GARBAGE Announces 'No Gods No Masters' Album, Releases 'The Men Who Rule The World' Music Video

GARBAGE will release its seventh studio album, “No Gods No Masters”, on June 11 via Stunvolume/Infectious Music. The record’s debut single, “The Men Who Rule the World”, and its accompanying mixed media video — created by Chilean film director, animator and painter Javi Mi Amor — are out today.

“This is our seventh record, the significant numerology of which affected the DNA of its content: the seven virtues, the seven sorrows, and the seven deadly sins,” says the band’s frontwoman Shirley Manson of the album and its twists and turns from capitalism and lust to loss and grief. “It was our way of trying to make sense of how fucking nuts the world is and the astounding chaos we find ourselves in. It’s the record we felt that we had to make at this time.”

“The Men Who Rule The World”, the opening track of “No Gods No Masters”, is a protest song — a searing indictment and call to arms critiquing of the rise of capitalist short-sightedness, racism, sexism and misogyny across the world. It’s a clear statement of intent from a band who still believe in the power of dissent, setting the tone for the rest of the record.

Produced by GARBAGE and long-time collaborator Billy Bush, the seeds for “No Gods No Masters” were planted in summer 2018 in the desert in Palm Springs. The quartet — Manson and bandmates Duke Erikson, Steve Marker and Butch Vig — convened at a home belonging to one of Marker’s relatives and sketched out the skeleton of the album over two weeks, jamming, experimenting and feeling the songs out. They then took those demos and went their separate ways before connecting in Los Angeles to finish the record.

GARBAGE will unveil a deluxe CD/digital version of “No Gods No Masters” featuring covers of classic tracks by David Bowie, Patti Smith and Bruce Springsteen along with rare GARBAGE originals. The deluxe version also features new voices, with appearances from Screaming Females, Brody Dalle, Brian Aubert, John Doe and Exene Cervenka. The album will also be in record stores starting June 12 as part of RSD Drops and will be available in limited edition pink vinyl, featuring alternate cover art.

Since releasing their eponymous debut album in 1995, GARBAGE has blazed a unique sonic trail, garnering critical acclaim and amassing a passel of hits as well as seven Grammy nominations along the way to 17 million albums sold.

“No Gods No Masters” track listing:

01. The Men Who Rule The World
02. The Creeps
03. Uncomfortably Me
04. Wolves
05. Waiting For God
06. Godhead
07. Anonymous XXX
08. A Woman Destroyed
09. Flipping The Bird
10. No Gods No Masters
11. This City Will Kill You

Deluxe Edition (bonus tracks)

12. No Horses
13. Starman
14. Girls Talk (feat. Brody Dalle)
15. Because The Night (feat. Screaming Females)
16. On Fire
17. The Chemicals (feat. Brian Aubert)
18. Destroying Angels (feat. John Doe & Exene Cervenka)
19. Time Will Destroy Everything

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STAIND To Release 'Live: It's Been Awhile' Album In May; 'The Return Of Staind' Streaming Series Announced

Multi-platinum rock band STAIND will release its first album in nine years, “Live: It’s Been Awhile”, on May 7 via Yap’em/Alchemy Recordings.

The “Live: It’s Been Awhile” album will be accompanied by “The Return Of Staind”, a two-part global streaming series in partnership with Danny Wimmer Presents. The series launches with STAIND’s “Live: It’s Been Awhile (From Foxwoods)” concert, which streams globally on May 1. The “Live: It’s Been Awhile” album and concert were recorded at the band’s comeback show at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut in October 2019. The never-before-seen concert celebrates the band’s reunion after a five-year hiatus.

“These were the first grouping of shows we played together in 2019, when we were gearing up for what was to be a very busy 2020…that never happened,” says STAIND lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Aaron Lewis. “I’m glad we captured that energy here and can share it with those who couldn’t be at Foxwoods.”

