Photo credit: Alex Krauss — Album Artwork by: Zbigniew M. Bielak
On March 21st, avant-death metal trio IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT will release their sixth full-length, “Goldstar”, via Century Media Records. Their most instant and evocative work to-date, “Goldstar” reins in their musical wanderlust with a newfound focus that the band has only hinted at with past works. For a preview of the record, the new single PLEASUREDOME (featuring the ominous spoken vocals of Tomas Haake, plus drumming legend Dave Lombardo) now be heard.
IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT comments: “Journey into sensuality and primal desire, where the flesh becomes a temple, and the hunt for passion unfolds like an ancient ritual. The ‘bell rings out,’ a summoning call to transcend ordinary pleasures and enter the Pleasuredome, a place where the divine and the animalistic merge.”
“Goldstar”is a long cool drag and as intense an urban fever dream as only IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT can deliver. Stay tuned for more coming soon.
Music legend David Ellefson, alongside co-host Joshua Toomey, is thrilled to announce the launch of The David Ellefson Show podcast, a bi-weekly show which will debut Monday, March 3rd on YouTube and major streaming platforms.
The podcast offers listeners a front-row seat to captivating conversations, insightful stories, and entertaining anecdotes from Ellefson’s remarkable 40-plus-year career. The show will feature a wide array of guests, including notable musicians, celebrities & industry professionals from inside the exciting world of music and entertainment.
You can now join the podcast’s Patreon account to see the debut episode featuring Frank Bello (Anthrax). Patreon members will receive each episode a week early, merch store discounts, exclusive live stream Q&A sessions and a unique David Ellefson Pick Card. Join the Patreon here: Patreon.com/tdes
“I’ve been a guest on countless podcasts over the years, and they’ve become essential in connecting artists with audiences, replacing much of traditional media,” says Ellefson. “I’m excited to build a community where we can dive into discussions about music, entertainment, lifestyle, and everything in between.”
The podcast also serves as a platform for the David Ellefson Bass Coalition, a global network of bass enthusiasts. The Coalition provides a space for fans to connect, share insights about their favorite musicians, discuss gear, take lessons, and celebrate all things bass.
Co-host Joshua Toomey, a seasoned podcaster known for Talk Toomey and multiple Knotfest podcasts, is a bassist himself & member of the Nu-Metal band Primer 55. He brings his extensive experience in music and a dynamic voice to the show. Together, Ellefson and Toomey aim to create a fun, creative, and informative experience for listeners.
Says Toomey, “David has always been a must-listen guest on podcasts, so it’s only natural that he’s now hosting his own. He’s a wealth of knowledge—not just about his own career, but the music industry as a whole. I’m excited to share these episodes with rock and metal fans around the world!”
Stay tuned for upcoming episodes featuring exciting guests from the world of music and entertainment.
ARTHUR BROWN has announced an impressive string of live appearances in Europe for 2025 with more to follow in due time. The much admired and iconic British singer is currently working on the release of his forthcoming new album, which will follow his acclaimed current masterpiece “Long Long Road” that was released on his 80th birthday on June 24,2022.
Arthur Brown writes: “People of Earth, I am the God of Hellfire, and I bring you… THE CRAZY WORLD OF ARTHUR BROWN tour in 2025!”, the rock pioneer exclaims. “We are setting forth on a blazing journey through the UK and beyond, conjuring visions, bending reality, and summoning the eternal fire that fuels our crazy world. Prepare yourselves for an odyssey of sound and spectacle! But wait! Beyond the veil of the known, deep within the ancient, echoing cavern of the Balver Höhle, we shall descend into the abyss of myth and mystery at Prophecy Fest! There, where shadows dance and time itself distorts, we will channel the primeval forces that have whispered through the stones for millennia… and unleash a performance unlike any other! But this, dear seekers of fire and revelation, is only the beginning! More dates shall be revealed… “
ARTHUR BROWN live 24 JAN 2025 Carlisle (UK) The Temple Of Prog 02 FEB 2025 Blackpool (UK) Winter Gardens 13 MAR 2025 Southampton (UK) The 1865 14 MAR 2025 Penzance (UK) The Acorn 15 MAR 2025 Ashburton (UK) Arts Centre 28/29 MAR 2025 Nottingham (UK) Karma Weekender Festival 13 APR 2025 Reichenbach (DE) Art Rock Festival 17 MAY 2025 Savigny-le-Temple (FR) Grand Paris Sludge 06 JUN 2025 Gdańsk (PL) Mystic Festival 19 JUN 2025 Milton Keynes (UK) The Craufurd Arms 19-23 JUN 2025 Bromsgrove (UK) Sonic Rock Solstice Festival 10-12 JUL 2025 Fredericia (DK) Metal Magic Festival 31-01 JUL/AUG 2025 Inverness (UK) Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival 02 AUG 2025 Glasgow (UK) Slay 6-9 AUG 2025 Josevof (CZ) Brutal Assault Festival 15 AUG 2025 Cambridge (UK) The Portland Arms 16 AUG 2025 Faversham (UK) A New Day Festival 05 SEP 2025 Huddersfield (UK) Parish 06 SEP 2025 Grimsthorpe (UK) Nene Valley Rock Festival 11-13 SEP 2025 Balver Höhle (DE) Balve, Prophecy Fest 22 NOV 2025 Hartlepool (UK) The Studio
“Long Long Road” is streaming in full on digital platforms at this location.
