Alan Merrill, the singer and co-writer of the original version of "I Love Rock 'N Roll", has died at the age of 69. According to his daughter Laura, he passed away of complications from COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. In... More

Alan Merrill, the singer and co-writer of the original version of "I Love Rock 'N Roll", has died at the age of 69. According to his daughter Laura, he passed away of complications from COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. In 1975, Merrill recorded "I Love Rock 'N Roll" with his band the ARROWS. Seven years later, JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS' version of the track became a No. 1 single in the U.S. and remained at the top of the chart for seven weeks. Jett issued a statement earlier today, saying: "I've just learned of the awful news that Alan Merrill has passed. "My thoughts and love go to his family, friends and music community as a whole. "I can still remember watching the ARROWS on TV in London and being blown away by the song that screamed hit to me. "With deep gratitude and sadness, wishing him a safe journey to the other side." In a 2009 interview with Songfacts, Merrill stated about the inspiration for of "I Love Rock 'N Roll": "That [song] was a knee-jerk response to THE ROLLING STONES' 'It's Only Rock 'N' Roll'. I remember watching it on 'Top Of The Pops'. I'd met Mick Jagger socially a few times, and I knew he was hanging around with Prince Rupert Lowenstein and people like that — jet setters. I almost felt like 'It's Only Rock 'N' Roll' was an apology to those jet-set princes and princesses that he was hanging around with — the aristocracy, you know. That was my interpretation as a young man: Okay, I love rock and roll." He elaborated on how the track came together: "You have to write a three-chord song with a lick that people remember, and it has to build. So I had the chorus, which to me sounded like a hit. And I thought, I'll do something really unusual. I'll write it that this is a song separate from the verse. So the actual chorus is something that's coming out of a jukebox, and the two kids in the disco who are flirting are hearing this song that's a hit. It felt like 'The Twilight Zone'. I was so sure 'I Love Rock 'N Roll' was gonna be a hit for the ARROWS that I thought, well, when we have a hit with it, it's gonna be a hit within a hit. A fictional hit coming out of the chorus with the kids singing it as their favorite song in the verse of the song… So when it actually became a huge hit for Joan Jett, my 'Twilight Zone' concept came true. And I don't think too many people get that about the song. They just like the melody, and it's catchy. But it was actually a pretty clever stroke, one that I'm proud of." pic.twitter.com/ICYzIglWTS — Joan Jett (@joanjett) March 29, 2020 Via Blabbermouth [jrEmbed module="jrYouTube" youtube_id="8AT_Pbtyid0"] Less

Weedian posted on social media: "Hey everyone our buds over at Electric Valley Records have had to reschedule their releases due to COVID-19 (pressing plant is closed atm) They have created a name your price compilation on bandcamp of their bands... More

Weedian posted on social media: "Hey everyone our buds over at Electric Valley Records have had to reschedule their releases due to COVID-19 (pressing plant is closed atm) They have created a name your price compilation on bandcamp of their bands so that we can all help support them. Just head to their bandcamp at https://evrecords.bandcamp.com/album/electric-valley-records-vol-2 and check it out !!!" Electric Valley Records - Vol.2 by Electric Valley Records Less

In 2012 LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe announced that he will be running for president. Now, in a new interview with Kerrang!, Randy was asked if he would ever seriously consider standing for public office. “That’s an interesting question.... More