STAIND will also perform its iconic multi-platinum 2001 album “Break The Cycle” in its entirety for a May 8 streaming event, exactly 20 years after the album’s release. The “20th Anniversary Of Break The Cycle, Performed In Its Entirety” takes place at Mill 1 in Open Square in Holyoke, Massachusetts, bringing the band back to their Western Mass roots. Please note, this is a fully virtual event, with no in-person attendance.

“Our first show together in 1995 was at a now defunct bar called the Waterfront in Holyoke,” says Aaron. “We played mostly covers, because that’s what you had to do back then. Turns out The Waterfront is two miles from where we did this. Here we are, two miles down the road, 26 years later, celebrating the anniversary of the album that helped us break though 20 years ago and altered our lives forever.”

Both global streaming events debut at 2:00 p.m. PDT / 5:00 p.m. EDT / 10:00 p.m. BST / 11:00 p.m. CEST on their respective days and will be available on-demand for 72 hours. Watch the official trailer for “The Return Of Staind” below.

Purchase tickets for one or both of the STAIND global streaming events at StaindLive.com. Fans can also purchase bundles and VIP experiences, including exclusive merchandise, a custom STAIND guitar autographed by the entire band, and a virtual meet-and-greet with the band.

After a five-year hiatus, STAIND roared back on the scene in 2019 with a series of electrifying live performances, including DWP’s Louder Than Life and Aftershock festivals.

“‘Break The Cycle’ was huge — in 2001, it debuted at #1 with over 700,000 copies sold in its first week – but it’s more than just a hit record. It’s a defining moment for the genre, the way it flows from beauty to heaviness — and Aaron Lewis was the perfect instrument for those melodies, those lyrics. Nobody in the genre could match the dynamics of Aaron’s voice,” says Danny Wimmer, founder of Danny Wimmer Presents. “When STAIND came back in 2019, they sounded as good as ever, and the fan demand for what the band had planned for 2020 was through the roof. Now in 2021, there’s no way we were going to miss this opportunity to celebrate 20 years of such a pivotal record, and carry that momentum into the next era of STAIND.”

STAIND has released seven albums since 1995, the latest being the 2011 self-titled effort. The band has had a number of hit songs during its first two decades, including the Top 10 smash “It’s Been Awhile” from the No. 1 album “Break The Cycle”. Follow-up LPs “14 Shades Of Grey” and “Chapter V” also topped the Billboard chart.

In 2019, Lewis said that new STAIND material would likely sound “pretty brutal. It would be continuing back to how heavy we were to begin with, when ‘It’s Been Awhile’ and ‘Outside’ and ‘So Far Away’ and songs like that, that were radio songs, confused everything. ‘Cause if you came and saw us at a show, the show was a hell of a lot heavier than most of the songs that you would hear on the radio. And I would have to say that it would be going back in the direction of just heavy… I think I’ve got some pent-up stuff that would probably flow out quite nicely over some of Mike’s [Mushok] heavy riffs.”

“Live: It’s Been Awhile” track listing:

01. Eyes Wide Open (Live)
02. Paper Jesus (Live)
03. Not Again (Live)
04. Fade (Live)
05. For You (Live)
06. Something (Live)
07. Intro (Live)
08. Crawl (Live)
09. Right Here (Live)
10. Outside (Live)
11. Paper Wings (Live)
12. So Far Away (Live)
13. Raw (Live)
14. It’s Been Awhile (Live)
15. Mudshovel (Live)

In 2020, Danny Wimmer Presents entered the digital content curation space, promoting pay-per-view livestreams and creating the popular digital series “Offstage With DWP”. DWP is known worldwide for their stellar portfolio of music and lifestyle events, which includes Aftershock, Bourbon & Beyond, Epicenter, Hometown Rising, Louder Than Life, Sonic Temple Art + Music Festival and Welcome To Rockville.

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DREAM THEATER's JORDAN RUDESS Drops Music Video For 'I Surrender' Solo Track

DREAM THEATER keyboardist Jordan Rudess has released the official music video for “I Surrender”, a track from his latest solo album “A Chapter In Time”.

