ViciSolum Productions has announced the June 24th release of Here Be Dragons, the forthcoming third album from tech-death mindbenders C.B. Murdoc.

C.B Murdoc was formed in 2006 out of the remnants of Mörk Gryning. Innovative and aggressive; intricate and unruly; the band ebbs and flows between grandiosity and self-hate in an attempt to compose the soundtrack to the chaotic and often unpleasant human existence. C.B Murdoc is a therapeutic and compulsory creative outlet for the introvert Scandinavian mentality steeped in a mandatory eight-month long winter season. C.B Murdoc is the manic panic attack forced into the light.

Tracklisting:

“Debt Of Guilt”
“Brood And Roaring Fires”
“Nonplus Ultra”
“The Green”
“Rage Enabler”
“The Violence Of Illumination”
“Diamonds”
“Everything Is Going To Be OK”
“Dither”
“Objecting Projection”
“11”

“Everything Is Going To Be OK”:

Here Be Dragons was recorded and mixed by the seasoned producer and engineer Sverker Widgren at newly founded Wing studios, Vällingby, Sweden. Pre-order the album at this location.

Portland-based heavy metal troupe Spellcaster are streaming the new track “I Live Again”, featured on their upcoming full-length release, Night Hides The World, out on July 8th via Prosthetic Records. Listen to the track below.

Often compared to the lauded forerunners that have paved the path for the classic heavy metal genre, Spellcaster have dug out a new trail with their forthcoming effort which features their most visceral material to date. The band - which includes vocalist Tyler Loney, guitarists Cory Boyd and Bryce R. VanHoosen, bassist Gabe Franco and drummer Colin Vranzian - split their time tracking the new material between Oakland, CA and their hometown with producer/mixer Zack Ohren (All Shall Perish, Exmortus) amidst consistent appearances in North America and Europe including gigs with Death Angel, Flotsam & Jetsam, Night Demon, Holy Grail, Exmortus and more.

Tracklisting:

“Aria
“Night Hides The World”
“The Lost Ones”
“Betrayal”
“I Live Again”
“The Accuser”
“The Moon Doors”
“Prophecy”

“I Live Again”:

Night Hides The World is available for physical pre-order via Prosthetic Records web shop at this location. The album will be offered on CD, limited-edition LP (black and opaque purple variants) and limited-edition cassette tape (purple variant). Digital pre-order's will also be available in the coming weeks.  

Spellcaster are on the road with Canadian metallists Striker on their North American Spring tour, along with additions support on select dates provided by Weresquatch and Thrashole. They will also make a featured appearance at the Frost and Fire II Festival (Cirith Ungol, Midnight, Omen) in California later this fall. Remaining dates can be found below.

Tour dates:

May
13 - Portland, OR - Bossanova Ballroom #
14 - Boise, ID - The Shredder #
15 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Metro *
16 - Reno, NV - PB & J’s #
17 - Fullerton, CA - Slidebar #
19 - El Paso, TX - Mesa Music Hall #
20 - San Antonio, TX - The Korova #
21 - Houston, TX - Satellite Bar #
22 - New Orleans, LA - TBA
23 - Orlando, FL - Bombshell Tavern #
24 - Atlanta, GA - 529 *
25 - Covington, KY - Backstage Cafe #
26 - Bowling Green, OH - Howards Club #
27 - Chicago, IL - Reggie’s Live #
29 - Des Moines, IA - Vaudeville Mews #
30 - Dubuque, IA - The Venue #
31 - Omaha, NE - Lookout Lounge #

June
1 - Colorado Springs, CO - Sunshine Studio Live #
2 - North Platte, NE - Sculley’s Shooters #
3 - Scottsbluff, NE - Elks Lodge #
4 - Billings, MT - The Railyard #
5 - Missoula, MT - The Palace Lounge

October
8 - Ventura, CA - Frost & Fire II
9 - Oakland, CA - The Golden Bull

* with Striker
# with Striker, Weresquatch, Thrashole

"Draconian Love", the new video from EDGUY frontman Tobias Sammet's AVANTASIA project, can be seen below. The clip contains live footage from AVANTASIA's recent shows in Brazil.

"Draconian Love" is taken from AVANTASIA's seventh studio album, "Ghostlights", which entered the German chart at position No. 2. Released on January 29 via Nuclear Blast, the twelve-song CD was produced by Tobias and Sascha Paeth at Gatestudio in Wolfsburg, Germany. Paeth engineered and mixed "Ghostlights", while the mastering was done by Michael Rodenberg.

In an interview with Myglobalmind, Tobias stated about the lyrical themes covered on "Ghostlights": "It's a concept that started in novel form on 'The Mystery Of Time' and 'Ghoslights' is based on that one, so it finishes the story. The twelve new songs represent twelve stations on the protagonist's journey. It's a journey where he is looking for answers for some questions about his own existence and that leaves its mark on his philosophical worldview as well. Those twelve songs represent key moments on this journey and then it's done. There is no happy end indeed — it's a very open ending — but I didn't want to continue the story in fairytale form. Instead I wanted it to be more universal, so that people can think about the things that happen in the story. You should be able to interpret it for yourself in the end. So this concept and topic is definitely finished."

