Thanks to two scabrous and impressive studio albums and, perhaps more importantly, frontwoman Larissa Stupar’s enlightened, progressive and relentlessly ferocious conceptual vision, VENOM PRISON find themselves in the enviable position of being an extreme metal band with widespread support from metal media and genuine mainstream crossover potential. What comes with that, whether they like it or not, are the kind of high expectations that have often ruined aspiring young bands in the past. “Erebos” is manifestly the most high-profile album the Welsh quintet have made to date. But where lesser bands might have grasped the commercial nettle and diluted their formula to attract a more mainstream audience, VENOM PRISON have conjured a mercilessly heavy and creative storm of highly evolved death metal. Curiously, “Erebos” is more accessible than either “Samsara” (2019) or the band’s “Animus” debut (2016), but it is their increasingly nuanced and dynamic songwriting, and the ongoing development of Stupar’s vocal and lyrical efforts, that elevate this far beyond any previous achievements.

It was evident on earlier albums that VENOM PRISON took a liberal approach to cross-pollination, with shades of everything from old-school East Coast death metal to the billowing sludge of post-metal rearing its head. “Erebos” is vastly more diverse than its predecessors, with more room for melody and atmosphere, but the essence of the band’s sound remains the same: a wild and willful mixture of extreme metal tropes, heavy on groove but thrillingly unpredictable. And again, these are the best songs that VENOM PRISON have written by some distance. “Judges of the Underworld” was hurled down as a statement of intent late last year, and if you need proof of how far this band have come in a relatively short space of time, here it is: five minutes of shape-shifting brutality, with at least three significant hooks and an explosive and commanding vocal performance from Stupar. It’s wholly uncompromising but also grand, intricate and intelligently constructed. Similarly, “Nemesis” erupts with a flurry of screeched slogans and infernal riffing, before mutating multiple times across its waste-free, four-minute duration, and reaching a brilliantly thuggish crescendo. “Comfort Of Complicity” draws from more traditional death metal source material, and VENOM PRISON’s restless spirit ensures that every seamless transition leads to somewhere equally heavy and repulsive, but often startlingly unexpected. The song’s grandiloquent coda weaves in dark melodies and a sumptuous flourish of morbid theatre, with echoes of black metal’s night-sky vastness bolstering an already punishing collage of riffs.

Arguably the one moment on “Erebos” that might give the metal applecart a robust nudge, “Pain of Oizys” elegantly combines hazy but grim post-rock atmospherics, a wonderfully bluesy lead break and another eyeball-popping Stupar vocal. It’s the most daring moment on the album and an outright triumph.

Impressively, the second half of “Erebos” maintains the first half’s lofty standards. When a band makes an album that both refines and redefines what they do to this degree, and with such self-evident passion for the creative process on display, it’s a dark-hearted joy to behold. Laudably free of cliché, consistently vicious and imbued with supreme confidence and self-belief, songs like “Castigated in Steel and Concrete” and jaw-dropping, gleefully grotesque album closer “Technologies of Death” showcase a band that earned a shot at bigger and better things and absolutely rose to the challenge. “Erebos” is smart, exciting and bursting with new ways to raze this shitty world to the ground. Potential fulfilled. World domination next, presumably.

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W.A.S.P. and ARMORED SAINT, Hollywood’s prodigal sons, are coming home to end their U.S. tour at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles. After selling out the first California show of the U.S. tour in Anaheim, W.A.S.P. has announced a concert at The Wiltern on December 11. In addition, new shows in Las Vegas, St. Louis, Baltimore, Norfolk, Charlotte and Fresno have been added. General on sale for the new shows will be Friday, February 4 at 10 a.m. EST.

New shows added to the “40 Years Live” U.S. tour:

Oct. 28 – Las Vegas, NV – House Of Blues
Nov. 08 – St Louis, MO – The Factory
Nov. 15 – Baltimore, MD – Rams Head Live
Nov. 21 – Norfolk, VA – The Norva
Nov. 27 – Charlotte, NC – The Fillmore
Dec. 10 – Fresno, CA – Tower Theater
Dec. 11 – Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern

W.A.S.P. leader Blackie Lawless commented on the return home to The Wiltern in Los Angeles: “W.A.S.P. and ARMORED SAINT started 40 years ago in Hollywood. We made our bones there, and were leaders of that now-legendary ’82 and ’83 Hollywood metal explosion that would go on to shock the rock world. I can think of no better way to end the 40th-anniversary tour of the U.S, for both bands, then to end this tour where we both started.

