Ultimate Jam Night, the long-running weekly show in residency at the Whisky A Go Go, honored Slayer on Tuesday, March 13th in Los Angeles.
 
Featured in performance was a who’s who of the thrash and heavy metal community including the entire band Prong (Tommy Victor, Jason Christopher and Art Cruz), Ira Black (I Am Morbid), current and former members of Danzig including Jerry Montano (The Damage) and Joe Fraulob (Trauma), original Testament bassist Greg Christian (Trauma) and former guitarist Steve Smyth (One Machine), Eli Santana of Huntress and Doc Coyle of Bad Wolves.

Also included in Tuesday’s performance was Ira Black’s son, Ira Black IV on guitar, and his two stepsons Austin Waggoner (13) on drums and Nicolas Waggoner (15) on vocals. Together they call themselves Divine Retribution. They performed "Repentless".
 
Slayer announced plan in January for their final tour after nearly 40 years as a band. The creator of monster genre hits including “Raining Blood” – has a passionate and extremely loyal fan base. The night honored the band and its fans. The evening was hosted by former MTV personality and musical artist Jesse Snider.
 
Founded in 2015 by Quiet Riot’s Chuck Wright, Ultimate Jam Night is a community-oriented weekly show featuring a rotating cast of world-class artists in a completely unrehearsed format. The event covers multiple genres and is free. For more information visit UltimateJamNight.com.
 

All videos courtesy of Johnny Angel.

The Florida-based melodic death metal quintet The Absence have unveiled a music video for a new song called “Misery Trophies.”

The single, which is also available for download and stream via digital platforms, comes from their highly anticipated new album, A Gift For The Obsessed, out March 23rd on M-Theory Audio
 
“Misery Trophies” marks The Absence's second music video release leading up to the launch of A Gift For The Obsessed.

“’Misery Trophies’ is about the toxic people that we all have in our lives,” explains singer Jamie Stewart. “The people who cannot wait to be the bearers of bad news - individuals so devoid of joy themselves, that they revel in the delivery of misery to others.”
 
The video was directed and shot by Deidra Kling and Jeramie Kling, and edited by Tommy Jones (Slayer, Testament) at VideoHammer.

 
A Gift For The Obsessed is The Absence’s first full-length since 2010's acclaimed Enemy Unbound (Metal Blade Records), and is the first to feature their current lineup. Led by founding members Stewart and Jeramie Kling (drums) along with longtime bass player Mike Leon (Soulfly, Havok, Arsis), the group now features the high-flying guitar work of Joey Concepcion (Jasta, Armageddon) and Taylor Nordberg (Soilwork, Ribspreader), who made their debut on the band's self-released digital single, “Septic Testament," in 2016. 
 
“Septic Testament” is one of ten tracks on the band's new album, the LP edition of which will feature red/black haze colored vinyl, a heavyweight 24-pt. jacket, a color lyric sheet and a download card. The record also includes a cover of Suicidal Tendencies’ “You Can’t Bring Me Down” that features guest vocals by Bjorn “Speed” Strid (Soilwork, The Night Flight Orchestra). Preorders are available at this location.

Derek Smalls, the bass force formerly of the fabled heavy metal band formerly known as SPINAL TAP, returns with the release of his first full-length solo venture, "Smalls Change (Meditations Upon Ageing)", out globally April 13 via Twanky Records/BMG on digital, CD and vinyl.

The official music video for the disc's new single, "It Don't Get Old", can be seen below.

Smalls launches his U.S. tour, "Lukewarm Water Live: An Adventure In Loud Music", on April 14 in concert with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra at the Saenger Theater, New Orleans. Subsequent dates include June 29 in Atlanta at the Atlanta Symphony Hall with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and a special appearance with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. (additional details to be announced soon).

"Smalls Change" is a poignant and oftentimes furious contemplation on aging that explores the passing of time and all things loud. With styles that cross the gamut of musical genres, the album possesses the edgy rawness and rock god sensibility that was always shared by Derek and his fellow former bandmembers Nigel Tufnel and David St. Hubbins. The album also features some of the greatest talents of rock and roll music and beyond, including Peter Frampton, Donald Fagen, Dweezil Zappa, Rick Wakeman, Richard Thompson, Steve Lukather, Joe Satriani, Waddy Wachtel, Michael League, Jeff "Skunk" Baxter, Paul Shaffer, Steve Vai, Larry Carlton, Judith Owen, Jane Lynch and The Hungarian Studio Orchestra. "Smalls Change" is produced by CJ Vanston (SPINAL TAP, RODNEY CROWELL).

Smalls describes "Smalls Change" as "halfway between 'rage against the dying of the light' and trying to find the light." When asked how he managed to round up so many world-class rockers to join the project, Derek's terse response is "Pity fuck."

"Smalls Change" track listing:

01. Openture - Derek with The Hungarian Studio Orchestra
02. Rock 'N' Roll Transplant - Derek with Steve Lukather (guitar, TOTO), drum legends Jim Keltner (George Harrison) and Chad Smith (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS)
03. Butt Call - Derek with Phil X (guitar, BON JOVI) and Taylor Hawkins (drums, FOO FIGHTERS)
04. Smalls Change - Derek with The Hungarian Studio Orchestra, Judith Owen (vocals) Danny Kortchmar (guitar, Don Henley) and Russ Kunkel (drums, James Taylor)
05. Memo To Willie - Derek with Donald Fagen (vocals), Jeff "Skunk" Baxter and Larry Carlton (guitars, STEELY DAN) and The Snarky Puppy Horns
06. It Don't Get Old - Derek with Peter Frampton (guitar, vocals) and Waddy Wachtel (guitar Keith Richards).
07. Complete Faith - Derek with The Hungarian Studio Orchestra
08. Faith No More - Derek with The Hungarian Studio Orchestra and Todd Sucherman (drums, STYX)
09. Gimme Some (More) Money - Derek with Paul Shaffer (piano and organ), Waddy Wachtel (guitar) and David Crosby (vocals)
10. MRI - Derek with Dweezil Zappa (guitars)
11. Hell Toupee - Derek with The Hungarian Studio Orchestra
12. Gummin the Gash - Derek with Steve Vai (guitar), Gregg Bisonnette (drums, Ringo Starr) and Jane Lynch (vocals)
13. She Puts The Bitch In Obituary - Derek with Richard Thompson (guitar) and Jane Lynch (vocals)
14. When Men Did Rock - Derek with Michael League (bass), Joe Satriani (guitar), Rick Wakeman (keyboards) and The Hungarian Studio Orchestra

Photo credit: Rob Shanahan

Former MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP and current CENTURY LOST and STARGAZERY singer Jari Tiura will release his debut solo album on March 23. "King Of Lions" is a bit different from Jari's previous output, having more of an AOR feel to it but also with a genuine hard rock vibe.

Tiura was born 1968 in Tampere, Finland. He began to sing around the age of 17 when he also formed his first real band CROMMER. Two years later, the group changed their name to BOURBON and started to play gigs in its hometown.

A big change in Tiura's musical career happened in the end of the '90s when he joined SNAKEGOD, a Finnish power metal band. With SNAKEGOD, he released an album called "Invitation" in 2001.

In 2004, Michael Schenker contacted Tiura and asked him if he would like to fly over to London for an audition gig. Everything went well and Jari even recorded most of his lead vocals for the MSG release "Tales Of Rock 'N' Roll" during his stay in London. The first MSG concert featuring Tiura on vocals took place in 2006. The show was broadcasted live from Underground, Cologne and aired on the program "Rockpalast" on German TV.

