Month: August 2021

Fan-filmed video footage of MÖTLEY CRÜE singer Vince Neil’s August 28 performance at VetFest in Oswego, Illinois can be seen below.

The four-day festival raised funds for local charities with an emphasis on veterans and Oswego Unit District 308.

When his participation in VetFest was first announced, Vince said in a statement: “It’s an honor to play an event like this for such a good cause. I have several family members who served in the military, including my father, so a show like this is near and dear to my heart. My band and I are looking forward to performing a fun, energetic and exciting show performing all the hits. I am certain a good time will be had by all. See you there!”

This past weekend’s show came three months after Neil struggled to complete his solo concert at the Boone Iowa River Valley Festival in Boone. Based on fan-filmed video footage of the May 29 gig posted on YouTube, the 60-year-old rocker, who hadn’t performed in more than a year and a half due to the COVID-19 pandemic, began losing his voice several songs into his set, which consisted exclusively of CRÜE classics and cover songs previously recorded by the band.

14 songs into the performance, Vince attempted to sing CRÜE’s smash hit “Girls, Girls, Girls” but gave up mid-song, explaining to the crowd: “Hey, guys… I’m sorry, you guys. It’s been a long time playin’. My fuckin’ voice is gone… Eh… We love you, and we’ll hopefully see you next time, man. Take care.”

After Neil walked off the stage, his backing band — which still consists of bassist Dana Strum and guitarist Jeff “Blando” Bland from SLAUGHTER, along with drummer Zoltan Chaney — continued to play the song, singing along to what appeared to be pre-recorded backing vocals.

MÖTLEY CRÜE’s “The Stadium Tour” with DEF LEPPARD, POISON and JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS was originally scheduled to take place last summer but ended up being pushed back to 2021, and then to 2022, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In December 2019, CRÜE manager Allen Kovac told Fox Business that “some of” the bandmembers had enlisted outside help to get in shape for the trek. Kovac was referring to criticism of Neil for his supposed diminished singing ability and weight gain, as well as the health status of guitarist Mick Mars, who has been dealing with a chronic form of arthritis that led him to undergo a hip replacement.

Kovac explained: “Some of them are working with a trainer, some of them are working with a nutritionist to make themselves the best they can be. The greatest insecurity for an artist is: Is anyone going to care about my music? Is anyone going to buy a ticket? We were in November [2019] when the discussions were happening, and these guys were already into regimens of how they get ready for a tour.”

Speaking specifically about Neil, Kovac added: “Let’s see what Vince sings like and looks like when the tour goes out.”

CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx also said that Vince was “killing it” while working with “trainers” and “nutritionists” in preparation for “The Stadium Tour”.

Well it wasn’t the 80’s crew. But Vince Neil showed up and jammed for the vets. We all get old, and he found time to come and jam some classic crew songs. Thank you Vince Neil The Legendary Voice Performing All The Hits at VetFest Oswego Vince Neil.

Posted by Ron Poore on Saturday, August 28, 2021

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A magical proposition from the start, PORTRAIT somehow tapped into heavy metal’s unerringly atavistic principles without ever sounding like some self-consciously retro knockoff. Along with WOLF’s “Evil Star” and a handful of others, the Swedes’ self-titled 2008 debut album gave substance and sustenance to the welcome return of old-school clangor in the 21st century, with some much-needed mystique and malevolence thrown in as a bonus. Vocalist Per Lengstedt’s KING DIAMOND-saluting shriek was simply the blood-spattered icing on the cake.

Thirteen years and three subsequent studio albums later, PORTRAIT are still one of the most resolutely unreconstructed heavy metal bands, but with a steadily increasing emphasis on the more progressive and adventurous side of their sound. No one would ever question that MERCYFUL FATE are the primary influence, both here and on every previous PORTRAIT record, but while some bands settle for accurate pastiche, this band took that cherished template and ran with it, building upon that one great idea with multiple ‘Eureka!’ moments of their own. The result is that “At One With None” showcases that evolution, and is PORTRAIT’s most sophisticated and mature record as a result, albeit still with firm roots in the grubby grandeur of the early ’80s.

Grand and unrelenting, the opening title track swiftly confirms that this is also PORTRAIT’s heaviest and best-sounding album. The song itself is boldly and grimly theatrical but is also blessed with haunting melodies and spine-tingling dynamics. It’s a powerhouse performance from the whole band, with Lengstedt’s voice soaring with more depth and power than ever before, and those all-important shifts of tempo executed with murderous precision. “Curtains (The Dumb Supper)” offers a more direct approach, with shades of US power metal and lashings of glowering melodrama; “Phantom Fathomer” thunders into rumbling true doom territory, underpinned by an insistent shuffle and steeped in arcane devilry; “He Who Stands” is all fire, fury and supernatural speed metal spite.

