Alice Cooper will star as King Herod in NBC's highly anticipated special event "Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert", to be aired Easter Sunday, April 1 from the Marcy Armory in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York.



A new trailer for "Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert" has just been released and can be seen below.



"Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert", a staged version of the original rock musical, will be executive-produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tim Rice, Marc Platt, Craig Zadan, Neil Meron, John Legend, Mike Jackson, Ty Stiklorius and Alex Rudzinski.



Oscar, Golden Globe, Tony and 10-time Grammy winner John Legend has been cast as Jesus Christ, with Broadway star and acclaimed recording artist Sara Bareilles as Mary Magdalene. The production will be helmed by esteemed British theatre director David Leveaux.



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Alice Cooper will star as King Herod in NBC's highly anticipated special event "Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert", to be aired Easter Sunday, April 1 from the Marcy Armory in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York.



A new trailer for "Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert" has just been released and can be seen below.



"Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert", a staged version of the original rock musical, will be executive-produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tim Rice, Marc Platt, Craig Zadan, Neil Meron, John Legend, Mike Jackson, Ty Stiklorius and Alex Rudzinski.



Oscar, Golden Globe, Tony and 10-time Grammy winner John Legend has been cast as Jesus Christ, with Broadway star and acclaimed recording artist Sara Bareilles as Mary Magdalene. The production will be helmed by esteemed British theatre director David Leveaux.





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The "Jesus Christ Superstar" album hit No. 1 on the Billboard chart and made its way to the stage in 1971. It is based on the final week of Jesus's life. The 1971 musical opened at the Mark Hellinger Theatre on Broadway and starred Jeff Fenholt as Jesus and Ben Vereen as Judas. It was nominated for five Tonys, including "Best Performance By A Featured Actor In A Musical" for Vereen. Lloyd Webber won a Drama Desk Award for "Most Promising Composer".



Since then, the musical has been considered a classic and has become a staple of theatre and music organizations throughout the world. It has been performed in nearly 20 countries and translated into 18 different languages. There have been many revivals of "Jesus Christ Superstar" over the 46 years since its debut, including 2000 and 2012 Broadway versions that each earned a Tony nomination for "Best Revival Of A Musical". The 1973 film was directed by Oscar winner Norman Jewison and starred Ted Neeley.

Wrong’s sophomore album, Feel Great, will make you feel the exact opposite of great. On this album, the band has mastered the arts of bludgeoning groove, riff, tone, and grit, creating eleven songs that are faster, heavier, angrier yet also more melodic than their breakout debut album (2016, Relapse).

Today, Wrong has premiered a music video for “Zero Cool”. The director, Frank Huang, “… took the song and ran with it… that’s pretty much what it looks like in our heads,” commented Wrong.  Check out the psychedelic video below.

Self-produced by Wrong and recorded at various studios around Miami (with mixing handled by guitarist Ryan Haft and artwork by Rick Smith of Torche), Feel Great is the perfect follow-up to the band’s self-titled LP.

Feel Great is due out April 13th on CD/LP/Digital via Relapse Records. Physical Packages are available here and digital/streaming is available here.

Tracklisting:

"Errordome"
"Culminate"
"Pustule"
"Nice Job"
"Feel Great"
"Upgrade"
"Crawl Instead"
"Come Apart Mend"
"Zero Cool"
"Gape"
"Anaerobic"

"Zero Cool" video:

"Culminate" video:

Created by Andrew James of Edmonton, AB’s Eye Of Horus and Shotgunner, his new project, one man folk metal band North Hammer is drawing inspiration from the mighty Quorthon; for Andrew is not so much a one-man band as a one-warrior metal machine. Andrew wrote and recorded the guitar, bass, vocals, and orchestration along with drums done by Doug Helcaraxë Nunez for North Hammer’s forthcoming debut album Stormcaller set for release on March 16th, 2018.

Andrew explains the significance of his band’s name: “The ‘north’ part was a representation of the common theme winter that comes up in metal music, including folk metal. It is also a reference to my native Canada. ‘Hammer’ is a reference to Mjolnir, Thor’s Hammer!”

Inspired by Wintersun, Ensiferum, Amon Amarth, Aether Realm, Blind Guardian, Stormcaller is a 21st century continuation of the work of Norse bards with its melodic death metal folk riffs.

“The experience I’m trying to give the listeners is that of a fellow fan. I want people to be euphoric for other bands that mean something to them like Ensiferum, Wintersun and Amon Amarth. To connect personally with my music and realize that I love and worship these bands.” explains Andrew.

The album is streaming in full below:

Andrew James adds:

"Stormcaller has been quite an adventure in itself to record, many aspects of music I had never even attempted before. From the creation of an over-arching narrative to satisfy lyric content, to writing guitar solos and orchestration, I finally have been able to come out with something that I am so excited to share with you! I hope you, the fans, enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed making it for you!"

While North Hammer is a studio project at the moment, Andrew James plans to put together a band of top-notch like-minded musicians for touring in Western Canada and beyond.

Tracklisting:

“Avatar”
“Wanderer”
“Written In The Stars”
“Magic Mead”
“Tip Of The Spear”
“A Soldier’s Song”
“Black Forest Rain”
“Spellbinder”
“North Hammer”
“Lion’s Winter”

“Magic Mead”:

"Wanderer":

“Avatar”:

(Photo: Diego Fernandez, Editing by Eric Dieterich of Soloman Media)

Tech death masters Oblivion have premiered a new odd VIDS directed music video from tech today. The suffocating and unsettling track, entitled "It Has Become", is off the band's sophomore full length The Path Towards... which came out late last year on Unique Leader Records. Oblivion - who features within its ranks composer and Antagony founder Dr. Nick Vasallo, All Shall Perish guitarist Ben Orum, thrash veteran Ted O'Neill, and former Zenith Passage drummer Luis Martinez - have proven once again why they are one of the most exciting bands in extreme metal. 

Vocalist and bassist Dr. Nick Vasallo commented on the track:

"‘It Has Become’ represents some of the main themes from The Path Towards...: Despite the billions of years of evolution leading to humanity's total preeminence, we have created a technological dominion that is quickly growing out of our reach.  The intertribal conflict and desire for material wealth that benefitted us millennia ago in a harsher, simpler world now chains us to the bottom of a rising ocean in which survival demands unity and order at a higher level.  Our failure to surpass our limitations leaves a clear niche for a superior competitor to fill, to displace us, and to continue the cycle of oblivion."

German cult thrashers Tankard have announced that they have signed a new contract with Nuclear Blast.

The band experienced their second wind after signing their first deal with the Swabian label back in 2012. The union saw the albums A Girl Called Cerveza, R.I.B. and One Foot In The Grave becoming some of the most successful albums in band history. The latter even gave the band the highest ranking in the German charts at #26.

