Canada-based veteran band SWORD has an album called III through Massacre Records. The band’s line-up has remained constant.

URIAH HEEP will release a new and 25th studio album, entitled Chaos & Colour, through Silver Lining Music in January. There is a video for the song Save Me Tonight.

Italy-based power metal band FROZEN CROWN has a new album through Marquee Avalon for Japan and Scarlet for Europe called Call Of The North in March.

Singer Tony Harnell and TNT have once again reunited. The singer, guitarist Ronni LeTekrø and drummer Morten "Diesel" Dahl are working on new music, touring and are also booked for the Tons Of Rock festival in Oslo June 22nd to 25th, 2023.

Season Of Mist has signed THE ABBEY, a progressive doom metal band featuring singer Natalie Koskinen (SHAPE OF DESPAIR), Jesse Heikkinen (HENGET, ITERUM NATA, etc.), Vesa Ranta (SENTENCED and THE MAN-EATING TREE), and Janne Markus (THE MAN-EATING TREE). There is a video for the song A Thousand Dead Witches, which was scripted in the spirit of Samhain. An album called Word Of Sin is in the works.

Denmark-based power metal act EXELERATE has a digital single called God Of Man through From The Vaults. It is expected that the band will issue an album in 2023.

RAVEN’s next album is called All Hell’s Breaking Loose and out through Silver Lining Music in May.

The band is characterized as “power metal,” but Canada-based RAVENOUS has a music video for the track Claw Is The Law that features guest vocals, accordion and mandolin from members of THE DREAD CREW OF ODDWOOD.

SABER TIGER has a live DVD, called 40 Years Follow The Tracks, which features two concerts from 2021 commemorating the band’s 40th anniversary. The concerts featured a reunion of the band members throughout the years.

LOVEBITES has a new album called Judgement Day in February 2023. The girls have also announced concerts on March 11th and 12 for Ex Theater Roppongi, Tokyo, Japan. The album was again mixed and mastered by the Finns, Mikko Karmila and Mika Jussila. A version of the album comes with a bonus DVD featuring footage from the recent bassist auditions.

PIERCED has a demo called Cheers To Brutality. PIERCED was formed by former members of New Jersey local bands DIVISION 1.1, LION-HEARTED and FREAK OF THE DAY. The demo was delayed due to COVID-19.

FIRSTBORNE, featuring Chris Adler formerly of LAMB OF GOD and MEGADETH and MEGADETH bassist James LoMenzo, has uploaded a song called Intercontinental Champions. The band had a self-titled demo in 2020.

Frontiers Music will release 2 Make U Cry & Dance album by Brazil-based ELECTRIC MOB late January.

ANVIL will play the Singapore Rockfest on February 28th following its tour of Australia. For COVID lovers and people with money to lose there is a “VIP” meet and greet in Australia as well.

HELL FREEZES OVER (a.k.a. H.F.O.) is back after losing two members in 2021. The band is playing concerts in Japan including appearing at Year End Metal Fever 2022 in late December with Shellshock and Pornostate. The band is also opening for ANVIL in Japan in March.

Australia-based ZAGTAR has a demo called Primordial Mother, which is said to insist on diversity and be comparable to HELMET and SEPULTURA.

SEPULTURA bassist Paulo Pinto Jr. has joined Venezuela-based rock band CULTURA TRES. The band will release an album, called Camino De Brujos, through Universal Music in South America in April.

Another project: INVERNO, not to be confused with other groups with the same name, is a new Italy-based metal band whose line-up is comprised of Diego Cavallotti (LACUNA COIL), Danilo Arisi (AVELION), Daniele Salomone (ex D WITH US), Nicola Pedrali (GENUS ORDINIS DEI) and Simone Orizio (ex A HERO NAMED COWARD). The group has been uploading several songs with the latest one being called Martyred. Daniele and Diego are the founders. The band combines harsh tones with boy band chants.

