Month: March 2021

The official video for HALESTORM’s cover version of THE WHO’s “Long Live Rock” can be seen below. The song was recorded in connection with the upcoming film “Long Live Rock…Celebrate The Chaos”, which will premiere worldwide on March 12 as a Watch Now @ Home Cinema Release via global distributor Abramorama.

“Long Live Rock…Celebrate The Chaos” is a deep dive into the culture of hard rock music. This genre, beloved by its millions of fans, is often misunderstood and maligned by media and the music industry. In intimate interviews, titans of rock discuss the genre and the special relationship they have with their diehard audience. Featuring members of METALLICA, GUNS N’ ROSES, SLIPKNOT, KORN, ROB ZOMBIE, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, GRETA VAN FLEET, HALESTORM, Machine Gun Kelly, SHINEDOWN and many more, “Long Live Rock” was filmed over the last few years at various U.S. rock festivals, following passionate fans as they take time out from their everyday lives to commune with their “rock families.”

Veteran film, TV producer and longtime music supervisor Jonathan McHugh makes his directorial debut with “Long Live Rock”, and also co-produced the film, along with Gary Spivack and Jonathan Platt.

McHugh says: “Gary Spivack and I wanted to make a film celebrating the chaos of rock culture. Growing up in New York City, I would do whatever it took to get in to see bands like [LED] ZEPPELIN, BLACK SABBATH and other rock icons. We are so proud to shine a light on the most passionate fans in the world and the music that drives them.”

“Jonathan and Gary did a terrific job showing how powerful the communal experience is at rock shows everywhere,” says Abramorama’s head of music Evan Saxon. “All skin colors, religions, professions, political views and levels of financial status are welcomed into this one family…the audience. Our team at Abramorama is very pleased to share ‘Long Live Rock…Celebrate The Chaos’ with fans around the globe.”

“Long Live Rock” will launch with an online global premiere screening event March 11, including a question-and-answer session with the filmmakers, bandmembers and some surprise guests. The following day, “Long Live Rock” will be available to music fans around the world @ LongLiveRockMovie.com.

SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor has released an acoustic version of his solo single “Samantha’s Gone”. The song is taken from his debut solo album, “CMFT”, which came out in October. Corey recorded the effort with his band consisting of Jason Christopher on bass, Dustin Schoenhofer on drums, and Zach Throne and Christian Martucci (STONE SOUR) on guitar. The LP was completed at Kevin Churko’s The Hideout Recording Studio in Las Vegas with producer Jay Ruston, who has previously worked with ANTHRAX, STEEL PANTHER and STONE SOUR, among others.

The official music video for the album version of “Samantha’s Gone” was made available in January. Joining Corey in the clip were a number of his friends, including Tom Sandoval of Bravo’s “Vanderpump Rules”, actor Dean Cameron (“Summer School”, “Ski School”, “Straight Outta Compton”), STEEL PANTHER, plus actor Greg Grunberg, Ace Von Johnson, Travis Miguel and Jonah Nimoy.

About the visual, Taylor told Bravo’s “The Daily Dish”: “The video for ‘Samantha’s Gone’ served two purposes: making fun of so-called ‘indie rock’ bands and getting all my friends together to hang out and have a good time. We all went back and forth between having fun and social distancing. Watching the first ‘band’ was great, then being fired from our OWN song in favor of STEEL PANTHER was the icing on the cake.”

Taylor recently made history as he reached No. 1 at Active Rock Radio with his powerful single “Black Eyes Blue”. The achievement put Taylor in a class all his own, making him the first artist in the history of the format to reach No. 1 with three separate projects, following chart-topping efforts from SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR.

“CMFT” made impressive debuts on charts around the world in October, entering at No. 1 on Billboard’s Current Hard Rock Albums chart, while claiming No. 2 on Current Rock Albums, No. 6 on Vinyl Albums, and No. 9 on the Top Albums charts. Furthermore, “CMFT” landed Top 10 on the official album charts in Australia, Germany, Switzerland and Austria, with Top 20 debuts in the United Kingdom, Finland and Japan (international chart).