Issued on March 12, “A Chapter In Time” was created as a musical reflection of a most unusual time in our history.

“I had this kind of musical diary that I was keeping during the whole beginning [and] middle of the lockdown, which was me basically going into my studio and working with these kind of trippy piano sounds and programming these ambient colors around the piano,” Jordan told “The Guitar Hour” podcast. “And I was doing that a lot. It was really very cathartic for me. It was kind of helping me even just deal with my own feelings and everything like that. So after I got a whole bunch of those together, I thought, ‘I should really release this as an album’ — kind of like a marker of the time period. It’s really just personal, if nothing else.”

Regarding his decision to release the LP via Bandcamp, which supports artists and labels through revenue sharing of sales of a band’s digital music, vinyl, t-shirt, or any other product listed on the web site, Rudess said: “The music business is just such a difficult place right now. It’s so hard to make any money. It’s crazy, and it’s so sad. So I decided I would release it on Bandcamp so I would stand a chance to pay my expenses and maybe make a few bucks — instead of putting it out on Spotify and iTunes and Amazon, all the streaming services like that.”

Rudess has been the full-time keyboardist with DREAM THEATER since the recording of 1999’s “Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory”. Beyond DREAM THEATER, he has released a number of acclaimed solo works and has also blazed a trail in helping to evolve the art and science of keyboard controllers. He created the successful app development company Wizdom Music, which has developed award-winning apps, including MorphWiz, which won the first-ever Billboard award for “Best Music Creation App”. Wizdom Music has also built apps for Intel, Microsoft and RIM.

A Chapter In Time by Jordan Rudess

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JEREMY SPENCER: Why FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH Splits Its Songwriting Credits Equally

In a new interview with RadioactiveMike Z, host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM radio program “Wired In The Empire”, former FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH drummer Jeremy Spencer spoke about his time with the long-running metal act as well as his new project, PSYCHOSEXUAL. Asked about the fact that FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH split its songwriting credits equally between all the bandmembers for all of its albums after the debut, 2007’s “The Way Of The Fist”, Jeremy said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “It was pretty much decided early on that everyone needed to have a piece of the pie, just because it keeps the morale high and people aren’t getting their feelings hurt if their songs didn’t make it. Now everyone’s included; let the best song win. Everyone’s compensated properly. So that’s easier to deal with as a group. It really helps that band kind of get through some of the hard times, because it was equal playing field.”

Asked if there was one FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH song that he had a big hand in writing during his time with the band, Jeremy said: “I was always there giving input. Jason [Hook, former FIVE FINGER guitarist] and I were working on tracks, and I’d be in the studio with Ivan [Moody, vocals], helping him. But one that I really had a hand in was ‘Sham Pain’ [off 2018’s ‘And Justice For None’ album]. That was towards the very end. I had a big hand in that one. But I was pretty much there through most of it with everyone — either with Zoltan [Bathory, guitar], with Jason or with Ivan.”

Jeremy, who co-founded FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH with Zoltan, left the band so that he could undergo back surgery in the fall of 2018 that required a significant recovery period.

Spencer’s replacement in FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH is Charlie “The Engine” Engen. Engen made his recording debut with the band on the “F8” album, which came out in February 2020.

Jeremy is currently the frontman of PSYCHOSEXUAL, which released a new single, “Devil From Hell”, last week.

PSYCHOSEXUAL released its debut album, “Torch The Faith”, last July. It was co-produced by Spencer and Shawn McGhee (DROWNING POOL) and released via Spencer’s 6eX Records. The debut premiered at No. 150 on the Billboard 200 chart, reaching No. 5 on the Hard Music Albums, No. 12 on Top New Artist Albums and No. 30 on Current Rock Albums.

Spencer, who sports a Mephistophelian mask as Devil Daddy, is joined in PSYCHOSEXUAL by guitarist Crucifer, bassist Astaroth and drummer Volac.

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SALIVA Reunion With Original Singer JOSEY SCOTT 'Ain't Gonna Happen'

SALIVA has abandoned its previously announced plan to reunite with original frontman Josey Scott.

