2025 not only sees German iconic metal institution, Grave Digger, celebrate its 45th anniversary, but the release of their 23rd studio album, Bone Collector, out today via ROAR.
In support of Bone Collector, the band has just kicked off an extensive album release tour with very special guests Victory. For Grave Digger tour details, head here.
Bone Collector is available as a CD digipak, picture vinyl, colored marbled vinyl, RPM exclusive splatter vinyl and digitally. At the RPM & ROAR Mailorder Shop, the limited splatter vinyl and the digipak are also available as a bundle with the exclusive “Old School” shirt. To order your copy of this must-have gem, one that belongs into every well-sorted heavy metal record collection, head here.
Founded in 1980 in Gladbeck, they set out to conquer the world; who would have thought that 45 years later Grave Digger would be one of the most important, consistent and influential metal bands from Germany. With the release of their ground-breaking debut Heavy Metal Breakdown in 1984, an unprecedented career began that will find its logical continuation more than four decades later with the band’s much-waited new masterpiece Bone Collector, an album that sees the band going back to their old school roots.
A new lyric video for the furious album title track can be found below.
Bone Collector tracklisting:
“Bone Collector” “The Rich The Poor The Dying” “Kingdom Of Skulls” “The Devil’s Serenade” “Killing Is My Pleasure” “Mirror Of Hate” “Riders Of Doom” “Made Of Madness” “Graveyard Kings” “Forever Evil & Buried Alive” “Whispers Of The Damned”
“Bone Collector” lyric video:
“The Devil’s Serenade” video:
“Killing Is My Pleasure” visualizer:
“Kingdom Of Skulls” video:
Grave Digger is:
Chris Boltendahl (Vocals) Jens Becker (Bass) Tobias Kersting (Guitar) Marcus Kniep (Drums)
Finnish hard rock and metal monster squad, Lordi, increase the vehement desire for their forthcoming Limited Deadition with a second single today. Titled “Retropolis”, the band take fans on a trip back to the 80s both musically and lyrically. Seductive guitar and synth leads conjure feelings of nostalgia, and successfully shorten the wait until the album’s release on March 21, 2025 through RPM.
“This title nearly became the name of the album as it would pretty much sum up the context of the album: Musically it’s all built around this main riff which was written by our guitar player Kone. It’s very ‘happy’ sounding and has an almost U.D.O.’s Faceless World album style to it. I was thinking of how to best build a vocal line around it, without making it sound totally cliché. This would be the main riff, so the song kind of wrote itself. Lyric wise, it’s painting a picture of an 80s feeling that shows like “Knight Rider,” “Battlestar Galactica” or “Masters Of The Universe” brought on. It’s a very visually inspired song, bringing back the cover art of Iron Maiden’s Somewhere In Time in my brain. It doesn’t really tell a story, it just gives off an overall 80s post-apocalyptic vision in a way. That being said, I really miss those days. Everything was better back then…everything was better in neon lights!,” recalls Mr Lordi.
Watch the lyric video below, and pre-order the new album here.
Limited Deadition tracklisting:
“SCG XIX The Hexecutioners” “Legends Are Made Of Clichés” “Syntax Terror” “Skelephant In The Room” “SCGTV Saturday Night Main Event” “Killharmonic Orchestra” “Collectable” “SCGTV Monstersquad Action Figures” “Fangoria” “Hellizabeth” “SCGTV The Hexecutioners Seasion” “Retropolis” “Frighteousness” “SCGTV Crazee Ralph Promo” “Limited Deadition” “You Might Be Deceased”
“Retropolis” lyric video:
“Syntax Terror” lyric video:
Like the release of Lordi’s 19th studio album, the first part of the supporting “Limited Deadition” tour, which will lead them from Finland to Poland, the Netherlands, the UK, Belgium and France, is only about two months away. All German and Spanish fans being disappointed that the monster squad won’t stop in their town this spring, can take a deep breath as the band have announced the continuation of their European run for next fall. Lordi are now additionally gearing up for 13 shows in Germany and four stops in Iberia in September and October under the banner “Limited Tour ’25 – Second Deadition.”
Following the breakout success of their debut single “Awake”, Violet Breed has unveiled their powerful follow-up track, “10 Years Sober”, accompanied by a music video.
