Robert Plant and Alison Krauss have announced the forthcoming release of their new album "Raise The Roof", out November 19 on Rounder Records. The surprise announcement finds Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer Plant and 27-time Grammy-winner Krauss reunited after some fourteen years, following the historic success of their first collaboration "Raising Sand" (2007, Rounder), which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, generated platinum sales, and earned six Grammy Awards, including "Record Of The Year".
Like its predecessor, "Raise The Roof" was produced by T Bone Burnett, who worked with Plant and Krauss to expand their collaboration in thrilling new directions, accompanied by drummer Jay Bellerose, guitarists Marc Ribot, David Hidalgo, Bill Frisell and Buddy Miller, bassists Dennis Crouch and Viktor Krauss, along with pedal steel guitarist Russ Pahl among others. The album features 12 new recordings of songs by legends and unsung heroes, including Merle Haggard, Allen Toussaint, THE EVERLY BROTHERS, Anne Briggs, Geeshie Wiley, Bert Jansch and more. Other highlights include a Plant-Burnett original, "High And Lonesome", and the classic "Can't Let Go", written by Randy Weeks and first recorded by Lucinda Williams.
Plant and Krauss have shared their new recording of "Can't Let Go" today. Listen below.
The songs selected for "Raise The Roof" alternately reflect deep-rooted influences and new revelations. For his part, Plant was keen to introduce the English folk traditions he has loved since adolescence, while Krauss cites hearing "Quattro (World Drifts In)" by the American group CALEXICO as "the moment I knew we'd make another album."
"We wanted it to move," Krauss continues. "We brought other people in, other personalities within the band, and coming back together again in the studio brought a new intimacy to the harmonies."
Adds Plant: "You hear something and you go 'Man, listen to that song, we got to sing that song!' It's a vacation, really — the perfect place to go that you least expected to find."
Released in 2007, "Raising Sand" is one of the most beloved and acclaimed albums of the 21st century. In addition to winning all six Grammy Awards for which it was nominated, it also earned a CMA Award for "Musical Event Of The Year", plus "Album Of The Year" and "Duo/Group Of The Year" accolades from the Americana Music Honors And Awards.
Plant and Krauss will tour together in 2022, with dates to be announced soon.
Fan-filmed video footage of STAIND's August 11 performance at Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, Virginia as the support act for KORN can be seen below. The two bands' 28-date joint tour will make stops in Long Island, Detroit, Irvine, Phoenix, Austin and more, before wrapping up with a performance at Dallas' Dos Equis Pavilion on September 21. Furthermore, both bands will perform at Louisville, Kentucky's Louder Than Life festival on September 23.
Two months ago, STAIND's Mike Mushok told Anne Erickson of Audio Ink Radio that he and his bandmates were working on their first studio album since 2011's self-titled effort. "Aaron [Lewis, STAIND frontman] is finishing up a country record; he's just about done with it," he said. "I think the idea is once that's completed, we're gonna… There's a bunch of [new] songs kicking around. It's just kind of [a matter of] sorting through that stuff and seeing what, if anything, we like, and figuring out… I imagine, having not put out a real record of new music in 10 years, we're gonna be pretty critical of what it is and wanna make sure that it's great. But, yes, there is talk of that. We actually signed a record deal and have a deal to do a new record."
This past March, Lewis told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that he "would certainly love to" have the new STAIND album "recorded and done by the end of this year, to be released next year. All of our plans that were kind of semi on the books and on the table, everything just had a year taken off of it [due to the pandemic]," he said. "We were gonna have a record come out sometime in 2020 or certainly in 2021, and there was a schedule that was on the table that, just like everything else, got burned to the ground as soon as [the lockdown] started."
STAIND has released seven albums since 1995, the latest being 2011's self-titled effort. The band has had a number of hit songs during its first two decades, including the Top 10 smash "It's Been Awhile" from the No. 1 album "Break The Cycle". Follow-up LPs "14 Shades Of Grey" and "Chapter V" also topped the Billboard chart.
STAIND released its first album in nine years, "Live: It's Been Awhile", on May 7 via Yap'em/Alchemy Recordings. The "Live: It's Been Awhile" album was accompanied by "The Return Of Staind", a two-part global streaming series in partnership with Danny Wimmer Presents. The series launched with STAIND's "Live: It's Been Awhile (From Foxwoods)" concert, which streamed globally on May 1. The "Live: It's Been Awhile" album and concert were recorded at the band's comeback show at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut in October 2019. The never-before-seen concert celebrated the band's reunion after a five-year hiatus. STAIND also performed its iconic multi-platinum 2001 album "Break The Cycle" in its entirety for a May 8 streaming event, exactly 20 years after the album's release. The "20th Anniversary Of Break The Cycle, Performed In Its Entirety" took place at Mill 1 in Open Square in Holyoke, Massachusetts, bringing the band back to their Western Mass roots.
STAIND played its first full live show in five years in September 2019 at the Louder Than Life music festival in Louisville, Kentucky.
The band was scheduled to support DISTURBED on "The Sickness 20th Anniversary Tour" throughout North America last summer. The amphitheater trek has since been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic which is sweeping the globe.
British extreme metal veterans CARCASS have released an animated video — created by Costin Chioreanu (OPETH, NAPALM DEATH) — for a new single, "Dance Of IXTAB (Psychopomp & Circumstance March No. 1 In B)", from their upcoming seventh studio album, "Torn Arteries", due out September 17 via Nuclear Blast Records.
CARCASS's founding vocalist/bassist Jeff Walker states about "Dance Of IXTAB (Psychopomp & Circumstance March No. 1 In B)": "The song is a foot-stomping festival anthem that will go unheard in an empty, vacuous, post-COVID world 'stadium', where used lateral flow tests blow around as litter in the breeze."
In 2019, the band released its first single in over five years, "Under The Scalpel Blade", followed by a four-song EP titled "Despicable" (October 2020), setting a potent precedent for "Torn Arteries". With the album title itself referencing an old demo created by original drummer Ken Owen back in the 1980s, "Torn Arteries" sits as a bookend on the modern side of the CARCASS discography, connecting directly back to where everything began over 30 years ago.
The "Torn Arteries" album artwork also rings reminiscent of the grotesque photography that appears on classic CARCASS album covers like "Reek Of Putrefaction" and "Symphonies Of Sickness". Artist Zbigniew Bielak traveled outside his normal wheelhouse to bring forth a time-lapsed set of photos showing vegetables shaped like a heart, rotting over time upon a white plate. This form of artwork was influenced by Japanese Kusôzu, meaning "painting of the nine stages of a decaying corpse."
"It's very clean, white, which we've never done before," explains vocalist and bassist Jeff Walker. "It doesn't look evil, or typically death metal, but I like how clean it is; almost like a coffee table book." This new album presents images, lyrics, and sounds that so distinctly scream CARCASS, but ferry us into a new era of production, songwriting, and art all together.
"I think as our seventh album, it does stand out from the others both sonically and stylistically," says Walker. "You can definitely tell that it's CARCASS; when you drop that needle on the vinyl, when you hear that guitar tone, you can tell it's Bill Steer, but each album is always a product of its time."