Frontman Gerre comments: "One thing is clear: the best band in the world must of course be at the best label... Seriously though, we are thrilled to continue the successful collaboration with Nuclear Blast, knowing that we are in good hands and will continue to give everything to the next 36 years of Tankard! Cheers!"

Flori of Nuclear Blast adds: "Of course we are happy that the last album One Foot In The Grave was not meant literally and that the band would like to release more albums… this does however mean that we have to stock up on beer again! We also look forward to the next 36 years of Tankard! Cheers!"

A new album is planned for 2020. You can order the latest album and the other releases directly at the NB-Shop.

Rob Zombie has confirmed "The Devil's Rejects 2: Three From Hell" as the title of his next movie, a sequel to his 2005 horror hit "The Devil's Rejects". The film, which started shooting earlier today (Tuesday, March 13), is said to continue the story of the Firefly clan — Sid Haig as Captain Spaulding, Bill Moseley as Otis and Sheri Moon Zombie as Baby — whom we saw go down in a torrent of bullets at the end of the first film.

It's not clear whether Zombie plans to resurrect the Firefly trio from the dead in some kind of supernatural fashion in the new film or has found a way to explain that they survived the original movie's climactic shootout.

"The Devil's Rejects" is widely considered Zombie's best film. It's a semi-sequel to his directorial debut, 2003's "House Of 1,000 Corpses", which introduced the Firefly family.

Zombie told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that he was approached by the studio in record time about making a sequel to "House Of 1,000 Corpses". "I went away for the weekend [the film opened], so they couldn't find me till Monday," he said. "So it was basically Monday. I think the film opened, like, on Thursday and I was gone, and they couldn't find me, so by Monday they were already talking about it. Depending upon what you spent and what you made, I mean, that movie was profitable after one day. Whereas you get these other movies where they're, like, 'Oh my God, it made $100 million!' and it's still $100 million in the hole because they just spent so much."

According to Bloody Disgusting, Zombie is in negotiations with Saban Films and Lionsgate to release "The Devil's Rejects 2" in theaters, VOD, and home video. Zombie distributed his last movie, the partially crowdfunded "31", through both companies.

Season Of Mist has announced the signing of BLACK TUSK. The heavy-duty trio from Savannah, Georgia has entered the Garage Savannah to record its forthcoming sixth studio album; jointly produced with Aphelion. Mixing will lie in the hands of engineer and long-time collaborator Chris "Scary" Adams while Brad Boatright has been chosen for the mastering.

BLACK TUSK comments: "After more than a decade of pushing through as a band, we have opened a new chapter and are ready and excited for everyone to hear it."

When BLACK TUSK first hit the streets with its debut EP, "When Kingdoms Fall", in the year 2005, the band had grown out of the Savannah scene but right from the start with its own twist. The three-piece consisting of guitarist Andrew, Athon on bass, and drummer James with all sharing vocal duties added a dash of punk as well as a viscous heaviness and groove to the Savannah school of rock that some critics compared with various stoner and sludge outfits.

Flanked by further EPs, split singles and demos, BLACK TUSK steadily expanded both in reach and number of die-hard followers with each successive album, "The Fallen Kingdom" (2007), "Passage Through Purgatory" (2008), "Taste The Sin" (2010), "Set The Dial" (2011) and "Pillars Of Ash" (2016). Partly responsible for their success, are the strong live shows of the trio, which garnered early attention on tour with such heavy-weights as BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, DOWN, WEEDEATER and EYEHATEGOD. Meanwhile, the band has toured and performed at most major metal festivals both at home and overseas.

BLACK TUSK's latest full-length, "Pillars Of Ash", sadly had to appear posthumously for one member as the band had tragically lost their charismatic bass player Athon through a motorcycle accident. With a heavy heart, BLACK TUSK decided to honor Athon's memory by carrying on and recruited veteran musician and already longtime friend Corey Barhorst to take over his duties on the low end.

BLACK TUSK is:

Andrew Fidler: guitar, vocals
Corey Barhorst: bass, vocals
James May: drums, vocals

Fan-filmed video footage of NIGHTWISH's March 13 performance at the Modell Performing Arts Center at the Lyric in Baltimore, Maryland can be seen below.

NIGHTWISH kicked off its "Decades" world tour last Friday, March 9 at The Tabernacle in Atlanta, Georgia.

On this trek, NIGHTWISH is presenting a special setlist, featuring rare material from the early years of the band's career.

The group's setlist for the Baltimore concert was as follows:

01. End Of All Hope
02. Wish I Had An Angel
03. 10th Man Down
04. Come Cover Me
05. Gethsemane
06. Élan
07. Sacrament Of Wilderness
08. Dead Boy's Poem
09. Elvenjig
10. Elvenpath
11. I Want My Tears Back
12. The Carpenter
13. The Kinslayer
14. Devil & The Deep Dark Ocean
15. Nemo
16. Slaying The Dreamer
17. The Greatest Show On Earth
18. Ghost Love Score

A new NIGHTWISH 2CD compilation titled "Decades" was released on March 9.

NIGHTWISH's next album, which is tentatively due in 2020, will mark the band's second full-length release with singer Floor Jansen, who has been touring with the group since 2012.

NIGHTWISH mainman/keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen told FaceCulture about the musical and lyrical direction of the material he has already composed for NIGHTWISH's next album: "It's still really early. All I can say is that I feel really excited — super excited — for the first time in months, years. And I have six songs now — the music, not the lyrics — but I know what these songs are about. I have the overall concept of the album in my head and I'm really excited to present it to the other members of the band at some point. I feel a bit relieved also that it's back and that in the near future we're gonna be able to get back together with the band and start working on these songs."

Asked what makes the current NIGHTWISH lineup so perfect for him, Tuomas said: "I don't take it for granted, for one. Jus the past few years, the chemistry has been really good. I think you can see it on stage, you can hear it on the previous album. It's just really good at the moment. But, like I said, none of us takes it for granted; you have to work for it. And I hope everybody remembers that on the upcoming tour as well, and in the future."

THREE DAYS GRACE played a short acoustic set on Tuesday, March 13 at Vintage Vinyl in Fords, New Jersey. Video footage of the performance can be seen below.

The Canadian band is promoting its new album, "Outsider", which was released on March 9 via RCA. "Outsider" is the sixth full-length album from the band, and is the group's first since 2015's "Human".

"To me, 'Outsider' represents the journey to find your place," said bass player Brad Walst. "The world feels crazy at times. We try to get away from that every once in a while. We do our own thing, and we're comfortable doing it. We have always looked forward — and not backwards. That's an ongoing theme."

Forging a new path forward is exactly what the musicians did in the fall of 2016. Instead of congregating in a downtown Toronto rehearsal space, the band which consists of Matt Walst (lead vocals), Barry Stock (lead guitar), Brad Walst (bass) and Neil Sanderson (drums, percussion, keyboards, programming), initially wrote in a converted garage behind Brad's house located two hours from the city.