“Sentimentality aside, this show won’t be just a gig; this will be a once-in-a-lifetime, historic landmark event! Hollywood’s prodigal sons are coming home!”

ARMORED SAINT bassist Joey Vera said: “40 years ago, we stepped onstage in Hollywood and shared the wild club experience with W.A.S.P. In 1983, both bands had a hand in bringing this new genre, heavy metal, to Los Angeles. And now we’re back at again like it was yesterday, except this time we’re playing the legendary Wiltern Theater! This will be a night to remember!”

ARMORED SAINT singer John Bush said: “Super excited that the W.A.S.P. – ARMORED SAINT tour is coming to the awesome Wiltern Theater. The Wiltern is one of my favorite venues in L.A. Every show is a memorable one. I expect this one to be more of the same. Let’s sell it out, Los Angeles!!!”

W.A.S.P. 2022 U.S tour dates with ARMORED SAINT:

Oct. 28 – Las Vegas, NV – House Of Blues
Oct. 29 – Anaheim, CA – The Grove
Oct. 30 – Tempe, AZ – Marquee Theater
Oct. 31 – Albuquerque, NM – Sunshine Theater
Nov. 02 – Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall (with MICHAEL SCHENKER)
Nov. 03 – Corpus Christi, TX – Concrete Street Pavillion (with MICHAEL SCHENKER)
Nov. 04 – San Antonio, TX – Eaton Arena (with MICHAEL SCHENKER)
Nov. 05 – Dallas, TX – Amplified Live (with MICHAEL SCHENKER)
Nov. 06 – Tulsa, OK – Tulsa Theater (with MICHAEL SCHENKER)
Nov. 08 – St Louis, MO – The Factory
Nov. 09 – Milwaukee, WI – Pabst Theater
Nov. 10 – Ashwaubenon, WI – EPIC Event Center
Nov. 11 – Detroit, MI – Harpo’s
Nov. 12 – Cleveland, OH – Agora Theater
Nov. 13 – Pittsburgh, PA – Palace Theater
Nov. 15 – Baltimore, MD – Rams Head Live
Nov. 16 – Boston, MA – Big Night Live
Nov. 17 – Montclair, NJ – Wellmont Theater
Nov. 18 – Huntington, NY – Paramount Theater
Nov. 19 – Jim Thorpe, PA – Penn’s Peak
Nov. 20 – Glenside, PA – Keswick Theater
Nov. 21 – Norfolk, VA – The Norva
Nov. 23 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium
Nov. 25 – Atlanta, GA – Buckhead Theater
Nov. 26 – Orlando, FL – Plaza Live
Nov. 27 – Charlotte, NC – The Fillmore
Nov. 29 – Leesburg, VA – Tally Ho Theater
Nov. 30 – Columbus, OH – The King Of Clubs
Dec. 02 – St Charles, IL – Arcada Theater
Dec. 03 – St Charles, IL – Arcada Theater
Dec. 05 – Denver, CO – Oriental Theater
Dec. 07 – Reno, NV – Grand Sierra Theater
Dec. 09 – San Francisco, CA – The Regency
Dec. 10 – Fresno, CA – Tower Theater
Dec. 11 – Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern

Lawless stated: “For over 10 years we have not toured on U.S. soil. But starting October 28th, 2022… we return. 10 years I’d want, 10 years I’ve cussed, 10 years I’d lust to return…. To my homeland… and be a Wild Child, a Love Machine, to be Blind in Texas, On Your Knees and Headless.”

Joined by bassist Mike Duda and guitarist Doug Blair, who have been in the band 26 years and 18 years, respectively, along with drummer extraordinaire Aquiles Priester, they will take the band and the fans back to where it all started, complete with the stage show extravaganza that many fans never saw live

Lawless added: “So join me and the band, and very special guests ARMORED SAINT as we celebrate W.A.S.P. 40th-anniversary tour… Back in the U.S… Back to the Beginning.

“I’m gonna scream, c’ause I wanna feed, ’cause I wanna bleed, ’cause I Wanna Be Somebody.