Between 2006 and 2007, Jari toured with MSG in Europe, Asia and the USA, and played big festivals like Wacken Open Air and Sweden Rock, to name a few.

After leaving MSG, the singer joined Finnish band STARGAZERY. With STARGAZERY, he so far has released two albums, "Eye On The Sky" (2011) and "Stars Aligned" (2015). He is also a member of a new group called CENTURY LOST which is currently working on a debut album, to be released in 2018.

A few years ago, Tiura and his good friend and producer Sami Ala-lahti hooked up and started to write music together for his first solo album. "King Of Lions" is a release that, from the beginning, was meant to sound different from anything he had done in the past. Sami Ala-lahti handled the production and also played rhythm guitars, sang backing vocals and did some programming.

"King Of Lions" features Yrjö Ella on lead guitar, Jaan Wessman on bass and drums. On keyboards you will find Jussi Kulomaa, Jani Kemppinen and Mikko Kangasjärvi. Tiura is the executive producer. "King Of Lions" was mixed by Antto Tuomainen and mastered by Esa Orjatsalo.

"King Of Lions" track listing:

01. Away From All The Magic And Wonder
02. London
03. Friends And Foes
04. Human
05. Lion Of Judah
06. Dreamchaser
07. Silent Moon
08. Take On The World
09. Blue Sky Lightning

A newly released lyric video for the song "Away From All The Magic And Wonder" can be seen below.

Symphonic metallers Whyzdom have released a video for the song “Armageddon”, taken from the band’s upcoming album As Time Turns To Dust.

As Time Turns To Dust is Whyzdom's most cinematic album to date, with heavy and dark orchestral ambiences, which are reminiscent of Danny Elfman or Hans Zimmer. The orchestra and the choir outline the metal parts with powerful heavy guitars, bass and drums. Marie Mac Leod unleashes her multilayered voice, going from rock to operatic in a heartbeat, with breathtaking moments of airy delicacy. 

As Time Turns To Dust is centered around the passing of time and the fall of humankind. It was produced by Vynce Leff, recorded, mixed and mastered in Paris at Powermania Studio. The album features the Dark Whispers Choir. As Time Turns To Dust will be available starting on April 6th on Scarlet Records.

"Both of them are incredible. They just have this real mastery of their world," says Judas Priest's frontman.

Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford has given an update on his long-rumored black metal project in a new interview with Noisey, revealing that he's eyeing potential collaborations with two of the most reputable names in the genre: Behemoth's Adam "Nergal" Darski, and Emperor figurehead-turned-solo artist Ihsahn.

Asked by Noisey's Kim Kelly for a potential release date for the black-metal endeavor, Halford responded: "The black metal project! It keeps being about to lift the launchpad, but it never quite gets anywhere. I met Nergal from Behemoth recently, and I said to Nergal, 'You know I love your kind of music. I would love to kind of put my toe into the water and see what would happen.'

"So now I've got these two very nebulous but I hope at some point very real opportunities to do something with Nergal, and still something to with Ihsahn," he continued, going on to name Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk as his favorite Emperor album. "Both of them are incredible," he concluded of the aforementioned musicians. "They just have this real mastery of their world."

Elsewhere in the interview, Halford discussed his personal commitment to social justice ("The battle goes on for me; as a gay man. I shall not be happy until I see equality across the board."), Judas Priest's impact on fashion ("Even now, when you see Rihanna with a Priest shirt on, that's because the shirt looks cool. We've always thought about that."), what he's been listening to lately ("Willie Nelson, Hank Williams, Pavarotti, Barbra Streisand, Beethoven, Michael Bublé, the Eagles"), and much more.

"Exile Amongst The Ruins", the new video from Irish pagan metallers PRIMORDIAL, can be seen below. The song is the title track of the band's upcoming album, which will be released on March 30 through Metal Blade Records. The band teamed with producer Ola Ersfjord, who worked on PRIMORDIAL's 2016 live album, "Gods To The Godless". The record was tracked at Dublin's Camelot Studios, located adjacent to PRIMORDIAL's rehearsal room.

PRIMORDIAL comments: "This is a simple story. A soldier's fate that has happened around the world many times and will continue to do so. It is set in Ireland about 100 years ago. Nothing more and nothing less. They are the Ghosts. We are the Ruins."

Once again building upon their signature sound, the follow-up to 2014's "Where Greater Men Have Fallen" is a more raw, "old-school sounding" record than its predecessor. Hitting home with what vocalist Alan "Nemtheanga" Averill describes as "a direct energy" and wielding an urgency that is undeniable, the Irish quintet once again effortlessly blend elements of tragedy and might like no one else. Likewise, the evolution in their sound continues to be organic and unforced, ensuring that "Exile Amongst The Ruins" is essential listening for both their long term faithful and those only now drawn into their world.

Commenting on the album's first single, "Stolen Years", Averill said: "'Stolen Years' may seem like a strange choice as our lead single, and on the face of it, I guess it is. It's not a blood-and-thunder epic about tragedy and might and the ruin of nations, nor is it a nine-minute epistle of doom. Have no fear, the album does contain those also, but to open this time, we chose something different.

"This album has some surprises and this is one of them — a short and painfully simple song which almost didn't make the final cut, if you can believe so. The video, cut by Costin Chioreanu, is about the journey involved in finally getting to that moment where you walk on stage. The song itself about that last night on earth that comes to us all. Sometimes we never know when that might be. Hold your loved ones tight tonight; this could be it…"

"Exile Amongst The Ruins" track listing:

01. Nail Their Tongues
02. To Hell Or The Hangman
03. Where Lie The Gods
04. Exile Amongst The Ruins
05. Upon Our Spiritual Deathbed
06. Stolen Years
07. Sunken Lungs
08. Last Call

To coincide with the album release, the Irishmen have announced two special and rather intimate album-release shows in Germany as well as their appearance on the "Heathen Crusade" European tour with Finland's MOONSORROW as co-headliners and Germany's DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT as support act.

PRIMORDIAL is:

Alan "Nemtheanga" Averill - Vocals
Ciarán MacUilliam - Guitar
Michael O'Floinn - Guitar
Pól MacAmlaigh - Bass
Simon O'Laoghaire - Drums

The unmistakable voice from one of the most loved hard rock bands of the early 1990s is returning this spring. Jizzy Pearl of LOVE/HATE is back with his new solo album, "All You Need Is Soul". This highly anticipated studio release will be made available May 11 via Frontiers Music Srl.

The official video for the disc's first single, "You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone", can be seen below.

"In my opinion, this is the best record I've done since 'Blackout In The Red Room'," says Jizzy. "It captures all the energy and power of that album with great songs, high-energy vocals, big drums courtesy of Dave Moreno (PUDDLE OF MUDD) and amazing guitars from LOVE/HATE guitarist Darren Housholder."

From the opening vocals of blistering first song "You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone" to the effortlessly cool album closer "Mr Jimmy", Jizzy's new record is brimming with fresh new music that's easily recognizable whilst contemporary in its delivery. Listen closer and you'll discover the hard-rocking groove of "High For An Eye", the funk rock of album title track "All You Need Is Soul" and many more new favorites. Make no mistake, Jizzy Pearl has returned and he's better than ever.

