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Set Me Free, In My Life

As I celebrate my 60^th birthday, I felt compelled to share a project that I hope inspires others to consider embarking on using their own artistic skills, whether it be through music, writing, drawing, painting, photo or video compilation, recording of a verbal narrative, or any other creative means to create a lasting tribute to their own life.

I’d like to start with a quote oft attributed to Mark Twain, “reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.” While this blog is a self-penned tribute of my life, I, at least at the time of this writing, am far from dead. And I not only felt compelled to share it while I am still here among my family and friends, I wanted it to hopefully serve as an inspiration for others to document their story and share their talents and gifts with those you love before they leave this planet. It could be through music, as it is for me, but for others could mean artwork, song, poetry, prose, writing, or recording what had significant meaning while walking this journey we call life.

Every man’s life ends the same way.
It is only the details of how he lived and how he died
that distinguish one man from another
– Ernest Hemingway

The idea for its genesis came a few years ago when creating my mom’s 80^th birthday tribute blog and playlist. In celebration of her birthday, I wanted to share stories, memories, photos, and music of importance over her lifetime. And it was great to share while she was (and is) still alive, so not only could she reminisce and be aware of how much she has meant to so many, but also so she could share memories and stories herself. So I thought who better to create a tribute for someone than by that very someone, perhaps similar to people who pen their own obituaries, though this is most commonly done by those suffering a terminal illness.

So why not create such a tribute and legacy while alive and well, as we are on the back 9 of our lives? Beyond the sorrow of the loss of a loved one, it is also sad to have a family member or friend pass and not having a record of some of the history and stories of their life. Again, this is best captured while they are still alive, alert, and in control of their cognitive faculties.

As those who know me are aware, to quote Einstein, “I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music.” Thus it is no surprise as I contemplate my time on earth and my own mortality, I embarked upon the creation of two playlists near and dear to my heart.

The first playlist In My Life is more or less the soundtrack of my life, the songs that circle round and round in my head and on my turntable, cassette deck (no 8-tracks), radio, CD player, iTunes, and Spotify streaming. To paraphrase the introduction to the Days of Our Lives, “like songs through the speakers, so is the music of our lives.”

The second playlist titled Set Me Free chronicles the story of my life and eventual death (and no, not yet, but perhaps in non-morbid anticipation). it starts with spiritual songs of great importance to me that helped me find meaning, purpose, and comfort in this time I spend on this planet. It continues with songs chronicling my life journey from childhood to where I am now. The playlist concludes with songs hopefully of comfort to those I will ultimately leave behind. 

My blog won’t be a static document, nor are the playlists immutable. It can all be adjusted and expanded upon as future happenings contribute to my life journey. This initial narrative related to these playlists is in celebration of my 60^th year on this planet. But I am over time working on a more detailed chronical to accompany the playlists as a personal remembrance of more specific memories of my life journey, ultimately for my family and friends I will leave behind, though such reminiscing is more than I feel appropriate to share at this point in my life.

Starting with the first playlist, In My Life is a compilation of my favorite artists and songs, with my very favorite artists getting greater attention. Reflecting my perspective on music in my life are the first two songs – “In My Life” and “Remember When The Music”:

There are places I remember
All my life, though some have changed
Some forever, not for better
Some have gone and some remain

All these places had their moments
With lovers and friends, I still can recall
Some are dead and some are living
In my life, I’ve loved them all

In My Life – The Beatles

Remember when the music
Came from wooden boxes strung with silver wire
And as we sang the words it would set our minds on fire
For we believed in things, and so we’d sing

Remember when the music
Brought us all together to sand inside the rain
And as we joined our hands we’d meet in the refrain
For we had dreams to live, and we had hopes to give

Don’t you remember when the music
Was the best of what we dreamed of for our children’s time?
And as we sang we worked, for we knew time was just a line
A gift we saved, a gift the future gave

Remember When The Music – Harry Chapin

It then moves to some of my earliest memories of music. I sang “Puff the Magic Dragon” in preschool at 3 or 4 years old. Joy To The World,” “American Pie,”  “Copacabana” and “Jesus Christ Superstar” were among the first songs I remember singing along with on the radio – “Jermiah was a bullfrog…”, “A long long time ago…”, “Her name was Lola…”, “Jesus Christ Superstar…” Though it’s a somewhat interesting image of a 5 year old wandering around belting out about some “mighty fine wine” and “whiskey and rye!” A few songs are from our “Columbia Cassette Club” include the Carpenters, John Denver, and the Grease Soundtrack.

