German thrash metal veterans DESTRUCTION will celebrate their 40th anniversary by releasing a new studio album, "Diabolical", on April 8, 2022 via Napalm Records.
As one of the most legendary thrash metal bands in existence, DESTRUCTION graces the wall of fame alongside fellow German acts KREATOR, SODOM and TANKARD. On their 15th studio record, DESTRUCTION brings out heavy artillery full of honest and uncompromising thrash metal, catapulting you straight into the seventh heaven of metallic bliss and causing a massacre of razor-sharp sound no fan of the genre should miss. The title track "Diabolical", the music video for which can be seen below, shows no mercy, showing us a glimpse of what DESTRUCTION have in store for the new LP.
DESTRUCTION singer/bassist Schmier states about the video: "I love the title track of the new record, it represents the album, pure old-school and in-your-face thrash metal! We wanted a video that shows our trademarks, so the Mad Butcher had to be there! It is only his second appearance in a DESTRUCTION video ever but his most remarkable one so far for sure."
After the charging start of opener "Under The Spell", DESTRUCTION shows no mercy on the "Diabolical" title track, with fiery drums, bloodthirsty riffs and hellish vocals that sink deep down into your bones. "No Faith In Humanity" relentlessly rages on with non-stop headbanging action, while DESTRUCTION continues to smash eardrums on "Hope Dies Last" — providing unbeatable brutality with unstoppable speed, destructive verses and screeching voices. "Tormented Soul", on the other hand, is loaded with proper heavy metal and explosive drums. The grand finale of the 47-minute parade of devastation is provided by cover track "City Baby Attacked By Rats", originally by GBH, guaranteeing whiplash by combining rough hardcore punk with brute thrash metal.
DESTRUCTION guitarist Martin Furia states about the new record: "'Diabolical' is an album of extremes. Everything is more brutal and more technical but at the same time more melodic and to the point. It's a pure and devastating DESTRUCTION album with no gimmicks, full of power and adrenaline. I'm excited for what the future is bringing and can't wait to play the new songs live."
"Diabolical" will be available in various formats in different territories, including a digital album and CD (bundled with a t-shirt and an exclusive "Mad Butcher" bust), 1LP gatefold editions in black, crystal clear, marbled yellow/red and silver.
This past August, DESTRUCTION officially parted ways with founding guitarist Michael "Mike" Sifringer and replaced him with Furia. The Argentinian-born, Belgian-based Furia is best known for his work as sound engineer and producer for such bands as NERVOSA and EVIL INVADERS.
Sifringer was the only member of DESTRUCTION to have remained constant throughout the band's career. Schmier appeared on DESTRUCTION's first three albums before exiting the band and being replaced by POLTERGEIST vocalist André Grieder. André's sole recorded appearance with DESTRUCTION was on the "Cracked Brain" album, which came out in 1990. Schmier rejoined DESTRUCTION in 1999.
DESTRUCTION's last studio album, "Born To Perish", was released in August 2019 via Nuclear Blast. The disc was DESTRUCTION's first to feature Randy Black on drums and second guitarist Damir Eskić.
Damir is a Swiss guitar player of Bosnian decent who works as a guitar teacher, himself being a former pupil of Tommy Vetterli (CORONER). He also plays in a heavy metal band called GOMORRA and previously contributed three solos to DESTRUCTION's 2016 album "Under Attack".
On December 4, Europe's Joey Tempest (vocals) and John Norum (guitar), performed a rendition of the band's classic hit, "The Final Countdown", on the final episode of Norwegian/Swedish television talk show, Skavlan.
Cleveland masked metallers MUSHROOMHEAD have returned with a holiday gift for fans in the form of an eerie, cinematic and brutally blasphemous new music video for the "A Wonderful Life" favorite "A Requiem For Tomorrow", featuring the haunting contributions of the Cleveland Chamber Choir. Their hair-raising vocal backdrop combined with the band's trademark gruesome aesthetic, punishing sound, intricate costumes and detailed SFX makeup make for a chilling surprise to cap 2021.
MUSHROOMHEAD mastermind and drummer/percussionist Steve "Skinny" Felton states about the video: "Dr. F (Ryan Farrell) and the Cleveland Chamber Choir did such an amazing job that I felt compelled to bring it to life a little further.
"Some of the elements and characters in the video are roughly based on a short story that I've been working on for Sk1industries.
"Working under Covid conditions and restrictions certainly has put limitations on things, so I would personally like to thank the band, all of the crew and extras that believed and busted their asses to help me make this happen. Music and art is a privilege after all, and I don't take any of this for granted…"
MUSHROOMHEAD's eighth album, "A Wonderful Life", was released in June 2020 via Napalm Records. The follow-up to 2014's "The Righteous & The Butterfly" is accented by the sharp production of Felton, as well as the standout mixing prowess of Matt Wallace (FAITH NO MORE, 3 DOORS DOWN), also recognized for his work on the band's classic offering "XIII".
"A Wonderful Life" was MUSHROOMHEAD's first album since the March 2018 departures of longtime vocalist Jeff "Jeffrey Nothing" Hatrix and guitarist Tommy Church.