Tobias also talked about the musical direction of "Ghostlights". He said: "I'm not that kind of person who sits down after a large market analysis and says, 'The next album has to be faster, darker or softer.' That will never happen, and that's good, because you can keep it interesting for yourself. I never really know in which direction it will lead. I just have a rough idea in mind when I develop a concept and of course there is a certain quintessence that is always present during the whole process, but I never really know how it will turn out. You never know if a song gets more dark or something like that. These are simply nuances. So many things are happening during the development process, so because of smallest changes a song can go into a different direction in the end. Let me give you one example. There is one song called 'Draconian Love' that sounds quiet dark, but that just happened in the studio. Originally this one was a typical AVANTASIA track in the vein of 'Dying For An Angel' or 'Avantasia' from the very first record. At the end of the day, Sascha Paeth came up with the idea that my duet partner Herbie Langhans from SINBREED could sing his part an octave lower than me to get a bigger discrepancy between our two voices. And suddenly this song got this kind of… many people call it 'gothic' touch. I really can't compare it, since I'm not into this style of music, but because of that little change this song got a more darker tone."

"Ghostlights" features guest appearances by:

* Dee Snider (TWISTED SISTER)* Geoff Tate (QUEENSRŸCHE)* Marco Hietala (NIGHTWISH)* Sharon Den Adel (WITHIN TEMPTATION)* Michael Kiske (HELLOWEEN)* Ronnie Atkins (PRETTY MAIDS)* Bob Catley (MAGNUM)* Jorn Lande (MASTERPLAN)* Bruce Kulick (KISS)* Robert Mason (WARRANT)* Herbie Langhans (SEVENTH AVENUE, SINBREED)* Oliver Hartmann* Sascha Paeth

The instrumentalists on "Ghostlights" are as follows:

* Sascha Paeth - rhythm guitar, lead guitar, bass, additional keys* Michael Rodenberg - orchestration, keys* Tobias Sammet - additional keys and bass* Bruce Kulick - lead guitar* Oliver Hartmann - lead guitar* Felix Bohnke - drums

CD

01. Mystery Of A Blood Red RoseLead vocals: TobiasLead guitar: Sascha Paeth

02. Let The Storm Descend Upon YouLead vocals: Tobias, Jorn Lande, Ronnie Atkins, Robert MasonLead guitar: Oliver Hartmann

03. The HauntingLead vocals: Dee Snider, TobiasLead guitar: Sascha Paeth

04. Seduction Of DecayLead vocals: Geoff Tate, TobiasLead guitar: Sascha Paeth

05. GhostlightsLead vocals: Michael Kiske, Tobias, Jorn LandeLead guitar: Sascha Paeth, Oliver Hartmann

06. Draconian LoveLead vocals: Herbie Langhans, TobiasLead guitar: Sascha Paeth

07. Master Of The PendulumLead vocals: Marco Hietala, TobiasLead guitar: Sascha Paeth

08. Isle Of EvermoreLead vocals: Sharon Den Adel, Tobias

09. Babylon VampyresLead vocals: Tobias, Robert MasonLead guitar: Bruce Kulick, Oliver Hartmann, Sascha Paeth

10. LuciferLead vocals: Jorn Lande, TobiasLead guitar: Bruce Kulick

11. Unchain The LightLead vocals: Tobias, Ronnie Atkins, Michael KiskeLead guitar: Sascha Paeth, Oliver Hartmann

12. A Restless Heart And Obsidian SkiesLead vocals: Bob Catley, TobiasLead guitar: Bruce Kulick

Digibook

CD 1

01. Mystery Of A Blood Red Rose02. Let The Storm Descend Upon You03. The Haunting04. Seduction Of Decay05. Ghostlights06. Draconian Love07. Master Of The Pendulum08. Isle Of Evermore09. Babylon Vampyres10. Lucifer11. Unchain The Light12. A Restless Heart And Obsidian Skies13. Wake Up To The Moon (bonus track)

CD 2 (Bonus Disc - AVANTASIA live)

01. Spectres02. Invoke The Machine03. The Story Ain't Over04. Prelude05. Reach Out For The Light06. Avantasia07. Whats Left Of Me08. Dying For An Angel09. Twisted Mind10. The Watchmakers' Dream11. Another Angel Down---Earbook (digibook including 68-page photobook, 28.5x28.5cm)+ CD 3 karaoke version of CD 1 without bonus track

01. Mystery Of A Blood Red Rose02. Let The Storm Descend Upon You03. The Haunting04. Seduction Of Decay05. Ghostlights06. Draconian Love07. Master Of The Pendulum08. Isle Of Evermore09. Babylon Vampyres10. Lucifer11. Unchain The Light12. A Restless Heart And Obsidian Skies

Mailorder Box

- Earbook- Poster- Autograph- Lanyard + Pass- 10" Vinyl (tracks to be confirmed)

Vinyl

Side A

01. Mystery Of A Blood Red Rose02. Let The Storm Descend Upon You03. The Haunting

Side B

01. Seduction Of Decay02. Ghostlights03. Draconian Love

Side C

01. Master Of The Pendulum02. Isle Of Evermore03. Babylon Vampyres

Side D

01. Lucifer02. Unchain The Light03. A Restless Heart And Obsidian Skies04. Wake Up To The Moon (bonus track)

Swedish occult rockers GHOST will release new EP later this year and will follow it up with a new round a touring featuring a brand new stage show.

