SYMPHONY X guitarist Michael Romeo spoke to Heavy Debriefings about the band’s plans to work on the material for the follow-up to 2015’s “Underworld” album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “I’ve got stuff and I’ve been working every day trying to come up with things. It’s just slower — it’s just kind of slower than normal, and I think it’s just because of all the shit going on. It’s hard to focus. It’ll be fine, though. There’ll be that day I come down here [to my home studio] and all of sudden, it’s, like, ‘Oh, shit. This is it. Here’s the riff. Here’s the whole idea.’ Then I can’t stop. Then it’s just, like, ‘Phewww…’ The train’s going. But it’s taking me a little longer to get there than normal. ‘Cause usually we’ll talk about a record, I’ll have some ideas and we’ll start bouncing ideas around. And now it’s just, like, a lot of, ‘Oh, I’m not really sure. I’ve got this thing. I don’t totally love it. It’s good. Let me try something else tomorrow.’ There’ll be that one day when everything just clicks and it’s, like, ‘Ah, shit. Here we go. We’re good.'”

SYMPHONY X will kick off its “25th Anniversary North American tour 2022” on May 10 at Irving Plaza in New York City. The 27-date trek will make stops in Montreal, Chicago, and Portland before concluding on June 12 in Montclair, New Jersey. Support on the tour will come from HAKEN and TROPE.

SYMPHONY X completed an extensive tour behind “Underworld” in 2016, including a U.S. run of shows with OVERKILL and a pair of headlining performances in Australia.

In July 2017, SYMPHONY X vocalist Russell Allen and his ADRENALINE MOB bandmates were involved in a crash that killed the group’s bassist, David Zablidowsky.

In 2019, Allen — who has toured with TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA since 2013 — was injured during the rehearsals for TSO’s annual winter trek and was unable to make the tour.

Romeo will release his new solo album, “War Of The Worlds Pt. 2”, on March 25 via InsideOut Music. The record features guest vocals by Dino Jelusick (WHITESNAKE, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA).

Swedish metallers HAMMERFALL have released their latest single, “Brotherhood” — the third track from their upcoming studio album, “Hammer Of Dawn”. “Brotherhood” is a musical salute to HAMMERFALL’s most loyal fans, The Templars Of Steel, who have stuck by the band through thick and thin. It’s also a heartfelt internal nod to each other, recognizing the very close bond the bandmembers have with one another, especially between guitarist Oscar Dronjak and singer Joacim Cans, whose brotherhood began way back in 1996.

Again enlisting the help of seasoned video vanguard Patric Ullaeus to help them capture the essence of the song to film, HAMMERFALL has created a video that perfectly echoes the sentiment of the song itself and a video that will without a doubt thrill the very people that inspired the song itself, The Templars Of Steel. With the help of the bandmembers’ children, who steal the spotlight with their cameos in the video, it’s obvious that that bond of brotherhood isn’t just with the band members themselves — it’s also with their kids and their fans.

Cans comments: “A fantastic musical piece and album opener in honor of the greatest fans in the whole world: The Templars of Steel! We wouldn’t be here without you!

“The video for the song includes both ‘The Metal Dads’ and the ‘HF Teens’ and really shows how much fun we are having together both on and off the stage.”

Dronjak adds: “The singles released so far have been a good measuring stick but ‘Brotherhood’ encompasses everything that has made us into what we are today. Fast and furious, melodic and riveting, 100% classic HAMMERFALL heavy metal!”

“Hammer Of Dawn” is due on February 25 via Napalm Records. The LP was produced by longtime collaborator Fredrik Nordström (IN FLAMES, OPETH), who handled mixing, mastering, drum recording, and shared the duty of recording guitars and bass with Norgren and Dronjak. Jacob Hansen (VOLBEAT) produced the lead vocals.

Last month, HAMMERFALL released a new single, “Venerate Me”, featuring a special guest appearance by legendary Danish heavy metal singer King Diamond.

A group of CANNIBAL CORPSE fans at the band’s concert in Pennsylvania shouted an insulting epithet for the band’s former frontman Chris Barnes, apparently inspired by his recent comment that he “despises” what the death metal genre has become.