But it’s the grotesque majesty of nine-minute centerpiece “Ashen” that will have diehard PORTRAIT fans salivating uncontrollably. The Swedes have always had a penchant for a sprawling epic, with previous efforts like “The Adversary” (from the debut) and “Der Todesking” (from 2011’s “Crimen Laesae Majestatis Divinae”) standing tall among a formidable canon. “Ashen” upholds the tradition with a dash more melodic suss than before. Almost IRON MAIDEN-like in its slow-burn enormity, it’s an epic heavy metal song for the ages.

A final triumvirate of the SATAN-esque “A Murder Of Crows”, the skull-rattling “Shadowless” and wonderfully evil and evocative closer “The Gallow’s Crossing” bring PORTRAIT’s fifth full-length to a close: each one a thrilling demonstration of how timeless and life-affirming this music can be when it’s safely in the hands of masters.



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Hear and acquire this Undeath flexi disc single, featuring a brand new track, available as part of the Decibel Flexi Series. Hurry, quantities are extremely limited!
The post Undeath Premiere New Song, “Diemented Dissection,” Via the Decibel Flexi Series appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

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Acclaimed British rock group ASKING ALEXANDRIA will release its new full-length studio album, “See What’s On The Inside”, on October 1 via Better Noise Music. The official music video for the disc’s first single, the poignantly powerful, guitar-driven “Alone Again”, can be seen below. A raw, emotional, introspective rock anthem, the track was co-written by all five members and offers a fitting first sampling of the full-length LP. Tapping into a renewed sense of creative energy, the band is more aligned than ever and rediscovered their love for songwriting and making music together during the recording sessions for this album.

Of the single and the new album, founding member and lead guitarist Ben Bruce said: “‘Alone Again’ and the rest of this album is the result of us reconnecting and falling back in love with why we started this band in the first place. No frills or cheap tricks, just the five of us playing our instruments as hard and as loud as we can! At some point in our lives, we all feel lost and confused as to who we are and who we want to be, and I think this song will really unite all of us in that sense. We are so excited to share, not only this new song with you all, but our new album. We went back to our roots as musicians and really wanted to reignite that passion and love for rock and metal music. METALLICA, LED ZEPPELIN, QUEEN, NIRVANA, SOUNDGARDEN, AEROSMITH, AC/DC….all the greats that we fell in love with as kids have greatly influenced this new album and we couldn’t be more excited!”

In the early months of 2021, all five members of ASKING ALEXANDRIA found themselves hunkered down in a house in Franklin, Tennessee to write and record their new album. It was the first time in over a decade that all were together in the same studio. Armed with a new sense of dedication to themselves and to their fans, they went back to their roots and pulled inspiration from some of their earliest influences and musical heroes. With time to reflect on their journey thus far they began preparing their next steps forward as a band.

Beyond its moving lyrics and soaring melodies, “Alone Again” is a rally cry and a statement of a group of artists who are here to stay and ready more than ever to be heard.

As the band prepares to put this new body of work out into the world, reintroducing themselves as a creative collective armed with a new sense of clarity and purpose, they will also be reconnecting with fans on the road. Earlier this month, they were announced to join A DAY TO REMEMBER on their “Re-Entry Tour” throughout North America. The tour kicks off on September 28 in Rochester, New York and goes until November 6 in St. Augustine, Florida. The band will also be playing at a select list of key festivals this fall.

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Knoxville, Tennessee death metallers WHITECHAPEL will release their new album, “Kin”, on October 29 via Metal Blade Records.

For a first preview of the record, a music video for “Lost Boy”, directed by Miles Skarin, can be viewed below.

At this stage in the game, the name WHITECHAPEL commands respect. Already sitting on one of the most enviable catalogs in contemporary metal, in 2019 they dropped “The Valley”, showcasing a confident evolution in their sound and standing as a true landmark release that sets a new standard for the genre.

“To me, it was like the stars aligning for us to create our almost perfect record in regard to songwriting, vocal performance, the mix and master, and the artwork,” says guitarist Alex Wade. “We like to look at our albums as chapters of our career, and that is one chapter I will never forget. I think it really solidified that we can embrace a new sound, and if we execute it properly, then the fanbase is going to support and enjoy it.”

