JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford and guitarist Richie Faulkner have offered separate updates on the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's follow-up to "Firepower" album. Released in March 2018, "Firepower" was the second LP to feature the 40-year-old Faulkner, who was selected to fill the void left by founding guitarist K.K. Downing following ...
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The fact that DROPDEAD's latest full-length album is eponymously titled yet again might suggest to the uninitiated that it's a meaningless placeholder for a band exclusively focusing upon the music. That couldn't be further from the truth, however. The Providence, Rhode Island-based unit takes Canadian communication theorist Marshall McLuhan's phrase, "The medium is the message," ...
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Progressive music titans DREAM THEATER have announced the latest live installment in their impressive 31-year catalog of releases. Due on November 27, the band is set to unleash its ninth career live album, "Distant Memories - Live In London". Recorded at their sold-out show at the Apollo Theatre in London, the live release documents the ...
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There were a handful of songs on LIK's last album, "Carnage", that were so absurdly exciting that I couldn't listen to them while driving. You know, just in case. The Swedish band have only existed for seven years at this point, but "Misanthropic Breed" proves again that they have virtually no equal when it comes ...
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In a recent interview with DEATH ANGEL's Ted Aguilar, SEPULTURA's Andreas Kisser once again recalled his experience auditioning for METALLICA as James Hetfleld's temporary replacement (on guitar only) while James recovered from being burned onstage back in 1992. He said: "What a privilege, man. Phil Rind from SACRED REICH, very good friends from [then-METALLICA bassist] ...
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San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal veterans HEATHEN have released the official Costin Chioreanu-directed music video for the song "Sun In My Hand". The track is taken from the band's fourth studio album, "Empire Of the Blind", which came out on September 18 via Nuclear Blast Records. HEATHEN comments: "Thanks to all of the HEATHEN ...
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Swedish modern metal force AMARANTHE will release its new album "Manifest", on October 2 via Nuclear Blast. The official music video for the disc's third single, "Archangel", can be seen below. AMARANTHE comments: "Fire and brimstone! Savor the sweet scent of sulfur as AMARANTHE delves deep into Miltonian lore with 'Archangel'! "An ancient tale of ...
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"The Long And Winding Bier Road", a new song from British extreme metal pioneers CARCASS, can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's upcoming EP, "Despicable", which will arrive on October 30 via Nuclear Blast. Commented CARCASS bassist/vocalist Jeff Walker: "Well, the COVID situation has put the release of the new CARCASS ...
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Metal's relationship with keyboards hasn't always been the most amicable: readers of a certain age will doubtless remember numerous bands proudly proclaiming that no such nonsense would be tolerated on their record. Nonetheless, when used appropriately, keyboards unlock the key to a whole world of atmosphere that has been skillfully plundered by everyone from IRON ...
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THE TROOPS OF DOOM, the new Brazilian band featuring former SEPULTURA guitarist Jairo "Tormentor" Guedz, has released the official music video for the song "The Confessional". The track is taken from THE TROOPS OF DOOM's debut EP, "The Rise Of Heresy", due on October 9 via Nuclear Blast's digital subsidiary, Blood Blast Distribution. The effort, ...
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There's always been something uniquely exciting about collisions between thrash metal and brutal hardcore. Recent records by the likes of RINGWORM and INTEGRITY have proved that point tenfold, but while PLAGUE YEARS are considerably more traditional in thrash terms than either of those bands, there is a similarly destructive and anarchic vibe here. Vocalist Tim ...
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There are insufficient hours in the day to immerse oneself in all of the fantastic death metal being released this year, but CARNATION's second album immediately stands out as a superior creation. 2018's "Chapel Of Abhorrence" was a solid introduction to the Belgians' rampant mix of old-school hooks and infernal churn, but this outstrips it ...
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Danko Jones (DANKO JONES) has teamed up with Daniel Dekay (EXCITER) and Ted Aguilar (DEATH ANGEL) to record a quarantine cover version of the SLAYER classic "Mandatory Suicide". Check out the video below. Credits: Danko Jones (DANKO JONES) - Vocals Daniel Dekay (EXCITER) - Lead Guitar Ted Aguilar (DEATH ANGEL) - Rhythm Guitar Cory Holfing ...
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Connecticut hardcore/metal masters HATEBREED will release their new album, "Weight Of The False Self", on November 27 via Nuclear Blast Records. The official lyric video for the LP's first single, the title track, can be seen below. The cover artwork, which can be seen below, was painted by artist Eliran Kantor, who has previously worked ...
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In a brand new interview with MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn's "No Fuckin' Regrets With Robb Flynn" podcast, TESTAMENT singer Chuck Billy reflected on his band's first-ever U.S. arena tour, which took place in 1990, with JUDAS PRIEST as the headliner and MEGADETH as additional support. Billy said (see video below): "For the PRIEST tour, ...