"This is all about taking a step back from life's madness without destroying yourself, cutting everyone off, or going crazy," said Neil. "You get a break and find the space to create." Eventually, the band retreated to Neil's 90-acre farm to further hone ideas, and often sat around bonfires with acoustic guitars, tapping into the wild spirit surrounding them. As the songs took shape, the band headed to the Ontario's remote Jukasa Studios, and called upon longtime friends and collaborators including producers Gavin Brown and Howard Benso, engineer Mike Plotnikoff and Chris Lord-Alge on mixing duties, for an album that speaks directly to their army of fans from around the globe. "That production team hasn't happened since 'One-X'," added Neil. "We were lucky to get this group together. It made sense because we were in a similar headspace."

As much as it upholds tradition, "Outsider" represents progression for THREE DAYS GRACE. Marking his second offering as part of the band, Matt showed "a new level of confidence and brought a ton of ideas," according to his brother Brad. Meanwhile, Neil expanded the signature electronic palette, integrating analog synths and standout programming with the help of Rhys Fulber (FEAR FACTORY, FRONTLINE ASSEMBLY). He casually nodded to electronic influences as diverse as NINE INCH NAILS, WHITE ZOMBIE, BRING ME THE HORIZON, Lana Del Rey, and a surprising cult classic, the movie "Lost Boys". First single "The Mountain" evinces that evolution. Those cinematic sonic flourishes augment arena-ready riffs before summiting towards a seismic refrain, "I'm still surviving, keep climbing, keep climbing the mountain."

Given this undeniable unpredictability, "Outsider" feels right at home alongside a catalog of fan favorites from THREE DAYS GRACE. Since 2003, the band has staked a spot amongst the hard rock vanguard, breaking records, toppling charts, moving millions of units worldwide, and making history by holding the all-time record for "most #1 singles at Active Rock Radio ever" with 13. In 2015, "Human" marked the group's second straight #1 slot on the Billboard Top Hard Rock Albums chart as well as their fourth consecutive debut in Top 20 of the Top 200. It spawned two #1 singles "Painkiller" and "I Am Machine", signaling the band's 13th overall and fifth consecutive number ones on the Active Rock Radio chart. Moreover, the four-piece consistently averaged a staggering 3.9 million monthly listeners on Spotify — remaining one of the most listened to rock bands in the world.

The second trailer for "Armor Of Light", the new album from RIOT V, the band featuring members of legendary metal pioneers RIOT, can be seen below. Due on April 27 via Nuclear Blast, the disc was produced by Chris "The Wizard" Collier (METAL CHURCH, FLOTSAM & JETSAM, SLIPKNOT, KORN), while the cover artwork was created by Mariusz Gandzel (CRYSTAL VIPER).

The new songs promise to please fans of the "Thundersteel" era of RIOT, as longtime Mark Reale music collaborator Donnie Van Stavern undertakes a lot of the writing as he did on "Thundersteel", "The Privilege Of Power" and the latest offering, "Unleash The Fire".

Hardly any other metal act has such a long and absorbing history behind it. Since the quintet formed in 1975, they have been hit by several severe strokes of fate during their long career. Three deceased members — Rhett Forester (R.I.P. 1994), Guy Speranza (R.I.P. 2003) and Mark Reale (R.I.P. 2012) — have left their mark on the four decades of RIOT's band history.

Since their legendary debut album, "Rock City" (1977), RIOT has released numerous heavy metal classics, including "Fire Down Under" (with classics like "Swords And Tequila"), their masterpiece "Thundersteel" (1988) and the unforgotten "The Privilege Of Power" (1990).

After the death of Mark Reale and the departure of Tony Moore, Todd Michael Hall (from Michigan), completed the lineup of RIOT, which changed its name to RIOT V and moved forward under the auspices of the two long-term members and main songwriters Donnie Van Stavern (bass) and Mike Flyntz (guitar). With the critically acclaimed "Unleash The Fire" (2014), a pure power metal jewel once again underlined the musical importance and influence of the quintet.

Many artists name-check RIOT as an important influence of their musical career and have paid tribute to the power metal godfathers on multiple occasions. The list is long and includes several well-known acts such as HAMMERFALL ("Flight Of The Warrior"), Luca Turilli's RHAPSODY ("Thundersteel"), AXEL RUDI PELL ("Warrior") and newcomers such as NIGHT DEMON ("Road Racin'"), ALPHA TIGER ("Flight Of The Warrior"), SAVAGE MASTER ("Swords And Tequila") and STALLION ("Rock City").

"Armor Of Light" track listing:

01. Victory
02. End Of The World
03. Messiah
04. Angel's Thunder, Devil's Reign
05. Burn The Daylight
06. Heart Of A Lion
07. Armor Of Light
08. Set The World Alight
09. San Antonio
10. Caught In the Witches Eye
11. Ready to Shine
12. Raining Fire

SAXON's music video for the song "Nosferatu (The Vampire's Waltz)" can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's 22nd studio album, "Thunderbolt", which was released on February 2 via Militia Guard (Silver Lining Music). The follow-up to 2015's "Battering Ram" was once again helmed by producer Andy Sneap, who has previously worked with JUDAS PRIEST, MEGADETH, ACCEPT and TESTAMENT, among others. The disc features original artwork by longtime SAXON collaborator Paul Raymond Gregory.

SAXON frontman Biff Byford told Overdrive about "Nosferatu": "It's a great story, isn't it?" referring to the story that originally spawned F.W. Murnau's film "Nosferatu" and Bram Stoker's "Dracula". "It was written in Yorkshire in a place called Whitby. It was a small fishing village on the East coast. It was very popular — still is very popular with the Victorians, and Bram Stoker wrote the novel there, 'Dracula', 'Nosferatu', yeah? It sort of inspired me. I used to live there. Twice a year they have a gothic fair there, a gothic festival, and it's all around the Bram Stoker thing. And also a friend of mine, a film director asked me to write a song about vampires, basically, and that's the song that we wrote, 'Nosferatu'."

SAXON is the primary support act for JUDAS PRIEST's "Firepower" tour, which kicked off on March 13 in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania and will wrap on May 1 in San Antonio, Texas. Additional support on the trek is coming from BLACK STAR RIDERS.

Byford told Dead Rhetoric about the tour: "I suppose we were out with JUDAS PRIEST and MOTÖRHEAD in 2015 for a few shows in North America — we've done fairly good gigs with them. But there's nothing like having a fantastic package together for the fans. You have to remember that when it comes to SAXON, the fans are the most important thing to us, especially when we are touring. We just feel that this package — especially JUDAS PRIEST and SAXON — is iconic. The first tour we ever did in Europe was with JUDAS PRIEST in 1980, so we've been friends with them ever since. The three bands are a great bill for the fans to see, the people seem really excited about the new album and about the tour, so we are looking forward to it."





