Although never quite established on the genre’s top tier, LEAVES’ EYES have certainly earned a formidable reputation as symphonic stalwarts. With a robust catalogue of full-length records and an international fan base, there will be plenty of people waiting for the Norwegians/Germans’ new album, and the best news available is that it’s very obviously one of their finest efforts to date. With vocalist ELINA SIIRALA now firmly assimilated, “The Last Viking” feels far more confident and joyously bombastic than 2018’s “Sign of the Dragonhead”, while also boasting a much more diverse and unpredictable array of songwriting styles.

Still tending to err on the side of death metal fury whenever possible, LEAVES’ EYES have long been one of the heavier bands in this corner of the metal realm. “The Last Viking” definitely backs that up, and it’s the more aggressive moments here that stand out as obvious keepers for future live shows. Anthemic opener “Chain Of The Golden Horn” and recent single “Dark Love Empress” lay out the formula with plenty of finesse: the melodies are simple but all the more memorable as a result, and the depth of layered sound underpinning it all sparkles with clarity and ultra-modern oomph. Similarly, “Serpents And Dragons” hammers home the enduring power of operatic and deathly vocals colliding over a series of startling brutal riffs. “Flames In The Sky” is so beefy and bellicose that it almost sounds like AMON AMARTH.

If there is a downside to “The Last Viking”, it’s that LEAVES’ EYES do seem a little too beholden to the sound of symphonic metal circa 10-15 years ago. Admittedly, the majority of their most obvious peers have either moved forwards or sideways from the genre’s now well-worn formula, with bands like DELAIN and BEYOND THE BLACK following WITHIN TEMPTATION’s lead by ditching the fantasy vibes and embracing a pop-metal future. But this is not an album with much to offer in terms of progress, instead, it’s an absolute riot for anyone that preferred symphonic metal when it wasn’t so meticulously thought through.

The result is that “The Last Viking” is at its most powerful when its creators take a risk or three. The closing title track, all ten thunderous minutes of it, is easily the best thing here, and may make more casual observers wonder why LEAVES’ EYES don’t pursue that course more extensively. But in truth, all of those minor issues evaporate in the face of some genuinely crushing but endlessly extravagant symphonic metal, played by a band with real spirit and an intuitive grasp of what makes this stuff work. “The Last Viking” won’t change your world, but it will transport you somewhere much less weakening for precisely 64 minutes.

Former SEPULTURA and current SOULFLY frontman Max Cavalera is sporting a new and somewhat shocking look.

The Brazilian-born musician apparently cut off his trademark mono-dreadlock earlier this week, if his wife’s social media is anything to go by.

On Monday (October 19), Gloria Cavalera, who also manages Max, took to her Instagram to share a photo of her holding Max’s hair, with her newly shorn husband standing next to her. She wrote in an accompanying caption: “It must be snowing in hell today!”

The so-called mono-dreadlock has been criticized in some circles, with the Sick Chirpse web site famously describing it in a 2015 article as “solid chunk of bedraggled, matted and minging hair [which] seems to go hand in hand with personal neglect and crushing laziness.”

Max discussed his hair in a 2011 interview with MyTicket. Asked what the secret was to having “the most famous dreadlocks in the history of metal,” Cavalera said: “Just leave it there, and it grows, and leave it alone. I wash it. It’s clean. I did find food one time. I opened one of them up and found some macaroni or cheese or rice. I think my wife was going through the dreads and [she said], ‘There’s some food in here, right?’ A stash from tour.

“But, yeah, I just let it grow,” he explained. “I’ve been growing it since 1997. That’s when I started. I never stopped. There’s been rumors that I cut it off. Sometimes fans come to me and say, ‘Hey, man, let me see your dreads. Oh, they’re still there. I heard that you cut it off.'”

Max started growing his dreadlocks a year after SEPULTURA’s classic lineup fell apart when the rest of the band split with Gloria as their manager. His brother, drummer Igor Cavalera, stuck around with the group for another 10 years before also leaving SEPULTURA and re-teaming with Max in CAVALERA CONSPIRACY.

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It must be snowing in hell today!
A post shared by Gloria Cavalera (@gloriacavalera) on Oct 18, 2020 at 5:19pm PDT

Former WHITESNAKE guitarist Adrian Vandenberg has come under fire for sharing an unflattering meme of Melania Trump.

On Monday (October 19), the Dutch musician posted a side-by-side photo comparison of a space alien and America’s first lady, and he included the following caption: “THEY ARE AMONG US! Be careful and cautious guys! Unless you don’t mind getting abducted, probed and brainwashed of course. In that case: enjoy the ride! Have an out of this world day amigos!”

Not surprisingly, Vandenberg’s attempt at humor wasn’t well received by many of his social media followers, particularly supporters of Donald Trump, who took issue with the fact that Adrian was seemingly belittling members of the president’s family.