Speaking to MetalSucks during GHOST's spring U.S. tour, one of the band's Nameless Ghouls stated about the group's plans for the coming months (see video below): "We're gonna finish up this tour in Albany, which is on May 22nd, and then our European tour starts May 27th. And that stretches into right in the beginning of July; so that's gonna be festivals. After that, we have an EP coming out. That's gonna be great, because that's gonna, sort of, re-energize the whole cycle. So there's gonna be some new material, we're gonna have a new stage show. So it's gonna be a completely different setting. Then we're gonna terrorize you with that up until next year."

GHOST won the Grammy for "Best Metal Performance" during the pre-telecast ceremony at the 58th annual Grammy Awards. GHOST was nominated for the song "Cirice" from its 2015 album "Meliora".

"Cirice" recently reached the Top 10 at rock radio, the first song from the band to get significant airplay in the U.S.

Asked how big he envisions GHOST one day becoming, the Nameless Ghoul told WNOR FM99: "It's hard to fully set a parameter of, 'This is exactly how big we wanna become.' But I think that the one goal that we want to achieve… I mean, set aside a lot of the personal, I guess, monetary things that you want to achieve as a human being; you wanna be rich and you wanna be that… But when it comes to the size that I've always wanted us to become or turn into, it's basically a full-production band that can do almost anything that we need in order to fully accomplish the show that we've always had in mind. Obviously, it's not exactly the same vision from eight years ago — it's grown — but the idea has always been for it to be a full-production arena [show]."

And they said it would never happen. Never!!  However, this September, original singer/songwriter Glenn Danzig, original bassist Jerry Only and long-time guitarist Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein - for the first time in over 30 years - will be stepping onto stage together as “The Original Misfits” to headline Riot Fest & Rodeo in Denver, CO (September 2nd - 4th) and Riot Fest & Carnival in Chicago, IL (September 16th - 18th).

From the time of their first gig in 1977, the Misfits and their iconic imagery went on to become one of the most crucially influential, genre-defying bands to ever emerge from North America, the Misfits significance extends well beyond the narrowed path of punk rock and hardcore. Although not cognizant of how significant they would become, what the Misfits achieved in their initial six-year window deconstructed and redefined rock music.
 
All the while, the Misfits with Danzig’s unmistakable voice, Only’s ferocious bass sound and the bands anthemic songs, melody-induced choruses and authentically bruising musicianship, cemented their importance with all ensuing generations, whether in arena-filled metal shows or in a sweaty 400-cap club in Tucson. And for the first time in over three decades, legions of diehard fans from around the world will have the opportunity to hear the original band that created thousands of bands in their wake.
 
Full line-up announcements for Riot Fest 2016 will be happening shortly. Riot Fest three-day passes are now on sale and available at riotfest.org, or ticketfly.com.

An Australian man says an IRON MAIDEN shirt saved his life after a serious motorcycle crash ripped his leg off.

Steve Radeski had only minutes to live after the horrific August 2014 accident left him bleeding profusely.

"There was no one around and a returned soldier from Afghanistan turned up after he heard the accident," Radeski told The Advertiser.

"My leg had come off totally and the bones were coming out of my hand. It was a compound fracture of the femur so that took the femoral artery out.

"I only had about six minutes to live and he came up after about four minutes and he was wearing a 1985 IRON MAIDEN tour shirt which he'd had since he was a kid. He was a tragic fan but looked at me and realized that he would have to use it as a tourniquet which stemmed the blood flow until the helicopter arrived.

"IRON MAIDEN saved my life."

With the help of The Advertiser, Radeski was able to contact IRON MAIDEN's management and have a new MAIDEN shirt signed so he could later present it to Bill Gaythwaite, the man who saved his life and received an award and commendations from both the police and army for his efforts.

MAIDEN's manager gave Radeski a new, signed T-shirt for Gaythwaite backstage at the band's Adelaide concert on Thursday night, plus a spare one for the soldier to wear. In addition, MAIDEN sent a car to pick Radeski up and drive him to the gig at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, where he had a front-row seat.

Read more and check out pictures from The Advertiser.

The members of DEF LEPPARD met the Arkansas School For The Deaf's football team on Wednesday, May 11 when the band came to Central Arkansas for a concert in Little Rock.

Nearly 1,500 people signed an online petition to get DEF LEPPARD to take a photo in front of the Arkansas School For The Deaf's football scoreboard.

The school's mascot is the leopard, making their team the Deaf Leopards.

Four students from the school met with members of DEF LEPPARD backstage and took a photo with the band in front of the scoreboard replica.

Stacey Tatera, spokesman for the Arkansas School For The Deaf, told ArkansasOnline: "We're so proud for anyone to shine a light on our school, on deaf education and on the work we do here."

The Arkansas School For The Deaf has reportedly used the name Leopards since at least 1941, long before the formation of DEF LEPPARD more than thirty years later.