Tye Trujillo, the 17-year-old son of METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo, played bass with SUICIDAL TENDENCIES this past Saturday (December 11) at Amplified Live in Dallas, Texas. He was filling in for regular SUICIDAL TENDENCIES bassist Roberto "Ra" Díaz, who spent the last few months playing bass for KORN on the Jonathan Davis-fronted band's U.S. tour.
Tye shared a short video of the Dallas concert on his social media and wrote in an accompanying message: "Dallas was dope last weekend!".
This is not the first time Tye has played bass for SUICIDAL TENDENCIES. He previously joined the group in September at the Blue Ridge Rock Festival in Danville, Virginia and in October 2019 at the SoCal Hoedown in San Pedro, California.
When the younger Trujillo first performed with Mike Muir and his bandmates two years ago, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES praised the musician for "showing what a badass he already is on bass. His youthful enthusiasm was contagious, his bass skills undeniable," the group wrote on social media.
When he was just 12 years old, Tye Trujillo filled in for bassist Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu for KORN's South American tour after Fieldy was unable to make the shows due to "unforeseen circumstances."
Robert Trujillo was first invited to join SUICIDAL TENDENCIES for a European tour in 1989 supporting East Coast thrashers ANTHRAX. While with SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, Robert appeared on some of the band's most successful albums: "Lights, Camera, Action" (1990), "The Art Of Rebellion" (1992) and "Still Cyco After All These Years" (1993). During Trujillo's years with SUICIDAL, Muir heard some of Robert's homemade demos and they collaborated on a funkier, more progressive sound under the name INFECTIOUS GROOVES. They produced a number of albums such as "The Plague That Makes Your Booty Move..." (1991), "Sarsippius' Ark" (1993) and "Groove Family Cyco" (1994).
Australian progressive metal band, Teramaze, fronted by guitarist and band founder Dean Wells, along side Chris Zoupa, Andrew Cameron and Nick Ross, have released a brand new song, "Battle". A video can be found below.
Says Dean Wells: “The song ’Battle’ was written during the extensive lockdowns that happened in Australia in 2021. Our lockdowns were especially harsh and drawn out in Melbourne where we live. The song was birthed from watching all of the protests, and people fighting for their basic human rights and freedoms. This whole event made me realize, more than ever before, the sheer power of the media and its utter manipulation of the public. It's so much greater than I ever thought it could be. ‘Battle’ is an anthem written to give hope and inspire people to stand and fight for what they truly believe in, even against all odds."
Teramaze released their new album, And The Beauty They Perceive, via the band’s own label Wells Music back in October.
Says Dean Wells about the album: "This is our third album released in under 12 months, and our ninth studio album as a band, I truly believe it's one of our greatest yet."
Chris Zoupa adds: "When writing ATBTP, we wanted the album to be 9 killer tracks that combined all the elements of technicality, emotion, orchestration and catchiness that can be found across every Teramaze album through the years. I think we comfortably achieved that, and all Teramaze fans are really going to dig this album!"
Tracklisting:
"And The Beauty They Perceive"
"Jackie Seth"
"Untide"
"Modern Living Space"
"Blood Of Fools"
"Waves"
"Son Rise"
"Search For The Unimaginable"
"Head Of The King"
Bruck Kulick recently announced: "Each week I will be sharing a video of the second set at the Stardust Theater, filmed by my wife Lisa from the balcony. It's a great way to 'be there.' Enjoy!"
Today he releases "Tears Are Falling" from the show, which can be viewed below. A message states: "Another great song from Asylum LP, and never played live by KISS. It's a fan favorite."
Kulick and his band have performed on the last three KISS Kruises: KKXIII, KKIX, and KKX. His band plays songs from the '80s and '90s that aren't usually performed by KISS. Joining guitarist Bruce Kulick in his band are: Todd Kerns - lead vocals / guitar, Zach Throne - vocals / bass, and Brent Fitz - drums / vocals.
Watch previous videos from the Kruise:
"December 30th, I will be live at Vamp'd in Las Vegas with my amazing KKX band," states a recent message from Bruce. "Todd Kerns, Brent Fitz and Zach Throne will join me for an exciting set of music. Tickets are on sale, and VIP packages are limited, so visit the links on my site. It will be a special Bruce Kulick set of great music!"
Canada’s Caveat has a new album coming out early next year, the first since Consummation which came out in 2016. The Calgary-based band has been around for close to two decades and prides itself on being an experimental band that would essentially operate on having no genre restrictions when it came to songwriting. That philosophy is present to this day, especially in the new album Alchemy when comparing songs such as the first single “Infinite” to “Until Dawn”, which sound like two completely different bands and genres.
“Infinite” was the first song written for this album and is by far the heaviest song with an almost Gojira feel at times. The lyrics explore peeling away and coming to terms with our own fears and how fear motivates so much of our human lives, with lines like “We feed upon the will of what grows in shadows”. The band explains in further detail:
“The first and heaviest song written for the new album, it is a full-on ripper from start to finish showcasing frantic vocal trade-offs between Amanda and Greg throughout the song, blistering guitar, and bass work, with Casey’s relentless drumming giving the listener a fist-pumping, hand banging hell of a good time. This song promises to inspire mosh pits and sore necks alike when we bring it to the live stage with a frenzy of top-notch heavy fucking metal at its finest”
Having worked together for so long, the music comes organically to Caveat, according to them they write music until they feel like we have a cohesive collection of songs that work well together and then assemble that into a cohesive listening experience. Even after all this time together, they still enjoy writing and playing together, so new music is always on the horizon.