Scott left SALIVA at the end of 2011 after 15 years with the group, reportedly to pursue a solo Christian music career. He was quickly replaced by Bobby Amaru, who can be heard on SALIVA’s last four releases: “In It To Win It” (2013), “Rise Up” (2014), “Love, Lies & Therapy” (2016) and “10 Lives” (2018).

Scott broke the news of his return to SALIVA in October 2019 during an appearance on “The Morning Dump”, a podcast hosted by “The Big Mad Morning Show” in Tulsa, Oklahoma. At the time, Josey said that he wanted to get together with SALIVA and “write a badass record.”

SALIVA guitarist Wayne Swinny addressed Scott’s status with the band during a new interview with Meltdown of Detroit’s WRIF radio station. Asked if there are still plans for Josey to reunite with SALIVA for a possible album and/or a tour, Wayne said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “We were part of the conversation. After Josey made his announcement, there was a few text messages going on. I did talk to [former SALIVA guitarist] Chris [D’Abaldo] one time. But the problem is, we kind of already have a SALIVA. The problem with doing the reunion show is what do I do? Pull the bus over and say, ‘All right, Bobby, Brad [Stewart, bass], hop out, man, to the hotel room for a couple of [months].’ It just didn’t make sense on the business end. There was preliminary discussions, but it never really got off the ground. We just basically had to make plans and keep this train rolling, so to speak. It didn’t make sense to me to stop what we were doing. ‘Cause this unit, we’ve been together, it’s been almost 10 years now, with Bobby in the band. Brad came along shortly after that. We’re tight. We get along. It’s a well-oiled machine. We’ve got a great crew, a great bus driver. It would throw a monkey wrench into the actual SALIVA.”

He continued: “Bobby pushed me and said, ‘You know what, dude? If you wanna do it, do it. At least talk to [Josey] about it and check it out.’ I did. But there was no business plan put together. It was one of those — it seemed like a spur-of-the-monent idea, but it didn’t happen. It ain’t gonna happen.”

According to Swinny, even though there were some initial discussions about a SALIVA reunion with Josey, there was no follow-up to ensure that the plan was executed.

“If you wanna do something, do it,” Wayne said. “But you can’t just talk about it and have it magically happen. There’s work, there’s planning, there’s stuff that goes into it, and none of that stuff was done early enough to pull it off.

“Yeah, there was some fan response, saying, ‘Wow, yeah, that might be cool.’ But it didn’t get enough steam to take off,” he explained. “All the preliminary stuff kind of got set up, and it just didn’t jell.

“It just didn’t make sense to stop what we [the current lineup of SALIVA] were doing and do that, because you’ve got momentum, we’ve got a groove going, the band’s tight live. I didn’t feel like we should give that up or give that a rest.”

In February 2020, it was announced that SALIVA would team up with POWERMAN 5000, ADEMA and FLAW for a run of summer 2020 shows dubbed the “Nu-Metal Revival 2020” tour. A short time later, Scott revealed in an interview that he would not take part in the trek. (The shows were eventually canceled due to the pandemic.) During the same chat, Josey said that he wanted to write new music with D’Abaldo and Swinny. “They’re kind of the original nucleus of what SALIVA had to offer, I believe,” Scott explained. The singer also expressed interest in releasing new music to coincide with the 20th anniversary of SALIVA’s second album, 2001’s “Every Six Seconds”. As for SALIVA’s lineup for the reunion tour, Josey said that Tosha Jones would sit behind the drums while former BREAKING BENJAMIN member Mark Klepaski would likely play bass.

SALIVA released six albums with Scott and tasted platinum success and a Grammy nomination for its first big hit, “Your Disease”.

SALIVA will celebrate the twentieth anniversary of its breakthrough major label debut, “Every Six Seconds”, with a special project called “Every Twenty Years”, an EP of classic songs re-recorded with Amaru, on May 7 via Megaforce.

