CONEY HATCH released a live album, entitled Postcard From Germany, through Anthem Records on 22.09.2023. The band had an album release concert in Toronto on the same day and will return for another concert on November 11th.

Produced at Sonic Bang Studio in Isorella, Brescia, Italy by co-songwriter, Oscar Burato, LOUDERYELL has released its debut single, Toxic Love, through Street Symphonies Records and Burning Minds. The hard rock band is working on a full-length.

STRYPER singer Michael Sweet is having surgery to remove the left side of his thyroid. His test results indicate he may have cancer.

MAGNUM will release a new album, entitled Here Comes The Rain, through Steamhammer/SPV in January. The band is planning to tour in April.

Hard rock band THE BLAST WAVE has signed with Music-Records and will release a debut album in 2024. The band is Alexx - guitars and vocals, Yoann - guitars, Gaylord - drums and Léandr - bass.

ICARUS WITCH has an album called No Devil Lived On through Cleopatra Records. Noah Skiba is on drums.

Argentine singer and bassist Ricardo Horacio Iorio of ALMAFUERTE, V8 and LETAL died of a heart attack in October.

Uyu and Mayto, respectively former singer and guitarist for Japan-based HAGANE, have a new band called MANA DIAGRAM. The band is recording.

Y&T has announced Fiftieth anniversary concerts for California, USA for March 2024.

TRAPEZE's Lost Tapes Vol. 1 will be released through Metalville Records on 24.10.2023. It features rarely heard odds and ends tracks of the heavy rock act.

GLENN HUGHES has announced that he will perform DEEP PURPLE material as part of the Glenn Hughes Performs Classic Deep Purple Live monicker in the USA in February 2024. He also intends to record a new solo album.

DRAGONFORCE will release a new album, entitled Warp Speed Warriors, through Napalm Records in March. The band has a single called Power Of The Triforce that is inspired by the Japanese game Zelda.

LORDI has announced the Unliving Pictour Show spring 2024 European tour.

JUDAS PRIEST released a single called Panic Attack on October 13th. The track is taken from the band's Invincible Shield album, which is scheduled through Sony for March 8, 2024. In the meantime, Glenn Tipton joined the band on stage at Power Trip festival where AC/DC also played its first concert in seven years.

COVEN JAPAN has an album called Earthlings through No Remorse Records. The album is mixed and mastered by Olof Wikstrand of ENFORCER.

T.T. QUICK will reunite for a show in Hillsborough, New Jersey on Saturday, November 11th. The concert will be a memorial to drummer Erik Ferro who died in June.

Chile-based TORNADO has a song called Piedra Contra Espada along with a video clip of this single that will be part of the Extirpe demo. It shall be released at the end of 2023. “This musical piece talks about a rebellion against the conquest of the Spanish armies and the injustice that the indigenous peoples in Chile and Latin America experience - until today.” It was written in 1994.

IRON MAIDEN will embark on the Australian and New Zealand leg of its The Future Past tour. KILLSWITCH ENGAGE will open the September mini-tour of six cities. IRON MAIDEN will then return to Canada and the USA with The Future Past Tour in the autumn.

A reference to Donald Trump? ORANGE GOBLIN will be touring in Japan, Australia and New Zealand in April. They will be supporting a new album. Support in Japan will come from CHURCH OF MISERY, in Australia from DR. COLOSSUS and ASTRODEATH and in New Zealand from PIECES OF MOLLY.

Australia-based hard rockers WICKED SMILE will release a new demo entitled Night Time Riders on November 17th, which coincides with the band’s UK headline show at The Motorsport Lounge in Llandudno, Wales. The group has a run of gigs in the United Kingdom with festival appearances at WinterStorm and Planet Rockstock, as well as a number of club dates.

ACE FREHLEY has a new album, entitled 10,000 Volts, which is out through MNRK Music Group in February. Steve Brown, formerly of TRIXTER and currently in RUBIX KUBE, co-wrote some of it.

KISS, its management, Live Nation and Marriott hotels have been sued by the family of the band’s dead roadie, Francis Stueber. The man died after contracting COVID-19 during the band's End Of The Road tour in 2021. Of note, far from being the end of the road the band is on tour currently.

KISS and OZZY OSBOURNE school? CIRITH UNGOL, which has released a new album called Dark Parade through Metal Blade, has announced retirement from live performances at the close of 2024. The band is announcing concerts for 2024 soon.

It is the famous farewell tour again. LYNCH MOB has announced The Final Ride final tour. It will kick off in January and end in March of 2025 on the Monsters Of Rock cruise.

DOKKEN has an upcoming Netflix movie slated for 2024. It is focusing on the band in the 1980s.