In 2012 LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe announced that he will be running for president. Now, in a new interview with Kerrang!, Randy was asked if he would ever seriously consider standing for public office. “That’s an interesting question. When I ran for president – and I did get some write-in ballots — it was to show the ridiculousness and corruption in campaign finance,” Randy responded. “It was meant to highlight how people are moulded and shaped by lobbyists and how it’s all about money. So I said that I wasn’t going to spend more than 99 cents on my campaign, which I spent on a video-editing app on the iPhone. The whole thing was to make a point, and obviously wasn’t serious. “I’m not going to win the presidency — although I do think I’d do a better job than the idiot we’ve got in office right now – but would I ever run for public office? That’s an interesting question. “It would depend on the office and it would depend how long from now the election took place,” he continued. “You can’t run for office when you’re in a touring band because you need to be at home for your constituents. But I would consider running for public office in a local position where I could make an immediate impact on the environment. I don’t know, maybe one day.” LAMB OF GOD will release its self-titled album on May 8 via Nuclear Blast, which is the band’s first release in five years and the first to feature new drummer Art Cruz. A true collaboration between all members of the band, LAMB OF GOD’s eighth studio album is an amalgam of each individual’s contributions, blended to create a singular style. Guitarists Mark Morton and Willie Adler fuel the album with a mountain of riffs, taking what LAMB OF GOD are known for, and unbelievably, upping the ante to new levels. The rhythm section of John Campbell, looming large as a rhythmic shadow, and drummer Art Cruz, who makes his studio debut with LAMB OF GOD here on this record, underpin the proceedings with passion, sweat and expansive dynamics. Vocalist D. Randall Blythe is as angry, insightful, and informed as ever. Never one to shrink from facing the darker aspects of our nature head-on, Blythe delivers with no punches pulled, and as only he and LAMB OF GOD can in 2020. Two of the biggest bands in heavy metal⁠ – MEGADETH and LAMB OF GOD – will be joining forces on a co-headline tour across North America this year. And to add to the firepower of this already formidable tour, TRIVIUM and IN FLAMES are joining, making this the must-see heavy music package of the year. Tickets for the tour are available at this location via MetalAddicts [jrEmbed module="jrYouTube" youtube_id="gzSXBj7KlPE"] Less

Los Angeles (CA) - Los Angeles doom metallers STYGIAN CROWN have released the first song from their highly anticipated self-titled debut album. Stream "Up from the Depths" at [jrEmbed module="jrYouTube" youtube_id="ZBRWvn-wi7g"] Cruz Del Sur... More

Los Angeles (CA) - Los Angeles doom metallers STYGIAN CROWN have released the first song from their highly anticipated self-titled debut album. Stream "Up from the Depths" at [jrEmbed module="jrYouTube" youtube_id="ZBRWvn-wi7g"] Cruz Del Sur Music has tentatively set a release date of June 26 for the album. Stay tuned for pre-order information. STYGIAN CROWN was formed in 2018 by former MORGION and current GRAVEHILL drummer Rhett Davis, who tapped his GRAVEHILL bandmates Nelson Miranda (guitar) and Jason Thomas (bass) to help launch the band. MORBID ECLIPSE guitarist Andy Hicks was the next to join, and with the help of longtime friend Bob Kassing, vocalist Melissa Pinion was discovered after Kassing (who has since sadly passed away) introduced her to Davis. Shortly thereafter, Davis’s wife discovered a YouTube video of her singing a cover of IRON MAIDEN’s “Hallowed Be Thy Name”, making her the perfect fit for STYGIAN CROWN. “Jason, Nelson and I have been doing GRAVEHILL for quite a while,” notes Davis. “The three of us had always wanted to do a band in this vein so we started writing music in between commitments for GRAVEHILL. The three of us are fans of Andy’s band, MORBID ECLIPSE, and invited him to sit in with us. His chemistry with Nelson — that Adrian Smith/Dave Murray type of chemistry — you can’t fabricate that. Personally, I admire guitarists who can mesh like that. Melissa also has quite a bit of music to contribute — more than we can keep up with.” To date, STYGIAN CROWN has only the 2018 Through Divine Rite demo to their credit. The demo was initially tracked before Pinion joined the band, but once she laid down her vocals and the mixing and mastering process was complete, the three-song offering quickly started making the rounds in the doom community. It wasn’t too long before STYGIAN CROWN fell into the lap of a familiar face. “We were initially contacted by Skol Records, but while discussing with [label owner] Bart Gabriel, he handed us over to Tom Phillips of WHILE HEAVEN WEPT to instead work with Cruz Del Sur. It was surreal to find ourselves working with Cruz Del Sur, as an old friend of mine Aesop Dekker (ex-AGALLOCH) recommended the label to me months previously. Just them, nobody else.” STYGIAN CROWN is currently hard at work on their debut self-titled album. Drums will be tracked at Trench Studios (EXHUMED, HIRAX) with John Haddad. Guitars, bass and vocals will be tracked at Miranda’s home studio, and mixing and mastering will be handled by Mark Kelson of THE ETERNAL’s Kelsonic Studios in Australia. As for what fans can expect, try this combination on for size: “It’s a concoction we call ‘CANDLETHROWER,’” enthuses Davis. “We wanted to expand on the approach of bands like CANDLEMASS and BOLT THROWER — our new material combines both. Add Melissa’s vocals, some synth and it’s epic all the way!” facebook.com/stygiancrown/cruzdelsurmusic.comcruzdelsurmusic.bandcamp.com/ Less

