ANDREW W.K. To Release ‘You’re Not Alone’ Album In March

Andrew W.K. has revealed the title, cover art, and track listing of his upcoming LP, “You’re Not Alone”. The album is scheduled for release on March 2, 2018 via RED Music/Sony Music worldwide, with its front cover image painted by legendary artists Boris Vallejo and Julie Bell. These two masters of fantasy worked closely with Andrew over a six-month period, crafting the painting based on their unique vision.

It’s safe to say, nobody has partied harder, longer, or more fervently than the undisputed King of Partying himself, Andrew W.K. A one-man music machine possessed of a single-minded, monomaniacal focus to spread a singular message: That to party is to exist. And to exist is to party.

On “You’re Not Alone”, Andrew W.K.‘s first album of new rock songs in nearly twelve years, the party is reborn, delivering everything one would want and expect from an Andrew W.K. record — high-octane, full throttle rock ‘n’ roll powered by buoyant, infectious, and triumphant melodies. His music, always a music of extremes, is relentlessly upbeat and celebratory, while also exploring contradiction and confusion.

The songs on this album follow a surprising path to self-actualization. They give the listener permission to admit their vulnerabilities, and the encouragement to feel empowered. They’re reflections on the push and pull between freedom and restriction. It’s a confirmation of everything you are, rejection of all you are not, and at times, a blurring of the difference between the two. Doubt becomes certainty, confusion becomes clarity, and the fear of life becomes the courage to live it completely. The album reveals itself through double meanings, mirrored views, each ringing equally true, even at their most severely discordant.

Andrew W.K. has lived a life built on a belief that to reach a state of grace and acceptance, one must embrace both the shadow and the light, the pain and the joy, all that is known and unknown, the stability as well as the chaos, its speed and torpor. Understanding this, Andrew W.K. suggests, is the foundation of what partying eventually transmits to us. And by harnessing the revelatory power of partying — by celebrating the puzzles and pressures of life – we find the key to change and evolution comes from both inside and out, when we’re together and on our own.

That inner voice, the music of our consciousness, becomes our guide. Trust it. Follow it. Through good times and bad, ups and downs, highs and lows. Realize that just being able to hear it conveys something fundamental to your being… you’re not alone.

“You’re Not Alone” track listing:

01. The Power of Partying
02. Music Is Worth Living For
03. Ever Again
04. I Don’t Know Anything
05. The Feeling of Being Alive
06. Party Mindset
07. The Party Never Dies
08. Give Up On You
09. Keep On Going
10. In Your Darkest Moments
11. The Devil’s On Your Side
12. Break The Curse
13. Total Freedom
14. Beyond Oblivion
15. Confusion and Clarity
16. You’re Not Alone

SONS OF APOLLO U.S. Tour Dates Announced

SONS OF APOLLO will embark on its first-ever world tour in 2018. The trek kicks off in Tampa, Florida on February 3 as part of the Cruise To The Edge, which will be sailing to Belize and Costa Maya. Once the cruise concludes, SONS OF APOLLO will perform in Miami, Florida on February 9 as part of the Monsters Of Rock cruise pre-show party.

SONS OF APOLLO is the “supergroup” featuring former DREAM THEATER members Mike Portnoy and Derek Sherinian alongside Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal (ex-GUNS N’ ROSES), Billy Sheehan (THE WINERY DOGS, MR. BIG, DAVID LEE ROTH) and Jeff Scott Soto (ex-JOURNEY, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN’S RISING FORCE).

SONS OF APOLLO‘s debut album, “Psychotic Symphony”, will be released on October 20 via InsideOut Music. The disc was produced by the dynamic production duo of Portnoy and Sherinian, also affectionately known as “The Del Fuvio Brothers,” which is the nickname given to them over twenty years ago during their time together in DREAM THEATER.

Portnoy states: “Ever since this lineup assembled to make ‘Psychotic Symphony’, the thing I’ve been most excited about is anticipating how insane I know this band is going to be on stage. Well, the wait is almost over! Here are the first U.S. dates that will get to witness this ‘five-headed musical spectacle’ live on stage in February. We plan on being on tour all year long, all over the globe, with plenty of dates now being announced for summer festivals throughout Europe, but these are the very first shows that will get to witness this amazing lineup in person for the first time. We can’t wait!”