“W.A.S.P. 40th-anniversary tour… Back in the U.S… Back to the beginning.”

Few bands in the history of rock ‘n’ roll have ever incited the love, the hate, the raw emotional effect this band has had on the world. From the very beginning, in the small venues of Los Angeles, California, and later to the numerous countries worldwide that banned these winged assassins from performing live, the band’s unique style of shock and rock caused religious organizations, local city councils, parliaments, and the Washington D.C. Senate to hold hearings in an effort to bar this group from selling records and trashing stages everywhere they played.

The band’s founding member, Blackie Lawless, has led the group as its lead vocalist and primary songwriter since its beginning. His unique brand of visual, social and political comment took the group to worldwide heights and sold millions of records alongside a legacy of sold-out shows across the globe for four decades.

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Unleash the beer-thirsty! On June 10-11, 2022, Decibel Magazine Metal & Beer Fest: Philly — the world’s loudest, two-day craft beer event — comes back to the Fillmore Philly for its latest and greatest sud-soaked execution!

Death metal kings CANNIBAL CORPSE triumphantly return to Philadelphia, leading an unforgettable weekend that includes a Friday night headlining set from Swedish doom legends CANDLEMASS. The epic-doom originators will perform their landmark debut “Epicus Doomicus Metallicus” for the first time ever in its entirety in America, with “Epicus” vocalist Johan Längquist.

That’s just one of four exclusive Metal & Beer Fest full-album sets! For the first time WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM will perform all of their U.S. black metal masterpiece “Two Hunters”, NUCLEAR ASSAULT will thrash through their 1986 undisputed classic “Game Over” in full, and reawakened death metal/grindcore/hardcore whirlwind THE RED CHORD will demolish with their masterwork “Clients” from start to finish.

The already stacked artist bill, presented by Metal Blade Records, is rounded out by Canadian progressive metal icons VOIVOD; vicious deathgrind crushers FULL OF HELL; revolutionary Philly hardcore heroes SOUL GLO; metallic hardcore monolith ALL ELSE FAILED; Pittsburgh old-school death/doom dealers DERKÉTA; British black/thrash battalion CRAVEN IDOL; tortuous death metal crew SANGUISUGABOGG; post-black metal new jacks THE SILVER; and resurrected death metal cult favorites DEATHEVOKATION.

But wait, Metal & Beer Fest is not finished! Metal & Beer Fest has got the weekend’s cauldron of hops totally covered via America’s most metal breweries! The entire beer lineup is once again presented by Broken Goblet Brewing (PA) and includes featured breweries Wake Brewing (IL), Widowmaker Brewing (MA), Bone Up Brewing (MA), Kings County Brewers Collective (NY), Sabbath Brewing (GA) and flagship meadery Brimming Horn Meadery (DE).

“We are once again excited to be the sponsoring brewery for this amazing crossover beer and metal event, two things that are so important to the very fabric of our business,” says Mike LaCouture, co-owner of Broken Goblet Brewing. “Going from an idea to a small brewery and taproom to a full-fledged production brewery and music venue has taught us the value of hard work, but also sticking to your roots — and it’s a value we see shared every year with the whole Decibel crew. Plus CANDLEMASS? CANNIBAL CORPSE? Hell yes, we want to be there!”

Joining this brewing murderers’ row will be: 3 Floyds Brewing (IN), Adroit Theory Brewing Company (VA), Cosmic Eye Brewing (NE), Animated Brewing Co. (PA), Love City Brewing (PA), Abomination Brewing (CT), Bolero Snort Brewery (NJ), Yards Brewing Co. (PA), Soundgrowler Brewing Co. (IL) and Metal & Beer Fest’s first non-alcoholic brewer, Athletic Brewing Company (CT).

All tickets are on sale Friday, February 4 at 10 a.m. ET.

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King Diamond has revealed that he is working on lyrics for the long-awaited new album from his namesake band. Titled “The Institute”, the group’s first studio LP in 15 years is tentatively before the end of the year via Metal Blade Records.

On Tuesday (February 1), King took to his Instagram to share a photo of several stacks of handwritten lyric sheets, and he included the following message: “In my lair working on lyrics for the new album. The words may be blurred for now but in due time the madness will unfold, you have been warned..”

