FAITH NO MORE Reschedules Their European Tour

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Faith No More have announced a number of rescheduled dates for the band’s European tour that was originally slated for this Summer:

Original Date   New Date
June 09, 2020   June 7, 2021  Manchester, UK  O2 Apollo

June 10, 2020   June 8, 2021  Manchester, UK  O2 Apollo
June 11, 2020   June 9, 2021  Glasgow, UK  O2 Academy
June 15, 2020   June 11, 2021  Birmingham, UK  O2 Academy
June 16, 2020   June 12, 2021  London, UK  O2 Academy Brixton
June 17, 2020   June 13, 2021  London, UK  O2 Academy Brixton

June 22, 2020   June 21, 2021  Stuttgart, GER  Schleyerhalle
June 23, 2020   June 23, 2021  Berlin, GER  Max Schmeling Halle

June 26 2020   June 25, 2021  Oslo, NOR  Tons of Rock
July 03, 2020   July 4, 2021  Amsterdam, HOL  AFAS Live
July 07, 2020   July 7, 2021  Zurich, SWI  Halle 622

All currently held tickets remain valid for the new date. Refunds are available upon request. Please direct inquiries to the original point of purchase.

News regarding the band’s North American Summer tour dates is forthcoming. On Friday, rescheduled dates for Faith No More’s performances with System of a Down were announced: originally slated for May 22 and 23 of this year, the shows will now take place on May 21 and 22 of 2021 at Los Angeles’ Banc of California Stadium.

Faith No More has also launched a fundraiser for their crew who were deeply impacted by the postponed tour plans, Bill Gould explains: “There’s been plenty of attention about the collapse of the concert industry, how it has been impacting musicians, artists, agents… but very little coverage has focused on the impact it’s made on a crucial element of live music and touring: the crew. Without a band’s crew, the show does not go on; yet, in light of the recent postponements, they have been left with few options to support themselves, or their families. And speaking of families, the band that you know as Faith No More is more than the five musicians you see on stage. It is a larger family, an ecosystem that includes backline, a production manager, lighting, sound and tour management. We had an entire summer of touring booked – and now, as a result of this pandemic, all of our crew have been put into a seriously vulnerable financial position. We have been working with these folks for years, and we feel very close to them. Since shows are not an option, we are trying to do what we can to offset this unfortunate turn of events with a special merch sale.”

The fundraiser includes an exclusive, limited edition t-shirt design, a Faith No More logo mask as well as several highly collectible autographed vinyl copies of the band’s most recent album Sol Invictus, as well as a variety of gig posters and show-used drumheads from Faith No More’s 2015 tour. The merch is available now via FNM.com/crew-relief/.

Faith No More is Mike Bordin (drums), Roddy Bottum (keyboards), Bill Gould (bass), Jon Hudson (guitar), and Mike Patton (vocals). The San Francisco-born, platinum-selling band have released seven studio albums: We Care A Lot (1985), Introduce Yourself (1987), The Real Thing (1989), Angel Dust (1992), King For A Day… Fool For A Lifetime (1995), Album of the Year (1997) and Sol Invictus (2015).

AMARANTHE Announces New Album Coming August 28th

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Excellent news from AMARANTHE: The band just finished the studio recordings for their new masterpiece! The sixth studio album from the Swedish modern metal heroes will be out on August, 28th, as the band revealed in a digital press conference last weekend.

The band states: “Our sixth album is now completely DONE! Last Sunday, a few select press members and music industry professionals got the opportunity to hear our new effort, and the response was overwhelming, fanning our flames of excitement even further! We can now offically unveil that the album will be out on August 28th, and the entire AMARANTHE band and team is smouldering with anticipation to unleash this monster upon an unsuspecting world – stay tuned for  the most monumental and accomplished AMARANTHE record to date!”
 
More information on this highly anticipated album will follow soon. Check the AMARANTHE and NUCLEAR BLAST channels to stay up to date!
 
