Month: August 2021

IMO a legitimate, valid case can be made for the assertion that IRON MAIDEN is the greatest heavy metal band of all time. Six years have passed since the release of the English band’s last album, 2015’s “The Book of Souls”, and the legendary act returns now to close the longest gap between albums with “Senjutsu”, an ambitious double album. In short, the album is absolutely magnificent. It’s one that remains true to the band’s core sound while simultaneously facilitating the band’s ongoing, unyielding musical curiosity and creativity.

True to the band members’ recent public claims, “Senjutsu” includes some material that will surely surprise many longtime listeners. The opening, title track, for instance, projects a downtrodden, dreary energy atypical of the triumphant heavy metal band. It’s hard hitting and enjoyable but very distant from IRON MAIDEN’s familiar sound. The synths lend to the darker aura, and drummer Nicko McBrain’s tribal crawl creates an unsettling tension hinting at but never actually offering release.

Thoughtful sequencing augments the album’s experience. In this case, the title track’s tension is broken by the second track, “Stratego”. This song is ripe with that ever-so-characteristic IRON MAIDEN gallop, helmed by the rhythm section of McBrain and bassist extraordinaire Steve Harris, and driven by the adroit work of guitarists Dave Murray, Janick Gers and Adrian Smith. While the one and only Bruce Dickinson is known for his over-the-top, soaring pipes, as he has aged, he hasn’t lost the power and command in his voice by any means. It’s more the case that he appropriately colors the songs, matching calmness and intensity accordingly. As such, his monstrous voice is suggestive and teasing throughout “Stratego”, only coming to full bloom during the song’s massive chorus.

The featured single and video for “The Writing On The Wall” has brought the song and album considerable attention. But it was a curious choice considering the bold move to embrace some pseudo country elements, which are tastefully and playfully tapped into, but the song is lackluster overall. To be clear, this measure of quality is relative, for the track is still head and shoulders above the bulk of what we hear today in the realm of heavy metal.

IRON MAIDEN is regularly self-referential throughout “Senjutsu”, but not in a pejorative way. These winks toward the past tie things together holistically. “The Parchment” is clearly reminiscent of “Powerslave” regarding the high energy and Middle Eastern-style melodies. It’s one of several Steve Harris written songs on the album that start off with softer, acoustic intros. Each one of these is distinct, however, and these intros are merely similar compositional units that make sense within the scope of Harris’s increasingly cinematic songwriting approach. The latter quarter of “The Parchment” is quite exhilarating, though it takes too long to arrive at that point so late in the song.

“Senjutsu” is a musical marathon exceeding 82 minutes and divided into 10 songs. Considering that the regular nature of verse-chorus-verse is thrown out the window, it’s difficult to connect with some songs, even after repeated listening sessions. But with that said, there is so much detailed, nuanced material to enjoy that numerous full play-throughs seem mandatory. “Senjutsu” truly is a “grower,” so to speak. Will today’s short-attention-span listeners have the patience for it?  We’ll have to wait and see, but longtime fans, younger ones and curious onlookers alike would be wise to pick the album up. “Senjutsu” is a modern gem from one of the greatest heavy metal bands ever, if not the absolute greatest.



Legendary German hard rock band SCORPIONS was honored at the European Culture Prize (Europäischer Kulturpreis) gala this past Saturday, August 28 at Bonn Opera House in Bonn, Germany. The event, which was held in the birthplace of Ludwig van Beethoven, was dedicated to the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the composer’s birth.

SCORPIONS singer Klaus Meine and guitarist Rudolf Schenker accepted the award in person. They later shared a couple of photos from the event on social media and wrote in an accompanying caption: “What an honour to receive the wonderful EUROPEAN CULTURE AWARD 2021 in Bonn / Germany … Thank you so much …it was truly a Night to remember”.

The European Culture Prize is awarded to personalities, initiatives, artists, politicians or institutions for outstanding services and achievements about Europe and its people. The ceremony is held annually in different European cultural cities, and the prize sponsor is the European Cultural Forum in Dresden.

SCORPIONS recently completed work on their new album for a tentative early 2022 release. The LP was recorded primarily at Peppermint Park Studios in Hannover, Germany and was mixed at the legendary Hansa Studios in Berlin, Germany with engineer Michael Ilbert, who has earned multiple Grammy nominations for his mix work with producer Max Martin on albums by Taylor Swift and Katy Perry.