Back in November 2019, KING DIAMOND released its first new song in 12 years, “Masquerade Of Madness”. A month later, guitarist Andy La Rocque told The Metal Voice that he came up with the music for the track first before passing it off to King, who “needed to arrange a few things and change just a small few things for making it work with his vocals. And then, of course, he wrote the lyrics for it,” the guitarist revealed. “So we [went] a little back and forth until he felt like, ‘Okay, this is cool, man. This is the right key to sing in,’ and all that.”

La Rocque, whose real name is Anders Allhage, told The Metal Voice that the tentative plan is to release “The Institute” as “a single album” as part of a two-LP horror concept story, with the second part arriving at a later date. Andy also discussed his vision for the new KING DIAMOND album, saying that it will be filled with great “melodies, of course. Super important. Without melodies, there is no music,” he explained. “I’m also envisioning a more organic sound of the album. If you look back to the older albums, when Mikkey [Dee] played [drums for the band], for example, it’s, like, a little bit up and down in tempo, and that makes it dynamic and also organic. So that’s one thing that I would like to hear on the next album, for sure. But building up a dynamic, kind of organic feel, the drummer is a really important thing here, of course. And I know that Matt Thompson [current KING DIAMOND drummer] is the right guy to do this, for sure.”

In March 2019, King told Full Metal Jackie’s nationally syndicated radio show that the next album from his namesake band will be “absolutely gruesome” with a story set in a 1920s mental institution. “I chose that because I think it’s a very creepy scenario,” he explained. “And some of the things that go on that we’re gonna show onstage is also things that certainly was going on back then, when medicine was beginning to take a beneficial turn in history and actually being able to help human beings live longer. But there was some experimentation going on, too, that was absolutely gruesome. Some of that is involved in the story, but it’s something totally different. Once you get to the second part of the story, you will begin to suddenly understand that, ‘What the hell is going on here? What is this really about?’ ‘Cause there’s a whole different story that will not come to you till second part. But in the first part, you’re gonna get to know a lot people at a certain place… Some of it takes place here, this world, and some of it takes place in a parallel world. And there’s a correlation between what happened to me and what happens to some people in this place and where they suddenly appear. And you will find out why they are there, how they appear there and the places down the road. I won’t say too much right now, but it’s gonna be very creepy.”

KING DIAMOND received a Grammy nomination in the “Best Metal Performance” category for the track “Never Ending Hill” off the band’s last album, 2007’s “Give Me Your Soul … Please”.

“Give Me Your Soul … Please” sold 4,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 174 on The Billboard 200 chart.

KING DIAMOND released a DVD/Blu-ray, “Songs For The Dead Live”, in January 2019 via Metal Blade Records. The set captures 1987’s seminal “Abigail” album in its entirety, twice, and in very different locales: Belgium’s Graspop Metal Meeting in June 2016 and Philadelphia’s Fillmore in November 2015. The performances feature KING DIAMOND’s current band, comprising of guitarists La Rocque and Mike Wead, bassist Pontus Egberg and Thompson.

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Critically acclaimed artist, producer, songwriter and esteemed THE ROLLING STONES guitarist Ronnie Wood has unveiled a new Picasso-inspired painting of THE ROLLING STONES, titled “Abstract Performance”. Wood revealed the work with a surprise visit to London’s Wood Lane outside the iconic Westfield, the world’s premiere shopping, lifestyle and entertainment destination, where the mystery painting first appeared on a billboard earlier this week. The limited-edition “Abstract Performance” prints are on sale and available for two weeks only until 14 February via www.ronniewood.com.

“Abstract Performance”, which was completed in 2020, continues Wood’s series of works inspired by the abstract paintings of Pablo Picasso, in particular 1925’s “The Three Dancers”, as Wood explores the conceit of depicting himself and his STONES bandmates in the role of the dancers.

Wood commented: “I call it The Picasso Stones. It’s my interpretation of Picasso’s painting ‘The Three Dancers’. Looking at the original, I was inspired to do my own take. I had great fun doing it. Picasso did his own take on a lot of artists, but I bet he never thought no one would ever do a take on him. I hope and think he’d be flattered, but also a bit shocked and pleasantly surprised at my take on his work.”