Next are songs from among the first albums I ever bought, including Pat Benetar’s Crimes of Passion, Kenny Rogers’ The Gambler, Vangelis’ Chariots of Fire, and Billy Joel’s Turnstiles – actually my 3^rd or 4^th Billy Joel album, as I was searching for his song “Prelude/Angry Young Man” that he played at my very first concert, but I didn’t know the title of the song nor that album from which it came. There was no Google, Shazam, or Spotify back then.

Continuing with some of my favorite artists, Billy Joel, Elton John, Van Morrison, Genesis/Phil Collins/Peter Gabriel, Steely Dan, Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood including their various iterations, Dire Straits/Mark Knopfler, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Santana, Led Zeppelin, Rush, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, along with many others who shared my musical attention. There are even some instrumental, jazz, and classical selections dear to my heart.

The playlist ends with songs about music and me (which provided the inspiration for an entire previous more detailed playlist), the titles could be the story of my life: “Music And Me,” “Music,” “Listen to the Music”(providing my blog name), “Let the Music Play,” “Don’t Stop The Music,” “Play That Funky Music,” “Dance To The Music,” “Thank You For The Music,” “When The Music’s Over” – Though if Heaven is all it’s meant to be, there must be music there. Why else do angels have harps?!? And to close, one of my very favorite songs, “A Song For You.”

I love you in a place where there’s no space or time
I love you for my life, ’cause you’re a friend of mine
And when my life is over, remember when we were together
We were alone, and I was singing my song for you

A Song For You – Leon Russell

In contemplating our own mortality, when our life is over, we consider the effects of losing those around us, sometimes seeming before their time, as when my dad died suddenly at 49, and by brother Bob at just 19. I have always maintained that such trials and tribulations of life are difficult enough to navigate with having Faith – I can’t imagine trying to make it through our life journey without Faith.

For those who doubt the existence of God or are angry at God due to the age-old conundrum of why bad things happen to good people, I offer one of my favorite scenes from the Netflix Marvel streaming series “Daredevil.”

God’s plan is like a beautiful tapestry, and the tragedy of being human is that we only get to see it from the back, with all the ragged threads and muddy colors. We only get a hint of the true beauty that would be revealed if we could see the whole pattern on the other side as God does

Matt Murdoch to Sister Maggie in Netflix/Disney Daredevil

And in this backdrop of a greater purpose beyond this life, the second playlist starts with a focus on faith, with songs by Christian artists I have enjoyed, many of whom I have seen, mostly through my involvement in youth ministry and annual attendance for many years at SoulFest (a multi-day, multi-stage Christian music festival in New Hampshire). These songs have given me great strength, comfort, and peace over the years.

In the morning, when I rise
Give me Jesus…
You can have all this world
Just give me Jesus

Give Me Jesus – Jeremy Camp

To everyone who’s lost someone they love
Long before it was their time
You feel like the days you had were not enough
When you said goodbye

And to all of the people with burdens and pains
Keeping you back from your life
You believe that there’s nothing and there is no one
Who can make it right

There is hope for the helpless
Rest for the weary
And love for the broken heart
And there is grace and forgiveness
Mercy and healing
He’ll meet you wherever you are
Cry out to Jesus

Cry Out To Jesus – Third Day

I’m forgiven because You were forsaken
I’m accepted, You were condemned
I’m alive and well, Your Spirit is within me
Because You died and rose again

Amazing love, how can it be
That You, my King, should die for me?
Amazing love, I know it’s true
And it’s my joy to honor You
In all I do, to honor You

You Are My King (Amazing Love) – Newsboys

And I feel compelled by the challange to serve others, not only treating other as we wish to be treated, but to care for those less fortunate. Mission work in Mexico, Guatemala, and Haiti, as well as to the underserved in the US through Christian work camps with my church in New Hampshire have been eye opening, rewarding, and inspiring.

Carry your candle, run to the darkness 
Seek out the helpless, deceived and poor 
Hold out your candle for all to see it 
Take your candle, and go light your world

Go Light Your World – Kathy Troccoli

God’s word and presence has calmed and comforted me when I’ve been sad or afraid, I feel he is always with me, guiding me, protecting me, helping me. Upon the unexpected death of my father at the age of 49, the loss of my brother at the age of just 19, and subsequently enduring the loss of our first pregnancy, God was instrumental in getting me through such trials and tribulations. Looking back, I have truly felt there was no challenge I couldn’t tackle or obstacle I couldn’t overcome with His guidance and help.