“10 Years Sober” dives into themes of inner peace and self-healing, offering a unique perspective on the concept of sobriety. Vocalist AleX shares, “With ’10 Years Sober’, we wanted to write something that explores another meaning to what it is to be sober. Kind of a new direction and meaning. The overall message and intention of the song is to bring forward a feeling of inner peace and self-healing within one’s mind, allowing you to be the best representation of yourself for others.”
“10 Years Sober” is now available on all major streaming platforms.
Violet Breed represents a powerful collaboration between Wheat, a seasoned rock icon, and AleX, a fresh and dynamic voice in the music industry. The pair have spent the last five years meticulously crafting an album that draws from their own life experiences, creating music that resonates with listeners of all ages. With honest and emotive lyrics, Violet Breed’s sound blends rich rock and pop influences, promising a unique and compelling listening experience.
The debut album, which features Tesla’s own guitarist Dave Rude on guitars, will showcase the musical prowess of the duo. Fans of both Tesla and AleX will be eager to hear the new material, as Violet Breed looks to make a significant impact on the global music scene.
Brian and AleX are able to tap into experiences from these diverse generations, which add to the depth of the music they produce. Their passion and inspiration for music is born from a shared love for records by The Beatles, Paul McCartney, Queen, and My Chemical Romance. Influences from these bands is subtly interwoven into their music.
Over his successful forty years in the music industry, Brian has crafted an enviable music career. Performing live, author to autobiography Son Of A Milkman and managing the multi-platinum selling rock band Tesla, alongside side projects such as SouL MotoR and now Violet Breed. Brian has maintained an impressive consistency in the music industry over multiple decades resulting in an abundance of sell-out tours across the US and world.
Over the last ten years, Brian has acted as a close mentor and peer to AleX. Notably being a huge influence in the studio, producing and co-writing songs. His oversight has helped refine the music AleX creates and brought priceless industry for AleX to further improve his craft. With his own individual success on active rock radio, numerous successful tours and festival appearances, and constantly performing to a demanding live schedule, Brian notices the potential of AleX’s talents and commitment, and recognizes snippets of his younger self in the artist. Having displayed a unique range of vocal performances, heavily inspired by Freddie Mercury, plus a natural talent for song writing, the opportunity to form a new band seemed inevitable.
Death-thrash metal rising force, Final Siege, is thrilled to unveil the lyric video for their ferocious single, “Primordial Combat”. Taken from the band’s album Nuclear Doom State (out via Wormholedeath), this track delivers a visceral gut punch of raw power, primal energy, and unrelenting aggression.
“Primordial Combat” is a brutal, aggressive track that channels raw and primal emotions. It captures the savage spirit of ancient survival while rebelling against modern systems of control. Prepare for an intense dive into the dark side of human instinct.
Formed in 2018, Final Siege began as a spark of creative energy when Gil Vives, Randy Reiser, and Amir Jairazbhoy shared their musical vision over beers in New York City. Following the release of their debut album March To Your Grave in 2021 and lineup evolutions, the band forged their current powerhouse roster in 2023.
Known for their unflinching themes of rebellion, war, and the toll of modern chaos, Final Siege has shared stages with legends like Suffocation, Atheist, and Warbringer, proving their place in the metal arena.
This full-length album is a sonic apocalypse, blending death, thrash, and groove metal to create a relentless, headbanging experience. Primordial Combat is just one example of the rage-fuelled energy fans can expect from the record.
Tracklisting:
“The Day After…” “W.A.R.” “Nuclear Doom State” “Psychological Maceration” “An Insatiable Lust For Violence” “Primordial Combat” “Taxed To Death”
“Taxed To Death” video:
Lineup:
Gil Anthony Vives – Lead Vocals/Guitar Rob Maldonado – Guitar George Garcia – Bass Ameer “The Beheader” Aljallad – Drums
Deathless Legacy has released a video for “Miserere”, first single taken from the new album, Damnatio Aeterna, to be released on March 7 by Scarlet Records.
Directed by Frater Orion, the video translates the dark and provocative theme of the track into images: a confession turned into an obsessive and disturbing ritual, where the line between redemption and sin dissolves. With haunting atmospheres and powerful visual symbolism, the video for “Miserere” offers an interpretation of the twisted relationship between sin and salvation, immersing the viewer in a cathartic experience. Watch the video below.
