Architects have announced the release of their live album “For Those That Wish To Exist at Abbey Road” on March 25th, which captures a historic livestream performance at London's iconic Abbey Road studios, spiritual home to legends like The Beatles and Pink Floyd. 

     ​The album features a reimagined orchestral version of their critically acclaimed, UK number 1 album "For Those That Wish To Exist", which aired as a global streaming event on December 11th last year.

     The band’s performance on the album is backed by Parallax Orchestra, made up of some of country's best and most versatile classical musicians, arranged and written by Simon Dobson, Parallax Orchestra's conductor and a three times British Composer award (BASCA) winner for his compositions.

• Watch the video for the colossal version of the first single "Impermanence" HERE 

 

• You can pre-order the album HERE.

​

Architects will be touring the UK in May 2022. Please see below for all the details:

• 2nd May 2022 Leeds, First Direct Arena
• 3rd May 2022 Nottingham, Motorpoint Arena
• 5th May 2022 Cardiff, Motorpoint Arena
• 6th May London, Alexandra Palace
• 8th May 2022 Glasgow, The SSE Hydro

Tickets on general sale now - HERE 
​

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     So we now know who the winners of the GMA Awards 2021 were, but to wrap up the event in it's entirety and bid farewell to 2021 and usher in 2022, we must turn to the last bunch of awards - 'Metal Release By Country / Area'.

     Usually these would include the flag of the band's nation, but given the events in Afghanistan this year among other political turmoil, I felt it would be prudent to forgo any flags and just list the winners.... so without further ado here are the....

The votes are in, have been counted, vetted and verified.
So without further ado, we present the winners of the
2021 Global Metal Apocalypse (GMA) awards.
​
All categories except "Release Of The Year"
came with an 'other' option.

See you in December 2022

​

​

​
​Global Metal Release Of The Year

​
​Breakthrough African Band

​
Breakthrough European Band

     Premiere thrash outfit Sylosis have released a video for their brand new single 'Immovable Stone'. Another prime example of the quartet's uniquely exhilarating take on modern metal, 'Immovable Stone' is the band's first release since the furious 'Worship Decay' last December.


Sylosis founder Josh Middleton comments:-

     "Immovable Stone is the second song released from a recording session we did last year which includes Worship Decay (released December 2020) and one other song which will remain unreleased due to it accidentally being wiped from existence on a broken hard drive. Another slightly different sounding song to anything on Cycle of Suffering. A nice way to tie off 2021 and keep things moving forwards ahead of a new Sylosis record in 2022."

• Watch the video for 'Immovable Stone' here: https://youtu.be/tt7GaGrtsh4
• Stream and purchase 'Immovable Stone' here: https://bfan.link/Sylosis-ImmovableStone.ema

     The band's latest record, 'Cycle Of Suffering', was released back in February 2020 via Nuclear Blast Records, following a three year hiatus, and showcased the band at their most versatile and compelling. The album was heralded by fans and critics alike, and saw the band headline a sold out show at London's Islington Assembly Hall prior to the ceasing of live events.

• You can still purchase the album on various formats from: https://nblast.de/CycleOfSuffering
• Watch the band's previous single / video 'Worship Decay' at: https://youtu.be/fNZpc5uTSuA

Sylosis are:

• Josh Middleton - Vocals, Guitar
• Alex Bailey - Guitar
• Conor Marshall - Bass
• Ali Richardson - Drums

• Facebook.com/Sylosis
• Twitter.com/Sylosis
• Instagram.com/SylosisOfficial
• Sylosis-band.com

     After shaking the world in its foundation with the announcement of their 13th manifesto,  "Existence Is Futile", that will see the light of the day on October 22nd, Cradle Of Filth gather again to bring their next sacrifice to the devilish forces of Dark Metal: Today, the band reveals the second single of their new album to come – “Necromantic Fantasies.”

     Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/PiV5XupV-TI


     Directed by Vicente Cordero, this video was shot back-to-back with his previous work for the band, the horribly apocalyptic “Crawling King Chaos,” though both are remarkably contrasting. Dani Filth had this to say of the latest video to enter the CRADLE catalogue:


     “This is a very different video from its predecessor, sporting more of a narrative amid leaning back toward a dark Victorian gothic vibe, showcasing the second of many unique tracks on this, our 13th album. It’s very cinematic, much like ‘Crawling King Chaos,’ but walking a much more 'dark faerytale' path. The director Vicente has done such an amazing job bringing the storyline together with the band and the incredible sets. It looks gorgeous. And the song is pretty good too!”


     Pre-order Existence Is Futile here: https://bfan.link/existence-is-futile.ema

     Pieced together in isolation, at Grindstone Studios in Suffolk with studio guru Scott Atkins (Devilment / Benediction / Vader), the band's latest chef-d'oeuvre is a pitch-black, perverse and at times absurdly brutal and extreme masterpiece following a truly nihilistic concept:

Dani Filth explains:


     “The album is about existentialism, existential dread and fear of the unknown. The concept wasn’t created by the pandemic. We’d written it long before that began and it is really but the tip of the mountain as far as the way the world is headed, you know? I guess the title, ‘Existence Is Futile,’ does sound a little morbid. But again, it’s more about recognising that truth and saying that everything is permitted because nothing really matters, which mimics the occultist Aleister Crowley’s maxim. We all know we’re going to die, so we might as well indulge life while we possess it. The final track on the album – 'Us, Dark, Invincible' – really drives that point home. Also, the artwork for this record was created by the Latvian visionary Arthur Berzinsh, who also dressed the last two albums, and that reeks of the exceedingly beautiful yet apocalyptic too.”


     Diehard fans will be thrilled to learn that horror icon Doug 'Pinhead' Bradley makes a welcome return to the CRADLE fold, lending his dulcet tones to the band's most politically astute song to date, the epic “Suffer Our Dominion” as well as the album bonus track “Sisters Of The Mist,” which is the conclusion to the “Her Ghost In The Fog” trilogy that started over 20 years ago on the infamous and classic Midian.


CRADLE OF FILTH, 2021 A.D., are:

• Dani Filth | Vocals
• Richard Shaw | Guitar
• Ashok | Guitar
• Daniel Firth | Bass
• Martin ‘Marthus’ Skaroupka | Drums
• Anabelle | Female vocals, keyboards

Follow or subscribe for further FILTHy propaganda:

• ww.cradleoffilth.com
• www.facebook.com/cradleoffilth
• www.twitter.com/cradleoffilth
• www.instagram.com/cradleoffilth​

     Hertfordshire-based alternative metal band Defences release their brutal and confrontational new single ‘IN THE BLACK’. The track is taken from their new album ‘In The Balance’ which is set for release on 15th October 2021. Fans can pre-order / pre-save the album HERE.

Defences latest offering sees the band looking inwards, tackling loss and grief head-on.


Vocalist Cherry Duesbury comments:

     "In The Black dives into the darker side of loss and the effects it can have on us. Unexpectedly losing important people can feel like the end of your world, or like a part of or all of you has been taken with them. This song explores the thoughts and feelings that can come while grieving. Even when at our lowest points, there is something that drives us forward, wakes us up every day and keeps us breathing... There's still sunlight, even behind the darkest of clouds."


     ‘In The Balance’ arrives as a snapshot of primary lyricist and vocalist Cherry Duesbury’s  experiences over the last few years; glancing over the inevitable difficulties of a global pandemic as well as several pivotal cultural events. "We wrote this because we need to" exclaims Cherry. ‘In The Balance’ is the result of Defences looking for hope in the stark realities of life, facing them head-on to find positivity.  


     “A lot of the lyrics are based on internal struggles,” notes co-vocalist William Alex Young. It’s a snapshot in time, looking at humanity in both its glory and its struggles. “It’s incredibly honest”, Cherry adds. “It’s the most honest I have ever been in terms of lyrics.”