SONS OF APOLLO tour dates:

Feb. 3-8 – Tampa, FL – Cruise To The Edge
Feb. 09 – Miami, FL – Magic City Casino/Monsters Of Rock Cruise Pre-show
Feb. 11 – Orlando, FL – Plaza LIVE Orlando
Feb. 12 – Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse
Feb. 13 – Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle
Feb. 15 – Asbury Park, NJ House of Independents
Feb. 16 – Buffalo, NY – Town Ballroom
Feb. 17 – Battle Creek, MI – The Music Factory
Feb. 18 – Joliet, IL – The Forge

SONS OF APOLLO got together very organically, as Portnoy explains: “Derek and I reunited shortly after I left DREAM THEATER in 2010 and we put together an all-instrumental touring band with he and I, Billy Sheehan, and Tony MacAlpine. That was my first time working with Derek since the ’90s when he was in DREAM THEATER and it was just great to be working with him again. Ever since that tour, which was really just a one-off live thing, he has been nudging me to start a real, original, full-time band. The timing just had never been right, because I had too many other things on my plate. Long story short, the time was finally right to take the bait and put together a band.”

“Mike and I work at a relentless pace in the studio,” continues Sherinian. “The music is modern, but we have an old-school soul. What is unique about SONS OF APOLLO is that we have true rock ‘n’ roll swagger along with the virtuosity — a lethal combination!”

But what to call the next great supergroup? “Derek was mainly the one behind the name,” says Portnoy. “I have a list that I keep on my phone of about a hundred different band names, which I constantly have to refer to every time I have a new band every year. [Laughs] So, I pulled up the list and APOLLO was one of the names on the list. It was a word that both of us really liked. We started fiddling with different variations of the word. One of the original band names we were working with was APOLLO CREED, the character from the ‘Rocky’ movies, but after lots of different discussions on different variations, Derek suggested SONS OF APOLLO and it seemed to stick. Apollo is the God of music so with that in mind it seemed like a fitting name.”

Mike Portnoy, Derek Sherinian and Billy Sheehan previously toured together in 2012 and 2013 as PSMS (along with guitarist Tony MacAlpine), playing all instrumental versions from each of their previously recorded music. SONS OF APOLLO is the next logical progression by adding a vocalist and creating all-original material. The band incorporates the progressive style and individual technical prowess that Portnoy and Sherinian shared together in DREAM THEATER combined with the swagger and groove of VAN HALEN, DEEP PURPLE and LED ZEPPELIN.

“I have known Mike and Derek for a long time, so when they came to me with SONS OF APOLLO, I jumped on this straight away,” says Thomas Waber, label manager/A&R international of InsideOut Music. “However, the album they ended up recording exceeded my already high expectations by a long mile! We couldn’t be happier about it!”

CRADLE OF FILTH To Tour North America

British extreme metal veterans CRADLE OF FILTH will make their long-awaited triumphant return to North America with a headlining tour this March/April. Support on the trek will come from the Ukrainian metal band JINJER.

“CRADLE OF FILTH are very much looking forward to the U.S/ Canadian leg of the ‘Cryptoriana’ world tour,” commented vocalist Dani Filth. “Even more so now that we have just finished the extremely successful U.K. run, and with a huge European run ahead of us the band will be totally up to speed, firing on all cylinders and playing a cool, yet eclectic set from the new album and beyond (the extensive ‘Bathory Aria’ from ‘Cruelty And The Beast’ now being a firm fan favorite).

“So get ready for nights of insane gothic horror and vehement perversity come the cusp of April, when CRADLE hit the States where it hurts”.

A special BLABBERMOUTH.NET presale will begin on Tuesday, November 28 at 10:00 a.m. local time and end on Thursday, November 30 at 10:00 p.m. local time. When prompted, type in the presale code “BLABBERMOUTH” to access tickets before the general public.

The general on-sale for U.S. dates is Friday, December 1 at 10:00 a.m. local time.