Caveat is both experimental and engaging and recommended for fans of Meshuggah, Opeth, and Cynic.
The music video for their first single “Infinite” can be seen and heard via its premiere on BraveWords; watch below:
The fury of Italy's The Human Tornado will be unleashing the new album Love Is Démodé on March 11, 2022 via Rockshots Records.
The band is sharing their first single "Dreamland" with an epic music video.
"Each one of us has an inner dark side, and we often have to control it to be able to do the best we can in everyday life. Dreamland is our invitation to fight and win our private monster accompanying us throughout life. So we chose this song as the first single because it represents our desire to fight and do our best on stage. The sound impact is strong, the drumming is powerful, the guitar riff is defined from the beginning to the end so that our message remains well impressed in our audience’s mind," adds the band.
The Human Tornado's sophomore follow-up Love Is Démodé was self-produced by the band with mixing and mastering done by Marco Paradisi at Boat Studio. The album will feature ten hurricane tour de force tracks that will leave fans breathless and eager to set the track listing on repeat from beginning to end.
"Every song is played with heart and soul and we wanted to explore new sounds, but without forgetting our heavy rock imprint, so we produced an intense groovy album with more melodic openings," adds the band.
The lyrical concept behind the album is love, one of the strongest feelings of deep affection. It has different aspects and it can be addressed to another person, an animal, or a passion. But, if it’s pure, this doesn’t matter.
The band explains further: "For some years this feeling of love has been declining, going out of fashion. In fact, in our society finding people loving what they do is increasingly difficult and often image, power, success are the most important aspects of life. Moreover, these goals are more and more often achieved by means of questionable actions and negative feelings. In this album we want to express our idea of love in particular towards music, showing in every single song even the dark and negative sides coming from love in our life."
The Human Tornado will be revealing tracklisting, album artwork, singles and videos in lead up to the release of Love Is Démodé.
Swedish heavy metal newcomers Perpetual Etude released their debut album, Now Is The Time, earlier this autumn. The group has now released a new music video for the track "Sail Away" from the record, which features guest vocals from Göran Edman (Headless, Yngwie J. Malmsteen, Karmakanic).
Perpetual Etude was formed in 2019 by Magnus Mild with the sole goal of bringing back the best heavy metal of the ’80s. Influenced by the genre when growing up, Magnus teamed up with members from NorthTale, ex-members from Dionysys, Nation, and Shadowquest, as well as Göran Edman on “Sail Away” to complete the vision. The result is the best of a whole decade in the forthcoming debut, Now Is The Time, an album filled with catchy choruses. Now Is The Time will see an October 15th release via Black Lodge.
On Sunday (December 12), former DEATH members played the second of two shows commemorating the 20th anniversary of the passing of the band's mastermind Chuck Schuldiner at Brass Mug in Tampa, Florida. James Murphy (guitar) and Terry Butler (bass) performed DEATH's classic third album, "Spiritual Healing" (1990), in its entirety under the LIVING MONSTROSITY banner, while Steve DiGiorgio (bass), Bobby Koelble (guitar) and Kelly Conlon (bass) joined forces as SYMBOLIC to play songs from "Human" (1991), "Individual Thought Patterns" (1993), "Symbolic" (1995) and "The Sound Of Perseverance" (1998). Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below.
SYMBOLIC lineup:
* Steve DiGiorgio (DEATH; bass on "Human", "Individual Thought Patterns"; CONTROL DENIED - bass on "The Fragile Art Of Existence")
* Bobby Koelble (DEATH; guitars on "Symbolic")
* Kelly Conlon (DEATH; bass on "Symbolic")
* Dirk Verbeuren (MEGADETH, SOILWORK - drums)
* Max Phelps (EXIST; guitars and vocals)
* Leo Lozano (SYMBOLIC; guitars and vocals)
LIVING MONSTROSITY lineup:
* James Murphy (DEATH; guitars on "Spiritual Healing")
* Terry Butler (DEATH; bass on "Spiritual Healing")
* Gus Rios (GRUESOME; drums)
* Matt Harvey (GRUESOME, EXHUMED; guitar, vocals)
Originally released in 1990, "Spiritual Healing" marked a new turn in the DEATH discography, one which ushered in cleaner production, a new level of boundary pushing musicianship and songwriting skills that were previously unimaginable from a metal band. "Spiritual Healing" sets the standard for riffs, insane time changes and, of course, Schuldiner's masterful guitar solos. Reissued in 2012 as a double CD housed in super deluxe packaging featuring brand new liner notes from Murphy and Butler, Chuck's sister Beth Schuldiner and VOLBEAT frontman Michael Poulsen, Disc 1 featured a completely new remaster of the original album and Disc 2 contained 16 previously unreleased rehearsal, outtakes and studio instrumentals.