In response to the criticism, Vandenberg shared another Instagram photo of Melania earlier today, and he included the following explanation: “ZINGGGG! To my surprise my light joke yesterday touched a sensitive nerve for a bunch of people apparently. Not a political statement, neither left wing, right wing or chicken wing, just a joke as we should be able to make at anytime, about anybody and/ or anything.

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but to my knowledge Melania Trump is not Mother Theresa or a saint. She’s just an immigrant who happened to Bump into Trump, who happened to become president of the USA, apparently to his own surprise.

“Everybody who follows my posts knows that I like to joke about everything, anything and anybody, but these jokes are never meant to hurt, insult or demean anybody. Just kidding and regularly with a healthy dose of sarcasm. This is called ‘humor’. As we all know not everybody has the same sense of humor, but even that can create very funny situations quite often.

“We live in rather tempestuous times these days with the Covid pandemic, shaky economies and political tensions worldwide and all of us are dealing with this in our own way. I personally think that music and humor are a among the ingredients that make dealing with these situations more doable and hopefully a bit lighter.

“Judging by some of the reactions to my non political joke the tensions and polarization in the United States seems to be at such a boiling point these days that some people even have difficulty dealing with a light joke like the one I posted. And it wasn’t even a political one. For those who are interested to broaden their horizon on this subject it’s worth checking into the joking around our Dutch king and queen in short TV sketches. These are so hilarious that apparently our royals themselves are laughing their ass off about them.

“Come on guys, lighten up, it’s only rock’n roll.”

Vandenberg was a member of WHITESNAKE for 13 years at the height of the band’s fame, contributing the solo on its No. 1 hit “Here I Go Again”. He was also part of supergroup MANIC EDEN, and more recently released a number of albums with VANDENBERG’S MOONKINGS.

Vandenberg’s namesake band released its comeback album, titled “2020”, in May via Mascot Records / Mascot Label Group.

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THEY ARE AMONG US?! Be careful and cautious guys! Unless you don’t mind getting abducted, probed and brainwashed of course. In that case: enjoy the ride! Have an out of this world day amigos!
A post shared by Adrian Vandenberg (@adrianvandenberg_official) on Oct 18, 2020 at 11:57pm PDT

View this post on Instagram

ZINGGGG! To my surprise my light joke yesterday touched a sensitive nerve for a bunch of people apparently. Not a political statement, neither left wing, right wing or chicken wing, just a joke as we should be able to make at anytime, about anybody and/ or anything. Correct me if I’m wrong, but to my knowledge Melania Trump is not Mother Theresa or a saint. She’s just an immigrant who happened to Bump into Trump, who happened to become president of the USA, apparently to his own surprise. Everybody who follows my posts knows that I like to joke about everything, anything and anybody, but these jokes are never meant to hurt, insult or demean anybody. Just kidding and regularly with a healthy dose of sarcasm. This is called ‘humor’. As we all know not everybody has the same sense of humor, but even that can create very funny situations quite often. We live in rather tempestuous times these days with the Covid pandemic, shaky economies and political tensions worldwide and all of us are dealing with this in our own way. I personally think that music and humor are a among the ingredients that make dealing with these situations more doable and hopefully a bit lighter. Judging by some of the reactions to my non political joke the tensions and polarization in the United States seems to be at such a boiling point these days that some people even have difficulty dealing with a light joke like the one I posted. And it wasn’t even a political one. For those who are interested to broaden their horizon on this subject it’s worth checking into the joking around our Dutch king and queen in short TV sketches. These are so hilarious that apparently our royals themselves are laughing their ass off about them. Come on guys, lighten up, it’s only rock’n roll.
A post shared by Adrian Vandenberg (@adrianvandenberg_official) on Oct 20, 2020 at 8:36am PDT

The new blackened crust duo featuring members of Trash Talk, Alpha & Omega and A Storm of Light is anything but Soothing.
The post Video Premiere: Soothing – ‘Used X’ appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

As with most touring artists, BUCKCHERRY’s 2020 touring plans were upended in March with the onset of the coronavirus. The band was forced to postpone or cancel close to 75 shows.

On November 11 at 5 p.m. EST, BUCKCHERRY will premiere a live show in partnership with the streaming platform LiveXLive Media. The 75-minute performance will include songs from across BUCKCHERRY’s 21-year career. The stream will be available for an additional 48 hours for video on demand.

Tickets for the stream are $10 with an optional VIP bundle featuring a personal virtual call with vocalist Josh Todd and guitarist Stevie Dacanay for $60.

Tickets can be pre-ordered here.

BUCKCHERRY will head to Nashville at the end of October to begin recording the follow-up to the 2019’s “Warpaint”. The album will be produced by Marti Frederiksen, who also helmed 2008’s “Black Butterfly”. A mid-2021 release is expected.

