Former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman performed at the opening ceremony of this year's Tokyo Marathon on Sunday, March 6.
The Tokyo Marathon 2022, one of the biggest marathons in Japan, ran through Tokyo's tourist sites, accommodating recreational runners and world's best elite runners. It was the first Tokyo Marathon in two years, as the 2021 edition was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Through its theme, "The Day We Unite.", the Tokyo Marathon brings together runners, volunteers and spectators.
Marty shared video of him performing at this year's event, and he included the following message: "Just played the Opening Ceremony at the Tokyo Marathon! This is my 4th year doing it, but today I played 3 times as the runners spread out their starting times into 3 groups. After many postponements, to see the marathon back up and running (pun intended) was a wonderful and positive sight to see!"
This year's Tokyo Marathon was won by Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge, the two-time Olympic marathon champion and world-record holder, who came in first with a time of 2 hours, 2 minutes and 40 seconds, the fourth-fastest marathon in history.
Kipchoge has now won 14 marathons overall, including nine World Marathon Major events and two Olympic marathons.
Marty's presence in the world of music, the world of guitar and Japanese pop culture is mystifying, bizarre, and nothing short of inspiring. His first major impact in music was in the game-changing guitar duo CACOPHONY, which he founded with equally enigmatic and now-legendary guitarist Jason Becker. He then spent 10 years as lead guitarist in the genre-defining thrash metal act MEGADETH before moving to Tokyo due to his love for Japanese music, language, and culture.
Following his move, he landed a starring role for a new TV comedy "Hebimeta-san" ("Mr. Heavy Metal") and its spinoff, "Rock Fujiyama", which ran for six seasons and propelled him into the living rooms of Japan's mainstream. He has since appeared in over 800 TV shows, movies and commercials, including a two-year campaign with Coca-Cola for Fanta, authored two best-selling novels and was the first-ever foreigner to be appointed as an ambassador of Japan heritage and perform at the opening ceremony for the Tokyo Marathon in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2022.
At the same time, Marty has continued his career in music with several solo albums in addition to writing and performing with the top artists in Japanese music, racking up countless chart hits, including a No. 1 with SMAP, two No. 2 songs with MOMOIRO CLOVER, a No. 2 with SOUND HORIZON — just to name a few.
Just played the Opening Ceremony at the Tokyo Marathon! This is my 4th year doing it, but today I played 3 times as the runners spread out their starting times into 3 groups. After many postponements, to see the marathon back up and running (pun intended) was a wonderful and positive sight to see!
In support of Wicked's upcoming release The Last American Rock Band on March 11, 2022, the band is excited to share their first of many music video releases this year.
The official music video "Hot Stage Lights" is the perfect cornerstone for Wicked's new album that embodies a celebration of the unreleased years of the band and the turning point of much more new music and releases to come – BraveWords is premiering the vide – watch below!
The video was shot by long time rock ‘n’ roll pier Tom Ende (of the late band Nasty Habit) and is a great depiction of Wicked's over the top, classic rock ‘n’ roll stage appearance that the band has been known for at their live shows.
With big arena Hysteria type vibes, the song itself comes from the earlier part of Wicked's unreleased catalogue and lyrically reminisces the feelings of being on the road playing shows and paying the rock ‘n’ roll dues.
"We decided to record some of our unreleased music and a bunch of new songs when COVID hit and this video really inspired us to use our time to focus on some exciting content creation" - Chad Michael
"Don't be fooled by the video, this is the first and only time Danny has ever driven the van, I'm always driving these guys around!" - GG
"Tom Ende was perfect for capturing this video! He has the skills and that rock ‘n’ roll running through his blood to make it happen!" - Scotty V
"We're super excited for our fans to see this video and the several others we captured over the lockdown times" - Danny
JUDAS PRIEST kicked off the rescheduled "50 Heavy Metal Years" North American tour dates last night (Friday, March 4) at Peoria Civic Center in Peoria, Illinois.
The band's setlist was as follows:
01. One Shot At Glory
02. Lightning Strike
03. You've Got Another Thing Comin'
04. Freewheel Burning
05. Turbo Lover
06. Hell Patrol
07. The Sentinel
08. A Touch Of Evil
09. Rocka Rolla
10. Victim Of Changes
11. Desert Plains
12. Blood Red Skies
13. Invader
14. Painkiller
Encore:
15. The Hellion / Electric Eye
16. Hell Bent For Leather
17. Breaking The Law
18. Living After Midnight
Fan-filmed video and photos are available below.
The tour will conclude on April 13 at FirstOntario Centre in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Support on the trek is coming from QUEENSRŸCHE.
JUDAS PRIEST was forced to postpone around two dozen North American shows on its rescheduled 50th-anniversary tour in late September after the band's guitarist Richie Faulkner suffered an acute cardiac aortic dissection during a performance at the Louder Than Life festival. He ended up undergoing a 10-hour life-saving surgery a short distance away at Rudd Heart and Lung Center at UofL Health - Jewish Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky.
QUEENSRŸCHE was originally set to support SCORPIONS on their rescheduled "Sin City Nights" Las Vegas residency in March-April 2022 but pulled out of the dates in order to take part in the JUDAS PRIEST tour. SCORPIONS have since tapped SKID ROW as the new opening act for the Vegas residency.
Faulkner's medical episode happened while he was performing the closing song of PRIEST's set on the final day of Louder Than Life. Faulkner later said in a statement: "As I watch footage from the Louder Than Life Festival in Kentucky, I can see in my face the confusion and anguish I was feeling whilst playing 'Painkiller' as my aorta ruptured and started to spill blood into my chest cavity."