Last month, Barnes — who exited CANNIBAL CORPSE in 1995, one year after the release of the band’s “The Bleeding” album — took to his Twitter to say that he saw a January 19 Knotfest “A Death Metal Round Table” hosted by Staypuft Mallow and featuring appearances by current CANNIBAL CORPSE singer George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher, Trevor Strnad from THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, Chase Mason from GATECREEPER and Alex Jones from UNDEATH. “I just watched a ‘death metal’ podcast on YouTube that was done about a week ago with the ‘top’ death metal vocalists,” he wrote. “It made me physically ill. I despise what this genre has become.”

At the Reading show on Monday (February 21), some members of the crowd chanted “Fuck Chris Barnes” for nearly 20 seconds in between songs, after which Fisher responded, “You said it, not me.” Fan-filmed video of the exchange can be seen below.

After Barnes left CANNIBAL CORPSE to form SIX FEET UNDER, he was replaced in the former band by Fisher.

Five years ago, Barnes spoke about the possibility of SIX FEET UNDER and CANNIBAL CORPSE one day touring together, telling “The Chainsaw Symphony” radio program: “That would be a tough one to put together, my friend. [Laughs] You wouldn’t have any problems from my side of things, but I don’t think other people would be agreeable to that.”

He continued: “I don’t think there’s animosity [between us]. I think there’s just protecting other people’s feelings. I think that everyone knows certain things about everything and they’d like to see things a certain way, and that wouldn’t portray things a certain way that they would wanna portray them. So… I’m being very general and trying to be diplomatic about it.”

Barnes also talked about the circumstances behind his departure from CANNIBAL CORPSE. He said: “I just didn’t like being around them, because I was being ridiculed, and I just didn’t feel comfortable being in the same room with people that weren’t very nice to me personally. And I was part of that too, so we had all of our own type of differences, personally, and I don’t think it was gonna be able to be worked out. You know, mutual respect goes a far way when it comes to being in close quarters with people.”

He continued: “I’m sure we’d do things differently [today] — I mean, I know we would. It’s just the way things worked out. And I don’t have any animosity towards those guys at all, and I don’t think they do towards me. It’s just that… It would be too confusing for things [if we were to tour together], I think, from their perspective.”

Barnes added: “I’d do anything. I just like to see a lot of people out there with smiles on their faces; that’s the only thing that’s important to me, man. Like, seriously, if I see a big crowd of people that everyone’s smiling, like, ‘Oh, yeah! This is what we’ve been waiting for,’ I’m ready then, man. If I see a small room of people that are just fired up to go, man, it just gets me going on stage, you know. And that’s all I’m there for — that feeling, that sharing of energy, man. And I’ll go for it any which way to get that any way I can with any person I can get it with. And if it gets to that means to an end, that’s all that’s important, man — that transference. And some people just don’t see it that way, man, and it’s cool.

“I’m not gonna be mean to anybody, and I never wanted to be. I’m my own person, and sometimes I’m put at fault for that, and I think we all are in our own way. And that’s just life; those are the things we deal with as people.”

SIX FEET UNDER’s current lineup also includes another former CANNIBAL CORPSE member, guitarist Jack Owen.

SIX FEET UNDER’s latest album, “Nightmares Of The Decomposed”, was released in October 2020 via Metal Blade Records.

Fisher’s solo album, titled “Corpsegrinder”, will be released on February 25. The 10-song effort was co-produced by Nick Bellmore (DEE SNIDER, KINGDOM OF SORROW) and Jamey Jasta (HATEBREED) and will be made available through Jamey’s new label, Perseverance Music Group.

during Cannibal Corpse’s set last night the whole crowd started chanting “fuck chris barnes” and this was corpsegrinders reaction. i absolutely love this so, enjoy.

Posted by Austin Long Sr. on Tuesday, February 22, 2022

HEART guitarist Nancy Wilson spoke to Joe Rock of Long Island, New York’s 102.3 WBAB radio station about her new band NANCY WILSON’S HEART. She is joined in the group by her longtime collaborators, guitarist Ryan Waters, drummer Ben Smith, bassist Andy Stoller and keyboardist Dan Walker, along with powerhouse singer Kimberly Nichole.