With "Torn Arteries", each track stands unique from the rest in its approach to guitar, bass, vocals and drumming, along with all the finer details. Filthy and dominating guitar work creates thick layers of tone and melody, piling on top of each other like the weight of dead flesh in tracks like "Kelly's Meat Emporium".
"The working title for 'Kelly's' was originally 'Stock Carcass'," laughs Walker. "We knew that one was a real meat-and-potatoes track for the album." Meanwhile, the elevated speed and catchy beat in "Dance Of Ixtab" tell a robust and airier story, one that is certain to get a reaction from live crowds. "We built this song around the beat. We had an approach to each song that was a definite idea," Walker says. "It's all about 'what haven't we done before?'"
Recording and production for "Torn Arteries" wasn't as simple as sitting down for a few weeks and knocking it all out, but rather spread out over the course of approximately one year bouncing back and forth between England and Sweden. Initially, drummer Daniel Wilding did session work in Sweden at Studio Gröndahl with David Castillo while guitars were recorded at The Stationhouse with James Atkinson in Leeds, England. Eventually needing some form of residential location to finalize vocals, bass, and other guitarwork, the band headed back to Studio Gröndahl in Sweden to continue work in a very relaxed atmosphere with Castillo. "There was no real big plan to do it this way, the process just organically grew on its own," says Walker.
Most will find that the only real struggle when indulging in "Torn Arteries" is fighting the desire to start it over the second it finishes. It covers substantial new ground for a band with such a reputation, while still retaining that addictive, time honored CARCASS sound that has come to represent the face of true death metal.
"Torn Arteries" track listing:
01. Torn Arteries
02. Dance of Ixtab (Psychopomp & Circumstances March No. 1)
03. Eleanor Rigor Mortis
04. Under The Scalpel Blade
05. The Devil Rides Out
06. Flesh Ripping Sonic Torment Limited
07. Kelly's Meat Emporium
08. In God We Trust
09. Wake Up And Smell The Carcass / Caveat Emptor
10. The Scythe's Remorseless Swing
"Torn Arteries" is available for pre-order in a variety of bundles and formats, including CD, box set and limited-edition vinyl pressings.
Grammy-nominated band TRIVIUM will release its tenth album, titled "In The Court Of The Dragon", on October 8 via longtime label Roadrunner Records. The record was produced and mixed by Josh Wilbur and recorded in the fall of 2020 at Full Sail University in Orlando. The band has also shared the new song "Feast Of Fire", which is accompanied by an official music video. The footage was filmed at the band's headquarters — The Hangar in Orlando. It was shot by director John Deeb.
"There's always that one song you aren't expecting when you begin writing a new album," says bassist Paolo Gregoletto about the song and, in turn, sharing an inside look at the band's songwriting process. "It could be a riff written on the spot in the rehearsal space, a lyric that pairs just right with a melody, or in the case of 'Feast Of Fire', sitting right there in front of us in the middle of a demo that Corey [Beaulieu, guitar] brought in. We were well into pre-production at Full Sail when we all decided that something about the demo we had tracked was good but could be even better. Our producer Josh Wilbur even had in his notes: 'Bridge is special, maybe so special it needs its own song.' We tore the song apart and began again on the spot."
He continues: "We went into this album knowing we had time to consider everything and anything that came about during this period, and if need be, we could start again if it didn’t feel right given that no touring was on the horizon."
Further pulling back the curtain, he says: "I had the words 'Feast Of Fire' written in my running list of notes for lyric ideas that I try to amass before we record. Something about the phrase stuck out to me. It felt like the missing piece of the story we were trying to tell with this album, a climactic moment and a real centerpiece for the narrative."
He finishes: "After all these years, I'm still blown away at how a song can really appear out of thin air and take the album to a place you weren't expecting. Those are the moments we are always looking for when making a record."
The album cover is an original oil painting by French artist Mathieu Nozieres (@mathieunozieres on Instagram)
"While the music of 'In The Court Of The Dragon' was taking shape, we knew we needed epic artwork of the type that you might see on the wall of an important museum from a long dead renaissance master," says guitarist/vocalist Matt Heafy. "After extensive research, we found one of the few living artists who is capable of creating artwork like Caravaggio and Gentileschi — painter Mathieu Nozieres. Mathieu took our song title and created an original oil painting on canvas unlike anything we could have ever imagined. It's so staggeringly breathtaking and epic and it looks like what the song and album sounds like."
The oil painting, which is also featured in both new videos, will be on display at the Bloodstock Open Air festival from August 11 through 15 at the on site R.A.M. Art Gallery. This marks the painting's first public showing. The first 100 fans to view it in the gallery will receive a free poster of the image.
Last month, TRIVIUM shared the album's title track, "In The Court Of The Dragon", which featured an epic intro composed and orchestrated by Ihsahn (EMPEROR) and was accompanied by an official short film music video directed by Ryan Mackfall.
"In The Court Of The Dragon" track listing:
01. X
02. In The Court Of The Dragon
03. Like A Sword Over Damocles
04. Feast Of Fire
05. A Crisis Of Revelation
06. The Shadow Of The Abattoir
07. No Way Back Just Through
08. Fall Into Your Hands
09. From Dawn To Decadence
10. The Phalanx
TRIVIUM will make its long-awaited return to the road this summer with MEGADETH, LAMB OF GOD and HATEBREED.
World-renowned guitarist/songwriter Mark Tremonti will release the fifth album from his solo band TREMONTI, titled "Marching In Time", on September 24 via Napalm Records. The official live video for the LP's first single, "If Not For You", can be seen below. The song tells the story of a father having a child during a global pandemic and how he prepares for life during that time — something Tremonti recently experienced in his own life.
Tremonti is no stranger to storytelling. Throughout his years with top-charting bands ALTER BRIDGE and CREED, and most recently his solo band, Mark has never strayed from his love of writing memorable songs. With "Marching In Time", the band looks to continue this trend while exploring their love for heavy music, drawing from current events from the last year to form the basis of each song. While its predecessor, "A Dying Machine", was an overall concept album seeped in darker sentiments and story, the vibe of "Marching In Time" is different — emerging as a charging rock/metal offering that takes the listener on 12 individual journeys.
From the driving drum beat of opener "A World Away" to the epic closer "Marching In Time", the new album is a reflective look at the world around us today. TREMONTI's unmatched musicianship bleeds through the album, showcased on tracks like "Thrown Further", "In One Piece" and the thought-provoking "Would You Kill". Alternatively, the band displays their softer side on pensive tracks "The Last One Of Us" and "Not Afraid to Lose". Epic title track "Marching In Time" tells the story of a father having a child during a global pandemic and how he prepares for life during that time — something Mark Tremonti recently experienced in his own life — while upcoming single "If Not For You" shows the evolution of the TREMONTI sound in 2021.
"Marching In Time" was produced by longtime friend and collaborator Michael "Elvis" Baskette — the producer Mark has worked with exclusively since 2007.
"Marching In Time" track listing:
01. A World Away
02. Now And Forever
03. If Not For You
04. Thrown Further
05. Let That Be Us
06. The Last One Of Us
07. In One Piece
08. Under The Sun
09. Not Afraid To Lose
10. Bleak
11. Would You Kill
12. Marching In Time
TREMONTI will hit the road in advance of the release of "Marching In Time", starting on September 3 in the U.S. with longtime friends SEVENDUST.