Argentina-based DOMINATION has a demo called Holy Order and a video for the song Origins.

There is no way to avoid PANTERA this year. The reformed version of PANTERA has announced it will open for METALLICA next year, appear at Rock Am Ring and Rock Im Park in Germany in June 2023. The band has also been booked for Sweden Rock festival, Finland’s Rockfest and Norway's Tons Of Rock festival, which takes place in June as well. The band is touring Europe and playing other festivals. The version of PANTERA’s first show is at Hell & Heaven Metal Fest in Texicoco, Mexico on December 2nd.

POISON singer BRET MICHAELS is headlining a solo tour called Parti-Gras in the USA in July with NIGHT RANGER and JEFFERSON STARSHIP opening. Back In The Day is the name of a single and video due in January.

CORONER is entering the studio to record a new album in February. The band is signed to Century Media and last issued a record in 1993.

Postponed due to the pandemic from 2020, former WHITE LION singer Mike Tramp will conduct a USA tour in May. Dubbed The Songs Of White Lion, Tramp will perform WHITE LION songs acoustically with a guitarist. The man had previously ceded the right to the name WHITE LION to guitarist Vito Bratta.

BMG will release The Elektra Albums 1983-1987 box set in January. It includes DOKKEN’s first four albums either as five LPs or five CDs.

BMG will release Crücial Crüe: The Studio Albums 1981-1989 box set in February. It includes MÖTLEY CRÜE's first five albums pressed on coloured vinyl.

LORDI has signed a deal with Atomic Fire Records. The band has a new record in the spring of 2023.

In collaboration with guitarist Mick Sebastian, Germany-based SWEET CHEATER’s Immortal Instant from 1986 is re-released by ZYX. The label has also re-released SIEGES EVEN’s Lifecycle from 1988.

NAZARETH's former and founding singer Dan McCafferty died on November 8th at the age of 76. He had retired from NAZARETH in 2013 after collapsing during a Canadian concert in July 2013. The reason was stated as stomach ulcer at the time. McCafferty had most recently released a solo album.

CYNIC will commemorate the 30th anniversary of its debut album Focus by performing it in its entirety at 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise in January and February and also at ProgPower USA in September. The band is arranging concerts to also pay tribute to its dead former members, drummer Sean Reinert and bassist Sean Malone. Also appearing at the cruise are KREATOR, DESTRUCTION, KAMELOT, AMORPHIS, INSOMNIUM and more.

KIX’s drummer Jimmy Chalfant collapsed and was unconscious just as the band was about to play the last song of its set at a concert in Virginia, USA on November 18th. He was attended to and given CPR as he was suspected to have gone into cardiac arrest. The man had had a heart attack in 2021.

Goth rock band MOONSPELL has cancelled its Ireland and UK Fullmoon Over The UK-IRE tour due to low ticket sales. The band is forging ahead with concerts in Dubai, Israel and Greece. The band had cancelled its North American concerts last summer.

The Loss Of Beauty is SHORES OF NULL’s newest release and out through Spikerot Records in the spring. Like the group’s last release the recording stems from 2019 and early 2020 but the previous release, Beyond The Shores, took its place “as it better reflected the doom and gloom sentiment of the 'annus horribilis' 2020.”

KK’S PRIEST is finishing the mixing for its second album. This comes on the heels of the guitarist KK Downing performing with his former band JUDAS PRIEST at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony in November.

Following drummer Jerry Gaskill last month, KING’S X guitarist Ty Tabor contracted COVID-19 in November leading to cancelled concerts.

Nik Turner former member and co-founder of space and acid rock band HAWKWIND died at the age of 82 last month.

Calgary, Canada-based RED CAIN has a single and video called Fisher King. It takes place in the universe of the Wheel Of Time fantasy series. It will be included on a forthcoming demo.

ANOXIA’s Take Down The Mountains single is available digitally through From The Vaults now. It was previously available on the Heavy Metal Rock Vol. 1.