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SAXON's music video for the song "Nosferatu (The Vampire's Waltz)" can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's 22nd studio album, "Thunderbolt", which was released on February 2 via Militia Guard (Silver Lining Music). The follow-up to 2015's "Battering Ram" was once again helmed by producer Andy Sneap, who has previously worked with JUDAS PRIEST, MEGADETH, ACCEPT and TESTAMENT, among others. The disc features original artwork by longtime SAXON collaborator Paul Raymond Gregory.

SAXON frontman Biff Byford told Overdrive about "Nosferatu": "It's a great story, isn't it?" referring to the story that originally spawned F.W. Murnau's film "Nosferatu" and Bram Stoker's "Dracula". "It was written in Yorkshire in a place called Whitby. It was a small fishing village on the East coast. It was very popular — still is very popular with the Victorians, and Bram Stoker wrote the novel there, 'Dracula', 'Nosferatu', yeah? It sort of inspired me. I used to live there. Twice a year they have a gothic fair there, a gothic festival, and it's all around the Bram Stoker thing. And also a friend of mine, a film director asked me to write a song about vampires, basically, and that's the song that we wrote, 'Nosferatu'."

SAXON is the primary support act for JUDAS PRIEST's "Firepower" tour, which kicked off on March 13 in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania and will wrap on May 1 in San Antonio, Texas. Additional support on the trek is coming from BLACK STAR RIDERS.

Byford told Dead Rhetoric about the tour: "I suppose we were out with JUDAS PRIEST and MOTÖRHEAD in 2015 for a few shows in North America — we've done fairly good gigs with them. But there's nothing like having a fantastic package together for the fans. You have to remember that when it comes to SAXON, the fans are the most important thing to us, especially when we are touring. We just feel that this package — especially JUDAS PRIEST and SAXON — is iconic. The first tour we ever did in Europe was with JUDAS PRIEST in 1980, so we've been friends with them ever since. The three bands are a great bill for the fans to see, the people seem really excited about the new album and about the tour, so we are looking forward to it."







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Tengger Cavalry's sixth record and Napalm Records' debut, Cian Bi, is out now. A video for the album track "Electric Shaman" can be found below. Order the new album here.

'Cian Bi' stands for the name of an ancient nomadic tribe that immigrated into Northern China to merge cultural differences. The band's nomadic fighting spirit helps to fuse unworldly cultures in harmony - and that's the spirit! With their music as a deputy: Distorted guitars and double bass-blast beats hit this very own singing style out of Central Asia. With the Mongolian horsehead fiddle aka Morin khuur these extremes got stick together to a thrilling sound you have never heard before. This is innovation surpreme!

Nature G, mastermind and creative spirit behind Tengger Cavalry, comments: "In this album, we used the concept of the Cian Bi tribe, to express the idea of multi-culture development, acceptance of diversity and individual freedom. We believe that through individual choice and identity freedom, each of us can decide who we want to become and embrace every culture around the world as one nomadic tribe - human tribe."

Cian Bi tracklisting:

"And Darkness Continues"
"Cian-Bi (Fight Your Darkness)"
"Our Ancestors"
"Strength"
"Chasing My Horse"
"Electric Shaman"
"Ride Into Grave And Glory (War Horse II)"
"Redefine"
"A Drop Of The Blood, A Leap Of The Faith"
"The Old War"
"One Tribe, Beyond Any Nation"
"Just Forgive"
"One-Track Mind"
"You and I, Under The Same Sky"
"Sitting In Circle"

"Electric Shaman" video:

"You and I, Under The Same Sky" lyric video:

"Ride Into Grave And Glory (War Horse II)" lyric video:

"Cian-Bi (Fight Your Darkness)" video:

"Ritual And Redemption" lyric video:

"The Lyricist", the new album from Norwegian extreme, melodic metallers SUSPERIA, can be streamed in its entirety below. The band's first full-length studio disc since 2009 will be released on March 16 via Agonia Records.

The origins of SUSPERIA can be traced back to 1998 when Tjodalv, then occupying the drum seat with DIMMU BORGIR, and longtime friend Cyrus (ex-SATYRICON, OLD MAN'S CHILD) got together to share ideas and write songs. Clearly rooted and seasoned in the Norwegian black metal scene, SUSPERIA elevated its sound into more melodic areas of extreme metal, embracing and exploring a variety of musical avenues with ease.

On "The Lyricist", SUSPERIA has gone back to its black origin in many ways, one of which is a grimmer expression. The characteristic melodic twist the band is known for is still present, and an additional layer of variety has been added thanks to new vocalist, Bernt "Dagon" Fjellestad (whose stage debut with the band was made at last year's 70000 Tons Of Metal). From SUSPERIA's pragmatic point of view, the new album is a "good old-fashioned kick in the head, both old and new fans should find enjoyable".

Track listing:

01. I Entered
02. Heretic
03. The Lyricist
04. My Darkest Moment
05. Day I Died
06. Void
07. Feed The Fire
08. Whore Of Man
09. Come Alive

"The Lyricist" was recorded at three different studios in Norway between February 2015 and May 2016. The album was later mixed and mastered at Strand Studio (CHROME DIVISION, THE WRETCHED END, IN VAIN) by Marius Strand. Cover design and artwork was prepared by Vincent Fouquet. New band photos were shot by Espen Bakken.

SUSPERIA lineup:

Dagon - vocals
Tjodalv - drums
Memnock - bass
Cyrus - guitar
Elvorn - guitar

Metal power is in the building: They’ve worked and toured with legendary bands like Powerwolf, Rage, Grave Digger, U.D.O. and many more. They have been delivering pure heavy metal for nearly 20 years now - if you search for true heavy metal in Germany, you will find the mighty Majesty.

Founded by Tarek "MS" ("Metal Son") Maghary, Majesty has worked hard from day one. They recorded three demos, played their first festivals and recorded their first full length album in 2002. Entitled Sword & Sorcery, this debut still reigns in every true metal heart today. Numerous albums, tours and festival shows followed and over the years Majesty has become one of the best-selling heavy metal bands in Europe and still grow daily.

Last year they made it to #16 with Rebels on the German album charts. Riding on the wave of their success the band is ready to take the next step and join the Napalm Records family.

Tarek "MS" Maghary comments on their future endeavours: "We are happy, that we found a perfect partner with Napalm Records who fully shares the same passion and dedication for heavy metal than we do. I can already promise you, that we will strike back with a new album in 2019 which will blow everything else away. But for now, we will continue to finish our Rebels tour 2018 and we would be very happy if you come along to party with us. Friends, we see you on the road!"

    
Majesty are:

Tarek "MS" Maghary - vocals
Emanuel Knorr - lead & rhythm guitars
Robin Hadamovsky - guitars
Arthur Gauglitz- bass
Jan Raddatz - drums

British heavy metal legends JUDAS PRIEST kicked off their "Firepower" world tour earlier tonight (Tuesday, March 13) at Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. The concert marked the band's first performance since guitarist Glenn Tipton announced that he was retiring from the road due to his battle with Parkinson's disease. He is being replaced on tour by "Firepower" album producer Andy Sneap, also known for his work as the guitar player in NWOBHM revivalists HELL and cult thrash outfit SABBAT.