The dates are as follows:

Mar. 27 – Sala Corona – Mexico City, MX *
Mar. 29 – House Of Blues – Dallas, TX
Mar. 30 – House Of Blues – Houston, TX (buy tickets)
Mar. 31 – Come and Take It Live – Austin, TX
Apr. 02 – Revolution Live – Ft. Lauderdale, FL (buy tickets)
Apr. 03 – Buckhead Theatre – Atlanta, GA (buy tickets)
Apr. 05 – Theatre Of Living Arts – Philadelphia, PA (buy tickets)
Apr. 06 – Baltimore Soundstage – Baltimore, MD (buy tickets)
Apr. 07 – Irving Plaza – New York, NY (buy tickets)
Apr. 08 – The Palladium – Worcester, MA
Apr. 10 – Corona Theatre – Montreal, QC
Apr. 11 – The Opera House – Toronto, ON
Apr. 12 – St. Andrew’s Hall – Detroit, MI (buy tickets)
Apr. 13 – The Forge – Joliet, IL
Apr. 14 – Music Hall Minneapolis – Minneapolis, MN (buy tickets)
Apr. 16 – The Summit Music Hall – Denver, CO (buy tickets)
Apr. 17 – Rockwell at the Complex – Salt Lake City, UT
Apr. 19 – The Belasco Theater – Los Angeles, CA (buy tickets)
Apr. 20 – The Van Buren – Phoenix, AZ (buy tickets)
Apr. 21 – House Of Blues – San Diego, CA (buy tickets)
Apr. 22 – The Fillmore – San Francisco, CA (buy tickets)

* CRADLE OF FILTH only

CRADLE OF FILTH‘s 12th album, “Cryptoriana – The Seductiveness Of Decay”, was released on September 22 via Nuclear Blast. The disc was recorded at Grindstone Studios, Suffolk, U.K. by the very honorable Scott Atkins, who has been the resident go-to producer for CRADLE OF FILTH for several albums. Dani Filth sat in during the mix, serving up flaming mugs of teas, making the studio couch his own and lending his ears when necessary.

Regarding how “Cryptoriana – The Seductiveness of Decay” stacks up against 2015’s “Hammer Of The Witches”, Dani told Metal Wani: “I can’t answer that question. We just do what we do and we enjoy it. For example, somebody asked me, ‘What album have you played more than any other album in the world?’ I’m, like, ‘The last one.’ Because you do and you love it and you nurture it. Going on press trips, I have to note every single part of it. But that only stays like that until the next record. I know, it sounds awful, but that’s entirely the truth. Each album is a step forward. It might not appeal to everybody’s ideology of CRADLE OF FILTH. Some people want it to sound like this, or sound like ‘Midian’ or ‘Cruelty And The Beast’, but I think what people forget, like anybody in any other band, if I speak to Tom Araya [SLAYER] or the guys from EMPEROR, you write music for yourself. You want your fans to like it, but at the end of the day, you can’t…if you don’t like what you’re doing or if you’re not happy with yourself as a person, how can you expect anybody else to be happy with you? It’s the same thing with music.”

ICED EARTH To Tour North America

ICED EARTH will embark on the North American leg of the “Incorruptible” tour in late February. Support on the trek will come from SANCTUARY and KILL RITUAL.

ICED EARTH founding member and main songwriter Jon Schaffer states: “Brothers and sisters! We are very aware at how impatient you have been getting about our North American tour announcement, but the time has arrived!! We will be seeing you soon in a very extensive USA/Canada run. Be there; it will be an awesome time for sure!”

A special BLABBERMOUTH.NET presale will begin on Wednesday, November 29 at 10:00 a.m. local time and end on Thursday, November 30 at 10:00 p.m. local time. When prompted, type in the presale code “BLABBERMOUTH” to access tickets before the general public.

The general on-sale for U.S. dates is Friday, December 1 at 10:00 a.m. local time.

The dates are as follows:

Feb. 22 – Indianapolis, IN – Deluxe # (buy tickets)
Feb. 23 – CIncinnati, OH – Bogarts # (buy tickets)
Feb. 24 – Louisville, KY – Mercury Ballroom # (buy tickets)
Feb. 25 – Milwaukee, WI – Turner Ballroom # (buy tickets)
Feb. 26 – Minneapolis, MN – Music Hall # (buy tickets)
Feb. 27 – Omaha, NE – Sokol Underground # (buy tickets)
Feb. 28 – Denver, CO – Summit Music Hall # (buy tickets)
Mar. 02 – Edmonton, AB – Starlite Room # (buy tickets)
Mar. 03 – Calgary, AB – Marquee Beer Market & Stage # (buy tickets)
Mar. 04 – Vancouver, BC – Rickshaw Theater # (buy tickets)
Mar. 05 – Seattle, WA – El Corazon # (buy tickets)
Mar. 07 – Sacramento, CA – Ace of Spades # (buy tickets)
Mar. 08 – Los Angeles, CA – Belasco Theater # (buy tickets)
Mar. 09 – San Diego, CA – House of Blues # (buy tickets)
Mar. 10 – Anaheim, CA – Parish @ House of Blues # (buy tickets)
Mar. 11 – Phoenix, AZ – The Pressroom # (buy tickets)
Mar. 13 – San Antonio, TX – Aztec Theatre # (buy tickets)
Mar. 14 – Dallas, TX – House of Blues # (buy tickets)
Mar. 15 – Houston, TX – House of Blues # (buy tickets)
Mar. 16 – New Orleans, LA – Parish @ House of Blues # (buy tickets)
Mar. 17 – Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade # (buy tickets)
Mar. 18 – Charlotte, NC – Underground # (buy tickets)
Mar. 19 – Baltimore, MD – Baltimore Soundstage # (buy tickets)
Mar. 21 – Wilmington, DE – The Queen # (buy tickets)
Mar. 22 – New York, NY – Gramercy Theatre # (buy tickets)
Mar. 23 – Boston, MA – Brighton Music Hall # (buy tickets)
Mar. 24 – Quebec City, QC – Imperial Bell # (buy tickets)
Mar. 25 – Montreal, QC – Corona Theater # (buy tickets)
Mar. 26 – Toronto, ON – Phoenix Theater # (buy tickets)
Mar. 27 – Cleveland, OH – Cambridge Room @ House of Blues # (buy tickets)
Mar. 28 – Detroit, MI – St. Andrew’s Hall # (buy tickets)
Mar. 29 – Chicago, IL – Bottom Lounge # (buy tickets)

# with SANCTUARY and KILL RITUAL

ICED EARTH‘s latest album, “Incorruptible”, was released on June 16 via Century Media. The cover artwork for the disc (as well as additional illustrations to every song) was created by David Newman-Stump from Skeleton Crew Tattoo (pencil illustrations) and Roy Young (colors).

Regarding how “Incorruptible” compares to previous ICED EARTH albums, Schaffer told Metal Wani: “They’re all kind of their own thing, but I have a very strong gut feeling about this, and so does everybody in the band, that this is one of the really special ones. So I put it up there with ‘The Dark Saga’ [1996], ‘Something Wicked This Way Comes’ [1998], ‘Dystopia’ [2011] — it’s in that league of records — so it’s really gonna be something special, man. I know musicians always say that, but there is something going on here, so it’s cool. We’re all very excited about it.”

Asked if he is the leader of ICED EARTH and everyone else in the band takes cues from him or if they make joint decisions as a group about how to approach things, Schaffer said: “I am the leader of the band and [I’ve been] the driving force of the band since the very beginning. [But] that does not mean that I don’t take in the input of the guys on anything, you know what I mean? But as far as starting a cycle… I’m the chief songwriter, so… What I did, for instance, on [‘Incorruptible’], I talked to Stu [Block, ICED EARTH singer], and said, ‘Hey, you’ve gotta give me some lyrical themes of where you wanna go, titles, subject matter, whatever,’ because it’s my job to create the soundscape for that. And I knew where I was gonna go with the direction of the songs I was gonna write lyrically. And so he sent me some titles, and then whatever resonates with me, I’ve gotta be inspired by it in order to create that landscape that really is sort of like the soundtrack of a movie — it’s very, very important. And then the other guys will send me riff ideas, and if it’s fitting in and if it’s a cool part… Luke [Appleton, bass] wrote the majority of a song called ‘Defiance’ on this record. So it depends on the song and what the parts are doing, if they’re inspiring me and I run with it and go somewhere else or whatever — it can happen in all different ways — but definitely it starts here and I drive it the whole way through.”

ICED EARTH took a break from touring in 2015, primarily due to Schaffer‘s second cervical fusion surgery.