When I feel afraid
Think I’ve lost my way
Still you’re there right beside me
And nothing will I fear
As long as you are near
Please be near me to the end

Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path

Thy Word – Amy Grant

I have tried to make my life, my relationships, my role as a son, husband, and father, my jobs, all a prayer to God. I tried to shine His light to all those around me through my attitude, my care, concern, and service. While I can’t say I have always been successful, it has definitely been my intention and effort, and luckily my God is patient and forgiving.

Make my life a prayer to You
I want to do what You want me to
No empty words and no white lies
No token prayers no compromise.

I want to shine the light You gave
Through your Son You sent to save us
From ourselves and our despair
It comforts me to know you’re really there.

Well I want to thank You know
For being patient with me
Oh it’s so hard to see
When my eyes are on me
I guess I’ll have to trust
And just believe what You say
Oh You’re coming again
Coming to take me away.

I want to die and let You give
Your life to me so I might live
And share the hope You gave me
The love that set me free.

I want to tell the world out there
You’re not some fable or fairy tale
That I’ve made up inside my head
You’re God the Son
You’ve risen from the dead.

Make My Life A Prayer To You – Keith Green

And some comfort and consolation when considering our passing, with a belief that our live beyond this world will be most extraordinary.

Whatever happens, whatever you see
Whatever your eyes tell you has, become of me
This is not, is not the end
I am making, all things new again

New Again – Brad Paisley, Sara Evans

Right now all I can taste are bitter tears
And right now all I can see are clouds of sorrow
But from the other side of all this pain
Is that you I hear, laughing loud and calling out to me?

Saying “See, it’s everything you said that it would be,
And even better than you would believe.
And I’m counting down the days until you’re here with me,
And finally, you’ll see.”

But right now, all I can say is “Lord, how long
Before you come and take away this aching?”
This night of weeping seems to have no end.
But when the morning light breaks through,
We’ll open up our eyes and we will see

It’s everything that He said that it would be
And even better than we would believe
And he’s counting down the days ’til He says “Come with me.”
And finally he’ll wipe every tear from our eyes
And make everything new, just like he promised
Wait and see, just wait and see, wait and see

See – Steven Curtis Chapman

The next portion of the playlist chronicles the various places and happenings in my life of significance. I truly have been blessed with so many wonderful places I’ve been and amazing experiences in my life. I couldn’t ask for better places to live, schools to attend, sports to play, events to experience, locales to travel, and family and friends to spend it all with.

It starts with my childhood in Connecticut, family, vacations, including amusement parks, vacations at the beach, baseball, wrestling, school, friends, memories of many wonderful Christmases, then college at Dartmouth, traveling to Europe, becoming a doctor, meeting my wife, the love of my life, with many a love song in tribute to the significance of that most important heppening in my life, living in Virginia, moving to New Hampshire, having a family, vacations, involvement in youth ministry, musicals, moving to South Carolina, and traveling as empty nesters.

The playlist then shifts to songs encouraging to not take life for granted, as well as songs of comfort and condolence, in hopes of, someday, when I am no longer here, easing the loss of a spouse and father. The playlist ends with a wink and a smile

While these playlists are very long, the beauty of digital media is the ability to skip around as needed, and to listen to them over time. I feel if my kids feel they are missing me, they can listen to part of the playlist and feel a little bit closer.

A year or so ago my aunt, my dad’s sister, gave me a very special gift of a pair of my dad’s sunglasses I believe from the ’60s. He had a similar pair even in the ’50s when he was stationed at Aviano Air Force Base in northern Italy. I have a photo of hip wearing them when skiing in Cortina, but I can’t quite believe these are one in the same.

I recently had lenses made with my prescription in his frames, and when I wear them I definitely feel closer to my dad, like a bit of him is with me, even though he has been gone for over 40 years.

Thus the intention of these playlists and blog. I don’t want my kids to feel a need to visit me in some hole in the ground. I’d prefer they could snuggle up on the couch, in a more warm, comfortable, intimate fashion and listen to a song or two or read a story or two and remember their dad and the many wonderful times spent together. I challenge all my family, friends, listeners and readers to find a creative, intimate way to do the same.

So as I look back on these first 6 decades of life, I realize how truly blessed I have been over those years with great love and strength from God and well as the gift of family and friends who have brought me joy on the journey and helped me to be who I am and to get where I am today. My wife just suprised me with a weekend of celebration with my children, family, and friends, looking back with those I’ve shared fond memories in the past and foward to creating more memories with my connections in this most wonderful world.

There have been so many who have touched my life in some way, some just for a little while, and others for much longer. We each have a role to play in lives of so many, sometimes just in the first act or two, other times as companions on much of the journey.

