Tech death duo Hellbore banish us to the underworld in their sinister new track, “All Men are Created Evil.”
The post Track Premiere: Hellbore – “All Men Are Created Evil” appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

Marking its 40th anniversary this year, Metal Blade Records will make its debut release, “Metal Massacre Volume One”, available for the first time since 1984 on limited-edition vinyl. Originally released on June 14, 1982, “Metal Massacre” showcased the best of Los Angeles’s unsigned acts of the time such as METALLICA, RATT and MALICE, and has since become a cornerstone of Metal Blade Records, which was founded by Brian Slagel. This special release will be available worldwide on April 22.

The 40th-anniversary reissue track list includes all songs originally featured on the first and second pressing of the iconic compilation. This limited-edition Ruby Red vinyl variant will be available to 5,000 copies worldwide at Metal Blade Records, and 2,000 copies pressed on clear vinyl exclusively available at Metallica.com. The first 250 U.S. pre-orders at Metal Blade Records will receive an exclusive patch.

This special reissue marks the first of many Metal Blade Records activities happening across the world to celebrate the label’s 40th year as a pioneer and champion of heavy music.

Multiple events throughout the U.S. are scheduled including the Metal Blade Records-sponsored tour featuring CANNIBAL CORPSE, WHITECHAPEL and REVOCATION. The tour is currently hitting all four corners of the U.S. through March 26. Regional events across the U.S. have begun, starting with Chicago’s favorite metal kitchen Kuma’s Corner celebrating the label all year long with a unique, hand-curated menu including the Slagel-style burger Hit The Lights Mac N Cheese, the Metal Massacre burger and the Eric Wagner / TROUBLE burger ($1 of every Metal Blade-related burger will be donated to the National Multiple Sclerosis societies of Illinois and Colorado).

The Metal Blade Museum will open its doors in Las Vegas later this year where fans can see memorabilia and artifacts dating back to the label’s inception.

On June 10-11, Metal Blade Records will act as presenting sponsor at Decibel magazine’s Metal & Beer Fest in Philadelphia, headlined by one of Metal Blade’s most controversial acts, CANNIBAL CORPSE.

Until more events are announced, head to metalblade.com/40thanniversary and stream a special ’80s-inspired playlist, personally selected by Slagel, featuring some of the era’s hottest bands including ARMORED SAINT, D.R.I., FLOTSAM AND JETSAM and tons more. One-of-a-kind, exclusive designs helmed by the masterful and malevolent minds of metal’s most sought-after artists will be available for a limited time — Ed Repka (MEGADETH, VENOM, NUCLEAR ASSAULT), Eliran Kantor (TESTAMENT, SOULFLY, SODOM), Travis Smith (OPETH, OVERKILL, SLAYER), Sam Didier (HAMMERFALL, AMON AMARTH).

At the brink of the ’80s, Los Angeles was cementing itself as the rock ‘n’ roll nucleus of the United States. A longtime fan of the local rock scene, Slagel spent many nights inside L.A.’s locales seeking out the most authentic, heaviest, unique bands to hit the West Coast. Alongside friend John Kornarens, the two split the “Metal Massacre” project in half — Slagel responsible for artwork and mastering facilities, while Kornarens secured a studio to make the record. “We were using the Yellow Pages a lot, total amateurs navigating the record like a high school project,” says Kornarens. And that compilation was the foundation of Slagel’s Metal Blade Records, one of the premiere heavy metal record labels of all time.

The first pressing of “Metal Massacre” contained 10 tracks, with the closer “Hit The Lights” by METALLICA. This was the first song drummer Lars Ulrich and guitarist James Hetfield wrote together. “When I was putting together the compilation, he called me up,” Slagel recalls of his conversation with a teenage Ulrich. “He was jamming with James and a couple other guys in their garage playing covers of DIAMOND HEAD and everything. Lars asked me, ‘Hey, if I put together a band and give you an original song, will you put it on the record?’ And I said, ‘Sure, of course.’ So that was basically the beginning of METALLICA.”

“On the day of mastering, Brian and I had all of the songs ready except for Lars’s new band called METALLICA,” Kornarens explains. “The session was to start at 3 o’clock and we were standing on a Hollywood sidewalk waiting for Lars to show up with material from his new band, and moments later he finally arrived and pulled a cassette out of his back pocket.”

Future installments of the “Metal Massacre” franchise would help boost SLAYER, OVERKILL, POSSESSED and countless other artists to legendary status. Metal Blade Records, home to current acts AMON AMARTH, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, ALLEGAEON, CANNIBAL CORPSE and WHITECHAPEL, is still considered one of the most powerful forces of modern heavy metal.

