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“Psycho Schizo Espresso”, a brand new podcast from IRON MAIDEN’s Bruce Dickinson and Oxford University psychologist and best-selling author Dr. Kevin Dutton, will launch across all podcast platforms on October 31, 2021. New episodes will be made available every other Tuesday.

Episode One features New Testament scholar Professor Steven J. Friesen from the University of Texas, author of “Imperial Cults And The Apocalypse Of John – Reading Revelation In The Ruins”, and expert on the Book Of Revelation. That episode will be the first of a two-parter exploring the devil’s role in heavy metal and decoding one of the Bible’s most impenetrable secrets — the hidden meaning behind 666, “The Number Of The Beast” — a number that’s certainly featured prominently in Bruce’s career.

In a preview clip below, Bruce talks about why bands like IRON MAIDEN and BLACK SABBATH have explored Satanic imagery in their songs and seemingly reveled in the controversy that they generated. “‘Cause it’s really dramatic,” he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). “And at a certain point in time, certainly for people of a certain age, like me, from what you might call a society which was — ’cause I’m 62, so going back to, like, the late ’50s, Europe was broadly Christian; a lot more people went to church back then than do now. Probably four or five times, or even more, people would just turn up at church; they weren’t deserted, as they are now. And they would generally believe in things like absolute evil and there being an absolute good, but nobody knew anybody who was absolutely good. But for sure, absolute evil existed somewhere, ’cause otherwise how could anybody be absolutely good. So you had to have something to measure yourself against.

“What heavy metal bands did by adopting imagery was they shocked people,” he explained. “Because in the same way that the early Hammer movies reintroduced Dracula but with sex. So they actually had Dracula, blood, fangs, sex, the devil — all this stuff was, like, ‘Oh my God. That is so shocking,’ but it really kind of turns us on in secret. And, of course, as kids, you’d be forbidden to watch it, and, of course, it would be interesting, and you’d watch it. And then you’d just use your imagination to create stories. And then a whole raft of films came out — ‘The Omen’ and ‘The Exorcist’ and things like that — that all had this idea of an actual physical force of evil. And it was quite exciting, really — not because you wanted to be it, but to know that you could imagine your way into the drama and put that into music and dramatize it.”

You can listen to “Psycho Schizo Espresso” wherever you get your podcasts, and the show will also be available in Vodcast form on YouTube. You can listen to, or watch, the podcast trailer below.

Head to this location to find the podcast on your favorite platform.

Official podcast description: “If psychology was a country, then it would be the world’s top tourist destination bar none. It’s an enchanted territory with something for everyone: from aliens to drug lords, from serial killers to conspiracy theories. Join intellectual explorers Bruce Dickinson and Dr. Kevin Dutton for an Indiana Jones style adventure through some of its most far-flung corners as they delve into the psyches of rock icons, sporting superstars, and special forces soldiers and get the latest tips and insights from some of the most respected thought leaders and brain scientists on the planet. If you’ve ever wondered whether psychopaths like Hannibal Lecter and Patrick Bateman really exist outside the imaginations of Hollywood screenwriters and film directors, why ghosts only seem to appear at night, and about the true meaning of the Book of Revelation’s most enduring and enigmatic mystery — 666, the number of the beast — then welcome aboard Flight Psycho Schizo Espresso and observe the ‘fasten seatbelt’ sign!”

Dutton explained how the idea for the podcast came about: “Not long after meeting Bruce, it became instantly clear to me that we shared a number of wide-reaching interests and that we should channel that into a podcast. ‘Psycho Schizo Espresso’ is certainly a journey of exploration for the both of us, and we are sure our listeners are going to learn a lot from our guests. Whether from the music industry, academia or elsewhere — you may, for instance, share our interest in psychopaths, both good and bad — this is certainly a podcast that we feel everyone will enjoy and should go and subscribe to straight away.”

