I’m done with all this shit! They get paid good money for these shows they should give people 100%!!
Canadian thrashers Hyperia, formerly of Calgary, AB, now residing in Vancouver, BC released their new album Silhouettes Of Horror independently in March 2022. The full-length follows their 2020’s Insanitorium unleashed via Sliptrick Records and their 2019 EP Fish Creek Frenzy.
Check out the guitar playthrough video for the track "Experiment 77" below.
Silhouettes of Horror sees guitarist Colin Ryley behind the soundboard producing and mixing the record with mastering done by Mika Jussila at Finnvox Studios in Helsinki, Finland (Children of Bodom, Nightwish, Battle Beast). Album artwork was created by Andrei Bouzikov (Vektor, Municipal Waste, Skeletonwitch, Toxic Holocaust).
“We think that we have polished our sound and pushed ourselves to create what we believe is a newly refined vision. This record has pushed the whole band to their limits, and the songwriting, performance, and production value is a huge step up. We feel the fans will enjoy this new album even more than our first full-length,” adds Collin Ryley.
Energetic, melodic, fast, psychotic, and dynamic are the elements that make Silhouettes Of Horror that old and new fans of thrash, NWOBHM, and power metal will appreciate. The band even included a cover hommage of Abba’s “Gimme Gimme Gimme”. For the recording of Silhouettes Of Horror, Hyperia also recruited good friend and session drummer Gord Alexander (Tessitura, Tides of Kharon, Immunize).
Most of the lyrical themes on the album revolve around inhumane government experiments, sleep disorders, and night terrors.
Tracklisting:
"Hypnagogia"
"Intoxication Therapy"
"Experiment 77"
"Severed"
"Prisoner Of The Mind"
"Terror Serum"
"Whitecoat"
"Silhouettes Of Horror"
"Operation Midnight"
"Pleonexia"
"Gimme Gimme Gimme" (Abba cover)
San Francisco Bay Area metal titans MACHINE HEAD will release their tenth studio album, "Of Kingdom And Crown", on August 26 via Nuclear Blast/Imperium Recordings. The follow-up to 2018's "Catharsis" includes the three songs that were featured on last year's "Arrows In Words From The Sky" single: "Become The Firestorm", "Rotten" and "Arrows In Words From The Sky". Much of the new MACHINE HEAD album was recorded at Sharkbite Studios in Oakland, California with producer Zack Ohren.
The official music video for the song "Choke On The Ashes Of Your Hate" can be viewed below.
"Of Kingdom And Crown" is a 13-track concept album set in a decimated futuristic wasteland where the sky is stained crimson red. The crux of the story is based on two main characters: the first and main character is Ares (pronounced Aries), who loses the love of his life (Amethyst) and goes on a murderous rampage against the vile sect responsible for her murder; the second character is the perpetrator Eros (pronounced Arrows), who loses his mother to a drug overdose and becomes radicalized in the aftermath. Eros goes off the deep end manifesting his own killing spree. The lyrics detail how their lives intertwine.
MACHINE HEAD founder Robb Flynn comments: "Thanks to my two teenage boys, my family has become obsessed with this awesome Japanese anime series called 'Attack On Titan'. The album's concept was loosely inspired by the series in the sense that in the storyline there is no 'good' or 'bad' guy; both characters believe they're doing the right thing as it applies to their being, but make no mistake, both are committing acts of pure atrocity and evil. The opening track 'Slaughter The Martyr' is basically our character No. 1's origin story.”
The colossal concept comes with a list of equally colossal packaging for various physical formats including 16 different worldwide vinyl formats, deluxe vinyl box set (with bonus tracks), CDs (both old-school longbox and jewel box options), multi-color cassettes, and a limited-edition digipak with bonus tracks. CDs, digipak, cassettes, and all digital formats will be available on August 26, with all vinyl formats arriving on November 25.
"Of Kingdom And Crown" track listing:
01. Slaughter The Martyr
02. Choke On The Ashes Of Your Hate
03. Become The Firestorm
04. Overdose
05. My Hands Are Empty
06. Unhallowed
07. Assimilate
08. Kill Thy Enemies
09. No Gods, No Masters
10. Bloodshot
11. Rotten
12. Terminus
13. Arrows In Words From The Sky
Digipak CD bonus tracks:
14. Exteroception *
15. Arrows In Words From The Sky (acoustic)*
Flynn recently told Metal Hammer magazine about the musical direction of the new MACHINE HEAD material: "It's similar to [2003's 'Through The Ashes Of Empires' and 2007's 'The Blackening'] in that we're moving forward into something fresh and new but it's got that classic MACHINE HEAD vibe. We have a lot to deliver and expectations are very high, so I'm lucky to have great people surrounding me. Jared [MacEachern, bassist] really stepped up and wrote some great riffs and great vocals. Vogg [guitarist Wacław Kiełtyka] contributed a few ideas and brought some really great songs."
He continued: "It's fucking heavy, probably the heaviest we've been in a few albums. I've been playing so much guitar recently; I do Electric Happy Hours every Friday and sometimes you play a song you haven't played in 10, 20 years, or go through a whole album from top to bottom. When we toured 'Burn My Eyes', it took me back to where I was writing that music. I don't think I can ever be in that place again lyrically, but riff-wise, I think that all spilled into this album."
This past February, MacEachern told Primordial Radio about his contributions to MACHINE HEAD's new album: "I think that I was very aware from day one that Robb is the leader, he's the creative leader, the musical leader… We all have our inputs but I think it's always understood that ultimately the decision is up to him for how things go. But, yeah, I definitely made contributions and I feel great about those contributions and I'm asked about my opinion on certain things. But, like I said, I'm following his lead."
As for the sound of the new MACHINE HEAD LP, Jared said: "It's a pretty — to use Robb's word… I believe he used the word 'colossal' the other day. It's a pretty big-, epic-sounding album. We've been toying around with the order, but I've been listening, sitting down, taking the time to listen to it all the way through, and the way it goes, it's a ride — a really great, heavy, beautiful, melodic, raging, thrashing ride."
In November 2020, MACHINE HEAD released a single, "My Hands Are Empty", via Nuclear Blast. The song marked the first musical collaboration between Flynn and original "Burn My Eyes" guitarist Logan Mader in 24 years.
"My Hands Are Empty" was just one in a line of singles to be released by MACHINE HEAD, which issued "Do Or Die" in October 2019, "Circle The Drain" in February 2020, and the two-song digital single "Civil Unrest", consisting of "Stop The Bleeding" and "Bulletproof", in June 2020. "Stop The Bleeding" featured guest vocals from KILLSWITCH ENGAGE frontman Jesse Leach, and was written and recorded just days after the murders of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery.
MACHINE HEAD will team up with Sweden's Viking metal overlords AMON AMARTH for a co-headline "Vikings And Lionhearts" European arena tour in September and October. Support on the trek will come from THE HALO EFFECT, the new band featuring five former members of IN FLAMES: Peter Iwers, Daniel Svensson, Jesper Strömblad, Niclas Engelin and Mikael Stanne.
"Catharsis" was the final album to feature guitarist Phil Demmel and drummer Dave McClain, who both left MACHINE HEAD in October 2018.
Former W.A.S.P. lead guitarist Chris Holmes has released the official music video for the song "I Am What I Am". The track is taken from his latest studio album, "Unbearable Influences", which came out last September.
Holmes joined W.A.S.P. in 1982 and remained with the group until 1990. In 1996, the guitarist returned to W.A.S.P. and stayed with the band until 2001. Chris has not played with W.A.S.P. since.
This past weekend, Holmes completed his fifth week of radiation therapy in his battle with cancer in throat and neck.
Last year, Holmes told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that W.A.S.P. was "a group, a band" on the first LP. "And after that, the second album, it wasn't a group — it was a one-man show," he said. "And it's been a one-man show after that ever since. It's the way it is. Look at the records. It's the way it is in that band.
"W.A.S.P. never played any shows until I was in the band, so where does a band start — when they record or when they do their first show?" he continued. "I came in before the first show, and it was 'one for all, all for one.' But then when money came into it and fame, people changed — they change real bad. And I never changed. I don't change. I haven't changed the way I think, the way I am. I'm not gonna change. I am what I am.
"During the [making of the] second [album], I was told the manager wants to use Blackie's [Lawless, W.A.S.P. frontman] image [on the cover], which the manager didn't tell me that — Blackie told me that."
According to Chris, he, guitarist Randy Piper, drummer Tony Richards and Blackie were all part of W.A.S.P. initial management contract, but Blackie was the only one signed to the record label. "Everybody thinks we [all] signed to the label, but it wasn't [like that]," Holmes told "Trunk Nation".
"I never learned about the business till about 10 years ago," he explained. "How do you learn about the business? You've gotta be in there with the manager and all that stuff, so I was always kept from that… I put my trust into somebody, and [I found out later that he was] sticking a knife in my back. I didn't find that out until 2010 or '11.
"Once [W.A.S.P.] became [all about] one person, [my attitude was] 'Hey, I'll just do my thing, and leave me alone. I'll play my guitar.'"
Despite the fact that he only got songwriting credit on a a couple of the songs on each of the first four W.A.S.P. records, Holmes was adamant that his input was essential to the band's overall sound.
"If I would have quit after the first album, the way I play guitar, the way I play is really important to writing those songs," he told "Trunk Nation".
"If I hadn't joined in the beginning, it would have never worked. Blackie told me that the first day, when he came and talked to me to play in W.A.S.P. He says, 'I've got this band. It's not gonna work unless you're in it.' He told me that to my face."
In October 2020, Chris said that he would never consider returning to W.A.S.P. unless Lawless agreed to pay him the publishing royalties that he allegedly owes him. He told Canada's The Metal Voice: "A lot of people think I made money from W.A.S.P. I've never gotten my royalties, or even my songwriting. All the stuff that I wrote, I've never gotten paid one penny. And you know whose fault it is? It's my my fault for not knowing the business, how it is. I trusted somebody.
"After every album, when the album is done, how they split up the publishing with the publishing contracts, the publishing companies — that's where the money comes from," he continued. "I was never told about when that meeting was. Because the other guys in the band never wrote — I was the only one [other than Blackie]. So I'm the only one that they have to screw over to get all the publishing. So I was never told. Then when I dug into it in about 2006 or [2007], I went into Sanctuary Music, had a lawyer go in to find out where all my publishing is, and I was written in as a session player into all the records. And if you don't know about it, and you're not told, and you don't see, you don't know. So I trusted Blackie Lawless about that. And when I found out, it really kind of yanked me wrong. It yanks me wrong — it makes me see he was sticking a knife in my back from the first day, from the first album, and not telling me, and being my best friend."
This past February, Lawless shot down Holmes's claim that the guitarist was "screwed" out of receiving royalties on the W.A.S.P. albums that he performed on. Lawless discussed Holmes's tenure with W.A.S.P. in an interview with "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". Asked to respond to Holmes's assertion in Chris's recently released documentary "Mean Man: The Story Of Chris Holmes" that he was financially taken advantage of during his time in the band, Lawless said: "I don't really know much about… I spoke to [former W.A.S.P. guitarist] Randy Piper a couple of years ago. I don't really know what's going on with the rest of the guys. And I'm not sure exactly what you're talking about with Chris about not being paid.
"Chris, at two different points in his musical career, received settlements from this band; he signed documents as such," Blackie explained. "And he was paid quite well.
"I haven't seen what you're talking about. The answer I'm giving you right now is based on what you just said to me."
The W.A.S.P. frontman went on to confirm that he hasn't seen Chris's documentary and was once again asked about Holmes's claim that there is money and songwriting credits that he didn't get that he's due. Lawless said simply: "That is not true."
During a November 2017 press conference in Moscow, Russia, Lawless was asked what he would say to those W.A.S.P. fans who continue to call for the band to reunite with Holmes. He responded: "People get divorced for certain reasons, and there's times when the kids want the parents to get back together, but sometimes it never happens. And this is one of those [times]. Sorry."
ASHES OF ARES, the band featuring former ICED EARTH members Matt Barlow and Freddie Vidales, has released the official music video for the title track of its third studio album, "Emperors And Fools". Barlow was filmed by David Brodsky and Allison Woest for My Good Eye: Music Visuals; Vidales was filmed by Adon Fanion. The clip was produced by Woest (Barlow) and Fanion (Vidales).
The "Emperors And Fools" LP, which was made available on January 21, 2022 via ROAR! Rock Of Angels, ends with the eleven-minute-long epic "Monster's Lament" which features the long-imagined joining of forces between Barlow and another former ICED EARTH singer, Tim "Ripper" Owens.
Speaking to Metalheads Forever about how the collaboration with Owens came about, Matt said: "Tim and I and Freddie, we keep in contact through social media and all that stuff anyway. And we have a lot of like interests and things, obviously, outside of that connection with ICED EARTH. We're all in this together right now, especially going through COVID and all that.
"Tim does music for a living. So we just thought it might be cool. We've been talking about doing a collaboration for a while. It just seemed like the right time because we could actually pay him as a musician and get him to participate. And we did that for a couple of musicians that had done guest spots.
"We just thought that this was a good idea," he continued. "This was a song that actually Freddie has had for a while. Freddie wrote the lyrics for it. He had the concept, this idea of a duet-type thing. It's a duet, but not really. I mean, it is, but it's two separate characters — Tim and I are playing two separate characters. And it's quite lengthy, but it's really cool too. It's got the face-ripping parts and then more mellow stuff and kind of coming back up. It's over 11 minutes long. I think it really is a very cool composition. And I hope that people like it.
"Freddie had lyrics but he didn't necessarily have the vocal melodies, so I worked the melodies out," Matt added. "And then the stuff that I worked out, I worked out for Tim and I and then I gave it to Tim. But I didn't hold him in kind of contraints — I didn't say, 'Hey, man, use this kind of voice' or 'Do this.' I just wanted him to do Tim. Whatever struck him the way that it struck him and just kind of following at least the template and staying within certain boundaries but letting him be himself. And I think that really played off. I was able to kind of do something almost point-counterpoint to what he's doing. So Tim's doing Tim and Matt's doing Matt, and so hopefully it hits people in the right way that we were trying to create something that was ebb and flow. We're not competing against each other. We're weaving it so that it's making a cohesive song with different characters involved. So I'm hoping that people dig it."
"Emperors And Fools" was released as a digipak CD, limited turquoise/black splatter vinyl (300 copies worldwide), limited red/black splatter vinyl (300 copies worldwide) and digital streaming and download format.
"Emperors And Fools" was produced by ASHES OF ARES, and mixed and mastered by Byron Filson at Villain Recording in Phoenix, Arizona. The cover artwork was created by Kamil Pietruczynik.
Track listing:
01. A City In Decay (intro)
02. I Am The Night
03. Our Last Sunrise
04. Primed
05. Where God Fears To Go
06. Emperors And Fools
07. By My Blade
08. What Tomorrow Will Bring
09. The Iron Throne
10. Gone
11. Throne Of Iniquity (CD-exclusive track)
12. Monster's Lament
ASHES OF ARES is:
Matt Barlow - Vocals
Freddie Vidales - Guitars, Bass
Guests:
* Drums on all tracks by Van Williams
* Keyboard intro composed by Jonah Weingarten
* First solo "The Iron Throne" by Wiley Arnett of SACRED REICH
* Second solo "The Iron Throne" by Charlie Mark
* Second solo "Monster's Lament" by Bill Hudson
* Guest vocals "Monster's Lament" by Tim "Ripper" Owens
* Keyboards "Monster's Lament" by Brian Trainor
In December 2020, ASHES OF ARES released the 12-inch black vinyl EP, "Throne Of Iniquity". Limited to 300 copies, the EP contained one new ASHES OF ARES song, "Throne Of Iniquity", as well as two cover tracks, CHICAGO's "25 Or 6 To 4" and KANSAS's "Dust In The Wind".
ASHES OF ARES's second album, "Well Of Souls", came out in November 2018 via ROAR! Rock Of Angels. It was the follow-up to ASHES OF ARES's self-titled debut album, which was released in September 2013 via Nuclear Blast.
Three years ago, Barlow told "The Classic Metal Show" about ASHES OF ARES: "Sometimes it's hard to escape the comparisons [to ICED EARTH], because my voice is still my voice no matter what, and I'm still gonna deliver things emotionally like I have before, so people are always gonna draw comparisons with ICED EARTH, and that's fine; I'm completely cool with that. I'm proud of my time in ICED EARTH, proud of everything that I've done with them, proud of them right now, going on and kicking ass. So I don't have any problem with that whatsoever — the comparisons. But that being said, I want ASHES to have its own identity as well. I think, again, as my writing partner, Freddie deserves that — he deserves to have his own identity in ASHES — and I think that's really important; that's what we're striving to do. And also, hey, man, there's already an ICED EARTH out there; they're touring and they're kicking ass, as I stated before. Why would I wanna do ICED EARTH stuff?"
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