THE DEAD DAISIES have released an inspiring new short film, "Like No Other". Joining the band on the road for three weeks, a journalist and videographer captured shows across the U.S. for the first time since the global pandemic stood the music industry on its head. Every night the band did what they do best: play great rock! The "Like No Other" short film reflects on past memories and modern-day heroes that instill hope and happiness to people around the world.
The world has gone a bit crazy of late with a lot of people feeling trapped and alone. Hard times often bring out the best in people and music has always been a healer. We all need to cherish the moments that make your heart skip a beat. As THE DEAD DAISIES frontman Glenn Hughes has said for decades: "Love is the answer and music is the healer. Let's rock and roll together."
THE DEAD DAISIES are about to kick off 20 nights of rock and comedy across the U.S. with a bill featuring rock trio THE BLACK MOODS and the host of "That Metal Show", comedian Don Jamieson. Come late October, the "Like No Other" world tour will see their return to the U.K. for the first time since 2018, with a set brimming with songs from their latest album, "Holy Ground", and so much more. Joining them on this leg as very special guests will be hard rockers THE QUIREBOYS. In November they set off to the rest of Europe, taking in Russia and traversing the continent until mid-December.
Hughes made his live debut with THE DEAD DAISIES on June 23 at Boca Black Box in Boca Raton, Florida.
THE DEAD DAISIES' current lineup also includes Doug Aldrich (DIO, WHITESNAKE) on guitar, Tommy Clufetos (BLACK SABBATH, OZZY OSBOURNE) on drums and David Lowy (RED PHOENIX, MINK) on guitar.
"Holy Ground" was released in January. 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 announced his exit from THE DEAD DAISIES in January, two days after the band's publicist revealed that Clufetos will rejoin THE DEAD DAISIES when they hit the road in support of "Holy Ground". Clufetos previously toured with THE DEAD DAISIES in 2015.
In an interview with "The Blairing Out With Eric Blair Show", Hughes spoke about how he came to be involved with THE DEAD DAISIES. He said: "They wanted someone in, and they were asking me [in early 2019] if I would be interested in doing this. And I've been doing the 'Glenn Hughes Performs Classic Deep Purple' [shows] for a couple of years, and I thought it would be appropriate for me to take a break from that and do something other than [that]. And I got together with the guys and we had a play. I've known Doug a long time. And it just fell together beautifully. It's a beautiful piece of music."
Hughes told "That Jamieson Show" about the lyrical themes covered on "Holy Ground": "Since I've been clean and sober now almost 30 years, I think in PURPLE, in the '80s and '70s, I wrote about fiction. Then, when I got sober, the more time I have under my belt, and the years I have under my belt, I'm really, really honing in on life — what happens between life and death: fear, no fear, love, faith, hate, giving. And THE DEAD DAISIES album is one story after another.
"So the album is self-explanatory," Hughes added. "It's about autobiographical stuff. I do write stuff about what happens in my life. But I think people will hear it and they will relate to it, because they're probably going through the same [stuff] — whether it's fear or happiness or sadness or whatever. I'm a 'feelings' kind of dude."
BLACK VEIL BRIDES have released the official music video for another new song, "Torch". The track is taken from the band's upcoming album, "The Phantom Tomorrow", which will be released on October 29 via Sumerian Records.
The "Torch" clip is the final installment in the initial "Blackbird"/9 story arc. "Torch" also marks the second time BLACK VEIL BRIDES frontman Andy Biersack got behind the camera to direct a video for the band alongside longtime visual collaborator Patrick Fogarty.
Biersack states: "We wanted to create something that felt like a fitting ending to the four-video story arc that started with 'Scarlet Cross', and while this is the end of the original 'Blackbird' video chronology, it certainly is not the end of 'The Phantom Tomorrow' narrative that plays out on the record and in our upcoming comic book series. It's been one of the greatest joys of my professional life getting to dream up these concepts. For us as a band to work with such amazing individuals and to see this story realized on the screen is an absolute honor."
The cover artwork for "The Phantom Tomorrow" was created by Eliran Kantor, known for his work with TESTAMENT, HATEBREED, HAVOK and Andy Black, to name a few. "The Phantom Tomorrow" was produced by Erik Ron (GODSMACK, DANCE GAVIN DANCE, BUSH) and co-produced by guitarist Jake Pitts.
"The Phantom Tomorrow" track listing:
01. The Phantom Tomorrow (Introduction)
02. Scarlet Cross
03. Born Again
04. Blackbird
05. Spectres (Interlude)
06. Torch
07. The Wicked One
08. Shadows Rise
09. Fields Of Bone
10. Crimson Skies
11. Kill The Hero
12. Fall Eternal
BLACK VEIL BRIDES singer Andy Biersack told "Cutter's Rockcast" about the lyrical themes covered on "The Phantom Tomorrow": "It's a concept record. There is a comic book happening as well. We're developing all the artwork and everything for that. The story is essentially the idea… In our society, especially now, we have this love of building up heroes and obsessing over other people who often don't give a shit about you or anybody else, and we kind of have these false idols and heroes. And so the story is kind of about taking this mythological character and the people putting all of this power on to them, and then ultimately turning their back on the character because nobody can fulfill the dreams and ideas that you put on somebody else. So it's an alternate version of our own timeline where our obsession with heroes and the iconography of somebody that's aspirational kind of gets out of control and becomes our whole society."
Regarding how he came up with "The Phantom Tomorrow" concept, Andy said: "In January of last year, I just kind of sat down and started writing this story. I do a lot of drawing when I'm writing as well. I'm not great, but I like to be able to represent my ideas in that way. So I wrote out this whole story and drew character designs, and then, about a week and a half later, we were set to enter the studio, and it just kind of coincidental that this whole rush of this idea came to me. And so I went to the studio with everybody and said, 'Look, this is what I think we should do,' and laid out the story and the plot and the ideas. 'Cause we've done concept records before. The kind of method that we've found is best is I give the concept and the ideas, as far as the narrative perspective, to the band, and then that is how we write as a band together, to get tone and how we are gonna get through this journey. I will take those songs and then go basically write the lyrics to serve the story and plotlines along the journey from song one to the last song.
"There are unfortunate kind of shackles that are put on it — meaning that you've gotta write within the context of what you're writing," he continued. "But I tried to keep this one more open-ended where it's applicable… 'Cause I didn't wanna write about stuff I don't know; I wanted it to be about my experience. And there's really nothing about our story that doesn't mimic the current situation, whether it's on a personal level with people that I've known, or on a sociopolitical level, with the craziness of the world right now. The ideas are universal, and so that made it a little bit easier to kind of get through the journey. But as far as the comic book goes, it's kind of the same thing — I come up with the story and the artwork ideas, and then work with people who are much more talented than I am to make that a reality."
BLACK VEIL BRIDES celebrated the 10th anniversary of their debut, "We Stitch These Wounds", with a brand new, reimagined, re-recorded 2020 edition of the album titled "Re-Stitch These Wounds", released in July 2020 via Sumerian Records.
In November 2019, BLACK VEIL BRIDES announced the addition of bassist Lonny Eagleton to the group's ranks. He joined the band as the replacement for Ashley Purdy, who exited the group earlier that month.
