NIGHTWISH has commenced the songwriting process for its tenth studio album.

Earlier today (Wednesday, March 2), the Finnish/British/Dutch symphonic metallers shared a photo of NIGHTWISH keyboardist and main songwriter Tuomas Holopainen in the studio, along with the following caption: “Demo session for #n10Demo session for #n10”.

NIGHTWISH’s latest album, “Human. :II: Nature.”, was released in April 2020. The follow-up to 2015’s “Endless Forms Most Beautiful”, “Human. :II: Nature.” was a double album containing nine tracks on the main CD and one long track, divided into eight chapters, on CD 2.

NIGHTWISH will embark on the North American leg of the “Human. :II: Nature.” world tour this spring. The 10-date trek will kick off on May 6 in Montreal with stops in New York, Chicago, and Denver before concluding in Los Angeles for two back-to-back shows at The Wiltern on May 20 and May 21.

Last July, NIGHTWISH played a special “secret” concert in Oulu, Finland as a warm-up for its festival appearances in Finland. The gig marked NIGHTWISH’s first fan-attended show in more than two a half years. It was also NIGHTWISH’s first proper concert with session bassist Jukka Koskinen’s (WINTERSUN), who stepped into the group as the replacement for longtime NIGHTWISH bassist/vocalist Marko “Marco” Hietala. Hietala announced his departure from the band in January 2021, explaining in a statement that he hadn’t “been able to feel validated by this life for a quite a few years now.”

Koskinen made his live debut with NIGHTWISH at the band’s two interactive experiences in May 2021. The shows reportedly drew 150,000 viewers, setting the record for the largest paid virtual concert in Finland’s history. Most of the viewers came from Europe and North America, but the performance was a truly global event, with fans in 108 countries purchasing tickets to the show and the box office gross exceeding one million euro.

Last spring, Holopainen said that Hietala’s decision to leave the band “came as a bit of a surprise.” He told Finland’s Kaaos TV: “Marko informed us in December [of 2020 that he was leaving the band]. And even though he has been very open about his state and problems during the past years, it still came as a bit of a surprise for us. So it was a really tough pill to swallow. And for a few days, I was actually quite confident that there’s no coming back, that this is it. I remember talking to Emppu [Vuorinen], the guitar player, and we were, like, ‘You think this is it?’ ‘Yeah, I think this is it.’ I mean, enough is enough. So much has happened in the past. Something that broke the camel’s back, as they say. Then, after some time had passed — a few days — we started to think that it’s been such a ride of 25 years, with so many ups also, that this is not the way to end it.”

Demo session for #n10 ? pic.twitter.com/zOctfAvXV1
— Nightwish (@NightwishBand) March 2, 2022

According to The Blast, Marilyn Manson has filed a lawsuit against actress Evan Rachel Wood over allegations of rape and sexual abuse.

Wood alleged in the documentary “Phoenix Rising” that she was “coerced into a commercial sex act under false pretenses” while filming the 2007 music video for “Heart-Shaped Glasses” with her then-boyfriend Manson.

Manson’s attorney Howard King later denied Wood’s allegations in a statement to People, claiming that the singer “did not have sex with Evan on that set, and she knows that is the truth.”

In his lawsuit against Wood, Manson, whose real name is Brian Warner, accused his ex-fiancée of intentional infliction of emotional distress, defamation, computer fraud, and impersonation over the Internet.

The documents, which filed on Wednesday morning (March 2) in the Los Angeles Superior Court, state: “This action arises from the wrongful and illegal acts done in furtherance of a conspiracy by Defendant Evan Rachel Wood and her on-again, off-again romantic partner, Defendant Ashley Gore, a/k/a Illma Gore, to publicly cast Plaintiff Brian Warner, p/k/a Marilyn Manson, as a rapist and abuser—a malicious falsehood that has derailed Warner’s successful music, TV, and film career.”

In the documents, Manson accused Wood of impersonating “an actual agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation by forging and distributing a fictitious letter from the agent, to create the false appearance that Warner’s alleged ‘victims’ and their families were in danger, and that there was a federal criminal investigation of Warner ongoing. They provided checklists and scripts to prospective accusers, listing the specific alleged acts of abuse that they should claim against Warner.”

The documents further allege that Wood “made knowingly false statements to prospective accusers (which have since been repeated by those accusers in court filings), including the defamatory claim that Warner filmed the sexual assault of a minor.”

