Piero "Pie" Di Battista of Hop 'N' Music recently conducted an interview with keyboardist Joakim Svalberg of Swedish progressive metallers OPETH prior to the band's November 9 concert at Alcatraz in Milan, Italy. You can watch the entire chat below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). On the writing process ...
Posted in: News
"Dressed Up For Evil", the new lyric video from Canadian thrash metal veterans ANNIHILATOR, can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's upcoming album, "Ballistic, Sadistic", due on January 24 via Silver Lining Music. Founding guitarist, vocalist, producer and principal songwriter Jeff Waters states about the song: "Evil in the guise of ...
Posted in: News
WISHBONE ASH celebrates a half century of live twin lead guitar power in 2020. Fans can look forward to enjoying repertoire from the band's vast catalog of exactly 100 unique releases — 27 studio albums, 24 live albums, 43 compilations and box sets and five live DVDs, along with a DVD rockumentary ("This Is Wishbone ...
Posted in: News
OPETH bassist Martin Mendez has launched a death metal project called WHITE STONES. WHITE STONES has inked a deal with Nuclear Blast for the release of the band's debut album, "Kuarahy" (pronounced Kwa-Ra-Hee), due on March 20. Mendez commented: "I feel very proud to release this album and being part of the Nuclear Blast catalogue ...
Posted in: News
TALISMAN, the band founded and created by the late Marcel Jacob in 1989, has written, produced and recorded a new song titled "Never Die (A Song for Marcel)" for their fallen brother who took his own life 10 years ago on July 21, 2009. You can view the lyric video below. Surviving members Jeff Scott ...
Posted in: News
DEF LEPPARD and MISFITS wll headline the 2020 edition of the Domination festival, set to take place May 1-2 at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City, Mexico. The billing is shaping up as follows: Friday, May 1 DEF LEPPARD RANCID OPETH SONATA ARCTICA LACUNA COIL DROPKICK MURPHYS KROKUS BEAST IN BLACK SCAR SYMMETRY POWER ...
Posted in: News
Legendary New Jersey thrashers OVERKILL have announced the "Wings Over USA" 2020 tour. Kicking off on February 26 at the House of Blues of Anaheim, the 17-date trek, which will feature special guests EXHORDER and HYDRAFORM, will make stops in Las Vegas, New Orleans and Atlanta before concluding in New Jersey. The final date will ...
Posted in: News
U.S. progressive metal pioneers and innovators PSYCHOTIC WALTZ return in full original lineup with their highly anticipated fifth studio album and first new music in 23 years. Titled "The God-Shaped Void", the upcoming album and InsideOut Music debut will be released on February 14, 2020. The official lyric video for the disc's opening track, "Devils ...
Posted in: News
"Armed To The Teeth", the new video from Canadian thrash metal veterans ANNIHILATOR, can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's upcoming album, "Ballistic, Sadistic", due on January 24, 2020 via Silver Lining Music. Founding guitarist, vocalist, producer and principal songwriter Jeff Waters states about the song: "'Armed To The Teeth' is ...
Posted in: News
On February 21, 2020, legendary SAXON frontman Biff Byford will step into the spotlight with his first-ever solo album, "School Of Hard Knocks". You can now watch the official music video for the disc's title track below. The English North is everything you saw in "Game Of Thrones" and more. It is the true heart ...
Posted in: News
CANDLEMASS, ENTOMBED A.D., HAMMERFALL, OPETH and THE FLOWER KINGS are the five final nominees that are competing for the "Best Hard Rock/Metal" honor at the Swedish Grammis awards (Swedish Grammy equivalent), which will be held February 6, 2020 at Annexet in Stockholm. The bands are all nominated for their most recent releases, all of which ...
Posted in: News
U.S. progressive metal pioneers and innovators PSYCHOTIC WALTZ return in full original lineup with their highly anticipated fifth studio album and first new music in 23 years. Titled "The God-Shaped Void", the upcoming album and InsideOut Music debut will be released on February 14, 2020. The basic tracks for "The God-Shaped Void" were recorded with ...
Posted in: News
SAXON frontman Biff Byford will embark on his first-ever solo tour in April 2020. The 10-date trek will kick off on April 17 at Gateshead Sage 2 and will include shows in Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Bath, Liverpool, Aberdare, Milton Keynes, London and Brighton. The performaces will be split into two halves, with the first half ...
Posted in: News
A veteran of bands such as CANDLEMASS, THERION and YNGWIE J. MALMSTEEN, and a touring member of TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA, acclaimed Swedish vocalist Mats Levén has finally released his first solo album under the name of SKYBLOOD. The self-titled album features guest contributions from past and present members of KING DIAMOND, OPETH, THERION and WITCHERY, and ...
Posted in: News
"Psycho Ward", the new video from Canadian thrash metal veterans ANNIHILATOR, can be seen below. The thought-provoking track centered on domestic violence is taken from the band's upcoming album, "Ballistic, Sadistic", due on January 24, 2020 via Silver Lining Music. Founding guitarist, vocalist, producer and principal songwriter Jeff Waters states about the song: "'Psycho Ward' ...