Eagleton previously played with Biersack (a.k.a. Andy Black) on his solo tour.
Biersack's memoir, "They Don't Need To Understand: Stories Of Hope, Fear, Family, Life, And Never Giving In", arrived in December via Rare Bird Books.
As the drummer of the legendary rock band SCORPIONS, Herman Rarebell was the rhythmic backbone of the band for many years and remains one of the most influential drummers in the rock world today.
Fans of Herman's can now enjoy the official video for his song "I'll Say Goodbye", originally released in 1977. "I'll Say Goodbye" is the closing track taken from Herman's solo album "Nip In The Bud" and was also released as a single prior to the album in 1981. Both the audio and video for this track have been restored and remastered, and are available digitally on YouTube and everywhere else for the first time!
Herman says this about "I'll Say Goodbye": "One of my favorite songs of all time. The story is about what happens when you die. Sort of life after death. People think you'll be around forever, but we know this is not true. This topic has always fascinated me and still does."
Recorded 40 years ago, "Nip In The Bud" will be re-released this year, remastered and available digitally for the first time. "Nip In The Bud" will be released on August 27 via Aviator Management.
"It was an amazing feeling," Rarebell describes the moment of holding his own solo record in his hands. "I'm extremely proud of this album. Even after 40 years, the album sounds totally fresh and exciting and tracks like 'I'll Say Goodbye' or the ballad 'Messing Around' are still absolute hard rock classics, even today."
Rarebell's drumming style was influenced by bands such as LED ZEPPELIN and he has always felt at home playing classic hard rock. A clear and direct sound is still his passion today. Many of the songs, which were written by Rarebell in the early '70s, did not fit into the concept of the SCORPIONS at that time and so the idea of a solo album was born.
To mark the announcement, Herman has released the single "Rock Your All" and you can listen to it below.
Herman says: "'Rock Your All' is one of my favorite-ever singles and contains one of my favorite riffs of all time."
The two other musicians on his album were Pedro Schemm alias George Philips (vocals and bass) and David "D.H." Cooper (guitarist). Rarebell and George Phillips were childhood friends and played together in bands such as THE MASTERMEN and the legendary krautrock band RS RINDFLEISCH with George on vocals and Rarebell on drums. Both later moved to England, where they played in various bands and met guitarist David "DH" Cooper.
Rarebell knew immediately that this trio would be the optimal lineup for his first solo album.
"Nip In The Bud" was recorded live in a 16-track studio in Rarebell's hometown of Lebach. The chemistry between the musicians was perfect with all three working in harmony to create an honest, live hard rock album. Within two weeks, the basic tracks were finished. The last overdubs were done in Dieter Dirks's studio near Cologne and Herman Rarebell's first solo album was ready to mix. The final mix was done by Gerd Rautenbach, who was also responsible for the unique sound on the legendary SCORPIONS albums "Blackout" and "Love At The First Sting". Both Rarebell and Rautenbach's goal was to give the songs the LED ZEPPELIN sound, "so the drums are way up front in a big room," Herman says. "The idea was to capture both the live feeling as well as the pressure from the drums."
The artwork was created by Storm Thorgerson's team at Hipgnosis, who also created legendary album covers for PINK FLOYD, ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA and LED ZEPPELIN.
Track listing:
01. Messing Around (remastered version)
02. Two Timer (remastered version)
03. Havin' A Good Time (remastered version)
04. Rock Your All (remastered version)
05. Triangle (remastered version)
06. Slob (remastered version)
07. Junk Funk (remastered version)
08. Do It (remastered version)
09. Pancake (remastered version)
10. I'll Say Goodbye (remastered version)
Rarebell was born on November 18, 1949 (a Scorpio) in Saarbrucken, Germany. He wrote the lyrics for some of SCORPIONS' most classic songs such as "Rock You Like A Hurricane", "Make It Real", "Dynamite", "Blackout", "Arizona", "Bad Boys Running Wild", "Don't Stop At The Top", "Tease Me Please Me" and other songs. In 1981, he released his first solo album "Nip In The Bud" (which he later re-recorded as HERMAN ZE GERMAN & FRIENDS). In April 1996, he left the SCORPIONS after an incredible 32 million sold albums. Together with Prince Albert of Monaco he co-founded Monaco Records releasing a second solo album under the label Stings Like a Scorpion.
The SCORPIONS reunited their classic lineup at the Wacken Open Air festival on August 3, 2006, billed as "A Night To Remember: A Journey In Time". Herman was invited by his old friends to join them on stage and the band performed many classic songs also featuring Uli Jon Roth and Michael Schenker.
Fan-filmed video footage of KORN's August 11 performance at Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, Virginia can be seen below. KORN and STAIND's 28-date joint tour will make stops in Long Island, Detroit, Irvine, Phoenix, Austin and more, before wrapping up with a performance at Dallas' Dos Equis Pavilion on September 21. Furthermore, both bands will perform at Louisville, Kentucky's Louder Than Life festival on September 23.
KORN played its first show with Roberto "Ra" Díaz (SUICIDAL TENDENCIES) on July 16 at the Upheaval festival in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Díaz is filling in for Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu on KORN's current tour. Fieldy announced in June that he would sit out the trek in order to "heal" after "falling back" on some of his "bad habits."
"We appreciate your kind words of support in response to the recent tour update about @Fieldykorn," KORN wrote in a social media post on July 12. "While our brother takes some time to heal, we wanted to let you know that we are bringing our friend @Ra_Diaz from @SuicidalTendencies out with us this summer to fill in on KORN bass duties. We've all been rehearsing to get ready to bring the heat, and we can't wait to see you next month."
On June 21, Fieldy broke the news of his absence from the trek, writing in a social media update: "To all KORN fans worldwide. The past 6 years I've been dealing with some personal issues that at times have caused me to fall back on some of my bad habits and has caused some tension with the people around me. It's been suggested to me to take some time off to heal. I'm going to respect what was asked of me and take that time. Unfortunately you will not see me on stage with my band. I will be working towards getting the bad habits out of my system. In the meantime I will be staying creative to keep my mind & soul in a good place.
"I'm thankful for all of your support, patience & understanding as we all have something that we deal with.
"Jonathan, Munky, Ray and Head, I love you and I don't want to bring any tension or bad vibes to the circle."
A short time later, KORN's official social media shared Fieldy's statement, along with the following message: "We love and support our brother, Fieldy. Health and family always comes first."
Back in 2017, METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo's then-12-year-old son Tye Trujillo filled in on bass for KORN's South American tour after Fieldy was unable to make the shows due to "unforeseen circumstances."
Fieldy's 2009 memoir, "Got The Life: My Journey Of Addiction, Faith, Recovery And Korn", detailed his struggles with drug and alcohol addiction during KORN's early years and how he became a born-again Christian to help get his life together and get sober.
Fieldy's STILLWELL side project released its third album, "Supernatural Miracle", last September.
KORN's latest LP, "The Nothing", arrived in September 2019 via Roadrunner/Elektra. The follow-up to 2016's "The Serenity Of Suffering" was once again produced by Nick Raskulinecz.