In addition to the two-disc edition, a limited-edition (2000 machine-numbered copies) triple-CD digipak was made available exclusively from Relapse.com. The third CD featured a never-before-released live set recorded in 1990 featuring the "Spiritual Healing" DEATH lineup. An iTunes deluxe edition was also released containing five additional previously unreleased pre-"Human" rehearsal tracks not available on either of the CD versions.
Schuldiner died on December 13, 2001 after a battle with pontine glioma, a rare type of brain tumor.
In recent years, DEATH's storied catalog has undergone a meticulous reissue campaign via Relapse Records.
Relapse released the first-ever fully authorized DEATH tab book, featuring 21 classic songs tabbed out for guitar from the band's entire discography. The book, which includes traditional notation as well as tablature, also comes with a digital download of all tracks.
In a 2011 interview with Bass Musician magazine, DiGiorgio stated about working with Schuldiner: "Sometimes people make good music together, and sometimes they vibe like yin and fucking yang. Chuck is credited with a lot of things in the music world (metal world, of course), but one thing a lot of people don't know much about is how aware he was. What I mean is that he was a good listener. If I thought of a wacky bassline to something he was writing, before I could even try to explain why it came to me, he was already ahead of it and looking for something on the next part. He had a good sense of when to hold me back and when to push me. It was great to have someone, especially the 'main man' of the band not only appreciate what I contributed but also help me find my inner demon to conjure even sicker and more abstract things to play. There really was some math going on in that roiling storm sometimes."
The clip below features Floor Jansen performing Northward's "Storm In A Glass" at her solo show at AFAS Live in Amsterdam, Netherlands on September 1st, 2021. This song comes from her hard rock project with Norwegian guitarist Jorn Viggo Lofstad.
The setlist was as follows:
Set 1:
"Ever Dream" (Nightwish)
"Storm In A Glass" (Northward)
"Nemo" (Nightwish)
"Mama" (Samantha Steenwijk cover)
"Sweet Curse" (ReVamp song - with Henk Poort)
"Dangerous Game" (from Jekyll & Hyde - with Henk Poort)
"Euphoria" (Loreen)
"Face Your Demons" (After Forever)
"Winner" (Tim Akkerman cover)
Set 2:
"Slow, Love, Slow" (Nightwish)
"Shallow" (Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper cover)
"Strong" (After Forever)
"Élan" (Nightwish)
"Energize Me" (After Forever)
"Qué Se Siente" (Rolf Sanchez)
"Bridle Passion" (Northward)
"Our Decades In The Sun" (Nightwish)
"Wolf And Dog" (ReVamp)
"The Phantom Of The Opera" (Andrew Lloyd Webber cover - with Henk Poort)
Portugal's Kandia have released a visualizer for "Turn Of The Tide", featured on their upcoming studio album, Quaternary, out in January via Frontiers. Watch the clip below, and pre-order the album here.
Tracklisting:
"Anthropocene"
"Obliterate"
"The Flood"
"Fight Or Flight"
"Until The End"
"Turn Of The Tide"
"Pbp"
"Deathwish"
"Murderers" Feat Jorgen Munkeby
"A New Dawn"
"Holocene"
Vocalist / guitarist Gilby Clarke (Guns N' Roses), guitarist Warren DeMartini (Ratt), bassist Sean McNabb (Quiet Riot, Dokken), and drummer Jimmy D'Anda (BulletBoys) have issued a video for their cover of Thin Lizzy's "Cowboy Song".
"We tracked this song early in the Pandemic, but it was never released. With the Holidays coming up, we thought it would be a nice gift for our fellow Rock n' Roll friends," says Gilby. "Enjoy!"
Written by Phil Lynott and Brian Downey, "Cowboy Song" appears on Thin Lizzy's 1976 album Jailbreak. The original version can be heard below.
Instrustrial metal prophets, Disision:Dark have announced more details and a brand new song from their upcoming debut album, Prophecy.
The so far anonymous five-piece - currently known only as the prophets Ezekiel, Abel, Judas, Aaron and Natanel - has today released another single and video, featuring The Agonist singer, Vicky Psarakis.
"Twisted Game" spreads the sound of the coming doomsday. Watch the clip below:
From rewriting the hard rock rulebook with his Grammy Award-winning trio HIGH ON FIRE to reverse-engineering doom metal with his genre-defining trio SLEEP, Matt Pike has channeled his natural talents and chiseled a steely path straight to the heart of modern-day metal's molten core. On February 18, Pike will release his debut solo LP, "Pike Vs. The Automaton", via MNRK Heavy.
Born out of the challenges brought on by a worldwide pandemic, birthed under hellish red-orange skies bred from rampaging west coast wildfires, and built amidst the yearlong political riots and rallies in Portland, Oregon, Pike's solo debut, "Pike Vs. The Automaton", is both a musical and emotional release. The record was written by Pike with drummer Jon Reid, features contributions from a slew of family and friends, and was recorded with longtime conspirator Billy Anderson, the producer who brought the best out of Pike previously on touchstone titles such as "Surrounded By Thieves" and "Sleep's Holy Mountain".