Posted in: News
Swedish prog-metal/rock band OPETH has released a dark and eerie new animated video short for the English-language track "Universal Truth", from its recently released album "In Cauda Venenum". The video for the Swedish version of the song, "Ingen Sanning Är Allas", was made available earlier in the week. The offbeat and beautifully crafted video short ...
Posted in: News
Swedish prog-metal/rock band OPETH has released a dark and eerie new animated video short for the Swedish-language track "Ingen Sanning Är Allas", from its recently released album "In Cauda Venenum". The video for the English version of the track, "Universal Truth", will be revealed next Monday. The offbeat and beautifully crafted video short was created ...
Posted in: News
In a recent interview with Davide Sciaky of TrueMetal.it, OPETH guitarist Fredrik Åkesson was asked if he thinks the band's fans are over the fact that OPETH no longer incorporates growling vocals into its music. "I don't read everything on the Internet," he responded. "On certain forums, you will always have ...
Posted in: News
METALLICA has paid tribute to Martin Hooker, the founder of the influential British record label Music For Nations. Launched in 1983, Music For Nations' importance cannot be underestimated. The label signed, exclusively distributed or collaborated with such artists as METALLICA, TOOL, SLAYER, OPETH, CRADLE OF FILTH, ANATHEMA, ENTOMBED, POISON, W.A.S.P. and Frank Zappa. They also ...
Posted in: News
The official lyric video for the song "Out Of The Hollow" from SKYBLOOD, the solo project of acclaimed Swedish hard rock singer Mats Levén, can be seen below. Levén says about the track: "It's about someone realizing it's time to move on. Even if it means having to face the dark unknown." His name belongs ...
Posted in: News
In a recent interview with Premier Guitar, OPETH frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt was asked which guitarists inspire his playing today. He responded: "It's the same guys from back in the day. There's some newer players that I think are really good, but many sound the same to me. It goes with metal ...
Posted in: News
Prior to OPETH's October 29 performance in London, guitarist/vocalist Mikael Åkerfeldt spoke with The Metal Tris. The full conversation can be seen below. A few excerpts follow (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). On why he prefers the Swedish-language version of new album "In Cauda Venenum": Mikael: "It's like doing the same thing ...
Posted in: News
Prior to ARCH ENEMY's October 26 performance in Hollywood, California, drummer Daniel Erlandsson spoke with Allie Jorgensen of LA Metal Media. The full conversation can be seen below. A few excerpts follow (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET. On the group's just-completed U.S. tour with AMON AMARTH, AT THE GATES and GRAND MAGUS: ...
Posted in: News
You may already have read a few critics expressing surprise or dismay at the fact that LEPROUS seem to have completely abandoned any pretense toward being a metal band at this stage in their flourishing career. Just as it was with OPETH and their not-remotely-unexpected evolution away from death metal, you have to wonder what ...
Posted in: CD Reviews
On February 21, 2020, legendary SAXON frontman Biff Byford will step into the spotlight with his first-ever solo album, "School Of Hard Knocks". The English North is everything you saw in "Game Of Thrones" and more. It is the true heart of England, the region where its soul resides, and Biff Byford has earned the ...
Posted in: News
Hakos Pervanidis of Greece's "TV War" recently conducted an interview with drummer Martin Lopez (ex-OPETH, AMON AMARTH) of progressive heavy rock group SOEN. You can watch the entire chat below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). On SOEN's latest studio album, "Lotus": Martin: "I think that while recording, it was pretty much as we ...
Posted in: News
The official music video for the song "The Not Forgotten" from SKYBLOOD, the solo project of acclaimed Swedish hard rock singer Mats Levén, can be seen below. His name belongs to the most influential and illustrious ones in Swedish metal. Levén's distinctive and colorful voice has graced albums by CANDLEMASS, THERION, KRUX, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN and ...
Posted in: News
Swedish heavy metal band LION'S SHARE has made a new song, "Pentagram", available on on streaming services and digital service providers. LION'S SHARE singer Nils Patrik Johansson explained the lyrical inspiration for the track, saying: "The new single 'Pentagram' is based on a true story about someone I know. All of a sudden, he decided ...
Posted in: News
SAXON frontman Biff Byford will release his debut solo album, "School Of Hard Knocks", in early 2020. The album's first single, "Welcome To The Show", will arrive on October 25, while the follow-up single, the disc's title track, is expected to be issued on December 13. "School Of Hard Knocks" will feature a guest appearance ...
Posted in: News
Norwegian rock outfit LEPROUS has released another new song, "Distant Bells". The track is taken from the band's sixth and most ambitious studio album, "Pitfalls", which is due on October 25 worldwide via InsideOut Music. LEPROUS bassist Simen Børven said: "The instrumental part of 'Distant Bells' is a compilation of my musical background. Influences from ...
Posted in: News
