 If ya haven't heard yet, Canadian heavy metal powerhouse Striker is back from the grave! Last month with rumours spreading of the band calling it quits after they posted an image that was titled "RIP Striker 2007-2021" on their social media, fans began speculating on their future. In the end, it was all made to prepare them for Striker's new single "Deathwish", a track that has their signature sound of putting a modern twist on classic heavy metal mixed with 1980s AOR. The single is also the band's introductory track with new drummer Jonathan Webster and bassist Pete Klassen who joined the line-up in 2019 along with it being their first of many new recordings to come since releasing their Juno award-winning album 2018's "Play To Win". Now, Striker unveils their music video for "Deathwish", which can be viewed below. “The world’s already on fire, you might as well light a smoke on it and kick back and watch. While you’re at it, feast your eyes on our new music video for Deathwish.” adds the band. "Deathwish" can be streamed and downloaded on Spotify and Apple Music. In additional news, Striker will be performing their first and only hometown show of 2021 in Edmonton, AB on November 27th at The Starlite Room with support from Riot City, Tymo and Tower Hill. Event Details can be found here. Upcoming Show Dates:
Champions in blending classic heavy metal, hard rock, and 80’s hair metal, Striker have been making shredtacular anthems since 2007. The band has toured multiple times across Europe and North America along with festival appearances at 70,000 Tons of Metal, Bang Your Head Festival (Germany), and more to add to their almost 1000 shows performed in their decade-plus career. The band has been honoured with multiple Best Album awards in their home country of Canada from the JUNO Awards, Western Canadian Music Awards, and the Edmonton Music Awards. Since their inception, Striker has released six studio albums Eyes in the Night (2010, Iron Kodex), Armed to The Teeth (2012, Napalm), City of Gold (2014, Napalm), Stand in the Fire (2016, Record Breaking), Striker (2017, Record Breaking), and Play to Win (2018, Record Breaking).
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 German rock / metal icons Scorpions are set to release their brand-new single "Peacemaker" today, November 4, to whet their fans' appetite for their upcoming album Rock Believer, scheduled to be released on February 25, 2022 — an amuse-guile of the rock music variety straight from the metal quintet's brand-hot kitchen. Mind you, "Peacemaker" has turned into much more than simply a lead single. It's a showcase number that has Scorpions celebrate their legendary tried and tested DNA in a fresh, tough sonic guise, a musical foretaste of their new album that promises to forge an arc between yesterday and tomorrow. Listen to "Peacemaker" here. Does a band whose musical career will span 50 years from the release of their first phenomenal album success Lonesome Crow to the arrival of Rock Believer in February 2022 still have the bite, the toughness, and the brute force that it takes to create and record one or two dozen brand new tracks? Aren't their 18 studio albums to date, their platinum and double-platinum awards, garnered around the globe, enough for these relentless musicians? Is there still enough gas in the tank to keep going? One of their songs provides the answer to these questions: "Let's play it louder play it hard / Laid back and a little dark / Give me a dirty riff my friend / There's gotta be more gas in the tank." And indeed, "Peacemaker" sounds like it's been freshly reimported from the heyday of a legendary hard rock band. "The first thing that came to my mind," remembers Scorpions singer Klaus Meine, who wrote the lyrics to the song (music courtesy of Rudolf Schenker and Pawel Maciwoda) and produced the band with the support of Hans-Martin Buff, "was the hook line. 'Peacemaker, peacemaker / Bury the undertaker.' I was just playing around with those words. At a time when so many people have died and are still dying of COVID, from devastating wars and other senseless crimes, it makes you feel that the undertaker must be working overtime. In a peaceful world after the pandemic, it will be time for the peacemaker to rule... that's an image that really appeals to me," says Meine. Scorpions are one of the world's most important rock bands of recent decades, having sold more than 120 million records to date, played over 5,000 concerts, and created a timeless classic in their legendary single "Wind of Change," which dominated the international charts and still is the best-selling single worldwide by a German artist. Countless awards, a star on the Hollywood Rock Walk of Fame, and more, hits such as "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and "Still Loving You," among others, followed. Their success to date impressively underlines the influence that the Scorpions continue to have on the rock music scene. Their latest album Rock Believer will be out on Universal's Spinefarm label in the U.S. Rock Believer, the credo of their new album, will also be the moniker of their upcoming tour. In March and April 2022, the band is set to perform at the Planet Hollywood Resorts & Casino in Las Vegas as part of its residency, followed by a European tour scheduled to kick off with a number of shows in Germany in June 2022 — with more concerts on a global level in the pipeline.  