Two weeks after his surgery, Faulkner told reporters that he experienced a sharp pain as he was stepping off the stage. "That's when it exploded," he said.
"The more I read about it, the more astonishing it is to me to think that I even made it to the hospital," he added. "The amount of time when I actually go the pain and when I turned up in the hospital and when we were actually operating, it was quite a lot of time. The more I read about it, the more unbelievable — that amount of time — I don't know how I'm still around today."
Faulkner said he had no history of heart complications and that the aliment came completely "out of the blue."
"My point is I don't even have high cholesterol and this could've been the end for me," he said. "If you can get yourselves checked — do it for me, please."
Aortic aneurysms are "balloon-like bulges in the aorta, the large artery that carries blood from the heart through the chest and torso," according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Dissections happen when the "force of blood pumping can split the layers of the artery wall, allowing blood to leak in between them."
Doctors said Faulkner will continue to be monitored and will receive a CT scan every six months for the first year.
Faulkner joined PRIEST in 2011 as the replacement for original guitarist K.K. Downing.
The Peoria concert took place less than two months after JUDAS PRIEST revealed that it would perform as a four-piece when it returns to the road in early March. A few hours later, the band's touring guitarist Andy Sneap, who co-produced the group's 2018 album "Firepower", released a statement to BLABBERMOUTH.NET in which he said that he was "incredibly disappointed" by PRIEST's decision to carry on as a quartet and thanked the Rob Halford-fronted outfit for the "mind-blowing" opportunity to share the stage with one of his favorite bands. Meanwhile, PRIEST fans were understandably upset about the band's decision to forgo its classic twin-guitar attack sound and made their feelings known on social media. Some even called for the return of Downing, who joined PRIEST in 1970 and remained in the group until 2011.
Only five days later, JUDAS PRIEST released a statement announcing that it was reversing its decision to tour as a four-piece, explaining that the bandmembers "decided unanimously" to continue their live shows "unchanged" with Halford, Faulkner, Ian Hill (bass), Scott Travis (drums) and Andy.
Less than two months ago, Downing said in an interview that it was "very, very strange" for PRIEST "to even think about" the possibility of going out as a quartet. "I'm like everybody else. I'm totally bemused," he told the "Rock Of Nations With Dave Kinchen" classic rock show. It was just so extreme and insulting in a way, I guess, and insulting to Glenn as well. It was kind of a slap in the face, saying, 'Okay, you two guys did it, but we think just one guy could do what…' It kind of made us and everything that we've done and created, saying it was all superfluous, really, and didn't really have the value that… I'm sure Glenn will agree with me that it does have a value."
Mystery Girl Arlene Combs, please for me not taking you to see Metal Mayhem Judas Priest! Since I left you behind tonight, I feel I should at least try and make you feel warm and fuzzy. So I have a question, will you let me be your TURBO LOVER?
Here’s to my Priest pals who can only appreciate the Turbo album like I do! Paul Ziegler Jason Noland Scot Uhlmansiek and most of all Tom Brackman!
Ludwig Drums has uploaded drum-cam video of Art Cruz performing the song "Memento Mori" with his LAMB OF GOD bandmates at one of the stops on the 2021 leg of "The Metal Tour Of The Year" with MEGADETH, TRIVIUM and HATEBREED. Check it out below.
Art filled in for original LAMB OF GOD drummer Chris Adler on several of the band's tours before being named Adler's official replacement in July 2019.
Cruz made his live debut with LAMB OF GOD in July 2018 in Gilford, New Hampshire.
Art's first full-length recording with LAMB OF GOD, the band's self-titled album, arrived in June 2020 via Epic Records in the U.S. and Nuclear Blast Records in Europe.
Asked by Outburn what his mindset was coming into a major band such as LAMB OF GOD and replacing Adler, Cruz said: "Chris was one of my favorite metal drummers growing up. It hits close to home for me. The idea of this is all surreal and it's very mind-boggling. It's very much a dream come true that I can continue to say constantly, and I will say it forever because it's exactly what it is. To go into it as I did, I've been growing as a musician from start to finish. With bands like WINDS OF PLAGUE, I learned a lot of different things in that group. And then jumping to a band like PRONG that is also a legacy metal band and had been around for so many years, you learn so many different things. To be able to come in and have to fill the shoes of somebody like Chris Adler, you get a little nervous and things like that. But I was confident with the skills that I learned over the years, and having to deal with so many different ranges of personalities, it helps. Again, you can only be nervous, but you can only be yourself. Thanks to the guys for letting me do that. That was the only reason why I was able to fully bloom. It's crazy that I have such a different approach, now that I got it out of the way with this new record. So, it was a challenge. It was very scary. I'm watched through a magnifying glass since I entered this band, even as a fill-in. So, I'm thankful for everything from start to finish, for sure."