EVANESCENCE and Incendium have announced the second book in EVANESCENCE’s “Echoes From The Void” Graphic anthology series, “The Revolution Of Cassandra”, now on sale through Incendium’s OPUS imprint of music-driven books. Written by film director Eric D. Howell, the second book in EVANESCENCE’s fantasy series connects Howell’s original story to the story behind EVANESCENCE’s hit single “Use My Voice” from their 2021 album “The Bitter Truth”. Howell directed the inspiring, pandemic-shot music video, which has gone on to garner millions of views and depicts a nation rallying for change. Now EVANESCENCE singer Amy Lee and Howell have teamed up together to invite readers into the world of “The Revolution Of Cassandra”, an action-adventure that speaks to the power of love and truth and standing up for your beliefs.

In “The Revolution Of Cassandra”, a liberal, astrology-loving humanitarian is caught in the crossfire of a raging civil war and must save her sister from the firing squad of a brutal dictator. She beseeches help from a gun smuggler, and inadvertently starts her own revolution. Cassandra stands up to be a light in the face of a cynical, unforgiving, and brutal world, pulling everything she believes into question. Racing through minefields, above the jungle canopy, and going head-to-head with an army, Cassandra has the stars and moon on her side — or so she believes. The story is created by Howell, with cover art by Esau Escorza and Sebastian Cheng, and interior art by a rock-star cast of graphic artists. After the second issue of “Echoes From The Void” debuts in time for the holidays, Howell will subsequently be releasing his complete graphic novel in 2022, with more details to follow.

Lee said: “A few years back, my friend and video director Eric Howell sent me a screenplay he was writing called ‘The Revolution Of Cassandra’. This time, instead of a film, he wanted to make it into a graphic novel. As I read it, I kept hearing this song I’d been working on, ‘Use My Voice’, over and over in my head, because it felt like the song and Cassandra lived in the same world. The power of love, and truth, and sisterhood, standing up to the broken machine. Hanging on to the belief that humanity is worth fighting for. Eric later directed the ‘Use My Voice’ music video, which was truly a feat to accomplish during the height of the pandemic. Now it’s our turn to shine the light on to ‘The Revolution Of Cassandra’, the piece of art that helped fuel and inspire ‘Use My Voice’. This book in our ‘Echoes From The Void’ series will be completely dedicated to both projects, connecting the song and story just as Eric and I feel they were meant to be.”

Howell added: “‘The Revolution Of Cassandra’ is a story about a badass woman standing up for her beliefs in a cynical and hostile world. As one of my early readers, I asked Amy to write the forward for the graphic novel if she connected with it in any way. She had a strong response to the material and immediately sent me the sketch of a song she’d been working on. She really identified with a central idea in the story of ‘being for something, not against everything.’ The song and the story had this thematic echo as if we were each grabbing onto the same muse in the same moment — frankly, it was a bit of magic.”

Llexi Leon, CEO of Incendium, said: “‘Use My Voice’ is such a powerful anthem, and when Amy explained the connection to Eric’s novel, I knew we had to showcase it as part of the anthology. ‘The Revolution Of Cassandra’ is a beautifully executed and compelling saga, I’m delighted to have the opportunity to offer this exclusive prologue in print for the first time.”

“Echoes From The Void” is a fantasy graphic anthology series, comprised of 48-page deluxe comic books, each issue featuring story adaptations from the EVANESCENCE music catalog. The short stories are created by an all-star cast of graphic artists, animators, illustrators, fine artists, screenwriters, novelists, and more. Combining Lee’s love of visual arts, fantasy illustration, and graphic novels with the narrative power of EVANESCENCE’s songwriting, and the unique atmosphere of their music, the series is being developed in close collaboration with Amy as she co-edits the art and stories, overseeing creative direction throughout.

“Echoes From The Void” begins as a five-issue series, presented in a variety of visual styles and mediums. The first issue, inspired by the songs “Better Without You” and “Wasted On You”, written by Carrie Lee South and Blake Northcott and illustrated by an incredible team of artists, sold out of its initial run, but a second print variant edition is now available through Incendium’s web site, alongside exclusive physical merchandise and digital collectibles inspired by the series.