In 2021, WHITECHAPEL returns with that album’s successor, the mighty “Kin”, which is an even more dynamic and diverse collection, further advancing the band’s sound into new territory without losing sight of what brought them to this point.

“I feel with every album, we learn what worked best on the last one and try to utilize that in our writing,” adds vocalist Phil Bozeman. “Early in the writing, there was some discussion of the album being like ‘The Valley’ part II, not literally called that, but in how the songs sound and flow through it. It’s very much a storytelling type record like ‘The Valley’ was. Musically, we just want to create what we vibe with at the given moment. We write music with how we feel and not what is expected of us, while lyrically the idea of continuing from the story of ‘The Valley’ was always the goal.”

The resulting record explores a lot of sonic and emotional territory, and for the first time, it could be said that a WHITECHAPEL record is as much a rock album as it is a metal one, an assertion Wade agrees with.

“It’s still very much a metal album, but there are elements of the record that have more of a rock and open vibe,” he says. “We really wanted these songs to breathe and have life and to sound bigger than anything we’ve made so far. We have explored more singing on ‘Kin’ too. It wouldn’t make sense to have the majority of the fanbase enjoy that sound and then shy away from it.” This is not to say that the band have lost their hardest edges, with the full-on death metal assault that kicks off both “Lost Boy” and “To The Wolves” as brutal and serrated as extreme metal gets, and while Bozeman explores his wide-ranging singing voice more, he also cuts loose with his trademark roar across the album’s eleven tracks.

Tracking of “Kin” was predominantly done at guitarist Zach Householder’s home studio with producer Mark Lewis producing his fifth straight WHITECHAPEL album, making for a very comfortable working environment.

“Creating records with [Mark] has an effortless flow to it, and we can track things pretty quickly and efficiently these days,” says Wade. “Mark has a great ear for giving us unique and complementary guitar and drum tones for the songs we are trying to record.” The tracks were then sent off to David Castillo at Ghostward Studios in Sweden for mixing, with Ted Jensen mastering it in Nashville, Tennessee. Now, having another album they can be as proud of as its predecessor, it stands them in good stead as they look toward the future. “I see more growth and a limitless potential,” says Wade. “I think we found a great formula on ‘The Valley’, and we used that to create another monumental record for our career that I can’t wait for people to hear. We hope to continue to grow our fanbase with this new album, and always seek to move in a positive direction. I’m excited as the pandemic lessens for the touring world to come back to life and to be able to perform these massive songs we have created in the manner they were meant to be heard — live and loud.”

“Kin” track listing:

01. I Will Find You
02. Lost Boy
03. A Bloodsoaked Symphony
04. Anticure
05. The Ones That Made Us
06. History Is Silent
07. To The Wolves
08. Orphan
09. Without You
10. Without Us
11. Kin

Photo credit: Alex MorganWHITECHAPEL is:

Phil Bozeman – vocals
Ben Savage – guitar
Alex Wade – guitar
Gabe Crisp – bass
Zach Householder – guitar
Alex Rüdinger – drums

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Jazz saxophonist Kamasi Washington’s cover version of METALLICA’s “My Friend Of Misery” can be streamed below.

Washington performed his rendition of METALLICA’s “My Friend Of Misery” in July during his at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. He was joined on stage at the gig by METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo.

Washington’s cover of “My Friend Of Misery” is one of more than 50 songs which are included on METALLICA’s massive new covers compilation called “The Metallica Blacklist”, which features artists’ takes on “Black Album” songs.

To commemorate the 30th anniversary of METALLICA’s self-titled album, the Grammy-winning, 16-times-platinum-certified LP is receiving its definitive re-release on September 10 via the band’s own Blackened Recordings. Remastered for ultimate sound quality, The Black Album remaster will be available in multiple configurations including 180-gram double vinyl LP, standard CD and 3 CD expanded edition, digital, and limited-edition deluxe box set (containing the album remastered on 180-gram 2LP, a picture disc, three live LPs, 14 CDs (containing rough mixes, demos, interviews, live shows), 6 DVDs (containing outtakes, behind the scenes, official videos, live shows), a 120-page hardcover book, four tour laminates, three lithos, three guitar picks, a METALLICA lanyard, a folder with lyric sheets, and a download card).

Much more than a mere tribute album, “The Metallica Blacklist” celebrates the enduring influence of this musical milestone with one of the most ambitious projects ever conceived by the METALLICA team: An unprecedented 53 artists spanning an unbelievably vast range of genres, generations, cultures, continents and more, each contributing a unique interpretation of their favorite Black Album cut.