Wood, who was in a relationship with Manson from mid-2006 until early 2011, claimed in the “Phoenix Rising” documentary that the music video shoot was “the first crime [he] committed against me.”

“It’s nothing like I thought it was going to be,” Wood said. “We’re doing things that were not what was pitched to me. … We had discussed a simulated sex scene, but once the cameras were rolling, he started penetrating me for real. I had never agreed to that. I’m a professional actress, I’ve been doing this my whole life; I’ve never been on a set that unprofessional in my life up until this day.”

A little over a year ago, Wood named Manson as the previously anonymous abuser she referenced while testifying before the California Senate in relation to the state’s Phoenix Act, which extends the statute of limitations on domestic violence from three years to five. In February 2021, Wood claimed in a social media post that Manson “groomed” and “horrifically” abused her for years. After she shared her accusations, several other women posted their own allegations against the singer. The women claimed to have endured “sexual assault, psychological abuse, and/or various forms of coercion, violence, and intimidation” at the hands of Manson.

The 53-year-old Manson later released a statement denying the abuse allegations leveled against him, writing on Instagram: “Obviously, my art and my life have long been magnets for controversy, but these recent claims about me are horrible distortions of reality. My intimate relationships have always been entirely consensual with like-minded partners. Regardless of how — and why — others are now choosing to misrepresent the past, that is the truth.”

Time flies when things are heavy. CROWBAR have been a weighty musical force for an impressive 32 years now, and yet nothing about “Zero And Below” indicates that founder and talismanic frontman Kirk Windstein is anywhere close to running out of steam — or riffs. With classics like “Odd Fellows Rest” and “Time Heals Nothing” already guaranteeing his band a seat at heavy metal’s high table, Windstein would have been forgiven for treading water. But if “The Serpent Only Lies” (2016) and “Symmetry in Black” (2014) elevated the CROWBAR sound to new levels of crushing craftsmanship, their twelfth full-length goes even further, offering up some of the finest songs to bear the band’s name in many years.

“The Fear That Binds You” is just the oppressive, riff-driven tonic that CROWBAR fans have come to expect. Huge of riff and insistent of grove, it’s as brutish and unforgiving as anything in the band’s repertoire, and Windstein sounds newly engaged, clearheaded and seriously pissed off. “Her Evil Is Sacred” turns up the doom and the tempo, and it’s CROWBAR in their absolute element: riffs that just won’t quit, and an incensed, near-feral vocal from the man himself. “Confess To Nothing” and “Chemical Godz” both deliver the classic Windsteinian goods: the former is a slithering, swamp-dwelling thing, propelled forward on waves of unease; the latter is a turbulent, soul-sapping monolith to its creators’ original blueprint, with SABBATH-ian rumble and woozy, tripped out terror equally integral to its impact.

So far, so eminently CROWBAR, but “Zero And Below” is a more adventurous record than its first few salvos might suggest. “Denial Of The Truth” is simply mesmerizing, with Windstein switching between a soulful, psychedelic croon and his usual anguished howl, all at a crippling snail’s pace, with true doom roots sticking out like the Devil’s trident. Elsewhere, “It’s Always Worth The Gain” revels in glutinous noise rock grooves and Louisiana swagger, while “Bleeding From Every Hole” is a crusty, punked-up hammer attack and a worthy successor to previous CROWBAR riot-starters like “High Rate Extinction”. Rather brilliantly, “Crush Negativity” must surely be the most remorselessly negative and menacing song about embracing positivity ever written, while “Reanimating A Lie” is a straightforward four-minute doom riff masterclass.

“Zero And Below” ends with its bruised and brooding title track, wherein Kirk Windstein’s hoarse rasp floats through a shimmering fog of sludge, perfectly nailing the melancholy, regret and sense of loss that forever plagues humanity, and perhaps more now than ever. Heavy times demand heavy music. CROWBAR continue to be among the heaviest ever.

Claim your own hot or cold spot in hell and blast the debut album from death metal demons Hellfrost and Fire. Stream it now before the album’s March 18th release.
The post Album Premiere: Hellfrost and Fire – ‘Fire, Frost and Hell’ appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

LIONS AT THE GATE, the new band featuring former ILL NIÑO members Cristian Machado (vocals), Ahrue “Luster” Ilustre (guitar) and Diego Verduzco (guitar), alongside bassist Stephen Brewer (WESTFIELD MASSACRE) and drummer Fern Lemus, has released its latest single and music video, “Bed Of Nails”. The track strikes a fine balance between otherworldly vocals, relentless rhythm, and massively heavy riffs.