JUDAS PRIEST's setlist was as follows:

01. Firepower
02. Running Wild
03. Grinder
04. Sinner
05. The Ripper
06. Lightning Strike
07. Bloodstone
08. Saints In Hell
09. Turbo Lover
10. Angel
11. Evil Never Dies
12. Some Heads Are Gonna Roll
13. Breaking The Law
14. Hell Bent For Leather
15. Painkiller
16. The Hellion / Electric Eye
17. Metal Gods
18. You've Got Another Thing Comin'
19. Living After Midnight

Fan-filmed video footage of the show can be seen below.

Tipton was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease 10 years ago, but only recently announced he was going to sit out touring activities in support of "Firepower". The guitarist, who is now 70 and has performed on every PRIEST album since the band's 1974 debut set, "Rocka Rolla", is not quitting the band, but simply cannot handle the rigorous challenges of performing live.

Asked how JUDAS PRIEST came to choose Sneap to step in for Tipton on the band's tour in support of "Firepower", bassist Ian Hill told veteran Japanese rock journalist Masa Itoh: "It probably came from during the recording of the album. Andy is a very good guitarist, an excellent guitarist in his own right, and I think Glenn got to know Andy and got to trust Andy, which is very important. We wanted someone who we knew as well, if at all possible. The last thing you want is somebody coming in with their own baggage, if you know what I mean. And we can trust Andy to do a good job, and I think he'll do justice to the songs. And that was the main thing — I think it was the familiarity with Andy. We had great respect for him — before we met him, we had great respect for him. But with the work he did on the album — I mean, it sounds phenomenal; he did a tremendous job with that. We're doing songs off the new album, which he is totally familiar with, and he knows a lot of the parts anyway from that. And he's also a PRIEST fan — he's been listening to us for years — and he fits the slot perfectly. I think he'll fit in and I think he'll do a tremendous job."

"Firepower" was released on March 9 via Epic. The follow-up to 2014's "Redeemer Of Souls" was recorded by Sneap, the band's longtime collaborator Tom Allom and engineer Mike Exeter (BLACK SABBATH). The cover artwork for "Firepower" was created by the Chilean/Italian artist Claudio Bergamin.

The North American leg of the "Firepower" tour will wrap on May 1 in San Antonio, Texas.

The second trailer for the self-titled debut album from AURI, the project featuring NIGHTWISH mainman/keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen and his wife, popular Finnish singer Johanna Kurkela, can be seen below. The disc will be released on March 23 via Nuclear Blast.



"Auri" track listing:



01. The Space Between

02. I Hope Your World Is Kind

03. Skeleton Tree

04. Desert Flower

05. Night 13

06. See

07. The Name Of The Wind

08. Aphrodite Rising

09. Savant

10. Underthing Solstice

11. Them Thar Chanterelles



AURI began its life with three people, united through their shared need to hear a kind of a music which can't be described by words alone. A magical kind of sound to be heard whilst falling down Alice's rabbit hole.



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The second trailer for the self-titled debut album from AURI, the project featuring NIGHTWISH mainman/keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen and his wife, popular Finnish singer Johanna Kurkela, can be seen below. The disc will be released on March 23 via Nuclear Blast.



"Auri" track listing:



01. The Space Between

02. I Hope Your World Is Kind

03. Skeleton Tree

04. Desert Flower

05. Night 13

06. See

07. The Name Of The Wind

08. Aphrodite Rising

09. Savant

10. Underthing Solstice

11. Them Thar Chanterelles



AURI began its life with three people, united through their shared need to hear a kind of a music which can't be described by words alone. A magical kind of sound to be heard whilst falling down Alice's rabbit hole.





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The first song born of this mindset, "Aphrodite Rising", appeared in 2011. And slowly the earth has cracked open again and ten more tracks have emerged out of the soil's dust.




Thus the trio was formed. Kurkela lent her unique voice, while Holopainen and English composer and multi-instrumentalist Troy Donockley (also of NIGHTWISH) cast their spells with various other instruments. Using selected guest musicians and friends, the album finally takes its ultimate form under the direction of sound engineer Tim Oliver, all within the pastoral splendor of Real World studios in Southern England.



Everything begins with a vision. A virtuoso imagination hovering auspiciously in the air, composed of multi-faceted fragments and ideas that gradually become more concrete, slowly taking shape and then finally forming out of the minds of their makers as a new project. Completely unexpected, it's just a natural, flowing process. This is just what happened with these three outstanding, internationally successful musicians who have created a musical gem in the form of AURI, which shines even brighter than the glittering Polar Star in the night sky. Kurkela, Holopainen and Donockley take their eponymous debut on a fairytale journey through time and space, far from here and now reminding us of the fantastic adventures of "Alice In Wonderland".



Comprehensive sound cascades full of magical and surreal moments that touch all senses await us; sometimes yearning and dreamy, then again rousing and intense. AURI celebrate a kind of epic-romantic ethno pop that seems to float in quaint spheres, which are intangible yet unleash multi-faceted sounds capes filled with powerful imagery. These sound cascades are based on Celtic traditional sounds, atmospheric-cinematic dream sequences, melancholic melodies and a touch of transfigured mysticism; beautiful instrumentation yielding an unfathomable depth.



AURI is the result of a shared passion. Everyone was involved in everything. However, Tuomas Holopainen does not want to reveal too much about the songs and their stories, "since the listener should bring their own story to the songs — after all, that's what makes the album so beautiful. It lives from the imagination of every single person!" says the composer. "But what I can tell you is that some of the content and the song lyrics are inspired by the Patrick Rothfuss books. Maybe people who know those books and those stories will recognize some parallels and certain scenarios, but believe me; the album equates to so much more."



If Tuomas describes "Auri" in his own words, he cannot help but smile. "Just a few days ago, we had this conversation within the band and we thought about the best way to describe it," he says. "Two terms came to our minds; rabbit hole music and celestial metal. Obviously, you can hear influences from folk music, Celtic music, soundtracks — all that music that we love and adore, but categorizing the style is really impossible. I'll leave that to the listeners."



A tour is currently not planned but one thing is already certain: "This is definitely not just a one-album thing!" So sit back, close your eyes and let yourself fall into the depths. A world of wonder and miracles awaits you behind the mirrors.



AURI is:



Johanna Kurkela: Voices, viola

Tuomas Holopainen: Keys, backing voices

Troy Donockley: Acoustic and electric guitars, bouzouki, uilleann pipes, low whistles, aerophone, bodhran, keys, voices



Holopainen and Kurkela have been married since October 2015.