Speaking about his drumming approach on "Lamb Of God", Cruz said: "LAMB OF GOD has such a signature sound that you cannot drift from, but that sound is a collective now. It's not just a Chris Adler sound or just a Mark Morton sound or just a Willie [Adler] sound. It's very much a collective effort. I did my best to be able to be myself, but at the same time, I grew up idolizing these guys and their music. So, I wasn't very far off with keeping that sound what it was. I do pay some homage to Chris Adler, because, again, he's my favorite metal drummer. So, at the end of the day, there were times that I felt like I had to turn the fire up, bring the fire down, and play for the band. I feel like a lot of drummers, musicians, and fans expected me to go above and beyond, to maybe try and outshine somebody like that, but that wasn't the goal from the start. Thankfully, my education and growing as a musician helped me discipline myself like that. Because I'm playing for and with LAMB OF GOD, it's not the Art Cruz show. So, there were times that they gave me time to shine for the music and for the songs. We came up with a lot of stuff in the studio, and, thankfully, we did drums last. I think it was very beneficial for me to go last. To understand and know that the guys were happy with where the songs were, their parts were done, and this is what they wanted. So, I was able to play along with things like that. I brought them groove like what I learned while playing in PRONG. I brought some intensity that I had when I was playing with WINDS OF PLAGUE. It shows my growth as a musician as well, and I think it really meshed a lot with the traditional LAMB OF GOD sound."
"Lamb Of God" was recorded with longtime producer Josh Wilbur (KORN, MEGADETH, GOJIRA, TRIVIUM) and included special guest appearances by Jamey Jasta (HATEBREED) and Chuck Billy (TESTAMENT).
Los Angeles quintet HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD has released the official music video for its new single, "Chaos". The haunting and artistically choreographed clip was directed by Jensen Noen, who has previously worked with ICE NINE KILLS, FALLING IN REVERSE and ASKING ALEXANDRIA. The track, produced by WZRD BLD a.k.a. Drew Fulk (Lil Wayne, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, Lil Peep), is among the heaviest to ever be released by the group, yet still combines dynamic elements of rap, hard rock and alternative in a way that is authentically UNDEAD. The track offers the first glimpse of the band's yet-to-be-announced new album.
"'Chaos' is about getting to the end of the road, thinking you can finally rest, and realizing it's not only more chaos, but that's all there is ever gonna be. No rest for the wicked," says HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD's Johnny 3 Tears.
HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD kicked off the "Kill The Noise" North American tour with PAPA ROACH and BAD WOLVES on March 1 with a sold-out show in Anaheim, California.
Formed in 2005, HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD has inched towards mainstream dominance under the radar. Preceding the current playlist-hopping genre-less boom, they defied stylistic boundaries from day one. Integrating rap, rock, and electronic, the seminal 2008 debut "Swan Songs" went platinum. 2011's gold-selling "American Tragedy" bowed at No. 4 on the Billboard Top 200 with "Notes From The Underground" soaring to No. 2 in 2013. "Day Of The Dead" (2015) and "Five" (2017) brought the group's total streams past 1 billion and "New Empire Vol 1" and "Vol 2" saw their combined streams across Spotify and YouTube hit a staggering two billion. Along the way, they've sold out tours on four continents and garnered acclaim courtesy of Rolling Stone, Billboard, Consequence, Alternative Press, Revolver and more.
HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD is comprised of MCs Charlie Scene, J-Dog, Johnny 3 Tears, Funny Man and Danny.
Long-running Swedish rap/metal combo CLAWFINGER has released the official music video for its new single, "Environmental Patients". The track marks the first new music from CLAWFINGER in more than two years.
Prior to the arrival of "Environmental Patients", CLAWFINGER released a single called "Tear You Down" in September 2019 and "Save Our Souls" in 2017. "Save Our Souls" was made available four years after CLAWFINGER announced it was calling it quits.
During the break from the studio, the members of CLAWFINGER were reportedly taking care of their families while performing sporadic reunion shows, mostly at European festivals. "CLAWFINGER no longer is our main job," the band explained at the time. "We all have other jobs and families to love."
CLAWFINGER's last studio album, "Life Will Kill You", was released in the U.S. in July 2008 via Locomotive Records. The CD, which entered the German Media Control chart at position No. 89 upon its European release in 2007, was recorded and produced at Sweden's Fear And Loathing Studios, a facility that CLAWFINGER runs along with the members of MESHUGGAH.
CLAWFINGER's debut album, 1993's "Deaf Dumb Blind", included the controversial single "N****r", an anti-racism statement that caused quite a stir and was a massive success.
"Deaf Dumb Blind" sold over 600,000 copies worldwide and was critically acclaimed in Swedish press.
METALLICA played its first concert of 2022 on February 25 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. The show, which was reportedly attended by 60,000 fans, featured support from GRETA VAN FLEET and ICE NINE KILLS.
Professionally filmed video of METALLICA's performance of the song "Wherever I May Roam" from the Vegas gig can be seen below.
METALLICA's setlist was as follows:
01. Whiplash
02. Ride The Lightning
03. The Memory Remains
04. Seek & Destroy
05. Fuel
06. One
07. Sad But True
08. Moth Into Flame
09. Wherever I May Roam
10. For Whom The Bell Tolls
11. Creeping Death
12. Fade To Black
13. Master Of Puppets
Encore:
14. Battery
15. Nothing Else Matters
16. Enter Sandman
The Las Vegas show took place more than two months after METALLICA's two 40th-anniversary concerts at Chase Center in San Francisco, California which featured different setlists. They were part of METALLICA's "San Francisco Takeover", a four-day citywide celebration of the band's 40th anniversary that also included a film festival, photo exhibit and curated lineup of smaller venue shows featuring other acts.
Last month, METALLICA announced it will perform only two summer stadium shows in 2022: Highmark Stadium in Buffalo, New York on August 11, and PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on August 14. Both shows will feature special guests GRETA VAN FLEET and ICE NINE KILLS.