"I was just going bonkers during the pandemic. It was like really, truly miserable. And then all the riots here in Portland and all the political shit. I was trapped in my garage, which was the only place I could go and jam and do anything," confesses Pike. "I was trapped in there 'cause I couldn't go jam with HIGH ON FIRE, I couldn't do this, I couldn't do that, no one could fly. I was going crazy. My friend Jon Reid, who was the original drummer for LORD DYING, had moved to Portland and was babysitting my dog, Crom, and he was drumming for my wife's band, so he had his drums already set up at my place. I finally said, 'Dude, do you want to come over and just start jamming?' So, I just started this thing with my friend Jon. I was like, 'Dude, fuck it. Let's start a side band and we'll just demo this and act like we're starting it as teenagers, you know?'
"Pike Vs. The Automaton" is advanced by the bizarrely titled track "Alien Slut Mum". A video for the song premiered via Decibel, which states: "Matt Pike is a trailblazing visionary possessed by a mindset which, from the outside looking in, appears to be steeped in pure desperation. Perhaps this is why the SLEEP/HIGH ON FIRE shredder is still so creatively sharp in a moment when so many of his peers and devotees are stuck in "echo" phases while Pike continues to plant flags in new sonic and aesthetic territories."
When asked for comment on the clip, Pike cryptically replies: "Four friends enter the woods, for a getaway, little did they know they would never return! Dogmen, Sasquach, Reptilians, or alien slut mum?!?! Where have they gone??"
"Necessity is the mother of invention" is a well-known proverb that has proven itself true time and time again. When the need for something becomes imperative, you are forced to find ways of getting or achieving it. In this true story, the need for Pike was to create and play music with others at a time when that lifelong love was seemingly out of reach.
Guest musicians on "Pike Vs. The Automaton" include Alyssa Maucere-Pike (LORD DYING, GRIGAX), Chad "Chief" Hartgrave, Brent Hinds (MASTODON), Steve McPeeks (WEST END MOTEL), Josh Greene (EL CERDO), Todd Burdette (TRAGEDY), and HIGH ON FIRE's Jeff Matz, who lays down Turkish electric saz on the album's towering closing track "Leaving The Wars Of Woe".
"Pike Vs. The Automaton" track listing:
01. Abusive
02. Throat Cobra
03. Trapped In A Midcave
04. Epoxia
05. Land
06. Alien Slut Mum
07. Apollyon
08. Acid Test Zone
09. Latin American Geological Formation
10. Leaving The Wars Of Woe
"The album title, 'Pike Vs. The Automaton', wasn't an ego thing for me," says Pike. "Billy and Jon said, 'Dude, you should use your name in this. This is your solo project.' I said, 'I don't want to do that.'
"The Automaton, in Greek mythology, is the big robot that's the guardian of the Gods, basically. It's a soulless, big machine named Talos. The big machine that's working against mankind at this moment. In 'Jason And The Argonauts', Jason and the Argonauts have to battle this big machine guy that protects the island. Basically, what the album title is saying, metaphorically, is 'Pike against the world.'"
"I made a psychedelic rock record that SLEEP and HIGH ON FIRE fans would like," Pike continues when asked for a CliffsNotes description of "Pike Vs. The Automaton". "And maybe if you're not a SLEEP or HIGH ON FIRE fan, you might like it too. I definitely think it's interesting; it has D-Beat punk, two-step. It's got everything and it still works together, it doesn't sound odd. It's just an off-the-wall psychedelic rock record."
BEHEMOTH frontman Adam "Nergal" Darski has once again blasted people who are still skeptical of the COVID-19 vaccine.
The musician, who went public last month with the fact that he received a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot, took to his Instagram earlier today (Tuesday, December 14) to share a video message in which he can be seen wearing a "Roman Vaccination" t-shirt depicting Jesus Christ on a cross being pierced by a Roman soldier. In the video, he can be heard saying (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "So, guys, since there's still a lot of people skeptical about vaccinations and there's definitely way too many covidiots out there, I'd like you to pay attention to this design on this beautiful shirt. Look at that — 'Roman Vaccination'. It did the trick two thousand years ago. Trust me, it does the trick after two thousand years. So, don't be a covidiot. Go and fucking get the vaccine. And stay conscious. Stay aware."
A "covidiot" has been defined as "a person who acts like an irresponsible idiot during the COVID-19 pandemic, ignoring common sense, decency, science, and professional advice leading to the further spread of the virus and needless deaths of thousands."
Last month, Nergal shared a photo of him getting the additional dose of a vaccine after the protection provided by his original shots had begun to decrease over time. He wrote in an accompanying message: "3rd jab done!
"Not even religious topics are as polarizing as vaccinations these days. But both have soooo much in common. You can either put your trust in proven science or you can continue to live with outdated pseudo beliefs. But god forbid you become seriously ill…"
The 44-year-old Polish native, who was diagnosed with a severe case of leukemia over a decade ago, added: "Consider your people! DO NOT BE COVIDIOT, be kind to each other." (A "covidiot" has been defined as "a person who acts like an irresponsible idiot during the COVID-19 pandemic, ignoring common sense, decency, science, and professional advice leading to the further spread of the virus and needless deaths of thousands.")
