Month: March 2021

We have a limited number of advance copies of the May issue of Decibel, featuring our an exclusive new flexi disc single from hardcore heroes Earth Crisis.
The post Cannibal Corpse Slay Another Decibel Cover! Exclusive New ‘Violence Unimagined’ LP Color Available! appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

The reunited expanded classic lineup of German power metallers HELLOWEEN will join forces with Sweden’s HAMMERFALL for a European tour in the spring of 2022. The “United Forces 2022” trek will kick off on March 25 in Oslo, Norway and conclude on May 5 in London, England.

Commented HAMMERFALL singer Joacim Cans: “HELLOWEEN is probably the band that influenced me the most growing up and I am extremely psyched about touring together with the guys. For the true metal fan, ‘United Forces 2022’ will be the ultimate metal experience. An experience that no one should miss for anything in the world. If there is one tour to experience in 2022, this is the one! Next year the Hammer will fall harder than ever before and every day will be HELLOWEEN!”

Added HAMMERFALL guitarist Oscar Dronjak: “We are so ridiculously excited about this! Not only do we get to go out on tour again after two looooooooong years of stage draught, but we get to do it with a band that we love and was a great inspiration to us in forming HAMMERFALL in the first place. The ‘United Forces’ tour will be something truly special, you can count on that!”

Said HELLOWEEN’s Andi Deris: “We are ‘hammered’ to have our friends from HAMMERFALL with us on tour! Back in 2002, the band produced their album ‘Crimson Thunder’ in my studio in Tenerife and we had a lot of fun back then. This mega package is delivering the appropriate metal-spectacle to enter the stage with full power!”

“United Forces 2022” tour dates:

Mar. 25 – Oslo, Norway – Sentrum Scene
Mar. 26 – Gothenburg, Sweden – Partille Arena
Mar. 28 – Helsinki, Finland – Black Box
Mar. 29 – Talinn, Estonia – Noblessneri Valukoda
Apr. 01 – Bamberg, Germany – Brose Arena
Apr. 02 – Hamburg, Germany – Sporthalle
Apr. 03 – Berlin, Germany – Verti Music Hall
Apr. 04 – Regensburg, Germany – Donau Arena
Apr. 08 – Madrid, Spain – Wizink Center
Apr. 09 – Barcelona, Spain – St. Jordi Club
Apr. 11 – Milan, Italy – Lorenzini District
Apr. 12 – Kempten, Germany – Black Box
Apr. 13 – Zurich, Switzerland – Samsung Hall
Apr. 15 – Luxembourg, Luxembourg – Rockhal
Apr. 16 – Tilburg, Netherlands – 013
Apr. 18 – Katovice, Poland – MCK
Apr. 20 – Sofia, Bulgaria – Arena Armeec
Apr. 22 – Vienna, Austria – Gasometer
Apr. 23 – Prague, Czech Republic – O2
Apr. 24 – Zvolen, Slovakia – Ice Stadium
Apr. 26 – Budapest, Hungary – Papp Laszlo Sportarena
Apr. 29 – Bochum, Germany – Ruhrcongress
Apr. 30 – Stuttgart, Germany – Schleyerhalle
May 01 – Frankfurt, Germany – Jahrhunderthalle
May 04 – Manchester, UK – Manchester Academy
May 05 – London, UK – Brixton Academy

HELLOWEEN will release its new, self-titled album on June 18 via Nuclear Blast. The disc’s first single, “Skyfall”, will arrive on April 2.

The cover artwork for “Helloween” was painted by artist Eliran Kantor, who has previously worked with HATEBREED, SOULFLY, TESTAMENT, ICED EARTH and SODOM, among others.

The “Pumpkins United” lineup features returning singer Michael Kiske and guitarist/vocalist Kai Hansen alongside current singer Andi Deris, guitarists Michael Weikath and Sascha Gerstner, bassist Markus Grosskopf and drummer Daniel Löble.