What a friend we have in time
Gives us children, makes us wine
Tells us what to take or leave behind
And the gifts of growing old
Are the stories to be told
Of the feelings more precious than gold

Friends I will remember you, think of you
Pray for you
And when another day is through
I’ll still be friends with you

Friends With You – John Denver

Many of you reading this, if you look and listen closely, will see yourself in my music, in my life. I thank you for having that special place in my life and in my heart and look forward to more moments and memories as I head toward my second act. No, I’m not retired yet, but someday… but not to dwell on that day, as it’s always better to focus on today, to live in the moment (which has been part of my traditional blog sign-off – see below).

Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery,
but today is a gift, that is why it is called the present.
– Master Oogway, Kung Fu Panda

Remember then, there is only one time that is important –
Now! It is the most important time because
it is the only time when we have any power.
– Leo Tolstoy

Happiness not in another place, but in this place…
not for another hour, but this hour.
– Walt Whitman

A happy man is too satisfied with the present
to dwell too much on the future.
– Albert Einstein

Write it on your heart that every day
is the best day in the year
– Ralph Waldo Emerson

We spend precious hours fearing the inevitable.
It would be wise to use that time adoring our families,
cherishing our friends, and living our lives.
– Maya Angelou

I never think of the future. It comes soon enough.
– Albert Einstein

So listen closely, and you’ll find yourself woven into the tapestry of my life:

Live in the moment.
Enjoy the moment.
Love the moment.
Listen to the music!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TAZER Unleashes Debut Album “Taze Is The Rule” — A High-Voltage Electro-Industrial Assault
Release Date: April 30, 2026
Genre: Electro-Industrial
For Fans Of: Combichrist , Rammstein , Rob Zombie
Label: Hellektrokution Records
Emerging from the shadows of Norway with a sound built to shock the system, TAZER is set to detonate the electro-industrial scene with their debut full-length album, “Taze Is The Rule” , arriving digitally on April 30, 2026 via Hellektrokution Records .
Cold, aggressive, and unapologetically intense, “Taze Is The Rule” delivers a crushing fusion of mechanical beats, searing riffs, and relentless energy. Spearheaded by the title track released March 9, the album stands as both a mission statement and a warning shot: this is discipline through sound, impact through voltage.
The album opens with “Your Sins Will Taze You Out,” deceptively pulling listeners into a moment of calm before unleashing a sonic assault that sets the tone for what follows. From there, the title track “Taze Is The Rule” establishes the band’s manifesto: direct, punishing, and absolute.
Tracks like “You Stabbed (Until He Was Dead)” explore the darker edges of human nature, weaving narratives of violence and consequence, while “Tazer Erazer” pushes toward transformation, wiping the slate clean with razor-sharp industrial force. “Raise the Voltage” cranks the intensity to dangerous levels, urging listeners to live at full throttle, while “Rest in Beatz” injects groove into the chaos without losing its crushing backbone.
“The Tazer Way” and “Taze Your God” double down on the band’s uncompromising ethos, rejecting authority and redefining belief systems under the TAZER doctrine. Closing tracks “Taze Like Me” and “Hellektroshot” drag listeners deeper into the experience, ending the album on a hypnotic, almost addictive high that lingers long after the final note.
Formed in 2024, TAZER has quickly carved out a distinct identity within the electro-industrial underground. Their debut single, “A Razor Can Slit, A Tazer Can Kill,” introduced audiences to their brutal, precision-driven sound. This was followed by their self-released EP “9001 Volts” , which expanded their reach and showcased their ability to blend electronic aggression with metal intensity.
Their breakout single “Striptazers” continues to gain momentum across streaming platforms, pulling in new listeners and building anticipation for this debut album.
TAZER’s lineup consists of:
Calico InHell – guitar & programming
Drumnibal – drums & vocals
Oni X01 – vocals & programming
Driven by a strict philosophy of impact, tension, and execution, TAZER isn’t just making music, they’re building a movement. And with “Taze Is The Rule” , that movement hits critical mass.


 Connect:
https://linktr.ee/Tazeistherule
Contact:
Oni X01 – tazeistherule@gmail.com
Salem – management@hellektrokution.com

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, led by Zakk Wylde, has released ENGINES OF DEMOLITION across all major streaming platforms and retail stores worldwide.

Get the album here:
https://blacklabelsociety.ffm.to/enginesofdemolition

The band has also unveiled the official music video for the closing track, ‘Ozzy’s Song,’ Zakk’s deeply personal and standout moment on the record via YouTube. The track has already generated significant anticipation among fans and serves as a fitting and emotional finale to the album.