Regarding why she chose to name her new band NANCY WILSON’S HEART, Nancy said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “HEART had a big offer on the table last year for a bigger tour, but Ann [Wilson, HEART singer and Nancy’s sister] wasn’t interested in going out with my lineup of guys that we were out with before. She has a new lineup of guys that she wanted me to join up with. And I sort of [thought] I don’t really know them and don’t have loyalty yet for anybody like that. So I just kind of shined it on and decided when I do go out with my new singer Kimberly, I can telegraph to the people coming to the show that they’re gonna hear HEART songs in a whole different way than ever expected with… No comparison to Ann singing or Kimberly singing those same songs, just because it’s apples and oranges; you can’t compare that stuff. So I figure that’s a way to let them know that it’s not just Nancy Wilson of HEART doing whatever, but it’s NANCY WILSON’S HEART where you’re gonna hear more HEART stuff.”

As for when fans can expect to see Nancy back on the road, she said: “There’s an offer from STYX for me to take my band out, with Kimberly. We’re trying to put some dates together in September, preceding that, or after October, where those dates are offered to us. So we’re trying to make it work — maybe a couple of buses and a truck. We’re just crunching numbers right now. But I would be really excited to be able to go and open the show for STYX and do some songs with them at the same show.”

NANCY WILSON’S HEART made its debut as special guest for STYX’s five-show 50th-anniversary engagement at Venetian Theatre in Las Vegas. The concerts saw STYX join Wilson mid-show for HEART songs, and Wilson jams along to STYX classics. Fan-filmed video can be seen below.

Nancy’s debut solo album, “You And Me”, was released last May via Carry On Music. The LP was recorded primarily in her California home studio, working with bandmembers and special guests remotely.

HEART toured North America in the summer of 2019 after a nasty split that kept the Wilson sisters estranged for three years.

Ann and Nancy had a falling out during HEART’s 2016 tour, when Ann’s husband Dean Welter was arrested for assaulting Nancy’s then-16-year-old twin sons in a backstage altercation at a gig near their hometown of Seattle. He pleaded guilty to two lesser assault charges to avoid jail time.

After completing HEART’s 2016 tour, Nancy formed a new band called ROADCASE ROYALE and released an album, “First Things First”. ROADCASE ROYALE featured three members of HEART along with Liv Warfield from Prince’s NEW POWER GENERATION band and her guitarist Ryan Wilson.

Ann will release a new album, “Fierce Bliss”, on April 29 via Silver Lining Music.

Swedish heavy metal band LION’S SHARE has made a new song, “City Of The Night”, available on streaming services and digital service providers.

LION’S SHARE guitarist Lars Chriss commented: “We wanted to kick off the new year with a ‘full-on heavy metal riff mania.’ We have already started recording the follow-up single, which will be in the same up-tempo heavy metal style. We hope to have that one out in April.”

In late 2018, LION’S SHARE released a new five-track EP, plus its complete catalog — remastered with new artwork — on streaming services and digital service providers for the first time. The band have since released a few more digital singles, some of which will and some of which won’t end up on the forthcoming full-length album.

Both Johansson and Chriss remark that they have always worked very well together, and at this point it feels the most natural to keep LION’S SHARE as a duo, with friends helping out wherever needed.

“We are aware our fans want a new album and the plan was to release one in 2020, but we all know what happened then,” they said. “We had just started playing live again with a couple of headline shows in Germany in March and were gearing up towards a new album and tour. Since we think it’s very important to tour behind a new album, we just have to wait until things go back to ‘normal’ again. Until then, we plan to release a new single every 2-3 months and keep building our fan base.”

The LION’S SHARE catalog features appearances by members and ex-members of KISS, MEGADETH, KING DIAMOND, HAMMERFALL, SYMPHONY X, CHIMAIRA, THERION, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, CANDLEMASS, etc. Mixers include top engineers such as Jens Bogren (ARCH ENEMY, OPETH, SYMPHONY X, AMON AMARTH), Niklas Flyckt (one-time Grammy Award winner and four-time nominee) and Ronny Lahti (ROXETTE, EUROPE, Glenn Hughes).