In a first for Wood, the edition size of “Abstract Performance” will solely be dictated by the quantity sold within the limited two-week window that the prints will be available to purchase from February 1 – February 14, 2022. Each print will be individually hand signed, numbered, and personalized by Ronnie, adding a personal dedication to each collector.

Having established himself as an artist, Wood’s work is widely collected and exhibited throughout the world. Over the years, the artist and the musician have been inseparable, as Ronnie has continued his passion for painting and drawing, with his subjects ranging from band members and fellow musicians, family and close friends, to landscapes, self-portraits and more.

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Y&T has rescheduled two shows due to frontman Dave Meniketti having to undergo an undisclosed “critical medical procedure” on February 11.

The iconic Bay Area rockers announced the postponement in a statement on social media on Tuesday (February 1). The band said: “The Tracy and Santa Cruz shows have been rescheduled, but for a different reason: Dave must have a critical medical procedure on February 11 — that’s the soonest his doctor and the hospital are available, it’s the only date this month, and it’s important to do ASAP. He’s then ordered to rest for the first 48 hours after the procedure, so the entire weekend is out for him.

“We thank you for understanding that Dave’s health comes first. He very much looks forward to putting this necessity behind him and returning to the stage. Meanwhile, we all wish him the best.”

Reschedules Y&T tour dates:

Feb. 25 – Tracy, CA @ The Grand Theatre (was February 11)
Feb. 26 – Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst (was February 12)

Meniketti is the only surviving member of the Y&T lineup — then known as YESTERDAY AND TODAY — that recorded the band’s self-titled debut album.

Original Y&T rhythm guitarist Joey Alves died in March 2017 at the age of 63. Two founding Y&T musicians — Haze, 61, and Kennemore, 57, who both had left the lineup — died from complications of lung cancer: Kennemore on January 7, 2011, and Haze on September 11, 2016.

Y&T’s current lineup is rounded out by guitarist John Nymann, drummer Mike Vanderhule and bassist Aaron Leigh.

The band’s latest studio album, “Facemelter”, came out in May 2010 via Frontiers.

In 2019, Y&T released its long-awaited documentary, “Y&T: On With The Show – The Documentary”, on DVD and on Blu-ray.

***IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT***
The Tracy & Santa Cruz shows have been rescheduled, but for a different reason: Dave must…

Posted by Y&T on Tuesday, February 1, 2022

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The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame announced today the following nominees for 2022 induction:

BECK
PAT BENATAR
KATE BUSH
DEVO
DURAN DURAN
EMINEM
EURYTHMICS
JUDAS PRIEST
FELA KUTI
MC5
NEW YORK DOLLS
DOLLY PARTON
RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE
LIONEL RICHIE
CARLY SIMON
A TRIBE CALLED QUEST
DIONNE WARWICK

JUDAS PRIEST was previously on the ballot for Rock Hall induction in 2020, but failed to receive enough votes to make that year’s class.

Having been eligible for induction since 1999, PRIEST was also on the ballot for the 2018 class of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, but was ultimately left out of the inductee list.

Once again, the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame has named the individual bandmembers that will enter should their group get inducted.

For JUDAS PRIEST, they picked current members Rob Halford (vocals), Ian Hill (bass), Glenn Tipton (guitar) and Scott Travis (drums), along with former members K.K. Downing (guitar), Les Binks (drums) and late drummer Dave Holland.

The NEW YORK DOLLS members selected were singer David Johansen, bassist Arthur “Killer” Kane, drummer Billy Murcia, drummer Jerry Nolan, bassist Sylvain Sylvain and guitarist Johnny Thunders.

The MC5 lineup of bassist Michael Davis, guitarist/singer Wayne Kramer, guitarist/singer Fred “Sonic” Smith, drummer Dennis Thompson and singer Rob Tyner was picked.

To be eligible for nomination, an individual artist or band must have released its first commercial recording at least 25 years prior to the year of nomination. Seven out of 17 of the nominees are on the ballot for the first time, including Beck, Eminem, DURAN DURAN, Dolly Parton, Lionel Richie, Carly Simon and A TRIBE CALLED QUEST. This is Eminem’s first year of eligibility.

“This year’s ballot recognizes a diverse group of incredible artists, each who has had a profound impact on the sound of youth culture”, said John Sykes, chairman of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Foundation. “Their music not only moved generations but also influenced the sound of countless artists that followed.”

