Category : LATEST NEWS

METAL CHURCH TO RELEASE 13TH STUDIO ALBUM “CONGREGATION OF ANNIHILATION” ON MAY 26TH, LYRIC VIDEO FOR DEBUT SINGLE “PICK A GOD AND PREY” CAN BE SEEN HERE

West coast thrash metal veterans Metal Church will release their 13^th studio album, Congregation of Annihilation, on May 26^th through Rat Pak Records (America) and Reaper Entertainment (Europe). The new album marks the first release since the tragic death of legendary front man Mike Howe who passed in July of 2021. It also marks the first album with new vocalist Marc Lopes (Ross the Boss, Let Us Prey) who came on board in the summer of 2022 and features the current lineup of founding guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof, guitarist Rick Van Zandt, bassist Steve Unger and drummer Stet Howland. The new songs are a return to the band’s musical roots harkening back to the vibes of the self-titled first album and The Dark. Congregation of Annihilation was produced by Kurdt Vanderhoof and is now available for pre-order in various bundle configurations in North America, here.

Discussing the album, Kurdt Vanderhoof comments, “This new album is starting a new chapter in the Metal Church legacy. I really love this album. It’s a fresh approach for us in one way, but also a return to the very beginnings of Metal Church as part of the New American Thrash Metal movement. This record contains some of the most aggressive songs we have recorded. I hope the fans will like it as much as we do.”

Marc Lopes adds, “I am beyond honored to be part of carrying on this legacy into a new era of Metal Church. Working with Kurdt and a band that was a huge influence of mine growing up was a surreal experience to say the least. For me there was no point in trying to imitate what was already done to perfection. So, with respect to the past, we moved forward to a new chapter and here we are!”

Congregation of Annihilation features nine all new tracks from Metal Church and continues to build upon their iconic sound the band established over three decades ago. Infused with intelligent lyrical content, thundering guitar riffs, and Marc’s aggressive soaring vocals, Congregation of Annihilation furthers the bands sonic evolution up to the next level and is guaranteed to enthrall metal music fans around the world. From the first guitar riff of album opener Another Judgement Day through the driving outro of album closer All That We Destroy, it is clear Metal Church is back and better than ever. Congregation of Annihilation, Children of the Lie  and These Violent Thrills showcase the sonically charged songwriting that made the early Metal Church albums such fan favorites. Haunting musical opuses Me the Nothing and Making Monsters each puts the musicianship that Metal Church was known for on full display in 2023. The album also features two bonus tracks: My Favorite Sin and Salvation. The band’s first single is the anthemic Pick A God and Prey and a lyric video for the song can be seen below.

The tracklisting for Congregation Of Annihilation is: 

            1)    Another Judgement Day

            2)    Congregation of Annihilation

            3)    Pick A God and Prey

            4)    Children of the Lie

            5)    Me The Nothing

            6)    Making Monsters

            7)    Say a Prayer with 7 Bullets

            8)    These Violent Thrills

            9)    All That We Destroy

            10)  My Favorite Sin (Bonus Track)

            11)  Salvation (Bonus Track)

Follow Metal Church: Official Website, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Born out of the West Coast Metal scene of the 80’s, Metal Church quickly became one of the standout talents of the genre. After signing a deal with Elektra records, they released two critically acclaimed albums, their self-titled release Metal Church and The Dark. With the heavy metal scene starting to rise in the U.S., Metal Church set out on a very successful tour with label mates Metallica. They tackled political and social issues of the day with the releases of Blessing In Disguise and The Human Factor with vocalist Mike Howe. At a time when heavy metal bands moved from the underground and became part of the hair band/pop fad, Metal Church stayed true to their roots. In March of 2016, Metal Church reunited with Mike Howe and released their eleventh studio album XI that reached #57 on the Billboard Top 200 and landed on several other charts around the globe. Metal Church’s next studio album Damned If You Dowas the follow up to XI and landed on numerous charts around the globe in 2018. Now with Marc Lopes taking over vocal duties, Metal Church is ready to start a new chapter in their impressive canon with Congregation Of Annihilation.