NIGHTWISH Announces ‘Decades’ 2018 European Tour

Tuomas Holopainen‘s three-track demo earned him his first record deal with his freshly founded band NIGHTWISH back in 1996. Today, 20 years later — with over 2,000 shows played and more than eight million records sold — NIGHTWISH is the biggest European symphonic metal band. Reason enough for Nuclear Blast to celebrate this huge anniversary by releasing a 2CD compilation titled “Decades” on March 9, 2018. This release will be accompanied by a nine-month tour across the globe. After kicking off with 34 concerts in North America in March-April, the journey will continue with dozens of European festival and headline shows. On this tour, NIGHTWISH will also be presenting a special se list, featuring rare material from the early years of their career. That’s why these evenings will not only be special events for the fans, but also for the band themselves. Be prepared to hear a lot of old school material!

Tuomas states: “July 6th, 1996 was the exact date marked on my family’s summer cabin guestbook. On that date, by a campfire, a decision was made to form a band of three members, playing atmospheric acoustic music led by a female voice. 15 months later, this group would release its debut album, and more than two decades later, it would release a compilation including songs from eight studio albums and from the very first demo which gave the band its name.

“The infinite freedom and potential I found from songwriting back in the days took me right back home, offering a place to feel free and meaningful. So the roller coaster ride begun, adventures from all sides of the spectrum ahead, making a pit stop at this place and age from where we’re greeting you now. Looking back, the voyage has been nothing short of spectacular.

“The best part of it all, though, are the people. The fellowship of the band, past and present, the crew and the management. The relationships created, whether it’s the fans in the front row, guest musicians, other bands, promoters, media, record label staff, or even your own heroes you never thought you’d meet. I’ve met my best friends through music, as well as faced the most unfortunate ordeals, but it’s all been for the love of life and adventure, for learning, and for a meaning. The sense of privilege I feel looking into the past, the present, and future is immeasurable by words. It’s something that can only be expressed through poetry and music.
A journey of two decades has taken our wonderful Edema Ruh this far, and the beauty of the future is, that it remains an untold story.

“In a few months, we’ll celebrate the journey so far in the form of a nine-month nostalgia tour, including material from all of our eight studio albums. We shall meet you all soon, and it will be wondrous as never before!”

“Decades” European tour:

Nov. 02 – S – Gothenburg – Partille Arena
Nov. 05 – D – Berlin – Max-Schmeling-Halle
Nov. 06 – D – Hamburg – Barclaycard Arena
Nov. 07 – B – Antwerp – Lotto Arena
Nov. 09 – D – Oberhausen – König-Pilsener-Arena
Nov. 10 – F – Paris – AccorHotels Arena
Nov. 11 – CH – Geneva – Arena
Nov. 13 – SK – Bratislava – Incheba Expo Arena
Nov. 14 – D – Munich – Olympiahalle
Nov. 16 – D – Leipzig – Arena
Nov. 17 – PL – Krakow – Tauron Arena
Nov. 20 – H – Budapest – Arena
Nov. 22 – CH – Zurich – Hallenstadion
Nov. 23 – D – Nuremberg – Arena
Nov. 24 – D – Stuttgart – Schleyer-Halle
Nov. 27 – D – Saarbrücken – Saarlandhalle
Dec. 04 – I – Milan – Medionalum Forum
Dec. 05 – D – Frankfurt – Festhalle

METALLICA, MASTODON, AVENGED SEVENFOLD Among GRAMMY AWARDS Nominees

MASTODON, MESHUGGAH, AUGUST BURNS RED, BODY COUNT and CODE ORANGE are among the “Best Metal Performance” nominees at the 60th annual Grammy Awards, which will be held on Sunday, January 28, 2018 at Madison Square Garden in New York City and broadcast on CBS at 7:30 p.m. ET.

METALLICA‘s ” Atlas, Rise!”, AVENGED SEVENFOLD‘s “The Stage”, FOO FIGHTERS‘ “Run” and NOTHING MORE‘s “Go To War” were also nominated in the “Best Rock Song” category, while MASTODON‘s “Emperor Of Sand”, METALLICA‘s “Hardwired… To Self-Destruct”, NOTHING MORE‘s “The Stories We Tell Ourselves” and QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE‘s “Villains” were nominated in the “Best Rock Album” category.