Hamburg, Germany's GAMMA RAY has delivered impressive statements of its own musical philosophy to the worldwide heavy metal community for more than 30 years now. Founded and fronted by Kai Hansen after his departure from the famous German power metal band HELLOWEEN, GAMMA RAY recorded 11 studio albums between 1989 and 2015. Alongside Dirk Schlächter (bass), Henjo Richter (guitar), Michael Ehré (drums) and Frank Beck (vocals), Hansen is the band's lead vocalist, guitarist and chief songwriter.
The expressive power of the band's music is reflected in their energetic live shows. There's hardly a renowned metal festival where GAMMA RAY hasn't rocked the crowds and hardly a European metal magazine which hasn't featured at least one GAMMA RAY cover story.
On GAMMA RAY's upcoming live album "30 Years Live Anniversary", the band would like to invite everyone to the party that was their exclusive and only show in 2020. Due to COVID-19, the band was not able to play shows so they decided to do a livestream event and set up a big stage in the ISS Dome in Düsseldorf, Germany. This event took place on August 27 and was streamed to fans all over the globe.
Check out "Lust For Life" from that livestream event below.
Several cameras recorded the very best of power metal with guest keyboard player Corvin Bahn and former (and first!!) GAMMA RAY singer Ralf Scheepers as a very special guest. This livestreamed show will be released as a double live album on both audio and video via earMUSIC.
Due to COVID-19, this concert, like so many others, took place without an audience. This is why the band decided to invite the fans to send in recordings of screaming, hailing, and whistling to their favorite GAMMA RAY songs, which will be added to the end of the show and gives fans the chance to participate on this release.
"30 Years Live Anniversary" will be released as a digipak CD, as 3xLP on black vinyl, and digital. Furthermore, there will be a limited edition 3xLP on colored vinyl. Each of the three LPs will be pressed on a different vinyl color.
The CD/DVD and vinyl will be available November 12; the digital version will be out September 10.
Social Disorder have released a video for "The One", featured on their new album, Love 2 Be Hated, out now via AFM Records. Order the album here, and watch the video below.
Social Disorder combine in a very famous lineup the years of experience of the band members to a great sound of pure hard rock with an unmistakable personal touch.
Social Disorder are an explosive, tough mixture of prestigious musicians with an unknown diamond on the mic. Honest and direct, bandleader Anders LA Rönnblom (Killer Bee, X-Romance, Wolfpakk) describes on this extremely personal album his experiences in the music business from depression and alcohol addiction to discovering a new zest for life.
He is supported, among others, by Thomas Nordin - Vocals, Tracii Guns - Lead & Rhythm Guitar (Guns N' Roses, L.A. Guns), Shawn Duncan - Drums (DC4, Odin), Rudy Sarzo - Bass Guitar (Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake), Jeff Duncan - Lead & Rhythm Guitar (Armored Saint, Odin), Snowy Shaw - Drums (King Diamond, Dream Evil, Mercyful Fate), Dave Stone - Keyboard (Rainbow, Max Webster), Leif Ehlin - Keyboards (Perfect Plan), Johan Niskanen - Lead & Rhythm Guitar (Dust), Fredrik Tjerneld - Lead Guitar (X-Romance), Thomas Widmark - Keyboard (X-Romance) and finally Kenta Karlbom - Drums (X-Romance, Goatess).
Tracklisting:
"Windy Road"
"Dreaming"
"Scars"
"Love 2 Be Hated"
"Raise A Glass"
"Sail Away"
"Down On My Knees"
"Out Of Love"
"The One"
"Wings Of Serenity"
"The One" video:
"Dreaming" video:
"Love 2 Be Hated" lyric video:
"Windy Road" video:
Lineup:
Anders LA Rönnblom - Bass & Rhythm Guitar (Killer Bee, X-Romance, Wolfpakk)
Thomas Nordin - Vocals
Tracii Guns - Lead & Rhythm Guitar (Guns N’ Roses, L.A. Guns)
Shawn Duncan - Drums (DC4, Odin)
Rudy Sarzo - Bass Guitar (Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake)
Jeff Duncan - Lead & Rhythm Guitar (Armored Saint, Odin)
Snowy Shaw - Drums (King Diamond, Dream Evil, Mercyful Fate)
Dave Stone - Keyboard (Rainbow, Max Webster)
Leif Ehlin - Keyboard (Perfect Plan)
Johan Niskanen - Lead & Rhythm Guitar (Dust)
Fredrik Tjerneld - Lead Guitar (X-Romance)
Thomas Widmark - Keyboard (X-Romance)
Kenta Karlbom - Drums (X-Romance, Goatess)
On September 3, Portrait will release their new album, At One With None, via Metal Blade Records. For a preview of At One with None, a video for the new single "Curtains (The Dumb Supper)" can be viewed below.
Pre-orders are available at MetalBlade.com for the following formats:
- jewelcase-CD
- deluxe box set (hardcover box, white vinyl, exclusive 7", back patch, art print, hand-signed photo card - limited to 500 copies)
- 180g black vinyl (EU exclusive)
- gold vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 300 copies)
- silver vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- red w/ black dust vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- green vinyl (US exclusive)
When it comes to modern heavy metal, there are few bands operating at the same level as Portrait. For a decade and a half, the Swedish unit have been forging their own path, and in the process, infusing life into a longstanding, well-established genre and taking it in new directions. Following up 2017's acclaimed Burn The World, they return with the mighty At One With None, which was recorded at JFK Studios in Kristianstad, Sweden with Tommy Hansen (Helloween, Hatesphere) handling the mixing. While Portrait fans will immediately recognize it as the work of their heroes, they are not simply rehashing old ideas and treading where they have before.
"One simple 'rule' that I have had personally is that no song written for this album and onwards should be similar to any song that we have already written and released. We have been doing this for 15 years now, and I am proud to say that I think we have managed to find our own identity and sound, which can't really be said about that many bands today. This is our greatest achievement, and the goal is to keep exploring and developing our own sound, without repeating ourselves." The results of working with this philosophy are undeniable, making for an essential addition to the Portrait canon.
Artwork by Adam Burke:
Tracklisting:
“At One With None”
“Curtains (The Dumb Supper)”
“Phantom Fathomer”
“He Who Stands”
“Ashen”
“A Murder Of Crows”
“Shadowless”
“The Gallow’s Crossing”
Progressive music titans DREAM THEATER have released their new single, "The Alien". You can now listen to it below. The official music video for the song will follow at 9:00 a.m. EDT / 6:00 a.m. PDT.
"The Alien" is taken from DREAM THEATER's 15th studio album, "A View From The Top Of The World", which is due on October 22. "A View From The Top Of The World" is DREAM THEATER at its musical finest expanding on the sound they helped create while maintaining the elements that have garnered them devoted fans around the globe. The seven-song album also marks the second studio album with InsideOut Music/Sony Music. The artwork was created by longtime cover collaborator Hugh Syme (RUSH, IRON MAIDEN, STONE SOUR). "A View From The Top Of The World" was produced by John Petrucci, engineered and additional production by James "Jimmy T" Meslin and mixed/mastered by Andy Sneap.