Featured in Rolling Stone’s “Fall Album Preview 2020,” “CMFT” has been garnering widespread critical applause, with Forbes affirming, “Corey Taylor’s singing is undeniably the best it’s ever been. From SLIPKNOT’s last album to his new solo material, Taylor is easily among the best sounding rock singers alive.” Kerrang! raved, “Corey Taylor certainly couldn’t have predicted how important a sense of uninhibited joy would be on his debut solo effort, it’s just what 2020 needs — and, even more importantly, exactly what he delivers.” The Daily Beast attested, “‘CMFT’ finds the singer broadening his horizons and showing off his considerable versatility,” while Stereogum noted, “Corey Taylor’s lived several lives in the span that it takes most of us to push through just one, and it’s clear that he cherishes every experience he’s had so far.” New York magazine added that “CMFT” “bridges his vast tastes and influences, dabbling in punk rock, metal, reflective acoustic tunes, plaintive piano ballads, and hip-hop, with Taylor’s power-house vocals and introspective lyrics acting as a guide.”

“CMFT” is highlighted by the singles “Culture Head”, “HWY 666”, “CMFT Must Be Stopped” (featuring Tech N9ne and Kid Bookie), and the Active Rock radio hit “Black Eyes Blue”. Taylor also hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Hard Rock Songwriters chart following the unprecedented debut of “Black Eyes Blue” and “CMFT Must Be Stopped”, the latter of which has racked up more than four million YouTube views for its star-studded music video. Furthermore, Taylor debuted the pummeling “Culture Head” during WWE’s NXT broadcast on the USA network, illuminating yet another facet of “CMFT” and showcasing the broad spectrum of this fiery and fearless rock ‘n’ roll opus, as Taylor touches on lifelong influences ranging from hard rock to classic rock, punk rock to hip-hop. 14-time world champion and EVP of global talent strategy and development at WWE, Triple H, also shared a WWE exclusive performance of Taylor and his band tearing through the MOTÖRHEAD classic “Ace Of Spades”.

“CMFT” has been a long time coming for Taylor, with newly written tracks alongside some dating back to his teens.

World-acclaimed keyboardist Derek Sherinian (SONS OF APOLLO, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, ex-DREAM THEATER), one of the most significant keyboard players of the modern era, released his latest solo album, “The Phoenix”, in September 2020, and he has already started work on the follow-up. The writing for his ninth solo album has begun alongside his longtime collaborator Simon Phillips, whom he also worked with on “The Phoenix”.

Earlier this year, Derek appeared as a guest on guitar legend Michael Schenker’s new album “Immortal”, and Schenker was so pleased with his performance, he agreed to appear on Sherinian’s upcoming album.

Derek comments: “To be working with Michael Schenker and Simon brings me back to 1980 when I was 13 listening to the first MSG record.” Of the “Immortal” album, Schenker commented: “Derek and myself trading solos, it sounds unexpected and beyond my expectation, absolutely fantastic.” Other guest guitarists for the album will be announced at a later date.

Sherinian recently placed No. 1 in Burrn! magazine’s “Best Keyboardist” poll, and was voted No. 9 in Prog magazine’s greatest keyboardists of all time. He has also recently been collaborating with WHITESNAKE, who frontman David Coverdale said Sherinian is “like the illegitimate son of Jon Lord, this extraordinary proponent of scorching Hammond organ.”

Sherinian’s far-ranging talents have been much in evidence through the music of Alice Cooper (who once called him “The Caligula of keyboards”), DREAM THEATER, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION and current band SONS OF APOLLO. Moreover, proving just how much he is in-demand to work with rock royalty, Sherinian has also toured and recorded extensively with KISS and Billy Idol, proving his classic and hard rock pedigree.

“The Phoenix” also saw him collaborating with a star-studded lineup of guests, including Steve Vai, Zakk Wylde, Joe Bonamassa, Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal, Tony Franklin, Billy Sheehan, Kiko Loureiro, Jimmy Johnson and Ernest Tibbs.

While the worldwide pandemic pretty much wiped out the music industry over the past year with its large gathering restrictions, Brooklyn, New York metal outfit LIFE OF AGONY has been using their downtime to put the finishing touches on its upcoming full-length documentary, “The Sound Of Scars”.

The project began two years ago by U.K.-based director Leigh Brooks and was filmed across several countries while LIFE OF AGONY was on and off the road.