Who will be the winning champion this week on ' MDR Battle Of The Bands' and who will be next months band of the month? Last week 'Storm Force' won the battle with 16,597 votes! Check em out HERE! The week before that 'Fughu' won the battle... More

Who will be the winning champion this week on ' MDR Battle Of The Bands' and who will be next months band of the month? Last week 'Storm Force' won the battle with 16,597 votes! Check em out HERE! The week before that 'Fughu' won the battle with 3,337 votes! Check em out HERE ! The week before that 'Theophagist' won with 14,352 votes! Check em out HERE! The week before that 'Run The Aslylum' won with 1,384 votes! Check em out HERE! Last month 'Angel Vengeance' won the battles with a devastating 10,629 votes! They are this months band of the month ! Check em out HERE This is the weekly Championship addition to the Band Of The Month – Battle Of The Bands we host every month on MDR! How does this work you ask? Well what we will do is run a poll with the bands that submit music each week on metaldevastationradio.com starting each Sunday and ending each Friday! The winning band each week will be blog posted on site and played and announced on The Zach Moonshine Show , getting thousands of listens on Mixcloud ! At the end of the month we will tally the scores from all weeks polls for that month and the band with the highest score of votes will be the winning band for Band Of The Month which includes a feature on our Facebook page reaching thousands of fans, a feature on the front page of metaldevastationradio.com which gets around 140,000 views a month ! A free email blast from our PR department, reaching well over 10k contacts including other metal websites, radio stations, record labels, zines and more! Airplay every hour on our stream during general rotation and lots of shares on social media! If you want the world to know who your band is, this is the easiest way to make it happen! If you want to compete in this battle, comment below with the name of your band and we will add you to next weeks battle or send me an email via zach@metaldevastationradio.com every week for battle submissions! Any band can compete an unlimited amount of times in this competition! Click on the bands below you would like to vote for as many times as you like or add your own! Poll will be open till 9pm est 04/03/20 Image from Wallpaper Abyss Battle Of The Bands Championship For The Week Of 03/29/20 - 04/03/20 Less

Symphonic Black Metal Lords WELICORUSS have released their new album "Siberian Heathen Horde" today, March 27th, via El Puerto Records worldwide including all digital store like Spotify, iTunes, Amazon, Google Play and ect. The band stated:"Horde!... More