Jizzy Pearl and LOVE/HATE burst on to the scene in 1990 with the debut album "Blackout In The Red Room" and proceeded to take the U.K. by storm with "Best Album Of The Year" from Kerrang! and Metal Hammer magazines. Playing sold-out shows and opening for SKID ROW, AC/DC and DIO put LOVE/HATE on the map. MTV hits "Why Do You Think They Call It Dope", "She's An Angel" and the band's follow-up album, "Wasted In America", have ensured a loyal following to this day.

"All You Need Is Soul" track listing:

01. You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone
02. Comin' Home To The Bone
03. High For An Eye
04. All You Need Is Soul
05. House Of Sin
06. Mortified
07. Frustrated
08. When The Devil Comes
09. You Don't Know What It's Like
10. It Doesn't Matter
11. Little Treasures
12. Mr Jimmy

Following Jizzy's U.K. tour in support of his new album this May, the vocalist will reunite with original LOVE/HATE drummer Joey Gold, along with guitarist Darren Housholder, for a special homecoming show at the world-famous Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California on June 22.

FM will release their new album, Atomic Generation, on March 30th. 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":

"Black Magic" video:

"Make The Best Of What You Got":

Multi-camera video footage of DIRKSCHNEIDER — the band fronted by former ACCEPT singer Udo Dirkschneider — performing on March 6 at the Token Lounge in Westland, Michigan can be seen below (clip edited and produced by George S Pogacich).

Dirkschneider has spent the last two years touring under the DIRKSCHNEIDER banner, performing classic ACCEPT songs for the last time. The trek, which was originally supposed to conclude with the band's North American run in January/February 2017, has now been extended through the fall of 2018.

In a recent interview with the "Talking Metal" podcast, Udo offered an update on U.D.O., which released its last studio LP, "Decadent", in 2015. He said: "We just finished recording for a new album. We just started mixing. And the album is coming out at the end of August in Europe, I think maybe in September in the U.S. And then we stop [touring] with DIRKSCHNEIDER the middle of October is the last show. And then after the last show with DIRKSCHNEIDER, we start rehearsing for a U.D.O. tour, and then we start touring in November, I think, in Russia — we start touring with U.D.O."

In addition to Udo, the DIRKSCHNEIDER and U.D.O. bands include Sven Dirkschneider on drums, Fitty Wienhold on bass, and Andrey Smirnov and Bill Hudson on guitar.

DIRKSCHNEIDER released "Live - Back To The Roots - Accepted!" last August as a DVD/2CD, Blu-ray/2CD and gatefold triple vinyl in two different colors.

After putting out the live double CD in 2016, fans were asking for a visual output, so finally, in December 2016, the show in Brno, Czech Republic was recorded for that purpose. Besides many classics from Dirkscheider's ACCEPT era, there's a cover version of Frank Sinatra's "My Way" as a bonus track on the CD and vinyl.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH will release its seventh full-length studio album, "And Justice For None", on May 18. The long-awaited collection is available for physical pre-order today in the following formats: standard physical CD (13 tracks), deluxe physical CD (13 tracks + 3 bonus tracks + deluxe artwork), Vinyl (13 tracks + 3 bonus tracks + deluxe gatefold artwork). The band is also offering fans a variety of new CD/merchandise bundles. The digital album pre-order for "And Justice For None" will launch on April 6. Fans who pre-order the new album will also receive an exclusive ticket pre-sale code for FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's just-announced 32-date North American summer co-headlining amphitheater tour with BREAKING BENJAMIN.

"And Justice For None" (standard album) track listing:

01. Fake
02. Top Of The World
03. Sham Pain
04. Blue On Black
05. Fire In The Hole
06. I Refuse
07. It Doesn't Matter
08. When The Seasons Change
09. Stuck In My Ways
10. Rock Bottom
11. Gone Away
12. Bloody
13. Will The Sun Ever Rise

"And Justice For None" (deluxe album) track listing:

01. Trouble (Bonus Track)
02. Fake
03. Top Of The World
04. Sham Pain
05. Blue On Black
06. Fire In The Hole
07. I Refuse
08. It Doesn't Matter
09. When The Seasons Change
10. Stuck In My Ways
11. Rock Bottom
12. Gone Away
13. Bloody
14. Will The Sun Ever Rise
15. Bad Seed (Bonus Track)
16. Save Your Breath (Bonus Track)

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH is thrilled to be hitting the road for a massive series of co-headlining North American dates with BREAKING BENJAMIN this summer. As special guests, they will bring along two of the most exciting new rock acts in the world: three-time-Grammy Award nominees NOTHING MORE and BAD WOLVES who are currently dominating the No. 1 spots on the mainstream, rock and metal charts in multiple countries around the world with their cover version of THE CRANBERRIES' "Zombie".

The summer amphitheater tour, co-produced by Live Nation and Frank Productions, kicks off on July 16 in Seattle, Washington and will make stops in 32 North American cities. Last week, select dates were announced via Live Nation's "Ticket To Rock" program. Today, all dates are now available and VIP presale begins today at 12:00 p.m. EST. Fan-club members have access to the presale tomorrow, March 14 at 10:00 a.m. EST. Tickets will go on-sale to the general public beginning Friday, March 16 at 10:00 a.m. at LiveNation.com. Watch a world premiere sneak peek of music from the new FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH album in the tour trailer below.

"When I'm asked for a tour quote I'm always scratching my head… Is there anything to add?" says FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH guitarist, Zoltan Bathory. "We are putting together 2018's biggest hard rock tour of the summer; where even the first band on the bill has a massive hit single around the world. There will be fire, there will be lights and it's going to be loud. An experience you can't just download, you have to be there. We all get about 80 summers in our lifetimes, so make them count."

"This is the type of tour package that is all too rare nowadays," adds Larry Frank, owner, Frank Productions/Live Nation. "FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, BREAKING BENJAMIN, NOTHING MORE and BAD WOLVES is the kind of tour that keeps music alive and exciting and at the same time introduces the audience to newer bands that will become the next generation of arena rock acts."

Fans purchasing a ticket to the tour will also support a good cause. The co-headliners will donate $0.50 from each ticket sold to two charity organizations close to their hearts. FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH has chosen C.O.P.S - Concerns Of Police Survivors, an organization whose mission is rebuilding shattered lives of survivors and co-workers affected by line of duty deaths, through partnerships with law enforcement and the community. BREAKING BENJAMIN has chosen Prevent Child Abuse America to help counteract the abuse and neglect of our nation's children by promoting services that improve child well-being and developing programs that help to prevent all types of abuse and neglect.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH + BREAKING BENJAMIN summer tour dates

Jul. 16 - White River Amphitheatre - Seattle, WA **
Jul. 18 - Spokane Arena - Spokane, WA **
Jul. 20 - Taco Bell Arena - Boise, ID
Jul. 21 - USANA Amphitheatre - Salt Lake City, UT
Jul. 24 - Shoreline Amphitheatre - San Francisco, CA
Jul. 25 - Mattress Firm Amphitheatre - San Diego, CA
Jul. 27 - FivePoint Amphitheater - Irvine, CA
Jul. 29 - Isleta Amphitheater - Albuquerque, NM **
Aug. 01 - Austin360 Amphitheater - Austin, TX
Aug. 03 - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion - Houston, TX **
Aug. 04 - Starplex Pavilion - Dallas, TX
Aug. 06 - BankPlus Amphitheater at Snowden Grove - Southaven, MS
Aug. 07 - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre - St. Louis, MO
Aug. 09 - Heritage Park Amphitheatre - Simpsonville, SC
Aug. 11 - MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre - Tampa, FL
Aug. 12 - Verizon Amphitheatre - Atlanta, GA
Aug. 14 - KeyBank Pavilion - Pittsburgh, PA
Aug. 15 - BB&T Pavilion - Camden, NJ
Aug. 17 - The Pavilion at Montage Mountain - Scranton, PA
Aug. 18 - Xfinity Center - Boston, MA
Aug. 20 - Budweiser Stage - Toronto, ON
Aug. 22 - Lakeview Amphitheater - Syracuse, NY **
Aug. 24 - Jiffy Lube Live - Bristow, VA
Aug. 25 - PNC Bank Arts Center - Holmdel, NJ **
Aug. 28 - Riverbend Music Center - Cincinnati, OH
Aug. 29 - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre - Chicago, IL
Aug. 31 - Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center - Indianapolis, IN **
Sep. 01 - DTE Energy Music Theatre - Detroit, MI
Sep. 03 - Darien Lake Amphitheater - Darien Center, NY
Sep. 06 - Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater - Wantagh, NY **
Sep. 07 - XFINITY Theatre - Hartford, CT
Sep. 09 - Blossom Music Center - Cleveland, OH **

* FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH & BAD WOLVES only
** FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, BREAKING BENJAMIN & BAD WOLVES only

Previously announced FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH spring festival dates

Apr. 20 - KUPD's UFEST - Tempe, AZ
Apr. 21 - Las Rageous - Las Vegas, NV
Apr. 27 - Welcome To Rockville - Jacksonville, FL
Apr. 28 - Fort Rock Fest - Sunrise, FL
May 05 - Carolina Rebellion - Concord, NC

Previously announced FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH / SHINEDOWN spring U.S. tour dates:

May 06 - Bridgestone Arena - Nashville, TN
May 08 - Rupp Arena - Lexington, KY
May 10 - BOK Center - Tulsa, OK
May 11 - Westfair Amphitheatre - Council Bluffs, IA
May 12 - Eagles Ballroom - Milwaukee, WI *
May 14 - Salem Civic Center - Salem, VA
May 16 - Legacy Arena - Birmingham, AL
May 17 - Ford Center- Evansville, IN
May 18 - Mark of the Quad - Moline, IL
May 20 - Alerus Center - Grand Forks, ND
May 30 - Casper Events Center - Casper, WY

Photo credit: Kenneth Baluba Sporsheim / @kenspo

U.S. death metal veterans SKINLESS return with their pulverizing sixth studio offering, fittingly titled "Savagery". Recorded by Tom Case at Doomsday Bunker Studio in New York and by Dave Otero (PRIMITIVE MAN, CATTLE DECAPITATION, CEPHALIC CARNAGE) at Flatline Audio in Colorado, "Savagery" embodies ten slabs of rotting, aural remains across 37 minutes of titanic slams, untouchable grooves, mauling riffs and blood-thirsty, bestial growls. "Savagery" sees SKINLESS at the top of the band's game, more than 25 years into an untouchable reign of terror and comes swathed in the stunningly sick cover art of renowned tattoo artist Jesse Levitt.

"Savagery"'s title track can be streamed below.

"Savagery" is due out May 11 on CD, LP, and digital formats via Relapse Records. Physical packages are available via Relapse.com and all digital download/streaming services.

"Savagery" track listing:

01. Savagery
02. Siege Engine
03. Skull Session
04. Reversal Of Fortune
05. Exacting Revenge
06. Medieval
07. Line Of Dissent
08. Cruel Blade Of The Guillotine
09. The Hordes
10. High Rate Extinction (Bonus Track)

Formed in 1992 in Albany, New York, SKINLESS released several full-length albums and numerous EPs throughout its 25-plus-year career. After disbanding in 2011, the group is now back together with the classic "Progression Towards Evil" lineup (Sherwood Webber on vocals, Noah Carpenter on guitar, Joe Keyser on bass, Bob Beaulac on drums) plus the recent addition of Dave Matthews on second guitar.

SKINLESS's first new studio offering in nearly a decade, "Only The Ruthless Remain", arrived in 2015.

Australian metal band PARKWAY DRIVE will release its new studio album, "Reverence", on May 4 via Epitaph Records.

Frontman Winston McCall states about the follow-up to 2015's "Ire": "'Reverence' represents the most honest and personal record we have ever created. It has been born through pain, sacrifice, and conviction, with the ultimate goal of expanding not only what PARKWAY DRIVE stand for musically, but who we are as people. Thank you for listening."

01. Wishing Wells
02. Prey
03. Absolute Power
04. Cemetery Bloom
05. The Void
06. I Hope You Rot
07. Shadow Boxing
08. In Blood
09. Chronos
10. The Colour Of Leaving

The official video for "The Void" can be seen below. Directed by Allan Hardy, the clip fully channels the furious energy of "The Void", a track built on thrashing rhythms, ferocious vocal work, and deeply infectious melodies.

Last month, PARKWAY DRIVE released the"Wishing Wells" single and video, featuring McCall giving a powerful close-up performance with fierce intensity.

PARKWAY DRIVE is McCall, guitarists Luke Kilpatrick and Jeff Ling, bassist Jia O'Connor and drummer Ben Gordon.

LYNCH MOB has recuited singer Nathan Utz to front the band following the recent departure of Oni Logan.

The Atlanta, Georgia-based Utz previousy sang for the late 1980s/early 1990s glam metal band BLONZ and is currently the frontman for the AEROSMITH tribute act PANDORA'S BOX, which also features EVANESCENCE's Troy McLawhorn.

Utz made his live debut with LYNCH MOB this past Friday, March 9 in Medina, Minnesota. Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below.

LYNCH MOB was rejoined by singer Robert Mason for appearances at last month's Monsters Of Rock cruise and the '80s In The Park festival.

During a recent interview with Eddie Trunk, LYNCH MOB guitarist George Lynch declined to get into specifics about Oni's decision to exit the band in January, explaining: "We have tremendous respect for each other on the musical level, and I'll just leave it there and wish him well. I'm sure he's going to do fine. He's one of the great ones. Maybe he hasn't been recognized like I feel he should be. To me, he's a modern-day Paul Rodgers. We made a lot of fantastic music together, including the latest record, 'The Brotherhood' — which didn't turn out to be such a brotherhood after all [laughs], but it's a beautiful, beautiful record. I'll have a soft spot in my heart for these guys and wish it had continued on, but it didn't, so..."

LYNCH MOB's current lineup also includes returning drummer Scot Coogan. "I played with Scot off and on in various projects over the years, and he was in LYNCH MOB a number of variations, most recently up to a few years ago," the guitarist told Trunk. "Scot's wonderful. He brings so much to the table. He's one of those multitasking guys. He's a great singer; he's a great songwriter; and he plays everything a little bit. He's very tuned in with drum programming and the recording side of it, so that always helps. He's like a Swiss army knife, plus his drumming, it's got a great R&B feel. LYNCH MOB has that — LYNCH MOB has this blues-based, R&B-based, heavy rock thing. He really brings a lot to the table. He's a great fit, and we're great friends."

Logan first hooked up with LYNCH MOB in 1990, but exited the group after the release of its first album, only to rejoin the George Lynch-led outfit in the late 2000s.

"The Brotherhood" was released last September via Rat Pak Records.

Swedish melodic death metal pioneers AT THE GATES played a "secret" show on March 2 at Bastard Club in Osnabrück, Germany. A three-minute documentary on the gig, which saw the band billed as THE BURNING DARKNESS, can be seen below (video by Twilight 13 Media's Costin Chioreanu).