JOURNEY guitarist Neal Schon says that he doesn't care about being inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

Artists are eligible for induction 25 years after their first release. JOURNEY has yet to receive a nomination despite having been eligible since 2000.

"After reading and talking to Steve Miller about what went on with him and how it was not a good experience, I don't really care right now one way or the other," Schon told Billboard.com, referring to Miller's recent revelation that his bandmembers would have to pay their own way to attend the Rock Hall ceremony, with passes running as much as $10,000 a piece. "I'd have to see what the situation is for real. I'm not about to pay money to anybody to get in anywhere. I would never do that. And at this point there's so many people in there that are not even rock 'n' roll, I don't really care about being in there at all. It's not going to make or break my life for who I've come as an artist or a person. I'm like an aspiring artist that needs to move forward and you don't move forward by settling in on what you've attained in your past. I think you're only as good as what you are right now."

But Schon added there are indications that JOURNEY may get the nod in 2017, with nominees set to be announced in the fall and inductees revealed in December.

"I think there always has been an opening for us," Schon explained. "Basically [former JOURNEY singer] Steve [Perry] has not wanted to do it. I think he probably wants to wait until he releases his solo record, which is supposed to come out this year and is probably why I'm hearing that we're supposed to get in this year."

According to Schon, there is "no communication at all" between him and Perry, who made three surprise guest appearances with EELS in 2014, prompting JOURNEY's current frontman, Arnel Pineda, to write in a tweet that Perry would be welcome to reclaim "his righteous place."

"I feel like I've reached out in every humane way I can... just to be friends, like we were," Schon said. "There's no reason not to be. I've tried to get his real phone number instead of talking through his attorney, but he will not give it to me, not even to say hello."

JOURNEY keyboardist-guitarist Jonathan Cain said that the band has made numerous attempts to reconnect with its former frontman, with no success. "We reach out to him," Cain revealed. "We've got an open chair for him if he wants to sing a song, whatever he wants. We have said that all along. He chooses to remain aloof and that's fine. Peace with him. We communicate on publishing, synchronization, licensing. It's almost 30 years since Steve's done a gig with us, so we're not holding our breath."

Swedish experimental extreme metallers MESHUGGAH will embark on a European tour in the winter. Main support on the trek will come from U.S. metallers HIGH ON FIRE.

The dates are as follows:

Nov. 22 - D - Berlin - AstraNov. 23 - NL - Amsterdam - Melkweg MaxNov. 24 – NL - Tilburg - 013Nov. 25 - B - Antwerp - TrixNov. 26 - D - Stuttgart - LKA LonghornNov. 27 - F - Lyon - Le TransbordeurNov. 29 - E - Madrid - La RivieraNov. 30 - E - Barcelona - Razzmatazz 1Dec. 01 - F - Montpellier - RokstoreDec. 02 - I - Bologna - EstragonDec. 03 - I - Milan - AlcatrazDec. 05 - CH - Pratteln - Z7Dec. 06 - F - Paris - Le BataclanDec. 07 - D - Köln - EssigfabrikDec. 08 - D - Hamburg – Markthalle

Tickets go on sale on Tuesday, May 17.

Other MESHUGGAH dates:

Jul. 01 - DK - Roskilde - Roskilde FestivalJul. 06 - CH - Montreux - Montreux Jazz FestivalJul. 09 - IS - Neskaupstadur - Eistnaflug FestivalJul. 15 - USA - Chicago, IL - Chicago Open Air

The European headlining tour will follow the release of MESHUGGAH's highly anticipated new album, expected this autumn. A teaser for the effort is available below.

In a 2015 interview with RockSverige.se, MESHUGGAH guitarist Mårten Hagström revealed that he hasn't been checking out any new music for inspiration while working on the band's next album. He said: "Since we're in writing mode now, I don't listen to music, basically, at all. Not because 'I'm not gonna listen to music,' but it's just that… When you've got a lot of stuff to do… You know, I pick up the kid, go home, feed him, put him to bed, and then it's time for me to work, and I sit and play guitar for… whatever… many hours and try to make some new music, it's not like I'm gonna kick back and put on an album, regardless of style. But I listen to a lot of stuff; we all do. We don't listen to the same stuff, but we spread a lot. So we listen to metal, we listen to… anything, basically."

In 2014, MESHUGGAH was awarded an exclusive scholarship for its services to the Swedish and international music scene. The musicians were presented with the scholarship and diploma by SKAP president Alfons Karabuda at an intimate event in the south side of Stockholm in December.

Commemorating the 25th anniversary of the recording of its first EP, MESHUGGAH released a concert DVD / 2CD set and Blu-ray, "The Ophidian Trek", on September 30, 2014 via Nuclear Blast. With visual footage shot in the U.S. and Europe during "The Ophidian Trek" tour and festival footage from Wacken Open Air 2013 in Germany, the live audio was processed and edited by MESHUGGAH guitarist Fredrik Thordendal, mixed by Daniel Begstrand (DIMMU BORGIR, BEHEMOTH) and mastered by Mats "Limpan" Lindfors (ROXETTE, OPETH, MANDO DIAO).