Speaking about “Bed Of Nails”, Machado commented: “‘Bed Of Nails’ is a song that was brought in by Diego, a string of riffs that told a story. [Producer] Kile [Odellpushed the dynamics of the song into extremes by surrounding Diego’s riffs with ghostly verses. Ahrue and Steve rounded off some of the parts and the bridge of the song. When I heard the demo, I fell in love with the heavy riff and the double bass, especially followed by those intimate and creepy verses. That caught my attention instantly. When we got the final mixes back from Kile, I realized how strong the song was.”

He continued: “The message of the song is not hidden in the lyric; it is blatantly about deep inner struggle to accept the things you cannot change. I think, especially to embrace those things which blossom growth, even when they involve intense struggle. It’s a theme stitched well into the album. Laying out a maze, attempting to discover an exit path, trying to cut through the uncertainty of life and the chaos of the world. Really, though, aren’t we all?”

“Bed Of Nails” and previously released singles “Scapegoat” and “Not Even Human” are expected to appear on LIONS AT THE GATE’s upcoming debut album, which was produced by the aforementioned Kile Odell, who has previously worked with FOZZY and MOTIONLESS IN WHITE.

LIONS AT THE GATE released its debut single, “Not Even Human”, back in June 2021 to huge excitement from fans old and new.

When LIONS AT THE GATE’s formation was first announced, Machado said: “I feel so blessed to be in LIONS AT THE GATE. We’ve all been making albums for a long time but I think it was time for us to make something special and memorable again. This album is exactly that. Take away our musical history, take away our long hair, take away our personal feelings, just make believe we were never there. This LIONS AT THE GATE album is amazing. We finally made a modern metal album that metalheads will enjoy beginning to end. It’s deep, it’s memorable, I can’t wait for everyone to hear it, I can’t wait for everyone to hear the featured female artist on one of the songs.”

Verduzco added: “I’m beyond proud and excited to announce our new band LIONS AT THE GATE. Life is all about change and I feel that this music is the most dynamic and honest that we’ve ever written. I feel a sense of freedom and am completely reinvigorated and even anxious (in a good way) to be a part of something that pulls influence from so many directions . Each member brings a unique set of talent and tools. It’s quite frankly some of the best music we’ve ever written. Organic, honest, and true.”

Luster stated: “I’m more excited about LIONS AT THE GATE than anything that I’ve been a part of since I started my musical career.”

Luster discussed his renewed collaboration with Machado and Verduzco in an interview with Pierre Gutierrez of Rock Talks. He said: “I can’t even explain how happy I am with how this came out. It sounds, in my opinion, better than anything that Cristian and I have ever done together, and that includes all the ILL NIÑO records that we’ve done together.”

Asked about the musical direction of LIONS AT THE GATE, Ahrue said: “It’s a very polished sound, similar to… I don’t wanna say it sounds like [ILL NIÑO’s 2003 album] ‘Confession’, but there’s a lot of singing on it, there’s a lot of production. But at the same time, there’s heaviness to it. But the songs are better than anything we’ve written. And the crazy thing was the process of writing ’em was way easier than it has ever been for us. Usually an ILL NIÑO record would take us three to six months to finish. We finished this record in 20 days, and we believe it sounds better than anything we’ve ever done in the past.”

Speaking about LIONS AT THE GATE’s collaboration with Odell, Ahrue said: “He’s worked with BAD WOLVES. I think he may have co-wrote with them. But he has a huge resume, and he’s had, like, five Number One hits last year. And he was amazing to work with. I’ve worked with Ross Robinson, I’ve worked with Johnny K, I’ve worked with Terry Date, as a mixer, and I’ve worked with some other big names in the industry that have all had platinum records, and I’ll say, hands down, Kile Odell is amazing. I would say, second to [MACHINE HEAD’s] ‘The Burning Red’, it was an amazing experience. It was a different way. As far as Ross Robinson was really into the emotion and getting the emotion out of the players and the music, Odell is very musical and he’s really able to help with the songs, and he has a great ear and a great vision.”

LIONS AT THE GATE will make its live debut on April 28 at the legendary Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California. Support at the show will come from THROWN INTO EXILE and BREAKING IN A SEQUENCE. Tickets go on sale on Friday, March 4 at 10 a.m. PT.

Photo credit: Andre Giovani