Booster shots are recommended by federal agencies for anyone over the age of 16 who has received the Moderna and Pfizer vaccine, six months after receiving their second dose, if they are over the age of 65, have an underlying medical condition or are at high risk for exposure.
In the U.S., more than 60% of the population are currently fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, while more than 72% have received at least one shot, according to data from the CDC.
More than 797,000 people have died from the coronavirus in the U.S.
According to the nonpartisan, nonprofit web site Fact Check, while vaccines reduce the probability of getting infected, they are not 100% effective, so there is a chance that an unvaccinated person could infect a vaccinated person — particularly the vulnerable, such as elderly and immunocompromised individuals. And, despite vaccination providing excellent protection against severe disease, a small proportion of vaccinated people still require ICU care.
HOLLYWOOD GODS N' MONSTERS, the new band featuring former STEEL PANTHER bassist Travis Haley (a.k.a. Lexxi Foxx) and longtime friend and television celebrity from MTV's "Pimp My Ride", Diggity Dave, made its live debut this past Friday, December 10 at Boondocks Patio & Grill in Scottsdale, Arizona. Photos and fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below.
After the show, HOLLYWOOD GODS N' MONSTERS shared a few photos of the gig and wrote in an accompanying message: "First show in the bag....completely sold out and hundreds of people turned away because it was at capacity an hour before we even went on. Thank you for the support...we promise you it does not fall on deaf ears nor blind hearts. #HGNM #Smashup#Getfu*kinsmashed#band#hollywood #concert #livemusic".
After performing for over two decades with his former band, Haley had amicably decided to move on and do something a little different in the space of music and bass playing alike.
Diggity Dave explains: "It's not like he ever thought he wasn't challenged by the copious amount of talent that resided within STEEL PANTHER; it's just that he wanted to explore different kinds of music and was intrigued by some of the music I was sending him."
Diggity Dave has been doing television since the early 2000s but came from the world of music. Diggity was signed to Warner Brothers Records in the mid-1990s with a band he fronted named SHAKE THE FAITH which featured Tommy Thayer (KISS) on guitar, Brian Jennings on guitar (who went on to play with TVT recording artists CLOSURE) and drummer Danny Parker (who went on to co-found Warner Brothers recording artist BEAUTIFUL CREATURES). After a decade of being on MTV, Diggity went on to star in countless other TV shows, including "Battleground Earth" with longtime friend Tommy Lee (MÖTLEY CRÜE) and famed rapper Ludacris.
Travis, Diggity, Brian, Danny and their female singer 7even (Kris Aragon) have known one another for 20 years before collaborating on this magnipotent, musical, mishmash.
Travis says: "I am very proud of what I've accomplished with my other band. Nothing can take away the memories and the camaraderie that existed for all those years, but I just felt it was time for something new. When I heard this music, I knew this was the group of friends and the music I wanted to collaborate on."
Because Diggity, Brian and Danny had all played in a previous band together and had been best of friends with Haley for more than half their lives, the opportunity to form a new band was simply too compelling not to do so. Diggity confesses that the challenge was what kind of music they would construct. "Once we figured it out, we then set out to find the missing pieces that would propel the sonic and sound needed to round out this parade of hooligans," he says. "We knew we were in need of two types of talent. A rapper extraordinaire that could dismantle any genre of music and reconstruct it into his own image, and a female singer that could terrorize through the throat but tingle the testicles. We managed to find the perfect purveyors of punched out panic."
HOLLYWOOD GODS N' MONSTERS has enlisted a rapper named Hype (a.k.a. H.M.K.) who is a phenom in the world of not just rap but also as a vocalist. Hype, who released a single titled "Money & Power", was already a bullet on the rise in the musical scene when he was brought into the fold with HGNM. Hype says: "I knew this was a great opportunity to represent legends past and present from all genres of music, while also transforming music for a new generation. It was a no-brainer to team up with these rockstars and 'Define My Hype' to the world."
Rounding it out was a female singer who goes by the name 7even (also known as Kris Aragon). Travis says 7even was vital for the overall sound of the band because the music demanded not just a female presence, but a female who could occupy a musical space that was jumping from pop, punk, rock, rap, and country.
HOLLYWOOD GODS N' MONSTERS' music is what some might call "mashup" but they get agitated when people throw them in that category. HGNM is a new hybrid of musical forms, one that has not been explored, but is sure to ignite a million copy bands once they "blow up the area" and introduce the world to "smashup" music. The band explains it as a blender of styles, sounds, artists, genres, and attitudes.
Travis says: "This generation, the one before it, and the one that's following are ripe for a band like us. It's about losing yourself in the music, about dancing, about feeling alive. That's why the DJ scene has conquered music — because people wanna go to a show and identify and recognize the songs they're ingesting. They just wanna be enveloped in the music they know, their friends know, and hell… even their parents know."