"The Ophidian Trek" was MESHUGGAH's second live DVD, the first being 2010's "Alive", which debuted at position No. 8 on the Billboard Music DVD chart.

US metallers Dead By Wednesday will release their new album, The Darkest Of Angels, on May 20th in Europe via David Ellefon's (Megadeth) EMP Label Group and distributed by SPV. The album was produced by Nicholas T. Rage of Toxic Holocaust (Hatebreed, Kingdom of Sorrow, Jasta).

The Darkest Of Angels features 11 killer tracks with 11 heavyweight guest vocalists including: Brian Fair (Shadows Fall), Eric AK (Flotsam and Jetsam), John Arch (Fates Warning), Rob Dukes (Generation Kill, ex-Exodus), Carley Coma (Candiria), Waylon Reavis (ex-Mushroomhead), Sean Danielsen (Smile Empty Soul), Paul Stoddard (Diecast), Kris Keyes (formerly Gargantua Soul), Antony Hamalainen (Armageddon) and Ceschi Ramos (Fake Four Inc.).

A new video for “Live Again” featuring Shadows Fall’s Brian Fair can be found below.

Tracklisting:

“The Beginning of the End (Intro)”
“Live Again” (featuring Brian Fair)
“Donner’s Pass” (featuring Rob Dukes)
“Self-Medicate” (featuring Paul Stoddard)
“Power Troopers” (featuring Ceschi & David Ramos)
“Darkest of Angels” (featuring John Arch)
“The Surgeon” (featuring Rob Roy & Marc Rizzo)
“Defining Fire” (featuring Antony Hamalainen & Waylon Reavis)
“Chosen” (featuring Carley Coma)
“Phoenix Rising” (featuring Kris Keyes)
“You Must Like Suffering” (featuring Sean Danielsen)
“Break When I’m Dead” (featuring Eric AK)

“Live Again” video featuring Brian Fair:

“Darkest Of Angels (D.O.A.)” featuring John Arch of Fates Warning:

“The Surgeon” featuring Dead By Wednesday vocalist Rob Roy:

Dead By Wednesday are:

Rob Roy - Vocals
Opus - Drums
Joey Concepcion - Guitars
Mike Modeste - Bass

Just before the start of their European tour next week, Sweden’s Port Noir has launched a new video for the track, “Earth”, taken from their latest album, Any Way The Wind Carries, which was recently released. Watch the video below:

Tour dates:
 
May
16 - Astra Stube - Hamburg, Germany
17 - Underground 2 - Cologne, Germany
18 - Cross Club - Prague, Czech Republic
19 - Viper Room - Vienna, Austria
21 - Crash -  Freiburg, Germany
22 - Backstage Club - Munich, Germany

Port Noir is:

Andreas Wiberg
Love Andersson
Andreas Hollstrand

Death Dealer the band featuring Ross The Boss of Manowar, Sean Peck of Cage and Denner/Shermann, Stu Marshall of Empires Of Eden and Blasted To Static, Mike Davis of Halford and Lizzy Borden and Steve Bolognese of Into Eternity have released the second music video from their sophmore release Hallowed Ground. The album was released October 4th, 2015 on SMG records to critical acclaim and now the video for the thrasher "K.I.L.L." is up for viewing.  

"We shot this video in Los Angeles with some good friend of ours, and wanted to just have some fun with it,” says Ross.  "When our director friend offered to film this idea he had, we took off an extra day from the tour and did it.  It shows the lighter side of the DD world if you will."  Sean added, "I love this song personally.  I was watching a video in St. Petersburg, Russia of W.A.S.P. doing ‘L.O.V.E. Machine’ one of my favorites of theirs and I said to Stu, hey we need a spelling song! I came up with most of it right there on the spot and we wrote the rest of it backstage at the show the next day in Moscow.  Thanks Blackie!"

Hallowed Ground can be purchased on vinyl and cd format at this location.

 

Rob Zombie has defended BABYMETAL against online criticism, saying that the Japanese pop metal act has "more energy than 90 percent of the bands we play with."

Last weekend, Zombie met BABYMETAL at the Carolina Rebellion festival in Concord, North Carolina. He then posted a snapshot of them together backstage to his Facebook page, much to the chagrin of many of his fans.

After one fan called BABYMETAL "a shameful embarrassment to anything metal," Rob responded: "Hey, they are nice kids out on the road touring. What are you doing besides being a grumpy old fuck?"

Another fan wrote: "[BABYMETAL] are awful. This is lame. I love you, Rob, but shame on you." Rob fired back with: "They roll harder than you."

A third fan said: "Are you kidding me, Rob? BABYMETAL is J-pop, not metal. But to each their own, I guess." Zombie countered with: "These three girls had more energy than 90 percent of the bands we play with."

BABYMETAL addressed the photo in a comment on the Facebook photo. They wrote: “Thank you Rob! The Spirit of HEAVY METAL traversed across the World,rose above language barriers, went beyond generations and created countless legends. See you again at Northern Invasion!"

Musik Universe recently conducted an interview with vocalist Michael Starr of Los Angeles glam-metal jokesters STEEL PANTHER. You can now watch the chat below.