Produced by Charlie Bauerfeind and Dennis Ward, the new HELLOWEEN LP was recorded in part at the H.O.M.E. Studios in Hamburg (where everything started in 1984). The same recording console used for such HELLOWEEN albums as “Master Of The Rings”, “Time Of The Oath” and “Better Than Raw” was utilized to record the band’s new material. The effort was mixed at the Valhalla Studios of Ronald Prent (IRON MAIDEN, DEF LEPPARD, RAMMSTEIN).

HELLOWEEN’s new album saw the legendary German power metallers going “back to the roots,” with the band recording fully analogue and Löble playing the drum kit previously used by HELLOWEEN’s original drummer, the late Ingo Schwichtenberg, on the legendary “Keeper Of The Seven Keys” recordings.

The “Pumpkins United” tour marked the first time Kiske had played live with HELLOWEEN since 1993. Hansen, who departed HELLOWEEN in 1988, had been joining the band onstage on various tours and festival appearances throughout the years. The set featured several duets with Kiske and his replacement, Deris, along with many rarely played songs, including “Kids Of The Century”, “Rise And Fall” and “Livin’ Ain’t No Crime”. Hansen — who fronted HELLOWEEN until late 1986 — sang a medley of several early HELLOWEEN classics, including “Ride The Sky”, “Judas”, “Starlight” and “Heavy Metal (Is The Law)”.

The “Pumpkins United” lineup of HELLOWEEN already released one new song — aptly titled “Pumpkins United” — in October 2017.

A new BEARTOOTH song called “Devastation” can be streamed below. The track is expected to appear on the band’s fourth studio album, tentatively due later in the year.

Last July, BEARTOOTH singer Caleb Shomo told “Mosh Talks With Beez” about the writing and recording sessions for the band’s new disc: “I worked on a lot of this album on the road — a whole lot of this record. We honestly could not have been luckier with the way our record cycle laid out.

“The ‘Disease’ tour in Europe was our last tour of the cycle, and that finished on March 6th, I believe. And then the next week, everything got shut down. So we already planned to kind of take most of this year off. We planned on not taking it all off, like we’re probably gonna have to.

“I’d already worked on a ton of the record, just writing out on the road; I brought a studio rig out there. And that was great.

“When it first started, the whole lockdown thing, I just kind of emotionally shut down for a month,” he continued. “But then I just kind of caught a second wind, and I’ve just been ripping through songs. It’s pretty cool.”

Asked if the BEARTOOTH songwriting “formula” is still present in the band’s new material, Caleb said: “I think that something about the BEARTOOTH sound is sort of that formula. BEARTOOTH has a song structure — it’s the classic pop structure of intro, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus, out. But with this one, I’ve just been trying to amp up everything. ‘Cause with the last record, I really wanted to go for that super-raw, live-rock-and-roll-in-the-old-school-studio and old-school-console sound, and it was rad, and I loved doing it. And it was proving to myself that I can make a real record without computers — well, [without] heavily relying on computers. But I don’t know… I just kind of realized, like, you know what? That’s what I learned as a producer. I came up in the era of mixing in the box and recording in the box, which means using plug-ins and emulations and things like that. I’ve just been kind of using that to try and push it a little further. The formula is still there, but I don’t think it’s in a bad way. I think it’s the formula people want from a BEARTOOTH record.

“This one is just jacked,” he explained. “Everything is amped up to 11. I am so, so pumped. Obviously, this is what you wanna think when you’re making a record, but damn, this is the best one yet. Not even close. This is the heaviest record. This is my best work — the most proud I’ve been of these songs. It’s wild. It’s some heavy-duty shit.”

Speaking about the musical direction of the new BEARTOOTH songs, Shomo said: “The easiest way I’ve been trying to explain this record to people without giving too much away is if ‘Disease’ was AC/DC, this record is BLACK SABBATH. It’s a lot more influenced in dark stoner rock, heavy power groove. Obviously, there’s still a lot of fast [stuff] and some punk rock and all that, but I’ve really been exploring with the stoner metal side of guitars and guitar tones and doing different tunings and lots of fuzz and chaos and layering the fuck out of my guitar tracks.