DREAM THEATER — comprised of James LaBrie, John Petrucci, Jordan Rudess, John Myung and Mike Mangini — was in the middle of a sold-out world tour in support of their last release "Distance Over Time" and the 20th anniversary of "Scenes From A Memory" when a global pandemic brought the world to a stop. The musicians found themselves at home, with LaBrie in Canada and the rest of the group in the States. As fate would have it, they'd just finished construction on DTHQ (Dream Theater Headquarters) — a combination live recording studio, rehearsal space, control room, equipment storage, and creative hive. With LaBrie in Canada, he initially wrote with the band via Zoom on a monitor in DTHQ. In March 2021, he flew down to New York, quarantined, and recorded his vocals face-to-face with Petrucci. The album ultimately threaded together lean and uncompromising hooks with tried-and-true technical proficiency.
"We just love to play our instruments," observes Petrucci. "That never goes away. I love to be creative, write, and exercise that part of my mind. We've been able to do this for a long time, and we don't take it for granted. Whenever we get together, we know we can’t disappoint ourselves or our fans, so we manage to try even harder."
"We approach every album like it's our first," adds LaBrie. "It's been such a great ride, but we're not going to stop."
"A View From The Top Of The World" track listing:
01. The Alien (9:32)
02. Answering The Call (7:35)
03. Invisible Monster (6:31)
04. Sleeping Giant (10:05)
05. Transcending Time (6:25)
06. Awaken The Master (9:47)
07. A View From The Top Of The World (20:24)
DREAM THEATER is also planning to hit the road in support of the new album. The "Top Of The World" tour of North America kicks off on October 28 in Mesa, Arizona and runs through December 14 where it concludes in St. Petersburg, Florida. Information on tickets for all upcoming shows as well as VIP packages can be found at www.dreamtheater.net.
Former Korn Drummer David Silveria’s chart-topping, hard rock band, Breaking In A Sequence, are culminating their six-song video series for their debut EP Acronym with the release of what they hail as the most “infectious” track on the album.
The “Anything But Right” video can be seen below. According to Frontman Rich Nguyen, the concept, much like the song itself, examines self-growth and the importance of expanding one’s mindset.
“This song was the last one we wrote for the EP, right when we had started to find our groove,” he said. “When we first started this band, we were aiming to be a rock band, but we naturally started gravitating to a hard rock, alt metal style. ‘Anything But Right’ was the bridging point between our initial, melodic-rock style into hard rock.”
To film the video, the band turned to Director and Producer JP Brasca, who shot it in two locations in downtown Los Angeles and in Norco, CA. According to Nguyen, this was done purposefully to give the video a sense of duality and offer fans multiple meanings, depending on one’s perspective.
“The initial idea was to show someone feeling down, completely unsure of himself and then have him eventually work through it... to come out successful in the end. However, the final product holds a much deeper meaning to me. My take on it, is the contrast between narrow and expansive mindsets as in, you can start off narrow-minded, but then open to see the bigger picture of things and adapt as necessary.”
In addition to “Anything But Right,” Breaking In A Sequence released five other songs from their debut EP, including their hit single "Pity", which reached #23 on the Billboard Indicator chart and #9 on the Foundations chart upon its initial release. Additional tracks like “Delusional” and “Hesitation” solidified the band as one of the industry’s top emerging artists, while their homage to Faith No More’s “Midlife Crisis,” complete with a recreation of the iconic video, propelled them to the next level.
Breaking In A Sequence, which is rounded out by guitarists Mike Martin and Joe Taback and bassist Chris Dorame, have much more in store for 2021. They have plans to release a second EP by year’s end and are currently working on new material for a 2022 release.
Iron Maiden will release an exclusive limited edition collectors box of their upcoming studio album, Senjutsu, which will be available for Fan Club members only. Only 2021 copies of the box were made, and they will go on sale this Friday, August 13. The boxes are priced at 333GBP / 400EUR / 450USD and will be strictly limited to one per person.
The boxes will be released in two batches via the FC shop in order to give people in different time zones a fair chance to order. The first batch will go live at 10 AM, BST, and the second batch will go live at 5:30 PM, BST. They will appear here.
With less than 24 hours to go ahead of the pre-order for the Limited Edition Collectors Box, here are a little more details on what makes them so unique:
As you’ll know by now, the Limited Edition Collectors Box contains an illustrated print inspired by Japan’s ukiyo-e tradition by Masumi Ishikawa who also worked on two previous original Maiden art pieces in 2016. His other collaborations include Star Wars, David Bowie, and KISS.
Born in Japan in 1978, Masumi became a disciple of master artist Utagawa Toyokuni VI in 2000, but due to Utagawa Toyokuni VI's sudden passing he has continued to pursue the Utagawa aesthetics on his own, a style with deep roots. The Utagawa school was the largest ukiyo-e school of its period founded by Utagawa Toyoharu in the middle of the 18th century. According to the Mitsui Agency, who provided the services of Mr Ishikawa, there aren’t any artists dedicated to just ukiyo-e. Although contemporary ukiyo-e are being produced today, a lot of them are not in the typical aesthetic that can be found in historical works from the Edo period and Meiji era, which makes Masumi something of a rising star, but if you think you know what’s coming then guess again. Unlike the two Iron Maiden ukiyo-e pieces created in 2016, which depicted Eddie having time-travelled to the Edo period and for which the band showed great appreciation, you can expected something very different when the FC Exclusive box arrives. As Masumi explains, “with this specific Samurai Eddie request in mind, I personally wanted to create something with a different mood than the two previous works by using different colour schemes. The pattern used on Eddie’s attire is a pattern that is often used in musha-e (a genre of ukiyo-e that depict samurai warriors), which I occasionally use in artworks myself. After much trial and error as to how I should design Eddie into this work, this was the pattern I decided to use in the end.”
The finished piece will also include three Japanese words:
「穢行銘傳 Phonetically, these characters spell out, ‘Iron Maiden’, and mean, ‘works of Darkness.’ There is also the drawing of an actual iron maiden torture device next to them.
「壊泥」 Phonetically, these spell out, ‘Eddie,’ literally meaning, “a dirty/stained person who crushes or destroys.’
One thing you will not see is the Japanese symbol of death which present on Eddie’s breastplate on the cover of Senjutsu. Japanese symbolism exerts a strong influence on Japanese culture, Mr Ishikawa refused to use it because he deemed it too intense to be used.
The Tsuba: The Hilt Of A Samurai Sword
An object of much speculation and curiosity is the tsuba, which is the removable sword mounting and hand guard of a samurai sword, but as with so much in Japan there’s more to it than that. Usually round, occasionally square, and essential to the balance of these legendary weapons, the tsuba at its most basic level protects the hand from sliding onto the sword blade, and from attack, and its history goes back nearly 2,000 years. It was only relatively more recently though, during Japan’s Sengoky period (1467-1615) that these items seemed to take on greater significance, becoming more ornate during the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1568-1600), and by the Edo period (1603-1868) they became nothing less than an art form in and of themselves.
Initially tsubas were made of iron but over the years they came to include a wide variety of alloys, brass, bronze, silver and gold, and featured a wide variety of motifs from dragons to pagodas to more natural themes like leaves, and flowers.
A Toe-tally Awesome Dragon...
