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Jerry Cantrell, guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter of ALICE IN CHAINS, has completed work on his new solo album. The upcoming effort will mark his first full-length release since “Degradation Trip”, the epic solo album he made in 2002 with future METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo and FAITH NO MORE drummer Mike Bordin.

Cantrell announced the new LP’s completion in an Instagram post Thursday night (March 4). In addition to sharing a photo from the studio, where he was joined by ex-THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN singer Greg Puciato, among others, he wrote: “Finished my record tonight one year to the day from when we started recording it . What a crazy journey … always is. Look forward to setting it free upon your ear holes sometime soon.”

Cantrell’s career outside of ALICE IN CHAINS has consisted of two solo albums and contributions to major film soundtracks. Jerry’s first solo album, “Boggy Depot”, was released in 1998, followed by his second album, the aforementioned “Degradation Trip”. In addition to his solo artist work, Cantrell has released music on soundtracks for several films, including “Spider-Man”, “The Cable Guy”, “John Wick 2”, “Last Action Hero” and “The Punisher”.

Cantrell discussed his plans to record and release new solo music during a pair of interviews he gave in January 2020. While chatting with Gibson about his new collaboration with the guitar maker, Cantrell touched upon his solo activity, saying: “I’ve been in this band, in ALICE IN CHAINS, since 1987, so 33 years. And that’s always been my first love and my commitment, but I did have the opportunity to make a couple of solo records, and since we started the band back up, I really didn’t have the opportunity to revisit that.

“[ALICE IN CHAINS] just finished touring in September [2019] off of ‘Rainier Fog’, and we generally take about a year off when we’re done touring anyway — just give it a rest for a second and then get it reinvigorated and focus on what’s new. So we’re gonna take a year off, so I thought I’d maybe do some shows and I’m working on some music as well. And there’s gonna be some exciting things. I don’t wanna say just yet what’s happening, but I can tell you that there’s gonna be some cool shit happening this year.”

In a separate interview with People TV on the red carpet of the MusiCares benefit honoring AEROSMITH, Cantrell said that he tries to stay away from listening to other artists while putting together new material. “I’m working on a new record myself, so, generally, when I’m in that sort of a mode, I pretty much don’t listen to anything until I’m done, so nothing creeps in there,” he explained.

“When I’m with ALICE, I’m with ALICE, and that takes the majority of my time. This year, we’re taking a little time off, so… If you liked any of the solo work that I did or the work with ALICE, I’m sure you might like some of this stuff too.”

Back in 2018, Cantrell told Billboard that he wasn’t in good headspace when he made “Degradation Trip”. “I was just really fucked up back then, to be honest with you, and you can totally hear it on that record,” he said. “It was done right before I got sober, and it was also done right when I was dealing with the death of my band, and then the unhappy coincidence of Layne [Staley, ALICE IN CHAINS frontman] passing away right after I released that record. So it was not a good time in my life, and it totally comes across on that record.”

Cantrell added: “It’s a record I don’t listen to a lot anymore because of all those things I mentioned,” revealing that he got sober a year after it was recorded. He continued: “But it’s a record that’s important to me, and I’ll see Robert and Mike every once in a while and they’re like, ‘We should do some fucking shows, man. Some ‘Degradation Trip’ shows.’ [Laughs] I tell ’em we’ll do it someday.”

ALICE IN CHAINS regrouped in 2006 with William DuVall joining the band, and released its third LP with DuVall in the lineup, “Rainier Fog”, in August 2018.

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Punk metal vets Venomous Concept continue their incredible recording streak with new covers of Deep Wound, Davie Bowie, Black Flag and Halo of Flies.
The post Full EP Premiere: Venomous Concept – “Deep Thinking in Deep Times” appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star, the company which creates “beautiful lullaby versions of your favorite artists,” has just released “Lullaby Versions Of Black Sabbath” via Roma Music Group.

“Lullaby Versions Of Black Sabbath” track listing:

01. Paranoid
02. Iron Man
03. War Pigs / Luke’s Wall
04. Children Of The Grave
05. N.I.B.
06. Planet Caravan
07. Heaven And Hell
08. Changes
09. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
10. Sweet Leaf

The song “Paranoid” can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star was born for the parent that wants to pass along their biggest passion to their child, music. Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star transforms popular music into instrumental lullabies perfect for babies, yoga or just relaxation. Now, parents can enjoy the music from LADY GAGA to METALLICA in soothing lullaby style. With over 135 titles to choose from, Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star is the largest line of pop, rock, metal and jamband music lullabies in the world.

These aren’t novelty recordings. They are cute, they are soft but these are serious recordings. Roma Music Group, which releases Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star, is run by two music industry veterans who put the fidelity of these recording at the top of the priority list. Let’s face it, much like the brand name clothes you buy for your infant, this music is really for you. Whether you are raising a metal baby, rocker or hippie baby, Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star has your music transformed from arena anthems into nursery classics.

SWEET, featuring original guitarist Andy Scott, has released its new single, “Set Me Free”. The song is taken from the band’s current album, “Isolation Boulevard”.

“Isolation Boulevard” features all the SWEET’s classic hit singles and was recorded with the new lineup during lockdowns between September and October 2020. It’s a reworking of SWEET’s 1975 album multi-million-selling “Desolation Boulevard”.

The latest single, “Set Me Free”, is taken from the album, and although it is one of the most covered songs in the band’s repertoire, this marks the first time SWEET has released it as an official single.

Over the years, the song has been covered by many rock artists, including Vince Neil (MÖTLEY CRÜE), Steve Stevens (BILLY IDOL) and SAXON.

“Recording an album separately in different locations throws up a myriad of technical problems,” says Andy Scott. “It’s impossible for everyone to play at the same time, so all parts are performed the ‘old’ way and then data transferred back to base camp where the magical digital stuff takes over.”

Continues Andy: “SWEET would usually record all together in the studio with a performance rather than individually but the pandemic dictated the ways and means. The result is a mind-blowing set of tracks, all the hits and a barrage of heavy-duty glam rock.”

“Isolation Boulevard” track listing

01. Fox On The Run
02. Still Got The Rock
03. Action
04. Love Is Like Oxygen
05. Hell Raiser
06. The Six Teens
07. Blockbuster
08. Set Me Free
09. Teenage Rampage
10. Turn It Down
11. New York Groove
12. Ballroom Blitz

SWEET is a British rock and roll institution with a pedigree of 50 years of hit singles. They’ve sold 55 million albums and had 34 number No. 1 hit singles. Hailed by many as a national treasure with a loyal fanbase, their dazzling arsenal of rock music stands the test of time. The music is as relevant today as it was 50 years ago when SWEET first stormed the U.K. charts in January 1971.

Andy Scott, the songwriter, and last man standing from the original band, has produced a remarkable album given the challenging circumstances that we face globally today.

SWEET is (left to right in photo above): Lee Small (bass, vocals), Bruce Bisland (drums, vocals), Paul Manzi (lead vocals), Andy Scott (lead guitar, vocals), Steve Mann (guitar, keyboards)

KREATOR will get the jigsaw puzzle treatment next month.

On April 16, Zee Productions will release “Pleasure To Kill” as a 500-piece jigsaw on its Rock Saws imprint.

All 500-piece puzzles come in a vinyl-box-set-sized box, perfect to fit alongside a vinyl record collection.

According to Toy News, Rock Saws was originally developed by Zee Productions’ own self-proclaimed metalhead Steve Beatty.

“I want to make jigsaws that are for the music fan,” Beatty said. “Vinyl came back and I loved the idea of making great record sleeve art into jigsaws, maybe stick the record on and do together.”

Beatty launched Rock Saws in 2019, promising to “revolutionize” and “breathe new life into” the puzzles scene by delivering artwork from some of the rock and heavy metal scene’s most iconic album covers. The mission started with the launch of puzzles featuring artwork from albums by SLAYER and IRON MAIDEN.

CHEVELLE has released a lyric video for “Endlessly”. The track is taken from the band’s ninth full-length album, “Niratias”, which is being released today (Friday, March 5) via Epic Records.

Prior to its arrival, the band unloaded a salvo of singles, all released to acclaim. Lead single “Self Destructor” has already eclipsed close to five million streams globally and over one million YouTube views on the music video. After emerging as the “#1 Most Added Song,” it just broke into the Top 3 at Active Rock, adding to their robust catalogue of hits. Closing in on over two million streams, “Peach” garnered critical acclaim right out of the gate.

“Niratias” is an acronym for “Nothing Is Real and This Is a Simulation”, and it represents CHEVELLE at its dimension-blurring best. The body of work twists and turns through crushing guitars and haunting melodies like a cosmically heavy roller coaster at the edge of existence. The instrumental opener “Verruckt” sets the tone with its gnashing distortion and laser-precise groove. “So Long, Mother Earth” doubles as a eulogy for our planet carried by an overpowering scream and searing solo. Clocking in at almost six minutes, “Ghost And Razor” culminates on one final distorted exorcism before a pensive spoken word echoes barely above a whisper on “Lost In Digital Woods”.

“Niratias” stands out as CHEVELLE’s most pummeling and provocative record yet. Teaming with longtime producer Joe Barresi, the band recorded throughout 2019 and 2020 and pieced together an intriguing and inimitable body of work, with themes that will reveal themselves soon. The album artwork is by Boris Vallejo. The famed and award-winning artist is responsible for the posters used for films like “Knightriders” and “National Lampoon’s Vacation”, as well as iconic ’70s and ’80s science fiction novel covers and magazines (such as Heavy Metal).

Throughout its career, CHEVELLE has transformed rock music as tried-and-true outliers. The Chicago rock band has generated close to 1.7 billion global streams, earned 11 number one hits, and sold out shows worldwide. Their catalog spans the double-platinum “Wonder What’s Next” highlighted by the double-platinum smash “The Red” and platinum “Send The Pain Below” as well as the platinum “This Type Of Thinking (Could Do Us In)” and gold “Vena Sera”. They’ve landed four Top 10 debuts on the Billboard Top 200, including “Sci-Fi Crimes” (2009), “Hats Off To The Bull” (2011), “La Gárgola” (2014) and “The North Corridor” (2016). The latter two each captured No. 1 on the Top Rock Albums chart.

British heavy metal legends SAXON will release a covers album, “Inspirations”, on March 19 via Silver Lining Music. The 11-track effort contains some of the superb classic rock songs that influenced Biff Byford and the rest of the band. The LP’s third single, a cover of “Paperback Writer” by THE BEATLES, can be streamed below.

“I saw THE BEATLES on TV for the first time in 1963,” enthuses Byford. “It was a very inspirational moment for me to think maybe I could be in a band.”

“Inspirations” was recorded at Brockfield Hall, near York in the U.K., which was built in 1804 and holds the largest collection of paintings by Yorkshire’s impressionist artists — the Staithes Group. For Byford, recording “Inspirations” all together within such a rich historical environment was a major ingredient of the project. “The warmth and feel of ‘Inspirations’ had so much to do with being together in this magnificent place and doing it ‘old-school’ style,” Byford explained. “This is how many bands back in the day —including some of the ones covered here — made such great albums, so it just felt really good to be able to do this somewhere like Brockfield Hall.”

From the super-charged melodic romp of THE BEATLES’ “Paperback Writer” to their freeway mad take on Jimi Hendrix’s “Stone Free”, SAXON show their love and appreciation with a series of faithful, raw and ready tributes. Maintaining a firm eye on the old-school way using Marshall cabs, Marshall amps, real drums and produced by Byford with Jacky Lehmann recording and mixing, SAXON approach the likes of MOTÖRHEAD’s “Bomber” (with added whistle!), AC/DC’s “Problem Child”, BLACK SABBATH’s “Evil Woman” and a raucous DEEP PURPLE’s “Speed King” with refreshingly warm, unfiltered, “vintage”-sounding renditions.

“We wanted to do an album based on our influences, the songs and bands that inspired us to write what we did and still do,” continued Byford, “and it was also interesting to see what my voice could do as I haven’t sung many of these songs before.”

Byford does, indeed, take on some new vocal challenges, which he duly smashes on the likes of THIN LIZZY’s “The Rocker”. The net result is that whether cranking up a heavyweight take on LED ZEPPELIN’s “Immigrant Song” or throwing down AC/DC’s “Problem Child”, SAXON does a supreme job of entertaining both themselves and their audience throughout Inspirations.

“We didn’t want to change any of the songs too much, just play them more like SAXON,” concluded Byford, “and we also think it’s very important to have — and share with the fans — some fun in these dark times.”

You want even more proof of the validity behind that statement? Wrap your ears around their sparkling take on TOTO’s “Hold The Line” and consider SAXON’s “Inspirations” a mission accomplished.

“Inspirations” will be made available on vinyl, CD, digital formats and limited-edition D2C products.

Track listing:

01. Paint It Black
02. Immigrant Song
03. Paperback Writer
04. Evil Woman
05. Stone Free
06. Bomber
07. Speed King
08. The Rocker
09. Hold The Line
10. Problem Child
11. See My Friends

Geezer Butler has told Bass Magazine that DEADLAND RITUAL, the band he started a few years ago with guitarist Steve Stevens (BILLY IDOL, VINCE NEIL), drummer Matt Sorum (GUNS N’ ROSES, VELVET REVOLVER) and singer Franky Perez (APOCALYPTICA) likely won’t get resurrected once life resumes post-pandemic.

“We had about 13 or 14 songs written, and we were about to go into the studio when the pandemic came along,” he said. “And now Steve won’t leave his house [laughs], and so I think the singer [Franky Perez] is doing something else, and Matt is doing something also.” Butler went on to say DEADLAND RITUAL had “some really good stuff” that he “might rescue” and put on a future solo album.

DEADLAND RITUAL released two songs, “Down In Flames” and “Broken And Bruised” in late 2018 and early 2019. Both tracks, which were produced by Greg Fidelman (METALLICA, SLIPKNOT), were made available via Sonik Riot Records/AWAL powered by Kobalt.

For its live performances, DEADLAND RITUAL’s setlist consisted of several original tracks alongside classic songs from the members’ previous bands, including BLACK SABBATH’s “Symptom Of The Universe”, “Neon Knights” and “Sweet Leaf”, VELVET REVOLVER’s “Slither” and BILLY IDOL’s “Rebel Yell”.

Geezer previously said that he initially had no plans to join another band after SABBATH completed its “The End” farewell tour.

“Well, I retired after the last SABBATH show,” he said. “I just traveled and did everything that I wanted to do when I was retired for a year. And then I got fed up watching the TV every day. And I started writing stuff again, ’cause that’s what you do. I’ve been doing it for 50 years, so it’s in your blood. You can’t just stop, especially when it’s your hobby as well. And I just got back into writing stuff. I was planning on doing another solo album, a GZR thing. And I got a few songs together for that. And then Matt got in touch with me about DEADLAND RITUAL.”

Asked what appealed to him about being in a band again, Geezer said: “It’s what I’ve known since I started when I was 16; I was in a band. When you’re doing solo stuff, it’s just you writing stuff. There’s nobody to bounce off, and I really missed that. It’s good to have people saying, ‘That’s good. That’ll work.’ Or, ‘That’s not so good.’ And I missed having that. The guitarist that I worked with in GZR, he’s just moved to the East Coast and he’s got other things on his plate at the moment. With DEADLAND RITUAL, everybody’s local, so it’s easy to get together. And you don’t have to plan months in advance to do an album or write songs. If I feel like writing a song today, I call up Steve, go around to Steve’s house, and we try something.”

DEADLAND RITUAL made its live debut in May 2019 at the Troubadour in West Hollywood, California.

Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Rock In Rio has been forced to cancel the 2021 editions of its festivals in both Lisbon, Portugal in June and Rio De Janeiro, Brazil in late September. Both have been rescheduled for 2022, with the dates for Brazil being September 2-4 and September 8-11, 2022, and for Portugal June 18, 19, 25 and 26, 2022.

The 2021 edition of Rock In Rio in Rio De Janeiro was scheduled to include appearances by IRON MAIDEN, DREAM THEATER, MEGADETH and SEPULTURA. SEPULTURA’s performance was slated to include an appearance by the Orquestra Sinfonica Brasileira, which is one of Brazil’s foremost orchestras.

This marks Rock In Rio’s second postponement in a row as a result of the coronavirus crisis.

Brazil has the world’s second-highest death toll of the pandemic, after the United States. Brazil’s Health Ministry registered 75,102 additional cases of coronavirus on Thursday, the most in a single day since July and the second-highest on record. It also recorded 1699 deaths on the day.

Less than 3.5 percent of the Brazilian population has received the COVID-19 vaccine so far.

In 2018, Live Nation Entertainment, the world’s leading live entertainment company, acquired a stake in Rock In Rio, which in 2017 was the second highest-grossing festival in all of the world, as well as the largest music festival in South America, attended by more than 700,000 fans from 62 different countries.

Rock In Rio began in 1985, and has hosted 20 editions with nearly 2,000 artists and 10 million attendees. The festival has also been live broadcasted and streamed to more than one billion viewers worldwide.

Nos vemos na Cidade do Rock em 2022. ❤️? #RockinRio2022 pic.twitter.com/1ppNQlmmz5
— Rock in Rio (@rockinrio) March 4, 2021