“The Metallica Blacklist” offers up new dimensions of the record whose gravitational pull first drew the mainstream to METALLICA — and provides new insights into the universal and timeless appeal that kept it there: the boundary-smashing influence these 12 songs have had on fans and musicians of all stripes. “The Metallica Blacklist”‘s 53 tracks find singer songwriters, country artists, electronic and hip hop artists sharing their love of these songs alongside punk rockers, indie darlings, icons of rock, metal, world music and many, many more… and for 50+ good causes: Profits will be divided evenly between charities of the artist’s choice and METALLICA’s All Within My Hands foundation.

“The Metallica Blacklist” is a fitting and limitless homage, one that features bands who’ve shared stages with METALLICA alongside artists who are younger than the original album. It’s a truly staggering, at times mystifying assemblage of musicians, dozens of whom have little to nothing in common other than the shared passion for the music that’s united them for this album: 1 Album. 12 Songs. 53 Artists. Unlimited Possibilities.

“The Metallica Blacklist” will be available in formats including digital, four-CD and a limited-edition seven-LP vinyl pressing.

All profits from “The Metallica Blacklist” will be split evenly between the All Within My Hands foundation and 50+ charities chosen by the artists who play on the album. All Within My Hands was founded by the band in 2017 as a way for the entire METALLICA family to give back to communities that have supported the band by supporting workforce education, the fight against hunger, and other critical local services.

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KISS has uploaded a new video of the band performing the song “See You Tonite” — which originally appeared on Gene Simmons’s 1978 solo album — during a pre-show acoustic set at a recent stop on the “End Of The Road” tour.

“Gene Simmons” was one of four solo albums released by the members of KISS in September 1978. It reached position No. 22 on the Billboard 200 chart and was the highest-charting of all the four KISS solo albums.

KISS was forced to postpone at least three shows on its current tour last week after frontman Paul Stanley tested positive for COVID-19.

In a social media post, KISS said the whole band and the crew members who are traveling with them on the tour are fully vaccinated.

Members of KISS “and their crew have operated in a bubble independently to safeguard everyone as much as possible at each show and in between shows,” the band wrote in the statement.

“The tour also has a COVID safety protocol officer on staff full-time that is ensuring everyone is closely following all CDC guidelines,” the statement continued.

KISS kicked off the summer 2021 leg of its “End Of The Road” farewell tour on August 18 at the Xfinity Center in Mansfield, Massachusetts. The concert marked the band’s first full-length live appearance in front of an audience since March 2020.

KISS’s farewell trek was launched in January 2019 and was originally scheduled to conclude on July 17, 2021 in New York City but is now expected to last well into 2022.

KISS’s current lineup consists of original members Stanley and Simmons, alongside later band additions, guitarist Tommy Thayer (since 2002) and drummer Eric Singer (on and off since 1991).

Formed in 1973 by Stanley, Simmons, Peter Criss (drums) and Ace Frehley (guitar), KISS staged its first “farewell” tour in 2000, the last to feature the group’s original lineup.

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SEX PISTOLS frontman John Lydon has expressed his worry and dismay after he lost a legal battle over the right to use the band’s songs in the upcoming biopic miniseries about the U.K. punk legends.

“Pistol” is a six-episode series about SEX PISTOLS guitarist Steve Jones. It is based on Jones’s 2018 memoir “Lonely Boy: Tales From A Sex Pistol” and it is being helmed by Academy Award winner Danny Boyle, who serves as executive producer and director.

Jones and former SEX PISTOLS drummer Paul Cook have argued in court that an agreement they signed with Lydon meant decisions regarding licensing requests could be determined on a “majority rules basis.”

Lydon, for his part, that the bandmember agreement had not been applied since it was signed more than 20 years ago and that “all decisions” about the use of SEX PISTOLS music and imagery had been made with “unanimous” agreement.

However, a judge ruled earlier in the month that the contract was valid and active, and that the majority of the band could overrule any individual member’s veto.

In a new statement posted on his official web site, Lydon — better known as his alter ego Johnny Rotten — claims that he only made aware of the announcement of “Pistol” hours before it was made, and he had no idea how the band would be portrayed in it.

“In January this year, days before a worldwide press announcement, John Lydon was told of the proposed use of SEX PISTOLS recordings in a six part television series based upon a book written by Steve Jones,” the statement reads. “The project had been years in the making. Despite this, John Lydon was given just a few hours’ notice of what was to be announced.

“Understandably, John, as the creative force of the SEX PISTOLS wanted to know how he was going to be portrayed and his musical works were going to be used to lend credibility to the series. Despite asking for details of the script or screenplay, John still does not know these details.