CHRIS CORNELL‘s “The Promise”, FOO FIGHTERS‘ “Run” and NOTHING MORE‘s “Go To War” were nominated in the “Best Rock Performance” category.

Best Metal Performance

AUGUST BURNS RED – “Invisible Enemy”
BODY COUNT – “Black Hoodie”
CODE ORANGE – “Forever”
MASTODON – “Sultan’s Curse”
MESHUGGAH – “Clockworks”

Best Rock Performance

LEONARD COHEN – “You Want It Darker”
CHRIS CORNELL – “The Promise”
FOO FIGHTERS – “Run”
KALEO – “No Good”
NOTHING MORE – “Go To War”

Best Rock Song

METALLICA – “Atlas, Rise!”
K. FLAY – “Blood in the Cut”
NOTHING MORE – “Go To War”
FOO FIGHTERS – “Run”
AVENGED SEVENFOLD – “The Stage”

Best Rock Album

MASTODON – “Emperor Of Sand”
METALLICA – Hardwired… To Self-Destruct
NOTHING MORE – “The Stories We Tell Ourselves”
QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE – “Villains”
THE WAR ON DRUGS – “A Deeper Understanding”

Any category with more than five nominees means there was a tie.

The Grammys are voted on by approximately 13,000 Recording Academy members, who are comprised of artists, songwriters, producers and engineers. More than 22,000 recordings were submitted for Grammys consideration this year. For 2018 awards, music must have been released between October 1, 2016 and September 30, 2017 in order to be eligible.

TONY IOMMI’s Cancer Is Still In Remission

BLACK SABBATH guitarist Tony Iommi says that his cancer is still in remission six years after he was diagnosed with the early stages of lymphoma.

Iommi revealed his cancer diagnosis in early 2012, shortly after SABBATH announced a reunion tour and album. He underwent treatment throughout the recording of the disc, titled “13”, and the subsequent tour to promote it.

Nine months after BLACK SABBATH brought its farewell tour to an end in the band’s hometown of Birmingham, England, Iommi told Guitar World that “healthwise, I seem to be all right for the moment. It’s still in remission,” he said. “I continue to have my regular checkup every six weeks, and it’s a bit easier for me now that I’m not touring. The doctors were concerned about all the flying I was doing, because it isn’t good for the blood. But I’m on top of it, and I’m eating the right things… although sometimes I still eat the wrong things. [Laughs]”

Iommi originally revealed that his cancer was in remission during an August 2016 plaque unveiling at Spire Parkway Hospital’s Specialist Care Centre in Solihull, England, where he had been receiving treatment for lymphoma.

Earlier this month, a documentary focusing on SABBATH‘s last-ever concert, “The End”, was made available in home video and audio packages, featuring footage of the entire historic show.

Tony, who oversaw the mixing of the DVD, told Guitar World about his future plans: “I’m not sure. I’m still involved with SABBATH to some degree, because we’ve been very involved with the film and how it sounds. I’m still going to write, and I’m quite excited about the future because it’s a mystery.”

Iommi said in 2016 interview that “the lowest moment” for him was being diagnosed. He explained: “You automatically wind yourself up saying, ‘That’s it then,’ but that is not always the case. When they tell you, you think, ‘Oh God.’ That was a low time. I have had a few low times in my life like everybody has, but that was one that stuck in the head.”

SABBATH singer Ozzy Osbourne told The Pulse Of Radio in 2014 that Iommi never let his condition slow him down: “My hat goes off to him ’cause he really is Iron Man. I mean, that chemotherapy knocks you sideways, you know. I mean, when my wife had cancer a few years back, she was having three chemo things a month and it would knock the life out of — literally every time she’d have a treatment, she’d have a seizure. It’s scary stuff. But he came down, plugged in and carried on. He’s my hero, I swear to God he is.”

The BLACK SABBATH guitarist successfully underwent an operation in January 2017 to remove a noncancerous lump from his throat.

PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS ‘Choosing Mental Illness As A Virtue’ Album Details Revealed

PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS, the project led by the former PANTERA and current DOWN/SUPERJOINT frontman, will release its sophomore album, “Choosing Mental Illness As A Virtue”, on January 26, 2018 via Anselmo‘s Housecore Records in the U.S. and Season Of Mist in other parts of the world. The disc is the follow-up to PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS‘ debut, “Walk Through Exits Only”, which came out in 2013 to mostly positive reviews.