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ALEXI LAIHO's BODOM AFTER MIDNIGHT Releases Music Video For 'Paint The Sky With Blood'

The official music video for “Paint The Sky With Blood”, the title track of the debut EP from BODOM AFTER MIDNIGHT, the band launched by ex-CHILDREN OF BODOM guitarist/vocalist Alexi Laiho, can be seen below. Due on April 23 via Napalm Records, the effort was recorded in Finland back in 2020 and was meant to be the beginning of an exciting new chapter. Sadly, that chapter ended far too soon with the December 29 passing of Laiho, and now, the three-track piece embodies a whole new meaning. “Paint The Sky With Blood” is an overwhelming tribute to an outstanding artist and an exceptional sonic heritage, and, at the same time, a modern homage to the genre itself.

A storm of raging guitars and blaring drums merge with Laiho’s versatile vocal power, leading into a heavy attack — title track “Paint The Sky With Blood” – opening the 14-minute EP of the same name. The song is strikingly reminiscent of early CHILDREN OF BODOM elements, while also adding exciting modern influences into the fold. Second track “Payback’s A Bitch” and its massive riffing are on a quest for retribution, delivering a hard-hitting, second-to-none offense. The interplay of Laiho, guitarist Daniel Freyberg, drummer Waltteri Väyrynen (PARADISE LOST), bassist Mitja Toivonen (ex-SANTA CRUZ) and live keyboardist Vili Itäpelto is not only a testament to the band’s extraordinary musical ability, but also showcases their skill in deftly incorporating a variety of genre influences.

Closing cover track “Where Dead Angels Lie” is an absolute triumph — originally performed by Swedish extreme metal formation DISSECTION, the track shines as a timeless classic with a new edge. Eerie riffs and vocals alternating between menacing murmurs and characteristic guttural, distorted vocals stay faithful to the original while branding this version with an undeniable BODOM AFTER MIDNIGHT punch.

The surviving members of BODOM AFTER MIDNIGHT said: “Like ourselves, Alexi was beyond stoked about these songs and anxious to get these out so we are happy that we can fulfill his wish. Needless to say that we are honored and proud to be a part of his very last creative work and unleash it the way he wanted it to. It’s time to let the beast out of the cage one more time as a celebration of Alexi’s music, legacy and the man himself.”

“Paint The Sky With Blood” track listing:

01. Paint The Sky With Blood
02. Payback’s A Bitch
03. Where Dead Angels Lie (DISSECTION cover)

“Paint The Sky With Blood” will be available in the following formats:

– 10″ Spined Sleeve Oxblood
– 10″ Spined Sleeve Inkspot Ox/Black
– 10″ Spined Sleeve Black
– Deluxe Box
– 1 Digipak Mini CD
– Digital Album
[Deluxe Box]

Alexi passed away in his home in Helsinki, Finland. The 41-year-old had suffered from long-term health issues leading up to his death.

BODOM AFTER MIDNIGHT made its live debut on October 23 at Rytmikorjaamo in Seinäjoki, Finland. The 17-song show consisted entirely of CHILDREN OF BODOM material.

Alexi and drummer Jaska Raatikainen founded CHILDREN OF BODOM in 1993, and the band was one of the most internationally acclaimed metal acts in Finland up until their very last farewell concert in December of 2019.

Besides CHILDREN OF BODOM, Laiho had played in such acts as WARMEN, SINERGY, KYLÄHULLUT and THE LOCAL BAND. Awarded with a Metal Hammer Golden God and several other international prizes, the guitarist was also the main star, leading a group of one hundred guitar players at the Helsinki Festival in 2015 in “100 Guitars From Hel” — a massive concert piece he composed.