Symphonic Black Metal Lords WELICORUSS have released their new album "Siberian Heathen Horde" today, March 27th, via El Puerto Records worldwide including all digital store like Spotify, iTunes, Amazon, Google Play and ect. The band stated:"Horde! Today Welicoruss has stepped to the new level in its biography! Today is the day of release of our long-awaited 4th full-length album "Siberian Heathen Horde" via our label El Puerto Records, and we indescribably happy that finally it happened! A lot of effort, time, work has been put into this album, you can see level of our skills as musicians and composers, we are truly proud of result and hope that it will settle for a long time in your CD/MP3 player or Spotify playlist! This album is a 5 year old piece of our life, for which we have experienced a lot, lost a lot, but also achieved so much, all this can be heard in this album, filled with aggression, mysticism, pain and joy!Once again we apologize for such a monstrous delay, we are struggling with the obstacles of outside world every day, but we are not always able to be winner, but nevertheless thanks for your patience and support!We remember the time in the late 90s - early 2000s, when our beloved bands released iconic cult albums, which we still listen to and enjoy it and "Siberian Heathen Horde" for us is the same album. Too much lyrics, enough of that! Just follow the link below, listen to it, and write what you think about that!"Get your copy of "Siberian Heathen Horde" here - https://bit.ly/2UvYVlS“Siberian Heathen Horde” tracklisting:1. Spellcaster2. Siberian Heathen Horde3. Path Of Seductions4. Frostbounded5. Metaphysical (feat. Rob Carson from Xaon band)6 Tree Of Nations7. Crossroad of Life (orchestral instrumental)8. The Prophecy9. Hymn Of Lost SoulsFollow the band on Spotify: shorturl.at/egE24 and on Instagram: https://bit.ly/2TyORbdWatch the video for the title track ‘Siberian Heathen Horde’, here: https://youtu.be/VbC7TetpqOIand ‘Spellcaster’ here: https://youtu.be/6Q2fnHBxvqkSymphonic Black Metal From The Coldest Depths of Siberia is what WELICORUSS (formed in 2005) have brought with them to us here in Europe. WELICORUSS appeared in Europe 3 years ago and they are already playing all the biggest festival across the whole Europe and playing over 320 concerts. You will be absolutely stunned by their stage performance and imagery as they take you away on a journey far away to Depths of Icy Cold Siberia and back.Band photo by Lady Unicorn ArtMore information at:BAND: https://www.facebook.com/welicorussMANAGEMENT: https://alphaomega-management.com | https://www.facebook.com/OfficialAlphaOmegaManagement Less

The band 'Smoulder' posted on social media: "Rest in power Lou Kouvaris. We heard today that he passed away from complications of COVID and are reeling. We would like to join our community in grieving and giving thanks for his stellar... More

The band 'Smoulder' posted on social media: "Rest in power Lou Kouvaris. We heard today that he passed away from complications of COVID and are reeling. We would like to join our community in grieving and giving thanks for his stellar contributions to heavy metal." Original Riot guitarist Lou A. Kouvaris - who appeared on the first Riot album Rock City (1977) and wrote songs for Narita (1979) - has passed away from Coronavirus (COVID-19). Riot's manager Giles Lavery says he developed symptoms over a week ago. He was 66 and passed away at his home in Long Island, New York. Riot Act consisting of Kouvaris, Ventura, singer Don Chaffin, Drummer Claudio Galinski and bassist Paul Ranieri played their first official live gig at this year’s Metal Hall of Fame 2020 on January 15th. Jimmy Kay from The Metal Voice spoke with Kouvaris. "The band is planning on re-recording all the songs off the first three Riot albums, Rock City, Narita and Fire Down Under and they are also in the process of recording all new material for a new album plus a tour." Less

Original Riot guitarist Lou A. Kouvaris - who appeared on the first Riot album Rock City (1977) and wote songs for Narita (1979) - has passed away from Coronavirus (COVID-19). Riot's manager Giles Lavery says he developed symptoms over a week... More

Original Riot guitarist Lou A. Kouvaris - who appeared on the first Riot album Rock City (1977) and wote songs for Narita (1979) - has passed away from Coronavirus (COVID-19). Riot's manager Giles Lavery says he developed symptoms over a week ago. He was 66 and passed away at his home in Long Island, New York. BraveWords offers condolences to Lou's family, friends and fans.Riot Act consisting of Kouvaris, Ventura, singer Don Chaffin, Drummer Claudio Galinski and bassist Paul Ranieri played their first official live gig at this year’s Metal Hall of Fame 2020 on January 15th. Jimmy Kay from The Metal Voice spoke with Kouvaris. "The band is planning on re-recording all the songs off the first three Riot albums, Rock City, Narita and Fire Down Under and they are also in the process of recording all new material for a new album plus a tour."  [jrEmbed module="jrYouTube" youtube_id="dfwbrDFBIgE"]Riot Act singer Don Chaffin added, "We just put out a music video on a re-recording of the Riot classic ‘Swords And Tequila’ and next we will be releasing another music video on the re-recording of the song Riot song Rock City and after that put out an original Riot Act song so stay tuned." [jrEmbed module="jrYouTube" youtube_id="ypH4sxHXEBI"] For more on Riot Act, visit the band's official website and Facebook page.Via Bravewords Less