With their foundations tracing back to 2008, the group has released 5 albums since then (2011’s Amaranthe, 2013’s The Nexus, 2014’s Massive Addictive, 2016’s Maximalism, and 2018’s Helix), consistently delivering hauntingly catchy tunes led by their unique three-part vocals. Within their arsenal of hit singles – with “Drop Dead Cynical” leading right at the front – a myriad tracks have been received very well via press and fans alike; having also gained countless plays on both radio stations around the globe and across streaming services (the group’s songs have been streamed close to a billion times on Spotify). A string of support tours have blazed AMARANTHE‘s trail in front of huge crowds as well as at their own headline concerts (the group impressively once performed in front of 10,000 fans at Liseberg, Gothenburg). They have kept working incredibly hard over the years, the latest product of which culminated in the form of Helix, which achieved them some of their highest chart positions in the band’s history (Switzerland #21, Germany #29 etc.).

BPMD Releases Re-Energized Cover of Blues Standard “Evil”

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BPMD – the new juggernaut featuring heavy metal icons Bobby Blitz (Overkill) on vocals, drummer Mike Portnoy (The Winery Dogs, Sons of Apollo), bassist Mark Menghi (Metal Allegiance) and guitarist Phil Demmel (Vio-lence, ex-Machine Head) – recently announced the release of their upcoming full-length album of ’70s rock covers, American Made! The 10-track homage to some of rock music’s greatest treasures drops on June 12, 2020 via Napalm Records.


Today, the members of BPMD are thrilled to reveal another track from the album – their re-energized version of the blues standard “Evil”, originally written by American blues musician Willie Nixon. BPMD‘s version is actually inspired by another popular re-imagining of the song by hard rock greats Cactus, and can be experienced via a brand new lyric video.


Bassist Mark Menghi says about “Evil”: “Cactus is a lost American treasure that needs more recognition. They were doing things on their instruments (and as a band) before many of their contemporaries, peers and labelmates of the time. We were fully aware that the great Willie Dixon wrote this tune for Howlin’ Wolf in the early 1950’s… Cactus reimagined the song for the their time of the early ’70s, we reimagined Cactus’ version for our generation in the early ’20s… so for a tune that is 65+ years old that’s still being covered says something… a good tune can stand the test of time.”


Frontman Bobby Blitz adds: “I choose my cuts on the record for two reasons: 1) how they would fit my voice, and 2) a deeper, heavier cut. I really love the grit in Rusty Day‘s voice on the Cactus track and wanted to replicate it with my own, not copy per se, but for sure not lose that grit. The song to me, though blues based, is the perfect bridge into the heavy metal that followed. I used the basic vocal line as to not lose the integrity but reimagined it with more of a ‘metal’ phrasing. ‘Evil’ is really one of the BPMD tracks I am most proud of. You’re a long way from home…”


Acclaimed drummer and Cactus member Carmine Appice says about the cover: “A new twist on ‘Evil’, one of the best, kick-ass blues/rock songs of all time. This version will appeal to BPMD‘s heavy metal fans. I was glad to hear the Cactus arrangement of the song, but with the bass, drums and guitar heavied up even more… Phil‘s guitar solo revs up with lots of energy… with Portnoy and Menghi kicking under it, while keeping that energy going. Bobby‘s vocals sit nicely on top and I really liked the change in some of the phrasing. Great job guys!”


Watch the brand new lyric video and listen to BPMD‘s “Evil” HERE.


Pre-Order American Made HERE.


It’s evident within the initial seconds of BPMD’s American Made, as the legendary Bobby Blitz chants the introductory lyrics to Ted Nugent’s “Wang Dang Sweet Poontang” in his signature skyscraper-high howl, that he and his equally iconic bandmates are here to have a damn good time. Featuring 10 unforgettable rock classics reimagined as heavy bangers, American Madeis a party on wax. Tracks such as the raucous “Toys in the Attic” (Aerosmith) and rager-ready “Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers” (ZZ Top) prove that BPMD not only manages to capture the essence of each original track on the album, but skillfully transforms each classic into an unforgettable metallic anthem for a new age. The seasoned quartet flex their musical muscles on renowned classics such as “Saturday Night Special” (Lynyrd Skynyrd), “We’re an American Band” (Grand Funk Railroad) and “Walk Away” (James Gang), and introduce a whole new heavy generation to deeper cuts like blues standard “Evil” (Cactus/Willie Dixon) and “Never In My Life” (Mountain). Channeling nostalgia while maintaining a fresh attitude, American Made is a summer soundtrack for all ages.