LION’S SHARE has toured with bands like MOTÖRHEAD, MANOWAR, DIO, SAXON, ICED EARTH, NEVERMORE, U.D.O. (ex-ACCEPT), Dee Snider (TWISTED SISTER) and has played many of the major rock and metal festivals.

San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal veterans TESTAMENT have announced almost a dozen European club shows to fill the gaps between their numerous 2022 summer festival appearances, which will include some of the biggest and most renowned metal festivals across the continent. For the club shows they will be joined by their peers and legends in their own right, EXODUS and HEATHEN, as well as DEATH ANGEL. Tickets for all shows are on sale now.

TESTAMENT summer 2022 tour dates:

Jul. 09 – DE – Ballenstedt – Rock Harz Festival
Jul. 10 – CZ – Vizovice – Masters of Rock
Jul. 11 – PL – Krakow – Studio (w/ EXODUS, HEATHEN)
Jul. 12 – SK – Bratislava – Refinery Gallery (w/ SEPULTURA, EXODUS, DEATH ANGEL, HEATHEN)
Jul. 14 – DE – Neukirchen-Vluyn – Dong Open Air
Jul. 16 – AT – Leoben – Area 53 Festival
Jul. 17 – IT – Cremona – Luppolo in Rock
Jul. 19 – IT – Rome – Rock in Roma (w/ EXODUS, DEATH ANGEL, HEATHEN)
Jul. 21 – DE – Fritzlar – Rock am Stück
Jul. 23 – BG – Plovdiv – Hills of Rock
Jul. 24 – RO – Sibiu – Art Mania
Jul. 26 – SI – Tolmin – Metaldays
Jul. 29 – PT – Vagos – Vagos Metalfest
Jul. 30 – ES – Burgos – Anden 56 (w/ EXODUS, HEATHEN)
Jul. 31 – ES – Pamplona – Totem (w/ EXODUS, HEATHEN)
Aug. 03 – ES – Malaga – Paris 15 (w/EXODUS, HEATHEN)
Aug. 04 – ES – Villena – Leyendas del Rock
Aug. 05 – ES – Madrid – La Riviera (w/ EXODUS, HEATHEN)
Aug. 06 – ES – Barcelona – Razzmatazz (w/ EXODUS, HEATHEN)
Aug. 09 – FR – Bordeaux – Rocher de Palmer (w/ EXODUS, HEATHEN)
Aug. 12 – UK – Catton Park – Bloodstock Festival
Aug. 13 – BE – Kortrijk – Alcatraz Festival
Aug. 14 – DE – Saarbrücken – Garage (w/ EXODUS, HEATHEN)
Aug. 16 – AT – Innsbruck – Music Hall (w/ EXODUS, HEATHEN)
Aug. 17 – DE – Dinkelsbühl – Summer Breeze
Aug. 19 – DE – Sulingen – Reload Festival
Aug. 20 – NL – Eindhoven – Dynamo Metalfest
Aug. 21 – FR – St. Nolff – Motocultor

TESTAMENT recently parted ways with its longtime drummer Gene Hoglan. A replacement drummer has not yet been announced.

Hoglan originally played drums on TESTAMENT’s 1997 album “Demonic”, but didn’t stick around long enough to do any touring with the band. He officially joined TESTAMENT in 2011 and played on the group’s last three albums: 2012’s “Dark Roots Of Earth”, 2016’s “Brotherhood Of The Snake” and 2020’s “Titans Of Creation”.

TESTAMENT, EXODUS and DEATH ANGEL played the sole 2021 date of “The Bay Strikes Back Tour” last November at the Fox Theater in Oakland, California. The gig took place less than two months after the three bands shared the stage at the Aftershock festival in Sacramento.

“The Bay Strikes Back Tour” was originally scheduled to kick off on October 6 at the Fremont Theater in San Luis Obispo, California and make stops in Austin, New York, and Detroit before concluding in Oakland. The tour has since been rescheduled to take place in April and May 2022.