     There’s a universality to this honesty with the band's recent single ‘False Gods.’ Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, Cherry used her personal reaction to comment on all humanity. Hope bubbles under the surface of ‘In The Balance’ and underpins Defences’ attitude as a band. The songs emerge as a celebration of how humans deal with things that happen in their lives, how they understand and acknowledge those experiences, and what ultimately can be learned from them. And they do so with a powerful energy that perfectly blends the dual vocals with down-tuned instrumentation. 


     Joining several strong contemporaries, it continues their evolution from any norms in alternative metal. The guitars are heavier, the screams louder, but there’s still space for the melody to drive it forward. The album revels on both its energy and passion, yet lands on genuine positivity. Cherry looks back at the hourglass, the heart, and the scales of justice emblazoned on the album's  artwork commenting “It’s a time capsule of this moment in our lives, in any life. It’s about the experiences, the difficulties, the struggles that we all go through, and the eventual hope that we find.”


​Defences are:

• Vocals / Cherry Duesbury
• Screams / William Alex Young
• Guitar / Calum Wilmot
• Bass / Ian ‘Harri’ Harrington
• Drums / Kyle Parke

     With Bloodstock 2021 well under way, the festival is thrilled to already be looking ahead and announcing a swathe of bands for the 2022 event, which is set to take place on 11th-14th August 2022 at Catton Park, Derbyshire. Headlining one of the days (tbd) on the Ronnie James Dio main stage will be mighty groove metal overlords, Lamb Of God! Frontman Randy Blythe tells the festival that:-

     “It’s been way too long since we’ve rocked the festivals of Merry Olde - what better way to announce our return than a headliner slot at Bloodstock? Until then, pack your wellies and stay safe, England - Lamb of God (and Roger Brilliant) will see you Summer 2022!”

     In the meantime, remind yourself of their awesomeness with this video of 'Walk With Me In Hell' from their 2013 debut Bloodstock headline set.


     Saturday's main stage headliner will be the previously announced, King Diamond-fronted, heavy metal icons Mercyful Fate, who roll over a year after global issues prevented their appearance at this year’s festival. The band states:-

     “Mercyful Fate comes to Bloodstock…this will be a dangerous meeting you don’t want to miss. This time we are going to bring the Devil himself.”  
 
 
     Also landing main stage slots across the weekend are Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals playing their Pantera set, Dimmu Borgir, Testament, Exodus, Black Dahlia Murder, Gwar (in a UK festival exclusive), Bury Tomorrow, Sacred Reich, Life Of Agony, Butcher Babies, Vio-lence and Bloodywood.

     Over on the Sophie Lancaster stage, headlining Thursday night are The Night Flight Orchestra and closing out Sunday night will be Static-X, in their only UK show of 2022. Also landing a slot across the weekend are Heathen.
 
     Early bird weekend camping tickets are available at the on-site box office across the duration of the 2021 event, then will go on sale online at 9am Monday 16th August, priced at £135 (+ bkg fee) from the ticket store, as well as Serpents Lair VIP tickets, child tickets, and camper van passes (which always sell out very quickly, so don’t snooze if you’re after one).


The remaining main stage headliner is yet to be revealed. Stay tuned for more band announcements soon and check out the first 2022 trailer here

     Bloodstock will take place at Catton Park, Derbyshire on 11th-14th August 2022.
For more info, click to www.bloodstock.uk.com.

Senjutsu will be released on the following formats and available to pre-order from Wednesday July 21st:

• Standard 2CD Digipak
  
• Deluxe 2CD Book Format
  
• Deluxe heavyweight 180G Triple Black Vinyl
  
• Special Edition Triple Silver and Black Marble Vinyl (Selected Retailers)
  
• Special Edition Triple Red and Black Marble Vinyl (Selected Retailers)
  
• Super Deluxe Boxset featuring CD, Blu Ray and Exclusive Memorabilia
  
• Digital album (streaming and download)
  

www.ironmaiden.com

     Iron Maiden have revealed their brand-new track, 'The Writing On The Wall', with an eagerly anticipated global YouTube video premiere. The song was written by Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith & lead singer Bruce Dickinson, produced by Kevin Shirley and co-produced by Maiden bassist and founder-member Steve Harris.