“Metal Massacre Volume One” track listing 2022 reissue:

Side One:

01. STEELER – “Cold Day In Hell”
02. BITCH – “Live For The Whip”
03. MALICE – “Captive Of Light”
04. RATT – “Tell The World”
05. AVATAR – “Octave”

Side Two:

01. BLACK ‘N BLUE – “Chains Around Heaven”
02. CIRITH UNGOL – “Death Of The Sun”
03. DEMON FLIGHT – “Dead Of The Night”
04. PANDEMONIUM – “Fighting Backwards”
05. MALICE – “Kick You Down”
06. METALLICA – “Hit The Lights”

For guitarists, things get a little crazy twice each year. I’m not talking about the NAMM convention—it’s bigger than that. Both summer and winter bring temperature and humidity extremes to bear on wooden instruments, and if you’re not prepared, things can get ugly. Dry air shrinks wood and splits guitar parts. Humid air swells tops and fretboards, wreaking havoc on setups and finishes. It’s important to know that damage caused by failure to anticipate this natural occurrence is not a defect in the instrument. Many times, trips to the repair shop can be avoided by simple climate control.It’s a full-time job for guitar builders, but what we do to cope with nature’s swings has lessons for guitar owners as well. Modern indoor climate control means most people live and work in a fairly narrow range of temperatures, regardless of where they reside. We all know not to leave a guitar in the car trunk when temperatures soar or plummet, but inside of your home, the culprit is humidity.The yearly average humidity in North America (and around the world) provides an incredibly wide range of numbers. Nevada’s 38.30 percent yearly average is a world apart from Alaska’s surprising 77.10 percent, and that’s just the average. But even these numbers don’t tell the whole story. When you factor in temperature, things can get better, or they can get much worse. What we’re interested in is relative humidity (RH), which is the percentage of water vapor in the air at a given temperature.Different regions require different approaches. Both Arizona and Louisiana can be crazy hot in the summer, but their humidity levels couldn’t be more different. In the Southwest, air conditioning that’s working overtime to cool is also stripping moisture from the air. Whereas in New Orleans, getting things dried out is a constant battle. It’s safe to say that most places need both temperature and humidity control to avoid problems.Many times, trips to the repair shop can be avoided by simple climate control.Manufacturers can’t afford the damage that humidity (or lack of it) can bring. When RH drops too quickly, expensive stockpiles of tonewoods can crack, reducing them to firewood. At the very least, swings in humidity can make wooden parts hard to fit, especially when they’re machined to tight tolerances by CNC. In a guitarist’s home, low humidity can split tops and shrink bodies resulting in delamination of bindings or bridges. Fretboards not protected with finish are the first things to react to changing humidity, bowing or warping enough to render an instrument unplayable. High humidity expands the fretboard, forcing the neck into a backwards bow, whereas low humidity shrinkage creates an opposite, forward bow. Shrinking fretboards also reveal fret ends which can be uncomfortable at best. In some cases, expansion and shrinking may cause finish to flake off, especially at sharp corners or fretboard edges. Needless to say, this isn’t what you want happening to your collection.The good news is that if you keep most of your instruments in a single room, it won’t be too hard to control the humidity. The first step is to get an accurate hygrometer to determine what the current RH is in your space. Most times, the problem is low humidity. In that case, calculate the room size and begin your search for a room humidifier to match your needs. If humidity is high, you’ll need a dehumidifier, and you can use the same method to determine the size. Keep the RH between 35 and 45 percent to be safe. Your room needs to be sealed off. Otherwise your efforts will literally go out the window. I like the type of unit that senses the humidity, and you can just set it and forget it—until it’s time to fill (or empty) the tank. The trick is not to have them both on at once. They’ll just get into a never-ending battle with each other. You’ll have to monitor things to know when to switch over as the seasons change.At home or in a small studio, you can control your instrument’s environment for a relatively small outlay. A few hundred bucks is way more affordable than crack repairs. It also keeps things comfy, which is a nice bonus. Think of it as a large pedal whose effect is keeping your guitars playing right and protecting your investment.

In a new interview with The San Diego Union-Tribune, Sammy Hagar, who recently kicked off his second residency at The Strat Hotel, Casino & SkyPod in Las Vegas, spoke about what it has been like for him to play shows during the pandemic. He said: “I’ve been very lucky. Nobody in my band has had COVID. I’m not a germaphobe, but I always wash my hands and I am really careful. I’m a big hugger and, nowadays, I hug with a mask [on]. It’s horrible, if you want my opinion. It [expletive] stinks, and I hate to [tell] my fans, ‘Make sure you’re vaxxed and wear a mask,’ but there is no choice. Either I say, ‘Okay, I won’t play (concerts) until this pandemic has gone away’; or: ‘If we’re going to do it, we have to do what we have to do to be safe.’

“I’m the most positive guy in the world, and this [pandemic] is so disheartening,” he continued.

“Everyone tells me I should do a public service message [promoting COVID safety measures]. And I say, ‘I don’t want to be school teacher or principal. You tell them.’ I’d rather just say, ‘I’m playing a show, and here are the rules.’