Driven by Steva’s unholy, malevolent and sexy voice, the ominous tones of a church organ, and the fierce occult metal riffs, Deathless Legacy deliver a sound that hits hard and stands apart. This is horror metal at its most unapologetic.
Damnatio Aeterna tells the thrilling story of the lesser demon Malchrum, who is challenged by Lucifer to ensnare a priest in an unspeakable sin, thereby ensuring his eternal damnation.
A dark and provocative journey faithful to the band’s signature style and filled with an atmosphere of mystery that grows progressively tense as the story unfolds, the seventh Deathless Legacy studio album will finally delve into sophisticated themes and explore the true nature of evil.
Recorded at Eden Studios; mixed and mastered by Simone Mularoni at Domination Studio; eerily illustrated by the visual artist and band’s leader & drummer Andrea Falaschi (Delain, Elvenking, Temperance), Damnatio Aeterna will be released in the following formats:
– digipack CD – digital
Pre-order/pre-save here, and stay tuned for the announcement of the Collector’s Edition, a limited-edition release for the most devoted fans.
Damnatio Aeterna tracklisting:
“Damnatio Aeterna” “Miserere” “Get On Your Knees” “Communion” “Indulgentia Plenaria” “Oblivion” “Spiritus Sanctus Diabolicus” “Sanctified” “Mother Of God” “Nightshade” “Gehennae”
“Miserere” video:
Deathless Legacy lineup:
Steva – vocals Sgt. Bones – guitar Alex van Eden – keyboards Deadwood Nick – bass Frater Orion – drums The Red Witch – performances
Bringing together some of the top names in music and entertainment, both Intuit Dome and Kia Forum will host FireAid on Thursday, January 30, to raise money for rebuilding communities devastated by wildfires and supporting efforts to prevent future fire disasters throughout Southern California. This one-night-only event will start at 6 PM PT.
It will feature performances by Billie Eilish and Finneas, Earth, Wind & Fire, Gracie Abrams, Green Day, Gwen Stefani, Jelly Roll, Joni Mitchell, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Lil Baby, P!nk, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rod Stewart, Sting, Stephen Stills, Stevie Nicks, Tate McRae, and performing together for the first time, Dave Matthews and John Mayer. Additional artists, special guests, and lineups for each venue will be announced in the coming days.
Tickets for both concerts go on-sale starting Wednesday, January 22, at Noon PT through Ticketmaster.
Event partners joining FireAid include American Express, Intuit, and UBS. For sponsorship information, please contact Dan Griffis at Oak View Group, dgriffis@oakviewgroup.com.
Fans across the globe will be able to make contributions to the cause, as FireAid will be broadcast and streamed live on Apple Music and the Apple TV app, Max, iHeartRadio, KTLA+, Netflix/Tudom, Paramount+, Prime Video and the Amazon Music Channel on Twitch, SiriusXM, exclusively on “LIFE with John Mayer,” Spotify, SoundCloud, Veeps, and YouTube, and at select AMC Theatre locations in 70 US markets. iHeartRadio will serve as the national audio partner to FireAid, using its more than 860 radio stations, its digital platforms and the iHeartRadio app.
Contributions made to FireAid will be distributed under the advisement of the Annenberg Foundation, for short-term relief efforts and long-term initiatives to prevent future fire disasters. The Annenberg Foundation, with decades of philanthropic leadership in our community, including rapid response, will help coordinate a team to direct funds for the greatest impact. All proceeds from the FireAid benefit concert at Intuit Dome and Kia Forum will go directly to the event’s designated beneficiaries, as the LA Clippers will be covering the millions in expenses associated with the event.
The FireAid benefit concert is being produced by Shelli, Irving, and the Azoff family, in conjunction with Live Nation and AEG Presents.
For donations, media credentials, and concert information, please visit FireaidLA.org.
British metal trailblazers, The Five Hundred, kickstart the new year with the release of their new single, “New World”, the final single release before dropping their new full-length album, Ghostwriter, on February 28.
Accompanied by an impressive music video directed by Oli Duncanson, the track delivers a gripping exploration of survival, isolation, and hope in the aftermath of chaos.