“This isn’t a typical music documentary. It’s as personal as it gets.” explains Brooks. “I first saw the band live at the London Astoria in 1996. Since then, LOA has become an absolute go-to when I felt alone and insecure about myself. This film is an intimate portrait that sheds light on the real-life stories that make their music so vital and relevant.”

“The Sound Of Scars” utilizes personal archive footage, rare photographs, and lost interviews, along with new, never-before-seen conversations with the band and their family members that tells the story of how three friends overcame domestic violence, substance abuse, and depression to form one of the most influential bands in its genre. Through the success of their groundbreaking 1993 debut “River Runs Red”, hailed by Rolling Stone as “one of the greatest metal albums of all time,” they channeled their cumulative life stories into a soundtrack for a broken generation. At the time, that newfound fame allowed them to escape the tragedies of their pasts, but in the wake of their accomplishments, unforeseen obstacles arose.

“We’ve completely ripped our deepest selves open for this film,” says guitarist Joey Zampella. “The audience and our fan base will completely understand the mold we were broken from, and what this journey means to us.”

The 90-minute film also takes a deep dive into lead vocalist Mina Caputo’s gender transition.

“We’ve never avoided tough conversations and we don’t pretend to have all the answers,” says Caputo. “But this film is a roadmap with many great lessons. It shows a ton of vulnerability… moments of falling downward and others where we rise strong. Enjoy this gift of imperfection. May you find the tools to be braver with this film.”

Starting Friday, April 16, for a limited two-week window, LIFE OF AGONY fans will get the opportunity to stream a virtual screening of “The Sound Of Scars” director’s cut along with other bonus material, including a question-and-answer discussion with the band and director on the making of the film, moderated by SiriusXM’s Liquid Metal host Shawn The Butcher. Tickets are available now for pre-order and part of the proceeds go to benefit two charity organizations: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and All Out. Visit www.soundofscars.com for more details and tickets.

“When we first started LOA over 30 years ago, I don’t think any of us could have predicted the impact that this band would have on so many people around the world,” says Alan Robert, bassist for LIFE OF AGONY. “We got together as a way of saving ourselves, but ultimately, through the music and the brutal honesty of the lyrics, we ended up saving so many others along the way.”

LIFE OF AGONY’s most recent studio album, also titled “The Sound Of Scars”, was released in 2019 to critical acclaim. It was named “Album of the Year” by The Aquarian Weekly and took the No. 1 spot on Metal Hammer’s (Germany) “Best Of 2019” list (alt-rock/punk).

Three months into an already shitty year, what the world really needs is a debut album guaranteed to knock your teeth out through the back of your head. And here it is. PUPIL SLICER seem destined to be one of this year’s success stories, if only because “Mirrors” is one of the most stupidly exciting records to be released in a long time. A sustained barrage of warped, dissonant grind, lurching, bug-eyed mathcore and muscular, death metal oomph, this trio’s sound may not be unprecedented, but it’s hard to recall anyone making such an instantly addictive and unerringly explosive racket out of those ingredients. Many will nod to CONVERGE and DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN as obvious reference points, but really PUPIL SLICER are another few unsavory mutations along the path, leading a malicious, pick ‘n’ mix riot of violence and, significantly, utterly authentic emotional intensity. Vocalist and guitarist Kate Davies has spoken publicly about her battles with anxiety and depression: “Mirrors” resonates even more powerfully as a result, its self-evident cathartic value to its creators scrawled across every jagged riff and twisted ambient interlude.

An economical but destructive three-piece, PUPIL SLICER attack everything with absurd levels of venom. Opener “Martyrs” is jaw-dropping. From berserk, grindcore kickoff and a brief moment of horrified respite, to its final descent into polyrhythmic beatdown hell, it’s a four-minute manifesto that will either have you riveted or send you screaming into the distance. “Stabbing Spiders” is even better: 48 seconds of machine-gun math metal, it arrives, smashes everything and then vanishes. Perfect. Preview single “L’Appel Du Vide” is another overwhelming assault on the senses. The song is fully syncopated and razor-sharp. Davies and her bandmates sound utterly lost in their shared reverie of noise, as a marauding, staccato battery propels everything brutally forward. Elsewhere, PUPIL SLICER veer from short, shocking freak-outs like the brilliantly snotty “Panic Defence” and the hair-raising, 76-second “Interlocutor”, to more absorbing, experimental fare like the fractured and ferocious “Wounds Upon My Skin”, crushing, post-metal riff spree “Mirrors Are More Fun Than Television”, and the blackened, cinematic bombast of closer “Collective Unconscious”. Not one second is wasted, not one idea is past its sell-by date. Davies is such a consistently commanding presence that “Mirrors” is vastly more immersive and absorbing than any record this fast, furious and fucked up has any right to be. Bravo.