The first print edition of each issue will be released as a prestige format limited-edition collectible comic book, with cardstock covers, specialty foil treatments, glossy pages, and individual numbering. Each first printing will be limited to 3,000 copies priced at $18.95, and available to order from this location. The second issue is available to order now and ships December 2021.

The cover art from “Echoes From The Void” will also be made available to purchase through a series of archival fine art prints, each an individually numbered 500-piece collection.

ALL THAT REMAINS is celebrating the 15th anniversary of their breakthrough album, “The Fall Of Ideals”, with a tour and a vinyl reissue. The trek is set for spring 2022, kicking off on March 12 in Worcester, Massachusetts, and running through May 20 in Hartford, Connecticut. MISS MAY I, VARIALS and TALLAH will serve as support. ALL THAT REMAINS will perform “The Fall Of Ideals” in full on this run.

Pre-sales are set for Thursday, October 28 at 10 a.m. time through Friday, October 29 at 10 a.m. local time. The general on-sale is set for Friday, October 29 at 10 a.m. local time.

“It’s finally here,” exclaims ALL THAT REMAINS singer Phil Labonte. “We have been planning this for ages but things have been pretty awkward lately. But we are going to celebrate 15 years of ‘The Fall Of Ideals’ NOW! We have some really cool things planned and we hope you’ll come out and celebrate with us.”

The reissue of the album is set for November 12 and available for pre-order. The best-selling title features such fan favorites as “This Calling”, “Six” and “The Air That I Breathe”. In addition to the wide release, the band has exclusive colored vinyl variants with deluxe packaging available only at the band’s webstore.

ALL THAT REMAINS on tour with MISS MAY I, VARIALS and TALLAH:

Mar. 12 – Worcester, MA – The Palladium
Mar. 13 – Burlington, VT – Higher Ground
Mar. 14 – Niagara Falls, NY – The Rapids Theatre
Mar. 16 – Cleveland, OH – House of Blues
Mar. 17 – Flint, MI – The Machine Shop
Mar. 19 – Cincinnati, OH – Bogart’s
Mar. 21 – Columbus, OH – The King of Clubs
Mar. 24 – Ft. Wayne, IN – Piere’s Entertainment Center
Mar. 25 – Sauget, IL – Pop’s
Mar. 26 – East Moline, IL – The Rust Belt
Mar. 27 – Joliet, IL – The Forge
Mar. 30 – Green Bay, WI – EPIC Event Center
Mar. 31 – Minneapolis, MN – The Lyric at Skyway Theatre
Apr. 01 – Sioux City, IA – Anthem at the Hard Rock Casino
Apr. 02 – Dubuque, IA – Q Casino Showroom
Apr. 04 – Wichita, KS – The Cotillion
Apr. 05 – Denver, CO – Oriental Theater
Apr. 07 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot
Apr. 08 – Boise, ID – Knitting Factory
Apr. 09 – Bend, OR – Midtown Ballroom
Apr. 10 – Portland, OR – Roseland Theater
Apr. 12 – Bozeman, MT – The ELM
Apr. 13 – Spokane, WA – Knitting Factory
Apr. 14 – Seattle, WA – El Corazon
Apr. 16 – Reno, NV – Cargo Concert Hall
Apr. 17 – Chico, CA – Senator Theatre
Apr. 18 – Sacramento, CA – Ace of Spades
Apr. 19 – Los Angeles, CA – 1720
Apr. 21 – San Diego, CA – Observatory North Park
Apr. 22 – Tucson, AZ – Encore
Apr. 23 – Albuquerque, NM – Sunshine Theater
Apr. 24 – Colorado Springs, CO – Sunshine Studios Live
Apr. 27 – Oklahoma City, OK – Diamond Ballroom
Apr. 28 – Dallas, TX – Amplified Live
Apr. 29 – Austin, TX – Come And Take It Live
Apr. 30 – Houston, TX – Scout Bar
May 02 – Pensacola, FL – Vinyl Music Hall
May 03 – Tampa, FL – Jannus Live
May 04 – Lake Buena Vista, FL – House of Blues
May 05 – Ft Lauderdale, FL – Revolution Live
May 07 – Greensboro, NC – The Blind Tiger
May 09 – Atlanta, GA – Buckhead Theatre
May 10 – Nashville, TN – Cannery Ballroom
May 12 – Indianapolis, IN – Hi-Fi Annex
May 13 – Warrendale, PA – Jergels
May 14 – Harrisburg, PA – HMAC
May 15 – Baltimore, MD – Baltimore Sound Stage
May 17 – Easton, PA – One Centre Square
May 18 – Montclair, NJ – Wellmont Theater
May 19 – Huntington, NY – Paramount Theater
May 20 – Hartford, CT – The Webster