After initially drawing inspiration from his son to start a classic rock covers project, bassist Mark Menghi connected with the members of BPMD, who then came together at Mike Portnoy’s home studio in Pennsylvania to lay down the tracks in just one day. Since the whole concept of the band was born the night Menghi was listening to “Saturday Night Special”, BPMD were determined to record the song for the album. Beyond that, each individual musician picked two ’70s rock tracks, then collectively made another two shared choices – and everyone had to learn them!


American Made was produced by Bobby Blitz, Mike Portnoy, Mark Menghi and Phil Demmel while Mark Lewis of MRL Studios handled the mixing and mastering. The album’s cover artwork was created by renowned artist Marcelo Vasco (Slayer, Metal Allegiance,Soulfly, Hatebreed).



American Made Track List:
1. Wang Dang Sweet Poontang
2. Toys in the Attic
3. Evil
4. Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers
5. Saturday Night Special
6. Tattoo Vampire
7. D.O.A.
8. Walk Away
9. Never in My Life
10. We’re an American Band


Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund Commemorates 10th Anniversary of Dio’s Passing

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Rock music legend Ronnie James Dio lost his months-long battle with gastric cancer on May 16, 2010. The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund, founded in his memory shortly thereafter, is commemorating the 10th anniversary of his passing by posting a video on their website highlighting the work it has done to raise more than $2 million to fight the disease that took his life.
The Dio Cancer Fund was able to host a 10th Anniversary Awards Gala at the Avalon in Hollywood in February, a scant two weeks before large gatherings were banned due to the spread of the coronavirus. In addition to highlighting the Fund’s two main annual fund-raising events— the springtime RIDE FOR RONNIE Motorcycle Ride and Concert (cancelled this year due to the pandemic) and the BOWL FOR RONNIE Celebrity Bowling Tournament held in the fall (scheduled for November 12, 2020)—the video features snippets from the recent Gala as well other representations of the organization’s work.

In addition to its two annual events plus gala dinners more intimate fund-raising efforts and, of course, direct support from the vast community of Dio fans worldwide, the Dio Cancer Fund was also the beneficiary of proceeds from the 2014 Platinum-selling tribute album called This is Your Life containing songs written by Ronnie James Dio that were recorded and donated by major rock and metal recording artists. The This is Your Life album resulted in a 2015 Grammy™ win for Best Metal Performance for Tenacious D (actor/musicians Jack Black and Kyle Gass) and their rendition of Ronnie James Dio’s “The Last in Line” from the tribute album. 

Dr. David Wong, Professor and Associate Dean for Research, UCLA School of Dentistry and Director for UCLA Center for Oral/Head & Neck Oncology Research (COOR), was among the honorees at this year’s 10th Anniversary Awards Gala. He and his dedicated team of researchers have been developing a simple, non-invasive saliva swab test for the early detection of specific cancers, a concept that is tailor-made for the Dio Cancer Fund’s mission. He believes this simple test, called a liquid biopsy, can and should become part of any routine physical examination conducted in a primary care physician’s office. During his acceptance speech at the Gala, Dr. Wong announced that the financial support from the Dio Cancer Fund had resulted in their research obtaining $8.2 million in additional funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and that he expected a saliva test with “the ability to screen for the earliest sign of gastric cancer” will be available for medical use within the next three years. 

