All posts in Featured

Portuguese metallers MOONSPELL will release their 13th studio album, “Hermitage”, on February 26 via Napalm Records. The official music video for the disc’s latest single, “The Hermit Saints”, can be seen below. The clip takes us on an epic trip to the heights of the world and the lows of the abysses. Accented by melodic groove and bombastic choruses, this track is sure to become a fan favorite.

“‘The Hermit Saints’ unveils even further secrets about our forthcoming album, ‘Hermitage’,” vocalist Fernando Ribeiro says. “Make no mistake: this is a METAL song played according to MOONSPELL’s own signature and rules.

“This song tells you about the holiness and unholiness of men, about the duality between saints and sinners. It tells of the fever that makes us cross into the desert of our own existences, perpetually looking out for the cure, that will never come until we change our ways.

“Many might go. Few will come back. Lock the gates, behold ‘The Hermit Saints’.”

While the world is struggling in the dark, MOONSPELL’s forthcoming album was recorded, mixed and mastered by Jaime Gomez Arellano (PARADISE LOST, PRIMORDIAL, GHOST, SÓLSTAFIR) at the Orgone Studios in the U.K. Building upon the sensitive facets of “Hermitage”, one can expect an entertaining and revolutionary, yet epic journey through the darkest days of human existence. Beautifully crafted songs such as “The Greater Good” show us the modernity of the wolves in 2021, while other tracks embrace the MOONSPELL tradition of writing a dark, gothic metal record like no other band can. The ethereal and melodic sounds of MOONSPELL, while not straying away from their metal roots — influenced by underground metal bands such as BATHORY — make “Hermitage” most likely one of the deepest, surprising and most epic albums MOONSPELL has ever written.

With “Hermitage”, MOONSPELL created a wonderfully intuitive and epic journey, but also a testament to what they’ve always loved the most: honest, emotional metal that binds us even in the darkest times.

Fernando said: “We know that we are entering the final years of our career as musicians: the winter of our lifetime. We don’t care about people saying we’re still young at heart, or ‘leading’ wolves in a pack. We are not! But we do care about how those around us feel about us, and this album is all about how we feel, our answers to your questions. Under these circumstances, we feel our musical stakes are higher than ever. For us, it’s not about likes or algorithms, reach, or opportunity of growth. We only care about the music. Music does come first on this album you will hold in your hands soon enough.”

He continued: “The record is about turning our backs to the conventions of modernity. We are currently convincing ourselves that it’s all about us, that we (humanity) are everything. That the world revolves around us. However, ipsi facto, we are nothing and nothing revolves around us. Moonspell’s goal, on these last turns around the Sun, are to write the best music we possibly can. To tell you a few stories with our lyrics, to be close to you in these times of distancing. We wish not to tease you or to influence you or to sell you our fish. We want to sit down with you at your table and feast together upon our notes and words. Like if we were close friends, like back in the time where music matters the most. In your bedroom listening to music, without having to post our smart remarks about it, inviting the hate in.

“‘Hermitage’ is an open-hearted invitation to simplicity. To be humble. To be thankful. To serve you solace. Provide you comfort, entertainment. We sincerely hope this call reaches you. That you kindly accept what we offer. That you take our music with you to the place you must feel as yours. To your secret place, to your hermitage. Blessed be.”

“Hermitage” will be available in several highly limited and collectable deluxe editions, mediabook, cassette, all of them including the CANDLEMASS cover “Darkness In Paradise”, but also as jewelcase and digital formats. The deluxe box will also include an etched seven-inch vinyl with another special bonus track, “The Great Leap Forward”, as well as much more exciting additional collectable items.

“Hermitage” track listing:

01. The Greater Good
02. Common Prayers
03. All Or Nothing
04. Hermitage
05. Entitlement
06. Solitarian
07. The Hermit Saints
08. Apophthegmata
09. Without Rule
10. City Quitter (Outro)

+ Bonus tracks:

11. Darkness In Paradise (CANDLEMASS cover; available on LP, deluxe box, MC + mediabook)
12. The Great Leap Forward (7″ vinyl; available in deluxe box)

Photo credit: Rui Vasco

MTV’s seminal, Gen X-defining “Beavis And Butt-Head” about two cartoon teenagers famous for their nasally laughs and love of heavy metal will return with an all-new movie on Paramount+. The new movie adaptation was announced by MTV Entertainment Group president Chris McCarthy during ViacomCBS’s Paramount+ launch event.

