Phil Demmel (Vio-lence, ex-Machine Head), Tim Williams (Vision Of Disorder, Bloodsimple), Robb Rivera (Nonpoint), Piggy D (Rob Zombie, The Haxans), and Marta Demmel (Bleeding Through) have joined forces for a cover of Don Henley‘s “The Boys Of Summer.“ You can check that out below. Phil Demmel commented:
“Been wanting to do a cover with Robb Rivera, Tim Williams and Piggy D for awhile, but as the the Vio-lence recording was progressing and other (paying) opportunities were becoming priority to my recording practice, I was phasing out the collab-a-jams as the music industry is starting to crawl back. Then @pauliezofficial approached me about contributing another song for the @davidzfoundation fundraiser this year it presented this opportunity to jam with my buds. My wife Marta added some awesome keys and our youngest son, Magnus makes his video premiere. Please check out the foundation and it’s cause and thanks to all who helped create this jam.”
Auri, the band featuring Tuomas Holopainen (Nightwish), Troy Donockley (Nightwish), and Holopainen’s wife Johanna Kurkela, have premiered a new song titled “The Valley.” This track is from the group’s new album “II – Those We Don’t Speak Of,” which will be released on September 3. Holopainen commented:
“‘The Valley’ is an ode to homecoming. It’s about things worth a long wait, and about all the wondrous waypoints on the road. And while you’re wandering on that road, why not write a little tune to keep you company. A tune most delicate and hard to catch, but willing to reveal itself once you’ve made your journey, and have almost reached home.”
Rue Vox has premiered a new video for her new single “90s Villain.” The clip, which can be seen below, features Butcher Babies’ Henry Flury and Heidi Shepherd as well as Five Finger Death Punch’s Chris Kael.
Rue Vox commented:
“90s Villain shows how our character defects can find a way to take us out in the end. I wrote this song to kind of call myself out in how I’ve been a terrible girlfriend in my past. In the video I’m a serial killer who ends up getting murdered by her would-be-victim. It symbolizes how the worst parts of us have to die, sometimes involuntarily, in order for us to truly live.”
Director Shane O’Neal added:
“Rue Vox is a beast of a talent behind the microphone and her creativity doesn’t stop there. She came to me with the inspiration for her music video to be a female slasher and the epitome of a 90s Villain. We took our love of giallo films to the next level and delivered a pulp-esque style short film. We shot on Red camera with appearances by Butcher Babies and 5FDP’s Chris Kael, and all slated in the dingiest, grimiest motel on the Las Vegas Strip as each victim plays the odds with a seductress. And so the slaughterhouse began.”
Deftones’ Stephen Carpenter has shared a guitar playthrough video for the band’s song “Leathers.“ That track appears on the group’s 2012 album “Koi No Yokan.”
Joyous Wolf have premiered a new video for their new song “Fearless.” Frontman Nick Reese commented:
“‘Fearless’ was a bit of a wild card. We completed it in the final days of our album sessions and it was the only song we hadn’t completed prior. It became one of those songs that fell together in an effortless way. I’ve found myself reflecting on how unafraid I was as a kid. I feel like that’s something more than a few people can relate to. For the most part, I like to believe we are born fearless and we are conditioned to be afraid.”
Mr. Bungle have announced a new NFT collection, which they are calling “Disco Volante Era Improv At The Bomb Factory.” The NFTs will feature previously unreleased music that was recorded during the sessions for the band’s 1995 album “Disco Volante.” Bidding will open on August 2 at 9:00am PDT / 12:00pm EDT via SuperRare.
The following will be included with the NFTs:
“Each NFT features 2 minutes and 30 seconds of previously unreleased music with animation created by Eric Livingston. The purchasers will also receive a hyper limited-edition (1 of 4) lathe cut vinyl featuring the full 10-minute song and high resolution animated mp4.”
Trevor Dunn commented:
“During the ‘Disco Volante‘ writing sessions in a place we called The Shotwell Bomb Factory, San Francisco, we were blessed with an isolated & independent place to record and rehearse. Endless days and nights were spent in there experimenting, improvising and piecing together what would be our ‘sophomore attempt’ among other gems. Often there was an ADAT machine ready to go for any spontaneous outbursts (think ‘Nothing’ from the end of ‘Disco Volante‘), but we tested out various setups at our disposal.”
“[Mike] Patton and [Danny] Heifetz were in the ‘sound room’ with a multitude of instruments within reach. Trey [Spruance] and I were in the ‘control room’ with keyboards and outboard gear, as well as total ‘knob control.’ What we offer here is one of several ‘movements’ from a spontaneous sound narrative that spans over an hour. Up until now, no one but the four of us have heard this recently unarchived weirdness.”
Trey Spruance added:
“I remember wanting to enhance audio separation and isolation to an extreme, using a kind of ‘musique concrète live mix’ approach, hoping that would capture the unruly individual spirits of our improvisation more faithfully. It totally did in this case; facilitated better communication than usual.”
During a recent interview with Variety, ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons opened up about the tragic death of his bandmate Dusty Hill. The frontman says that he is “just glad [the bassist is] in a good spot.”
Gibbons said the following when asked about Hill initially leaving tour due to a “hip issue”:
“He did the first two [shows]. And then he requested dismissing himself. He said, ‘Yeah, let me go check this out.’ And of course I said, ‘Hey, man, health is number one. Go do your thing.’ And I could tell through those first two valiant attempts, if he’s not giving it 110%, he was the first one to kind of say, ‘Gee whiz. Let’s go take care of this.’”