In designing the tsuba for this FC exclusive, Mark drew inspiration from the red Japanese symbol for ‘death’ that he had used on Eddie’s breastplate to create the basic form of the tsuba and wrapped a traditional Japanese dragon around it. The dragon head is taken from the samurai sword hilt Eddie carries, but there’s more to the dragon than that.
In Japan, dragons are water deities associated with rainfall and bodies of water, and are consequently often depicted as serpentine creatures with three claws on each foot and no wings.
The reason why Japanese dragons only have three claws is because Japanese people believe Eastern dragons originated in their native homeland and grew toes as they moved North. Comparatively, Chinese folklore presents the opposite story, whereby dragons originated from China and lost toes the farthest away from China they went.
This particular dragon has three toes: just one facet which is indicative of the huge level of care, historical accuracy, and attention to detail that makes the Limited Edition Collectors Box so very special.
The box, pictured below, will contain:
- The CD digipak version of Senjutsu
- The Blu-Ray digipak of "The Writing On The Wall", including a making-of video and sleeve notes
- A decorated board portfolio containing the following:
* A Japanese hanko-style Eddie stamp, made of teak and engraved, in an engraved teak case
* An exclusive Mark Wilkinson print, signed and stamped by the man himself
* A unique artwork print in Japan's Ukiyo-e tradition illustrated by Masumi Ishikawa, who previously created 2 pieces of Iron Maiden ukiyo-e works
- An Eddie lenticular
- A Japanese-style tsuba - a decorated metal sword hilt typically worn by the Samurai
- A Senjutsu Eddie pendant necklace
- A printed canvas banner with wooden ends
- And last but not least, a certificate of authenticity presented in an envelope inspired by Japanese celebratory Shugi Bukuro envelopes and featuring an intricate bow: a mizuhiki.
BMG will release of Iron Maiden’s 17th studio album, Senjutsu, their first in six years, on September 3. It was recorded in Paris with longstanding producer Kevin Shirley and co-produced by Steve Harris.
For Senjutsu – loosely translated as ‘tactics & strategy,’ the band once again enlisted the services of Mark Wilkinson to create the spectacular Samurai themed cover artwork, based on an idea by Steve Harris. With a running time of a little under 82 minutes, Senjutsu, like their previous record The Book Of Souls, will be a double CD/Triple vinyl album.
Steve says: “We chose to record at Guillaume Tell Studio in France again as the place has such a relaxed vibe. The setup there is perfect for our needs; the building used to be a cinema and has a really high ceiling so there’s a great acoustic sound. We recorded this album in the same way we did The Book Of Souls in that we’d write a song, rehearse it and then put it down together straight away while it was all fresh in our minds. There’s some very complex songs on this album which took a lot of hard work to get them exactly as we wanted them to sound, so the process was at times very challenging, but Kevin is great at capturing the essence of the band and I think it was worth the effort! I’m very proud of the result and can’t wait for fans to hear it.”
Bruce continues: “We’re all really excited about this album. We recorded it back in early 2019 during a break in the Legacy tour so we could maximize our touring yet still have a long set up period before release to prepare great album art and something special as a video. Of course the pandemic delayed things more - so much for the best laid plans – or should that be ‘strategies’!? The songs are very varied, and some of them are quite long. There’s also one or two songs which sound pretty different to our usual style, and I think Maiden fans will be surprised - in a good way, I hope!"
Senjutsu will be released on the following formats and is available to pre-order/pre-save at IronMaiden.com.
- Standard 2CD Digipak
- Deluxe 2CD Book Format
- Deluxe heavyweight 180G Triple Black Vinyl
- Special Edition Triple Silver And Black Marble Vinyl (Details to follow)
- Special Edition Triple Red and Black Marble Vinyl (Details to follow)
- Super Deluxe Boxset featuring CD, Blu Ray and Exclusive Memorabilia
- Digital album [streaming and download]
Tracklisting:
"Senjutsu" (8:20) - Smith/Harris
"Stratego" (4:59) - Gers/Harris
"The Writing On The Wall" (6:13) - Smith/Dickinson
"Lost In A Lost World" (9:31) - Harris
"Days Of Future Past" (4:03) - Smith/Dickinson
"The Time Machine" (7:09) - Gers/Harris
"Darkest Hour" (7:20) - Smith/Dickinson
"Death Of The Celts" (10:20) - Harris
"The Parchment" (12:39) - Harris
"Hell On Earth" (11:19) - Harris
"The Writing On The Wall" video:
Steve Harris, Bruce Dickinson and Kevin Shirley talk about the making of Senjutsu:
Following the underground success of its 2018 debut, Between The Winds, Ohio, US-based project Untamed Land - the world’s very first metal band incorporating the feral sounds of classic, old western cinematics - will unbridle its sophomore release, Like Creatures Seeking Their Own Forms, via Napalm Records on October 8.
While exploring influence and nuances from various strains of atmospheric metal, Untamed Land traverses wild new frontiers - evoking the ambiance of classic Ennio Morricone/Spaghetti Western soundtracks and traditional old western instrumentals. While some listeners may be quick to label this a purely black metal album before diving into its depths, this description only scratches the surface.
Take a listen to brand Untamed Land’s new single, “Clothed In Smoke”, and witness the track’s new music video today. The nearly 10-minute epic soars before peaking with a player piano-interlaced closing passage backed with fiddle, warning drums and electrifying guitars, adding a layered folk-like element to the already diverse offering.
Patrick Kern says: "This song is probably the one most similar to the ‘epic’ atmospheric black metal approach taken by bands such as Summoning and Caladan Brood, but lots of other strains found their way in, such as doom metal, minimalism, and European/Celtic folk music. The title of the track, like the title of the album itself, is a phrase from McCarthy's novel ‘Blood Meridian’, one of the darker western stories out there, and it perfectly fits the foreboding and mounting dread the music seeks to express."
Watch the music video for “Clothed In Smoke” below.
Untamed Land mastermind, composer and sole performer of all instruments (except for accented violin performances by Rita Torrens and vocal contributions by Caroline Joy and Jacob Wherley), Patrick Kern, was initially inspired by what he describes as pagan, cosmic and even “doomy” black metal when writing the album, but the material bloomed in a way that is much more multifaceted to be categorized so singularly.
Patrick Kern adds about the album: “I would hesitate to call this a black metal album. It's meant to be a cinematic journey into a dark and fantastical old west setting, and various genres and sounds are used to bring that story to life. Lyrically, whereas the previous album dealt with the eternal struggle of the solar hero, this time we delve into a sort of gnostic "Beauty and the Beast" story, ultimately revolving around the feminine role in creation and the tension between the world of matter and the world of forms. The album ended up reflecting my own spiritual journey that occurred all throughout the writing and production process. I had a great time experimenting with many different styles and sounds for this release and am excited to share this new chapter in the Untamed Land world!"
The album begins with a haunting, yet whimsical old western inspired introduction, “Once Upon A Time In The Kenoma”, before ascending into the grimly epic, piano-laden "A Nameless Shape" - blending ghostly acoustics, doom-drenched riffs and icy screams as it cascades into a wave of blast beats, rhythmic guitars and operatic accent vocals. The track closes with a backing of dominant horns before leading into the introductory organs and forsaken rhythms of the dynamic, ebbing and flowing "Clothed In Smoke" - one of the album’s most movielike offerings. 15-minute standout “The Heavenly Coil” entrances with organ, harpsichord and acoustics before intertwining with progressive blackened metal ingredients instilled with outlaw temper. Like the veil of first dawn’s light, Spanish guitar and spirited drums close the track before effortlessly crossing into triumphant album closer “Achamōth”.