Asked about STEEL PANTHER's plans for the follow-up to 2014's "All You Can Eat" album, Michael said: "We're going in the studio the beginning of June, and we start recording. We're gonna do five songs at a time, so we have four recording sessions. We're gonna record a bunch of tunes and then pick the best to go on the record. And then we're hoping to put it out in October."

Starr did stress, however, that something might come up to alter STEEL PANTHER's schedule and force the band to push back the projected release date of the new album to next year. "'Cause, you know, shit changes," he explained. "You never know. We might get offered this killer tour opening up for somebody. Or we might get some offer to do someting and then we'll change the schedule. But right now what we do is we try to plan out our year, and then hopefully everything works out the way it's supposed to work out."

The singer recently tol Metal Wani about the musical and lyrical direction of STEEL PANTER's new material: "As far as the record is concerned, the music content, it's completely different. I mean, we're singing about completely different shit; we're singing about fucking bitches and partying now. We just wanna change it up. 'Cause we were talking partying and fucking bitches [before], but now we're talking about fucking bitches and partying — just in a different order."

"Live From Lexxi's Mom's Garage", STEEL PANTHER's first full-length film featuring a live ten-song acoustic concert interspersed with comedic vignettes showcasing the band's unmatched shenanigans and debauchery, was released on February 26 on CD and CD/DVD by Open E Records via Kobalt Label Services.

Las Vegas Weekly recently caught up with Scorpions guitarist Rudolf Schenker to discuss the band's enduring legacy, their Las Vegas residency, and the band's failed retirement plan. Following is an excerpt from the interview.

As for that “retirement” thing, guitarist Rudolf Schenker says they had every intention of following through: “We were honest about it.” But when they got out on the road, they saw something important that changed their minds. “When we did the farewell tour, [we saw] that we have lots of new fans, young, young fans, [and] 80 percent of [our] Facebook fans were between 18 and 28 years old. It’s a brand new generation, who are maybe really bored by the computer music and they want to see a band onstage,” he says. “They went to YouTube and they were watching the Scorpions (and listening to) the back catalog and they were very much surprised that this band is rocking. I think that’s the situation that pushed us back into the music scene again."

Go to this location for the complete interview.

The Scorpions are currently on the road for twelve North American headlining dates with Mikkey Dee, formerly of Motörhead, sitting in on drums for James Kottak. Kottak is currently on break while he seeks medical attention. Swedish-born Mikkey Dee joined Motörhead in 1992 and is well-respected among the rock and metal community.

Scorpions singer Klaus Meine states: “We would like to continue our Return To Forever tour with James, but we have to realize that his health is priority. We wish James a speedy recovery and he will be back to rock you later in the fall! We look forward to seeing all our fans this month."

Scorpions kicked off the 2016 US leg in May, beginning at Carolina Rebellion in Charlotte, NC on May 6th and including a Las Vegas residency. Full routing below.

May
13 - Las Vegas, NV - Hard Rock Hotel & Casino           
14 - Las Vegas, NV - Hard Rock Hotel & Casino                   
18 - Las Vegas, NV - Hard Rock Hotel & Casino                  
20 - Las Vegas, NV - Hard Rock Hotel & Casino                
21 - Las Vegas, NV - Hard Rock Hotel & Casino                
24 - El Paso, TX - Don Haskins Arena
25 - Albuquerque, NM - Isleta Amphitheater
28 - Pryor, OK - Rocklahoma                              
29 - San Antonio, TX - River City Rockfest  

Gene Simmons's wife has slammed Paul Stanley after the KISS frontman apologized for his bandmate's comments about Prince.

Earlier this week, Simmons received backlash from friends, family and fans after calling Prince's death "pathetic" and insinuating that the iconic artist died from a drug overdose. Stanley denounced his bandmate's "cold, clueless" statement on Twitter, saying that he was "embarrassed" by Simmons's comments and offering his apologies.

But Gene's wife Shannon Tweed last night told Stanley via Twitter: "You can't apologize for someone else. It's not up to you. He feels the way he feels. He would never do that to you — never."

She added: "We all have our failings, but true friends don't point at them and throw you under the bus. Especially partners of 40 years!"

Stanley replied: "��Partners of 40 years says it all. Don't confuse walking under the bus with being thrown under. My apology was right."

Tweed also posted a picture of her with Simmons on her Facebook page, commenting: "Because, no matter others' opinions, I love my huzby!"

Simmons yesterday took to Twitter to clarify his remarks about Prince. He explained: "I apologize — I have a long history of getting very angry at what drugs do to the families/friends of the addicts. I get angry at drug users because of my experience being around them coming up in the rock scene."

MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx has slammed Gene Simmons for the KISS co-founder's comments on the death of Prince.

Simmons came under fire Tuesday when he called Prince's death "pathetic" in an interview with Newsweek. Late that night, he apologized in a note posted to Twitter.

In response to Simmons's remarks, Sixx shared his own disheartened opinion on Twitter. He wrote: "[Gene Simmons's] recent heartless and uneducated remarks about Prince's death shows why he's not my hero anymore or anybody's." He added the hashtag "#FromHeroToZero".