In its early stages, the Dio Cancer Fund committed funds over a three-year period to specific gastric cancer research at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston where Ronnie James Dio was treated for the last six months of his life. Additionally, the Dio Cancer Fund donated seed money to the Vanderbilt University Hospital in Nashville, via its relationship with the T.J. Martell Foundation, to support research for a blood test to detect gastric and esophageal cancers that the hospital was able to parlay into a multi-million-dollar grant from the NIH.

Ronnie James Dio, the world-renowned voice behind such iconic heavy metal bands as Black Sabbath, Rainbow, Heaven and Hell and his own band, Dio, valiantly battled gastric cancer for some six months after a devastating terminal diagnosis. The Dio Cancer Fund, created in his memory, has made it its mission to help eradicate this disease through education and by association with ground-breaking research into early detection. As Dio Cancer Fund’s Founder/President Wendy Dio regularly says: “Early Detection Saves Lives.”

NANOWAR OF STEEL Releases “Sneeztem of a Yawn”

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NANOWAR OF STEEL are well known for perfectly fitting songwriting for every occasion, so it appears more than obvious that their new single “Sneeztem of a Yawn” is just the right song to accompany every metal fan through these difficult times – with a little dose of humor of course!
The full power of metal riffs blasts from the very first minute while the intense lyrics of the insanely catchy chorus turn the song into an epic masterpiece that will never ever leave your head again. It doesn’t need many words, as coughing and sneezing makes “Sneeztem of a Yawn” another hypnotizing hit anthem created by NANOWAR OF STEEL!
NANOWAR OF STEEL on “Sneeztem of a Yawn”:
“This video embodies the essence of the COVID19-induced lockdown, both in its visual and lyrical aspects. While our mental conditions were deteriorating – as if they were not critical enough already – due to the restrictive isolation measures, we chose to escape and find a way out through music. We could not just sit down, sever our ties with the outside world and wait for electronic appliances to become our best friends. We had to react and express our pain through art.
This time, for the first time, we chose to keep our lyrics devoid of jokes and puns, and tried to deliver a text that conveys to our listener the feelings of hollowness, boredom, sickness and uneasiness we’ve been enduring universal manner, with words that everyone can understand and identify with. This required an exceptional poetic effort from our side, which we hope our listeners can appreciate and understand. Warning: this video contains disturbing images of our alienating daily routine.”
Watch the official video for “Sneeztem of a Yawn” HERE.

EPICA Launch Latest Studio Video Vlog

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Dutch symphonic metal giant EPICA recently entered Sandlane Recording Facilities to record their eighth album.
 
In March, keyboard player Coen Janssen and bass player Rob van der Loo, together with producer Joost van den Broek, travelled to Prague to record with the renowned “City of Prague Symphonic Orchestra”.
 
In the fifth Studio Vlog episode, you will get a behind-the-scenes look at these recording sessions. VLOG #5 is here.
 
Coen Janssen comments: “Yes! It finally happened!! We recorded our new album with a full symphonic orchestra!!!  Of course this has been a life-long dream of ours and this time it was the next logical step to take to enhance our sound. So we spend 3 awesome days in the beautiful city of Prague to record with the well-known City of Prague Symphonic Orchestra, and boy are you in for a treat!!! I am sure the orchestra adds a new layer and depth to our sound and I am beyond excited for everyone to hear it!!’”
 
EPICA new album is scheduled for release this fall through Nuclear Blast Records.  In support of this album the band will comprehensively tour Europe during the “Epic Apocalypse” co-headline tour with APOCALYPTICA and support-act WHEEL.