Anselmo comments: “Our new album, ‘Choosing Mental Illness As A Virtue’ is going to get hated. It’s going to get loved. Like every record, I’ve ever done, I put zero expectations upon my peers, critics, or the general fucking public. If you take one thing away from it, let it be this: Do not bog yourself down to one brand, character, or whatever. Have the guts to spread your wings and fucking flourish. I can promise you this is a beginning. As my music trickles out over the next two years, it’s going to be quite the roller-coaster ride. This new ILLEGALS is just the tip of the whole fucking avalanche.”

The lineup of the THE ILLEGALS has changed on several position since album one. This is what Philip has to say about his new crew: “Their creative input is fucking fantastic. This is something that was very different from the first record where I was very staunch. I wanted it to be ugly. I was very firm that I was writing every fucking note. The thought was, ‘This is my contribution to ugly music right this second in a heavy metal vein.’ That was great at the time. ‘Walk Through Exits Only’ made its own little statement that I am a free agent and I belong to no single band. This time, I worked closely with everyone. We tried different ideas together. It made the spirit of this thing come alive even more because of the enthusiasm these guys bring. It enhanced the integrity of the project.”

“Choosing Mental Illness As A Virtue” track listing:

01. Little Fucking Heroes
02. Utopian
03. Choosing Mental Illness
04. The Ignorant Point
05. Individual
06. Delinquent
07. Photographic Taunts
08. Finger Me
09. Invalid Colubrine Frauds
10. Mixed Lunatic Results

The song “Choosing Mental Illness” can be streamed below.

Anselmo is an iconic artist — maybe a little bruised, scarred, singed, and somewhat battered by time, himself, and others. But the Lousiana resident remains proudly standing, unbent, and still angry. Loved and hated, attacked and praised, Philip is not ready to go down into the archives of musical history without a fight.

His new cooperation with the band that Philip himself created, THE ILLEGALS, is as brutal, kicking, lashing, and fury-filled as one could expect from this artist and “Walk Through Exits Only”. “Choosing Mental Illness As A Virtue” is a much the metaphorical fist in the face and display of force as his adherents could wish for.

“Choosing Mental Illness As A Virtue” is not a simple repeat of the past — as tempting as that might sound, considering that no other artist left a deeper mark on metal in the 90’s than PANTERA. Raging, roaring, and bulldozing their way through the metal scene, the Texans have left a lasting legacy. At their front stood anger and hostility personified, Philip H. Anselmo. What followed for example with DOWN and SUPERJOINT RITUAL has further cemented the singer’s reputation as a living legend. As an artist in his own right, Philip finally emancipated onto a solo-path with “Walk Through Exits Only”, which enabled him to do exactly as he pleased – with no need to compromise on anything.

“Walk Through Exits Only” sold around 8,700 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 35 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD was produced by Anselmo and Michael Thompson, and recorded over a couple of years at Philip‘s New Orleans studio, Nodferatu’s Lair.

Back in October 2015, PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS parted ways with guitarist Marzi Montazeri and replaced him with Mike DeLeon. Anselmo told Metal Underground about the split with Montazeri: “What I wanted to do with Marzi was jumpstart his career, which I did. He’s the type of guy that needs to be the focal point of pretty much anything he does. So he’s got that now and I’m happy for him. More power to him.”

Regarding how the addition of DeLeon came about, Anselmo said:”Mostly from his association with my drummer, Blue [José Manuel Gonzalez], and my other guitar player/bass player from SUPERJOINT, Steve [Stephen Taylor]. Steve Taylor was constantly saying, ‘DeLeon is the guy. DeLeon is the guy. He wants it the most! He wants it the most!’ I trust them. I trust their judgment. I trust their intuition. So far, every time DeLeon has come to jam, it has been serious grinding. He takes a good beating, man. He’s great. He’s a pleasure to work with.”

PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS lineup:

Philip H. Anselmo: Vocals
Mike DeLeon: Lead Guitar
José Manuel “Blue” Gonzalez: Drums
Stephen “Schteve” Taylor: Guitar
Walter Howard: Bass

GUS G. Signs Solo Deal With AFM RECORDS

Greek guitar virtuoso Gus G., well known in rock and metal circles for his work as Ozzy Osbourne‘s guitarist and as leader of his own band FIREWIND, has signed a worldwide deal with AFM Records for his solo band.