Drummer Dave Lombardo (SLAYER, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, MR. BUNGLE) and guitarist Scott Ian (ANTHRAX, MR. BUNGLE) are featured on the score to the upcoming Netflix comedy-action film “Thunder Force”. Due on April 9, the movie is written and directed by Ben Falcone (“The Boss”, “Tammy”) and stars Melissa McCarthy, Octavia Spencer, Pom Klementieff, Melissa Leo and Tyrel Jackson Williams. The comedy is set in a world overrun with super-villains and follows two childhood friends who reunite to battle the Miscreants that threaten to destroy Chicago. Falcone and McCarthy also produced the project with Marc Platt (“La La Land”, “Bridge Of Spies”, “Drive”).

Composer Fil Eisler (“Empire”, “Revenge”, “How To Be Single”, “CHiPs”, “UnReal”, “The Titan”), who helmed the “Thunder Force” score, tweeted earlier today: “On Apr 9th, #netflix releases #ThunderForce I have the pleasure of not only scoring the movie but having two of my childhood heroes @Scott_Ian and @TheDaveLombardo play on the score.”

Lombardo shared Eisler’s tweet and added: “April 9th!! Save the date comedy loving drumheads. ThunderForce is coming for you! Loving this experience and the brilliant score. Thank you @fileisler. It’s a pleasure working with you, and of course jammin’ with my @mrbungle band mate @scottian.”

Here is the “Thunder Force” plot via Netflix’s official synopsis: “In a world terrorized by super-villains, one woman has developed the process to give superpowers to regular people. But when scientist Emily Stanton accidentally imbues her estranged best-friend with incredible abilities, the two women must become the first superhero team. Now, it is up to Thunder Force to battle the super-powered Miscreants and save Chicago from the clutches of The King.”

April 9th!! Save the date comedy loving drumheads. ThunderForce is coming for you! Loving this experience and the brilliant score. Thank you @fileisler. It’s a pleasure working with you, and of course jammin’ with my @mrbungle band mate @scottian. https://t.co/djiQXZsJt4
— Dave Lombardo (@TheDaveLombardo) March 10, 2021

HELLYEAH and MUDVAYNE frontman Chad Gray will release a solo single, “Always On My Mind”, on Friday, March 12. A teaser for the official music video for the song is available below.

Last December, Gray said during a Headbangers Con live virtual panel that HELLYEAH was “in a holding pattern right now [due to the coronavirus pandemic]. I don’t have any new music,” he admitted. “I’ve been telling Tom [Maxwell, HELLYEAH guitarist] to get me some riffs so I can write, because right now is a great time to fucking write. So we’ll just have to see, man. Obviously, we need to get together and write some music. But, yeah, I mean, hopefully. It’s all fucked up right now, nobody knows what’s going on with anything.”

In September, Maxwell told the “The Ex-Man” podcast that he wasn’t sure there would be a follow-up album to HELLYEAH’s latest effort, “Welcome Home”, which was completed after the passing of drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott.

“Welcome Home” was released in September 2019 via Eleven Seven Music. The disc marked HELLYEAH’s final effort with Abbott (formerly of PANTERA), who passed away nearly three years ago.

STONE SOUR drummer Roy Mayorga stepped in as Vinnie Paul’s replacement for the touring activity in support of “Welcome Home”.

Mayorga’s addition to HELLYEAH was made official in May 2019. At the time, the band said Roy was the perfect guy to take Vinnie Paul’s place. “These men had so much love and mutual respect for each other, this makes our transition so much easier,” HELLYEAH said in a statement.

Like the previous two records, 2016’s “Unden!able” and 2014’s “Blood For Blood”, “Welcome Home” was recorded at The Hideout Recording Studio in Las Vegas, Nevada with producer Kevin Churko.