“The whole point, for me, of this mix and the sonics of this record is as big and loud and fucking sonically devastating as I can possibly get it,” he said. “So on a breakdown, for example, where on ‘Disease’ it would just be left guitar, right guitar, bass down the middle, this is literally… That little clip I posted [on Instagram ] is I think eight guitars, three bass tracks. Just experimenting — just doing dumb stoner shit and just trying my fucking best. Yeah, that’s the goal — is just sonic devastation, for sure.”

BEARTOOTH’s latest release was the folk- and country music-inspired “The Blackbird Session” EP, which came out in September 2019.

The band’s third album, “Disease”, was released in September 2018 via Red Bull Records. The disc was recorded at BlackBird studio in Franklin, Tennessee with producer Nick Raskulinecz (DEFTONES, KORN, FOO FIGHTERS).

An electric guitar purportedly once owned by former GUNS N’ ROSES guitarist Izzy Stradlin and used during the “Appetite For Destruction” recording sessions is being auctioned.

The hollow-body model Gibson ES-175D, finished in Arctic White, will be offered with a starting bid of $50,000.

According to seller Backstage Auctions, Izzy received the guitar from Gibson artist rep Roger Bell in 1987. He subsequently used it for the “Appetite For Destruction” album recordings, as well as in various concerts, most notably the February 2, 1988 GUNS N’ ROSES show at The Ritz in New York, which was filmed by MTV and has since become a fan favorite.

After the Ritz show, GUNS N’ ROSES flew back to the West Coast for a few dates before ending that run around mid-February 1988. Izzy owed Howie Hubberman — the first manager of GUNS N’ ROSES — some money and sold the guitar to Howie, who also owned Guitars R Us in Hollywood. Izzy’s girlfriend at the time alerted two of her friends who played in a local Sunset Strip rock band. They bought this guitar, as well as a 1987 black Gibson Howard Roberts Fusion, from Howie’s store and for the past 32 years, the guitars have been in their possession. They sold the guitars in 2020 to a veteran music industry executive, who is making this illustrious arctic white Gibson ES-175D guitar available for this auction.

The guitar has been featured in many photos from that era. In an interview with Guitar magazine from May 1993, Izzy stated that “The Gibson ES-175s were a big favorite of mine when we first started. I like Les Pauls but the hollow bodies are great because I can play them in hotel rooms or anywhere without an amp. I just love the look, the feel, and the sound those things get.”

The guitar has serial number 80787552 and was made on March 19, 1987 at the Nashville, Tennessee plant of Gibson Guitars. Former GUNS N’ ROSES managers Alan Niven and Doug Goldstein, as well as the attorney for Izzy Stradlin, were contacted and verified the provenance of this guitar. Included with the guitar is the original case, a professional summary document by the current owner, as well as a signed and notarized statement from Howie Hubberman.

The guitar shows all the critical details that demonstrate the authenticity of this magnificent instrument. Under the crevasse where the body meets the backside of the neck is an imprint of the yellow nylon rope with a diamond pattern which is evidence of “rope burn” from Izzy’s guitar strap. Further, there are glue marks left where the bridge was reattached after it became dislodged when the guitar was restrung. Next, the guitar has an exposed screw hole from where the pick guard was removed and lastly, the fourth knob that is missing in some of the pictures was included in the storage compartment of the guitar case.

Photos courtesy of Backstage Auctions

On the 30th anniversary of Paradise Lost’s death/doom landmark Gothic LP, we unearth our long lost

SLEEPING WITH SIRENS has released two fresh covers of BLIND MELON’s classic “No Rain” and Zella Day’s haunting “Shadow Preachers” (via Sumerian Records), set to appear in the upcoming “Paradise City” soundtrack. Not only that, but SLEEPING WITH SIRENS fans can also catch frontman Kellin Quinn starring in “Paradise City” as Ralphie.

“Paradise City” premieres March 25 on Amazon Prime Video. Set in Los Angeles, “Paradise City” chronicles the lives of rock star and frontman of THE RELENTLESS, Johnny Faust, and a young rookie kid, Simon, who idolizes him as they collide through their broken homes built by the music business. The series was created by Ash Avildsen (Hit Parader, Sumerian Films), son of Academy Award winner John Avildsen (“Rocky”, “The Karate Kid”), and is loosely based on his own life and estranged relationship with his father.