SPITFIRE MKIII (formerly SPITFIRE), based in Italy, has an album called Shadows Phantoms Nightmares through Heart Of Steel Records. The band is comprised of the founding members Stefano Pisani on guitar and Giacomo Giga Gigantelli (DANGER ZONE) on bass and vocals, while on drums Luca Giannotta has entered the fray.

N.Y. FURY’s I Want It All album shall be released by Eonian Records on 30.12.2022. The material comes from the band’ vaults and the 1980s.

A W.A.S.P., MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP and ARMORED SAINT concert in Dallas, Texas, USA was shut down by the fire department for being oversold by 1,200 tickets. On the heels of filling in for ACCEPT’s singer, Jason McMaster (DANGEROUS TOYS) filled in for singer John Bush of ARMORED SAINT for select shows after the latter man came down with a respiratory illness.

METALLICA and DEF LEPPARD are among pop bands getting new graphic novels called Headshell from Vault Comics. Everyone involved is honoured, humbled and thrilled.

MÖTLEY CRÜE and DEF LEPPARD have cancelled two concerts, one in Curitiba, Brazil and the other in Porto Alegre, Brazil for March 9 and March 11, 2023 respectively. The band explained that it was a “logistical” issue.

MÖTLEY CRÜE singer Vince Neil and RATT singer Stephen Pearcy will give a concert at the Spotlight 29 Casino in Coachella, California, USA performing songs from their main bands on January 28th.

In a world of interchangeable project gig workers, REVOLUTION SAINTS has replaced guitarist Doug Aldrich and bassist/singer Jack Blades with Joel Hoekstra and Jeff Pilson respectively. The band is working on a new album that is due in 2023.

Eonian Records is presenting a video for TOY CANNON's Fallin' In Love Again, which is the band's first single from the new album, Forever One, which will be released on December 9th.

FLYLEAF has brought singer Lacey Sturm, who left in 2012, back and will appear at Sick New World in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA in May.

Norway-based alt-rockers ENSLAVED will release an album called Heimdal through Nuclear Blast Records in March. A video for the song Congelia is available now. The album was recorded at drummer Iver Sandøy’s Solslottet Studio.

AIR FORCE, CONEY HATCH and BRITISH LION will tour the UK in January. The two last bands toured Canada together in 2018. BRITISH LION has a live video for the song Legend.

Former IRON MAIDEN singer Paul Di'Anno and guitarist Gus G. (ex-OZZY OSBOURNE) will play songs from IRON MAIDEN’s first two albums, 1980’s Iron Maiden and 1981’s Killers, in Greece this month. The concerts will take place at Athens and Thessaloniki on December 14th and 15th.

MOTÖRHEAD final album from 2015, Bad Magic, will be re-released in February as Bad Magic: Seriously Bad Magic. This edition adds an interview, unreleased tracks Bullet In Your Brain and Greedy Bastards and live recording from Mt Fuji Festival in Japan from 2015.

Early 2000s’ HELIX and TIM E. & THE YES MEN guitarist Daniel Fawcett was found murdered in London, Canada in a park on November 6th. He was 52. A pair of known criminals Craig Allen and Allana Lebars were apprehended later and charged in connection with the murder.

THE LAST ROCKSTARS is a new Japan-based super group that is performing select shows in Japan and USA in early new year. There are two songs by the band, The Last Rockstars and Psycho Love. These are singer Hyde (L'ARC-EN-CIEL and VAMPS), guitarist and actor Miyavi, Yoshiki (X JAPAN) and Sugizo (X JAPAN).

Keelfest 2, featuring headliners KEEL, RON KEEL BAND and STEELER, is booked for Nashville, USA on 18.03.2023 following the 2023 ROCKNPOD expo. The concert ensemble featuring singer Ron Keel first occurred in 2019.

SKID ROW performed as part of a gala at Avicii Arena in Stockholm, Sweden commemorating 100 years of Swedish hockey. SKID ROW is fronted by a Swede. The band has postponed its mini-tour of Australia from December to May in order for guitarist “Snake” Sabo to recover following a postponed neck surgery.