Prince died on April 21 at his home in Minnesota, but no cause of death has been identified just yet. A law enforcement official told the Associated Press that his death was being investigated as a possible drug overdose.

Over the years, Simmons has never hidden his feelings about drug use, even when his bandmates were involved. He told The Pulse Of Radio that drugs are the number one reason for bands failing to live up to their potential. "I have no sympathy at all for anybody that doesn't have enough self-respect for themselves and for their bandmates, because when one guy decides that his dalliances with crazy things is more important that the welfare of his band, that guy doesn't deserve any success," he said. "Because a team is a team, and every guy's gotta carry the weight. You're only as good as your teammates."

KISS kicks off its 37-date summer tour on July 7 at Boise, Idaho's Taco Bell Arena.

MÖTLEY CRÜE and KISS co-headlined a North American tour in the summer of 2012.

IRON MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris spoke to Seymour Duncan about his role as the band's chief songwriter. Asked what form the songs are in when he presents them to the rest of the band, Harris said: "If you see a credit with just my name on it, that means I write absolutely everything: rhythm guitar parts, guitar melodies, vocal melodies… absolutely everything, really. The only thing I don't write is the guitar solos, but even then I might suggest one or two things."

Steve added that it is liberating as a composer and arranger to have three guitarists in IRON MAIDEN to reproduce the band's songs on stage. "There were things we'd done before where we did layer up the guitars so it meant we could do full melodies, harmonies and rhythms like we'd recorded," he explained. "And it does help when you're writing stuff, because you can bear that in mind as well. But I think the early stuff that we played with two guitars, you don't really miss the other bits too much, but when you add them in, it does make the band sound bigger and better."

IRON MAIDEN's world tour, in support of the band's latest album, "The Book Of Souls", kicked off on February 24 in Sunrise, Florida (a suburb of Fort Lauderdale).

Support on the trek is coming from THE RAVEN AGE, the band led by Steve's son George Harris.

"The Book Of Souls" was released worldwide on September 4, 2015 through Parlophone Records (BMG in the U.S.A). The CD was recorded in Paris, France with producer Kevin "Caveman" Shirley in late 2014, with the finishing touches added last year.

The Pineapple Thief will return with its most ambitious studio album to date, Your Wilderness, on August 12th (August 19th in France) via Kscope.

Your Wilderness, the band's 11th studio album, showcases the group performing without any inhibitions, providing a springboard for the ongoing creative growth of The Pineapple Thief.

"The new album was a joy to make. More so than any other The Pineapple Thief album before it," commented frontman Bruce Soord. "Everything came together so effortlessly and I think this comes across when you hear the record."

For the first time, The Pineapple Thief has brought in several special guest performers. Bruce Soord added: "Since our last album Magnolia, the most eye catching change is obviously having Gavin Harrison contribute drums throughout the album. This has not only redefined our sound, but also redefined how we approached the songs as a band.  Gavin's drumming is technically brilliant, but also incredibly musical, and it inspired all of us to raise our game. I've also rediscovered my progressive roots in terms of song-writing and arrangement. Added to that, we were lucky enough to have John Helliwell from Supertramp contribute some beautiful clarinet parts and Geoffrey Richardson (Caravan) provided a string quartet. We were also joined by a lovely four piece choir and, to cap it all off, my friend Darran Charles (Godsticks) added some jaw dropping guitar playing... You've never heard a The Pineapple Thief album like this one!  I am convinced people will love this record as much as we do." 

Your Wilderness was recorded entirely by the band with the exception of the drums, which Gavin Harrison produced and engineered at his own studio. The string quartet which was recorded at Geoffrey's own studio in Canterbury. The album was mixed and produced by Bruce Soord and Steve Kitch with mastering duties also carried out by Kitch. There will be a special lossless 5.1 surround mix available with the special edition mixed by Soord. 

Cover artist Carl Glover's thought provoking collection of photographs perfectly compliment the concept of the album, something which Soord is tight lipped about. "It should reveal itself to the listener and be open to interpretation. I don't want what it means to me to influence how it affects you."

Your Wilderness will be released on CD, LP, digitally and as a special deluxe hardbook.

Tracklisting:

“In Exile”
“No Man’s Land”
“Tear You Up”
“That Shore”
“Take Your Shot”
“Fend For Yourself”
“The Final Thing On My Mind”
“Where We Stood”

Teaser:

Signed to Rocktopia Records in 2014 and following a similar fashion to their one-two release of their debut album X and the follow-up Name Of The Rose in a 6 month period back in 1996, Ten released Albion and Isla De Muerta in November 2014 and May 2015 respectively. Both albums gained positive reviews with Gaetano Di Falco’s wonderful art making striking covers.

2015 also saw the release of the first EP for the band in 16 years (after 1999’s Fear The Force), entitled The Dragon And Saint George, which contained three exclusive bonus tracks.
With Albion now completely sold out, it seemed a great idea to collect all the Ten songs from their Rocktopia Records period – including all the Japanese bonus tracks and exclusive EP tracks - onto one Limited Edition double CD release (500 copies only), which would sell for the price of a single CD.
 