SCORPIONS’ new album will mark their first release since 2017’s “Born To Touch Your Feelings – Best Of Rock Ballads”, which was an anthology of new and classic material.

SCORPIONS originally intended to record the new album in Los Angeles with producer Greg Fidelman, whose previous credits include SLIPKNOT and METALLICA. However, because of the pandemic, some of the initial work was done with Greg remotely, after which SCORPIONS opted to helm the recordings themselves with the help of their engineer Hans-Martin Buff.

SCORPIONS’ last full-length collection of new recordings was the aforementioned “Return To Forever”, partially comprising songs the band had in the vault from the ’80s. It was the final recorded appearance of SCORPIONS’ longtime drummer James Kottak, who was dismissed from the band in September 2016. He has since been replaced by Mikkey Dee, formerly of MOTÖRHEAD.

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During an appearance on the latest episode of the “Scandalous” podcast, British musician Andy James, who joined FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH last year as the replacement for the band’s longtime guitarist Jason Hook, spoke about the songwriting process for FIVE FINGER’s upcoming ninth studio album.

“A lot of what’s happening in the studio at the moment is hashing out ideas and stuff,” he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). “I don’t think I’ve heard anything yet that’s fully done, finished or whatever. It’s only been a few weeks anyway. We’re just talking about direction — how it’s gonna be, sound and all the rest of it. But, obviously, I’m coming into a process that’s already established, so I’m only really kind of offering the odd opinion here and there when it’s asked of me. So I’m kind of working my way up to being able to [say], ‘Oh, yeah. What do you think of this?’ or blah blah blah.

“It’s gonna be a new process for the rest of the guys in the band, bringing in a new person,” he continued. “‘Cause, obviously, Jason was a big part of the writing for this band. There are a lot of similarities between me and him anyway. Ten years prior to even joining the band, I was a fan of DEATH PUNCH, so I’m well aware of his style and his playing, and I dare say some of that’s even rubbed off. ‘Cause in a lot of modern bands nowadays, there isn’t really a huge amount of guitar solos being played. When you’re listening to newer stuff that’s a band, say like DEATH PUNCH that rose up relatively recently compared to a lot of other bands that might have already had that in the band, I suppose it’s probably one of the only bands I would listen to that probably had guitar solos over some of the more modern stuff I listen to.”

James added: “Coming into this process after doing eight records or whatever, I’m gonna be able to bring something cool, no doubt. I’ve kind of already thrown a few ideas here and there, and it’s not been completely, ‘No, that sucks,’ or whatever. So, yeah. I don’t know. We’ll see how it goes.”

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH recently entered the Hideout Recording Studio in Las Vegas, Nevada to begin recording its new album for a 2022 release. In addition, the band has commenced re-recording its debut LP, 2007’s “The Way Of The Fist”, for its 15th anniversary.

James made his recording debut with FIVE FINGER on the song “Broken World”, which is featured on the second installment of the band’s greatest-hits collection, “A Decade Of Destruction – Volume 2”.

Each of FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH’s first six albums — “The Way of the Fist”, 2009’s “War Is The Answer”, 2011’s “American Capitalist”, 2013’s “The Wrong Side Of Heaven And The Righteous Side of Hell, Volume 1” and “Volume 2”, and 2015’s “Got Your Six” — has gone either gold or platinum in the U.S.

The band has had two dozen songs hit the Top 10 on the Mainstream Rock or Hard Rock Digital charts, starting with “The Bleeding”. FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH’s 2010 cover of BAD COMPANY’s “Bad Company” was certified platinum for accumulating a million certified units.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH’s No. 1 hits include “Coming Down”, “Lift Me Up”, “Battle Born”, “Wash It All Away”, “Sham Pain”, “When The Seasons Change” and “Blue On Black”.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH’s most recent album, 2020’s “F8”, debuted at No. 1 on rock charts around the world, with Top 10 mainstream chart debuts in the U.S., Austria, Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, the U.K. and more. “F8” features No. 1 hit singles “Inside Out”, “A Little Bit Off” and “Living The Dream”.

Former GUNS N’ ROSES drummer Matt Sorum has told Billboard in a new interview that he doesn’t wish he was invited to rejoin the group when it launched its “Not In This Lifetime” tour five years ago.

The 60-year-old musician, who has also played with THE CULT, VELVET REVOLVER and HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES, is not involved with GN’R’s hugely successful reunion, which features singer Axl Rose, guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan alongside drummer Frank Ferrer, keyboardist Dizzy Reed, guitarist Richard Fortus and second keyboardist Melissa Reese.