Tracklist 1. Gas Tanks 2. Coffin Confession 3. Going Down 4. Once I Had Illusions (Part 1) 5. I Like Games 6. Shining Brightness 7. The Blues and Messing Round 8. Long Long Road 9. Once I Had Illusions (Part 2)
Artwork by Laurie Avon
WHO IS ARTHUR BROWN?
Pretty much everyone into rock music knows ARTHUR BROWN. Be it via listening to or watching The Who’s rock opera “Tommy” or spending time with The Alan Parsons Project’s classic debut album “Tales of Mystery and Imagination”, most people have encountered Arthur – even if they might not have realised it.
Yet when it comes to THE CRAZY WORLD OF ARTHUR BROWN’s iconic, career-defining 1968 transatlantic hit single ‘Fire’, everybody knows that this is Arthur – the self-proclaimed God of Hellfire!
But, we are getting ahead of ourselves, when we really ought to start with Arthur’s new full-length masterpiece “Long Long Road”.
Wild, vibrant, and crammed with rich musical textures, his new album is quintessentially ARTHUR BROWN, and can easily be construed as the apex and summary of a fascinating career that has spanned no fewer than seven decades.
Scheduled for release on Arthur’s 80th birthday on June 24, “Long Long Road” effortlessly shifts from progressive rock and soul to pristine blues rock, with the much-loved singer summoning his full vocal range with a mature mastery that comes only with the experience of a lifetime.
Make no mistake, ARTHUR BROWN is a true rock legend – luckily, one whose star still burns very brightly, making audiences’ jaws drop whenever he takes to the stage.
Born in 1942, this outstanding vocalist and pioneering performer has recently been experiencing a renaissance. Arthur’s ground-breaking work over several decades was honoured at the 2019 Prog Awards, when he received the Visionary Artist Award. In 2021, Arthur was given an HRH Legend Award that celebrates the best of British rock music. Prior to these, Classic Rock magazine bestowed a “Showman Award” on Arthur in 2005. This renewed attention by fans, media and peers in the autumn of his artistic endeavours can be recognised as a long-overdue tribute to an iconic musician, similar to that enjoyed by JOHNNY CASH late in his expansive career.
ARTHUR BROWN‘s legacy has been long appreciated by fellow musicians, writers and dedicated rock fans far beyond the vast shadow cast by his gigantic number 1 hit single ‘Fire’. The iconic track from his 1968 album “The Crazy World of Arthur Brown” still maintains its mesmerising power with audiences and peers today. At the same time, it could be argued that the omnipresence of ‘Fire’ has partly obscured Arthur’s many outstanding accomplishments over the 54 years since its release.
To understand the massive impact and influence of ARTHUR BROWN‘s wild stage persona, flamboyant theatrical performances, and charismatic multi-octave voice, one only needs to listen to these rock icons:
“Without Arthur Brown there would be no Alice Cooper.” ALICE COOPER “Now there’s a man who was ahead of his time.” ELTON JOHN
“Arthur Brown was a big influence of mine… Arthur Brown has the voice of death.” Bruce Dickinson, IRON MAIDEN
“Arthur Brown is as much a dancer as he is a singer.” Pete Townshend, THE WHO
ARTHUR BROWN is widely recognised as a pioneer of shock rock and progressive rock, and a significant influence on heavy metal. His live performances include iconic classics, dance, poetry, visuals and a subliminal soundtrack of new electronic music. Whenever he plays, Arthur still brings the dramatically elegant and always extravagant style that he established as the gold standard onstage.
During his long and distinguished career, Arthur has been the lead singer of various groups, most notably THE CRAZY WORLD OF ARTHUR BROWN and KINGDOM COME, along with a cameo in the cult film “Tommy”, in which his dramatic vocals were backed by ERIC CLAPTON and THE WHO. Collaborations include the debut album of THE ALAN PARSONS PROJECT, DAVID GILMORE, THE PRODIGY, BRUCE DICKINSON, THE STRANGLERS, KULA SHAKER, DIE KRUPPS, and many more.