“I know that all the [safety measures] are starting to wear thin, but it’s even worse when you get sick,” Sammy added.

A little over a year ago, Hagar told Radio.com that he was reluctant to play socially distant concerts, citing the example of a 10,000-capacity venue with 5,000 fans in the room.

“I just know that those 5,000 people are not going to stay in their seats and socially distance,” he said. “The second we start getting it on and I start saying, ‘Are we having any fun yet?’ and holding the mic up in the air and [singing] ‘Right Now’, they’re going to be at the front of the stage, all unsocially distanced. … It’s going get criticized, or I’m going get sued or fined or something.”

In June 2020, Hagar made headlines for an interview in which he said that he was willing to sacrifice himself to COVID-19 if it means saving the economy. At the time, Hagar was one of several musicians interviewed by Rolling Stone about staying at home instead of touring while coping with the uncertainties of the pandemic.

“I’m going to make a radical statement here. This is hard to say without stirring somebody up, but truthfully, I’d rather personally get sick and even die, if that’s what it takes,” Hagar began.

“We have to save the world and this country from this economic thing that’s going to kill more people in the long run. I would rather see everyone go back to work. If some of us have to sacrifice on that, okay.”

Hagar suggested that if the cost of human lives is necessary for the economy to fully recover, he was willing to die from the coronavirus. “I will die for my children and my grandchildren to have a life anywhere close to the life that I had in this wonderful country. That’s just the way that I feel about it,” he continued. “I’m not going to go around spreading the disease. But there may be a time where we have to sacrifice. I mean, how many people die on the Earth every day? I have no idea. I’m sorry to say it, but we all gotta die, man.”

After the Rolling Stone article was published, Hagar released a statement in which he revealed that the interview was done a month and a half earlier and insisted that he would do his part in “getting back to work in a safe and responsible way and getting this economy rolling again.”

Hagar kicked off his 2022 “Sammy Hagar & Friends” Las Vegas residency on February 9, entertaining fans with a high-energy performance of some of his greatest hits, including “There’s Only One Way To Rock”, “Right Now” and “Finish What Ya Started”, and gave fans a preview of a handful of songs that will be on his upcoming album. His Las Vegas Strip residency continued on February 11 and February 12, with subsequent shows on Wednesday, March 23, Friday, March 25 and Saturday, March 26. Fans can expect to hear songs from his MONTROSE, VAN HALEN and CHICKENFOOT days. Every night delivers a different show and in the first six shows, alone, the “Sammy Hagar & Friends” residency performed more than 100 different songs.

Sammy is joined at the shows by his supergroup THE CIRCLE, featuring Hagar’s fellow Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer and former VAN HALEN bandmate Michael Anthony, drummer Jason Bonham and guitarist Vic Johnson.

Nearly two months ago, QUEENSRŸCHE entered the studio to begin recording its new album for a tentative late 2022 release. Helming the effort once again is Chris “Zeuss” Harris, who previously worked with the band on 2015’s “Condition Hüman” and 2019’s “The Verdict” LPs.

In a new interview with The Metal Summit, QUEENSRŸCHE singer Todd La Torre, who played drums on “The Verdict”, offered an update on the progress of the recording sessions for the new album. Asked if QUEENSRŸCHE’s touring drummer of the past five years, Casey Grillo, played on the new effort, Todd said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Casey recorded all the drums for the new QUEENSRŸCHE album. The drum sound is fucking ridiculous… They just sound so, so thunderous and real. I don’t know, man. You’ll hear it when the record’s done, but it’s funny, because sometimes people will be, like, ‘Oh, that sounds replaced’ or ‘that’s sampled,’ and if you knew the time that was taken into miking the drums to get the perfect sound. It’s, like, no, our drum sounds are the sounds that you would wanna replace your sounds with.

“Casey played the drums on the record,” La Torre repeated. “He was a part of all of the songwriting, a very integral part of the entire process. And yeah, it sounds great. I’ve got one chorus left to finish and a little ending to one song, and then I’m done. All the bass is done, guitars — everything’s done. I’m the last guy here to finish, and we start rehearsals in two days [for the upcoming tour with JUDAS PRIEST]. So, yeah, it’s been really, really just grueling and grinding it out to get this deadline.”

Last November, La Torre told Canada’s The Metal Voice about the musical direction of the new QUEENSRŸCHE material: “It doesn’t sound like ‘The Verdict’. It’s its own new kind of thing. We really kind of just focused more on melodic hooks. I don’t think we went in thinking, like, ‘Oh, we need to sound old school or new or this.'”