U.D.O.’s 2023 tour of North America has been postponed to the autumn of 2024. Logistics has been blamed.

MÖTLEY CRÜE will play at Summerfest in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA in June 2024.

Former ZZ TOP bassist Dusty Hill, who died in 2021, is having a collection of his belongings auctioned through Julien's Auctions this December. An undisclosed portion of the auction proceeds will benefit MusiCares.

Canada-based groovy act DIRTY AUDIO MACHINE Has a video for the song Damage Done. A demo, entitled Only Fury Remains, is out now. Damage Done began with Steve Ricardo, a seasoned musician known for his work with GREEN JELLO and BIF NAKED. The band is compared to PANTERA and STATIC-X.

Eönian Records has released FREAKSHOW’s So Shall It Be on October 27th. So Shall It Be features Ronnie Borchert, Carlos Cavazo, Greg Chaisson and Stet Howland. The last three members are making their first appearance with the act.

ULI JON ROTH’s upcoming book is called In Search Of The Alpha Law and addresses the guitarist’s fundamental way of looking at things and laws that the man believes govern the universe.

EVERGREY has a 30th anniversary album, which is entitled From Dark Discoveries To Heartless Portraits through Napalm Records on December 15, 2023. It features several live tracks, “piano” and demo versions of tracks. A limited edition comes with a book about the band.

On the road on its coast-to-coast Canada tour, Edmonton’s FALL OF EARTH has cancelled the remaining dates of the Road To Purgatory Tour due to an unexpected family emergency.

One of a dozen bands called VOID on the scene, the UK-based avant-garde act released an album called Jadjowthrough Brucia Records in December. Jadjow is the result of the DHG Void Dancers tour in 2019, where VOID founding member and guitarist Matt Jarman and Camille Giraudeau (DREAMS OF THE DROWNED and DOEDSMAGHIRD) both played guitar for DØDHEIMSGARD. DHG's bass player Lars Emil Måløy (IF NOTHING IS) and the live sound engineer George Geegor Anagnostopoulos also collaborated. The drums on the album were performed by Tariq Zulficar (ATRAMENTUM).

TAZ’s Wake Up & Sweat, Vol. 1 is issued by Eönian Records. TAZ was founded as MANIAC THRUST in 1983 and the material, alongside Shipwrecked, Vol. 2, stems from the late 1980s.

Former MARY’S BLOOD singer EYE has a new mini-album called Arcana. Its direction is announced as being eclectic.

TODOMAL is back with A Greater Good, a new studio album. The Spanish duo, formed by Christopher B. Wildman and Javier Fernández (ASGAROTH, NEXUS 6, THE HERETIC, DEJADEATH, etc.) brings a collection of "dark songs,” which began with the seeds planted in Ultracrepidarian, the debut album.

Progressive metal band AVELION has a video for the song Alone In Time. AVELION with new vocalist Riccardo Rizzardelli is working on a new album.

RAGE, C.O.P. UK and SECRET RULE are touring the UK in November and December.

PRETTY MAIDS, whose singer Ronnie Atkins is afflicted with stage four cancer, has been booked for several festivals in 2024. These are Time To Rock in Sweden and Jailbreak and Copenhell in Denmark.

Drummer Mike Mangini is out of DREAM THEATER and replaced by his predecessor Mike Portnoy. The band will record a new album in 2024. Portnoy, who has been a stool-for-hire since leaving in 2010, had been expressing his desire to return to Dream Theater over the years. Mangini has a solo record.

India-based MUSTANG has an album called Beyond Raging Thunder through Fighter Records. The vinyl version is out through Golden Core.

FIREWIND will release a new studio album, entitled Stand United, through AFM on March 1st. One bundle includes a ticket to the band’s concert on its tour with MASTERPLAN.

KINGCROW has signed with Season Of Mist and has an upcoming album called Hopium.

Nordic Noise will take place in Copenhagen, Denmark at the Kometen venue in May 2024. This year’s edition has a 1980s’ theme. Bands booked are CRASHDÏET (SE), BULLET (SE), GRUMPYNATORS (DK), VIOLET (DE), JD MILLER (SE), STREET FIGHTER + special guests (DK) and MICHAEL CATTON (DK).

Lion Music has signed A&MORE, the solo project of Jo Amore and his brother David, this is the result of 40 years of career with different bands, as rock & heavy singer. The members have worked with NIGHTMARE, NOW OR NEVER, ÖBLIVÏON and TEMPLE. Jo is the vocalist for JOE STUMP, TOWER OF BABEL and KINGCROWN among others. The album is called Legacy and out now.

Former STEPPENWOLF, KEEL, L.A. GUNS, RIPLEY’s L.A.GUNS and W.A.S.P. drummer Steve Riley died at the age of 67. He had contracted pneumonia and was hospitalised before his death.