He continued when asked if he noticed anything that made him think that Hill was seriously ill:
“Well, it’s no secret that over the past few years he had a pretty rough go with a broken shoulder, followed with a broken hip. And he had some problems with some ulcers. So he’s been kind of tiptoeing through keeping himself ship-shape, best he could. But I think that this was a real challenge. And by throwing in the towel, it might’ve caught up with him. Who knows? I’m just glad he’s in a good spot”
Gibbons also added the following when asked if there is an official cause of death or if he just “really fell asleep and didn’t wake up”:
“That’s about all they can determine. Let’s face it, you don’t necessarily pass away from a broken shoulder or broken hip. Although the attending physician had earlier warned him that bursitis was not uncommon, even arthritis, and they said it’s not a very comfortable place to be. And I could tell that he was moving a little slow. He said, ‘Boy, this shoulder and hip are really starting to become a problem.’ But, as of this juncture, yeah, it was off to dreamland and beyond.”
He also commented on the emotional toll that Hill’s death has taken on him:
“I had a couple of moments with the waterworks coming and going, and I really felt a sense of relief. I said, ‘Gee whiz, maybe I am human after all,’ This is coming from a very deep and glorious place, with respect to knowing that after 50 years with the guy, we were all joined at — no pun intended — joined at the hip.
But knowing that we can take his wishes forward and give him all due respect… You know, he was adamant. He said, ‘I’m going to go down and see what’s up. In the meantime,’ he said, ‘the show must go on. Don’t forget it.’ And he was pointing his finger and shaking it. [Laughs.]”
Gibbons also discussed moving forward with the band’s longtime guitar tech, Elwood Francis, on bass:
“Well, it was a direct directive from Mr. Dusty Hill. When he grabbed my arm and said, ‘I think I’m due to go visit the physician to see if I can bounce back,’ he said, ‘In the meantime, I want you to grab our guitar technician, Mr. Elwood and take him out of that tech station and strap him up with my guitar and make him carry on with every single note.’ And I said, ‘Well, if that’s your wishes, I’ll respect that.’ And sure enough, we’ve been very, very fortunate to have a stalwart standby to fill in.”
You can read more from Gibbons over at Variety. ZZ Top played their first show since Hill’s death at the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater in Tuscaloosa, AL last night (July 30). You can see some fan-filmed footage from that concert below:
Time for the next edition of Metal Anarchy’s “Music In The Age Of COVID-19” series, the feature where I discuss the ongoing pandemic with various musicians. This time I have an interview with Torie Jock.
METAL ANARCHY: How have you been holding up during the coronavirus pandemic?
TORIE JOCK: Hey! I’m Torie Jock and I’m stoked to be chatting today! It’s definitely been very hard to try to stay motivated and positive during the pandemic … Some days are better than others, but I guess that’s the case in general. It’s crazy and heartbreaking to witness the world and the music industry falling apart in front of you.
METAL ANARCHY: Have you been using your downtime to work on new music?
TORIE JOCK: I have tried to use my downtime wisely for sure! Working on new music, writing scripts and lyrics, auditioning for films, and I finally picked up my guitar again!
METAL ANARCHY: What was the last show you played or attended before the shutdown?
TORIE JOCK: The last show I played was actually during the pandemic. It was an outdoor venue. That is actually where I met Leaving Eden! Their guitar player, Eric Gynan, is my manager now, and we co-wrote my new and unreleased album, “Damaged Goods.” A single off of the album, “Outta Control,” was released on 07/09/21! I was also recently signed with Dark Star Records/Sony/Universal Worldwide Distribution! If it wasn’t for the pandemic cutting Leaving Eden’s tour short, I would probably never have met them. That is something I am actually incredibly grateful for regarding the pandemic.
METAL ANARCHY: Are you planning to play any livestream concerts during this time?
TORIE JOCK: I would like to do some livestream concerts! I am hoping that live concerts will come back with a vengeance though, because I definitely prefer a live audience.
METAL ANARCHY: Do you think the live entertainment industry will ever recover?
TORIE JOCK: I certainly hope so! I don’t think it is realistic to think that society will be satisfied with only seeing performances virtually. I hope there are enough souls that care enough to bring back live entertainment! I for sure will do everything I can to fight for our industry!
METAL ANARCHY: Lastly, is there anything fans can do to help your band or others that may be struggling during this time?
TORIE JOCK: Continuing to jam to our music is always helpful! Don’t forget about us! We will be back, I will make sure of it!
White Stones, the death metal project featuring Opeth bassist Martin Mendez, have premiered a lyric video for their new song “New Age Of Dark.” This track is from the band’s new album “Dancing Into Oblivion,” which will be released on August 27.
Venom Prison have postponed their upcoming European dates. Despite this, the UK shows will go on as planned with Virvum in place of Creeping Death. Leeched will still perform as well. Venom Prison commented:
“Due to the ongoing developments, our upcoming tour is changing. Creeping Death is now replaced by Virvum, and the tour will be in the UK only. Our replacement EU dates will be announced in due course.”
UK Dates:
10/19 Birmingham, UK – Mama Roux
10/20 Leeds, UK – Key Club
10/21 Bristol, UK – The Fleece
10/22 Glasgow, UK – G2
10/23 Manchester, UK – Rebellion
10/24 Nottingham, UK – Rescue Rooms
10/25 London, UK – Underworld
10/26 Southampton, UK – Joiners
Metal Anarchy 
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