WOLFGANG VAN HALEN’S MAMMOTH WVH TO RELEASE “MAMMOTH II” ON AUGUST 4TH, VIDEO FOR NEW SONG “ANOTHER CELEBRATION AT THE END OF THE WORLD” CAN BE SEEN HERE

On the heels of a whirlwind debut that included a GRAMMY® Award nomination for his first-ever single, #1 debuts on multiple charts, television performances, and sold out shows over a two-year span, Mammoth WVH is back with its sophomore album Mammoth II. The 10-track record will be available worldwide on August 4^th through the band’s new label, BMG. Recorded at the legendary 5150 studio, the album was produced by friend and collaborator Michael “Elvis” Baskette. Mammoth II is available for pre-order in multiple configurations here.

Continuing the tradition of writing all of the songs and performing all of the instrumentation and vocals himself, Wolfgang Van Halen set out to challenge himself to expand his sound beyond what people had already come to know him for. From the rocking opener Right? to Beatles-esque fade on closer Better Than You Mammoth II showcases the growth of Wolfgang as a songwriter, musician and especially vocalist.  Songs like Like A Pastime, Take A Bow and Waiting are all sonically different from each other but unique to what mastermind Wolfgang Van Halen and Mammoth WVH is. The debut single from Mammoth II is the upbeat rocker Another Celebration At The End Of The World. The single is currently impacting radio and the music video for Another Celebration At The End Of The World is an 8:25 introduction to the Mammoth WVH live band. Picking up where the #1 single Don’t Back Down music video left off, the new video showcases a frustrated Wolfgang firing the other Wolfgang’s from that video and replacing them with his now notorious live band featuring Frank Sidoris (Guitars), Jon Jourdan (Guitars), Ronnie Ficarro (Bass) and Garrett Whitlock (Drums).  The video can be seen below.

“I knew that I wanted the new album to contain elements of what people heard on the debut, but also giving me a chance to branch out a bit. Another Celebration At The End Of the World is definitely a song that showcases what people can expect from the new album. It is a high-energy rocker with some fun guitar moments on it. I also pushed myself vocally and it is a song I can’t wait to get out and play live. I can see it being a fixture in our live set moving forward,” explains Wolfgang Van Halen.

The track listing for Mammoth II is:

                  1.    Right?

                  2.    Like A Pastime

                  3.    Another Celebration At The End Of The World

                  4.    Miles Above Me

                  5.    Take A Bow

                  6.    Optimist

                  7.    I’m Alright

                  8.    Erase Me

                  9.    Waiting

                  10.  Better Than You

Mammoth WVH is planning to tour around the globe in support of Mammoth II. The live band – comprised of Wolfgang Van Halen, Frank Sidoris, Jon Jourdan, Ronnie Ficarro and Garrett Whitlock – is currently on the second leg of the US tour supporting Alter Bridge before moving to another massive tour playing alongside Metallica. Mammoth WVH will also be making various festival appearances around the globe as well as headline stops going in to 2024. More dates will be announced in the near future tickets for all Mammoth WVH appearances can be found here.

Tour Dates 2023:

Mar 23 – Seattle, WA – Paramount Theatre *

Mar 25 – Airway Heights, WA  – Northern Quest Resort & Casino *

Mar 26 – Airway Heights, WA  – Northern Quest Resort & Casino *

Mar 28 – Anaheim, CA – House Of Blues *

Mar 29 – Tempe, AZ – Marquee Theatre *

Mar 31 – Reno, NV – Silver Legacy Resort Casino *

Apr 1 – Highland, CA – Yaamava Theater *

Apr 27 – Amsterdam, NL – Johan Cruijff ArenA #

May 19 – Paris, FR – Stade de France #

May 26 – Hamburg, DE – Volksparkstadion #

May 29 – Berlin, DE – Hole44

May 30 – Frankfurt, DE – Das Bett

Jun 1 – Köln, DE – Gebäude 9

Jun 3 – Tilburg, NL – Poppodium 013 *

Jun 6 – Edinburgh, UK – O2 Academy Edinburgh *

Jun 8 – Castle Donington, Derby, UK – Download Festival

Jun 10 – Sölvesborg, SE – Sweden Rock Festival

Jun 13 – Stockholm, SE – Gröna Lund *

Jun 15 – Dessel, BE – Graspop Metal Meeting

Jun 16 – Göteborg, SE – Ullevi #

Jun 17 – Copenhagen, DK – Copenhell Festival 2023

Jun 20 – Ludwigsburg, DE – Mhp Arena

Jun 21 – Graz, AT – Kasematten – Schlossbergbühne

Jun 23 – Naz-sciaves – Natz-schabs, ITA – Aspen Flair 2023

Jun 24 – Grenchen, CH – Summerside Festival

Jun 26 – Villeurbanne, FR – Transbordeur *

Jun 28 – Lisboa, PT – Evil Live Festival 

Jun 29 – Viveiro, ES – Resurrection Fest 2023

Jul 1 – London, UK – Wembley Stadium ^

Jul 4- Rathfarnham, IE – Marlay Park ^

Jul 6– Saltmarket, UK – Glasgow Green ^

Aug 4 – East Rutherford, NJ – MetLife Stadium #

Aug 11 – Montreal, CA – Olympic Stadium #

Aug 16 – Springfield, IL – Illinois State Fair 2023 *

Aug 18 – Arlington, TX – AT&T Stadium #

Aug 25 – Inglewood, CA – SoFi Stadium #

Sep 1 – Glendale, AZ – State Farm Stadium #

Sep 3 – Pryor, Ok – Rocklahoma

Nov 3 – St. Louis, MO – The Dome at America’s Center #

Nov 10 – Detroit, MI – Ford Field #

* Supporting Alter Bridge

# Supporting Metallica

^ Supporting Def Leppard/Motley Crüe

Tour Dates 2024:

May 24 – München, DE – Olympiastadion München #

Jun 7 – Helsinki, FI – Helsinki Olympic Stadium #

Jun 14 – Copenhagen, DK – Telia Parken #

Jul 5 – Warszawa, PL – PGE Narodowy #

Jul 12 – Madrid, ES – Cívitas Metropolitano #

Aug 2 – Foxborough, MA – Gillette Stadium #

Aug 9 – Chicago, IL – Soldier Field #

Aug 16 – Minneapolis, MN – US Bank Stadium #

Aug 23 – Edmonton, CA- Commonwealth Stadium #

Aug 30 – Seattle, WA – Lumen Field Event Center #

Sep 20 – Mexico – Foro Sol #

Sep 27 – Mexico – Foro Sol #

# Supporting Metallica

Follow Mammoth WVH: Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Youtube.

FORMER KISS GUITARIST VINNIE VINCENT ANNOUNCES A LISTENING PARTY FOR VINNIE VINCENT INVASION ALBUM “JUDGMENT DAY (GUITARMAGEDDON PT. I)”

Former KISS guitarist Vinnie Vincent has announced a listening party for his Vinnie Vincent Invasion album Judgment Day (Guitarmageddon Pt. I). The event will take place at Starstruck Entertainment Studio in Nashville, Tennessee on May 19th and 20th. Fans who pay $500 will get to hear Judgment Day and take part in a jam with Vincent.

“We’ve spent the last month’s [sic] perfecting the mixes and it’s time to rock.” reads a post on his web site. “This will be a birthday bash blast, Rock and Roll Party weekend rolled into one. Fanjamm is definitely fun stuff. Anyone who wants to participate, drummers..bass players.. singers who want to jam on stage with VV, sign up asap.. Everybody could pick their favorite songs and we’ll jamm it out live in the studio.”

According to blabbermouth.net, in May 2021, Vincent spoke to The Rock Experience with Mike Brunn about his plans to finally release some of his previously unheard music that was recorded over the course of the last three decades. He said, “This is my crowning moment of joy that I’ve been waiting for many, many, many years, just to be able to say to everybody in truth and reality, but we are finally mixing the two-inch masters that I finally have control over my two-inch tape masters of all of my songs. And we’re gonna be releasing new Vinnie Vincent music on vinyl. Within the next 12 to 18 months, it’s all finally going to be released. And the artwork is great. We’re finished with almost all of the artwork. And yes, the Guitarmageddon album is in the process of being mixed right now. We just finished mixing the new Euphoria tracks that no one’s ever heard. And it’s pretty phenomental.”

He continued, “I would have to say in all good conscience and honesty that I’m very impressed with what I’m hearing, and I’m blown away. And I’m finally able to say it’s a new era of Vinnie Vincent music being released, this next 12 to 18 months. And I’m so proud to be able to say that. And as things start to open up and there are tours again, you can bet that I’ll be out there.”

TOMMY SHAW ON A DAMN YANKEES REUNION, “I THINK WE RAN THAT THING UNTIL THE WHEELS FELL OFF”

On March 13th, Styx’s guitarist/vocalist Tommy Shaw was a guest on Eddie’s SiriusXM show, Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk, where he was asked about the possibility of a reunion of the Damn Yankees, the supergroup he formed more than three decades ago with Jack Blades, Ted Nugent and Michael Cartellone.