Due on March 30 is extensive series of vinyl releases of Rob Zombie solo efforts, including "Hellbilly Deluxe", "American Made Music To Strip By", "The Sinister Urge", "Educated Horses", "Zombie Live" and "Spookshow International Live". A trailer for the set is available below.



The Rob Zombie limited-edition vinyl box set will contain 11 albums on 15 180-gram audiophile black vinyl LPs (all titles except "Hellbilly Deluxe 2" also available for individual preorder on standard-weight black LPs)



* "Astro-Creep: 2000 Live" - 1LP (new album: recorded at Riot Fest Chicago, September 2016)

* "Hellbilly Deluxe" - 1LP (first release on 180g black vinyl since 1998)

* "American Made Music To Strip By" - 2LP (first release on vinyl since 1999)

* "The Sinister Urge" - 1LP (first release on 180g black vinyl since 2001)

* "Educated Horses" - 1LP (first release on 180g black vinyl)

* "Zombie Live" - 2LP (first release on vinyl)

* "Hellbilly Deluxe 2" - 1LP (first release on vinyl since 2010)

* "Mondo Sex Head" - 2LP (first release on 180g black vinyl)

* "Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor" - 1LP (first release on 180g black vinyl)

* "Spookshow International Live" - 2LP (first release on 180g black vinyl)

* "The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser" - 1LP (first release on 180g black vinyl)



Exclusive extras:



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Due on March 30 is extensive series of vinyl releases of Rob Zombie solo efforts, including "Hellbilly Deluxe", "American Made Music To Strip By", "The Sinister Urge", "Educated Horses", "Zombie Live" and "Spookshow International Live". A trailer for the set is available below.



The Rob Zombie limited-edition vinyl box set will contain 11 albums on 15 180-gram audiophile black vinyl LPs (all titles except "Hellbilly Deluxe 2" also available for individual preorder on standard-weight black LPs)



* "Astro-Creep: 2000 Live" - 1LP (new album: recorded at Riot Fest Chicago, September 2016)

* "Hellbilly Deluxe" - 1LP (first release on 180g black vinyl since 1998)

* "American Made Music To Strip By" - 2LP (first release on vinyl since 1999)

* "The Sinister Urge" - 1LP (first release on 180g black vinyl since 2001)

* "Educated Horses" - 1LP (first release on 180g black vinyl)

* "Zombie Live" - 2LP (first release on vinyl)

* "Hellbilly Deluxe 2" - 1LP (first release on vinyl since 2010)

* "Mondo Sex Head" - 2LP (first release on 180g black vinyl)

* "Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor" - 1LP (first release on 180g black vinyl)

* "Spookshow International Live" - 2LP (first release on 180g black vinyl)

* "The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser" - 1LP (first release on 180g black vinyl)



Exclusive extras:





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• Foil stamp-numbered custom box designed by Rob Zombie

• Individually hand-painted, vacuum-formed Creeper Robot mask

• 8GB Creeper Robot USB stick with all 11 albums in uncompressed 44.1kHz/16-bit digital audio files for personal use

• Five collectable lithographs designed by Rob Zombie and Hartman, including one autographed by Zombie

• Turntable mat designed by Rob Zombie

• Microfiber LP cleaning cloth designed by Rob Zombie and Hartman



Also due on March 30 is Rob Zombie's 2016 front-to-back concert performance of WHITE ZOMBIE's 1995 album "Astro-Creep: 2000 – Songs Of Love, Destruction And Other Synthetic Delusions Of The Electric Head". "Astro-Creep: 2000 Live" will be made available via Interscope/Geffen/A&M.



Zombie and his band began working on the follow-up to 2016's "The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser" last summer. The new LP is tentatively due out later this year.



Zombie has just started production on his next movie, a sequel to his 2005 horror hit "The Devil's Rejects". "3 From Hell", which started shooting on Tuesday (March 13), is said to continue the story of the Firefly clan — Sid Haig as Captain Spaulding, Bill Moseley as Otis and Sheri Moon Zombie as Baby — whom we saw go down in a torrent of bullets at the end of the first film.

Good news from the BRAINSTORM camp: one of Germany's premiere metal bands will enter the Greenman Studios to record their upcoming new album with producer Sebastian Seeb Levermann (ORDEN OGAN, Rhapsody Of Fire). The album will be titled "MIDNIGHT GHOST", a release is scheduled for September via AFM Records and the tour will start in January 2019.

Vocalist Andy B Franck comments:

"I think people will realize right away that we took enough of time to deliver a special album, our 12th overall by the way, this time. The songs sound very intense, fresh, heavy and aggressive - even after listening to the material for so long now. Our 12th album, so we will record 12 songs and then decide which of these finally end up on the album. We are happy that we were able to secure the services of Seeb, who was our #1 choice and will take us to the limit. We're so looking forward to work with him - also because we feel that "MIDNIGHT GHOST" will become a very special album. Stay tuned for updates, folks!"

Austin, Texas metal luminaries THE SWORD will kick off their 2018 "Used Future" tour on March 21 at the Mohawk in their hometown. The entire performance will be streamed live worldwide on YouTube beginning at 9:40 p.m. Eastern Time / 8:40 p.m. Central Time. For those unable to watch live, the show will be archived.

THE SWORD's sixth studio album, "Used Future", will be released on March 23. The disc was recorded in Portland, Oregon with producer Tucker Martine (MY MORNING JACKET, THE DECEMBERISTS, FIRST AID KIT).

Multiple pre-order bundles are available from both the band's webstore and the label's store. This includes an exclusive "eight-track" version featuring a USB drive containing the full album and visualizer, housed in an authentic eight-track cassette shell, and a vinyl version with bonus 12-inch "Serpent Weather" single featuring art by Thomas Hooper.

THE SWORD's live album "Greetings From..." , was released last May via Razor & Tie. The band recorded all of the shows on its fall 2016 tour with OPETH and chose nine songs to make up the track listing on the disc.

Photo credit: Jack Thompson

PEARL JAM performed its new song "Can't Deny Me" live for the first time at the band's first show of 2018, which took place last night (Tuesday, March 13) at the Movistar Arena in Santiago, Chile.

Singer Eddie Vedder spoke to the Chilean crowd in Spanish and dedicated the track to the students of Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

"Can't Deny Me" was released on Tuesday (March 13). The just-over-two-and-a-half-minute song was co-produced by the band and Brendan O'Brien and is set to appear on PEARL JAM's forthcoming LP. The band has yet to announce a release date for the follow-up to 2013's "Lightning Bolt". The music for the track was written by guitarist Mike McCready and lyrics by Vedder. Artwork for the single was created by bassist Jeff Ament and videographer Kevin Shuss. The song appears to take direct aim at President Donald Trump — albeit without mentioning his name.

PEARL JAM also has shows scheduled for Europe and North America in the coming months.