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GOJIRA Wanted To Express 'Something More Joyful And Energetic' With 'Fortitude' Album

GOJIRA frontman Joseph Duplantier was a guest on a recent episode of Full Metal Jackie’s nationally syndicated radio show. Asked what he and his bandmates learned from 2016’s “Magma” album that became “starting points” for the follow-up effort, the upcoming “Fortitude”, Joseph said: “Well, ‘Magma’ was a beautiful experience, and it sort of brought us to another level, but we didn’t really realize that [at the time]. I see that today — when we release something, [there’s] much more attention around the band and stuff — but I was working hard, going on tour and I didn’t see anything really happening other than my everyday life with the band. But when we started to work on ‘Fortitude’, we wanted something different. ‘Magma’ was a little dark. We expressed some intense emotions related to the departure of my mom while we were recording the album. We talked about it, but on this album, we wanted to express something different, something more joyful and energetic. And [by] joyful I mean punchier music, more flamboyant, but the lyrics, like usually, talk about humanity and and the evil that men do. So, in that sense, it’s not exactly a party album. But the sound is more rock, more exciting, I would say.”

Duplantier also talked about the album title “Fortitude” and why it was important for him to encourage betterment of self, community and world. He said: “I don’t know. Despite the fact that I think humans are pretty fucked up, and a part of me wishes that humans disappear from this planet to leave these poor animals alone, I believe in the potential of us human beings. I think we have beautiful things to offer, and I still wish to see that best that we have inside of us come out. And that’s what I’m trying to do on an artistic level and a human level in my everyday life. And that’s what we wanted to express in this album — to see people give their best and be strong and to not despair, and to project a positive image for their future and for our future. And through discipline and decisions and the right intentions, we can better ourselves and better this world. So it’s almost by default the energy and the message we choose versus, ‘Ah, let it burn.'”

“Fortitude” will be released April 30 via Roadrunner Records. Recorded and produced by Joseph Duplantier at Silver Cord Studio — GOJIRA’s Ridgewood, Queens, New York headquarters — and mixed by Andy Wallace (NIRVANA, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE), the LP is a collection of songs urging humanity to imagine a new world — and then make it happen. The band initially laid the foundation for “Fortitude” last year with the surprise release of the 2020 single “Another World”. NPR hailed the track as “an apocalyptic banger,” and Stereogum declared, “GOJIRA are one of this century’s most important underground metal institutions,” while “Fortitude” was Voted by fans as the #1 release on Revolver’s “Most Anticipated Albums of 2021.”

On “Magma”, GOJIRA found strength — and crossover success — through a singular commitment to self-reflection. The intensely personal record, penned in memory of the Duplantier brothers’ late mother, was a painful significant turning point for the French group. The album earned the band two Grammy nominations — “Best Metal Performance” and “Best Rock Album,” and upon release, “Magma” took the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Hard Rock Albums chart, a first for a French band. “Magma” also asserted itself as one of the most acclaimed albums of 2016, earning Metal Hammer’s coveted “Album Of The Year” title while also landing on Rolling Stone’s “Top 20 Metal Albums of 2016,” and Consequence Of Sounds’ “Top 50 Albums of 2016” / “Top 10 Metal Albums of 2016” lists.

GOJIRA’s widely anticipated tour dates supporting DEFTONES have been rescheduled for later this year.

Photo credit: Gabrielle Duplantier

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THE TROOPS OF DOOM Feat. Ex-SEPULTURA Guitarist JAIRO 'TORMENTOR' GUEDZ: Music Video For 'Whispering Dead Words'

The official music video for the song “Whispering Dead Words” from THE TROOPS OF DOOM, the new Brazilian band featuring former SEPULTURA guitarist Jairo “Tormentor” Guedz, can be seen below. The track is taken from THE TROOPS OF DOOM’s debut EP, “The Rise Of Heresy”, which was released last October via Nuclear Blast’s digital subsidiary, Blood Blast Distribution. The EP was mastered by Øystein G. Brun (BORKNAGAR) at Crosound Studio in Norway. It contains four new original songs and cover versions of two early SEPULTURA classics, “Bestial Devastation” and “Troops Of Doom”.

THE TROOPS OF DOOM also includes acclaimed graphic artist Marcelo Vasco on guitar, Alex Kafer (ex-NECROMANCER, EXPLICIT HATE, ENTERRO) on vocals/bass and Alexandre Oliveira (SOUTHERN BLACKLIST) on drums. The band’s goal is to revisit the essence of 1980s-style death metal, exploring a more primitive sound that takes listeners back to that era, while remaining fresh and genuine.