The announcement came via a Zoom call featuring the two characters. Butt-Head said in the clip: “So like, eh…we’re making a movie.” Beavis added: “And it’s gonna be on Paramount+ — kick-ass.” They then continued to laugh about the fact that Beavis said “mount” before the screen faded to reveal the Paramount+ logo.

Last July, Comedy Central announced an expansive deal with Emmy Award-winning Mike Judge to reimagine “Beavis And Butt-Head”. Comedy Central ordered two seasons of the new series with meta-themes relatable to both new and old fans — Gen X parents and their Gen Z kids.

Comedy Central ordered two seasons of the new series with meta-themes relatable to both new and old fans — Gen X parents and their Gen Z kids.

Judge is set to write, produce and provide voice over for both iconic characters.

Launched in 1993, “Beavis And Butt-Head” quickly became a force in pop culture and started a television revolution with its pure, unadulterated, satirical commentary on youth and adolescence. Centered around two teenage couch potatoes, “Beavis” and “Butt-Head,” the unprecedented concept immediately became part of the vernacular in a way no other adult animated series had before. Known for tackling social issues including teen obesity, workers’ rights and media trends, the show connected with an entire generation, laying claim as one of the most innovative series in the modern-day zeitgeist.

The Comedy Central deal marked a homecoming for Judge after going on to create other landmark series including “Silicon Valley” and “King Of The Hill”, and movies like “Office Space” and “Idiocracy” among others. “Beavis And Butt-Head” marks a return to animation as he looks to recreate a cultural dialogue for a new generation, giving familiar fans and new audiences alike the chance to experience and laugh with America’s favorite animated duo.

SWEET, featuring original guitarist Andy Scott, will release its new single, “Set Me Free”, on Friday, March 5. 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)

My Dying Bride’s 1995 gothic doom landmark The Angel and the Dark River gets its Hall of Fame induction some 15 years after we gave Turn Loose the Swans the nod.
The post My Dying Bride – The Angel and the Dark River appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

The new model features a hardtail bridge, mahogany neck, and a Seymour Duncan neck pickup.

The Dual Expression is an active, wear-free expression pedal equipped with a precise magnetic sensor.

Former AC/DC drummer Simon Wright says that he was never approached about playing drums for the band after Phil Rudd was arrested for drug possession and threatening to kill an employee. “The phone didn’t ring at all,” Simon told SiriusXM’s “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk”. “I get asked that quite a lot. No, it didn’t ring. I wasn’t looking for it. I don’t know. I wasn’t expecting a call — put it that way — and I didn’t pursue it, I must admit. I did hear some things about what was going on, but to have put my foot in it wouldn’t have been cool. So, that’s it. That’s the way it goes. They didn’t call. That’s no problem for me. I’ve got lots of stuff to do.”

Chris Slade ended up playing drums for AC/DC on the legendary hard rock band’s “Rock Or Bust” world tour. Since then, AC/DC has recorded and released a new album, “Power Up”, with Rudd sitting behind the kit in the studio.

Wright, who played drums for AC/DC in the 1980s, went on to say that he has no contact with his former bandmates anymore. “No, I haven’t been in touch for years,” he said. “I did text [AC/DC bassist] Cliff Williams four or five months ago. I don’t know why. I just congratulated him on his retirement and wished him well. And he texted me back and said, “Thanks. It’s good to hear from you. I hope you’re well.’ But no, I don’t really keep in touch with them. They’ve got their lives, and I’ve had my life for quite some time now. But if I ran into ’em, I’m sure we’d say hello.”

According to Wright, fans shouldn’t be surprised to know that he is no longer in regular communication with the AC/DC camp. “There’s people that I’ve played with that I haven’t kept in touch with,” he explained. “And it’s not a problem. You just move on. They’ve got their lives, and I’ve got mine. And I’m busy trying to figure stuff out and keep moving forward and all the usual stuff. I don’t think it’s unusual.”

Wright, who joined AC/DC after the departure of Rudd in 1983, also reflected on his time with the iconic hard rock group. “It was just a working band,” he said. “There were long, hard shows — obviously very enjoyable. And it was possible back then, being that young. There were some fantastic shows. I mean, come on — it’s, like, Rock In Rio, there was three hundred thousand [people] there. And then lots and lots of other big, big shows. And it was very comfortable. You were looked after. It was an amazing time. I will always thank them for the time that they gave me and let me play that stuff. So, yeah, it was an amazing time — no doubt — and I have total respect in the world for them.”