Photo credit: Danny Clinch

As Broken Limbs Excite No Pity, the long-awaited second full-length from Bruce Lamont (Yakuza, Corrections House, Brain Tentacles) draws near, a new video for "8-9-3” is streaming below.

Broken Limbs Excite No Pity will see release on CD, digital, and limited vinyl formats via War Crime Recordings on March 23rd. Preorder at this location.

Broken Limbs Excite No Pity, Lamont's second solo album, is in many ways a harsher experience than Feral Songs. Tracked in Chicago's Minbal Studios with Sanford Parker behind the board, it's a one-man show like its predecessor -- Lamont sings, harmonizing mournfully with himself, and plays saxophone, guitar, percussion, and electronics. Also like last time, it opens with an eleven-minute epic. "Excite No Pity" starts out featuring multiple crying saxophones and deep, almost Bill Laswell-esque bass drones, but is ultimately overtaken by searing electronic noise. "MacLean" warps an acoustic guitar melody with tape effects, to keep it from sounding too much like a Kansas song, while "Goodbye Electric Sunday" is a unique blend of spaghetti western soundtrack and beat poetry over an almost hip-hop groove. Lamont uses his voice as an instrument almost as often as he uses it to put across his lyrics. On "Neither Spare Nor Dispose," he wails and groans as loops of forcefully strummed acoustic guitar and rumbling percussion thunder past, and static washes over it all like a wave.

At its base, music is sound (noise, if you like) organized into patterns. And those sounds/noises don't have to be pretty ones, as long as the patterns are compelling. Bruce Lamont understands this intuitively, and has demonstrated an ability to create hypnotic, ominous, emotionally resonant and even somehow transcendent arrangements of patterned sound. These aren't "songs" like you hear on the radio. They're literally sound art. This is an album you dunk your head in like a bucket of ice water, and when you pull it back out, you're not the same person you were before. - Phil Freeman, 2018

Tracklisting:

“Excite No Pity”
“8-9-3”
“MacLean”
“Goodbye Electric Sunday”
“Neither Spare Nor Dispose”
“The Crystal Effect”
“Moonlight And The Sea”

"8-9-3":

"Goodbye Electric Sunday" video:

Trailer:

(Photo by: Anna Michal Paul)

FM will release their new album, Atomic Generation, on March 30th. An official music video for the album track "Playing Tricks On Me" is available for streaming below.

FM's eleventh studio album, Atomic Generation, was recorded at Coal House Studios in Staffordshire and West3 Productions, London, engineered by Scott Ralph and mixed by Jeff Knowler (Indiscreet 30, Heroes & Villains, Rockville, Metropolis).

"I think this is the most mature and complete FM album we've made." - Steve Overland

All copies of the album pre-ordered here will be signed by the band and will be dispatched to arrive for release date.

Tracklisting:

"Black Magic"
"Too Much Of A Good Thing"
"Killed By Love"
"In It For The Money"
"Golden Days"
"Playing Tricks On Me"
"Make The Best Of What You Got"
"Follow Your Heart"
"Do You Love Me Enough"
"Stronger"
"Love Is The Law"

"Playing Tricks On Me" video:

"Black Magic" video:

"Make The Best Of What You Got":

Hailing from Greece, heavy/thrash metal band Sense Of Fear have signed a worldwide deal for the release of As The Ages Passing By… with Rockshots Records.

Formed in late ‘90s, as the band’s name suggests, their sound reminds to very deep and dark feelings, blended with power and aggressive tones. “Fear” is a key instinct for humans to survive.

The debut album As The Ages Passing By… is a result of almost 20 years working hard on the songs, each one picked up carefully and with a unique story to tell alongside a deep feeling within. All the lyrics come from personal experiences and emotions, and these are a way to express ourselves and fight the personal demons. Each song has its own gravity to the album, and all together create Sense Of Fear’s presentation to the world as a band and as musicians.

The blending of every metal genre in a total personal way makes this record a release you don’t want to miss, as it turns the old style into something new and innovative.

All the album tracks have been recorded at Valve Studio in Thessaloniki by Stratos "Strutter" Karagiannidis (Gus G , Wardrum), mixed and mastered at Music Factory and Prophecy Studios in Kempten-ALLGÄU, Germany by R.D. Liapakis (Mystic Prophecy, Devil's Train) & C. Schmid.

The album's artwork has been designed and edited by Colin Marks, (Nevermore, Exodus, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Kataklysm, Jeff Loomis, Xerath, Sylosis).

The new album As The Ages Passing By… is set to be released via Rockshots Records on April 20th.

Tracklisting:

“Molten Core”
“Slaughter Of Innocence”
“Black Hole”
“Angel Of Steel”
“The Song Of A Nightingale”
“Torture Of Mind”
“Lord Of The World”
“Unbreached Walls”
“Sense Of Fear”
“As The Ages Passing By, Time Still Runs Against Us”

“Sense Of Fear” lyric video:

Finnish metal band, Random Eyes, have announced the physical release of their fourth album Grieve No More on March 30th via Rock ‘N’ Growl Records. The album comes in in a cardboard wallet as a limited edition of 100 pieces and includes 10 tracks + 1 bonus track. The CD can be pre-ordered at the Random Eyes Facebook page.

A brand new video teaser for the Grieve No More CD release can be viewed below:

The album includes ten tracks and was produced by Christian Palin (Panorama, ex-Adagio) and mixed/mastered by Angelo Buccolieri. The cover artwork was made by Andy Pilkington of Very Metal Art (Soil, Flotsam & Jetsam, Fury, Kissin’ Dynamite, Bloodstock Festival).

Tracklisting:

“Trail Of Tears”
“Myopathy”
“Grieve No More”
“Fates Loves The Fearless”
“2 Worlds Collide”
“Damnation”
“Do What Thou Wilt”
“Never Too Late”
“Scar”
“The Final Quest”

36 years after their last release F in 1982, German cult act Fargo has announced the arrival of a brand new studio album. Constellation is due out via Steamhammer/SPV on May 25th, and will be available on CD Digi and coloured gatefold LP.

The current lineup includes founder members Peter Ladwig (vocals/guitar) and Peter "Fargo-Pedda" Knorn (bass). Two songs on the album feature original drummer Frank "Franky" Tolle. In addition, the group consists of guitarist Arndt Schulz (Harlis, Jane) and drummer Nikolas Fritz (Mob Rules).

The Fargo reunion was preceded by the major success of Knorn’s autobiography, Bis hierhin und so weiter, 20 Jahre Rock'N'Roll, in summer 2016. Ever since its release, the musician and band manager has increasingly seen himself faced with urgent requests by faithful Fargo fans to reactivate the band which had ceased to exist since the foundation of Fargo’s successor, Victory, in the early 1980s.

“Suddenly I wondered how Fargo would sound today if the band was still around - or indeed returned,” Peter Knorn explains the initial spark of inspiration that triggered the comeback.