Diggity closes by saying: "We are not a cover band. This is original stuff we're creating, and it's a living, breathing history of music. We equate it to what DJs are doing, but in the form of a full band smashing together the songs every generation has grown up with. What other band is mixing the '70s band CHIC with QUEEN, AEROSMITH, SUGARHILL GANG, BLONDIE and DMX? And that's just one song by us. Also, kids wanna see rock stars again… larger-than-life entities on stage that mirror the atmosphere. Think of us as a bigass American jukebox… where all the records in it have melted together… except when you press B5…you get that plus B6, B7, B8 and the track you thought you knew is now a stitched-up Frankenstein jam that makes you shake your ass harder than ever."
Thanks to everyone that showed up last night for Hollywood Gods n Monsters Toys for Tots drive last night at Boondocks! How insanely amazing was that show?! Get ready because this is only the beginning!
The fourth episode of "Psycho Schizo Espresso", a brand new podcast from IRON MAIDEN's Bruce Dickinson and Oxford University psychologist and best-selling author Dr. Kevin Dutton, has just been launched across all podcast platforms. Check it out below.
In this episode, Dutton and Dickinson chat to STATUS QUO founder and frontman Francis Rossi about how to survive in the shark pit of rock and roll. They talk egos, personas, and the psychological dynamics of being in an enduring, iconic rock band. Oh, and does it really make sense for Spotify to have over 4000 different music genres?
You can listen to "Psycho Schizo Espresso" wherever you get your podcasts, and the show is also available in Vodcast form on YouTube. Head to this location to find the podcast on your favorite platform.
Official podcast description: "If psychology was a country, then it would be the world's top tourist destination bar none. It's an enchanted territory with something for everyone: from aliens to drug lords, from serial killers to conspiracy theories. Join intellectual explorers Bruce Dickinson and Dr. Kevin Dutton for an Indiana Jones style adventure through some of its most far-flung corners as they delve into the psyches of rock icons, sporting superstars, and special forces soldiers and get the latest tips and insights from some of the most respected thought leaders and brain scientists on the planet. If you've ever wondered whether psychopaths like Hannibal Lecter and Patrick Bateman really exist outside the imaginations of Hollywood screenwriters and film directors, why ghosts only seem to appear at night, and about the true meaning of the Book of Revelation's most enduring and enigmatic mystery — 666, the number of the beast — then welcome aboard Flight Psycho Schizo Espresso and observe the 'fasten seatbelt' sign!"
Dutton explained how the idea for the podcast came about: "Not long after meeting Bruce, it became instantly clear to me that we shared a number of wide-reaching interests and that we should channel that into a podcast. 'Psycho Schizo Espresso' is certainly a journey of exploration for the both of us, and we are sure our listeners are going to learn a lot from our guests. Whether from the music industry, academia or elsewhere — you may, for instance, share our interest in psychopaths, both good and bad — this is certainly a podcast that we feel everyone will enjoy and should go and subscribe to straight away."
Brazilian singer, Alirio, released his Frontiers Music Srl debut, All Things Must Pass, back in August. Watch a video for the digital bonus track "Breeze" below, and order/save All Things Must Pass here.
Alirio is a Brazilian singer and actor, one of the most recognized rock voices in Brazil and up-and-coming names amongst the greatest singers in the country. Whether it’s on stage, in the studio, or performing in musical theatre, Alirio makes a strong impression with his powerful voice, amazing range, and effortless control. "I consider myself a very eclectic songwriter when it comes to styles of rock. My favorite songwriters at the moment, and also huge influences, are Chris Cornell, George Harrison and, obviously, Queen," says Alirio.
Of the meaning behind the first single from the album, he continues, "Power is constantly shifting hands and you gotta try to make the most of it while you have it. But that too will pass, and, when it does, will you have been true to yourself or have been corrupted by the system?"
All Things Must Pass will be Alirio’s international album debut. It embraces a wide range of rock and hard rock styles, always allowing space for great melodies and soaring ballads. The musicians on the album include drummer Adriano Daga (Grammy award winner as a producer) and bassist Felipe Andreoli (Angra). And none other than Journey vocalist Arnel Pineda appears for a duet on the album.
"I am thrilled and truly heartfelt in being a part of the Frontiers family,” says Alirio. "This album is very special to me, not only for featuring really close friends who are well known worldwide, but specially for the passion and truth I put into every single note of this album. I have to say that this might be the most honest work of my career. Having a record label of this magnitude believe in my music in such a rough moment for the whole world is a huge blessing."
As a rock singer, Alirio has fronted the band Khallice, who had signed to the prog rock label Magna Carta for the release of their debut album, The Journey. Alirio was also in the metal band Age Of Artemis, who released two albums, one of them produced by renowned singer and producer Edu Falaschi (ex-Angra). More recently, he joined the band Shaman as a replacement for the departed Andre Matos.
Alirio has also participated in several musical theatre productions, including the lead “Galileo” in We Will Rock You, the official musical production by Queen. He was also later announced as the new lead singer for the band Queen Extravaganza, which led Roger Taylor to comment, “Alirio is not only a superlative singer, he is also a great showman.”
Alirio also dubbed to Portuguese the character “Lefu” in the Beauty And The Beast live action by Disney.