ENGINES OF DEMOLITION Tracklist

1. Name In Blood
2. Gatherer of Souls
3. The Hand of Tomorrows Grave
4. Better Days & Wiser Times
5. Broken and Blind
6. The Gallows
7. Above & Below
8. Back To Me
9. Lord Humungus
10. Pedal To The Floor
11. Broken Pieces
12. The Stranger
13. Ozzy’s Song

Zakk Wylde will tell you that everything Black Label Society begins and ends with the riff.

For more than 25 years, Black Label Society has stood as one of heavy music’s most unshakeable pillars, delivering album after album of blues-soaked grooves, hard-hitting riffs, and soul-baring ballads. “Engines of Demolition” makes no exception to the steady rule of unrelenting commitment to pure, uncompromising, hard rock.

In 2022, Wylde was invited to honor his fallen brothers, the late great Dimebag Darrell Abbott and his brother Vinnie Paul, as part of the Pantera Celebration. Writing and recording with Black Label Society over these last four years is when Engines of Demolition was born.

Engines of Demolition follows the release of four singles, ‘The Gallows’ (2024), ‘Lord Humungus’ (2025), ‘Broken and Blind’ (2025) and ‘Name In Blood’ (2026) and marks the first full-length album release since DOOM CREW INC. (2021).

Black Label Society is the pure expression of the paradox of Zakk Wylde’s darkest, loudest riffs and softest soul-crushing ballads. BLS is a relentless, heavy, bluesy, unhinged hard-rock-metal circus quartet summoning caffeine-fueled cacophony on records and the stage. BLS songs are odes to celebration and mourning from the darkest depths to the highest of highs.

A charismatic hard rock and metal marauder recognized as a living legend and guitar icon, Wylde rose to prominence when Ozzy Osbourne chose him as his loyal axe man. Multi-platinum albums, countless guitar magazine covers, World-wide sold-out tours, his own guitar and coffee brands add to Wylde’s ever-growing legacy. He gets as much joy from fronting his Black Label Society as he did playing on stage with his hero, Ozzy Osbourne, in his Black Sabbath cover band, Zakk Sabbath.

“Less is more with everything, “Except the guitar solos and coffee!”

Black Label Society and Zakk Wylde online:

Instagram: @ZakkWyldeBLS

X: @ZakkWyldeBLS

Facebook: Black Label Society

Youtube: @ZakkWyldetv

TikTok: @zakkwyldebls

The post BLACK LABEL SOCIETY Releases Highly Anticipated Album ENGINES OF DEMOLITION + Music Video for ‘Ozzy’s Song’ a Homage to Ozzy Osbourne appeared first on The Rockpit.

When it comes to tours that I have been excited about this one was on top of my list. I have been chomping at the bit to see Anthrax with Joey Belladonna. It was a bucket list show. The last two studio albums have been nothing but perfection for me. “Worship Music” and “For All Kings” are essential staples in my music diet even now. I love all eras of the band but the maturity and slight change in style of those later records hit me differently.

Knowing that there is new music sitting waiting to be unleashed has created a painful sense of anticipation today and the chance that we might get a taste of what is to come is also more than I could risk missing.

I chatted with Scott Ian in the weeks leading up to this tour and in his own words he promised the most energetic, minimum ninety minutes of metal you’ve ever seen from any band. How can you not go and check it out and see if the man is of his word? More to the point, was he a man of his word? I will reveal all shortly….

Alien Weaponry have such a big reputation, and they have released a couple of killer albums, and their latest offering ‘Te Ra’ is simply a beast. Live, I have never seen them but have heard legend of their shows. This was all about to change. Alien Weaponry’s set begins with a full-blown Haka led by drummer Henry who is soon joined by bassist Turanga and finally guitarist/lead singer Lewis. This must be one of the most engaging introductions to a band I have ever seen. Powerful and intentional. Perfect.

Their set was simply next level, seeing this trio blast their way through the forty-five-minute set was incredible. Punishing old school trash with a modern twist and that made you move. Lewis amidst his dreadlock windmills threw down some huge riffs and the grooves that Henry and Turanga simply detonated made this such a tight set.

Looking into the crowd it was obvious why everyone was here though. The sea of battle jackets and vintage shirts told you that exactly everyone was here to see. Having said that the crowd reacted perfectly, banging heads, throwing horns and creating some good movement in the mosh pit. Everything I had been told about Alien Weaponry’s intensity, ability and power was true. These three Kiwis are certainly huge torch carriers for the spirit of trash metal.