LIVE DATES:
 
Design Your Universe – 10th Anniversary Shows – Latin America
03.09.2020 CL Santiago – Teatro Caupolican *RESCHEDULED*
05.09.2020 EC Quito, – El Teleferico *RESCHEDULED*
06.09.2020 PE Lima – Centro de Convenciones Barranco *RESCHEDULED*

The Epic Apocalypse Tour 2020
with APOCALYPTICA and WHEEL
21.10. 2020 CH Zurich – Komplex
22.10.2020 CH Lausanne – Komplex
23.10.2020 IT Milan – Fabrique
25.10.2020 HU Budapest – Barba Negra
26.10.2020  CZ Brno – Hala vodova
27.10.2020 D Munich – Tonhalle
29.10.2020 S Stockholm – Berns
30.10.2020 N Oslo – Sentrum
31.10.2020 DK Copenhagen – Amager bio
02.11.2020 D Hannover – Capitol
03.11.2020 D Hamburg – Docks
04.11.2020 D Berlin – Columbiahalle
06.11.2020 PL Warsaw – Progresja
08.11.2020 D Leipzig – Haus Auensee
09.11.2020 AT Vienna – Gasometer
26.11.2020 P Lisbon – Coliseum
28.11.2020 E Murcia – Gamma
29.11.2020 E Madrid – La Riviera
30.11.2020 E Barcelona – Razzmatazz
03.12.2020 F Paris – Zenith
04.12.2020 BE Brussels – AB
05.12.2020 UK London – Roundhouse
07.12.2020 UK Bristol – O2 Academy
08.12.2020 UK Glasgow – O2 Academy
09.12.2020 UK Manchester – Academy
11.12. 2020 NL Amsterdam – AFAS Live
12.12. 2020 LUX Luxembourg – Den atelier
15.12. 2020 D Cologne – Carlswerk Victoria
16.12. 2020 D Wiesbaden – Schlachthof
17.12. 2020 D Ludwigsburg – MHP Arena


Tickets and VIP upgrades for all shows are available from www.epica.nl/tour.

#WeAreTheRoadCrew Rally Time For MOTÖRHEAD Fans

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The road crew are the backbone of any successful live event, and to Lemmy and MOTÖRHEAD they were more than just workers or employees, they were family. Lemmy loved them so much that he wrote a classic song dedicated to them, an anthem: “(We Are) The Roadcrew”!  


 
It pains us to see our family hurting, so we would like to honor, respect and show our solidarity to those that make what we all enjoy possible with this brand new “…Roadcrew” video by Robert John.


They would also like to challenge their friends and colleagues to join us by posting photos and videos of their beloved road warriors. Let’s give them some social media spotlight, love and gratitude! They wanna see yours!


For those that would like to chip in, we encourage you to go to Live Nation’s road crew assistance program Crew Nation and give what you can, any little bit helps. And all streaming proceeds from our “(We Are) The Roadcrew” video tribute will be donated to the fund.


This movement has no genre, it has no labels, it has no limitations. Remember – #WeAreTheRoadCrew


ARACANIA Turns Pandemic Frustration into New Song “Lockdown”

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While holed up in isolation, French metal band ARCANIA has put their time to good use by working on new material, including the new quarantine-Inspired song and video “Lockdown,” debuting on the band’s Facebook page today.


A new ARCANIA album was originally in the works for this year. Sadly, after months of speaking with a label partner, the band’s record deal fell through due to the upheaval caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.


“We have decided to turn this frustration unto a creating process,” says guitarist/vocalist Cyril Peglion. “Rather than recording our new album, the idea came to compose a new song while everyone’s locked at home. Every member tracked his parts without any rehearsal, and this is the result.”


The “Lockdown” single will be available via all digital platforms on June 10. The video is available today at their page. While there, be sure to “Like” and “Follow” ARCANIA!


ARCANIA was formed in 1999 by Cyril Peglion, Gabriel “Gabi” Georgelin and Guillaume Rossard. After four years and one demo, the band was faced with the tragic death of drummer Georgelin. Though it was a huge blow to the group, ARCANIA made the decision to carry on and released an EP the following year. With the addition of second guitarist Nicolas Alberny, who would go on to join fellow French metallers Gorod, the burgeoning quartet released their debut studio album, Sweet Angel Dust, in 2010. Following Alberny’s departure, ARCANIA recruited current guitarist Niko Beleg, and headed into the studio in May of 2013 to begin work on Dreams are Dead, a fierce-sounding platter of thrash metal that combines an old school feel with a modern and progressive sound.