Former QUEENSRŸCHE singer GEOFF TATE will commemorate the 35th anniversary of his former band's Operation: Mindcrime album on a tour in the UK in June 2023.

POWERWOLF will release a new compilation album, entitled Interludium, through Napalm Records on April 7th, 2023. The CD will feature six new studio songs, orchestral versions of songs and a disc of other bands covering POWERWOLF. The band has a single called Sainted By The Storm.

An AC/DC-themed festival will take place in Perth, Australia on May 7th. There will be a musical procession in Fremantle and other attractions.

The life of Gord Kirchin of PILE DRIVER is the subject of Gord Kirchin Reviving His Musical Legacy at the Hard Luck Bar in Toronto, Canada on 09.12.2022. The former PILE DRIVER, THE EXALTED PILE DRIVER and DOGS WITH JOBS man died in September. Donations would go to the Ottawa area centre where he received cancer treatment.

Why does the white trash hate masks? Is it because they want to take revenge for the ‘No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service’ signs shops displayed to keep them out?

EXESSUS – ASYNAPSE
This band’s music is not my favourite style, but it is obvious to recognize that the quartet is competent and practiced. The best looking one is the singer Ivan who is the only one with the longer hair. The one criticism for me at the band is that the melodic vocals go too commercial needlessly. Still, this band must spend hours and hours at rehearsals. Bloodshed is the first song on the demo and starts the CD with a statement. It sounds like 'blood shot' the way it is pronounced. The song is a pure old-school thrash metal delivery that hints at influences from Sepultura and DRI. The clean harmonic chants of the singer do not help. They have to go. His more aggressive vocals are welcome and a complement to the music. This girl loves melodic vocals, but not here. The lead guitarist knows his instrument and delivers an extended melodious solo that is pleasing. This is so old-school that the video for the song features two Middle Ages' knights! Oblivion next cranks up the distorted bass. The song is faster and thrashier. It could be an example of a heads-down headbanger - aggressive. No King is hard and what cool guitars. Nicely done and influenced by Sepultura. Further down the road Paths is more melodic with distinct vocals - they sound out of tune – and nothing against melodic vocals again, but this attempt at melodious sing-along should be left with Blind Guardian and the like. The song goes harder in the middle and is another showcase for how tight the act is. Strength must refer to the strong bass sound, slam chords, the hardcore vibe and some rapid notes at high speed. Inner Parasite is an illogical title, but anyway has rapid fire section and is fast and alternatively heavy. It should be a good time to mention the jagged distorted sound these guys have achieved. This song is also a good reminder that this is a rehearsed tight band. Singular contains another impressive metal solo. Those are intrepid fingers on the lead guy, yet it is a more diverse song and the vocals are too commercially conceived. Speaking of which, Voyager’s start sounds like inspired by Santana despite the distorted bass. Could be a soft rock ditty with weak vocals, a pleasant catchy melody and riffs accompanying a mostly instrumental song. Yet, nothing is as commercial and sleep-inducing as Notes Of The Soul Pt. 2 (they mean “part”), a lame song probably aimed at Disturbed and Tesla, or some such crap, fans. At least it is a good platform for the clear sound of the CD for about twelve minutes! Welcome To The Hole is screamed and hurried and despite the "let's fucking party, man" line has distinct riffs, but drifts into a dance remix and a lesson in how to pronounce the band's monicker. To all the European guys, nothing against your love for raves, discos and body music on cheap alcohol, but just keep it out of my ears. To end the hour-long disc comes Paths (Extended version) and not Paths (Extd. Ver.) and again a reminder that the band has a good sound. Well accomplished engineering and mix on aural display on an instrumental mostly that brings some rock singing in its second half.
Not really a band bent on purity, but when Exessus gets going, it is going impressively. – Sheila Wes Det