“John Lydon did not ask for the recent proceedings. He was asked to allow the SEX PISTOLS works to be used without any prior consultation or involvement in the project. He took a stand on principle for what he sees as the integrity of the SEX PISTOLS legacy and fought for what he believed and continues to believe was right.

“For more than 23 years the SEX PISTOLS have operated on the basis of unanimous decision making. The Disney production is the first time that the unanimous approach has been ignored.

“It is disappointing that a High Court judge has decided that John Lydon is bound by an undated agreement signed in 1998, which imposes on the SEX PISTOLS a majority rule arrangement in place of the unanimous decision making process that has been followed for 23 years.

“Looking forward, there is great uncertainty about what the majority rule approach might do to water down and distort the true history and legacy of the SEX PISTOLS. Time will tell.

“Whatever Disney does, it is doing it without John’s involvement or creative approval. John is powerless to prevent any distortion of the true history of the SEX PISTOLS and whatever results will be at the wish of the majority only.

“In John’s words ‘I am the lead singer and songwriter, front man, image, the lot, you name it. I put it there. How is that not relevant? It is dumbfounding to me. It is so destructive to what the band is and so I fear that the whole project might be extremely negative. How can anyone think that this can proceed without consulting me and deal with my personal life in this, and my issues in this, without any meaningful contact with me before the project is announced to the world. I don’t think there are even words that I can put forward to explain quite how disingenuous this is. As I said in the lyrics of The Order of Death, This is what you want, this is what you get…'”

Last month, Cook told the court that he and the other members of SEX PISTOLS had “always wanted to work harmoniously” but were forced to file a lawsuit against Lydon in order to make it possible for the group’s music to be used in the TV show. He added that Lydon “can be a difficult character and always likes to feel that he has control” and explained that the “majority rules agreement” was never used before because “I thought that our relationship with John would get worse when we used it”.

“Maybe Steve and I have been too nice to John over the years in trying to maintain good relations and that we should have been tougher,” he said.

“I am unhappy that he would behave like this over an important personal project for Steve, particularly as we have always backed his personal projects.”

In April, Lydon reacted to publicity shots promoting “Pistol”, telling The Sunday Times: “I think that’s the most disrespectful shit I’ve ever had to endure. I mean, they went to the point to hire an actor to play me but what’s the actor working on? Certainly not my character. It can’t go anywhere else [but court].”

Lydon also claimed that he has never been contacted by Boyle about “Pistol” even though the two had met during preparations for the 2021 London Olympics opening ceremony.

He added: “Sorry, you think you can do this, like walk all over me — it isn’t going to happen. Not without a huge, enormous fucking fight. I’m Johnny, you know, and when you interfere with my business, you’re going to get the bitter end of my business as a result. It’s a disgrace.”

A spokesperson for the “Pistol” production told The Sunday Times that Boyle reached out to Lydon’s management company about the planned series but “ultimately direct contact was declined.”

“Pistol” was created by Craig Pearce and written by Pearce and Frank Cottrell Boyce.

Jones, Boyle and Pearce serve as executive producers alongside Gail Lyon, Anita Camarata, Tracey Seaward, Paul Lee, Hope Hartman and Wiip. The series is produced by FX Productions.

Anchored by Jones’s memoir, which offers a new perspective on one of rock’s greatest ever stories, “Pistol” moves from West London’s council estates, to Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren’s notorious Kings Road SEX shop, to the international controversy that came with the release of “Never Mind The Bollocks”, which is frequently listed as one of the most influential albums of all time. Their single “God Save The Queen” was banned by the BBC and reached No. 1 on the U.K.’s NME chart, but appeared at No. 2 on the official U.K. singles chart, leading to accusations that the song was purposely kept off the top spot. For the only time in chart history, the track was listed as a blank, to avoid offence to the monarchy.

“Pistol” stars Toby Wallace (“Babyteeth”, “Acute Misfortune”) as Steve Jones, Anson Boon (“Crawl”, “1917”, “Blackbird”) as John Lydon, Louis Partridge (“Enola Holmes”, “Medici”) as Sid Vicious, Jacob Slater as Paul Cook, Fabien Frankel (“The Serpent”, “NYPD Blue”) as Glen Matlock, Dylan Llewellyn (“Derry Girls”) as Wally Nightingale, Sydney Chandler (“Don’t Worry Darling”) as Chrissie Hynde, Emma Appleton (“The Witcher”, “Traitors”) as Nancy Spungen, and Maisie Williams (“Game Of Thrones”) as punk icon Jordan.

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