Alien Weaponry Gallery

As the stage was cleared and the massive Anthrax logo was projected onto the black drop that covered the stage. banner was dropped in front of the stage we were treated to another fine selection of tunes being pushed from the PA The Eagles, Doobie Brothers, tunes you wouldn’t expect to hear at a thrash metal show, but it hit the major demographic as it should. This would all be until Iron Maiden’s Number Of The Beast blasted through the PA firing up the crowd.

This front drop would go on to serve as screen that showed an Anthrax animated movie that took us through Anthrax’s history from the eyes of the band’s mascot Not man. It was an absolute trip, and I hope that this mini movie makes it onto the internet at some stage, it was an absolute blast.

 

The front banner drops to the band ripping into A.I.R. the noise from the crowd is almost louder than the band. Inspiring nothing but goosebumps. The energy coming the stage is incredible. Frank Bello is in full flight, Scott Ian stomps through the track and Joey Belladonna, he looks like the happiest man on the planet right now, pointing at fans, stealing picks from the guitar stands and flicking them out to the crowd. There is just so much to take in, and this just adds to the energy. John Donais is right at home too, leaning into everything, his playing is so effortless but so damn good. Donais too looks so happy taking it all in and Charlie Benante is just a drumming machine, effortless and so damn powerful.

If that intro wasn’t enough, we were then treated to Got The Time and everything again seems to step up energy wise on the stage. Short sharp and to the point we end up at Caught In A Mosh and by this stage there certainly was one happening, fans singing louder than before and just immersing themselves in this show. Anthrax in 2026 show absolutely no signs of slowing down, their run through Canada before Australia tour certainly ensured they were in top form. Metal Thrashing Mad continues to frenzy the crowd and ensures that we all get drawn into the energy. This must be one of the most fun and intense first fifteen to twenty minutes of a show I have ever experienced and the smile on my face reflected that I’m sure.

When Scott Ian promised an incredible show, he wasn’t kidding, but could they hold this pace and energy? We enter a more recent Anthrax era as we get ‘Fight Em’ Till You Cant the old school comes into new, Fight Em’ Till You Can’t has that old school feel with the incredible new energy and didn’t the crowd just love it. Chanting the chorus loud and proud, clapping on command of Belladona, his energy is simply brilliant.

Possibly my favourite song from the new era of Anthrax would have to be Breathing Lightning it’s anthemic chant roars through Festival Hall as Belladona asks for more from the crowd and they gave it. Hands clapping in the air. Watching the band react to the crowd’s response was amazing. In The End from “Worship Music” is so damn good too. The reunited Anthrax that we see today is simply magic. They truly have come back with a vengeance and are making what I think is some of the best music they ever have.

The band leaves the stage for a moment and return with what Scott Ian called a brain fart before he tells us all what we all wanted to know. We have been working on a record for about fourteen years and it’s finally finished. If you were all paying attention after the Not man movie, that thing we opened with, well that was a bit of a new song, now we are going to play a bit of another new song, so pay attention. We get twenty-seven seconds of a new song and that’s it. You will hear the rest in a few months claim Ian as the band launches into the stadium anthem Be All, End All which once again has Festival Hall in full voice chanting. It’s just incredible to be in the thick of this and feeling it at full force.

From the new back to the beginning, we go again as fan favourites Medusa and Indians take us on a thrashing good time. Medusa continues the crowd participation chants and Indians is nothing short of a heavy metal war cry. Both classic cuts are so great to hear. The dual guitar riff of Indians just solidifies Ian and Donais and one of the greatest twin guitar attacks in thrash history. From a rhythmical sense these two are just so in sync and truly does show how solid the band is today. It is the cry of war dance that sends the pit into a moshing frenzy, I cannot tell you how good the energy in the room is right now.

The band leaves the stage, and you just know that they aren’t done yet, Melbourne won’t let them be done as the floor is stomped and the chant of more begins. The band takes to the stage and Ian takes to the microphone stating We have been coming here since nineteen fucking ninety, that like shit you learn about in history class: way back in nineteen ninety it’s been that long. It’s a privilege to come here in twenty-twenty-six. For a bunch of American’s, it feels really good to be seven thousand miles away. I don’t know if there is a word in the English language invented yet to describe it. #unt is a good one, but not nearly strong enough. Event #unt with a K isn’t strong enough. But before we get into that bullshit, and who the fuck wants to talk about that at the metal show. I’m just saying it’s a breath of fresh air for us to be here. Thank you for having us.