Originally released in 2006, “The Fall Of Ideals” launched a new era for ALL THAT REMAINS — finding the band moving away from the death metal of their first two albums (2002’s “Behind Silence And Solitude” and 2004’s “This Darkened Heart”) and settling into the melodic metalcore that defined their career. “The Fall Of Ideals” also introduced fans to the band’s longtime bassist Jeanne Sagan and marked their only album to feature drummer Shannon Lucas. The newcomers joined founding members Phil Labonte (vocals) and Oli Herbert (lead guitars), as well as rhythm guitarist Mike Martin.

In the studio, the Massachusetts quintet partnered with two prominent metal artists: KILLSWITCH ENGAGE’s Adam Dutkiewicz, who served as producer, and SOILWORK’s Peter Wichers, who engineered the sessions. The dynamic, 11-song set found the musicians pushing their sonic boundaries, while Labonte showcased his broad vocal range — from epic, extended screams and in-your-face growls to emotive choruses. The album spawned a variety of enduring favorites, including the hard-driving “This Calling”, which featured in the soundtracks to “Saw III” and “Masters Of Horror II”, as well as singles “The Air That I Breathe” and “Not Alone”. Other highlights included the guitar-forward “Whispers (I Hear You)” and the dramatic “Six”, which appeared in “Guitar Hero II”.

Upon its release in the summer of 2006, “The Fall Of Ideals” was embraced by fans, becoming the band’s first album to break the Billboard 200 (peaking at No. 75) and eventually selling more than 450,000 units. The album also caught the attention of critics. Pop Matters hailed, “ALL THAT REMAINS has made the kind of stylistic leap that most bands can only wish they could pull off… ‘The Fall Of Ideals’ [is] invigorating from start to finish, and could very well be the metalcore album of the year.” BLABBERMOUTH.NET praised, “ALL THAT REMAINS effortlessly blends thrashy twin guitar fireworks and Phil Labonte’s raging vocals with soaring clean vocals and overall tunefulness…There is no denying that those guys play their asses off here and the result is immensely gratifying.” Lambgoat simply declared, “The entire band executes the songs perfectly,” adding that “the production…is full and crisp.”

“We’re so thankful to everyone who has kept this disc in their hearts for the past 15 years,” says Labonte. “We are proud to celebrate the reissue and can’t wait to tell you about all the other cool things we have in store.”

In the 15 years since “The Fall Of Ideals”, ALL THAT REMAINS have built an undeniable legacy as one of this century’s most consistent purveyors of heavy music with a bulletproof canon of arena-worthy anthems. Currently consisting of Labonte and Martin, as well as drummer Jason Costa, and lead guitarist Jason Richardson, the band continues to defy the odds of its genre. To date, they have sold more than a million albums worldwide, earning five consecutive Top 10 debuts on the Billboard Top Rock Albums chart, and boasting more than 1.5 million monthly listeners on Spotify — an unprecedented feat for any metal band. In 2018, ALL THAT REMAINS released their widely acclaimed ninth studio album, “Victim Of The New Disease”.