AT THE GATES' new album, "To Drink From The Night Itself", will be released on May 18 via Century Media. Produced with Russ Russell (NAPALM DEATH, THE HAUNTED, DIMMU BORGIR) at Parlour Studios in the U.K., the follow-up 2014's "At War With Reality" will feature conceptual artwork created by Chioreanu, who previously worked with AT THE GATES on the band's last disc.

AT THE GATES frontman Tomas Lindberg recently spoke to Decibel magazine about how the departure of the band's longtime guitarist and primary songwriter Anders Björler has affected the group's sound. "It is true that there is a big shift in the lineup," he said. "What you have to take into consideration is that Jonas Björler [bass] wrote 40 percent of both 'Slaughter Of The Soul' and 'At War With Reality'. Some people seem to forget this. They just assume that the lead guitarist is the sole songwriter. Jonas had to take a lot more responsibility this time around, but me and him have had a really great and creative time writing this album. There is a slight change of direction, maybe, but AT THE GATES fans shouldn't be worried — it is still an AT THE GATES record. If anything, it is heavier and more death metal than the last one."

Lindberg said that new AT THE GATES guitarist Jonas Stålhammar came into the band too late to be involved in the composing process for the new disc. "This one is basically Jonas [Björler] and me when it comes to the writing. All the guys have contributed in some way, but the main writing comes from Jonas and me. Most of the songs were already in the finishing stages when Jonas Stålhammar joined, so there wasn't much time for him to contribute, but we look forward to having him more involved next time around. Saying that, his solos will, of course, be written by himself."

AT THE GATES 2018 is (left to right in photo):

Adrian Erlandsson - Drums
Jonas Björler - Bass
Tomas Lindberg - Vocals
Jonas Stålhammar - Guitar
Martin Larsson - Guitar

Quality fan-filmed video footage of Alice Cooper's March 10 performance at at The F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania can be seen below.

Alice Cooper, who released his 27th album, "Paranormal", last July via earMUSIC, has announced his summer 2018 tour plans. Following on his current "A Paranormal Evening With Alice Cooper" March run, the tireless legend will embark on another North American trek. The summer tour kicks off on August 3 at the Wisconsin State Fair and winds through the U.S. and Canada before wrapping up in September.

This leg is also "A Paranormal Evening With Alice Cooper". The Las Vegas and Los Angeles dates will feature special guest — guitarist Ace Frehley.

In other Alice Cooper news, he will portray King Herod in the upcoming live television production of "Jesus Christ Superstar". The show is set to air on Easter Sunday (April 1) on NBC.

Produced by Bob Ezrin, "Paranormal" was immediately saluted as a classic album, strong of the collaboration with iconic guests such as ZZ TOP's Billy Gibbons, U2's Larry Mullen and DEEP PURPLE's Roger Glover.

Cooper, who turned 70 last month, said in a 2017 interview that he has no plans to retire from touring. "The live show is something I'll never give up," he said. "To me, the lyrics to the songs are the script to what's going to happen on stage. If you sing 'Welcome To My Nightmare', you have to give the fans something. There are places where you have to kill the ballerina, you know. That's how I design the show. It's all about the lyrics."

German gothic metallers CREMATORY have called out their "lazy" fans for not buying tickets to the band's upcoming tour and have threatened to break up the act unless "metalheads start honoring the value of real music and come back to" spending money on artists' physical product.

CREMATORY will release its new album, "Oblivion", on April 13 and is scheduled to embark on a 15-show tour of Germany at the end of next month. The follow-up to 2016's "Monument" is described in a press release as "multi-faceted and timeless," with "the group's classic trademarks still present," while "at the same time new influences emphasize their great commercial potential."

In a March 7 post on CREMATORY's Facebook page, drummer Markus Jüllich expressed his dissatisfaction with the tour's advance ticket sales and painted a bleak picture about the band's future, explaining that the amount of money that trickles down to CREMATORY from streaming music services is less than they can survive on.

Jüllich wrote: "The end of CREMATORY? Will 'Oblivion' be the last studio album and the tour in May the final one?

"CREMATORY's new studio album, 'Oblivion', will be released on Friday, April 13, 2018. We were planning to promote the album with a tour, starting on April 27, 2018 and running through all of May in Germany. That will only happen [if] you fans get off your lazy asses and start buying tickets for the announced shows. The presales are horrible and we will cancel the tour completely if the numbers don't increase radically.

"The most important thing is that you buy our new CD and double vinyl edition, 'cause when I look at our sales statistics, I could start throwing up! Nowadays we are selling way more downloads and streams than we sell the original products, and this will be the death for all bands, 'cause you hardly get any money from this shit compared to the CD compensation. So as a matter of fact, a band will hardly make enough money to put a good-sounding album on the market.

"The worst is, that streaming on iTunes, Spotify, Deezer, Napster and all the other bullshit platforms doesn't pay out for the band at all. Our last album, 'Monument', had 1.5 million streams and we don't even sell 1% of that in original vinyl or CD products.

"This can't go on like this anymore! It's not only CREMATORY who is suffering from all that, but only we have the balls to stand up and tell you the truth. Wake up, you metalheads, and start honoring the value of real music and come back to buying the products. We don't want music just getting wasted and being stored on harddrives, USB sticks, SD cards in miserable MP3 quality.

"We hope you understand how important that is to us. Because of this, we will give you something special with the new album, 'Oblivion', so you think twice before you buy the shitty download or the even worse stream.

"Every CD and vinyl LP comes with a 10 € merchandise voucher that you can use on our concerts or in our merchandise shop at the CREMATORY website. That makes every CD or LP including the voucher even cheaper than a download and you get a great digipack with booklet, lyrics, pictures and poster.

"So, please dear fans, buy CDs and LPs and forget the downloads, 'cause otherwise there won't be another CREMATORY album. Don't make 'Oblivion' the final album and give us your support on the tour. Start buying tickets now, so we can have great shows together. Even after 27 years of CREMATORY, we are still hungry to keep going, but all that is in your hands.

"Believe in you and especially in CREMATORY!"

CREMATORY was founded in Mannheim in 1991 and has released nearly 15 albums. The band began as a strict death metal unit before adding goth and industrial elements into its arsenal.





The end of CREMATORY? Will „Oblivion“ be the last studio album and the tour in May the final one?

CREMATORY´s new...

Posted by CREMATORY on Wednesday, March 7, 2018

German TV program "Rockpalast" has produced a one-hour documentary, "All Is One", on Israeli progressive folk metallers ORPHANED LAND. The film, which contains performance footage of ORPHANED LAND and CARCASS (who have a guest appearance in the documentary), can be seen below.

"All Is One" is more than the name of one of ORPHANED LAND's albums, it is the quintet's philosophy claiming that all three big religious groups — Christians, Muslims and Jews — are coming from the same origin. German filmmakers Ingo Schmoll and Conny Schiffbauer visited Israel to follow the band's path and to get a personal insight view into the musicians' lives by visiting the bandmembers at home, getting to know their families and learning about their daily existence.

"In the documentary, we are trying to take the audience beyond the endless discussions about the conflicts in the Middle East by taking a far more human approach to it all," the filmmakers explain.

ORPHANED LAND incorporates Middle Eastern influences into nearly all of its songs and is considered the premier metal band in Israel. They also regularly critique religion and politics, with singer Kobi Farhi telling New Statesman in a recent interview that he avoids adopting straightforward political stances. "Look, I don't like the current Israeli government," he explained, "but people make the mistake of thinking we are left wing. We are not. We are not right wing either. We don't like politicians and their corruption."