“I’m very excited and happy to confirm that I’ve signed a worldwide solo record deal with one of Europe’s premier record labels, AFM Records!” Gus said in a statement. “In my opinion, AFM is one of the few labels today that care for artist development, their team is really passionate about what they do and they have fresh and exciting ideas. We briefly worked together on FIREWIND‘s ‘Immortals’ album for the North American territory and now I’m looking forward to the full-scale collaboration on my next solo album.”

Gus is currently working on a brand new solo album for an April 2018 release. In the meantime, the guitarist will embark on a North American tour with Vinnie Moore, kicking off on November 28 in Derry, New Hampshire. Gus will present a surprising, brand new power trio lineup for the very first time: he will be joined by Dennis Ward on bass/vocals and Richie Monica on drums.

“Metal fans might know Dennis as the bass player from the bands UNISONIC and PINK CREAM 69,” says Gus. “What people might not know about him is that he’s a multi-talented songwriter, producer and singer. Since me and Dennis have been working on songs for FIREWIND‘s latest album release but also now on my upcoming solo record, I only felt it was natural to invite him to play this music with me on stage. So, obviously forming a power trio is a new setup and we’re really looking forward to rocking the U.S. crowds this winter but also with my upcoming album tour cycle.”

AFM Records A&R executive Timo Hoffmann says: “After releasing FIREWIND‘s latest studio album, ‘Immortals’, in North America earlier this year, we are beyond excited that Gus decided to make AFM the new label home for his solo career as well. No words needed to praise the man’s qualities — Gus was a household name and highly acclaimed musician/songwriter long before he joined Ozzy‘s band. Ever since its inception, he is the driving force behind FIREWIND and in addition has established a solo career, delivering outstanding up-to-date hard rock with finesse. Fans can look forward to a fantastic new Gus G. album which will see the light of day in April 2018.”

BILL WARD’s DAY OF ERRORS Releases 1st 2 Songs

DAY OF ERRORS, the three-piece band led by original BLACK SABBATH drummer Bill Ward, has released its first two songs, “Day Of Errors” and “Blaspheming At Creation” via iTunes, Spotify, Amazon MP3 and Google Play.

You can check out an audio sample of “Day Of Errors” at this location.

DAY OF ERRORS was forced to cancel its previously announced West Coast tour after Ward was hospitalized this past weekend with heart problems. He explained in a statement: “I am okay and in good recovery at this time. However, I’ve never experienced this particular type of heart problem before, and due to its nature, I had to make the decision to cancel the dates.”

DAY OF ERRORS made its live debut in June 2016 at Gaslamp in Long Beach, California.

The group, which was formed by Ward “in the desire to have my drumming spirit continue to live,” also features Joe Amodea on guitar/vocals and KILL DEVIL HILL singer Jason “Dewey” Bragg on vocals.

Bragg joined DAY OF ERRORS earlier this year following the departure of bassist/vocalist Nick Diltz (ALL HAIL THE YETI).

Ward was on board for the SABBATH reunion when it was first announced in November 2011, but backed out soon after. He later claimed that he sat out the recording and touring sessions because of unfair contractual terms, although the members of SABBATH have hinted in other interviews that he wasn’t physically up to the task.

It was rumored that SABBATH wanted to bring a second drummer on the road to share duties with Ward, which he allegedly balked at.

Asked in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine if he would be in shape right now to rejoin BLACK SABBATH, Ward responded: “Absolutely, yeah. I have no doubt in my mind. I know that they’ve suggested that I played half the gig, and I don’t want to play half the gig. I’m quite capable of playing a complete fucking BLACK SABBATH set. So this health thing has been bandied around, and it’s true that I have heart disease, and it’s true that I did get sick a couple of years after the fact. But when the health card is being thrown around, the bottom line is that I really tried to take care of myself. Every day, I always look at the day and say, ‘Could I have played a gig today no matter what’s going on with me?’ And the answer is always, ‘Yes.’ I’m much harder on me than those guys could ever be.”

Ward in 2015 released his first solo album in 18 years. Titled “Accountable Beasts”, the record can be purchased on iTunes.