Guedz previously said about the project: “There’s much passion and dedication on this work with THE TROOPS OF DOOM. The whole band and team is beyond fantastic, which drives me to push myself to the edge, putting out this feeling through the music somehow.

“We want to offer a full experience where the listener can feel as though they’re in time machine, exploring that primitive and nasty metal sound from the ’80s, inspired by my own SEPULTURA years as well as all those iconic bands we love like SLAYER, KREATOR, CELTIC FROST, SODOM, POSSESSED and DEATH, among others. It’s a true homage to the old! That’s what we’re trying to revisit with this debut and I hope the diehard metalheads catch this and enjoy it, playing loud!”

“The Rise Of Heresy” track listing:

01. Whispering Dead Words
02. Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea
03. The Confessional
04. The Rise Of Heresy
05. Bestial Devastation (SEPULTURA Cover)
06. Troops Of Doom (SEPULTURA Cover)

THE TROOPS OF DOOM is:

Jairo “Tormentor” Guedz – guitar
Alex Kafer – bass, vocals
Marcelo Vasco – guitar
Alexandre Oliveira – drums

SEPULTURA was formed in 1984 in Belo Horizonte, the capital city of Minas Gerais. Jairo joined the group the following year and played on the band’s first two releases, 1985’s “Bestial Devastation” EP and their 1986 full-length debut, “Morbid Visions”. He also participated in the early songwriting sessions for 1987’s “Schizophrenia”.

In early 1987, Jairo quit SEPULTURA after losing interest in playing death metal and was replaced by São Paulo-based guitarist Andreas Kisser.

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OBITUARY Covers POWER TRIP's 'Executioner's Tax' During Livestream (Video)

Earlier in the month, OBITUARY announced a new two-part spring livestream series. The band performed its favorite songs on March 27 and will run through its classic third album, 1992’s “The End Complete”, in its entirety on April 3.

During the March 27 livestream, OBITUARY played a surprise cover version of POWER TRIP’s Grammy-nominated track “Executioner’s Tax (Swing Of The Axe)”, featuring a guest appearance by POWER TRIP guitarists Blake Ibanez and Nick Stewart. The performance was dedicated to POWER TRIP frontman Riley Gale, who passed away last summer.

POWER TRIP confirmed Riley’s death in a statement on August 25, 2020.

The Dallas, Texas-based band released two albums on Southern Lord, 2013’s “Manifest Decimation” and 2017’s “Nightmare Logic”. A rarities compilation, “Opening Fire: 2008-2014”, followed in 2018.

“Nightmare Logic” peaked at No. 22 on Billboard’s Hard Rock Albums chart.

POWER TRIP was said to be working on its third album at the time of Riley’s death.

Last week, OBITUARY frontman John Tardy confirmed to France’s United Rock Nations that the band has used some of the downtime during the coronavirus pandemic to work on material for a new studio album. “We’ve definitely been working on new tunes, and we’ve been taking our time,” he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). “We didn’t feel like releasing [a new album] now in the middle of the pandemic when you can’t go on tour and support it is not what we wanted to do, so we’re in no hurry. But by the time next year comes around, we’re gonna be hitting the road again. We’re getting tours set up, and we will be releasing another album next year before we hit the road and start touring again. So we are currently working on new material.”

Asked what fans can expect from the follow-up to OBITUARY’s 2017 self-titled album, John said: “I think it’s just gonna sound like OBITUARY. [Laughs] You know us — we’re kind of cavemen; we don’t like to evolve too much. We like to change it up and do a little here and there, but we’re getting too old to change too much, I think. So as long as it’s heavy and pounding, then that’s what you can expect.”

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DRESS THE DEAD Feat. Ex-FORBIDDEN Members: Music Video For 'Knives Out' Available

San Francisco Bay Area-based metal/heavy rock outfit DRESS THE DEAD has released the official music video for the song “Knives Out”, its first single on Blood Blast, a digital subsidiary of Nuclear Blast Records.