Fargo have recorded a total of twelve classic rock songs for Constellation, among them the first single "Leave It", scheduled for release on March 23rd as lead single and video. The full album will arrive at the physical and digital stores eight weeks later. No doubt about it: Not only the stars on the cover artwork are currently extremely lucky for Fargo.

Tracklisting:

"Step Back"
"Leave It"
"Mind Your Own Business"
"Loser's Blues"
"Buzz Buzz"
"Cross To Bear"
"Don't Talk"
"Southern Breeze"
"Boozy Vivienne"
"What's Wrong"
"Goddess Of Destiny"
"Goodnight"

Founded in 1973 by Peter Knorn and Peter Ladwig, the group soon earned itself a faithful fan base and went on to sign a recording contract only a few years later. For a while guitarist Matthias Jabs, who joined the Scorpions in 1978 and went on to make a global career, was also part of the Fargo fold. Fargo themselves developed into an internationally acclaimed act, too, released their debut album in 1979 and brought out three more superlative studio albums by 1982, all of them on EMI, the major label giant of that time. The band toured all over Europe, played with the greatest luminaries of the rock scene, performed outstandingly successful tours with AC/DC, Mothers Finest and The Small Faces, among others, and wowed TV audiences on a regular basis. Thanks to their sensational live shows (including Knorn’s legendary nightly head-first somersault), Europe’s biggest teen magazine Bravo devoted two full pages to the Fargo bassist in January 1981.

You can see the stunt below at 2:09:

Following a time of upheaval, the hard rock act Victory emerged from Fargo in 1984 and continued the successful career of its predecessor seamlessly.

(Photo - martinhuch.de)

Strapping Young Lad founder Devin Townsend has decided to "take a break" from the Devin Townsend Project. 

Following Devin Townsend's announcement that he has put the Devin Townsend Project on indefinite hiatus while he works on other projects, two members of DTP have teamed up with a couple of members of Townsend's former group, Strapping Young Lad, to form a new band.

Joining drummer Ryan Van Poederooyen and guitarist Brian "Beav" Waddell (who played bass in DTP) are bassist Byron Stroud, second guitarist Jed Simon and vocalist Jon Howard.

Regarding how Howard came to be part of the new band, Van Poederooyen said: "We were looking into a few other known singers and then, Jon was recommended to us through a mutual good friend. We got in touch with Jon and were immediately blown away with the talent this guy possesses. He recorded vocals for a couple demos of ours, just a couple days after talking with him for the first time. Once we heard his vocal demos, we knew we found our guy. Jon can sing, scream and growl with the best of them. He's showing off his voice in more ways than one in this band."

The new band will reveal its name on Friday, March 16th.

Band lineup:
-Jon Howard (Threat Signal) - Vocals
-Jed Simon (Vimic, Strapping Young Lad, Scar The Martyr) - Guitar
-Brian "Beav" Waddell (Devin Townsend Project) - Guitar
-Byron Stroud (Strapping Young Lad) - Bass
-Ryan Van Poederooyen (Devin Townsend Project) - Drums

 

Nuclear Blast Entertainment have released the new album from Tax The Heat, entitled Change Your Position. The album is available as CD and digital. The band have released a new video trailer, entitled The Medicine Sessions Episode Seven: Beer Tasting At Ghost Whale . Check it out below.

Change Your Position is the follow up to the 2016 critically-acclaimed debut album Fed To The Lions. The new album sees the band take a huge step forward as both songwriters and performers. The band's unique blend of fuzz-driven rock with a modern alternative twist has won them a legion of fans. The album stamps its authority right from the off with the taut "Money In The Bank" (also the first single). From the staccato stomp of "Playing With Fire" to the huge riffs of "Cut Your Chains," from the garage rock of "On The Run" to the slow groove and instant lyrical hit of "All That Medicine". Change Your Position is a lean, focused album loaded with an energy that is set to propel the band to headline status.

The driving rhythms of Jack Taylor (drums) and Antonio Angotti (bass) are overlaid with the powerful riffs of JP Jacyshyn (guitars) and distinctive melodies of Alex Veale (vocals, guitars).

"If an album is about capturing a band or artist at a certain point, Change Your Position might have happened at the perfect time. As a band we toured, found our sound, found our place and took inspiration from a world in utter chaos. With Change Your Position we pushed ourselves creatively as hard as we could and it took us further into ourselves than we expected - we hope it's apparent to the listener." - Alex Veale

Tracklisting:

“Money In The Bank”
“Change Your Position”
“Playing With Fire”
“All That Medicine”
“On The Run”
“The Last Time”
“Taking The Hit”
“My Headspace”
“We Are Consumers”
“Cut Your Chains”
“Wearing A Disguise”
“The Symphony Has Begun”

“Change Your Position” video:

“All That Medicine” lyric video:

“Money In The Bank” video:

The Medicine Sessions: Episode One:

The Medicine Sessions: Episode Two:

The Medicine Sessions: Episode Three:

The Medicine Sessions: Episode Four:

The Medicine Sessions: Episode Five:

The Medicine Sessions: Episode Six:

The Medicine Sessions: Episode Seven:

German rockers Double Crush Syndrome have checked in with the following update:

"Dear all! We are happy and proud to announce that Jason-Steve Mageney is the new drummer for Double Crush Syndrome. His talent, spirit and energy are already propelling us into new spheres, and we cannot wait to hit the stage with him. You´re all going to love him, that´s a fact! We will announce more shows very soon, but be sure to come see us supporting the mighty Skid Row in April/May! Welcome Jason!"

Double Crush Syndrome frontman and former Sodom guitarist Andy Brings has checked in with the following update:

"A movie? Yes, a movie! There are things in life, where words and music are not enough.

Dreams, hopes and longings are incredibly visual things, and that´s why there will be Full Circle – Last Exit Rock N´ Roll! By kind of telling my story, my team and I want to show what drives people who have a dream and are willing to sacrifice everything to make it come true. We want to find out how they cope when their dream turns into a nightmare, how they turn it back around, make everything come full circle, and lead their lives to their destiny and find the true meaning of their being. No matter what the individual small or big goal may be or how long it takes.

My life was and still is like that. Love, passion, struggle, setbacks, lifeblood, success, defeat, laughter and tears, but my rock n´ roll dream came true. From being a fanboy to touring with my heroes, without whom there'd be no me. Thirty-plus years never losing sight of the target, I am the living proof that everything is possible!

My story is your story. What are your dreams? Are you searching for your own truth? Are you willing to give it your all? This film shall be inspiration and confirmation. Whatever it is that you need. Don´t let them discourage you. Go your own way, no matter what they say. You will see that you are not alone!

The movie premiere will take place on September 12th, 2018 at the Lichturg in Essen, Germany´s most beautiful movie theatre, with a full-on red carpet event, where I will hopefully meet all of you.

I´m very grateful for your support, without you nothing lives.

Thank you!

Go to this location to check out Andy Brings' pledge campaign.

Photo by Franja Heydel