ORPHANED LAND boasts a large and devoted following of both Jews and Arabs. What's more, the band made headlines in 2013 by touring with Palestinian metal outfit KHALAS. The two bands shared a tour bus, a stage and even the prestigious Metal Hammer award.

Asked by New Statesman whether he would accept that being Israeli puts him in a privileged position compared to the Palestinians, Kobi said: "To be Jewish is not privilege! Look at our history. We are boycotted across the Middle East. We have fans in Egypt, but we can't play for them. And it's just a car drive away!"

ORPHANED LAND has been around since 1991 and has supported METALLICA in Israel. In 2012, ORPHANED LAND's fans even started an online petition to nominate the band for the Nobel Peace Prize.

ORPHANED LAND's latest album, "Unsung Prophets & Dead Messiahs", was released on January 26 via Century Media.

IRON MAIDEN has settled a lawsuit over the writing credits for the band's classic song "Hallowed Be Thy Name".

A year ago, retired rock band manager Barry McKay took MAIDEN's Steve Harris and Dave Murray to court over the 1982 track, claiming reproduced major parts of another song, "Life's Shadow", co-written nearly a decade earlier by musician Brian Quinn, under the name Brian Ingham.

"Life's Shadow" was a collaboration between Quinn and Robert Barton, who later recorded the song for the self-titled 1974 album from his band BECKETT. At the time, BECKETT was managed by Rod Smallwood, who went on to become the manager of IRON MAIDEN.

In court documents, Harris's lawyers admitted he saw BECKETT perform in 1973 and said that BECKETT's debut was one of his favorite albums when it was first released.

Although McKay has said that Harris and Murray have been ordered to pay £900,000 (approximately $1.25 million) in costs and damages, a spokesperson for IRON MAIDEN told BLABBERMOUTH.NET that the actual figure was much lower.

"We do not believe that Brian Quinn was the one who wrote these six lines in question over 40 years ago as was claimed by Barry McKay," the MAIDEN spokesperson said. "However, due to escalating legal fees and the potential huge costs of a court case, it was pragmatic to reluctantly settle this action with McKay for £100,000 [approximately $139,000], a fraction of what he brought the action for. A serial litigant like Mr. McKay would have foreseen this."

In response to MAIDEN's statement, McKay said: "To call me a 'serial litigant' is sour grapes. Harris and Murray and their managers appear to me to be bad losers. However, I am now also representing three other songwriters who also allege that Steve Harris and Dave Murray have profiteered from lyrics that they wrote. If that makes me a 'serial litigant,' so be it. Musicians who have their intellectual property exploited by others who did not write or compose it are entitled to professional assistance."

MAIDEN last year dropped "Hallowed Be Thy Name" from its setlist after the band became embroiled in the legal dispute. The settlement means that the group can now resume performing the song during its live shows.

MAIDEN's representatives at Phantom Management issued a statement last year in which they acknowledged that "Steve Harris was a fan of BECKETT and some six lines from 'Life's Shadow' were referenced in Steve's song 'Hallowed Be Thy Name'." However, they insisted at the time that as far as Steve was concerned, "this matter was settled some years ago by agreement with Robert Barton."

ICED EARTH mainman Jon Schaffer has confirmed that he will spend some time later this year working on material for the long-awaited third album from DEMONS & WIZARDS, his side project with BLIND GUARDIAN frontman Hansi Kürsch.

DEMONS & WIZARDS was launched in 1997 and has released two full-length albums so far: 2000's self-titled effort and 2005's "Touched By The Crimson King". The latter was partially based on the "The Dark Tower" series of books (written by Stephen King) in which the Crimson King is the main antagonist.

Schaffer touched upon DEMONS & WIZARDS' future plans while speaking to Capital Chaos TV about ICED EARTH's current record-label situation, having completed the latter band's deal with Century Media with the release of last year's "Incorruptible" album.

Asked how ICED EARTH intends to release its next disc, Schaffer said: "I haven't made a decision on that yet. There's a lot of labels that are interested, and we're looking at different business models, but there's no hurry for ICED EARTH to rush into anything. It's gonna be a while before we do a new record, 'cause this is so new. And the next thing on my docket is DEMONS & WIZARDS anyway, so that's coming later in the year — that's gonna be the focus of the creative energy this year. So we've got plenty of time. We're talking to some labels and looking at different options, but there's nothing set in stone yet."

Last summer, Kürsch told That Drummer Guy that songwriting sessions for the follow-up to "Touched By The Crimson King" had already begun, but that he and Jon had to take a break while they were both busy with their main acts. "Once he's finished with his touring for ICED EARTH, I'm pretty sure we will spend some very realistic and very valuable time together either finishing the songwriting of DEMONS & WIZARDS or even doing the whole production," Hansi said. "That depends. Usually we're very quick once we're together. And it's just great to work with such a gifted person which I call a very, very close friend of mine."

As for what fans can expect from the next DEMONS & WIZARDS album, Hansi told That Drummer Guy: "You will be surprised, I'm sure. These first two [songs] we've worked on, they are quite interesting. I'm really looking forward to spend some more time and getting deeper into the subject. Because even though ICED EARTH and BLIND GUARDIAN are quite similar in many ways, Jon and I are, songwriting-wise, different persons and by coincidence and pure luck and probably by friendship, the chemistry is pretty good once we are together. And what comes out is a blend of these two bands, which [one] would expect, but there's something more. And I like to go for this something more."

Hansi also sounded very optimistic about the possibility of DEMONS & WIZARDS live performances in support of the upcoming album. He said: "That really depends on how fast we are with BLIND GUARDIAN, obviously, and how the schedules will be worked out. But it would be a shame not to do so, at least being on the road for a festival season and doing some smaller club shows, for example, just in between… There should be a gap, and we are working on this gap. It would be a waste not to do so."

According to Kürsch, the main motivation for him and Schaffer to work on new DEMONS & WIZARDS material and prepare for possible live shows is "the need to do so and for the fun to do so. And this is always a very good starting point. We don't have to do it, there is no pressure behind us in doing so," he said. "Obviously, there can't be any pressure, because the last album is, I think, twelve years old already. And we just did some minimal touring for the first album and did not even do any proper touring for the second album. So I could imagine that just the performance will be so different from what either BLIND GUARDIAN or ICED EARTH is doing that this might attract a lot of people. I'm curious myself to figure out what we would come up with this time, because there's a long time between our last show which we played together, which is probably seventeen years ago, eighteen years. And we have to find the right people and the right moment, but the whole thing, once it is built up, will be, I think, very skillful."

"Touched By The Crimson King" was released in Japan in September 2005 with the following bonus tracks: "Lunar Lament", "Wicked Witch" (slow version) and "Spatial Architects". The CD also included the "Terror Train" video. The disc featured an appearance by HALFORD and SEBASTIAN BACH drummer Bobby Jarzombek.

Schaffer said in a 2009 interview that he felt "Touched By The Crimson King" was a bit rushed and he was determined to do things differently next time around. "We had this window of opportunity where we had to get it done and we kind of let time dictate the schedule instead of our feelings, and that was probably a mistake," he explained. "I mean, I'm proud of that record and it sold killer and it's a good album, but I think Hansi and I are capable of a lot more, especially when we get back to the root reasons of why we did this thing together."

Richie Faulkner says that the credibility of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame should be questioned if JUDAS PRIEST doesn't eventually get the honor of being inducted.