METALLICA previously played at Highmark Stadium on July 25, 1992, and Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers Stadium on July 26, 1992.
This spring, METALLICA will perform at the BottleRock festival in Napa on May 27 and Boston Calling on May 29. The band also has a number of South America and European dates scheduled for spring and early summer.
Formed in 1981 by drummer Lars Ulrich and guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield, METALLICA has become one of the most influential and successful rock bands in history, having sold nearly 120 million albums worldwide and generating more than 15 billion streams while playing to millions of fans on all seven continents. The band's several multi-platinum albums include "Kill 'Em All", "Ride The Lightning", "Master Of Puppets", "… And Justice For All", "Metallica" (commonly referred to as The Black Album), "Load", "Reload", "St. Anger", "Death Magnetic" and "Hardwired... To Self-Destruct", released in November 2016 and charting at No. 1 in 32 countries.
METALLICA's awards and accolades include nine Grammy Awards, two American Music Awards, multiple MTV Video Music Awards, and its 2009 induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. In June of 2018, the band was awarded one of the most prestigious musical honors in the world: Sweden's Polar Music Prize.
California rockers PAPA ROACH will release their new album, "Ego Trip", on April 8 via New Noize Records in partnership with ADA Worldwide (WMG's independent label and artist services arm).
The eleventh studio album of a career that continues to carve a fearless and singular path through a fourth decade, "Ego Trip" sees PAPA ROACH continuing to break new ground in a time when many are desperate for what they once knew. As vocalist Jacoby Shaddix explains: "Now isn't the time for comfort or conformity, but to be inspired and build something new. Something better, in order to channel something more."
The official music video for "Cut The Line", which directed by Jacoby's brother Bryson Roatch, brings the band back to the feeling of their original practice space in an intimate, smoky, in-your-face performance clip.
"Cut The Line" joins previously released singles "Stand Up", "Dying To Believe", "Kill The Noise" (which held the no. 1 position on the Mainstream Rock chart for over a month) and genre-bending banger of a single "Swerve" featuring Jason Aalon Butler (FEVER 333) and Sueco, all pulled from a 2020 writing session with the iconic rock band and a tight-knit creative team including familiar collaborators Colin "Doc" Brittain, Nick Furlong, Jason Evigan and new team members WZRD BLD and Andrew Goldstein.
An album that sprouted almost by mistake in the throes of a global lockdown, its seeds were planted when the quartet entered a COVID-secure mansion in Temecula, California in the summer of 2020. What started as an escape and an exercise in keeping the creative juices flowing, in a world that had completely ground to a halt, quickly grew into something bigger. Purposeful, provocative, and just the right side of the line between confident and cocky ("I really hope [the album title] stops a few people in their tracks," cackles Jacoby), "Ego Trip" is PAPA ROACH — completed by guitarist Jerry Horton, bassist Tobin Esperance and drummer Tony Palermo — at its boldest and most brilliant.
PAPA ROACH kicked off its North American "Kill The Noise" tour, featuring very special guests HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD and BAD WOLVES, with a sold-out show in Anaheim, California on March 1. The tour, produced by Live Nation, will make stops in the United States and Canada, marking the band's first headlining tour in three years.
In what is gearing up to be a very busy year for the band, PAPA ROACH recently announced their return to Mexico City on April 4 at Pepsi Center - a special co-headline event with SIMPLE PLAN, and opening act EMO NITE spinning eclectic nostalgic hits throughout the evening. PAPA ROACH were also part of a massive announcement for this year's Aftershock festival in Sacramento, California along with MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, FOO FIGHTERS, SLIPKNOT, KISS, BRING ME THE HORIZON, HALESTORM, EVANESCENCE and more.
GOJIRA drummer Mario Duplantier has released a video for his latest drum solo "Movement". The clip, which was directed by Anne Deguehegny, can be seen below.
In an interview with the "Behind The Vinyl" podcast, GOJIRA frontman Joseph Duplantier was asked if he ever has arguments with Mario, who is also his brother. He responded: "Sometimes, but we're pretty patient. We have anger. I wouldn't say we have anger issues, but sometimes I wonder. We respect and love each other very much. We're aware that we're dealing with a project that is very life-defining for us, and there's a lot of people around us. So we're pretty patient. Sometimes I can feel and I can tell — and he would say the same — that sometimes we just can't stand each other. For a little bit — for, like, an hour or two hours. And then we'll be, like, 'You know what? I'm outta here.' We will not start screaming, for example, if something is not happening. Maybe once a year or twice a year we'll raise our voice on each other and it's pretty nasty, but it's very short. So, yeah, we're not punching each other in the face or anything like that."
Joseph also talked about the musical chemistry and connection between him and Mario, saying: "Sometimes he starts just playing something and I'll follow him directly. And then something grows. Or we'll stop and say, 'Hey, I have this vision of something. It goes a bit like this.' And then we start… We build together. It's pretty incredible. I actually never really experienced that with anybody — making art together without being, like, 'Oh my God. What is he doing? That's not what I wanna do.' There's always a connection in something. And I'm very comfortable on the creative process, 'cause I know we're looking for the same thing — sort of. He has his world, I have my own world, of course — we're not the same… But sometimes we get together, and the common area is what defines what the band is, pretty much. So when we're in that zone, where we connect, and there's this thing where we're both… And we know — we just look at each other; we raise an eyebrow or something, and, boom. We don't need to talk. We just play, play, play."