Nominee ballots are sent to an international voting body of more than 1,000 artists, historians, and members of the music industry. Factors such as an artist’s musical influence on other artists, length and depth of career and the body of work, innovation, and superiority in style and technique are taken into consideration.

The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame offers fans the opportunity to participate in the induction selection process with the 2022 Induction Fan Vote sponsored by Ohio. Today through April 29, fans can vote every day at vote.rockhall.com or at the museum in Cleveland. The top five artists, as selected by the public, will comprise a “fans’ ballot” that will be tallied along with the other ballots to select the 2022 inductees.

Inductees will be announced in May 2022. The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame 2022 induction ceremony will take place this fall. The date, venue, and on-sale information will be announced later.

The nominees were announced on Rock Hall social channels and live on SiriusXM Volume channel 106’s “Feedback” morning show with hosts Nik Carter and Lori Majewski.

Select Rock Hall donors and members get exclusive induction ticket opportunities. Donate or join by June 30 to be eligible. Visit rockhall.com/support to learn more.

Even though artists are eligible for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame 25 years after the release of their first album or single, iconic hard rock and metal bands like PRIEST, IRON MAIDEN and MOTÖRHEAD have yet to be recognized by the institution, which inducted GUNS N’ ROSES in that group’s first year of eligibility.

Rock Hall rules state that artists become eligible a quarter century after their first records were released, but the Hall also claims that other “criteria include the influence and significance of the artists’ contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock ‘n’ roll,” which is, of course, open to interpretation.

Eligible for induction since 1999, KISS didn’t get its first nomination until 2009, and was finally inducted in 2014.

DEEP PURPLE was eligible for the Rock Hall since 1993 but didn’t get inducted until 2016.

The Rock Hall didn’t induct BLACK SABBATH until 2006, and METALLICA followed three years later.

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KORN’s new single, “Lost In The Grandeur”, can be streamed below via a video animated and edited by EFFIXX. The track is taken from the band’s upcoming album, album, “Requiem”, which will arrive on February 4 via Loma Vista Recordings.

Due to the effects of COVID-19 and the inability to play live shows for the first time in KORN’s illustrious career, “Requiem” was conceived out of very different circumstances than the majority of the band’s catalogue. It is an album born of time and the ability to create without pressure. Energized by a new creative process free of time constraints, KORN was able to do things with “Requiem” that the past two decades haven’t always afforded them, such as taking additional time to experiment together or diligently recording to analog tape — processes which unearthed newfound sonic dimension and texture in their music.

“Requiem” was produced by Chris Collier and KORN.

KORN guitarist James “Munky” Shaffer recently told “Loudwire Nights” about “Requiem”: “Something about it makes me feel like it’s — remember the album ‘Untouchables’? It has a vibe to it that’s like early 2000s to me. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s just because we took more time on guitars. We got a lot of textures, and there’s some layering and techniques recording-wise that we’ve done [such as] recording to tape. We did all the drums and did a lot of analog recording, and just got out of working in a computer.”

Munky added that some KORN fans might be surprised by the release. “I feel like it’s gonna take fans a minute to kind of digest,” he said. “And also, you have to put yourself where we were in the middle of COVID. The whole world shut down. At one point, L.A. had these big fires and there was this orange sky, the virus was out there — it just felt so dystopian.”

“Requiem” is available for pre-order in an array of collectible formats. These include an exclusive silver vinyl variant strictly limited to 1,000 copies.

“Requiem” track listing:

01. Forgotten
02. Let The Dark Do The Rest
03. Start The Healing
04. Lost In The Grandeur
05. Disconnect
06. Hopeless And Beaten
07. Penance To Sorrow
08. My Confession
09. Worst Is On Its Way

KORN will celebrate the arrival of its new album, “Requiem”, with a special record-release event this coming Thursday, February 3 at the Hollywood United Methodist Church in Los Angeles, California. “Requiem Mass” will see the Southern California heavy music pioneers perform an intimate set in front of a 300 attendees.

KORN kicked off a short of shows with SYSTEM OF A DOWN Monday night (January 31) in Phoenix, followed by dates in San Diego (February 1) and Los Angeles (February 4 and February 5). KORN’s headlining tour with CHEVELLE and CODE ORANGE will launch March 4.