Credit: Terhi Ylimainen After re-signing to Nuclear Blast in early 2021, the Finnish heavy metal sextet Battle Beast are once again getting ready to unleash their force upon the world in the shape of their brand new masterpiece "Circus Of Doom". The album is set to be released on January 21st 2022 via Nuclear Blast and in true Battle Beast fashion, the 10 tracks blend true heavy metal with pop and rock-vibes, paired with Noora Louhimo’s unique voice. "Our goal was to make an interesting and absorbing album, with both lighter party songs and heavier stuff as well. In a way the whole album is like a joyful day at the circus. Full of enchanting surprises and wild carnival atmosphere", explains keyboardist Janne Björkroth. Now the band reveal a stunning music video for the first single, 'Master Of Illusion', directed by Markus Nieminen, that you can watch here: https://youtu.be/6sLSyTEXfCI - Get the single digitally here: https://battlebeast.bfan.link/master-of-illusion Janne comments on the single: "The first single from the upcoming Battle Beast album, 'Master Of Illusion', is a groovy and catchy song that makes dance floors roar and disco balls explode. The story of the song is about a self-centred, greedy, narrow-minded, and thoughtless character, who sows destruction all around without listening to or respecting others. The character may represent various things in the many arenas of power – for example, those of personal relationships, as well as in politics, and everywhere in between. Despite these heavy themes, there is playfulness in the composition, lyrics, and production, and the small twinkle in the corner of the eye that characterises Battle Beast." In addition to the single release, the band also kick off the physical pre-order for "Circus Of Doom" today. Pre-order the album in the format of you choice here: https://bfan.link/circusofdoom
Since their 2011's debut album »Steel«, Battle Beasthave achieved over 200 million digital streams. Alongside the huge #1 success of their last three albums in the album charts of their home country, Finland, their last album »No More Hollywood Endings« (2019) reached a remarkable #11 in German album charts. Order the previous album "No More Hollywood Endings" now: http://nblast.de/BattleBeastNMHE BATTLE BEAST is:
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 Parlophone Records is thrilled to announce the release of Iron Maiden’s 17th studio album Senjutsu, their first in six years, on September 3rd. It was recorded in Paris with long-standing producer Kevin Shirley and co-produced by Steve Harris. It was preceded on Thursday 15th July by an already highly acclaimed animated video for the first single ‘The Writing On The Wall’ made by BlinkInk based on a concept by Bruce Dickinson with two former Pixar Executives. It followed a month-long teaser campaign & global ‘treasure hunt’ for clues about the track title and concept. For Senjutsu - loosely translated as ‘tactics & strategy’ - the band once again enlisted the services of Mark Wilkinson to create the spectacular Samurai themed cover artwork, based on an idea by Steve Harris. With a running time of a little under 82 minutes, Senjutsu, like their previous record The Book Of Souls, will be a double CD/Triple vinyl album. Steve says:- “We chose to record at Guillaume Tell Studio in France again as the place has such a relaxed vibe. The setup there is perfect for our needs; the building used to be a cinema and has a really high ceiling so there’s a great acoustic sound. We recorded this album in the same way we did The Book Of Souls in that we’d write a song, rehearse it and then put it down together straight away while it was all fresh in our minds. There’s some very complex songs on this album which took a lot of hard work to get them exactly as we wanted them to sound, so the process was at times very challenging, but Kevin is great at capturing the essence of the band and I think it was worth the effort! I’m very proud of the result and can’t wait for fans to hear it.” Lead singer Bruce Dickinson continues:- “We’re all really excited about this album. We recorded it back in early 2019 during a break in the Legacy tour so we could maximize our touring yet still have a long set up period before release to prepare great album art and something special as a video. Of course the pandemic delayed things more - so much for the best laid plans – or should that be ‘strategies’!? The songs are very varied, and some of them are quite long. There’s also one or two songs which sound pretty different to our usual style, and I think Maiden fans will be surprised - in a good way, I hope!”
Senjutsu will be released on the following formats and available to pre-order from Wednesday July 21st:
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 American heavy metallers The Letter Black unveil uncompromising new single, “Born For This”10/7/2021  Pennsylvania hard rock / metal powerhouse The Letter Black has released “Born for This,” the hard-hitting second single from their highly anticipated self-titled album – and heaviest release to date - due out August 6 on Rockfest Records. The dynamic new single addresses the pressures of life, the feeling of no escape, then reaching the ultimate revelation to ignore doubt and negativity and follow your calling. “Born for This” features a guest performance by Thousand Foot Krutch vocalist Trevor McNevan, marking the first time firecracker frontwoman Sarah Anthony has shared vocals with a guest. “‘Born for This’ is a song about standing up for what you believe in, in the face of adversity,” Anthony says. “It’s about taking a stand, drawing that line in the sand and boldly saying ‘this is me, this is what I believe, this is who I am, and nothing and no one will shake me.’ I’m especially excited about this specific release because it’s the first time in TLB history that we’re featuring a duet with a guest vocalist- and a powerful one at that!” “Born for This” is available at https://lnk.to/TLBbornforthis. The Letter Black formed in 2006 in Uniontown, PA, and burst onto the hard rock landscape with their Tooth & Nail debut Hanging On By a Thread in 2010. The quartet landed at #8 on the iTunes Rock chart that same day. As their career developed, The Letter Black continued building on this energy, and released their second lbum Rebuild in 2013. After parting ways with Tooth & Nail in 2016, The Letter Black found themselves in the driver’s seat for their third album, 2017’s Pain, which was funded by a highly successful $25,000 Kickstarter campaign. In spring of 2020, the band began working their fourth studio album and soon signed with Rockfest Records. The first single from The Letter Black, “Rise,” was released in February. THE LETTER BLACK is:
THE LETTER BLACK online:  PHOTO CREDIT: Marko Syrjala Doro Pesch of Warlock reveals the album artwork as well as the track list for her upcoming live masterpiece ’Triumph And Agony Live‘, which will be released on September 24, 2021. The artwork centres on Geoffrey Gillespie's famous original drawing of the "Warlock" embracing the blonde rock star. Doro says: "The cover and the whole artwork including booklet and inlay are a combination of live shots and the amazing iconic Warlock paintings of my favourite artist, Geoffrey Gillespie, who did all the classic Doro / Warlock artworks. It worked out great. I am so happy with it.“ Doro will celebrate the 35th anniversary of her hit album ’Triumph And Agony‘ with the release of the spectacular live album ’Triumph And Agony Live‘. The highly anticipated work will be released in many different configurations on CD, vinyl, cassette, Blu-ray as well as in an exclusive, strictly limited fan box! Recorded in front of a mega-crowd at the famous Sweden Rock Festival, Doro and her band delivered a show for the ages. Doro: "It has always been my dream to play the complete ’Triumph And Agony‘ album live. The order of the tracks is different from the original album, but we're playing all ten songs in new, powerful versions." The audience thanked them frantically. "It was fantastic," Doro explains. "There was a killer atmosphere!" And this was perfectly captured in sound and image. To be heard (and seen) on the great ’Triumph And Agony Live‘ album.
Doro admits that:- "It's one of my all-time favourite albums. It's got some of our biggest classics and anthems like "All We Are", "Für Immer" or "I Rule The Ruins", plus fan favourites "Metal Tango", "Three Minute Warning" and “Kiss Of Death". Not forgetting the album opener and headbanger "Touch Of Evil". I'm super excited and can't wait to let fans hear and see ’Triumph And Agony‘. And it's so exciting to hear the live versions of the classic songs. They capture even more magic now. When I see the fans at the shows and hear them scream and sing along, I know what I live for." The track list includes all ten songs from the 1987 album, but in a different order than originally released. www.facebook.com/DoroPeschOfficial www.instagram.com/dorometalqueen www.patreon.com/doropesch  The band’s fans were overjoyed when in summer 2020 Rage frontman Peavy Wagner presented the group’s new line-up featuring two guitarists, announcing a return to the constellation that had recorded classics such as Black In Mind and End Of All Days. After last year’s departure of Marcos Rodriguez, Stefan Weber (ex-Axxis) was enlisted, followed just a few weeks later by Jean Bormann (Angel Inc, Rage & Ruins). The fourth band member is drummer Vassilios “Lucky” Maniatopoulos, who has been with Rage since 2015. The current line-up could be seen and heard for the first time on the ´The Price Of War 2.0` video clip, a new edition of the same-named song from Black In Mind, which has been available on all major online channels since June 2020. Immediately afterwards, the quartet commenced work on its brand-new album Resurrection Day. Wagner admits that he is “surprised how quickly the new line-up has gelled into a homogeneous team and how positively the talents of each band member have come into effect" and adds that he feels that the band's music; especially on the new album “is still typical Rage on the one hand while sounding so much fresher on the other.” Rage have recorded twelve new songs covering a stylistic range that could hardly be more characteristic of the band, from raw thrash metal tracks like ´Virginity` (also the first single and video), ´The Age Of Reason` and ´Extinction Overkill` through mid tempo pieces such as ´Arrogance And Ignorance` and ´Monetary Gods` to the straightforward ballad ´Black Room` which balances things out. “Rage fans get exactly what they want on Resurrection Day, plus a surprise or two,” promises Peavy, mentioning in particular ´Travelling Through Time`, a number that explores the extremes between bludgeoning “shoot-em up grooves” (quote Peavy) and epic moments. “The song is inspired by Renaissance composer Giorgio Mainerio,” he explains. “There`s a piece by Mainerio called ´Schiarazula Marazula`, with a wonderful theme that I often play at home on acoustic guitar. Jean and I have adapted it to suit the Rage format and given the song a different rhythmic perspective, which has added intensity. We’ve never done a number like ´Travelling Through Time` before.” So we can look forward to a very special Rage album, and of course eventually also to live shows. Provided that the situation allows it, Peavy and his men are set to embark on a major European tour in November 2021. With Resurrection Day on their set-list, the shows are guaranteed to turn into highly explosive events!
‘Resurrection Day’ will be released on September 17th, 2021 through SPV/Steamhammer in the following configurations:
Pre-Order Link: http://smarturl.it/RageResurrectionDay
Pre-Order Link: https://napalmrecords.com/english/rage
Pre-Order Link: https://shop.steamhammer.de/artists/rage/store https://www.facebook.com/RageOfficialBand http://www.rage-official.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:-
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:
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