Canadian thrash metal veterans ANNIHILATOR will release their new album, "Ballistic, Sadistic", on January 24, 2020 via Silver Lining Music. The disc's belligerent and pugnacious first single, "I Am Warfare", can be streamed below. Cited by bands in the likes of MEGADETH, PANTERA, DREAM THEATER, CHILDREN OF BODOM, LAMB OF GOD, OPETH, TRIVIUM and many, ...
Posted in: News
Brazilian/American metallers SEPULTURA have set "Quadra" as the title of their new album, tentatively due in February 2020 via Nuclear Blast Records. The band revealed the name and cover artwork of the record during its appearance Friday night (October 4) at the Rock In Rio festival. SEPULTURA also performed the album's opening track, "Isolation", for ...
Posted in: News
Metal Wani's Carl Rourke recently conducted an interview with frontman/guitarist Mikael Åkerfeldt of Swedish masters of progressive heavy rock OPETH. You can listen to the entire chat below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). On the meaning behind their new album title, "In Cauda Venenum", which, when translated to English, means "the worst is ...
Posted in: News
Swedish prog-metal/rock legends OPETH will make their awaited return to North America in 2020 for a winter tour with labelmates GRAVEYARD. This will be the band's first tour of the U.S.A. and Canada in support of their newly released, critically praised album "In Cauda Venenum" that is available now via Moderbolaget / Nuclear Blast. The ...
Posted in: News
In a recent question-and-answer session posted on the YouTube channel of Nuclear Blast Records, OPETH mastermind Mikael Åkerfeldt was asked about the possibility of a second album from STORM CORROSION, his collaboration with PORCUPINE TREE's Steven Wilson. "I had dinner with Steve yesterday, and we talked a little bit about it," Mikael said (see video ...
Posted in: News
According to Official Charts, OPETH is on track to have its first-ever Top 10 album in the U.K. with "In Cauda Venenum". In the early stages of the U.K. chart week, the album looks like it could land at No. 8. The U.K. singles and albums charts are published late Friday ...
Posted in: News
In a recent question-and-answer session posted on the YouTube channel of Nuclear Blast Records, OPETH mastermind Mikael Åkerfeldt was asked how annoying it is for him to constantly get questions about his decision to drop the "growling" vocals from the band's albums. He responded (see video below): "Well, it's not annoying. I get that question ...
Posted in: News
If you have attended a live performance from OPETH within the last decade, you have experienced a moment that occurs during every one of their concerts. After several songs in a row from the later era of the band — a stretch that typically may also include one of the many ballads from 2003's "Damnation" ...
Posted in: CD Reviews
Mikael Åkerfeldt of OPETH is featured in Amoeba Music's "What's In My Bag?" segment in which he talks about some of the records he is into. In the clip below, he can be seen shopping at Amoeba in Hollywood, where he picks up music by JUDAS PRIEST, KISS, DREAM THEATER, JETHRO TULL and VAN DER ...
Posted in: News
His name belongs to the most influential and illustrious ones in Swedish metal. Mats Levén's distinctive and colorful voice has graced albums by CANDLEMASS, THERION, KRUX, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN and AT VANCE. Now, after lending his voice to others for decades, fans can finally witness the charismatic singer's solo album. Under the new flag of SKYBLOOD, ...
Posted in: News
Norwegian rock outfit LEPROUS has released the official music video for its new single, "Alleviate". The clip was directed by directed by Troll Toftenes of the Vardøger Story Agency. The song is taken from the band's sixth and most ambitious studio album, "Pitfalls", which is due on October 25 worldwide via InsideOut Music. LEPROUS vocalist ...
Posted in: News
Brazilian/American metallers SEPULTURA have completed recording their new album for a tentative February 2020 release via Nuclear Blast. The follow-up to 2017's "Machine Messiah" was once again recorded at Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden with producer Jens Bogren, who has previously worked with SOILWORK, OPETH, KATATONIA, AMON AMARTH, KREATOR and DRAGONFORCE, among others. SEPULTURA ...
Posted in: News
SEPULTURA frontman Derrick Green will embark on a European "vocal masterclass tour" in October. Derrick is one of the first international metal singers to take part in a masterclass tour, and this will be a unique occasion to spend an evening with the American vocal giant. Green will speak about his technique and share his ...
Posted in: News
Bands will pay the price for picking a shit name. It may have seemed terribly post-modern and in-jokey at the time, but being lumbered with a name like PET SLIMMERS OF THE YEAR was never a smart move. Sensibly, this UK-based post-metal crew have trimmed that unwieldy tag down to the simpler PSOTY: still a ...
Posted in: CD Reviews
OPETH vocalist/guitarist Mikael Åkerfeldt recently spoke with Keefy of Ghost Cult magazine's "Ghost Cult Podcast". The full conversation can be streamed below. A few excerpts follow (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). On the title of the group's new album, "In Cauda Venenum": Mikael: "I found it online. I wanted a Latin title ...