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Former BLACK SABBATH singer Tony Martin has set "Thorns" as the title of his long-awaited new solo album, due in the coming months via Battlegod Productions and Dark Star Records. Battlegod will handle distribution in Australia, Asia, Europe and Japan, while Dark Star will handle distribution in all of North and South America, including both ...
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Reactivated California thrash metal pioneers DARK ANGEL are continuing to work on material for their long-awaited comeback album. The band's first CD since 1991's "Time Does Not Heal" will feature the lineup that has performed sporadic live shows since reuniting in 2013: Gene Hoglan (drums), Eric Meyer (guitar), Jim Durkin (guitar), Ron Rinehart (vocals) and ...
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EXODUS has commenced the pre-production for its long-awaited new album. The San Francisco Bay Area thrashers' next disc will be the follow-up to 2014's "Blood In Blood Out", which was their first release since the departure of the group's lead singer of nine years, Rob Dukes, and the return of Steve "Zetro" Souza, who previously ...
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MORBID ANGEL will get the jigsaw puzzle treatment this fall. "Altars Of Madness" will be made available on November 6, 2020 as a 500-piece puzzle. Zee Productions will release the album cover as a jigsaw via its Rock Saws imprint. The iconic arts of some of rock's most influential and highly regarded albums is presented ...
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ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante has teamed up with DEATH ANGEL singer Mark Osegueda and METAL ALLEGIANCE bassist Mark Menghi to record a cover version of MOTHER LOVE BONE's "Chloe Dancer/Crown Of Thorns", filmed while they were in quarantine. Benante uploaded a video of the performance to his YouTube channel, writing in an accompanying message: "What ...
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In a new interview with Guitar World, TESTAMENT guitarist Eric Peterson said that the "darkest" period of the band's career probably took place around the time of the 1992 album "The Ritual". "I remember Atlantic Records telling us that we had only sold around 250,000 records that year — which would ...
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NECROT followed a series of now revered demos with their debut album, "Blood Offerings", one of 2017's breakout death metal albums. Now, in 2020, Oakland's beastly purveyors of punk-fueled death metal have returned. NECROT's sophomore, full-length album, "Mortal", finds the Californians realizing a potential that their debut suggested was possible. And if the proverbial ball ...
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On October 30, BMG will release URIAH HEEP's "Fifty Years In Rock". British hard rock legends URIAH HEEP are one of the "big four" rock bands, along with LED ZEPPELIN, DEEP PURPLE and BLACK SABBATH, and certainly one of the most intriguing bands both musically and lyrically, to emerge from heavy ...
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British extreme metal pioneers CARCASS will release a new EP, "Despicable", on October 30 via Nuclear Blast. Commented CARCASS bassist/vocalist Jeff Walker: "Well, the COVID situation has put the release of the new CARCASS album on the backburner for the time being. Given that we said there'd be new music in August, we thought it ...
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Billy Sheehan spoke to the "Rock N Roll Experience With Mike Brunn" about the progress of the recording sessions for the new studio album from TALAS, the 1970s upstate New York band which initially earned its name while performing gigs in the Buffalo and Rochester scenes. Although TALAS started out by ...
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In a new interview with "That Jamieson Show", TESTAMENT frontman Chuck Billy was asked if there are plans for the band to take part in any virtual performances amid the coronavirus pandemic. He responded (see video below): "Our problem is Alex [Skolnick, guitar] is in New York, Gene [Hoglan, drums] is down south [in San ...
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DEATH ANGEL's Ted Aguilar (rhythm guitar) has joined forces with WARBRINGER's Carlos Cruz (drums), HOLY GRAIL's Alex Lee (lead guitar), and HELLFIRE's Herman Balanda (bass) to record a quarantine cover version of METALLICA's "Orion". Video of the performance can be seen below. Aguilar said in a statement: "A METALLICA favorite that just has to be ...
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ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante has teamed up with ANTHRAX bassist Frank Bello and DEATH ANGEL singer Mark Osegueda to record a cover version of U2's "City Of Blinding Lights", filmed while they were in quarantine. Benante uploaded a video of the performance to his YouTube channel, writing in an accompanying message: "There was a station ...
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In a brand new interview with Poisoned Rock webzine, guitarist Marzi Montazeri of New Orleans-based thrash metal pioneers EXHORDER was asked to comment on his band's alleged influence on PANTERA's decision to move from a power metal act to a more aggressive form of thrash. "Look, you're asking a question from someone that actually was ...
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San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal veterans HEATHEN will release their fourth studio album, "Empire Of the Blind", on September 18 via Nuclear Blast Records. The lyric video for the second single, the title track, can be seen below. HEATHEN comments: "We are very proud to announce the second single, title track from our new ...
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