Earlier this month, Todd told the Waterloo, Iowa radio station Rock 108 about BUCKCHERRY’s upcoming LP: “We wrote 27 songs for a 10-song record, and, man, we put in the work. And it’s really good. I can’t wait for people to hear it.”

This past summer, BUCKCHERRY has JETBOY’s Billy Rowe as its new guitarist. He joined the group as the replacement for Kevin Roentgen, who left BUCKCHERRY in July.

Roentgen, who joined the California-based band in 2017, made his exit official in a social media post. He wrote: “Bottom line, I made this decision to come off the road and spend more time with my family. The guys understood this, and for that I’m thankful. Though my wife and daughter always one hundred percent supported me in this gig, they are quite happy now to have me home.”

Roentgen joined BUCKCHERRY as the replacement for original guitarist Keith Nelson. He can be heard on “Warpaint”, which was released in March 2019 via Century Media/RED Music. The 12-song record was produced by Mike Plotnikoff, whose previous collaboration with the band was BUCKCHERRY’s multi-platinum third album, 2005’s “15”.

Last year, BUCKCHERRY recruited Francis Ruiz as its new drummer. He joined the group as the replacement for Sean Winchester, who exited BUCKCHERRY after laying down the drum tracks on “Warpaint”.

SLAVES ON DOPE’s Jason Rockman and Kevin Jardine present a brand-new cover project called THE KINGS OF QUARANTINE alongside a veritable who’s who of rock and rap artists. Their first release is a song from one of the most celebrated modern rock bands, FAITH NO MORE, with a rendition of “We Care A Lot”. The video features a myriad of artists such as Frank Bello (ANTHRAX), Ray Luzier (KORN), Bill Kelliher (MASTODON), Ivan Doruschuk (MEN WITHOUT HATS), Dennis Lyxén (REFUSED), Walter Shreifels (QUICKSAND), Kevin Sharp (BRUTAL TRUTH), Darryl McDaniels (RUN-D.M.C.), Esoteric (CZARFACE), Richard Patrick (FILTER) and Raine Maida (OUR LADY PEACE). The video also features a guest appearance from FAITH NO MORE’s founding member and bass player Billy Gould delivering a special message.

The project came together after a discussion between Jason and Bill about possibly doing a cover song together. Jason then went back to his longtime music partner Kevin Jardine and picked their favourite band FAITH NO MORE with the song “We Care A Lot”.

“Kevin and I have always been massive fans of FAITH NO MORE, and having the opportunity to cover one of their songs with such great company has been a dream come true. We are so grateful to all the musicians involved that accepted our invitation,” says Rockman.

The music industry has been severely touched by the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis. Artists, creators, and musicians have had to find new fun ways to remain sane in the creative sphere.

“We did this because we care a lot about everyone! Especially those who put their lives on the line to make sure we are okay,” adds McDaniels.

“I care a lot about being part of this amazing cover. It’s an honor and a privilege. To be rubbing elbows with the likes of these gentlemen makes me feel very proud,” says Patrick.

A digital version of the song is available for purchase. One hundred percent of the profits will be donated to Roadie Relief, a fundraising effort to support qualifying roadies who have submitted an application for financial help.

Canadian singer, songwriter and producer Devin Townsend was recently interviewed by Anne Erickson of Audio Ink Radio about his upcoming “Order Of Magnitude – Empath Live Volume 1” release and how he’s been dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.

Asked if he thinks the music industry will be forever changed because of the COVID-19 crisis, Devin said: “Yes. I think everything will forever be changed. I can’t think of anything that won’t be. That’s not necessarily to say that it will be bad, but… Even last night, I had two separate dreams about being in crowds of people. The year before last, I had a couple of really exciting experiences. I went and spent a bunch of time in India and I went and spent a bunch of time in China. And both those places have a population density that is crazy. And last night, I had two separate dreams — one that I was in China, and one that I was in India, and in both of the dreams, I was panicking, because there was too many people around. I was just, like, ‘Man, how do I find a way to function with this amount of people?’ And I think that maybe all of us have got that kind of internalized sense now — to a certain degree, at least, depending on what your view on this scenario is of what is a safe environment to be in. And I think, at the very least, it’s gonna take a while to shake that.”