GOJIRA's latest album, "Fortitude", entered Billboard's Top Albums chart at No. 1 last May, while also claiming the No. 1 spot on Billboard's Top Current Albums, Current Rock Albums and Current Hard Music Albums tallies. The release also marked a career high debut on the Billboard 200 for GOJIRA, arriving at No. 12, with several career high chart positions and Top 10 debuts in countries around the globe including: France (No. 2), United Kingdom (No. 6), Australia (No. 3), Germany (No. 8), Belgium (No. 2), Netherlands (No. 4), Denmark (No. 3), Portugal (No. 4), Finland (No. 2) and Norway (No. 10).
"Fortitude" is highlighted by the singles "Another World", "Born For One Thing", "Into The Storm", "Amazonia" and "The Chant", a slow-burning track featuring some of GOJIRA's most melodic material to date.
Furthermore, GOJIRA concluded a month-long fundraising initiative in support of the indigenous-owned NGO The Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB) who advocate for environmental and cultural rights of indigenous tribes in the Amazon. Working with the social good-focused digital platform Propeller, the charitable campaign raised over $300,000 through an auction and raffle of one-of-a-kind items from the band and their friends in METALLICA, TOOL, SLIPKNOT, SLAYER, Slash and more. All proceeds will be donated to APIB to support their work aiding the indigenous tribes of the Amazon who have suffered immensely — victims of deforestation, land loss, forced labor, violence, and harassment.
Recorded and produced by Joseph Duplantier at Silver Cord Studio — GOJIRA's Ridgewood, Queens, New York headquarters — and mixed by Andy Wallace (NIRVANA, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE), "Fortitude" is GOJIRA's first album in five years and the follow-up to 2016's Grammy-nominated LP "Magma". A collection of songs urging humanity to imagine a new world and then make it happen, "Fortitude" has been earning widespread critical praise with Rolling Stone naming it one of their best albums of April 2021 and remarking "It's all the rage of death metal mixed with the conscience of punk rock and the musicality of progressive rock." NPR hailed "Another World" as "an apocalyptic banger," and Paste called "Into The Storm" a "much-needed revolutionary anthem." Stereogum declared, "hearing this band operating at their peak is a life-affirming thing," while Revolver attested "Fortitude" "could spark a revolution."
Billy Howerdel (A PERFECT CIRCLE, ASHES DIVIDE) has offered a preview of his upcoming debut album with the release of "Poison Flowers" via Alchemy Recordings/BMG.
"'Poison Flowers' began with the bass guitar part and all of the pieces flowed from there. It's a rare feeling when the process of writing blocks out all distractions," explains Howerdel of the track, which finds the acclaimed songwriter handling vocals and all instrumentation apart from Josh Freese on drums. "The upcoming songs reflect back to my earliest influences and 'Poison Flowers' leads well into the rest of the album."
In another first for the multi-platinum selling musician, Howerdel performed as a solo artist last week, appearing at #Happens Las Vegas, a music-fueled conference that brings together artists, radio programmers, label executives and streaming experts. Joining Howerdel for the inaugural outing were familiar faces: Josh Freese (A PERFECT CIRCLE, DEVO, THE OFFSPRING), Danny Lohner (NINE INCH NAILS), Kaela Sinclair (M83) and Kevin Maher (FAKE SHARK).
Revolver included the forthcoming release in their most-anticipated records of 2022, saying fans should look for "expansive, ethereal rock" music. While Howerdel has been mum on details, having written one of the highest-selling debut albums for a rock band ("Mers De Noms") and numerous radio-friendly singles, the Los Angeles-based guitar player has explained that the collection began taking shape during his most recent A PERFECT CIRCLE tour, serving as a letter in musical form.
Howerdel has perhaps one of rock music's most well-rounded and interesting resumes. Growing up in West Milford, New Jersey, he spent hours listening to WLIR emanating out of Long Island, New York. Lying in bed, he would scribble down playlists and then scout out the records he loved in stores, among them THE CURE, ECHO AND THE BUNNYMEN, DEAD KENNEDYS and Elvis Costello. However, it was the experience of seeing PINK FLOYD at Giants Stadium that triggered his lust for finding a way to work in the music industry. Howerdel initially racked up experience in stage lighting, working for almost any band or theater production that would ask, while at the same time devoting the rest of his free time to practicing guitar. A few years of work led to a chance meeting with FISHBONE, a move west and quickly becoming a sought-after road and studio tech, working with David Bowie, GUNS N' ROSES, NINE INCH NAILS, and — oh, yeah — being roommates with TOOL's Maynard James Keenan. It was that friendship that birthed the multi-platinum alternative rock supergroup A PERFECT CIRCLE.
Legendary British rockers DEEP PURPLE have released "7 And 7 Is (German TV Rehearsal Take 1)". This previously unreleased version of "7 And 7 Is" was recorded by DEEP PURPLE in November 2021 during the band's promotional and press tour in Germany for its latest album, "Turning To Crime". It was during this same trip that the band filmed the music video for its version of FLEETWOOD MAC's "Oh Well".
So eager to play, members of DEEP PURPLE had their live rig pulled together and set up in a large warehouse, with cameras only being allowed in for this rendition of the track "7 And 7 Is". In truth, nobody really knows what the band played in the hours during which they were in that room, as no access was given to anybody other than their trusted sound engineer. However, this recording is a testimony of this first auspicious meeting and marks the moment where, after almost two years, the band played live again in the same room.