With each note on “Long Long Road”, ARTHUR BROWN makes the impressive statement that he remains as authentic, challenging, creative, and compelling as he was at his career’s fiery beginning. This record is not a swansong, but the thrilling beginning of the final phase of an utterly singular career.
ARTHUR BROWN is currently preparing the release of his next full-length.
Artist: Arthur Brown Album: Long Long Road Style: Psychedelic Bluesrock Label: Prophecy Productions Release date: June 24, 2022
Recording line-up Arthur Brown – vocals, guitars, piano Rik Patten – multiple instruments
Recording at Sonic Scoops Studios UK Produced by Arthur Brown with Rik Patten Arrangements by Arthur Brown and Rik Patten Mix&engineering by Rik Patten Mastering by Marc Urselli
Artwork by Laurie Avon Photography and imagery by Harvey Waller Layout & design by Jean Valnoir Simoulin
Gold, the long-awaited debut full-length from SCOUR, is out now on Housecore Records in North America and Nuclear Blast in Europe!
SCOUR is the extreme metal collective boasting the all-star lineup of Philip H. Anselmo (Pantera, Down), Derek Engemann (Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals), John Jarvis (Nest, Agoraphobic Nosebleed), Mark Kloeppel (Misery Index), and Adam Jarvis (Pig Destroyer, Misery Index, Lock Up).
Deepening the experience set forth on theirpreviously released EP trilogy, SCOUR’s Gold pulls the listener through a blistering vortex of speed, aggression, and, above all, absolute horror. Drawing from a deep framework of literary horror masterworks, Gold guides the listener beyond the realm of death and through the metaphysical anomalies of a disheveled and decaying mind.
Metal Injection lauds, “An absolute black metal masterpiece…,” Rock Hard Germany notes, “Anselmo also has a rage in his belly that you really believe,” while Antihero Magazine raves, “With Gold, SCOUR refines their sound into an absolute juggernaut of an album. It’s not just a triumph for black metal but for extreme metal as a whole, blending relentless aggression with a modern approach to songwriting and production. This album is a must-buy for fans of extreme metal.”
Stream SCOUR’s “Coin,” featuring a guest solo by Gary Holt (Slayer, Exodus), here:
Comments Kloeppel, “I don’t normally step aside for SCOUR solos, but, when I do, it’s for guys like Gary Holt from Slayer and Exodus. Bonded By Blood!”
Gold is available on CD, LP, limited edition cassette (US only), and digital formats.
SCOUR will perform at this year’s edition of Milwaukee Metalfest alongside Gwar, Arch Enemy, The Dillinger Escape Plan, and more!
SCOUR Live: 5/18/2025 Milwaukee Metalfest @ The Rave/Eagles Club – Milwaukee, WI [info]
Forged in 2015, SCOUR quickly made their mark with the blistering debut single “Dispatched.” Their first release, The Grey EP (2016), came via Anselmo’s own Housecore Records, followed by The Red EP in 2017. In 2020, SCOUR unleashed their most aggressive effort yet, The Black EP, released under Housecore and Nuclear Blast Records and featuring guest appearances from notable figures like Erik Rutan, Pat O’Brien, and actor Jason Momoa.
SCOUR elevates their intensity with Gold, which includes a guest solo by Gary Holt (Slayer, Exodus). Recording for Gold began in February 2023 at Nodferatu’s Lair — Philip Anselmo’s personal studio and rehearsal space — which saw the band highly engaged in a concentrated effort toward a truly diabolical composition, with Anselmo leading the charge at every turn. One would often find the entire band in the control room in ecstatic debate, meticulously mulling over every blast beat and divebomb. The album was intermittently refined, and lyrical concepts finalized, over the course of 2023 as touring schedules would allow.
Anselmo began vocal recordings in the Fall of 2023 at The Lair. Backup vocal recordings were then executed by the rest of the band in arena backstage rooms over the course of Pantera’s February 2024 tour, where the full band would also thoroughly review the instrumentation mixes. Once the tracks were finalized by SCOUR and mixing engineer Dennis Israel, they were then passed to Fascination Street Studio in Örebro, Sweden for mastering by Jens Bogren.
