Metal Contraband News For June 17th, 2025:
This week in Metal Contraband, Click Here For Full Story:
Metal Contraband News Continued:
Into The Circle Pit W/Metal Contraband:
Chart Editor: Munsey Ricci from Skateboard Marketing Ltd.
Editorial By Chelsea Nelson-Fernandez & Munsey Ricci
Follow Us on our Social News Feeds:
Official Home Page:
https://metalcontraband.com
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/metalcontraband/?fref=ts
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/Metalcontraband
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/metalcontraband/
Bruce Dickinson’s classic 1994 album, Balls To Picasso is about to get a re-recorded, remixed, and remastered version via BMG with More Balls To Picasso, set for a July 25th release. Bruce Dickinson says, “While mixing all my catalogue into Dolby Atmos I had a nagging desire to revisit and reinvent the record. So putting more balls into ‘Balls…’ was a labour of love. Of course, we beefed up the guitars – courtesy of our ‘Swedish shredder’ Philip Naslund and we added some really beautiful work by Adassi Addasi on ‘Tears…’ as well. Fellow Brazilian composer Antonio Teoli added some stunning orchestral arrangements, and in a unique contribution, added indigenous instruments from the Amazon (recorded by himself when he lived there!) at the beginning of ‘Gods Of War’. ‘Shoot All The Clowns’ gets the benefit of a horn section fronted by the Berklee College of Music, and all of the record gets the benefit of the mix by Brendan Duffey, (who worked on The Mandrake Project), with notes along the way from Shay Baby, the original father of the album”. Check out the first single, “Gods of War”, here: https://brucedickinson.lnk.to/moreballstopicassoPR. Bruce Dickinson is also heading out on the road in North America for The Mandrake Project Live 2025, kicking off on August 22nd in Anaheim, CA, and wrapping up on October 5th at The Wiltern. Find all the info at: https://www.themandrakeproject.com/live/.
Cavalera has just announced a fall tour as Max and Iggor Cavalera return to their fifth studio album, Chaos A.D. The Return To Chaos tour will feature special guests Fear Factory, and kicks off on September 18th at Louder Than Life fest in Louisville, KY, running through October 18th and wrapping up in Dallas, TX. Find all the dates and details at: https://www.cavaleraconspiracy.net/.
Motörhead has just unveiled “Leavin’ Here”, the second single to be found on The Manticore Tapes, originally recorded in 1976 during the Lemmy-Philthy Animal-Fast Eddie-era lineup. Check out the newly created music video for the track here: https://motorhead.lnk.to/TheManticoreTapesPR and find more updates on the June 27th release here: https://imotorhead.com/.
Biohazard recently signed with BLKIIBLK Records, and they’ve just unleashed their first single in over ten years. Check out “Forsaken” here: https://youtu.be/2uj7ojsGYIc?si=836u6wLij80gnI16. Frontman Billy Graziadei says, “What started as three reunion shows of the OG lineup turned into three unstoppable years of kicking ass on stage night after night! Now we’re back with a new record that hits with all the classic Biohazard energy, louder and harder than ever”. On the music video, bassist Evan Seinfeld adds, “We shot this video in Amsterdam, at Melkweg, an iconic venue where Biohazard first made our bones in Europe back in the late ’80s and ‘90s. It’s really organic, and a little sample of the energy of our first new album in 15 years, performed in a live setting. Make sure you’re strapped in and prepare for some real mayhem when our new album drops!” Keep an eye out for updates via: https://biohazard.com/.
Helloween is heading to the release of a brand-new album, Giants & Monsters, set for August 29th via Reigning Phoenix Music. The first single, “This Is Tokyo”, is out this week, and you can check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88Nn7CIpmWQ. Vocalist Andi Deris says of the track, “I’ve always wanted to write this song. Japan plays a special role in my life because I had my first big successes there. I wanted to create a tribute to Japan for a while now and finally found the right lyrics. Because ‘Tokyo’ sounds better than ‘Japan,’ the city stands for a whole country that is very important to me”. As for the album, guitarist Michael Weikath says, “What keeps motivating us is the fact that we’re extremely different. It generates creative energy”, while Kai Hansen adds, “We try not to take ourselves and everything around us too seriously”. Deris states, “In the end, we’re just seven guys who want to make music and enjoy the incomparable force that arises when we’re together. Helloween is way more powerful than the sum of its parts”. Follow the band via: https://www.helloween.org/.
Trivium has officially announced the Ascend Above The Ashes tour, featuring special guests Jinjer and support from Heriot. Trivium kicks things off with two festivals, Louder Than Life and Aftershock on September 20th and October 4th, then heads out with Jinjer and Heriot starting on Halloween night, wrapping things up on December 14th. Frontman Matt Heafy says, “We couldn’t be more excited to finally bring this monstrous tour to life — Trivium headlining this fall across North America with the unstoppable force of Jinjer and the crushing energy of Heriot. Every night is going to be an absolute onslaught of riffs, sweat, and connection with our fans. This lineup represents the present and future of heavy music, and we’re honored to share the stage with such ferocious talent. See you in the pit”. Find all the dates and details at: https://www.trivium.org/.