Photo credit: Tim Saccenti

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METALLICA has paid tribute to Megaforce Records founder Jon “Jonny Z” Zazula who died earlier today (Tuesday, February 1). The 69-year-old passed away in Florida surrounded by his brother, daughters, granddaughters and friends, according to Variety.

The legendary heavy metal band shared a moving statement in honor of Jonny shortly after news of his death became public. The statement read: “Heavy music lost one of its great champions today when Jonny Z left this world far too soon.

“In 1982, when no one wanted to take a chance on four kids from California playing a crazy brand of metal, Johnny and Marsha did, and the rest, as they say, is history.

“He was a mentor, a manager, a label head and a father figure to us all … METALLICA would not be who we are or where we are today without Jon Zazula and his wife, Marsha.

“Our love and sympathy go out to Jonny’s children and his grandchildren, whom he cherished and brought to our shows from the time they were in diapers.

“We hope they will be able to take some comfort in knowing that he is reunited with Marsha, and that he helped bring so much incredible music to so many.”

The statement concluded with: “Hopefully there’s a great show goin’ on up there tonight to welcome you! We’ll miss you Jonny”.

In a separate statement, METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich said: “Thank you Jonny for taking a chance on these crazy, noisy, uncompromising and undisciplined dudes from NorCal who didn’t know what was up, down or sideways, but who were ready, willing and more than able to fuckin throw it all to the wind and go for it.. Thank you for giving us a sense of belonging and ultimately, a sense of self-worth. I will forever be grateful for your friendship, advice and blind belief that the music we played could be shared with way more people who were just like us…outsiders and misfits!

“Rest In Peace my friend.”

METALLICA frontman James Hetfield stated: “God rest your soul Jonny. My heart is full of gratitude for taking a chance on me and my bandmates.”

Jon’s wife Marsha, with whom he founded Megaforce, passed away of cancer in January of last year.

Megaforce is widely credited for launching the career of METALLICA by releasing the band’s first two albums, 1983’s “Kill ‘Em All” and 1984’s “Ride The Lightning”, before METALLICA landed a major label deal with Elektra. Megaforce’s roster has also included such artists as ANTHRAX, TESTAMENT, OVERKILL, Ace Frehley, MINISTRY, KING’S X, STORMTROOPERS OF DEATH and RAVEN.

In a 2019 interview, Jonny recalled hearing METALLICA’s “No Life ‘Til Leather” demo for the first time: “I basically said, ‘What the fuck!’ It was just so amazing. I stood there stunned, because music is my life. Everything was going off in my head, like this was the answer to America, just from the demo. And I said I’ve got to get involved with this.”

Jonny said of the superstardom METALLICA achieved: “When we first started with the group in ’83, we envisioned this. We knew we were dealing with a group that could potentially rival LED ZEPPELIN. They were destined for greatness.”

Born in 1952, Jonny began his extraordinary journey as a renegade youth who went from living on the streets of the Bronx in New York City, to later working on Wall Street, and eventually (and unexpectedly) transitioning into the music business and discovering METALLICA, ANTHRAX and others.

After Wall Street, Jonny Z began selling records at a flea market store in 1981 to put food on the table for his family. Dubbed Rock N’ Roll Heaven, the store eventually blossomed into a major record store that influenced the heavy metal movement as we know it today. In the winter of 1982, Jonny Z received an unexpected demo tape from unsigned underground band called METALLICA. Eager and determined to have the music heard by the entire world, Jonny and Marsha founded Megaforce the following year and released “Kill ‘Em All”. Through this release, Megaforce cemented its position as the de-facto music label in America for heavy metal.

Jon’s acclaimed autobiography, “Heavy Tales: The Metal. The Music. The Madness. As Lived By Jon Zazula”, was released in October 2019. The book tells the story of how the Zazulas ended up signing a band that shaped the sound of heavy metal for decades to come.

“It’s all a blessing when you work hard and you stay smart and you go into the game and then eventually something comes your way and you’re ready for it. And you’re able to jump upon it and ride it,” Jonny told Variety. “We were very fortunate, Marsha and I, that we have them to choose as a band that became the biggest band in the world. Not to mention a bunch of other great bands that made history.”

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