DRESS THE DEAD first announced the signing in December, along with a plan to release one new track per month for the first eight months of 2021. After the eight tracks are all released, they will become available in full album format as well.

DRESS THE DEAD stated about the track: “Knives Out! Ask yourself what’s wrong with this picture?

“This was one of the first songs we wrote at the genesis of DRESS THE DEAD. Musically, it encompassed what we were after. All the anger and aggression, yet still leaning into positivity. That’s what the video represents to us.

“As human beings, we have witnessed so much division and strife over the last decade. It boiled over on January 6th 2021 in Washington DC. Everything hit the wall and a large percentage of the American populous lost their fucking minds.

“With the ‘Knives Out’ video, we try to tell multiple stories through two separate lenses. One, while looking at our television from within your living room. The other by looking out your own window, seeing the unraveling of civility. The people’s trust is almost completely broken.

“Almost all of the distrust is being fueled by mainstream and alternative media. The former caters to the corporations that control the narratives. This keeps the money and power flowing in their direction. The latter can create alternate realities not necessarily based on facts. Planting them on the internet and social media. Creating a frenzy of fear and paranoia. Both sides knowingly building up these tensions that eventually bring us to one another’s throats. The divide-and-conquer game.

“We have lost our sense of reality. There’s very little bullshit detecting anymore. Many run like lemmings towards the cliff on leaps of faith. What they WANT to believe. Mostly based upon hearsay. Rumors swimming in a sea of disinformation. Somehow, we need to see past the manipulation. Meanwhile the tension continues to mount.”

DRESS THE DEAD was formed in 2016 and has been playing live since the end of that year — first with vocalist Peter Dolving (THE HAUNTED), and then with Kayla Dixon fronting the band since 2018.

DRESS THE DEAD features Craig Locicero (FORBIDDEN, MANMADE GOD, SPIRALARMS) on guitar, alongside Mark Hernandez (FORBIDDEN, VIO-LENCE, RE:IGNITION) on drums, Mikey Rowan (INSOLENCE) on guitar, and James Walker (MANMADE GOD) on bass — all seasoned musicians with independent and major label experiences.

“Losing Peter was a complete shock to us because he was into it,” Craig said. “Some of the people we tried out were good but didn’t have what we were looking for… just not the right fit. All of a sudden, I get a text from Kayla. She’d been checking us out for months and was already a fan of the music.” A couple of days after that now legendary text message, Dixon sent Locicero a new version of the DRESS THE DEAD song “1969” with her vocals. He was floored. “It was like it was made for her,” he said. “She seamlessly fit into the music. We haven’t needed to readjust. What having her in the band allows me to do is to not hold back and write anything I feel like writing, knowing that she can do it and sing without any limits.”

Dixon is not only an enigmatic frontwoman with a powerful presence, she’s an accomplished theatrical singer and actor. Her vocal qualities help give DRESS THE DEAD a unique sound that no other band possesses. Together they all complete the musical unit that cannot fall under any one category or genre.

Dixon started working professionally in her junior year and finished high school via home study. She then decided to immerse herself in theater and was soon working professionally. During her freshman year in college, she emerged to front a death metal band. Just as she mulled moving back to the East Coast to pursue more theater work, she heard the doom band WITCH MOUNTAIN was looking for a new vocalist. She nailed the audition and moved to Portland. Having relocated to the West Coast, Dixon was recommended to Locicero through a mutual friend. She initially worried that she was so different from Dolving she might face backlash from fans who wanted a certain thing. “In my mind, I thought I was going to be trolled, and I didn’t know if I was ready to face that,” she said. “But surprisingly there has only been positivity from the first song.”

“I want to be continually creating,” Dixon added. “When I heard ‘1969’, I thought it was great. When Craig sent me the other songs, like ‘Promises & Kisses’, I was really in. I wanted it to be in a band that was heavy emotionally and sonically.”

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