Even though artists are eligible for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame 25 years after the release of their first album or single, iconic hard rock and metal bands like IRON MAIDEN, JUDAS PRIEST and MOTÖRHEAD have yet to be recognized by the institution, which inducted GUNS N' ROSES in that group's first year of eligibility.

Having been eligible for induction since 1999, JUDAS PRIEST was on the ballot for this year's class of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, but ultimately didn't clinch the nomination.

Faulkner told The Vindicator that he would like to see PRIEST get its rightful place in the Hall — even if just for the sake of its fans.

"I don't speak for the rest of the band," the guitarist said. "This is my own opinion. But [induction into the Rock Hall] means a lot for some fans. Metal has always been the underdog. For a band like PRIEST to be nominated is great for metal and its fans, and it's great to see those fans being appreciated. On the other hand, I think after 50 years of creating new music and touring the world, with our fan base, that's more of an accolade than any award. Our fans are passionate.

"We could get in next year," Faulkner continued. "If PRIEST is not inducted, what is the credibility of it?"

In a separate interview with the Long Island Pulse, Faulkner admitted that he has "split views" on PRIEST's potential induction into the Rock Hall. "First of all, I am not eligible to be included in the Hall Of Fame; you have to have a 25-year history," he said. [Editor's note: Richie joined PRIEST in 2011]

"To be putting out music like this — after 50 years — to a fanbase that is so loyal is affirmation enough," he added. "I don't think a band like PRIEST needs any award or any ceremony. The proof is in the pudding; the proof is in the fans; the proof is in the music; and the proof is in the band forging forward after 50 years. That is the only accolade anyone can ever wish for."

Rock Hall rules state that artists become eligible a quarter century after their first records were released, but the Hall also claims that other "criteria include the influence and significance of the artists' contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock 'n' roll," which is, of course, open to interpretation.

Eligible for induction since 1999, KISS didn't get its first nomination until 2009, and was finally inducted in 2014.

DEEP PURPLE was eligible for the Rock Hall since 1993 but didn't get inducted until 2016.

PRIEST singer Rob Halford recently said that he "would love" to see his band inducted into the Rock Hall. "I think we deserve it," he said. "We've put our 10,000 hours in and more. And beyond that, we just feel that heavy metal music deserves more space on the shelf at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame."

Adding that he and his bandmates "were thrilled and honored to be even nominated," Halford admitted that it's "kind of bittersweet" to find out that they wouldn't be inducted this year. "We got the nomination, which is something of a recognition for the work that you've done, but we didn't quite get in this time. But I'm hopeful that eventually we'll get some more metal [in there]."

JUDAS PRIEST's new album, "Firepower", was released yesterday (Friday, March 9) via Epic.

The North American leg of the "Firepower" tour will kick off on March 13 in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania and will wrap on May 1 in San Antonio, Texas.

Praying Mantis will release their 11th studio album, Gravity, on CD, LP and digital formats on May 11th. The album's title track is available for streaming below.

After the positive reception afforded to the band's last studio release Legacy (2015), the new record sees the band return with another inspired, take-no-prisoners set. The album also sees Mantis retain the same lineup, with John Cuijpers (vocals) and Hans in’t Zandt (drums) again contributing to the songwriting process. Alongside founder members Tino Troy, Chris Troy and Andy Burgess, they have not only helped in the writing of the songs, but also in providing a new dimension in terms of sound engineering and overall production.

One of the most influential and well known sleeve artists in the rock field, Rodney Matthews (Magnum, Diamond Head, Allen/Lande), has been commissioned to design the artwork for Gravity in the same style and stunning quality that so many fans loved on Mantis albums such as Time Tells No Lies, Predator In Disguise and the aforementioned Legacy.

Praying Mantis are a well established band of melodic hard rockers. They were formed by brothers Tino and Chris Troy in 1973 and, together with bands like Iron Maiden, Def Leppard and Saxon, they spearheaded the NWOBHM (New Wave Of British Heavy Metal) movement of the late ’70’s. While they did not attain the same dizzying heights of success as some of their contemporaries, they nonetheless became one of the most influential bands in the genre. The band has remained active over the years and still record and play live regularly.

Praying Mantis will perform at the annual Frontiers Rock Festival in Milan, Italy on April 28th.

"Gravity":

Lineup:

John Cuijpers - lead vocals
Tino Troy - guitars & vocals
Chris Troy - bass & vocals
Andy Burgess - guitars & vocals
Hans in ’t Zandt - drums

Occult rock quintet Spiral Skies has officially joined forces with German based independent label AOP Records, and will release their debut full-length album, Blues For A Dying Planet, on May 18th. The record will be released digitally and on CD and vinyl with distribution from Plastichead (Europe, USA, World) and Edel (Germany, Austria, Switzerland).

With influences ranging over decades, Spiral Skies has created a sound that can most easily be described as “rock from another planet.” A unique blend of folk, doom and 70’s inspired rock music. The band has been compared to band such as Jefferson Airplane, Curved Air and The Devil's Blood, to name a few.

Spiral Skies has spellbound audiences with a unique visual performance at their intense and enchanting live shows, and their debut EP A Queendom To Come gained a lot of attention on Bandcamp, resulting in the following single “Event Horizon”.

Blues For A Dying Planet tracklisting:

"Black Hole Waltz"
"Awakening"
"Dark Side Of The Cross"
"The Wizard's Ball"
"Danse Macabre"
"Labyrinth Of The Mind"
"Shattered Hopes"
"Left Is Right And Right Is Left Behind"
"The Prisoner"

Tour dates:

April
7 - Stockholm, Sweden - Ragsveds Krog

May
8 - Stockholm, Sweden - Stockholm Copperfields (Album Release Show)

June
7 - Sölvesborg, Sweden - Sweden Rock Festival

Lineup:

Frida Eurenius - Vocals
Jonas Lyander - Guitar, Percussion, Choir
Dan Svanljung - Guitar, Organ, Mellotron
Eric Sandberg - Bass
Daniel Bäckman- Drums, Percussion, Synthesizer

“Rise Up”, the first single off The Dead Daisies’ new album Burn It Down sets the scene for another huge year for the band. A massive, trailblazing beat, meaty guitars and a thundering vocal deliver a powerful, highly relevant message.

“'Rise Up' is a blistering old school Sabbath riff with angry lyrics about the state of the world!!! It‘s about the people in power that say they have our best interests at heart but don't!!!! We need to 'Rise Up' and let our voices be heard and tell them we want CHANGE and deserve BETTER!!!!!” – says vocalist John Corabi.

In line with the single release, the band will soon be premiering a provocative, extremely visual video underscoring these very issues. Until then, enjoy the following visualizer:

The album Burn It Down, set for release on April 6th via Spitfire Music / SPV, is a muscular tour- de-force, a tornado of pounding drums, pulverizing bass, screaming guitars and in-your-face raw vocals. Evoking the best of '70s rock, with moments of Birmingham’s finest, blended with the early works of Boston’s best, Burn It Down will do just that: Burn down everything in its path until there is nothing left standing.

Burn It Down tracklisting:

"Resurrected"
"Rise Up"
"Burn It Down"
"Judgement Day"
"What Goes Around"
"Bitch"
"Set Me Free"
"Dead And Gone"
"Can’t Take It With You"
"Leave Me Alone"

"Resurrected":

The Dead Daisies will embark on yet another massive World Tour, kicking it off in April with shows in Sold-Out venues all over the UK, then the band play packed houses in Europe before making their long- awaited return to Japan, the USA and South America.