“‘New World’ is an anthem for a shattered reality – a haunting journey through a dystopian landscape where survival means facing the unknown. It’s a soundtrack for those who find strength in the ruins of yesterday,” the band shares.
Find the video below.
Since their emergence in the early 2010s, The Five Hundred have captivated fans with their unique sound that blends the brutal intensity of metalcore with the intricate ferocity of djent and progressive metal. Their debut album, Bleed Red, laid the foundation for their immersive, dark sound, while their second release, A World On Fire, solidified their place in modern metal.
With the upcoming album Ghostwriter, The Five Hundred present their most ambitious work yet, proving once again their mastery in crafting epic, evocative soundscapes that linger long after the final note has faded.
“The Death Of All We Know” (Feat. Mirza Radonjica- Siamese) “Rainmaker” (Feat. Aaron Matt – Ten56) “Ruin” “New World” “In The Dark” “Dragged Out” (Feat. Charlie Rolfe – As Everything Unfolds) “Bodies” “Empty Hope” “20 Days” “Echoes” “Chaos Sermon” (Feat. Justin Hill – SiKth) “Where Is Our Humanity?”
One of thrash metal’s most exciting young contenders, Hazzerd, release another video giving fans further evidence of the strength and diversity of the Canadian quartet’s new album. “Unto Ashes” comes from Hazzerd’s new album, The 3rd Dimension, out January 17.
“’Unto Ashes’ is one of the longer songs on the record. We wanted to kinda make a song similar to ‘Battery’ by Metallica, and that being the unrelenting aggression for the first half of the song,” explains drummer/vocalist Dylan Westendorp. “The song itself is talking about Thanos from the Marvel comics. His egotistical thinking and him collecting the stones and wiping out half the planet was a pretty gnarly song topic, the chorus of the song is pretty telling on what the song is about. Also, it incorporates newer elements into our songwriting with that middle section and the gang vocals as well, plus some melody here and there. A longer cut with some cool elements woven throughout.”
The 3rd Dimension will be released on January 17 via M-Theory Audio. Available as a jewelcase CD or on limited colored vinyl Rough Seas (200) for the North American version and Mars Attacks (300) as the European variant, as well as a 100 limited run of cassettes exclusively from the band and label.
The 3rd Dimension is the follow-up to 2020’s Delirium, one of the best and consistent sellers at M-Theory Audio that even received a nod from Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine who championed the group as a promising thrash hopeful, alongside Power Trip. The 3rd Dimension was mastered by Johnny Gasparic (Into Eternity) and features cover artwork once again by Andrei Bouzikov (Municipal Waste, Toxic Holocaust, Skeletonwitch).
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That 4AD are releasing this glorious second solo album from the Pixies frontman on gleaming gold-coloured vinyl is only right and proper, as it still stands as his crowning glory in terms of music outside the band.
In fact, it finds him rejuvenated after Pixies’ pre-hiatus swansong Trompe Le Monde – the songwriting here is impeccable, madly inventive and overflowing with a sense of freedom and joie de vivre, beautifully at odds with the gloom of the imploding grunge scene of the time. Black has an innate understanding of the power of a tight pop chorus, respect for classic American rock’n’roll, and a sense of punk weirdness to make it all sound brand new.
The songs are pared down to the bare minimum, 22 of them each around that magic bar of three minutes, but he fits so much into those precious seconds, from cod-reggae to wild whoops.
Headache, the album’s hit single, sounds like just that, tension behind the eyeballs jauntily and cheerfully endured, its bounce and drive its own remedy, clearing to make way for the Roy Orbison-worshipping Sir Rockabye, Lyrically and musically clever, wildly varied and irresistible, Teenager Of The Year is the sound of a man running wild in his own imagination, and it’s still brilliant three decades on.
Emma has been writing about music for 25 years, and is a regular contributor to Classic Rock, Metal Hammer, Prog and Louder. During that time her words have also appeared in publications including Kerrang!, Melody Maker, Select, The Blues Magazine and many more. She is also a professional pedant and grammar nerd and has worked as a copy editor on everything from film titles through to high-end property magazines. In her spare time, when not at gigs, you’ll find her at her local stables hanging out with a bunch of extremely characterful horses.
Devin Townsend often presents as a louder-than-life character – a rock force with an operatic vocal range and a thing for puppets.