“The Fall Of Ideals” track listing (vinyl):

Side A:

01. This Calling
02. Not Alone
03. It Dwells In Me
04. We Stand
05. Whispers (I Hear You)
06. The Weak Willed

Side B:

01. Six
02. Become The Catalyst
03. The Air That I Breathe
04. Empty Inside
05. Indictment

Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee and Grammy-winning singer and songwriter Ozzy Osbourne will celebrate the 40th anniversary of his 1981 album “Diary Of A Madman” with an updated digital release that includes a new track: a live version of his Mainstream Rock Top 5 hit “Flying High Again”. At the same time comes news of an exciting collaboration with Dogtown, available this Friday.

The Ozzy x Dogtown collection comes as an homage to Ozzy’s music being the soundtrack to skateboarding for more than 40 years. The collaboration features skateboard decks and clothing with art by Sean Cliver on 200 limited-edition custom paint “Midnight Fade” skateboard decks with a silver metal flake dusting designed by Jim “Red Dog” Muir, manufactured by Paul Schmitt at PS Stix, and hand silk screened by Chicken at Screaming Squeegees on the iconic ’80s Dogtown Stonefish shape. In addition, look for a limited run of T-shirts and pullover hoodies with the Ozzy x Dogtown graphic to also be released. All items are available this Friday (October 29) at 12:00 noon (PT). Click here to order or for more information.

The “Diary Of A Madman” special digital reissue will be available November 5 via all digital platforms. The album is Ozzy’s second studio release and the last album to feature 2021 Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer guitarist Randy Rhoads. The multi-platinum release (with five million albums sold worldwide) included the No. 2 Mainstream Rock track “Flying High Again”. The album was listed at No. 15 on Rolling Stone’s 2017 list of “100 Greatest Metal Albums Of All Time.” Kory Grow noted, “A year after proving he was still a vital musical force on his first post–BLACK SABBATH solo LP, 1980’s ‘Blizzard Of Ozz’, Ozzy Osbourne demonstrated it wasn’t a one-time fluke with an album of poppy and gothic anthems like ‘Flying High Again’ and the almost classical closing title track. Guitarist Randy Rhoads, who died in a plane crash while touring for ‘Diary’ in 1982, had already proven himself a virtuoso on ‘Blizzard’; here, he worked even harder to find the rare nexus between showboat chops and clever songwriting…”

The “Diary Of A Madman” 40th-anniversary expanded digital edition track listing:

01. Over The Mountain
02. Flying High Again
03. You Can’t Kill Rock And Roll
04. Believer
05. Little Dolls
06. Tonight
07. S.A.T.O.
08. Diary Of A Madman
09. Believer (live)*
10. Flying High Again (live)*

* previously unavailable digitally

LAMB OF GOD and KREATOR have once again been forced to postpone their previously announced “State Of Unrest” European tour due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The two metal legends’ co-headlining trek will now take place in late 2022, with THY ART IS MURDER and GATECREEPER freshly added to the bill.

“State Of Unrest” 2022 European tour dates:

Nov. 18 – Denmark – Copenhagen Forum Black Box
Nov. 19 – Sweden – Stockholm Fryshuset Arenan
Nov. 21 – Finland – Oulu Teatria
Nov. 22 – Finland – Helsinki Ice Hall Black Box
Nov. 24 – Poland – Warsaw Stodola
Nov. 26 – Germany – Munich Zenith
Nov. 27 – Germany – Berlin Columbiahalle
Nov. 29 – Netherlands – Tilburg O13
Nov. 30 – Belgium – Brussels AB
Dec. 02 – Germany – Ludwigsburg MHP Arena
Dec. 03 – Germany – Essen Grugahalle
Dec. 04 – Germany – Saarbrücken Saarlandhalle
Dec. 06 – Spain – Madrid Riviera
Dec. 07 – Spain – Barcelona Razzmatazz
Dec. 09 – Germany – Wiesbaden Schlachthof
Dec. 10 – Germany – Hamburg Edel Optics Arena
Dec. 11 – Germany – Leipzig Haus Auensee
Dec. 20 – France – Paris L’Olympia
Dec. 21 – Switzerland – Zurich Samsung Hall

Tickets remain valid for the rescheduled dates.