"Turning To Crime" came out on November 26 via earMUSIC. The LP contains DEEP PURPLE's versions of great rock classics and musical jewels — including songs originally recorded by Bob Dylan, FLEETWOOD MAC, Bob Seger, CREAM and THE YARDBIRDS — carefully chosen by each member of the band.
DEEP PURPLE singer Ian Gillan told Classic Rock magazine that he was "totally against" the idea of releasing a new album just 15 months after the August 2020 release of "Whoosh!" "I thought that PURPLE purists, myself among them, would see something like this as criminal, metaphorically speaking, so initially I didn't like the idea at all," he said. "And then I started tapping my fingers on the desk at home, and thinking, 'Hmmm, well, what are we going to do for the next year if nothing is happening?'"
DEEP PURPLE played two gigs in Florida last month but currently has no other U.S. shows scheduled for this year.
THE TROOPS OF DOOM, the new Brazilian band featuring former SEPULTURA guitarist Jairo "Tormentor" Guedz, will release its debut album, titled "Antichrist Reborn", as a CD digipack and cassette on April 15 via Alma Mater Records, the Portuguese powerhouse label run by MOONSPELL's Fernando Ribeiro. It will be digitally made available by Blood Blast distribution. The official music video for the LP's first single, "Altar Of Delusion"Jairo: "'Altar Of Delusion' is not a track chosen by chance to be our first single to present the new album 'Antichrist Reborn' to the world. This song brings the roots of what perfectly translates who we are, our way of creating, musical inspirations and the core sound of THE TROOPS OF DOOM. Of course the whole album has a giant value to us, every song, every detail, but we really thought that 'Altar Of Delusion' was the best track to reach out our fans' ears! I hope you all enjoy every second of this single, listen to it loud and bang your heads! Get ready for much more on April 15, Holy Friday, for the album release!"
THE TROOPS OF DOOM also includes acclaimed graphic artist Marcelo Vasco on guitar, Alex Kafer (ex-NECROMANCER, EXPLICIT HATE, ENTERRO) on vocals/bass and Alexandre Oliveira (SOUTHERN BLACKLIST) on drums. The band's goal is to revisit the essence of 1980s-style death metal, exploring a more primitive sound that takes listeners back to that era, while remaining fresh and genuine.
Following their critically acclaimed EPs "The Rise Of Heresy" (2020) and "The Absence Of Light" (2021), which have been lauded by both the international music press and fans alike, THE TROOPS OF DOOM is finally gearing up for the release of "Antichrist Reborn".
Says Guedz: "We are very happy that we are finally about to release our debut full-length album. We already have it composed basically since 2020 but due to the pandemic, we ended up deciding to postpone its release. Now with most people vaccinated and restrictions easing, we expect 2022 to be a good year for the return of shows and touring. Fingers crossed! We're confident about it and can't wait to hit the road. The suggestive title of the album 'Antichrist Reborn' has a strong connection with the song 'Antichrist', from my time at SEPULTURA back in the days, and of course, because our sound, that's a rescue of that death metal aura from the '80s."
Ribeiro states: "I have been a fan of Brazilian extreme music, namely death metal since the late '80s. It shaped me as a musician and as a metalhead as much or maybe even more than the classic extreme metal bands from Europe and the U.S. 'Antichrist Reborn' holds the key to open the gates and unleash those demons upon us in 2022! It's just the brilliant missing link between that past and the glorious TROOPS OF DOOM future. My head is in the clouds and I am totally psyched to have this top of the chain band in my label. You won't believe how hellishly strong is this record. TROOPS OF DOOM will claim the title of best death metal album of the year!"
"Antichrist Reborn" was mixed by Swedish producer Peter Tägtgren at the iconic The Abyss Studio and mastered by Jonas Kjellgren at Blacklounge Studio, Sweden. Featuring very special guest musicians such as João Gordo (RATOS DE PORÃO) and Alex Camargo and Moyses Kolesne (KRISIUN), THE TROOPS OF DOOM unleash true old-school death metal in its purest form; dirty, primitive, and brutally powerful as it should be. The cover art was painted by Sergio "AlJarrinha" Oliveira, the artist behind SEPULTURA's "Bestial Devastation" original artwork.
"Antichrist Reborn" track listing:
01. Dethroned Messiah
02. Far From Your God
03. Altar Of Delusion
04. Grief
05. Pray Into The Abyss
06. The Rebellion
07. Deserters From Paradise
08. Apocalypse MMXXII
09. A Queda
10. Preacher's Paradox
11. Necromancer (bonus track)
12. The Usurper (exclusive CD bonus track)
THE TROOPS OF DOOM is:
Jairo "Tormentor" Guedz - Guitar
Alex Kafer - Bass, Vocals
Marcelo Vasco - Guitar
Alexandre Oliveira - Drums
SEPULTURA was formed in 1984 in Belo Horizonte, the capital city of Minas Gerais. Jairo joined the group the following year and played on the band's first two releases, 1985's "Bestial Devastation" EP and their 1986 full-length debut, "Morbid Visions". He also participated in the early songwriting sessions for 1987's "Schizophrenia".
In early 1987, Jairo quit SEPULTURA after losing interest in playing death metal and was replaced by São Paulo-based guitarist Andreas Kisser.
THE DEAD DAISIES have released "Bustle And Flow (Live From Daisyland)" which was recorded at the legendary Rock City music venue in Nottingham, England last year. It is the second release from THE DEAD DAISIES' "Live From Daisyland" series.