Vinnie Paul died in June 2018 at the age of 54 in his sleep at his home in Las Vegas. The official cause of death was dilated cardiomyopathy, an enlarged heart, as well as severe coronary artery disease.

Stream the extremely wicked and shockingly evil debut from must-hear black-thrash newcomers Demiser.
The post Full Album Stream: Demiser – “Through the Gate Eternal” appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

Former IRON MAIDEN singer Blaze Bayley has commented on the band’s nomination for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame’s class of 2021. The top vote-getters will be announced in May and inducted in a Cleveland, Ohio, ceremony in the fall.

According to the Hall Of Fame, the IRON MAIDEN members that would get inducted include the current lineup of singer Bruce Dickinson, bassist Steve Harris, drummer Nicko McBrain, and guitarists Adrian Smith, Dave Murray and Janick Gers, along with former guitarist Dennis Stratton, former singer Paul Di’Anno and former drummer Clive Burr.

Asked by Brazil’s “Heavy Culture” what his reaction is to being excluded from the Rock Hall nomination, Blaze said (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Well, it’s not the decision of the band. It’s nothing to do with IRON MAIDEN, and it’s nothing to do with IRON MAIDEN management. So it’s all the people who run the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

“The most important thing to me is my friendship with the guys in IRON MAIDEN, and still being friends after so many years,” he continued.

“I don’t really care if I’m in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame or I’m not in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame,” Blaze said. “For me, I’m famous, and I don’t have to be any more famous. I have wonderful fans in Brazil and Portugal and around the world, and that is enough for me, man. My fans support me and make this life possible. I live my dream because of my fans and their support — not because of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.”

Bayley fronted IRON MAIDEN from 1994 until 1999. The two MAIDEN albums he appeared on, “The X Factor” and “Virtual XI”, sold considerably less than the band’s prior releases and were their lowest-charting titles in the group’s home country since 1981’s “Killers”.

Since leaving IRON MAIDEN in 1999, Bayley has released a number of albums, including several under the moniker BLAZE and more than a handful under his own name. He also appeared on 2012’s “Wolfsbane Saves The World”, the first album of new material by WOLFSBANE since the group’s self-titled 1994 effort.

To be eligible for this year’s ballot, each nominee’s first single or album had to have been released in 1995 or earlier.

A voter pool of more than 1,000 artists, historians, journalists, and members of the music industry will select the new class. Fans also have a chance to take part in the process by voting at Rockhall.com or at an interactive kiosk at the museum in Cleveland. Their selections will count as a single “fan ballot” that gets tabulated along with the others.

Having been eligible for induction for more than a decade and a half, IRON MAIDEN is one of the biggest bands on the planet. Since the release of their self-titled debut album, the British heavy metal legends have released a further 15 full-length studio records, and sold over 100 million copies.

Rock Hall rules state that artists become eligible a quarter century after their first records were released, but the Hall also claims that other “criteria include the influence and significance of the artists’ contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock ‘n’ roll,” which is, of course, open to interpretation.

Eligible for induction since 1999, KISS didn’t get its first nomination until 2009, and was finally inducted in 2014.

DEEP PURPLE was eligible for the Rock Hall since 1993 but didn’t get inducted until 2016.

Blaze will release a new studio album, “War Within Me”, on April 9. All songs were written and produced by Blaze and guitarist Christopher Appleton.

“War Within Me” finds Blaze moving forward from the success of his “Infinite Entanglement” trilogy released in consecutive years 2016-2018. The 10 brand new songs draw influences from Blaze’s experience with IRON MAIDEN (1994-1999), plus his extensive solo career which started with his “Silicon Messiah” album in year 2000.

“War Within Me” is not a concept album but does include a positive thread throughout. The LP was recorded during 2020 with work split between Blaze’s studio at home in the West Midlands and Christopher Appleton’s studio in Greater Manchester. The now-very-consistent lineup, chosen from British metal band ABSOLVA, played on the album — Christopher Appleton (guitar, backing vocals), Martin McNee (drums), Karl Schramm (bass). Blaze and Appleton shared the work mixing and producing, while Ade Emsley (IRON MAIDEN, TANK, BRITISH LION, VOODOO SIX) handled the mastering. The striking and detailed artwork is provided by Akirant Illustration (IRON MAIDEN, “Star Wars”).