Additionally, Alirio has also played the role of Jesus in the official Mexican production of Jesus Christ Superstar. He also played the role of Judas in the official Brazilian production of the same show, for which he was nominated 2014's Best Lead Actor by the “Estado de São Paulo” newspaper. This led to doors opening for him in his home country, where performances soon followed on some of the main TV shows in Brazil. He performed on the biggest talk show in the country, hosted by Jo Soares, among various other TV shows including Altas Horas, Faustão, The Noite, Jornal Hoje, Jornal do SBT, Jornal da Globo, and Programa Todo Seu, and he also performed on the TV show Good Morning L.A. in the United States along with the Queen Extravaganza.
Tracklisting:
"All Things Must Pass"
"Let It All Burn" (Feat. Hugo Mariutti)
"Here I Am"
"Back To The Roots"
"The First Time"
"Edinburgh"
"Back To The Light" (Feat. Andria Busic)
"I'm Still Here" (Feat. Andria Busic)
"Grey" (Feat. Arnel Pineda)
"You Hate" (Feat. Alberto Rionda)
"Breeze" (Bonus Track Digital)
"Come With Me" (Bonus Track Digital)
"Gipsy" (Bonus Track Digital)
"Mentiras" (Feat. Alberto Rionda) (Bonus Track Digital)
"Nada Se Compara" (Bonus Track Digital)
Frontiers Music Srl recently announced the release of Seminole, the upcoming new album from Edge Of Forever, on January 21. Today, the band has released a new single and video, "Get Up On Your Feet Again". Watch the video below, and pre-order/save Seminole on CD/Limited Edition Color LP/Digital here.
Edge Of Forever returns with a new record Seminole, following two years after their fourth album, Native Soul. The last album saw a "rebirth" for the band with new members guitarist Aldo Lonobile (Secret Sphere, Archon Angel) and drummer Marco di Salvia (Hardline) joining with band founder and vocalist/keyboardist Alessandro Del Vecchio and bassist Nik Mazzucconi (Labyrinth). Seminole continues the band’s tradition of combining inspirational and positive lyrics with powerful riffs, anthemic vocals, and skilled musicianship inspired by the heart and depth of Native American culture.
Once again produced by main songwriter and vocalist Alessandro Del Vecchio,Seminole" lifts every element the band is known for to the next level. With songs like “Get Up On Your Feet Again”, “Breath Of Life”, “Shift The Paradigm”, and “Our Battle Rages On", the album is a reflection of our times with a positive and deep outlook. The album reaches its peak with the ending mini-suite “Seminole”, a four part piece featuring everything distinctive element you would expect from Edge Of Forever: intricate vocal harmonies, soaring choruses, powerful rhythms, and blistering solos set to a story that everybody can relate to. A story of resilience, perseverance, love, and positive mental attitude.
For their last album, the band should have left on tour for a few months, hitting the road with the likes of Harem Scarem, but pandemic hit and, like every other band, they were left with no gigs for a year and a half. So, the band took the time to write and dig down deep to find their best songs. With the majority of the album written by Alessandro Del Vecchio, the final four piece suite “Seminole” sees, for the first time, writing contributions from drummer Marco Di Salvia.
“I didn’t wanna just write another album, another batch of songs. Being a prolific songwriter makes it easy and natural for me to sit down and write, channel the inspiration and translate that idea into music and lyrics. But Edge Of Forever is different for me. It’s my island where I don’t wanna just write songs that I sing. I want to tell stories that can inspire people to reach their goals, live for their dreams, face adversities, and win over all the odds that life throws at us. Native Soul could have easily been a solo record since I wrote it with a band torn apart by personal issues. Then I was lucky when Aldo and Marco entered the picture and could turn it into such a strong album. Still, today I pride myself with Native Soul, but when I put myself in my EOF-mode for Seminole, I wrote every single note for my bandmates. I wanted them to shine and have a blueprint where they could weave our canvas with their personality and definitively be themselves. They were the main drive and inspiration to write these songs and I can’t thank them enough for making these songs what they have become now. We pushed everything beyond our limits: songwriting, production, arrangements, performances, but especially what we delivered in all songs is beyond, beyond us, beyond what my vision was when I wrote these songs. Seminole is a conceptual album about my life, everybody’s life. I tell the story through the lenses of a Seminole warrior and how from a defeat you can still come out stronger and even more resilient, only if you want to. Sit down and enjoy how my story began, in the land of the Seminole…," says Alessandro Del Vecchio.
Seminole is a band effort, a mirror of a group of preeminent musicians feeling as one, ready to conquer with their anthemic vocals, extraordinary musicianship, and inspiring stories.
Tracklisting:
"Get Up On Your Feet Again"
"On The Other Side Of Pain"
"Made It Through"
"Shift The Paradigm"
"Another Salvation"
"Breath Of Life"
"Wrong Dimension"
"Our Battle Rages On"
"Seminole Pt.1 In The Land Of The Seminole"
"Seminole Pt.2 Mistake Reality"
"Seminole Pt.3 Rewrite The Story"
"Seminole Pt.4 The End's Starting To Begin"
"Get Up On Your Feet Again" video:
"Shift The Paradigm" video:
Lineup:
Alessandro Del Vecchio - Vocals, keyboards
Aldo Lonobile - Guitars
Nik Mazzucconi - Bass
Marco di Salvia - Drums
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