“Regrettably, insecurity plays into my process in a big way,” he admits. “But I guess my objective with music has always been about representing where I’m at emotionally.”
His recent album PowerNerd, written in a fortnight (with lyrics that were longer in the making, drawing from challenging personal times), is a hard-hitting explosion of his defining attributes: colossal riffs, dreamy soundscapes, king-sized melodies, a touch of daft humour, and surges of deep feeling.
The first music I remember hearing
My mother used to play Brahms on the piano in the basement. In the Pacific Northwest, in the seventies, the environment was wetter than it is now, so there was a real attachment to those minor-key piano melodies with the sustain pedal pressed. From a young age I was ‘trained’, in some way, to equate those tonalities and reverb to rainy days.
The first song I performed live
In tenth grade there was a parent-teacher night, I put together a band and we played in the cafeteria. We played Stairway To Heaven, and the feeling of acknowledgement that came from a room full of people applauding was pretty intoxicating as a kid.
The guitar hero
Eddie Van Halen. When I was about twelve we used to hang out on the roofs of our houses and put our stereos out the windows, and everybody listened to Van Halen. As guitar players, the badge of honour was to be able to play the tapping section in Eruption.
The singer
Rob Halford. Being in Vancouver, there were no stations that played rock or metal, but if you took your TV’s cable and gaffa-taped it to your ghetto blaster or radio receiver, you could pick up stations from Seattle. KISW played Victim Of Changes by Judas Priest, the live version from Unleashed In The East. Rob Halford’s voice was so interesting to me. I remember singing into a reverb unit trying to replicate his voice. But only passively, because I didn’t want to be a singer.
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The Clancy Brothers and Johnny Cash. At Christmas my grandfather would come over and we would sing that. Also Leonard Bernstein – I was raised with seventies musicals. They were such broad strokes of emotion. America [from West Side Story] was so abstract rhythmically, but because it was such a big part of my life it didn’t seem complicated.
Favourite musical
The ones that really affected me emotionally were Jesus Christ Superstar and Popeye. Popeye was much maligned, because the concept of it is absurd in every sense: Robin Williams, doing a live-action Popeye musical. However, myself and a bunch of people that I know, strangely, have a huge affinity for it.
POPEYE | “I’m Popeye the Sailor Man” Clip | Paramount Movies – YouTube
A solo artist named Rapoon put out an album called Darker By Light in 1996, and I’ve listened to it more than any record. It’s soundscapes, like an auburn-coloured, dark kind of watercolour. It’s the type of music I prefer to almost anything.
Music I mow the lawn to
It’s the only time I participate in music that has lyrics, really. I look for shitty eighties metal, and I’ll listen to things that colleagues of mine have released. The last Sevendust, Meshuggah’s last one, Shinedown, Gojira…
The best record I’ve made
A record I made in the pandemic, called Snuggles, because it was made consciously to try and make people feel better. There’s a host of female voices I asked to sing, and I said the only criteria is that whatever you say has to be a constructive sentiment – like a prayer or mantra. When I listened to it one day, the positivity and constructive nature of it made me very proud.
The worst record I’ve made
If there’s a record that I like less than others, it’s only because the time that yielded that bounty of music was less pleasurable. And those times might be Physicist [2000] and Z2 [2014].
The best cover version
Two Steps From The Move by Hanoi Rocks opens with a cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s Up Around The Bend. When I tried to listen to the Creedence version, I realised how much more I liked Hanoi Rocks’ one.
Hanoi Rocks – Up Around the Bend (Official Video) – YouTube
Probably Meshuggah. They’re friends of mine. I feel similar about Meshuggah as I do with AC/DC. Not musically, but there’s very few bands that have isolated something so specifically and then mastered it. I have a lot of time for that conceptually.
My Saturday night party song
Hall & Oates, maybe Bob Marley, Fleetwood Mac, Steely Dan. My parties are not wild. One wild party at fifty-two years old and I’m fucked for a week.
The song I want played at my funeral
Prabhujee by Ravi Shanker and George Harrison. Probably my favourite song of all time. I think I first heard it when I started taking acid. Once that era of my life dissipated, a lot of music that [had] seemed appropriate didn’t have any value to me. But that one carried itself through that period.
Ravi Shankar’s Chants of India – ‘Prabhujee’ (Lyric Video) – YouTube