“People will ask me, ‘Don’t you want to be out on the road with those guys? Why aren’t you on the tour?'” he said. “And I’m, like, ‘Well, something else is in store. I had a baby. I’m doing different projects. I’m doing my own thing.’ That’s what the universe has intended for me. I’ve never tried to put a square peg into a round hole.”

Back in March 2019, Sorum told “Loudwire Nights” that he learned about the partial reunion of GUNS N’ ROSES’ classic lineup “probably about” the same time as “everybody else did. I was in the band HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES there for a minute,” he said. “So it was kind of around that time. That’s basically what happened. And then it just went the way it went. And life goes on.”

Sorum, who replaced Steven Adler in GUNS N’ ROSES, recorded the highly successful albums “Use Your Illusion I” and “Use Your Illusion II” (both 1991) and “The Spaghetti Incident” (1994). He also supported the group on the “Use Your Illusion” tour and can be heard on GUNS N’ ROSES’ “Live Era: ’87-’93” (1999) and “Greatest Hits” (2004).

Matt was among the GUNS N’ ROSES members who were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in April 2012. He, Adler, Slash and McKagan attended the ceremony, while Rose and founding guitarist Izzy Stradlin stayed home.

Sorum told The Pulse Of Radio in a 2009 interview that if the classic GUNS N’ ROSES band reunited, they should perform with both him and Adler. “If it’s me on drums or Steven or whatever, if it happened, it’d be great, you know,” he said. “I would actually say to them, ‘Hey, bring both of us back,’ you know. Let me play the other stuff. We’ll have two drum kits. I don’t care. If ‘Appetite [For Destruction]’ [the band’s debut] sounds better with Steven playing it, have both guys up there. They can afford it.”

Matt is set to release his new book, “Double Talkin’ Jive: True Rock ‘N’ Roll Stories”, on September 7 via Rare Bird Books.

Hardcore mainstays Turnstile embrace new sounds on Glow On.
The post Listen: Turnstile Release New Album “Glow On” appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

During an appearance on the latest episode of “The MetalSucks Podcast”, SEPULTURA frontman Derrick Green was asked how he feels about the increasing number of venues and concert promoters who are requiring proof of a COVID-19 vaccination or a current negative test to attend shows. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “I think it’s really important that each person takes responsibility of being as safe as possible. So if you’re going to a show, then it shouldn’t be a problem to take a test. And if you have a card, then just show your card. I think in these times, it’s different from any other times, so you have to take precautions because you don’t wanna get other people sick. And you have to be selfless. A lot of times people are just thinking of themselves — unfortunately, only themselves — and they feel that they need to go out and do what they need to do regardless of the consequences that may cause other people. And that’s a horrible attitude, I’ve gotta say. It’s really frustrating dealing with people that have this type of ‘me, me, me, me’ attitude, and it’s really slowed a lot of things down. So I think if people are able to just take precaution, have some restraint and just be safe, including the bands, then we can get through this a little bit faster and we can get back to enjoying some type of normalcy in our lives. I don’t even know if ‘normalcy’ is a word [laughs] — or normality in our lives.”

A number of hard rock and heavy metal artists have canceled shows or whole tours as the concert industry is rethinking its approach to live shows while the delta variant of the coronavirus is spreading nationwide.

Earlier in the month, Live Nation Entertainment, one of the country’s largest concert and ticketing companies, announced that it will require all artists and concertgoers to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test starting in early October.

Live Nation’s announcement came one day after AEG Presents said that it will be requiring proof of vaccination for entry into its owned and operated clubs, theaters and festivals. The decision was made on the heels of the dramatic surge in COVID-19 cases as the delta variant spreads throughout the United States.

While vaccines are exceptionally effective in preventing death and severe illness from the coronavirus and its known variants, some are far from foolproof in preventing infection altogether.

Most of the people with so-called “breakthrough” infections are asymptomatic.

According to Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC), large-scale clinical studies found that COVID-19 vaccination prevented most people from getting COVID-19. Research also provides growing evidence that mRNA COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna) offer similar protection in real-world conditions. While these vaccines are effective, no vaccine prevents illness 100% of the time. For any vaccine, there are breakthrough cases.

A recent study found that people who contract the delta variant of COVID-19 after being fully vaccinated carry a similar amount of the coronavirus as those who catch the disease and have not been inoculated. But the researchers stressed that vaccination still offers good protection against catching the disease in the first place, and protects against getting seriously ill with it.