Pressed about whether he thinks anything positive has come out of the pandemic for musicians, Devin said: “Yeah. I’m trying to figure out what. My knee-jerk reaction is just to say yes, but I don’t know why. I think there’s something to be said for the tenacity that it requires to maintain a positive frame of mind through an environment of relentless negativity that benefits us as people and as artists. Because I think you can kind of take one of three paths with a scenario like this. You can either run with it and try and pivot your life so that you can continue to create, or you can be resistant towards it and go at it from the angle of fear and, who knows, victimization. And then there’s the other side where it sweeps the legs out from underneath you, and it can be the end of you, to a certain degree, professionally or otherwise. And I think that it gives the industry an opportunity to see how much can be done in the face of this sort of thing. And it was a lot. And I think that it ends up that we — at least I — didn’t recognize the amount of things that I was capable of doing when the chips were down. And that will benefit anyone who takes that point of view in the future, because, all of a sudden, we’ve got all this new skill set, like OBS or Twitch or podcasts or streaming or concerts or any of these things. “For me, it was like having kids as well. Prior to having kids, I didn’t think that I’d be able to do it. I’d be, like, ‘There’s no way I could be a father. There’s no way.’ And then I found that it was just, like, I guess you don’t give yourself enough credit sometimes for the things that you’re capable of. And a lot of times, the ways that that is tested is through adversity. When things are going great, there’s no need to see how you’re gonna rise to these occasions. It doesn’t have to happen. The obstacles create the need for solutions, and those solutions are interesting.”

“Order Of Magnitude – Empath Live Volume 1” will be released on October 23. The set has been described in a press release as “a document of [Devin’s] winter 2019 European tour that saw him taking on possibly his most ambitious live show to date.”

Recorded in December 2019 in London, U.K. on the penultimate night of the tour in support of his latest album “Empath”, this run of shows saw Devin joined by an incredible lineup of musicians. The band was made up of guitarists Mike Kenneally (ex-FRANK ZAPPA) and Markus Reuter (STICK MEN, THE CRIMSON PROJECT), drummer Morgen Agren (KAIPA, MATS & MORGAN, FRANK ZAPPA), bassist Nathan Navarro, HAKEN keyboard player Diego Tejeida, and guitarist/vocalist Ché Aimee Dorval, as well as vocalists Samantha and Anne Preis and Arabella Packford.

For the first time ever, the Petty estate is working alongside fans and engaging with the music community to celebrate and pay tribute to Tom Petty. In 2017, the first annual Tom Petty Birthday Bash debuted in Tom’s hometown of Gainesville, Florida. Fans gathered for the free, six-hour show of all Petty tunes, performed in the legendary musician’s honor. The celebration has grown into a fully-fledged music festival featuring local as well as national acts, with fans traveling across the country to celebrate the life and legacy of Tom Petty.

Due to the ongoing pandemic, this year’s special Tom Petty Birthday Bash, honoring what would have been his 70th birthday (today), will be held virtually on Friday, October 23 with five hours of performances, testimonials and tributes to Tom from friends and fans, including Stevie Nicks, Chris Stapleton, Post Malone, FOO FIGHTERS, THE KILLERS, Norah Jones, THE RACONTEURS, Jason Isbell, a very special performance by Mike Campbell and BENMONT TENCH and many more.

On Friday, October 23, SiriusXM’s Tom Petty Radio will kick things off at 4:30 p.m. ET with an audio broadcast. The Petty estate will then join forces with Amazon Music and livestream their concert event on Amazon Music’s Twitch channel and TomPetty.com at 7:00p.m. ET.

In 2015, SiriusXM and Tom Petty launched Tom Petty Radio, an exclusive audio channel curated by the man himself. As an extension of his life’s work in music, the channel served as a passion project for Tom. Since his passing, the channel remains dedicated to the music of Tom’s legendary career, including worldwide radio premieres of unreleased studio and live recordings, exclusive to SiriusXM, unique cover versions of his songs, rare live performances from his personal vaults. The channel also features guest DJs and interview segments with Tom (previously recorded) and with those who knew him best, conducted by acclaimed journalist and SiriusXM host David Fricke. Tom Petty Radio continues to keep Tom’s spirit alive for all of those who have been touched by his music and for listeners just discovering his musical workings.

Amazon Music is also celebrating Tom Petty’s birthday by debuting two brand-new playlists: “[RE]DISCOVER Tom Petty”, which takes listeners on a career-spanning journey through Tom Petty’s work, and “[RE]DUX 017: Tom Petty”, which features Tom Petty’s music alongside the works of his collaborators, influences, and contemporaries.

Tom Petty’s 70th Birthday Bash will focus on raising awareness for Save Our Stages (NIVA) — whose mission is to preserve and nurture the ecosystem of independent live music venues and promoters throughout the United States; Arts In Medicine — empowering musicians and impacting the lives of citizens in the Gainesville community and beyond; Digitunity — an initiative of the National Cristina Foundation, is working to ensure everyone has the technology they need to thrive in our digitally connected society; and MusiCares — providing a safety net of critical assistance for music people in times of need. Fans are encouraged to donate to these causes via links on TomPetty.com.

Petty’s long-awaited “Wildflowers & All The Rest” was released last week on Warner to widespread critical acclaim.

This signature Falcon-style guitar features a 3-ply maple body with solid spruce top and 1959-style trestle bracing with a spruce block under the bridge.