                                                WATCH IT HERE 
 

     Bruce Dickinson initially had a concept for the video which came to fruition in collaboration with two Award-winning former Pixar executives and long-standing Maiden fans Mark Andrews & Andrew Gordon. The pair have over 50 years of animation industry experience between them at the very top-level including work on The Incredibles, Ratatouille, Brave, Monsters Inc & Finding Nemo. With partners lining up to get involved with the project they chose BlinkInk, a London based animation studio celebrated for their work with a variety of global brands from Adidas to Coca-Cola and a number of high-profile music videos.
 

     In BlinkInk director Nicos Livesey, another long-time Maiden fan & kindred spirit, they found a man who shared the collective vision for the track – resulting in the final film which features the very first glimpse of a stunning new incarnation of Eddie in spectacular 3D form. 
 

Bruce comments:-


     “I had a pretty clear idea of the concept to accompany the song and when I met Mark and Andrew, on Zoom, it quickly became clear we were all very much on the same wavelength, and this was reinforced with the addition of Nicos and his young BlinkInk team. Our weekly team Zoom meetings were then usually both highly creative and a lot of fun!  
 
     I’m very proud of the way the video turned out, it’s more like a mini-film really. I knew it was going to work out as soon as Mark brought my treatment to life with his incredible storyboards - I thought we could make something very special together. I think we did and hope our fans will agree. In fact it’s pretty much created by Maiden fans!!”
 


Director, Nicos Livesey takes up the story:-


     “We quickly found the expertise we wanted, and people were literally throwing themselves at me to work on a Maiden video – we had more than 60 people in 13 countries from Brazil to France, & Romania to the USA to add something to the clip and I’d say their love, passion and understanding of the band shines through every frame. They were a dream team for the producers and myself to manage.” 
 

The intricate & painstaking process of the making of the video can be read about in more detail here.
 
You can hear the song and watch the video here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhBnW7bZHEE
 

www.ironmaiden.com

     The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund, founded in memory of the late heavy metal icon, will join forces with virtual event producers Rolling Live Studios to celebrate Ronnie’s birthday on Saturday, July 10th. 


     The global fundraising event will bring together celebrities and fans all over the world to honor Dio’s undeniable impact both on and off the stage. The front man for Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, and DIO - Ronnie lost his battle with gastric cancer in 2010. 


     Hosted on rollinglivestudios.com beginning at 10:00 PM BST, the event will feature special guest performances, interviews and birthday messages from artists including:-

• Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell)
• Teddy ‘Zig Zag’ Andreadis (Guns N’ Roses, Alice Cooper)
• Carmine Appice (Vanilla Fudge, Beck, Bogert & Appice)
• Vinny Appice (DIO, Black Sabbath)
• Michael Angelo Batio (Nitro, Holland, Shout)

 

• Joey Belladonna (Anthrax); Chuck Billy (Testament)
• Gilby Clarke (Guns N’ Roses, Slash's Snakepit)
• Melody Cristea (Liliac)
• Aynsley Dunbar (Journey, Frank Zappa)
• Frank Ferrer (Guns N’ Roses)

 

• Lita Ford; Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple, Black Country Communion)
• Terry Ilous (Great White, XYZ)
• LA metal band Liliac
• Sean McNabb (Quiet Riot, Dokken)
• Jeff Pilson (Foreigner, DIO)

 

• Rudy Sarzo (Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne)
• Glen Sobel (Alice Cooper, Hollywood Vampires)
• Lajon Witherspoon (Sevendust)
• Brent Woods (Sebastian Bach, Wildside).

     Also participating will be members of the DIO band--Simon Wright, Oni Logan, Scott Warren, Bjorn Englen and Rowan Robertson, who will also appear with fellow cast-mate Paul Shortino (Rough Cutt) from the Las Vegas production “Raiding the Rock Vault.”  Radio and television personalities Eddie Trunk and Matt Pinfield will be on hand during the broadcast conducting interviews with artists as well as with DIO producer Wyn Davis and Ronnie’s widow and long-time manager Wendy Dio.  