He responded (per blabbermouth.net), “I think we kind of ran that thing until the wheels fell off of it. And I’d like to just keep it like that. It was a fantastic run. It was just wild and wooly. We made those two records. The first [self titled] record, that was the s–t. The second record [Don’t Tread], it just started to lose the thing that it had on the first album. And I think everybody else knew that it was probably time to go back to your regular job.”

Inquiring about whether Shaw would be open to revisiting the band, for a one-off tour or concert, he said, “Michael is a permanent fixture in Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Damn Yankees without Michael Cartellone just wouldn’t be right. And we [in Styx] do 90 to 120 shows a year, and you have to go home some time. It’s like having two wives, your two families.

As far as I’m concerned, we had our day. We had big records, we sold a lot of records, we got a lot of airplay, and I just don’t know how we would be able to fit all that in. I wouldn’t wanna tell the guys in my band [Styx], ‘Sorry, guys. We can’t play any shows for a few months.’ ‘Cause that’s what everybody wants to do.”

TESLA ADD NEW DATES TO THEIR LAS VEGAS RESIDENCY, TICKETS GO ONSALE MARCH 24TH

Due to overwhelming demand and following a sold-out opening weekend, Tesla have added five shows to their residency at House Of Blues at Mandalay Bay Resort And Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. The new dates will begin on September 29th. Tickets start at $59.50 plus applicable fees and go on sale to the general public on March 24th at 10 a.m. PT.

Tickets are available by visiting www.houseofblues.com/lasvegas, MandalayBay.com, Ticketmaster.com or by calling 702-632-7600. Citi is the official pre-sale credit card of Tesla’s residency at House Of Blues. As such, Citi cardmembers will have access to purchase pre-sale tickets March 21st at 10 a.m. PT through Citi Entertainment. For complete pre-sale details visit www.citientertainment.com. House Of Blues, Live Nation and Ticketmaster pre-sales begin March 23rd at 10 a.m. PT.

Tesla: The Las Vegas Residency” at House Of Blues Las Vegas performance dates (Doors at 7:30 p.m.):

March 17, 2023
March 18, 2023
March 22, 2023
March 24, 2023
March 25, 2023

Newly announced shows:

* September 29th, 2023
* September 30th, 2023
* October 4th, 2023
* October 6th, 2023
* October 7th, 2023

During their exclusive five-night run of shows, Tesla will touch all sides of their unique discography including the heavier edge of electric songs like Modern Day Cowboy, Hang Tough and Edison’s Medicine, as well as their acoustic-driven songs such as Signs and Love Song (two Top 10 Billboard-charting hits).

“We are very excited to be able to perform consecutive nights residing at the same venue because we plan to dig into our catalog and change up our set lists for each show,” said Tesla guitarist Frank Hannon. “This will make it interesting for our loyal fans who will attend in the spectacular city of Las Vegas.”

“We in Tesla are very excited to be doing our very first ever residency in Las Vegas, of all places, where Elvis did his residency,” said bassist Brian Wheat. “We look forward to bringing the legacy of Tesla’s music to you all.”

MÖTLEY CRÜE BASSIST NIKKI SIXX RESPONDS TO CARMINE APPICE’S COMMENTS BY TWEETING, “A WASHED UP DRUMMER SPEAKING FOR OUR BAND WITHOUT ANY OF THE FACTS”

Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx has reportedly responded to recent comments, made by drummer Carmine Appice, in which Appice stated that, guitarist Mick Mars, left the band because all of the live performances were allegedly “on tape…all planned out…[and he] didn’t like that everything was on tape.”

Sixx reportedly tweeted on March 15th, “Love how people talk FOR us without talking TO us. This is why the media has lost credibility. Obviously by printing BS they make money off of advertising and we’re not into that clickbait game. When the truth comes out it will be FROM üs.”

He later added, “A washed up drummer trying to speak for us? And bottom feeder media running with it to make money off of lies? Welcome to the sad new world of LOOK AT ME LOOK AT ME.”

According to blabbermouth.net, on March 17th, Sixx took part in a Twitter question-and-answer session and was asked by one fan, “Is what Carmine Appice said true?” he replied, “A washed up drummer speaking for our band without any of the facts is as ridiculous as bottom feeder media running with stories without fact checking. When you hear the truth it will be from us.”

In December of 2022, Mötley Crüe announced August 2023 tour dates with Alice Cooper. To read Appice’s entire interview with Ultimate Guitar, please click here.