KREATOR recently entered Hansa Tonstudio in Berlin, Germany to begin recording their new album for a tentative early 2022 release. Helming the sessions is Arthur Rizk, who has previously worked with CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, CODE ORANGE, POWER TRIP and SOULFLY, among others.

KREATOR’s next album will mark the band’s first with bassist Frédéric Leclercq, who joined the group in 2019.

In March 2020, KREATOR surprise-released a new single, “666 – World Divided”. The song was produced by Andy Sneap and Markus Ganter and was recorded at Hansa Tonstudios.

The music video for “666 – World Divided” was created under the direction of Jörn Heitmann, who was responsible for the music videos for “Radio” and “Ausländer” by RAMMSTEIN.

KREATOR played its first show with Leclercq in October 2019 in Santiago, Chile.

Before joining KREATOR, Leclercq rose to fame with U.K.-based extreme power metallers DRAGONFORCE for whom he handled bass duties from 2005 until August 2019.

KREATOR released a new live set, “London Apocalypticon – Live At The Roundhouse”, in February 2020 via Nuclear Blast. The effort was professionally filmed and recorded on December 16, 2018 at the Roundhouse in London, England.

Released in April via Nuclear Blast Records, LAMB OF GOD’s “Live In Richmond, VA” includes a live version of the self-titled album with two bonus tracks, along with a DVD that features the first of LAMB OF GOD’s two ultra-successful live stream events from September 2020, in which the band performed “Lamb Of God” in full, plus an encore of four songs including “Ruin”, “Contractor”, “512”, and the debut live performance of “The Death Of Us”, a newer song the band wrote and recorded in quarantine for the “Bill & Ted Face The Music” movie and soundtrack. The DVD includes a new director’s cut with bonus material.

“Lamb Of God” was released in June 2020 via Epic Records in the U.S. and Nuclear Blast Records in Europe. The follow-up to “VII: Sturm Und Drang” marked LAMB OF GOD’s first recordings with Art Cruz, who joined the band in July 2019 as the replacement for the group’s founding drummer, Chris Adler.

“Lamb Of God” was recorded with longtime producer Josh Wilbur (KORN, MEGADETH, GOJIRA, TRIVIUM) and includes special guest appearances by Jamey Jasta (HATEBREED) and Chuck Billy (TESTAMENT).

UNDEROATH has unleashed “Cycle”, the latest single from the band’s upcoming album “Voyeurist”, due out January 14 on Fearless Records. For the song, the band collaborated with Ghostemane after discovering they were mutual fans of each other’s work. The result is a mix of pulsating aggression and infectious hooks that find vocalists Spencer Chamberlain and Aaron Gillespie complemented by Ghostemane’s delivery.

Speaking on working with Ghostemane and how the track came together, UNDEROATH guitarist Tim McTague explains: “When we were writing ‘Cycle’, I knew that I wanted to have a feature on the bridge. I wanted something abstract, and ideally in the hip-hop genre. I heard a cadence that wasn’t natural to our band. Ghostemane came up in convo, and we all loved the idea. I had been listening to him for a minute, and the connection between UNDEROATH / Lil Peep put me on to the south Florida squad like Pouya, Ghostemane and Lil Peep (RIP). We tried to get a hold of him for weeks, And one day Aaron called me and said that Ghostemane randomly Instagramed him to tell him that he appreciated what we do, and Aaron replied back that we were trying to get a hold of him to be on a track on the new album. The floodgates opened, all the managers and artists started connecting and I sent his manager the song, and a week or so later we got what was stated as ‘I did a ton and threw the sink at it, let me know your thoughts.’ We listened to the first thing he sent, and just said ‘that is it.’ I don’t think any of us knew what we were looking for in the feature, but when I heard the take, lyrics and energy we were like ‘oh shit. This is perfect.'”

Chamberlain adds: “Every time I hear the track now, it time warps me right to how I was feeling when we wrote those lyrics and what we were going through at the time. The back and forth on the third chorus transports me back to when we wrote the lyrics. I hope that we’ll have the chance to perform it together live one day.”