The Beladonna takes Benante’s place for a quick run into I’m The Man which has always been a blast. We get taken home with the last two songs of the encore I Am The Law and Antisocial both demand the crowd to give it their all and that is exactly what we do.

I’m smiling, I’m exhausted and I wouldn’t have it any other way. That was ninety minutes of sheer energy. Joey Belladona is in such fine voice and a man that truly loves being on stage, Scott Ian is menacing and energetic, Frank Bello is one hell of a performer and player, he is just such a massive ball of energy, Charlie Benante is a powerhouse ( how I would have loved to have watched a couple of songs behind the kit because he is just a workhorse and John Donais is the bands secret weapon, his playing is incredible, watching him watch the crowd and then giving back what he is being given by the audience is great to watch. Anthrax are five guys who truly want to be on stage playing music together, the magic and chemistry between the band is incredible. This by no means was a phoned in performance. While the songs covered the entire Belladonna eras it didn’t feel like nostalgia at all. It was fresh and fierce. The sound tonight was the best I have heard in Festival Hall and the lighting was superb. This is how you do it after forty plus years people. Ian true to his word backed it all up and then gave us something extra.

Tonight made it so damn obvious that Anthrax deserves their place in the Big 4 of thrash and my guess is that they may be the last men standing too. With new music coming hopefully it won’t be too long before we see them again here in Australia. A bucket list show for me turned into a show I won’t forget anytime soon.

Setlist : A.I.R., Got The Time, Caught In A Mosh, Metal Thrashing Mad, Fight ‘Em Till You Can’t, Breathing Lightning, In The End, New Song Snippet, Be All End All, Medusa, Indians.

Encore : I’m The Man, I Am The Law, Antisocial

Anthrax Gallery

Photos by Shot By Slaidins Photography
With special thanks to John Howarth & Live Nation for the media access.

The post LIVE REVIEW: ANTHRAX With Special Guest Alien Weaponary appeared first on The Rockpit.

Epitaph Records is delighted to announce the signing of breakkaway, who today release their first single under the label’s

Supported by Nails, Exodus and Carcass, the German luminaries reach a new level of pageantry

Supported by Nails, Exodus and Carcass, the German luminaries reach a new level of pageantry

Norwegian progressive trailblazers Enslaved are honoured to reveal their latest creation – two unique recordings of sea shanties, made in collaboration with the Storm Weather Shanty Choir, who hail from Bergen, Norway’s great sailing ship the Statsraad Lehmkuhl. The shanties are titled ‘Fire Marengo‘ and ‘Anna Lovinda‘. ‘Fire Marengo‘ is a traditional shanty, whilst ‘Anna Lovinda‘ was written by the late sailor and Norwegian cultural figure Erik Bye.

Enslaved explained the collaboration: “Enslaved was formed on the western edge of Norway, where mountains fall into the sea and history is carried by wind and tide. Bergen is not simply a coastal city; it is a threshold — between land and ocean, between myth and lived experience. The sea is not scenery here. It is memory, labour, departure and return.

Among the most powerful living symbols of this heritage is Statsraad Lehmkuhl, the great Bergen tall ship that still sails the world’s oceans. Around this vessel lives and breathes the shanty tradition — songs born of rhythm, rope, salt, and collective effort. From this environment emerged Storm Weather Shanty Choir.

Our connection to the ship began in 2014, when the Tall Ships Races concluded in Bergen. We were invited to compose and perform a commissioned piece on the deck of Statsraad Lehmkuhl. Metal echoed across the harbour that evening — a meeting of ancient wind-powered technology and modern amplified ritual. It felt less like contrast and more like continuity.

Since then, a friendship has grown — particularly with Haakon Vatle, director of the ship’s foundation and one of Norway’s most devoted custodians of the shanty tradition. He often remarks that sailors were the first metalheads — people who faced elemental forces daily and answered them with song. There is truth in that. Shanties were not entertainment; they were functional incantations — rhythm as survival.

In November 2025, during the choir’s 20th anniversary concert in Bergen, we joined forces on the traditional “Fire Marengo” and the Norwegian shanty “Anna Lovinda,” written by the late sailor and cultural figure Erik Bye. The collaboration felt less like fusion and more like recognition — two expressions of the same coastal inheritance meeting at the centre.

After the performance, it was clear that this convergence should not remain ephemeral. We met again in early 2026 to record the material — not as novelty, but as continuation. Because at the centre — at mið — we find not isolation, but shared origin. Wind, rhythm, voice. The same pulse that once moved sails now moves amplifiers. The same call-and-response that coordinated labour now shapes modern ritual. The sea remembers. And so do we.”