Posted in: News
STEEL PANTHER's Russ "Satchel" Parrish says that Yngwie Malmsteen is "one of the most emotional guitar players of all time." In a new interview with Music Radar, Satchel — who previously played guitar for Jeff Pilson's post-DOKKEN band WAR & PEACE before leaving to join Rob Halford's FIGHT — picked Yngwie ...
Posted in: News
OPETH guitarist Fredrik Åkesson recently spoke with Andrew McKaysmith of the "Scars And Guitars" podcast. The full conversation can be streamed below. A few excerpts follow (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). On the group's new album, "In Cauda Venenum": Fredrik: "The goal with this album was to make it as epic as possible. The fact that ...
Posted in: News
OPETH guitarist Fredrik Åkesson told the "Everblack" podcast that most of the material for the band's upcoming album, "In Cauda Venenum", was composed during a time when guitarist, vocalist and main songwriter Mikael Åkerfeldt was supposed to be taking a break from OPETH to focus on his family life. "I went down to the rehearsal ...
Posted in: News
Norwegian rock outfit LEPROUS has released the official music video for its new single, "Below". The clip was directed by Dariusz Szermanowicz of Grupa13 (BEHEMOTH, KREATOR, AMON AMARTH) and filmed in Wroclaw, Poland. The song is taken from the band's sixth and most ambitious studio album, "Pitfalls", which is due on October 25 worldwide via ...
Posted in: News
A three-minute video in which the members of EXHORDER discuss their latest single, "Hallowed Sound", can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's first album in 27 years, "Mourn The Southern Skies", which will be released on September 20 via Nuclear Blast Records. The band now features founding members Vinnie La Bella ...
Posted in: News
Norwegian rock outfit LEPROUS will release its sixth and most ambitious studio album, "Pitfalls", on October 25 worldwide via InsideOut Music. "Pitfalls" was once again recorded with David Castillo at Ghostward Studios (OPETH, KATATONIA). The disc was mixed by Adam Noble (PLACEBO, BIFFY CLYRO, NOTHING BUT THIEVES, DEAF HAVANA). The cover artwork is a painting ...
Posted in: News
In a recent interview with Metal Injection, OPETH guitarist/vocalist Mikael Åkerfeldt said that he approaches each new album as if it could be his final one. "It's been in the back of my mind every time I start writing for a record that it might be the last one," he said (see video below. "It ...
Posted in: News
Prior to OPETH's performance at Belgium's recent Alcatraz Metal Festival, vocalist/guitarist Mikael Åkerfeldt spoke with Lilo of Headbangers LifeStyle. The full conversation can be seen below. A few excerpts follow (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). On why the group will release both English- and Swedish-language editions of its upcoming album, "In Cauda Venenum": Mikael: ...
Posted in: News
A three-minute video in which OPETH vocalist/guitarist/songwriter Mikael Åkerfeldt discusses the band's new song "Dignity" can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's 13th album, "In Cauda Venenum", which will be released on September 27 via Moderbolaget / Nuclear Blast Entertainment. Recorded last year at Stockholm's Park Studios, "In Cauda Venenum" will ...
Posted in: News
"Hallowed Sound", a brand new song from New Orleans-based thrash metal pioneers EXHORDER, can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's first album in 27 years, "Mourn The Southern Skies", which will be released on September 20 via Nuclear Blast Records. The band now features founding members Vinnie La Bella (guitar) and ...
Posted in: News
From the brain trust of revered desert rock veterans Gary Arce (YAWNING MAN) and Bob Balch (FU MANCHU) comes the new psychedelic-stoner rock outfit BIG SCENIC NOWHERE. The band will release its debut EP, "Dying On The Mountain", on September 13 via Blues Funeral Recordings. As friends and pioneering legends in the Palm Desert rock ...
Posted in: News
OPETH frontman/guitarist Mikael Åkerfeldt has shared his thoughts on fellow Swede Yngwie Malmsteen, saying the legendary axeman's "records have been pretty fuckin' shit for a long time." Åkerfeldt offered his opinion as part of a Music Radar feature dubbed "The 10 Guitarists That Blew My Mind". Speaking about Yngwie, Mikael said: "I hate ...
Posted in: News
HIGH ON FIRE frontman Matt Pike married Alyssa Maucere in an intimate ceremony at the Silver Wedding Chapel at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday (August 17). The wedding took place one day after HIGH ON FIRE's performance at the Psycho Las Vegas music festival, where Matt and his bandmates filmed an upcoming ...
Posted in: News
"Dignity", a new song from Swedish masters of progressive heavy rock OPETH, can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's 13th album, "In Cauda Venenum", which will be released on September 27 via Moderbolaget / Nuclear Blast Entertainment. Recorded last year at Stockholm's Park Studios, "In Cauda Venenum" will be released in ...
Posted in: News
Brazilian/American metallers SEPULTURA have entered the studio to begin recording their new album for a tentative February 2020 release via Nuclear Blast. The follow-up to 2017's "Machine Messiah" is once again being recorded at Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden with producer Jens Bogren, who has previously worked with SOILWORK, OPETH, KATATONIA, AMON AMARTH, KREATOR ...
Posted in: News