“Voyeurist” marks the first time in UNDEROATH’s storied career that they took the recording process completely into their own hands. The result is the most collaborative album of UNDEROATH’s career and, anchored in a profound respect for each other, one that left no stone unturned creatively. The band refers to “Voyeurist” as “high-def violence” — technologically advanced, but undeniably visceral. Conceptually, “Voyeurist” has several interrelated meanings, each tying back to the concepts of how we curate ourselves through social media and how that facade masks a lot of what we actually experience in life. The album is a cohesive listening experience with enough layers to provide fans with a fresh take and new favorite track on every spin. Leading up to the album release, fans have been able to discover clips of new songs in exchange for granting camera access through the band’s immersive web site, voyeurist.io.

“Voyeurist” track listing:

01. Damn Excuses
02. Hallelujah
03. I’m Pretty Sure I’m Out of Luck and Have No Friends
04. Cycle (feat. Ghostemane)
05. Thorn
06. (No Oasis)
07. Take A Breath
08. We’re All Gonna Die
09. Numb
10. Pneumonia

“Voyeurist” is available for pre-order now, including a deluxe animated vinyl that features a plastic o-card sleeve that activates playback of the jacket’s interlaced video imagery.

In 2022, UNDEROATH will embark on a North American headline tour with support from EVERY TIME I DIE and SPIRITBOX.

UNDEROATH is Aaron Gillespie (vocals/drums), Spencer Chamberlain (vocals), Tim McTague (guitar), Christopher Dudley (keyboard/synth), Grant Brandell (bass) and James Smith (guitar).

Photo credit: Dan Newman

Italian rockers and Eurovision Song Contest 2021 winners MÅNESKIN made their American television debut last night (Tuesday, October 26) on NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon”. MÅNESKIN performed their 2017 cover of THE FOUR SEASONS’ popular hit from 1967 “Beggin'”, as well as “Mammamia”, during the broadcast. A massive chart hit around the world, “Beggin'” is currently No. 1 at U.S. alternative radio and in the Top 5 at the U.S. pop format.

Following its epic win at the 2021 Eurovision, MÅNESKIN has climbed up the charts worldwide, achieving unprecedented results for Italian artists: they are the first Italian band in the history of music to crack the U.K. singles chart with two singles at the same time — at No. 6 and No. 10 — and collecting new certifications every week, both in Italy and abroad.

MÅNESKIN’s Eurovision-winning song “Zitti E Buoni” peaked at No. 22 on the Billboard Global 200. The follow-up single, “I Wanna Be Your Slave”, reached No. 1 on Billboard’s U.S. Hot Hard Rock Songs.

MÅNESKIN is scheduled to perform tonight (Wednesday, October 27) at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City. They will also play at the legendary Roxy Theatre in West Hollywood, California on November 1.

MÅNESKIN’s latest album “Teatro D’ira: Vol I”, was released in March. The LP has since been certified platinum in Italy.

“I Wanna Be Your Slave” was certified platinum in Italy, as well as in Finland and Poland and six times platinum in Russia, and was certified gold in Austria, Greece, Ireland, Norway, Sweden and Turkey; “Zitti E Buoni” (three times platinum in Italy) was certified gold in the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and was certified platinum in Finland, Greece, Ireland, Poland and five times platinum in Russia; “Beggin'” was certified gold in Finland, Malaysia, Poland, seven times platinum in Russia.

MÅNESKIN will perform, for the first time ever, at key sports arenas in Italy as part of their 13-date tour across the country (organized and produced by Vivo Concerti). That trek already boasts over 100,000 tour tickets sold and six sold-out concerts, and which will be held this winter and next spring.

A short video of KORN singer Jonathan Davis unboxing his figure from the popular vinyl collectible company Funko — best known for its big-headed Pop! figures — can be seen below.

In the clip, Davis says in part: “When they came to me, we came up with the packaging, the box and the look for this little guy, ’cause we wanted to start it off where it all began. This is around 1997, [the second KORN album] ‘Life Is Peachy’, and I [wore] the purple sequined jumpsuit. We had a problem — we couldn’t get it shiny ’cause there was no kind of paint, so they kind of made little dots to represent the sequins. But I really, really dig this. This is cool.”