“An absolute black metal masterpiece…” – Metal Injection
“…a grotesque flesh-ripper…The steely second single begins with a series of monstrous blasts and blackened guitar heaviness, while Anselmo gets grimy on the track with profane squeals, lungbuttered gutturals, bassy whispers and more.” – Revolver on “Blades”
“Anselmo also has a rage in his belly that you really believe.” — Rock Hard Germany
“Anselmo’s voice in this new single from the extreme metal supergroup is fuckin’ fire, man.” — Metalsucks on “Infusorium”
“With Gold, SCOUR refines their sound into an absolute juggernaut of an album. It’s not just a triumph for black metal but for extreme metal as a whole, blending relentless aggression with a modern approach to songwriting and production. This album is a must-buy for fans of extreme metal.” – Antihero Magazine
“…a master class of seething Scandinavian Black Metal.” — Teeth Of the Divine
“…a raw, abrasive block of darkness that can be savored without hunger.” — Acta Infernalis
Depressive black metallers GHOST BATH have emerged from beyond the veil with their new album, Rose Thorn Necklace which will be released on May 9th via Nuclear Blast Records. Free from the Moonlover–Starmourner-Self Loather conceptual trilogy, sole proprietor Nameless (aka Dennis Mikula) explores the most intense and introspective GHOST BATH’s oeuvre, advancing with blackened blasts and melancholic movements while moving his only child forward into the unknown
The first preview from the album comes in the form of the self-titled single. ‘Rose Thorn Necklace‘. Watch the video directed by blo0m.
GHOST BATH comments, “Rose Thorn Necklace is both beautiful and grotesque. It blurs the lines between fantasy and reality, exploring the contrast of something gorgeous and disgusting. I tried my best to not hold myself back – both musically and lyrically – and this is the result; depressive black metal with raw emotion, unique melodies, and textured synths.”
Rose Thorn Necklace was recorded in 2024 between January and June. The drums were recorded and engineered by Mike Heller atHeaven and Heller Studios while the remaining sections were completed by Nameless (Dennis Mikula) at his home studio. The album was mixed and mastered by Jack Shirley. The cover artwork was created by Ksenija Tarasova.
Rose Thorn Necklace Track Listing 1. Grotesque Display 2. Rose Thorn Necklace 3. Well, I Tried Drowning 4. Thinly Sliced Heart Muscle 5. Dandelion Tea 6. Vodka Butterfly 7. Stamen and Pistil 8. Needles 9. Throat Cancer
GHOST BATH is currently on the ‘Shining Over North America 2025‘tour with headliners SWALLOW THE SUN. The 23-date trek will make stops in New York, Houston, and Los Angeles before concluding in Chicago on March 15th.The package includes HARAKIRI FOR THE SKY & SNAKES OF RUSSIA.
Prepare to embark on a sonic journey into darkness and chaos as OPHIDIAN MEMORY, the rising force in Melodic Death Metal, unleashes the lyric video for “Hunger of Your Deceased Deity.” The track, taken from their forthcoming album Carrion Lord, offers a harrowing tale of desperation, destruction, and a dark pact forged in the shadows. Carrion Lord will be released on 21 March 2025 via Wormholedeath Records.
“Hunger of Your Deceased Deity” plunges listeners into a visceral and haunting narrative. A thousand wanderers trudge through a desolate valley under ominous skies, skeletal remains to mark their path. Starving and desperate, they fall prey to Yzanthu, “The Crow”, a rotting avian monstrosity feasting for the first time in centuries. Soldiers and clerics are powerless against its might, as chaos erupts with The Soulless joining the carnage. Amid the slaughter, the herd fractures—some fleeing under Mattendas’ lead, while others are driven north to Hedon, where The Stag awaits to claim their souls as part of Yzanthu’s dark design.
Yzanthu had long watched from afar, targeting a gem within the human settlement. Identifying Ghale, a skilled Luminary Ritualist, as the ideal pawn to control Lurkers and humans, it corners her with an ultimatum: surrender and lead its legion to Grocinia, or face annihilation. Ghale accepts, sparing the survivors and ending The Crow’s feast.
The track’s grim tale expands the rich fantasy lore Ophidian Memory has meticulously crafted, setting the stage for Carrion Lord’s broader themes of power, corruption, and survival in a brutal world.
Ophidian Memory’s upcoming album, Carrion Lord, represents a bold leap forward. It blends their signature melodic aggression with deep narrative immersion. Introducing new realms, characters, and factions, the album bridges the worlds of epic fantasy and melodic brutality. Fans of story-driven metal and dark, atmospheric soundscapes will find themselves captivated by this next chapter of the band’s saga.
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s ASA unveil the long-overdue release of "Collective Failure" + first music video for title-track! Check it out and stay tuned for more news! Click image to watch the video
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s SARCOFAGUS return with a Historic 2010 Concert Video Premiere on YouTube! Click image to watch the video
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Visionary artist KIMMO KUUSNIEMI's ANCIENT STREAMING ASSEMBLY (ASA) have released “Aurora Nuclearis”, a powerful 12-minute audiovisual experience, dedicated to the Late Keyboardist Esa Kotilainen. - Click image to watch the video
Click image to watch the video
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