SVEN GALI’s new album Bombs And Battlescars is out through Music In Motion. There are videos for the songs One Gun and Monster.

Is there a difference between conspiracy theorists and right-wingers anymore? They seem to be one and the same.

SULLVATION - THE BEGINNING OF THE END
Two things before reviewing the music here. The proper band name per the cover may be Brent Sullivan Sullvation, but the spine and CD itself tell us that the first and surname of the protagonist are not required for the monicker. Secondly, this is a solo record with the compositions and playing of Mr. Sullivan, but he has a drummer and over 16 guests in tow. The logistics must have been something. The budget to pay all these folk is another thing. Speaking of the bassist (and occasional guitarist), he has been in a dozen acts since the dawn of time and obviously still has the passion for metal. That much is clear from this CD.
There is an intro, spoken word and the tightly executed heavy metal gives way to breakdowns and throaty vocals, which sound like a preacher. There is some good variety to the vocals and the solo that kicks in bears the hallmarks of true metal. The distorted bass adds to the cause. The next track features Ripper Owens and is cliche-wise called Screaming In Silence. It is arguably the CD’s weakest track. At times it also smacks of nu funk rock. There is a video for the song, which does not feature Owens. That is a good thing. Aside from the drummer for Megadeth, Owens is the most overused musician in metal. The lyric sheet makes matters worse when it exposes spelling mistakes like “fear's” instead of ‘fear’ or “cross to bare” instead of ‘cross to bear.’ Apparently, they could pay the guest musicians, but no money was left for a proofreader. The good news is that the CD seriously picks up from here. Yup, they placed the two worst tracks upfront.
We Become is more driven and more like it. The solos on the previous tracks were good, but they are even better here. The main man has collected some serious talent for this! Wonder how much it cost him! There are 16 guest photos in the CD’s booklet and there are even more listed. We Become is followed by another ‘we,’ namely We Come In Peace. It is pure molten metal with amazing guitars. The bass is amazing, The spelling mistakes are back, however, with “when your spoken” presumably being “when you’re spoken to” and “the conversation's mute” presumably meaning ‘moot.’ Quality of education at American schools… Sorry, did I place the words ‘quality’ and ‘American schools’ in one sentence?
Second Chance is a nifty power metal song with a solo that is pure Rainbow and another dual guitar harmony that is incredible. The singer is called Bill Swanson and the man delivers exactly as Bruce Dickinson would. The return of the guitar is more akin to Steve Vai and quite impressive again. Sucker Punch is technically impressive and there is a touch of Rainbow, but the song is filler and not much of a song. They should have shortened the album because as much as there is some great material here there is this too. What You Don't Know is world-class. The guitar, solo, drums and overall structure takes a backseat to no one. Slightly amusing that the Sullivan guy has this ability and is likely sitting somewhere at home unrecognised or going to his day job every day where his co-workers are none the wiser. Desolation Of Abomination is not a Morbid Angel song played backwards. It is an odd title with its keyboards though and putting aside the wimpy instrument, which thank goodness scoots quickly, is a more extreme offering from Sullvation. The aforementioned Sucker Punch had its extreme moments too.
It is worth mentioning that there seems to be quite a bit of god and Christianity weaved into this. Either way, this is metal where the guitars scream, wail and cajole, the bass is impressive and the majority of the guests are undiscovered or underappreciated talent.
Does the CD title suggest the man in charge is hanging up his bass and retiring? Not sure, but this disc is worth your time for the time being. Find the band at https://sullvation.bandcamp.com/album/the-beginning-of-the-end - Anna Tergel

MOGILA DEATHCULT - RIVER ROT
Previously called Grobdaniste for a decade, Mogila Deathcult, which may or may not be named after a Macedonian town, has issued its seven-minute long debut demo River Rot in 2023. The band is not the world’s tightest and that light snare is annoying, but fret not dear reader. It is mostly buried in the mix thank goodness. What the cultists lack in drum sound and slickness they make up for with old school underground guttural and brutal death metal.
Deeper Crypt is where the snare is at its worst. The song is stop and go. Chains has a noisy solo that reminded this girl of the leads on the debut from Entombed. The song is a wall of sound and great stuff. The barking and raspy singer and the heavy music are under the cover of one weird artwork where a lactating mermaid is sitting on a human skull while nourishing a bird with many more customers flying in. Instant Mash is never as good as the real handmade stuff, but prepared food aside the band has made a good song of it. It is faster and has a punky imid-section in contrast to the other mostly mid-paced songs. This demo is too short at 7 minutes, but then again thanks for not including a weak song. The band is at https://mogiladeathcult.bandcamp.com/album/river-rot - Anna Tergel