Stream the tracks here:
https://enslaved.bfan.link/shanty-songs

Watch the visualizer for ‘Fire Marengo‘ here:
https://youtu.be/vwoSK2xytkM

Never faltering, Norway’s iconic Enslaved continue to exist as one of the most original and dependable components in our scene’s indestructible backbone. Possessing the reputation as one of the most riveting live acts around, they never fail to offer us talent of the highest calibre, always doing justice to their signature black/progressive sound. Enslaved was formed in 1991 by Ivar Bjørnson and Grutle Kjellson, releasing their first demo Yggdrasill in the summer of 1992, their legendary mini-album Hordanes Land coming out in 1993, and with their debut full-length Vikingligr Veldi arriving in the spring of 1994.

Enslaved are a band in stellar form – a band at its most existentialist and self-conscious, proud Bergeners bearing the torch of their hometown’s extraordinary musical history. Their most recent material shows Enslaved at their most unleashed and thought-through – a lethal combination unfurling a potential that’s easily rekindling the furor of their early works while dancing gracefully through their most ambitious, most haunting and most musical tunes yet. A contradiction? Life itself is a contradiction. And yet we all live to prove it wrong.

Enslaved are:
Ivar Bjørnson | guitars
Grutle Kjellson | vocals
Arve ‘Ice Dale’ Isdal | guitar
Håkon Vinje | keyboards, clean vocals
Iver Sandøy | drums

Website | Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
Twitter | Spotify | YouTube | Apple Music

The post ENSLAVED Reveal Sea Shanties ‘Fire Marengo’ & ‘Anna Lovinda’ + ‘ENSLAVED & STORM WEATHER SHANTY CHOIR’ 2-Track Digital Single Is Out Now appeared first on The Rockpit.

August Burns Red — Jake Luhrs (vocals); JB Brubaker (guitar); Brent Rambler (guitar); Dustin Davidson (bass); and Matt Grenier (drums) — need no introduction. For over two decades, the Lancaster, Pennsylvania-based act has been crafting its own unique brand of metalcore that has established ABR as one of the foremost acts in the genre. Their career milestones speak for themselves: Multiple placements in the top 10 on the Billboard Top 200; tours with everyone from Bullet For My Valentine to A Day To Remember; and an accumulation of 600 million streams.

However, the band — nominated for Best Metal Performance Grammys in 2016 for the song Identity and again for Invisible Enemy in 2018 — has never stopped pushing the limits of their sound.

And that fact has never been more prevalent than on their forthcoming new album SEASON OF SURRENDER, which will arrive on June 5 via Fearless Records, the label to which they recently returned. Pre-order it here.

ABR have also just shared the lyric video for new single The Nameless.

The Nameless accomplishes more in under three minutes than most heavy bands do over the course of an entire album. The track boasts the band’s signature complex rhythm section, alongside dark and moody guitars, with an unrelenting vocal assault. This song is ABR stripped down to the absolute core of their sound: Intricate, crushing, and ferocious.

“The Nameless is a hard-hitting, heavy bruiser that doesn’t let up for one moment,” states Davidson. “It combines classic ABR elements with dark moody technical rhythms, and fast paced vocals to keep the intensity up for the full three minutes of the track. To me it showcases our roots of where we’ve come from, and the future path of where we’re heading.”

Luhrs follows, “Lyrically, The Nameless is a song about not wasting your life away for the sake of acceptance and comfortability. Sometimes it takes detaching from what you’ve been told, or from the beliefs you are no longer aligned with, in order to face your own weaknesses. In doing so you can break free to live a life you are proud of.”

Season of Surrender features guest appearances from The Devil Wears Prada‘s Mike Hranica, Polaris‘ Jamie Hails, and Make Them Suffer.

ABR will hit the road on a co-headline run with The Amity Affliction this April and May in North America.

Season of Surrender Track Listing:

Legions [Feat. Mike Hranica], The Nameless, Behemoth, Den of Thieves, Sonic Salvation [Feat. Jamie Hails], Cerebral Malfunction [Feat. Make Them Suffer], Tear of the Clouds, Whispers Like Splinters, S.O.S., New Horizons, Forged by Failure

THE NAMELESS – OUT NOW
https://agstbrnsrd.ffm.to/thenameless

SEASON OF SURRENDER – DUE OUT JUNE 5
http://seasonofsurrender.net/

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Samuel S.C. (FKA Samuel) continues to bridge the gap between ’90s indie-rock grit and timeless punk. Originally a cornerstone