Tour dates:

April (with special guests The Treatment* and The Amorettes)
8 - Garage - Glasgow, UK
9 - Robin 2 - Bilston, UK
10 - Koko - London, UK*
12 - Academy 2 - Manchester, UK
13 - Rock City - Nottingham, UK*
14 - Academy - Bristol, UK*

April (with special guests The new Roses)
16 - 013 - Tilburg, Netherlands
17 - Biebob - Vosselaar, Belgium
18 - Markthalle - Hamburg, Germany
20 - Sticky Fingers - Gothenburg, Sweden
21 - Parktreateret - Oslo, Norway
22 - Klubben - Stockholm, Sweden
24 - Pumpehuset - Copenhagen, Denmark
25 - Rosenhof - Osnabrueck, Germany
26 - Backstage Werk - Munich, Germany
27 - Barba Negra Track - Budapest, Hungary
29 - Simm City - Vienna, Austria

May
1 - Thanks Jimi Festival - Wroclaw, Poland
3 - Kesselhaus - Berlin, Germany
4 - Schlachthof - Wiesbaden, Germany
5 - Live Music Hall - Cologne, Germany
6 - Le Trabendo - Paris, France
8 - Z7 - Pratteln, Switzerland
9 - Live Club - Trezo (Milan), Italy
11 - Zentral - Pamplona, Spain
12 - Mon - Madrid, Spain

The Dead Daisies are:

Doug Aldrich (Whitesnake, Dio)
John Corabi (Mötley Crüe, The Scream)
Marco Mendoza (Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy)
Deen Castronovo (Bad English, Journey)
David Lowy (Red Phoenix, Mink)

Swedish power metal band Bloodbound has gathered an impressive following since the band debuted on the scene in 2006 with Nosferatu. In 2011, Bloodbound joined the AFM Records roster and since became more and more successful with every new release. Bloodbound and AFM now proudly announce the continuation of their long-term relationship.

The band’s early albums Book Of The Dead and Unholy Cross will now finally see the release on vinyl: both titles are limited to 300 units each (Unholy Cross in yellow, Book Of The Dead in clear (double) vinyl) and out on March 30th.

Also, the band’s latest, chartbreaking studio album War Of Dragons saw its second vinyl edition earlier this year, being available on red/yellow splatter vinyl now (also limited to 300 units).

Bloodbound’s Fredrik Bergh comments: "We are very happy to have extended our contract with AFM Records. We feel they are the perfect labels for us. AFM have a love for our kind of music and they give us artistic freedom. Unlike other labels they let us do what we wanna do, without trying to change the formula. We are continuously growing as a band and last year AFM did a stellar job putting War Of Dragons in the album charts in Germany, Switzerland and Sweden. We are looking forward to taking Bloodbound to the next level together with AFM Records!"

2018 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductees The Moody Blues celebrate the 50th anniversary of Days Of Future Passed on March 23rd. Their performance at the Sony Centre For The Performing Arts In Toronto comes alive on DVD, Blu-ray, 2CD, 2LP, and Digital formats with the release of Days Of Future Passed Live, out March 23rd.

The band is accompanied by a full orchestra, performing stunning renditions of classic songs such as “Nights In White Satin”, “Tuesday Afternoon (Forever Afternoon)”, “I’m Just A Singer (In A Rock And Roll Band)” and “Isn’t Life Strange”.

In addition to performing Days Of Future Passed in its entirety, The Moody Blues (Justin Hayward, John Lodge, and Graeme Edge) not only featured voice-overs by Oscar-winning actor Jeremy Irons on “Morning Glory” and “Late Lament”, but completed the set with encore songs “Question” and “Ride My See-Saw”. Originally airing on PBS, Days Of Future Passed Live is now packaged with the bonus feature Remembering Days Of Future Passed, which includes brand new interviews with Justin Hayward, John Lodge, and Graeme Edge.

Pre-order here, and watch an extended trailer below:

Witch Mountain return from their three-plus-year hiatus with a refreshed lineup (new singer Kayla Dixon and bass player Justin Brown join band stalwarts Rob Wong and Nate Carson) and a new album, Witch Mountain, out on May 25th via Svart Records.

“We’ve always been a patient band,” said founding member/drummer Nathan Carson. “Thanks to all of the touring Rob and I have done with Justin and Kayla over the last three years, we were able to make this album as a full-fledged, road-tested, family unit. Over twenty years, Witch Mountain has never peaked; each record and tour are better than the last. It was a tiny scene when we started, and even though it’s incredibly saturated now, own unique twist on Northwestern doom has continued to set us apart. I can’t wait to share the latest and greatest album with our fans.”

The five-song release features the aforementioned new singer, Kayla Dixon, who had large shoes to fill when Uta Plotkin announced she was moving on following the release of Mobile Of Angels.

Witch Mountain pre-orders and the band's North American tour dates will be announced soon.

Witch Mountain tracklisting:

"Midnight"
"Mechanical World"
"Burn You Down"
"Hellfire"
"Nighthawk"

"Burn You Down":

Burn You Down by Witch Mountain

(Photo - Whitey McConnaughy)

Infectus 13 has been on a temporary forced hiatus since August 2016, due to founder Sid Falck’s health problems. However, the band is now in the process of exploring locations to set up a new recording studio, where the writing and recording of fresh material can resume.

Due to the different songwriters involved between 2014 and now, the current lineup of Sid Falck, Bob Barnak (vocals) and Steve Pogue (guitars), have decided that all new material will best serve the purpose of documenting where the project is at in 2018. However, some of the material written prior, was deemed too good to simply forget about. So, three of the old songs were chosen to be reworked for release as a series of singles over the coming months.

The option has been, or will be, extended to some of the former collaborators, to have their contribution included on the songs, either “as is” or in re-recorded form.

The first release, "Break Your Bones", was originally reordered in 2014/15. While Steve Pogue re-recorded all his guitar tracks, the song will also feature the original rhythm tracks of Janna Jordan-Squires, as well as the original bass tracks of Andrew Guthrie.

The song is in the mastering stage, and will be released accompanied by an original video, currently being created by J. Plaster of GraveTerror Designs. The song will be available as a download only, and we will update closer to March 28th, as to the how and where to acquire the song.

Sarajevo in 1994 was a city under siege. Mortars and grenades rained down on the city, killing indiscriminately every day. Amongst the madness, would it be possible to persuade a global rock star to come and play a show for local fans?

Scream for Me Sarajevo is the amazing and astonishing story of the most unlikely of rock concerts, performed by Bruce Dickinson and his band Skunkworks in 1994, in the midst of the Siege of Sarajevo. This is a film about extraordinary people defying the horrors of war, and the musicians who risked their lives to play a show for them.

Featuring footage from the historic gig, the film also meets those that made it to the show and made the show happen; determined to keep living their lives despite the atrocities going on around them. Interviews with the band, crew and security bring home the reality of the situation that was not only dangerous, it was barbaric.

“We weren’t protected, there was no plan and the bullets were real, but fuck it, we went anyway” said Bruce in his recent best-selling autobiography What Does This Button Do?, “The gig was immense, intense and probably the biggest show in the world at that moment for the audience and for us. That the world didn’t really know didn’t matter. It changed the way I viewed life, death and other human beings.”

As well as the striking documentary, screening in select UK cinemas from April 17th, there will be an exclusive Q&A with Bruce Dickinson from London that will accompany the film in cinemas globally. A special London screening will take place at Vue Cinema Wes End on April 11th.

To book tickets, head here.

Trailer: