Swedish metallers DREAM EVIL will release their sixth album, aptly titled "Six", on May 26 via Century Media Records. The official video for the song "Antidote" can be seen below. The clip was directed by the band's longtime partner in visuals Patric Ullaeus (IN FLAMES, LACUNA COIL, DIMMU BORGIR, ARCH ENEMY). DREAM EVIL has checked in with the following comment about the track: "When it comes to choosing a single for 'Six', you need to have a song that 'punches' the fans in their faces. 'Antidote' is just that type of in-your-face-punch song, so for us the choice was natural. And don't forget that metal is not just music, it's a way of living… as you clearly can see in the video."

"Six" track listing: 01. Dream Evil02. Antidote03. Sin City04. Creature Of The Night05. Hellride06. Six Hundred And 6607. How To Start A War08. The Murdered Mind09. Too Loud10. 44 Riders11. Broken Wings12. We Are Forever In addition to the album's standard version as CD and digital download, will be made available as a 180-gram vinyl version with a poster and bonus CD as well as in the limited-edition mediabook CD format with two bonus tracks ("Under Attack" and "Nowhere To Run") and three stickers. The follow-up to 2010's "In The Night" was once again produced by DREAM EVIL guitarist Fredrik Nordström at his own Studio Fredman facilities, which is the birthplace of many modern metal masterpieces by such bands as IN FLAMES, ARCH ENEMY, HAMMERFALL, AT THE GATES, DIMMU BORGIR, POWERWOLF, ARCHITECTS and BRING ME THE HORIZON. The "Six" cover artwork, which can be seen below, was again created by Gustavo Sazes (ARCH ENEMY, AMARANTHE, FIREWIND). In related news, May 26 will also see the release of the third DREAM EVIL album, "The Book Of Heavy Metal", for the first time ever on vinyl. Considered a modern heavy metal classic by many, 2004's "The Book Of Heavy Metal" will be available on 180-gram black vinyl with the entire album on CD as a bonus.

DREAM EVIL is:

Niklas Isfeldt - Lead VocalsFredrik Nordström - Lead Rhythm GuitarsMark U Black - Lead Lead GuitarsPeter Stålfors - Lead BassPatrik Jerksten - Lead Drums

Arch Enemy recently released their live DVD / Blu-ray, As The Stages Burn!, which includes the unreleased official video for "Time is Black" from the War Eternal album. The band has posted a behind-the-scenes Making Of clip featuring Alex Boya Animation; it is available below along with the official video. 

 

As The Stages Burn! has conquered the German album charts by entering at position #9, repeating the success of the band’s much celebrated last studio album, War Eternal, which scored the same position back in 2014 marking Arch Enemy’s highest chart entry in Germany to date. As The Stages Burn! also reached position #2 of the Australian DVD charts.

Mastermind Michael Amott comments, "Top ten album in the German charts with a LIVE album? We'll take it! A huge thank you to all the amazing fans that pre-ordered or went out and picked up As The Stages Burn! in the first week of release! Feeling this fan support is extremely motivating as we continue working on our new studio album!"

As The Stages Burn!, which features the band’s largest and most impressive stage production to date filmed at Wacken 2016, is available as ltd. deluxe CD+DVD+Blu-Ray box set, special edition CD+DVD digipak, gatefold 2LP+DVD and as digital album.

The DVD/Blu-Ray also contains Behind The Scenes footage from Wacken, as well as excerpts from the Tokyo Sacrifice live DVD, all War Eternal music videos and a new, previously unreleased video clip for “Time Is Black” as bonus material! The deluxe box set comes with an artbook including CD, DVD and Blu-Ray, pop-up art, lanyard and As The Stages Burn! laminate.

Head to this location for ordering options.

Arch Enemy live:

July
6 - Rock Harz Festival - Ballenstedt, Germany
8 – Resurrection Fest – Viveiro, Spain
12 – Rockmaraton Festival – Dunaújváros, Hungary
14 - Gefle Metal Festival - Gävle, Sweden

August
4 – Rock Pod Kamenom Festival – Snina, Slovakia 
5 - Ostrava v Plamenech - Ostrava, Czech Republic
10 - Leyendas Del Rock - Villena, Spain
11 - Vagos Metal Fest - Vagos, Portugal
12 - Into The Grave - Leeuwarden, Netherlands
13 – Bloodstock Open Air – Derby, UK

Swedish-British death metal duo Ashcloud have finished works on their third album, Kingdom Of The Damned, out on June 19th via Xtreem Music. The album track “Suspended In Death” is available for streaming below.

Following the style that Ashcloud have been building through their two previous albums, this new work Kingdom Of The Damned shows a band that have forged an own personality, always within the traditional Swedish death metal style, spiced with good doses of crust and awesome melodies that are perfectly blended with the heaviness and fast parts of their songs. This new work shows a much rawer sound without loosing the melodic edge that is essential for Ashcloud’s style.

Kingdom Of The Damned tracklisting:

“Among The Grotesque”
“Kingdom Of The Damned”
“Suspended In Death”
“Dansa pa Krossade Skallar” (featuring David Nilsson)
“The Serpent King”
“Under Dödens Vingar Pt. 4” (featuring Rogga Johansson)
“The Seven Tumpets Of Hell”
“A Breath Of Decay”
“When Empires Are No More”
“Megeddio”

A live video for “Postcard To God”, from Vanden Plas' forthcoming live CD/DVD, The Seraphic Live Works, is available for streaming below. The set will be released on May 12th.

In their long career, Vanden Plas Official has only released one live album, Spirit Of Live, recorded in Paris at the legendary Elysée Montmartre, in 2000. With the upcoming release of The Seraphic Live Works, the wait for another documentation of the band's immense talents as a live act is finally over.

Through many tours and countless concerts, Vanden Plas has proven again and again that it is among the world's leading progressive metal bands. The quintet's glowing reputation carries across the pond to the U.S. where Vanden Plas was invited to appear at the renowned ProgPower USA in Atlanta in 2011. Regardless of a band's fame, an invitation to this prestigious event is an honor and their performance is certainly a high note in Vanden Plas' history. And it is for exactly that reason that Vanden Plas decided to captutre that unique moment.

The Seraphic Live Works shows unmistakably how extraordinary this gig at Center Stage Theater was for everyone involved. A performance exploding with energy, euphoric audience, and the venue's own special flair. The recordings will captivate every viewer and there is no question that Vanden Plas made the right decision to preserve this performance for eternity.

The Seraphic Live Works captivates and enthralls for nine songs, beginning with straightforward opener "Postcard To God" through the atmospheric "Far Off Grace" to the brilliant closer, "Silently." In this extended live version of the song, Vanden Plas ignites a prog metal fireworks display that is unparalleled, leading the listener through more than 11 magnificent minutes to a spectacular conclusion.

Vanden Plas has fans all over the world, but for those who have not yet been able to experience the band, they wanted to give them the next best thing with The Seraphic Live Works. The audio and video capture an authentic band that stands out in the prog metal genre.

Tracklisting (CD/DVD):

“Postcard To God”
“Rush Of Silence”
“Holes In The Sky”
“Far Off Grace”
“Scar Of An Angel”
“Quicksilver”
“Cold Wind”
“Frequency”
“Silently”

“Postcard To God” video:

“Rush Of Silence” video:

Lineup:

Stephan Lill - Guitar
Andreas Lill - Drums
Günter Werno - Keyboards
Andy Kuntz - Vocals
Torsten Reichert - Bass

Polish extreme metallers DECAPITATED will release their new album, "Anticult", on July 7 via Nuclear Blast.

The track listing for the effort is as follows:

01. Impulse02. Deathvaluation03. Kill The Cult04. One-Eyed Nation05. Anger Line06. Earth Scar07. Never08. Amen

The official video for the song "Never" can be seen below.

DECAPITATED guitarist and founding member Waclaw "Vogg" Kieltyka told The Moshville Times in a 2016 interview about the band's songwriting process: "I tend to focus on the music, as I always have, and Rasta [vocalist Rafał Piotrowski] writes the lyrics. He's been doing a really good job with those lyrics and we're going to be keeping the current arrangement."

DECAPITATED's sixth album, "Blood Mantra", was released in September 2014 via Nuclear Blast. The follow-up to 2011's "Carnival Is Forever" was recorded at Hertz Studio in Bialystok, Poland with producers Wojtek and Slawek Wiesawski.

The official lyric video for the track "Song On Fire" from the multi-platinum, chart-topping rock band NICKELBACK can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's forthcoming ninth album, "Feed The Machine", which will be released on Friday, June 16 via BMG..

Set in a dystopian, post-apocalyptic future where machines have imprisoned humans (think "The Matrix" and "The Terminator"), the video for the "Feed The Machine" title track sees NICKELBACK leader Chad Kroeger and his bandmates depicted as freedom-fighting revolutionaries who free the enslaved humans from their machine captors.

NICKELBACK is set to hit the road this summer on the colossal headlining "Feed The Machine" tour. Produced exclusively by Live Nation, the "Feed The Machine" trek will begin on June 23 in Noblesville, Indiana, with 44 dates across North America including stops in Detroit, Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto, Vancouver, and more. DAUGHTRY will join NICKELBACK as their special guest for all of the U.S. dates, as well as Toronto and Montreal, while SHAMAN'S HARVEST will be seen on all dates. Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame icons CHEAP TRICK will be special guests for the western Canadian leg of the tour.

In June 2015, NICKELBACK canceled the majority of its tour dates in support of the band's eighth album, "No Fixed Address", so that Kroeger could recover from surgery to remove a cyst on his vocal cords.

NICKELBACK filed a $13 million insurance claim with Lloyd's of London after scrapping the tour. But Lloyd's sued to cancel the singer's insurance, alleging that Kroeger already had the throat condition and failed to disclose it before taking out the policy.

Last year, NICKELBACK countersued Lloyd's, claiming that the firm is making false allegations about the band so that it doesn't have to pay out the claim.

"No Fixed Address" debuted at No. 4 on The Billboard 200 album chart in November 2014.

Photo credit: Richard Beland

Fan-filmed video footage of IN THIS MOMENT performing a brand new song called "River Of Fire" at several stops on the band's current tour can be seen below.

IN THIS MOMENT has completed work on the follow-up to 2014's "Black Widow" album and is planning a tentative summer release for the disc. Guitarist Chris Howorth told "The Cutting Edge Countdown" that a first single will likely arrive before the end of the month, adding that the album is "different and cool and I think it's a different step for us but that I think our fans are really gonna like."

Howorth said about the new CD's direction: "Stylistically, I think we went a little bit more raw, you know — like, not so much campiness like 'Sex Metal Barbie'. Not that there was anything wrong with that — we're always trying to experiment and do something different — but it's more serious, I guess, and a little more stripped down."

IN THIS MOMENT kicked off a new North American tour, dubbed the "Half God Half Devil" trek, on April 7 in Milwaukee. The road trip continues until May 6, where it ends at the Carolina Rebellion festival.

The trek marks IN THIS MOMENT's first full-scale tour since serving as special guests on last year's "Return Of The Dreads" run with KORN and ROB ZOMBIE.

IN THIS MOMENT recently revealed its summer tour plans, confirming that it will stay on the road with MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, along with VIMIC and LITTLE MISS NASTY, in June, through July and into August. STARSET will appear on a handful of dates. Additionally, IN THIS MOMENT will support AVENGED SEVENFOLD on June 19 and PAPA ROACH on June 23.

"Song #3", a new track from STONE SOUR, can be streamed below. The song is taken from the band's upcoming album, "Hydrograd", which will be released on June 30 via Roadrunner.

Head on over to StoneSour.com for an instant-grat download of "Song #3" and "Fabuless" when you pre-order "Hydrograd".

"Hydrograd" track listing:

01. YSIF02. Taipei Person/Allah Tea03. Knievel Has Landed04. Hydrograd05. Song #306. Fabuless07. The Witness Trees08. Rose Red Violent Blue (This Song Is Dumb & So Am I)09. Thanks God It's Over10. St. Marie11. Mercy12. Whiplash Pants13. Friday Knights14. Somebody Stole My Eyes15. When The Fever Broke

The cover artwork can be seen below.

The Paul Brown-directed video for "Fabuless" was filmed on April 18 in Los Angeles.

STONE SOUR singer Corey Taylor recently said about the full-length follow-up to "House Of Gold & Bones": "It is the best stuff that we've ever written. It's got a lot of different directions, but at its core it's very hard rock, almost in a modern/classic sense. There are some hints of punk in there. There's some cool hard rock/heavy metal. There's just all of these really cool elements that we've never maybe allowed ourselves to kind of go to."

Bassist Johnny Chow described the disc as "a straight rock and roll album" in an interview with Detroit radio station WRIF, adding, "It's just very groove-oriented, very melodic (with) big choruses. We've got some mellower songs on there too, which are equally just as amazing and have a lot of groove to them."

Chow called the record a "bit of a departure" from previous STONE SOUR albums.

"Hydrograd" was recorded at Sphere Studios in North Hollywood, California with producer Jay Ruston, who has previously worked with ANTHRAX and STEEL PANTHER.

The band tracked the album live in the studio, cutting a total of 18 songs from which 14 or 15 will make the CD.

STONE SOUR will play the Rock On The Range Kick-Off Party on Thursday, May 18 at Express Live! in Columbus, Ohio. The event will start the Rock On The Range weekend, with METALLICA, SOUNDGARDEN and KORN headlining this year's festival.

STONE SOUR will also be special guests of KORN on the latter act's "Serenity Of Summer" trek, which starts on June 16 in Salt Lake City and wraps on August 2 in Cleveland.

The official lyric video for the song "Fjällets Mäktiga Mur" from the Swedish duo VINTERSORG can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's new album, "Till Fjälls Del II", which will be released on June 30 via Napalm Records.

It was a tricky question... How would VINTERSORG continue after 2014's intriguing album "Naturbål"? Shunning repetition, vocalist and mastermind Andreas "Vintersorg" Hedlund did the unthinkable and composed a sequel to his groundbreaking 1998 album "Till Fjälls", which is considered to be one of the most important albums in the genre of black/folk metal!

What to expect from "Till Fjälls Del II"? No scientific lyrical concept, no progressive trickery, but a heartfelt return to snowcapped mountains, pure nature-inspired mysticism, Nordic folklore and real black metal with a captivating epic streak. VINTERSORG share a vision of equally harsh and melodic soundscapes that melt the raging extremes of the late '90s with the focus of 2016.

"Till Fjälls Del II" track listing:

CD1

01. Jökelväktaren02. En Väldig Isvidds Karga Dräkt03. Lavin04. Fjällets Mäktiga Mur05. Obygdens Pionjär06. Vinterstorm07. Tusenåriga Stråk08. Allt Mellan Himmel Och Jord09. Vårflod

CD2

01. Tillbaka Till Källorna02. Köldens Borg03. Portalen04. Svart Måne

The album will be available as a 2-CD 6-page digipak and 2LP gatefold edition (black vinyl, strictly limited to 300 copies worldwide). Also available is the VINTERSORG classic "Ödemarkens Son" from 1999 on vinyl for the first time ever. 1LP gatefold edition, strictly limited to 300 copies worldwide.

Mighty Music has announced the signing of Florida death metal veterans BRUTALITY. The band's comeback album, "Sea Of Ignorance" — which was originally issued in 2016 — will be re-released in Europe on May 26 on LP, CD and digital. A new studio effort is planned for 2018.

BRUTALITY has been devastating the underground since 1986. In 1988, they released their first demo, "Brutality", which gained them recognition in the underground fanzines. Their second demo, "Dimension Demented", was recorded in 1990, and a seven-inch EP called "Hell On Earth" was issued via Gore Records.

1991 saw the arival of "Metamorphosis", a cassette EP that received worldwide distribution on Wild Rags Records.

After necessary lineup changes in 1992, the band propelled forward and into the studio to record a new demo. The band utilized this demo to shop for a record deal and found interest from many different labels. They signed with Nuclear Blast and released a two-song seven-inch EP called "Sadistic".

BRUTALITY's first album, "Screams Of Anguish", was released in 1993. They toured with HYPOCRISY in Europe and crushed venues with their dark metal riffs. The band's second album, "When The Sky Turns Black", came out in 1994. The release of "When The Sky Turns Black" was followed by a European tour with BOLT THROWER and CEMETERY.

With continued efforts to improve their sound and direction, additional lineup changes were made in 1995 and they started writing their third album, "In Mourning". The disc was released in 1996.

After years of hard work, BRUTALITY decided to disband to pursue family life and careers away from music.

All three of BRUTALITY's albums were re-mastered and released in 2008 on Metal Mind Productions with unreleased bonus tracks.

In 2012, BRUTALITY reformed and released the EP "Ruins Of Humanity" on CD in the U.S. and on seven-inch EP vinyl in Europe through Mighty Music.

"Sea Of Ignorance" was originally released in the States and South America through BRUTALITY's own label in 2016.

BRUTALITY 2017 is:

Scott Reigel - VocalsJeff Acres - Bass and VocalsJay Fernandez - Lead Guitar Ruston Grosse - Drums

"Numinosum", the new video from Polish extreme black/death metallers HATE, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's new album, "Tremendum", which will be released on May 5 via Napalm Records. The cover artwork was created by Daniel Rusilowicz and can be seen below.

The title "Tremendum" (eeriness and the fear of the holy) refers to an archaic notion of holiness, which is both good and evil. And you will have absolutely no doubt which part of it this band represents.

You will rediscover the band and on a new level, as they seem to reach into different musical resources, including progressive beats, ingenious song structures and a completely new sound, which is still authentically harsh and yet very powerful.

Buszko stated about the album artwork: "The drawing on the cover depicts a nighthawk (Polish: lelek), a nocturnal bird that was treated with great respect by Slavic tribes in pre-Christian times. Nighthawks were believed to bring souls to this world and take them away from dying people. In that case, they gathered in big numbers screeching for long hours. So they were called 'messengers of death.' As this album has different Slavic references, we chose Nighthawk as a symbol that best conveys its meaning."

"Tremendum" track listing:

01. Asuric Being02. Indestructible Pillar03. Svarog's Mountain04. Numinosum05. Fidelis Ad Mortem06. Into Burning Gehenna07. Sea Of Rubble08. Ghostforce09. Walk Through Fire10. Hearts Of Steel (Bonus Track)

The official lyric video for the song "Asuric Being" can be seen below. HATE leader Adam "ATF Sinner" Buszko stated about the track: "The lyric for 'Asuric Being' is inspired by Rudolf Steiner's philosophical concept of Asuras - Spirit of Darkness or spirit of self-hood (egoism). It has a lot of archaic references and a history that long pre-dates Christianity. A truly great concept that has become a big source of inspiration to me. As for the music, you may notice how much we have refined the formula since Crusade. 'Tremendum' is a profound, organic and adventurous album. We are really proud of it!"

HATE is:

Adam "ATF Sinner" Buszko - Guitar, VocalsPavulon - DrumsApeiron - Bass (live)Domin - Guitar (live)

Veteran rockers GREAT WHITE will release their new album, "Full Circle", on June 2. The effort sees the band re-teaming with its original producer, Michael Wagener. It's an honorable nod to their first EP, "Out Of The Night" (Aegean Records, 1983) and debut self-titled full-length record (EMI, 1984). Wagener, is, of course, the legendary producer behind ALICE COOPER, MEGADETH, METALLICA, OZZY OSBOURNE and a slew of other rock gods.

"Full Circle" was recorded in January and February 2017 at Wagener's Nashville-based WireWorld Studio. The album's packaging includes a must-have companion DVD called "Making Of Full Circle". Rockslide Entertainment (produced by Todd Sadowski) captured the band developing the songs in the studio — a never-before-seen band access.

Much like 2012's "Elation" (Frontiers) the core songwriting team of Mark Kendall, Michael Lardie and Terry Ilous worked heavily alongside Audie Desbrow and Scott Snyder. The first single, "Big Time", is a sharp, cutting track.

In total, the ten songs on "Full Circle" range from the gut-punching "Give It Up" to the bass-heavy "Cry Of A Nation", the easily embraced, more acoustic "Let Me In" to the dynamic "This Is The Life".

"We can't thank our fans enough for being there with us over all of these decades," Kendall said. "It sounds insane to say decades, and when you think about it, that's how long it's been since we worked with Michael Wagener. Being excited in the studio with him is an understatement — he's a driving force and a legend behind the soundboard."

"GREAT WHITE is fueled by performing live – we love that energy that you can't find in the studio," Lardie said. "But, when you do get us working on a new record, there's a bond that is forged — it's almost like alchemy… it's years of stories, heartache, momentum and love that we put to track."

"Full Circle" track listing:

01. I'm Alright02. Movin' On03. This Is The Life04. Let Me In05. Moonshine06. Cry Of A Nation07. Give It Up08. Big Time09. Never Let You Down10. I've Got Your Back

This version of GREAT WHITE is not to be confused with JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE, which features original GREAT WHITE singer Jack Russell alongside Robby Lochner (FIGHT) on guitar, Dan McNay on bass, Tony Montana on guitar and Dicki Fliszar on drums.

GREAT WHITE released a live album, "30 Years - Live From The Sunset Strip", in February 2013 via Frontiers.

Photo credit: Neil Zlozower

Finnish melancholic progressive metallers AMORPHIS have parted ways with bassist Niclas Etelävuori. The band states: "His decision [to leave] has nothing to do with the band, no bad blood, no hard feelings between us, so it is better that you read his statement and thoughts below.

"It's really hard to describe the feelings everyone is going through right now, especially when we have worked as a family with him for so many years.

"People should understand that AMORPHIS has always been a democratic band and it's pretty obvious that not all choices can please everyone. Some people don't get along with each other; that's life. The focus and all decisions have still aimed for the greater good and only what is best for AMORPHIS.

"We will continue with our current management as we feel that there is no distrust between us whatsoever.

"Even in these circumstances, the show must go on, so we are happy to announce that our old friend and original AMORPHIS bass player Olli-Pekka (Oppu) Laine is going to play the forthcoming shows and festivals with us. It's been a long time since we played together but it sure is going to be nostalgic and great fun. Rest of the year continues busy as we are now heading to Russia after couple of weeks and from there to Radio Rock (Finland) cruise before the festival season starts. 'Under The Red Cloud' tour will end in September and after that we start to work on a new album. We'll keep you informed about that later on.

"Most of all, we want to wish Niclas nothing but the best in the future and he will always remain as a close brother to us."

Etelävuori states: "I'm very very sad to inform you that after 17 years, I've decided to leave my duties as bass player of AMORPHIS. This is probably the hardest decision I ever made in my life. I still love the music and the guys and the crew are still my brothers and I wish them all all the best in the future. There's absolutely no bad blood between us.

"The reason for my departure is 100% due to the (mis)management of the band. It probably sounds crazy to most of you, but that's how it is (music business can sometimes be very complicated). I got the guy his job back in the day and now I only heard lies and bullshit for the last many years, I just had enough, so I gotta go I can't work or live like that. It is pretty obvious to me that the manager only works for his own best interest not for the band's best interest, and that's not how it should be.

"Strange enough, for me 'most' of the band still wants to continue on this path, so I better find another one.

"We all gotta do what we believe in, and I don't believe in our manager anymore. I have left the door open if the band would decide to change things.

"Staying true to yourself is most important in life and that's what I'm trying to do, you only live once and life is too short for bullshit. I could probably write a book about it but I'll save that for later now I'm too tired and I have to look for a new job.

"I'd like to thank all the fans, companies, people I've met and worked with all over the world over the years it's been a blast. I hope we meet again some sunny day."

AMORPHIS's latest album, "Under The Red Cloud", was released in September 2015 via Nuclear Blast.

"Fabuless", the new video from STONE SOUR,, can be seen below. The song is the first single from the band's upcoming album, "Hydrograd", which will be released on June 30 via Roadrunner.

Head on over to StoneSour.com for an instant-grat download of the single when you pre-order "Hydrograd".

"Hydrograd" track listing:

01. YSIF02. Taipei Person/Allah Tea03. Knievel Has Landed04. Hydrograd05. Song #306. Fabuless07. The Witness Trees08. Rose Red Violent Blue (This Song Is Dumb & So Am I)09. Thanks God It's Over10. St. Marie11. Mercy12. Whiplash Pants13. Friday Knights14. Somebody Stole My Eyes15. When The Fever Broke

The cover artwork can be seen below.

The "Fabuless" clip was filmed on April 18 in Los Angeles.

STONE SOUR singer Corey Taylor recently said about the full-length follow-up to "House Of Gold & Bones": "It is the best stuff that we've ever written. It's got a lot of different directions, but at its core it's very hard rock, almost in a modern/classic sense. There are some hints of punk in there. There's some cool hard rock/heavy metal. There's just all of these really cool elements that we've never maybe allowed ourselves to kind of go to."

Bassist Johnny Chow described the disc as "a straight rock and roll album" in an interview with Detroit radio station WRIF, adding, "It's just very groove-oriented, very melodic (with) big choruses. We've got some mellower songs on there too, which are equally just as amazing and have a lot of groove to them."

Chow called the record a "bit of a departure" from previous STONE SOUR albums.

"Hydrograd" was recorded at Sphere Studios in North Hollywood, California with producer Jay Ruston, who has previously worked with ANTHRAX and STEEL PANTHER.

The band tracked the album live in the studio, cutting a total of 18 songs from which 14 or 15 will make the CD.

STONE SOUR will play the Rock On The Range Kick-Off Party on Thursday, May 18 at Express Live! in Columbus, Ohio. The event will start the Rock On The Range weekend, with METALLICA, SOUNDGARDEN and KORN headlining this year's festival.

STONE SOUR will also be special guests of KORN on the latter act's "Serenity Of Summer" trek, which starts on June 16 in Salt Lake City and wraps on August 2 in Cleveland.

In a brand new interview with Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show, former CANNIBAL CORPSE and current SIX FEET UNDER frontman Chris Barnes was asked about the "disconnect" between the aggression of the music he makes and the relaxed aspect of his personality. He said (hear audio below): "Well, I'm highly medicated… [Laughs] Cannabis has been my best friend for my entire life, pretty much, so everything I create and do is with the use of medicinal and spiritual use of cannabis. So I tend to keep a pretty even nature, unless someone pokes the bear, you know [laughs], someone stirs up the snake a little bit, I'm all right. But I've been known to have some pretty nasty bites. But, yeah, I try to keep it pretty cool."

Barnes admitted to the "Metal Shop" radio show in a 2015 interview that Washington state's legalization of marijuana in 2012 played "a big part" in his decision to relocate from Florida to Seattle. He explained: "I felt like for a big portion of my life, over half of my life, I was saying publicly and to myself, if there was ever a place that had legal weed that I loved and would wanna live there, why wouldn't I be there? And I asked myself that question a couple of more times, and sold my house [in Florida] in two days, packed up the house and left within two weeks and got up here."

Barnes also recalled how he was first introduced to marijuana at a very young age.

"I was lucky to grow up in a house where my dad and his wife were very, kind of, progressive, and he grew cannabis and sold it," Chris said. "So I remember the original Acapulco Gold strains, and Panama Red, the real Red, that were eradicated… So, yeah, my first time I smoked it, I think I was 12 years old, so it was probably, like, '78 or something, '79. I stole a roach [the end of a marijuana joint] out of the ash tray, and me and my best friend took my mini bike and went trail riding and smoked a couple of roaches."

Asked who the other biggest stoner in death metal is, Barnes responded: "It used to be my good friend Chuck Schuldiner [from DEATH]. He was a great smoking friend. But now I'd say my good friend Landphil Hall from CANNABIS CORPSE."

SIX FEET UNDER's twelfth studio album, "Torment", wwas released on February 24 via Metal Blade. The disc was brought to life by Barnes with bassist/guitarist Jeff Hughell (BRAIN DRILL) shouldering the load of writing the music, along with heralded drummer Marco Pitruzzella (BRAIN DRILL, ANOMALOUS, SLEEP TERROR).

The official video for "Madness", the title track of the eighth studio album from Massachusetts metallers ALL THAT REMAINS, can be seen below. The disc will be released on April 28 via Razor & Tie in the U.S. and Eleven Seven Music in Europe.

"Madness" was recorded at West Valley Studios in Woodland Hills, California with producer Howard Benson, who has previously worked with such acts as MOTÖRHEAD, PAPA ROACH, THREE DAYS GRACE, FLYLEAF, P.O.D. and HALESTORM.

ALL THAT REMAINS singer Phil Labonte told Revolver magazine about the band's approach on the new disc: "We wanted to mix it up a little bit and write from a vocal perspective this time. So I went to L.A. and came up with vocal ideas and melodies and then sent those chord progressions back to Oli and he wrote riffs in response to that. [Doing it this way] turned the record into a vocal album as opposed to a guitar album. And that affected some things. Like, there might be less intricacy in the riffs because they were written in response to my voice."

Labonte added that the majority of the new ALL THAT REMAINS songs feature "significant programming and electronic sounds. And that's something we wanted to have flowing through the entire record. So you're gonna hear that kind of influence on most of the tracks."

Asked by Ryan Daniels of of Rock 105.5, Carolina's Pure Rock radio station, about the "sellout" accusations that have been leveled at ALL THAT REMAINS for the more radio-friendly sound of the album's first single, "Madness", Labonte said: "If you're doing something — making music — and specifically catering to an audience that you have catered to or that has found something to attach to, is it a sellout to try and change and do something different? Or is it a sellout to be, like, 'Okay, this is the safe play where I know I can make my money?' It's, like, I know I that I can cater to this narrow group of people, and if we don't stray, these people will keep buying our records, these people will keep coming to our shows. Is it a sellout to be, like, 'I'm gonna try something different?'"

He continued: "People have been saying 'sellout' about us since 2006, since we put out 'The Fall Of Ideals'. We started doing clean choruses, and people were, like, 'Oh, sellout!' And it's, like, gimme a fucking break. We've always tried to push [the envelope] and change."

"Madness" track listing:

01. Safe House02. Madness03. Nothing I Can Do04. If I'm Honest05. Halo06. Louder07. River City08. Open Grave09. Far From Home10. Trust And Believe11. Back To You12. Never Sorry13. The Thunder Rolls

During a brand new interview with Meltdown of the Detroit, Michigan radio station WRIF, TESTAMENT axeman Alex Skolnick spoke about the recent deaths of Paul O'Neill, creator of the multi-platinum rock theater experience TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA, and the groundbreaking British guitarist Allan Holdsworth. Alex said (hear audio below): "It's just unbelievable. Paul I knew personally. [He was] one of the most driven people I ever knew. He seemed like he could go forever, but I think part of what happened here, with high-energy people like that, as they get older, they don't ever slow down; it's just not in their vocabulary."

He continued: "I never met Prince personally, but I knew some musicians who worked with him, and they said the same thing — he was just non-stop and just wouldn't slow down, even as he got older. And it catches up to you. I mean, Allan Holdsworth at least made it to 70, but still, these days that's kind of young to check out. I don't think anybody saw it coming. [It's] a tremendous loss. At least there's a lot of appreciation coming for Allan Holdsworth, 'cause he's really influenced so many musicians, but it's not music you'll ever hear on the radio, or it's not part of popular culture at all. At least he's appreciated by the many musicians he inspired."

Alex, who joined TESTAMENT (then known as LEGACY) when he was 16, quickly began to wonder if there was more out there for him as a musician, causing him to quit the band in 1992 and move to New York to study at the New School's Jazz Performance program, where he got his BFA in 2001. Back with TESTAMENT for more than a decade now, he still records and tours with his jazz trio, simply dubbed the ALEX SKOLNICK TRIO, whose 2011 album, "Veritas", reached the Top Ten of the iTunes jazz chart.

Interview (audio):

On February 14, Alicia Trejo of Access Unlimited TV conducted an interview with vocalist Elize Ryd and guitarist Olof Mörck of Swedish melodic metallers AMARANTHE prior to their show at the Gothic Theater in Denver, Colorado. You can now watch the chat below.

Speaking about how some of AMARANTHE's songs tend to be written about feeling alienated by technology and modern life, Olof said: "The 'Digital World' song sort of describes [how] technology and that kind of futurism and post-modernism is sort of a double-edged sword. Because on one hand, if you show to Isaac Newton or Albert Einstein that you could contain the combined knowledge of humanity in just a smartphone and you could have access to it at any place or at any time, then they would be extremely impressed. But at the end of the day, we are using it for a lot of pointless social media. So if you walk into a café, like in Denver or Englewood, there will be a lot of youngsters just, instead of interacting with each other, they will just watch random cat videos on Facebook. There's a lot of good things that come with technology, and I think that the 'Digital World' song describes that. And it's also a little bit of a sarcastic or ironic thing, because we are sort of a digital band, with a lot of keyboards and stuff like that, but our hearts are very 'un-digital,' if you know what I mean — very analog."

AMARANTHE's latest album, "Maximalism", was released last October via Spinefarm Records. The disc was produced once again by Jacob Hansen (VOLBEAT, EPICA, DELAIN) and mastered by Svante Forsback (RAMMSTEIN, APOCALYPTICA, DRAGONFORCE).

Detroit-based progressive rock quartet Tiles has issued a new video for the track "The Disappearing Floor”. Tiles' first major conceptual video was crafted to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the release their magnum opus Pretending 2 Run - the two-disc concept album hailed worldwide as one of the top progressive rock releases of 2016, making many year-end "best of" lists - and sees release as the band is nominated for several local music awards.

"The Disappearing Floor" video was shot in a historic industrial park in downtown Detroit and features a cameo appearance by legendary six-time-Grammy-nominated fusion guitarist Mike Stern as he recorded his incendiary solo for the song's long rideout.

Tiles guitarist Chris Herin states on collaborating with Stern: "What a remarkable experience! Mike was so easygoing and dedicated to delivering his best. It was very late and he had just flown in from Montana, but he was totally up for the session. We already had a great solo completed, but Mike said, "Do you mind if I do one more pass, just for fun?" And he nailed what you hear (and see). It's hard to believe he surpassed what we already had!  It was such a thrill to experience that level of musicianship and artistry up close."

Tiles has announced that Pretending 2 Run has garnered two nominations at the 2017 Detroit Music Awards. The band is nominated in the categories for "Outstanding National Small / Independent Label Recording" and "Outstanding Video / Limited Budget" for the song "Weightless”, streaming below:

Tiles' Pretending 2 Run features a plethora of guest appearances, including the first recorded music with both Mike Portnoy (The Winery Dogs, Flying Colors, Dream Theater) and his son Max (Next To None), as well as well as music from Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull), Adam Holzman (Steven Wilson), Mike Stern (Miles Davis), Colin Edwin (Porcupine Tree) and Kim Mitchell. The record was produced by Terry Brown (Rush, Fates Warning) and is finished with artwork by Hugh Syme (Iron Maiden, Rush, Dream Theater).

Pretending 2 Run is available worldwide through Laser's Edge.

Tiles continues to book new live performances, with a headlining show in Chicago this Friday, April 28th, a show in Detroit May 19th supporting Yngwie Malmsteen, another hometown gig supporting Fates Warning alongside labelmates Infinite Spectrum on June 23rd, a support slot with King's X on July 7th, and much more.

Live dates:

April
28 - Reggies - Chicago, IL (with Fire Garden, Sonus Umbra)

May
19 - St. Andrews Hall - Detroit, MI (with Yngwie Malmsteen)

June
23 - Token Lounge - Westland, MI (with Fates Warning, Infinite Spectrum)

July
7 - Magic Bag - Ferndale, MI (with King's X)
14 - Howard's Club H - Bowling Green, OH (with Fire Garden, Monstrosadus)
15 - Evening Star - Buffalo, NY (with Fire Garden, Turning Virtue)

(Photo - Paul D’Angelo)

Currently playing drums for The Dead Daisies, Brian Tichy has also worked with Billy Idol, Whitesnake, Foreigner, Gilby Clarke, Pride & Glory, and many more. The multi-talented musician is now focused on a solo instrumental Christmas album to be titled Merry Tichmas.

"Having fun with big drum sounds and '70s guitar vibes," says Brian. "Lots of sleigh bells, lots of guitar color, not too heavy and no loss of festivity in the overdriven rock!"

Tichy's official introduction to his forthcoming Christmas album reads as follows: "Hello everyone! Like many of us, I love Christmas! I am putting together an LP of instrumental versions of my favorite Christmas songs, entitled Merry Tichmas. I will play all the instruments and will have some very special guests share their talent and holiday spirit as well!"

Pre-orders can be placed now via Pledge Music. "I’m making available personal items and participation options for purchase to help with the costs of making this CD. Thanks for your interest and Pledge! Oh, and… Merry Christmas!"

 

German true metal outfit Wizard will release their new album Fallen Kings on June 16th via Massacre Records. The album will be available as a limited edition digipak with two bonus tracks. 

Check out the lyric video for new track “Liar And Betrayer”:

Fallen Kings was mixed and mastered by Achim Köhler at Indiscreet Audio. 

The artwork was created by Aldo Requena (Feanor, Black Majesty, Paragon):

Peaceville Records will reissue the Darkthrone classic, 1992’s A Blaze In The Northern Sky, to coincide with the 30th anniversary of both the band and the Peaceville label.

A Blaze In The Northern Sky, Darkthrone's second album, was originally released in 1992 and was without question a significant blueprint for the black metal scene, spearheading the evolution of the early second wave movement in Norway and beyond. It was hailed on release as an album of true scene-shifting greatness, following the band's more death metal orientated debut, Soulside Journey. 

The iconic cover image is set in a special cut-out sleeve. Preorders available here .

Tracklisting:

Side A
“Kathaarian Life Code”
“In The Shadow Of The Horns”
“Paragon Belial”

Side B
“Where Cold Winds Blow”
“A Blaze In The Northern Sky”
“The Pagan Winter”

Featuring an all-star cast of heavy metal veterans, North Carolina's Walpyrgus has announced the forthcoming Cruz Del Sur Music release of full-length debut album Walpyrgus Nights. The album will be released on compact disc, vinyl (featuring a 56-page comic book with lyrics!) and digital formats on June 9th. New song "Somewhere Under Summerwind" is streaming below. Preorders are available at this location .

Walpyrgus Nights represents the full realization of the potential of this dangerous meeting of Metal minds. Hook after hook, cascading guitar harmonies, anthemic soaring vocals, and epic unexpected twists and turns abound on this eight-song opus. It is a genuinely inspired, wild, fun ride through the annals of classic Hard Rock and early Metal with a distinct personality. The album, which features the artwork of Gustavo Sazes (Morbid Angel, Arch Enemy, Firewind), was recorded in a variety of locations over the course of two intense years under the guidance of Tom Phillips, mixed by longtime collaborator Kevin "131" Gutierrez (Raven, Deceased, Believer) and mastered by Bill Wolf (Raven, While Heaven Wept).

Tracklisting:

“The Dead Of Night”
“Somewhere Under Summerwind”
“Dead Girls”
“Lauralone”
“Palmystry”
“She Lives”
“Light Of A Torch” (Witch Cross cover)
“Walpyrgus Nights”

“Somewhere Under Summerwind”:

Eclipse Records has announced the signing of Australian metallers, As Paradise Falls, to an exclusive worldwide deal.

While recording their album in 2015, the unexpected passing of their guitarist put everything on hold. Now, after clawing their way back from immense tragedy, As Paradise Falls have returned with a new album produced by Shane Edwards (Northlane, Trophy Eyes, Hellions) entitled Digital Ritual, which will be released this summer. To underestimate this band, would clearly be a mistake.

Just before signing with Eclipse, the band independently released “Starblind”, the first single from their upcoming new album. Watch the “Starblind” video below.

“On the day the single was released, I got an email from Chris at Eclipse,” stated guitarist Danny Kenneally. “Chris had previously followed us on Spotify, and we came up in his Release Radar. When he asked if we had any more material, I told him about the new album and he immediately offered to put it out via Eclipse.”

Within a few weeks, the band signed to Eclipse Records, and began preparing for the album’s release. Digital Ritual is currently slated for a summer release, with details available soon.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD's video for the song "God Damn" can be seen below. The clip was filmed in February with director Anders Rostad before a crowd of fan volunteers.

"There's a bunch of ideas that were thrown into the mixing bowl there," AVENGED SEVENFOLD singer M. Shadows told Billboard, which premiered the video, "but the main idea was to get fans involved and make sure the kids knew this is a song full of energy first and foremost — 'hey, this is a record we can wrap our heads around. It's cool live stuff. It's a rockin' song' — but at the same time, we wanted the technological hint in there, so as the video progresses you start seeing things glitching out and all of a sudden the world turns digital. And by the end, there's a little nod to the lyrics; you see an eyeball kind of in there as an Easter egg, which is kind of big brother watching what we do the whole time as the humans turn into a digital world."

AVENGED SEVENFOLD will join METALLICA for the latter's "WorldWired" 2017 North American tour. Produced by Live Nation, the summer's hottest ticket kicks off May 10 at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland with openers VOLBEAT.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD is touring in support of its seventh album, "The Stage", which was given a surprise release at the end of October with almost no promotion beforehand.

"The Stage" debuted at No. 4 on The Billboard 200 album chart back in November following its surprise release. Co-produced by the band and Joe Barresi, the disc features eleven panoramic tracks tied together by an Artificial Intelligence theme. Inspired by the writings of Carl Sagan and Elon Musk, the album is the band's first thematic release. While the term "AI" conjures up images of robots and fantasy films, the band steers clear of a science fiction storyline. Instead, the album sees them taking a futurist's look at the accelerated rate at which technology's intelligence is expanding and what that means — good and bad — for the future.

The album's epic 15-minute-plus closing track, "Exist", features a guest appearance by award-winning astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson giving a spoken-word performance he penned specifically for the album.

"Infinite End", a brand song from ARCADEA, can be streamed below.

Hailing from the fringes of the cosmos, ARCADEA will make its arrival known with the release of its self-titled debut album on June 16 via Relapse Records.

ARCADEA was born when drummer-vocalist Brann Dailor of MASTODON teamed up with guitarist and keyboardist Core Atoms (ZRUDA) to create a synth-laden progressive, heavy psych band. Adding guitarist Raheem Amlani (WITHERED) on synth, the three recorded their visionary, ten-song synth odyssey at Orange Peel Studios in Atlanta, Georgia.

Unlike their other bands, ARCADEA uses only keyboards in a unique blend of crushing, organic drums and psychedelic synthesizers. The music is at once electronic but not electronica, synthetic but not processed, heavy but not metal.

The album envisions a future five billion years from now, where the impending collision of galaxies creates a new order of planets. Where cold, distant moons pledge alliance to new suns and expanding gas giants implode into black holes. Ancient drones, forever adrift, record toxic tales of love between dying stars. Where lifeforms in suspended animation, dream among the ice rings of Saturn and cosmic war wages among gods and planets. It is in this universe that ARCADEA reign supreme as the last surviving space wizards since the final extinction.

"Arcadea" track listing:

01. Army Of Electrons02. Gas Giant03. Rings Of Saturn04. Neptune Moons05. Infinite End06. Electromagnetic07. Motion Of Planets08. The Pull Of Invisible Strings09. Through The Eye Of Pisces10. Worlds Can Go On11. Magnificent Facade

Photo credit: Core Atoms

San Antonio-based metallers, Upon A Burning Body, have released a video for “The Outcast”, a track from their new album, Straight From The Barrio, released last year via Sumerian Records. The new clip can be found below.

Tracklisting:

“’Til The Break Of Dawn”
“ Already Broken”
“You Don’t Own Me”
“Media Blackout”
“B.M.F.”
“Straight From The Barrio”
“Leave The Pain Behind”
“Walk Alone Again”
“Fake Plastic Smile”
“D.T.A. (Don’t Trust Anyone)”
“The Outcast”
“My Distorted Reflection”

“The Outcast” video:

“Already Broken” video:

Melodic metal act, All But One, will release their debut album, Square One, this Friday, April 28th, via Lifeforce Records. A full album stream is available via the YouTube playlist below. Pre-order the album at this location.

Tracklisting:

“Square One”
“Persistence”
“For The Waiting Good”
“Coloured in Vivid”
“Hope Fuel”
“Little White Lies”
“The Reaper, The Sower”
“Fire Sale”
“Serenity”

Album stream:

“Coloured In Vivid” lyric video:

“Little White Lies” video:

With members of Alestorm, Heaven Shall Burn and Lifeforce Records' very own When Our Time Comes, All But One have a brand new message to deliver. Their powerhouse debut album tastefully fuses the worlds of pop and metal music, combining accomplished melody with masterful guitar and fearsome breakdowns.

All But One was born as a passion project of Alestorm guitarist Máté Bodor. After catching the attention of an elite group of likeminded musicians, what began as a side project evolved into what will undoubtably become a formidable force in the rock music industry.

All But One are a product of professionalism, uncompromising passion and an unstoppable hunger to succeed.

(Photo - Kornél Györgyei)

Epic Death drummer Reece Stanley has joined up with Texas-based power metal band Omen, and will be touring with them beginning the end of April.

As you know, Reece plays in Phantom X with Kevin Goocher as well, so when it came to pass that Omen needed a drummer, Kevin made the call to Reece to fill the position.

"We can't be happier for our brother in arms,” stated vocalist/lead guitar player Vamp (aka Dennis Dorsett).

Catch Reece with Omen on the dates listed on the flyer below.

(Photo - The Houston Metal Project)