Wright, currently of DIO DISCIPLES and also known for his work in DIO, RHINO BUCKET and UFO, lasted in AC/DC for six years. Wright, a then-unknown drummer whose first credits included Manchester, England metal outfit A II Z, joined AC/DC in time for the touring cycle for “Flick Of The Switch” and played with the Australian rockers throughout the ’80s before leaving to join DIO in 1989.

Slade originally followed Wright in AC/DC’s lineup, joining in time to play on 1990’s “The Razor’s Edge” album. When Rudd returned in 1995, Slade was shown the door and harbored some bad feelings about that for a while.

EYES debut a three-song live session at the legendary Royal Danish Academy of Music.
The post Video Premiere: EYES – Live at the Royal Danish Academy of Music appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

David Coverdale has offered an update on the proposed 30th-anniversary re-release of his collaboration with Jimmy Page. The well-received COVERDALE PAGE set was recorded in several studios on both sides of the Atlantic over the winter of 1991-92 before it was finally released in March 1993.

Asked during a February 18 appearance on SiriusXM’s “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk” if there has been any progress on a possible reissue of COVERDALE PAGE’s eponymously titled LP, David said: “Well, I’ve gotta tell you, there’s been immense progress. I finally reached a very positive agreement with my former record company regarding missing assets. And I got the rights to the COVERDALE PAGE album. So, of course, my first phone call was to Jimmy, and I said, ‘We’ve got it. We’ve got it back, and we can do with it what we want.’ And, of course, Jimmy is in lockdown in the U.K., where it’s really very heavy duty [with the pandemic]. So he’s in his country estate… I literally just texted Jimmy two days ago, and I said, ‘Jimmy, I’m so sorry I haven’t been in touch.’ But we’re resuming contact starting next week to discuss. I’ve got a couple of ideas. I wanna see if we can write courtesy of FaceTime or Zoom. I’ve got a couple of ideas which I think would be good for if indeed we can get back into the studio and plan for a very big, luxurious, complete box set [for] the 30th anniversary in 2023.”

As for what extra material might surface on the expanded “Coverdale Page” set, the WHITESNAKE singer said: “We’ve got four unreleased tracks, which just need to be mixed. But since we reconnected, I’ve been messing around, writing at home. And I have two ideas which could make really fun tracks — just to throw at him and ‘see what you can do with this.’ The way we did it before — we wrote really very potent music together.

“The other thing that I recommended to him was, ‘Let’s remaster the original, but I’d love you, in England, with a mixer of your choice, to do the Jimmy Page mix of the album, and I’ll do the David Coverdale mix as bonus stuff,'” he continued. “And I think that’d be great. He trusts me, I trust him, and I think it would be great for the fans to get Jimmy’s take on it, ’cause we did everything 50/50 on the project. It was an amazing three years together. I loved it. So, yeah, that’s definitely in the pipeline.”

According to David, it is unlikely that work on the “Coverdale Page” reissue will begin in earnest for several months while the entire world is struggling to come out of the colossal impact of COVID-19 pandemic.

“At this moment in time, at his country estate, I don’t think [Jimmy] has a studio,” he said. “And he certainly doesn’t wanna drive into London. He and I are target ages for this dreadful virus. So I completely support him in that scenario, ’cause there isn’t any rush. Nothing is gonna be going on this year. Even if we have the opportunity of recording, I can record stuff over here, send him the drive for him to do his part, and we can mix it through the technology now, which is something you couldn’t do before. But I have a studio at home, and Jimmy doesn’t. So I’m hoping we can get some new bits and pieces and ideas and put that into play next year when it will be safer to get around.”

Upon its release, “Coverdale Page” sold strongly, peaking at No. 4 on the U.K. album chart and No. 5 in the U.S. The album eventually went platinum in the U.S., despite the fact that the project as a whole was marred by the “LED ZEPPELIN clone” tag, including from ZEPPELIN frontman Robert Plant, who openly expressed his disdain for Coverdale, referring to him as “David Cover-version.” Coverdale was equally vitriolic in his response, saying about the LED ZEPPELIN singer, “There’s certainly no love lost between myself and Robert… I wouldn’t send him cat food if he was starving.”

Coverdale later apologized to Plant, saying in a 2013 interview with TeamRock Radio’s “Classic Rock Magazine Show”: “I hold [Plant] in the highest esteem as a human being, and as an artist, and I really would like to, you know, sit down, buy him a drink, shake hands and say: ‘I’m really sorry,” you know, “Can we be friends again?’ I don’t hold any animosity, just disappointment in myself that I took the bait and ran with some ugly things. Because it’s not appropriate for somebody I respect so much.”