He continued: “You know what we did on this record… Every other time, each guy would kind of submit their own song ideas and then we would kind of work on that. But what we did on this record was, other than Eddie [Jackson, bass] — Eddie has a couple of songs that are really cool that he wrote and then showed us kind of when they were pretty much done. And then Michael [Wilton, guitar] kind of wrote some interesting chords — still staying within the keys and everything. But we all got in a room with our here [in Florida], and we literally started from scratch. Like, ‘Michael, what do you got?’ [And he would] come up with a riff. And Casey [Grillo] would sit on the drums, or I would sit on the drums. We were all actually in a room and just tried it like the good old days. So this record was totally like that — the whole thing pretty much, minus one or two songs. And even that changed a little bit.”

In early 2021, Wilton told The Metal Voice about the new QUEENSRŸCHE material: “Our producer, Zeuss, if this is any indication, he says it sounds like QUEENSRŸCHE … I think we’re just going with our gut right now. You don’t wanna take too many drastic chances in this day and age. So I think it’s more of a continuation of ‘The Verdict’, maybe, in some sense. We’re riding that wave. It’s been good to us. [Laughs]”

In October, Wilton confirmed that returning guitarist Mike Stone would contribute guitar solos to the band’s next studio album.

Since late May 2021, Stone has been handling second-guitar duties in QUEENSRŸCHE, which announced in July that longtime guitarist Parker Lundgren was exiting the group to focus on “other business ventures.”

Stone originally joined QUEENSRŸCHE for the 2003 album “Tribe” and stayed with the band for six years before leaving the group.

For the past five years, Grillo has been filling in for QUEENSRŸCHE’s original drummer Scott Rockenfield, who stepped away from the band’s touring activities in early 2017 to spend time with his young son.

In early October, Rockenfield filed a lawsuit against the band’s fellow original members Wilton and Jackson, alleging, among other things, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and wrongful discharge.

QUEENSRŸCHE recently pulled out of SCORPIONS’ rescheduled “Sin City Nights” Las Vegas residency in order to support JUDAS PRIEST on the “50 Heavy Metal Years” North American tour dates in March-April 2022. The tour will kick off on March 4 in Peoria, Illinois and conclude on April 13 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

All good things come to those who wait, death included. SHAPE OF DESPAIR have been plumbing the harrowing depths of mortal despair for a long time now, and while nothing can truly thwart the inevitable, the Finns’ music has long provided fans of slow, emotionally ruinous music with the perfect soundtrack for surrendering to oblivion. In fact, the band’s last album, “Monotony Fields” (2015), was so magnificently immersive and morose that it felt like a definitive and un(s)toppable declaration of funeral doom prowess. Unquestionably the subgenre’s most potent exponents, SHAPE OF DESPAIR are enigmas with pedigree.

Never a band to rush things, the Finns have been silent for nearly seven years, and so “Return To The Void” feels momentous: the reawakening of slumbering gods, primed to document the crushing ills of the modern world. Self-produced, it also sounds every bit as huge as its predecessor, but warmer and more organic, and with greater space for Natalie Koskinen’s unerringly ethereal vocals to cast their spell.

In essence, of course, the SHAPE OF DESPAIR sound has barely changed since 2000’s release of “Shades Of…”. But the weight of all that passing time has added depth to the formula, and with recent world events making notions of death, loss and mortality ever more pertinent, “Return To The Void” feels timely, important and emotionally enriching in a way that even this band’s previous albums couldn’t summon. The opening title track is as glacial and despondent as regular listeners will be expecting, but a combination of Koskinen’s enhanced presence and the sheer, visceral rush of the guitars’ glowering wall of sound ensures that each overwhelming wave of bitter melody reaches its target. Somehow, “Dissolution” and “Solitary Downfall” are even more absorbing, as the pace slows and the Finns’ trademark cocoon of reverb starts to allow small bursts of light to filter through. “Solitary Downfall” is particularly devastating: 11 minutes deep, it slowly mutates from excoriating funeral march to beatific and surreal hymn to shattered hopes, all enshrouded in a glistening web of angelic but austere vocal harmonies. “Reflection In Slow Time” is a mournful and majestic thing, with vocalist Henri Koivula’s abyssal growls woven through another icy, monochrome barrage; “Forfeit” feels like one sustained, shape-shifting crescendo of opaque dismay, with soothing swathes of synth and the most languorous of melodic hooks.

Music this heavy is rarely designed as a meditative tool, but SHAPE OF DESPAIR’s rambling dirges are so naturalistic and free-flowing that “Return To The Void” is laudable as much for its transportive, dreamlike qualities, as it is for being thoroughly fucking miserable. This is avowedly dark music, hewn from human vulnerability and the vastness of the unknown, but infused with such artful humanity and emotional honesty that, as with everything else this band have produced, “Return To The Void” is vastly more uplifting and reassuring than funeral doom’s reputation might suggest. Either way, nobody does it better than SHAPE OF DESPAIR, and this is all the proof your ears (and heart) need.