Watch the official trailer, which has clocked up a whopping 11.8 million views on YouTube, below.

“Paradise City” cast includes Bella Thorne, Andy Biersack, the late Cameron Boyce, Booboo Stewart, Olivia Culpo, Drea De Matteo, Perrey Reeves, Fairuza Balk, Ben Bruce, Mark Boone Junior, Brittany Furlan, Natalie Eva Marie, Amanda Steele, Kellin Quinn, and producer/rapper Hopsin.

SLEEPING WITH SIRENS release a deluxe edition of its sixth studio album, “How It Feels To Be Lost”, last August via Sumerian Records.

“How It Feels To Be Lost” was heralded as a major return to the band’s earlier, heavier form. Since its release in September 2019, “How It Feels To Be Lost” has been featured on flagship streaming playlists including Spotify’s “Rock This” and “New Core”, Amazon Music’s “Rock Scene” as well as being included on Apple Music’s “Breaking Hard Rock”, Spotify’s “New Music Friday” and “Kickass Metal” and Deezer’s “Heavy New Rock”.

POP EVIL has debuted its new single “Set Me Free” today along with announcing May 21 as the release date for its much-anticipated sixth full-length album, “Versatile”, via Entertainment One (eOne). The release finds the Michigan rock heavyweights pushing their instantly distinctive sound to uncharted territories, expertly balancing the styles they’ve explored on recent tracks “Let The Chaos Reign”, “Work” and “Breathe Again”, of which the latter two have blasted on to the Top 10 Rock charts joining previous No. 1 hits “Waking Lions”, “Footsteps”, “Deal With The Devil”, “Trenches” and “Torn To Pieces”, which was certified gold by the RIAA in 2020. The new single “Set Me Free” is a reminder of the band’s ability to be a bastion for perseverance and positivity which features colossal riffs coupled with a formidable performance from vocalist Leigh Kakaty.

“We are very excited to announce our sixth studio album is being released May 21,” POP EVIL said in a statement. “‘Versatile’ is available for pre-order now! With this launch we are releasing a brand-new track from the album, ‘Set Me Free’, which embodies the challenging times the world has faced this past year. We are very proud and humbled to see our current single ‘Breathe Again’ trending Top 5 on the rock radio charts, and the video being embraced by our fans. We can’t wait for you all to hear the rest of the album, as we feel it’s our strongest to date.”

POP EVIL — which consists of Kakaty alongside lead guitarist Nick Fuelling, rhythm guitarist Dave Grahs, bassist Matt DiRito and drummer Hayley Cramer — has built a new rock ‘n’ roll institution on its foundation of showmanship, raw relatability, and hard rock hooks, both forward-thinking and timeless.

POP EVIL’s songwriting on “Versatile” zeros in on their juxtaposition of cinematic melody and heavy, unflinching groove. Deftly mixing fist-pumping anthems and timeless power ballads, POP EVIL delivers their most ambitious rebirth yet with a jaw-dropping and unpredictable album. “Versatile” sounds exactly like the name suggests. It distills the soaring melodies and driving riffs of POP EVIL’s past and introduces an ambitious exploration of the future.

“Versatile” track listing:

01. Let The Chaos Reign
02. Set Me Free
03. Breathe Again
04. Work
05. Inferno
06. Stronger (The Time Is Now)
07. Raise Your Flag
08. Human Nature
09. Survivor
10. Worst In Me
11. Same Blood
12. Fire Inside

Beyond the success story told by the charts, the one million units of “total activity” across their catalog, and the over 600 million streams of their songs on major platforms, POP EVIL’s greatest strength is the diverse group of people captivated by the band’s relatable storytelling and undeniable catchiness. These are fans earned, city by city, on tours with a modern rock playlist’s worth of genre titans.

“Versatile” will be made available on CD exclusively via Target, which will offer a two- disc deluxe edition. The second disc duplicates the track listing from their 2020 “#1’s” LP; which was pressed on 180-gram opaque gold vinyl and featured all of the band’s No. 1 singles up until now.

“Versatile” Target-exclusive CD second disc track listing:

01. Trenches
02. Deal With The Devil
03. Torn To Pieces
04. Footsteps
05. Waking Lions

Polish hurdy-gurdyist Michalina Malisz, who has been a member of the Swiss folk metal band ELUVEITIE since 2016, has released her cover version of the METALLICA classic “Nothing Else Matters”. The official video for the track, which features a guest appearance by her ELUVEITIE bandmate Fabienne Erni, can be seen below.

Malisz has been blending the sound of the hurdy-gurdy with her favorite genres: metal, Celtic and cinematic music. Her previous covers include songs from IRON MAIDEN, SYSTEM OF A DOWN and NIGHTWISH.

According to Wikipedia, the hurdy-gurdy is a stringed instrument that produces sound by a hand crank-turned, rosined wheel rubbing against the strings. The wheel functions much like a violin bow, and single notes played on the instrument sound similar to those of a violin. Melodies are played on a keyboard that presses tangents—small wedges, typically made of wood—against one or more of the strings to change their pitch. Like most other acoustic stringed instruments, it has a sound board and hollow cavity to make the vibration of the strings audible. Most hurdy-gurdies have multiple drone strings, which give a constant pitch accompaniment to the melody, resulting in a sound similar to that of bagpipes.

The original version of “Nothing Else Matters” was released as the fourth single from METALLICA’s fifth, self-titled album, which came out in 1991. The song reached position No. 11 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart as well as top-ten positions on many European charts.

“Nothing Else Matters” was featured as a playable track in the music video game “Guitar Hero: Metallica” and has been covered over 40 times by a host of different artists, including STAIND, Shakira, Bif Naked, Macy Gray, DIE KRUPPS, REV THEORY and APOCALYPTICA.

On March 12, BLACKMORE’S NIGHT released “Nature’s Light”, its eleventh studio album and the first in six years, via earMUSIC. Today, the band, founded in 1997 by award-winning vocalist Candice Night and legendary guitar icon Ritchie Blackmore, has revealed the disc’s fourth single, “Second Element”. The official music video for the song, produced and directed by Jeffrey Pickett, can be seen below.

According to Blackmore, “Nature’s Light” is dedicated to the unique magic of renaissance faires. “I heard something that was a similar kind of melody, so I took that melody and gave it to Candice,” he describes the inception of the song. “I said, ‘This represents people going to a faire, a very ceremonial thing, with the King and Queen coming through.’ and it needed to have the bombastic pageantry of celebration. A regal announcement that royalty was coming to town.”

The ten new tracks make for a quintessential BLACKMORE’S NIGHT album. Once again, Blackmore and Night successfully mix the tradition of folk music and their love for the Renaissance era, inspired by the myths and legends of ancient times.

While the album is rooted in a traditional approach, fans of Ritchie Blackmore’s unique style will not be disappointed. Heartfelt ballads, such as a brand-new version of “Wish You Were Here”, set the scene for the magical tales on “Four Winds” and “The Twisted Oak”. On the two instrumental tracks — “Darker Shade Of Black” and “Der letzte Musketier” — Ritchie’s guitar brilliance shines through.

“Nature’s Light” wasreleased on multiple formats. Among these is a strictly limited 2CD hardcover mediabook edition, including a bonus CD featuring a carefully selected set of BLACKMORE’S NIGHT’s masterpieces from their extensive back catalogue. Furthermore, the album has become available as a CD digipak edition, a strictly limited heavyweight 1LP gatefold edition on yellow vinyl, a 180g 1LP gatefold edition on black vinyl as well as digital.

“Nature’s Light” track listing:

01. Once Upon December
02. Four Winds
03. Feather In The Wind
04. Darker Shade Of Black (instrumental)
05. The Twisted Oak
06. Nature’s Light
07. Der Letzte Musketier (instrumental)
08. Wish You Were Here (2021)
09. Going To The Faire
10. Second Element