ARCANIA -Lockdown

how to transform frustration unto creation. while the band was quarantined, we have decided to compose a new special song. Enjoy and stay safe!

Posted by ARCANIA on Monday, May 11, 2020

KING DIAMOND To Stream ‘Songs for the Dead: Live at the Fillmore in Philadelphia’ on May 15th

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On May 15th at 11am PST/2pm EST/8pm CET, King Diamond will be streaming Songs for the Dead: Live at the Fillmore in Philadelphia via Knotfest.com and King Diamond‘s social media:
—Knotfest.com
—Knotfest Youtube
—King Diamond Youtube
—King Diamond Facebook

A special, limited edition shirt can be purchased May 15th-17th, so be sure to get it while supplies last (72 hours only). Masks will now also be available for the first time in the USA store. 10% of all profits will be donated to COVID-19 relief charities. For more information, please visit https://www.kingdiamondcoven.com/.

King Diamond also recently re-issued Conspiracy, Them, The Eye, In Concert 1987, Abigail and Fatal Portrait on CD and vinyl via Metal Blade Records. Purchase your copies now at the USA Store, EU Store, and UK Store.

IMONOLITH Shares New Quarantine Sessions Video “Dig”

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All-star modern metal band IMONOLITH has released the latest in their weekly video series “The Quarantine Sessions”, a playthrough for the track “Dig” from the debut album State of Being unleashed this past March.

Watch the playthrough today via Revolver HERE. 

Vocalist Jon Howard comments on the song and his editing skills: “WaaaaaSuuuup!? Jon here. As you may know, our ‘Quarantine Session’ videos are being released every Monday. What you may not know, is each week I gather videos from the guys and use my editing skills to create the playthrough videos myself! I work very hard on these and aim to make them a bit different each time for your viewing pleasure. 

The next quarantine video release is for our song ‘Dig’ from our debut album ’State of Being.’ I can’t wait for you guys to see how intense we’ve made this one! ‘Dig’ has a really heavy groove and hits hard, I can’t help but bang my head when this tune comes on! The lyrics can come across pretty harsh, as well. For example, ‘Taste the dirt before you close your eyes.’ Basically, I feel like I’m yelling at someone who is digging their own grave with all the bad choices they’ve made… I am screaming directly into the camera during this video, so it’ll seem like I’m yelling at you? Haha. Whatever it takes to get the vibe across!

Anyways. It was a really fun video to make and it comes across really intense! ‘Dig’ is a heavy hitter and does not let up. Hope you dig it! Cheers.” 

Follow Imonolith‘s quarantine and previous music videos HERE.

Imonolith features drummer Ryan Van Poederooyen (Devin Townsend Project) guitarist Brian “Beav” Wadell (Devin Townsend Project), Jon Howard (Threat Signal), guitarist Kai Huppunen (Methods of Mayhem, Noise Therapy) and Scott Whalen (Econoline Crush). The collective of heavy-hitting players is at the top of their game recently releasing their debut album State of Being on March 27th. The album features special guest appearances from Jens Kidman (Meshuggah) and famed Swedish vocalist Johannes Eckerström and is made up of 10 hook-laden, riff-heavy tracks that center around the theme of how people deal with various stages of life.

The album has already seen the release of four singles and videos – “Hollow”, the 2019 debut single that made big waves, racking up 216K Spotify streams, “Instinct”, “Dig”; and the most recent single, “Becoming The Enemy”. With the release of these singles, Imonolith has already received worldwide praise that has garnered them a massive number of streams and attention from the media and fans alike. 

State of Being is available in exclusive vinyl and CD formats at www.imonolithband.com, or you can stream the album at the service of your choice here.

State of Being Track List:
1. State of Being (intro)
2. Becoming The Enemy (feat. Johannes Eckerstrom)
3. Instinct 
4. Dig 
5. The Mourning 
6. Forgone 
7. Breathe 
8. The Reign (feat. Jens Kidman)
9. We Never Forget 
10. Hollow 
11. Persevere