Other artists who have gotten the Pop! Rocks treatment in the past include KISS, IRON MAIDEN, METALLICA, GUNS N’ ROSES, AC/DC, Ozzy Osbourne, DEF LEPPARD, Rob Zombie, SLIPKNOT, SLAYER, GHOST and MOTÖRHEAD.

A Funko vinyl Pop! figure, or popularly known as a “Pop!”, is packaged carefully inside a box with a transparent front. The figurine is made out of vinyl and may come as a bobblehead.

Headquartered in Everett, Washington, Funko is a leading pop culture consumer products company. Funko designs, sources and distributes licensed pop culture products across multiple categories, including vinyl figures, toys, plush, apparel, board games, housewares and accessories for consumers who seek tangible ways to connect with their favorite pop culture brands and characters.

Earlier this year, Funko said it took a majority stake in TokenWave, which develops an app and website for “showcasing and tracking” Non-Fungible Token holdings. In addition, Funko is trying to expand its e-commerce and international businesses. It said it also plans to grow its other main business Loungefly, which sells handbags, clothing and other accessories.

Jonathan Davis unboxing his Pop! Figure!

Check out Jonathan Davis unboxing his Pop! figure! #Funko #FunkoPop

Posted by Funko on Tuesday, October 26, 2021

Popapalooza 2021 Reveals: Pop! Rocks: Jonathan Davis!
Coming soon – will be available first at EMP in the U.K. & Europe.

Posted by Funko Europe on Thursday, July 1, 2021

RAMMSTEIN drummer Christoph Schneider says that European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Thomas Pesquet was one of the first people to hear a song from the band’s upcoming album.

Earlier this month, Pesquet became commander of the International Space Station, taking over from Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut and fellow Crew-2 member Akihiko Hoshide. Thomas will hold this role until shortly before Crew-2 return to Earth in November.

On Tuesday (October 6), Schneider revealed that he played Pesquet a song from the follow-up to 2019’s untitled album.

“Space is calling!” Christoph posted on Instagram while sharing a photo of him apparently chatting with Pesquet from the comfort of his home studio. “I had the honor to speak with ISS astronaut @thom_astro on behalf of @rammsteinofficial. He is the current commander of the @iss and living in space since half a year. It felt like a child’s dream coming true for me – talking to a person living in the sky, sharing a glimpse of his view, realizing again how small we all are compared to the depth of the universe… He was the first to listen to one of our new songs from the upcoming album. It premiered in the sky, which is an honor for us. Thank you @nasa @europeanspaceagency and Thomas for this unique experience.”

This past May, Pesquet premiered the COLDPLAY single “Higher Power” while he was on board the International Space Station. Prior to the premiere, COLDPLAY linked up with Pesquet for a conversation.

A year and a half ago, RAMMSTEIN postponed its 2020 North American stadium tour due to the coronavirus pandemic which is sweeping the globe. The trek was then moved to the summer of 2021 before being postponed once again, this time to the summer of 2022.

RAMMSTEIN’s seventh, untitled album came out in May 2019 via UME/Spinefarm in Europe and Caroline Records in the U.S. The band’s first studio disc since 2009’s “Liebe Ist Für Alle Da” debuted at No. 1 on the album charts in 14 countries and was the band’s tenth No. 1 in Germany. The LP was produced by Olsen Involtini with RAMMSTEIN and was mixed at a Santa Monica, California studio with Rich Costey, an American producer who has previously worked with MUSE, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and FRANZ FERDINAND, among others.

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A post shared by Christoph Schneider (@christophschneider_official)

☀?Sonne by Rammstein @Rsprachrohr#SpaceVibes #Songs4Space #AlphaFipMusichttps://t.co/CjurpFxYTLhttps://t.co/eRNobduo9S
— Thomas Pesquet (@Thom_astro) October 7, 2021