"Bustle And Flow (Live From Daisyland)" is injected with both the power and soul of Glenn Hughes's commanding vocals, attacking riffs, twin guitars and a heavy-hitting pulse of bass and drums catapult this live version of the band's chart topping single to streaming media services.
Said THE DEAD DAISIES guitarist Doug Aldrich: "Always great to play this song live. We had a blast on the U.K. tour last year and this song totally rocked the crowd. Nothing like an energetic audience to inspire us to deliver a full-on dose of rock."
The music video features footage from the 26-date "Like No Other" tour across the United States, England, and Wales and is a tribute to THE DAISIES' truly amazing fanbase. The video mixes epic live footage from the tour as well as some rare behind-the-scenes moments. The original album track video was created using unreal engine, and saw the introduction of the band's mascot Daisy and her freaky, dark traveling carnival surrounded by ravens.
In January, THE DEAD DAISIES announced the return of drummer extraordinaire Brian Tichy to the musical collective of Hughes, Aldrich and David Lowy.
Brian first joined THE DEAD DAISIES in 2013 during the U.S. "Uproar" tour and has regularly played with the band ever since, including highlights in Cuba, in Poland with an immense orchestra at the Woodstock Festival (Poland) and performed on the "Revolución" and "Make Some Noise" albums. He is also known for playing with WHITESNAKE, FOREIGNER and OZZY OSBOURNE, among others.
THE DEAD DAISIES' latest album, "Holy Ground", was released in January 2021. Recorded at La Fabrique Studios in the south of France with producer Ben Grosse, the LP is the band's first to feature Hughes, who joined the group in 2019 as its new bassist and vocalist, replacing John Corabi (MÖTLEY CRÜE) and Marco Mendoza (THIN LIZZY).
Drummer Deen Castronovo (JOURNEY) announced his exit from THE DEAD DAISIES in January 2021, two days after the band's publicist revealed that Tommy Clufetos (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK SABBATH) would rejoin THE DEAD DAISIES when they hit the road in support of "Holy Ground". Clufetos previously toured with THE DEAD DAISIES in 2015.
Besvärjelsen have released the video clip “Digerliden” as the first single taken from their new album Atlas. The Swedish forest rockers have also revealed artwork, tracklist, and further details of their sophomore full-length, which can all be viewed below. Atlas has been slated for release on May 27. Find preorders here.
The quite literally sick video “Digerliden” that takes its title from a harsh but magical place far up north in the Swedish Finnmark is now streaming.
"This song was a treat to work with," tells singer Lea Amling Alazam and reveals: "The lyrics deal with people in love who hate themselves. After watching Alice in Chains' MTV Unplugged, I was very inspired by the way their harmonies work and the kind of numb yet powerful melodies. I also felt a bit of a need for an Arabic harmony, so I wanted to find a way to combine grunge and Middle Eastern influences."
Andreas Baier explains the title: "The song's title 'Digerliden' takes its name from a place in Sweden's Dalecarlian Finnmark which roughly translates as 'the dire suffering', which relates to the hardship that its ancestral people endured while trying to survive and grow crops in its vast forests and mountains,” the guitarist and vocalist writes. "It is a magical and mysterious please, and its native folk music was a well of inspiration for this song."
Erik Bäckwall adds some words about the video: "We didn’t originally plan on doing a video, but I remembered a simple idea one of us had, so we decided to see if we could actually film it ourselves", comments the drummer. "We shot the clip in just an hour and a half and didn't tell anyone we were doing it, just in case the outcome sucked. In the end, we dig it."
Tracklisting:
“The Cardinal Ride”
“Acheron”
“Clouds”
“House Of The Burning Light”
“Paradise”
“Digerliden”
“Descent”
“Celestial”
“Obscured By Darkness”
“Divided Ends”
Pattern-Seeking Animals, the California-based progressive rock band featuring Ted Leonard (lead vocals & guitars), Jimmy Keegan (drums & vocals), Dave Meros (bass) and John Boegehold (keyboards), will release their third album, Only Passing Through, on April 1 via InsideOut Music.
Pre-order the album here, and watch a video for the new single, "Rock Paper Scissors", below.
John Boegehold comments: "This is a cheery little tune about kids and the games they once played in a dystopian, alternate universe."
Offering eight songs (and two bonus tracks) that are as varied as they are excellent, Only Passing Through is a work that will deliver on all fronts. From the opener "Everdark Mountain" to the weighty "Much Ado" and the 13-minute epic "Time Has A Way", the album has something to please fans in all quarters. If you ever wondered what Spaghetti Western Cinema would sound like in the world of 2022 prog, have a listen to "Said The Stranger". For some jazzier stylings, lend an ear to "Here With You With Me".
Boegehold is justifiably proud of the album: “Only Passing Through picks up where Prehensile Tales left off but soon takes several stylistic detours as it progresses. Everyone involved made this album a lot of fun to make and we're all looking forward to it finally being heard."
Tracklisting:
"Everdark Mountain"
"I Can't Stay Here Anymore"
"Time Has A Way"
"Rock Paper Scissors"
"Much Ado"
"Only Passing Through"
"Said The Stranger"
"Here With You With Me"
SHINEDOWN has released the official music video for its new single, "Planet Zero". You can now watch it below.
"Planet Zero" is the title track of SHINEDOWN's seventh album, which will be released on April 22 via Atlantic Records.
According to a press release, the "Planet Zero" video "brings to life a glimpse of a dystopian future (complete with a menacing A.I. character named Cyren from the album's interludes who we hear at the end of the music video) that warns of the dangerous and dehumanizing consequences of cancel culture run rampant. 'Planet Zero' provokes a thoughtful question about if cancel culture has gone past the point of holding people accountable for bad words and actions that deserve it, into people shutting down anyone that has a different perspective or opinion that they don't agree with, which can cause us to lose a lot — empathy, our respect for one another, and our ability to communicate in a way that leads to actual progress and understanding. Part potent social commentary and part in-depth exploration of the human psyche, the 'Planet Zero' album serves up an incisive look at some of society's most critical issues, including the increasingly toxic division among those of differing ideologies, the need for honesty in our public discourse, and the corrosive effects of social media and cancel culture on mental health and humanity. There is also triumph, hope and reminders that we all need one another on this album. 'Planet Zero' was written for everyone regardless of background or affiliation with the hope that our culture can stop looking at each other as demographics or talking points and start seeing each other as people with individual life experiences and perspectives."
Vocalist Brent Smith stated about the new disc: "If we shut each other down and allow ourselves to be divided by the information we consume and the way we talk to each other, we lose our humanity. When you look outside of your phone, you'll see there are so many people doing good things and trying to take care of each other. But we're starting to see parts of society slip into an unknown. 'Planet Zero' was written for all of us. The fact is that we're all here on this planet no matter what, so it's time to actually move forward together with empathy, perseverance and strength. With that said… welcome to PLANET ZERO."
In December, Smith told 95.9 The Rat's Carl Craft about the new LP's more "stripped-down" approach: "We wanted to push everything to the front. And what I mean by that is we've proven that we can make these records that there's a lot of musicianship involved in it, and we have layered our records over the years because we love music and we love sound and we try to make really cinematic records. So with that, you have a lot of instrumentation that is not just drums, bass, guitar and vocals — we use orchestras, we use a lot of synthesizers, we use a lot of techniques that… We don't believe in… Don't tie your hands up when you're making a record. Make the record that you wanna make. And ultimately, though, what we wanted to do with this album was make it just as ferocious as the other records but not utilizing so much of some of the style that we've done in the past with layering and layering guitars, adding lots of synth beds, stacking the vocals."
He continued: "I come from the Freddie Mercury school when it comes to vocals and layering and backgrounds and things of that nature because I try — I say 'try' — try to use my voice as an instrument. But this is about really less is more. So the majority of this record is authentically drums, bass, guitar. There are piano songs; there's two really, really very intense-subject-matter piano songs that are gonna be in SHINEDOWN seven. But we wanted to make a real rock record, we wanted to make a real record where we focus on just making sure that the band is being heard the way the band needs to be heard. So, not a lot of layering. It doesn't mean it's any less powerful; it's just we're not dealing with a lot of stacks. We're just putting things left to right stereo, pushing everything to the front. The vocals aren't layered a ton — not a lot of effects on the vocals, so not a lot of delays and reverbs and things like that. A lot of the vocals on the record are dry and kind of right up in your face."
Smith also talked about the lyrical themes covered on the new SHINEDOWN album, saying they were inspired at least in part by the ongoing pandemic and resulting impact on the community, residents and businesses.
"Going through everything that the world went through last year, and we wrote the majority of the record last year, and this year, we couldn't turn a blind eye to everything that was going on," he said. "And we talk on this record, and we express on this record — we're not trying to dance around certain subject matter. We're trying to be very honest and very real. In a lot of ways, this is a very humanitarian record."
Asked if SHINEDOWN will "piss people off" with some of the lyrical positions that are taken on the upcoming LP, Smith said: "Possibly. But the thing about it is I don't necessarily think it's about pissing people off; it's about understanding what we all went through but where we need to go now. I think that it gets lost. It's never supposed to be about… And I say this because I'm being very, very bold and very honest about it. This country, it's not called the Divided States Of America; it's called the United States Of America, and we want people to understand that that comes down to the people; that comes down to us. And us being able to not only work with each other, to grow with one another. But when you have certain people in power that do not have your best interests in mind, you have to stand up and make your voice heard. When I see what's going on in regards to people's freedom of speech and it being censored and people being pushed into a corner because of their opinions and what have you. You need to be able to have constructive conversations with each other in order to get actual action to happen for positive change."
Regarding the first single from SHINEDOWN's seventh album, Brent said: "It honestly addresses everything that society has dealt with from a planetary platform, if you will — not just here in the U.S., but the whole world — what the last 18 months has been like, and, at least in our opinion, how we've gotta move forward.
"Listen, the record… We're talking about things that we've never talked about before," he revealed. "We're opening up the conversation into different subject matters that SHINEDOWN has never addressed. We have the full support of our label, our management and hopefully our fanbase, whether they've been there from day one or they're just kind of finding out who we are. But it's a record that I think some people will consider controversial, I think some people will consider to be very provocative, especially for SHINEDOWN, but it's also something that we feel that it is very important and that it is necessary… Don't get me wrong either — there's a lot of triumph on this record, but there's also a lot of having to take a step back and go, 'What's really going on? And how do we stop it from happening if it's going to be something negative on the human race as a whole?' Our society, the way that we live with one another, we share this planet with a lot of different organisms and creatures. It's not just about us. It's important that everybody really takes a step back and doesn't always make it about them. We have to work together — like, all of us; we've really gotta start working together with each other and really creating a positive change forward for not only society but also for this beautiful planet that we've been given."
The follow-up to 2018's "Attention Attention" was recorded in part at a new studio in Charleston, South Carolina spearheaded by the group's bassist and producer Eric Bass.
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