     The STAND UP AND SHOUT FOR RONNIE JAMES DIO’S BIRTHDAY virtual event will feature brand new performances and stories from Ronnie’s friends and fans, as well as exclusive archival footage from Dio’s life and long-spanning career, and never-before-seen footage from Dio Cancer Fund events held in Los Angeles since 2011 when the organization began.  Through musical performances and storytelling, a wide array of guests will celebrate the life of a man who deeply influenced their lives through his artistry and larger-than-life presence.

     Throughout his career, Ronnie James Dio was a passionate supporter and contributor to charitable work and numerous animal charities. He was an artist who was not only well respected for his talent, but also admired and loved by his peers and fans worldwide, some of which included renowned celebrities, musicians, and prominent individuals from all walks of life.


     Tickets go on sale today (June 9) at https://rollinglivestudios.com/dio with General Admission tickets priced at $20 (Early Bird general admission tickets at just $15 are available through June 16).  In addition to tickets to view the show, Rolling Live Studios will offer special merchandise packages and virtual VIP experiences for fans to take part in this unusual worldwide event.  Included among the value-added items is a specially designed event tee-shirt, baseball cap and laminate plus “grab bags” of vintage DIO and Dio Cancer Fund event merchandise.  Ticket packages that include access to a Pre-Show Virtual Meet & Greet and a Post-Show Virtual VIP Party are also available.  Additionally, a limited number of copies of RAINBOW IN THE DARK:  THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY, written by Ronnie James Dio (with Wendy Dio and Mick Wall) and signed by Wendy Dio, will be made available prior to its publication and availability to the public on July 27.     


     The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund (www.diocancerfund.org), dedicated to cancer prevention, research and education, has raised over $2 million in its history.  The organization’s last in-person event was its 10th Anniversary Gala held at the Avalon in Hollywood in February, 2020.  Its annual RIDE FOR RONNIE Motorcycle Ride and Concert and BOWL FOR RONNIE Celebrity Bowling Tournament have been suspended as the result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
STAND UP AND SHOUT FOR RONNIE JAMES DIO’S BIRTHDAY is the latest in a lineup of stellar events produced by Rolling Live Studios. In January, the studio worked alongside Mike Garson to bring together an extraordinary slate of vocalists to perform with David Bowie’s band alumni for “A Bowie Celebration: Just for One Day” streaming concert event.  The following month, YUNGBLUD’s stunning performance of “Life on Mars?” from the event played after millions of viewers watched NASA’s Perseverance rover successfully touch down on Mars. 


     The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable fund formed in honour of the legendary Ronnie James Dio, who lost his life to stomach cancer on May 16, 2010. Cancer is a deadly disease that robs families of loved ones, and the Dio Cancer Fund is dedicated to support cancer prevention research, raise awareness and educate the public with the focus that early detection and prevention saves lives.


     Monies raised have been committed to the cancer research work of the T. J. Martell Foundation for Cancer, AIDS and Leukemia Research, the gastric cancer research unit of the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, where Ronnie was treated for gastric cancer during the last six months of his life, and other cancer research projects. Since 2016, the Dio Cancer Fund has also committed funds to support the research of Dr. David Wong and his team at the UCLA School of Dentistry in developing a simple, non-invasive saliva test for the early detection of cancer, which is in keeping with the Fund’s mission of cancer prevention, research and education.


To purchase tickets and VIP and merchandise packages for the Ronnie James Dio Virtual Birthday Celebration, visit https://rollinglivestudios.com/dio


Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund:

• www.diocancerfund.org
  
• www.facebook.com/RJDSUASCF
• https://twitter.com/DioCancerFund
  
• https://www.instagram.com/diocancerfund/
  
• https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpIsd0Sa3IXQY2t33G3oEEg 
  

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