Like Creatures Seeking Their Own Forms is unique in all its facets - not only is it original, inspiring and an impressively eclectic album, it’s poised to cast the name Untamed Land on the lips of every experimental metal fan upon its release. In a dry landscape of repetitive noise as far as the eye can see, Like Creatures Seeking Their Own Forms is an aural oasis.
Like Creatures Seeking Their Own Forms will be available in the following formats:
The power metal trailblazers Airborn from Turin, Italy, have dropped the “Wolf Child” video from the upcoming live album and DVD, Live Animals. Watch the clip below. Live Animals is available for pre-order, exclusively at Airborn’s webstore, here.
Live Animals will be published as a CD + DVD digisleeve and for digital download at arpmusic.bandcamp.com and on the main platforms. The album features three bonus tracks recorded at Airborn’s Born To Fly Festival 2018, the last one for audio CD only. The physical format includes a heartwarming introduction by Turin’s metal poet Walter Olivetti as well as a copy of the setlist handsigned by the band.
The album features three bonus tracks recorded at Airborn’s Born To Fly Festival 2018, the last one for audio CD only. The physical format incudes a heartwarming introduction by Turin’s metal poet Walter Olivetti as well as a copy of the setlist handsigned by the band.
Live Animals represents the second effort the band took on a live album, after the successful Dinosaurs they published on their 20th anniversary. A release party and a streaming session on Airborn’s YouTube channel are being defined, details will be revealed further on.
Tracklisting:
“The Hero”
“Heavy Metal Wars”
“Who We Are”
“Lizard Secret”
“King Of Fear”
“Wolf Child”
“Here Comes The Claw”
“Sword Of Justice”
“Reign Of The Human Race”
“Terrifying Manhunt”
“Mess We’re In”
“Metal Haters”
“Against The World”
Bonus (Recorded At Born To Fly Festival 2019)
“Defenders Of Planet Earth”
“Born To Fly”
“Metal Gods” (CD only)
Napalm Records and in-house booking agency Napalm Events have announced the signing of melodic death metal five-piece, Defacing God. Inspired by rich and dark Scandinavian metal traditions, their sound balances massive melodies with a twist of classical music and ballistic “in-your-face” death metal with deep inspirations from witchcraft, occultism and the obscure. The quintet is now ready to conquer the scene.
Formed by vocalist Sandie ‘The Lilith’ Gjørtz and co-founder Michael Olsson (drums) in 2015, Defacing God merged a perfect constellation of members in 2017, completing their mutual vision for the project. Defacing God’s concept is based on the resurrection of Lilith: Through their storytelling, music and the group’s aesthetic, they pull their listeners into a dark universe, a time travel through occult myths, folklore and ancient stories. Their debut album, entitled The Resurrection Of Lilith, is currently recorded in collaboration with Jacob Hansen, who is known for working with bands like Volbeat and Destruction, and will be released via Napalm Records in 2022.
Defacing God on the signing: “Today we are very proud to announce that we have signed a worldwide record deal with Napalm Records! After the release of the music video for our track 'Succumb The Euphoria' in 2020 we got in contact with Napalm Records and the deal was sealed. Since then we've just waited for this pandemic to pass so we could share the news!
"We are truly grateful for this collaboration, this new chapter in our journey, and we can’t wait to get back on the road! Currently we are getting ready to hit the studio for the recording of our long-awaited debut album The Resurrection Of Lilith. We would also like to give a special thanks to Jacob Hansen, the master of massive sound production and our beloved sound engineer for being the greatest work-partner we could ask for during all this! With this great support behind our back we can’t wait to spread our music across the world!”
Preview Defacing God and check out the music video for “Succumb The Euphoria” below:
Lineup:
Sandie The Lilith - vocals, visuals & lyrics
Signar Petersen - lead guitar
Christian Nielsen - rhythm guitar
Michael Olsson - drums
Rasmus “Kalke” Nielsen - bass
Australian heavy rockers, Wicked Smile, have released their new single, "Last Goodbye", followed by their debut full length album, titled Wait For The Night, on September 24.
Wicked Smile are all about bringing back fist pumping heavy rock to the forefront with a collection of ten ‘killer songs’. The forthcoming album is produced by Paul Laine (The Defiants) and mastered by Bruno Ravel (The Defiants, Danger Danger).
Guitarist Stevie Janevski states: "Last year was all about giving the world a ‘taste’ of what we’re about. We’re a five-piece kick ass heavy rock band and I think we made our presence known with the release of our Delirium sampler EP."
Wicked Smile is fronted by charismatic powerhouse lead vocalist Danny Cecati (ex-Pegazus & Eyefear) with Stevie Janevski (The Radio Sun, ex-Black Majesty & Cyclone Tracy) and Dave Graham (ex-In Malice’s Wake) on guitars, Glen Cav (ex-Virtue) on bass and Jason Tyro on drums.
Lyrically, Wait For The Night explores current issues within society such as civil unrest, bullying and mental health.
View the video for the new single "Last Goodbye" below, and pre-order a signed copy of the album here.
CroMagnum’s “Born Free” is both the monolithic EP and its epic title track. Pleased to finally present the fruits of their labour, the Montreal band presents the title track as its next single in support of their upcoming release. They hope that both the music and its message move listeners to take action in their lives, pushing them to start taking control of their own destiny.
“Born Free” is a creed to live by and its core message is for people to have the absolute necessity to proactively exercise their rights, their liberties and their freedoms. Musically, CroMagnum presents a refined metal attack that is fast-paced and in your face, leaving you with absolutely no chance at being apathetic or indifferent. The band explains the imagery behind the track:
“The very heart of the here and now. That’s what you’re getting with ‘’Born Free’’. A blistering creed splashed in blood on the walls of your city. The wailing cries of the unwashed masses rising from the alleyway. A growing movement of resistance against the restrictions imposed by the unworthy. The beast grows hungry, and it’s time to feed.’’
Compared to their previous record, CroMagnum has become more melodic, adding in a second guitar that has allowed them to push some ideas further than they could with just a single guitar and some pedals. The sound of this EP should be familiar to the listener, but will definitely bring them to new, unexpected and refreshing places.
Fans of Motorhead, Iron Maiden and Deep Purple should prime themselves to unleash the beast that is “Born Free”. BraveWords is premiering the new track; listen below!
The full EP Born Free is out on September 17, 2021 via the band's own label King Metal Records. Preorder on Bandcamp .
In addition to the band's upcoming EP, vocalist and guitarist Maximus Rex has written a comic book entitled "Bigg Baby: Tales From The Id" in support of the EP, which is available to order on Facebook .
Tracklisting:
“End Your Slavery”
“Born Free”
“Waterval Boven”
“Tunguska”
“Congregation”
Âåëèêîáðèòàíèÿ
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ÑØÀ
Ìåæäóíàðîäíûé
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Øâåöèÿ
Èòàëèÿ
Äàíèÿ
Àâñòðàëèÿ
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