This new collection is entitled Battlefield – The Rocktopia Records Collection and once again has a wonderful exclusive cover by Gaetano Di Falco. The collection will be released on June 17th via Rocktopia Records.

Tracklisting:

CD1 – Albion
“Alone In The Dark Tonight”
“Battlefield”
“It’s Alive”
“Albion Born”
“Sometimes Love Takes The Long Way Home”
“A Smuggler’s Tale”
“It Ends This Day”
“Die For Me”
“Gioco D’Amore”
“Wild Horses”
“Good God In Heaven What Hell Is This” (Japanese bonus track)
“The Prodigal Saviour” (Exclusive EP track)
“Is There Anyone With Sense” (Exclusive EP track)

CD2 – Isla De Muerta
“Buccaneers/Dead Men Tell No Tales”
“Tell Me What To Do”
“Acquiesce”
“This Love”
“The Dragon And Saint George”
“Intensify”
“Karnak/Valley Of The Kings”
“Revolution”
“Musketeers – Soldiers Of The King” (Exclusive EP track)
“Angel Of Darkness”
“The Last Pretender”
“We Can Be As One”
“Assault And Battery” (Japanese bonus track)

STONE SOUR is tentatively scheduled to enter the studio in early 2017 to begin recording its long-awaited follow-up to its last collection of original music, "House Of Gold And Bones", a double concept album which was released in two parts in 2012 and 2013.

"Right now we're kind of taking our time, 'cause the rest of this year is touring with SLIPKNOT, off and on," STONE SOUR singer Corey Taylor told Loudwire about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the next STONE SOUR release (see video below). "But the cool thing is we're getting together every couple of months and writing songs and stuff."

According to Taylor, STONE SOUR has demoed "about fifteen" new songs that he says are "really, really strong," with plans to complete ten more and then "see where we're at." He praises the new material as "amazing," explaining: "The stuff we're writing right now, it's got elements of metal, it's got elements of hard rock, it's got elements of punk, it's got all these things that we all love and we all share, and we're just kind of shoving it through the STONE SOUR funnel and seeing what happens, and it's all really, really, really good."

Even with the abundance of new material, STONE SOUR fans shouldn't expect the new album before the middle of 2017. Taylor says: "Timeline-wise, [we'll] hopefully get into the studio either [in] January or February of next year. Get that together in a couple of months and then try to get the album out by the summer."

Much of the pre-production for the next STONE SOUR album is taking place at Room 237, the Burbank, California recording studio owned and operated by the band's drummer, Roy Mayorga.

STONE SOUR, has released two EPs of cover songs — "Meanwhile In Burbank…" and "Straight Out Of Burbank" — and was slated to issue a third, titled "No Sleep 'Till Burbank", but those plans now appear to have been scrapped. Taylor told the "Someone Who Isn't Me" podcast: "Originally we were going to do three [covers EPs], and now it sounds like we're just going to do the two and just keep the other stuff we recorded as extra content for when we make the next album."

STONE SOUR last year named guitarist Christian Martucci as the permanent replacement for Jim Root, who was dismissed from the band in late 2013 after he decided to sit out the group's last tour in order to begin working on the new SLIPKNOT album. Martucci was recruited to play on that tour and was confirmed as a permanent member in March 2015 in a Facebook post.

Root did not speak kindly of STONE SOUR in interviews after he was fired, saying, "Some of the guys in STONE SOUR, I think they just want to be a radio band and write strictly for radio and try to be more of a poppy rock band. And that's not really what I'm into. There's at least one guy in the band that's only concerned about money. I really have no desire to associate with people like that anymore."

Root played on all five STONE SOUR studio records to date, including 2010's "Audio Secrecy" and "House Of Gold & Bones".

Stephen Ambrose, an expert in the field of audio and the founder of Asius Technologies who offered to help Brian Johnson return to the stage, says he will meet the AC/DC singer next week.

The legendary Australian rock band postponed the last ten dates of its recent North American tour after doctors gave Johnson the diagnosis. AC/DC has since resumed its tour with GUNS N' ROSES singer Axl Rose as a "guest vocalist", with Johnson apparently not returning to the band at all.

Ambrose, who invented in-ear monitors, an advanced earbud used by professional musicians on stages around the world, released a video message last week in which he expressed hope that Johnson would consider utilizing his new patented in-ear technology that safely delivers a louder, more spacious and richer sound while minimizing the risk of hearing damage.

Now Ambrose says he will meet with Johnson on May 17 to discuss the situation. He says: "Due to everyone's tremendous support, Brian and I spoke yesterday. What a gracious man. He and his wife invited me to visit them next week.

"If anyone deserves to benefit from my research, it's Brian, who has been giving incomparable performances for years despite increasing hearing loss.

"I'm going to do my utmost to see if our new hearing breakthroughs can help him, and If I am at all successful, I'm sure Brian will let everyone know; he really cares about people and would like to help.

"I am truly humbled and honored to meet this man, and I wish to sincerely thank everyone who helped. Fingers crossed; please pray for our success next week."

Ambrose created the ADEL (Ambrose Diaphonic Ear Lens) technology to solve the 77% increase in hearing loss recently attributed to all personal listening devices. By utilizing a revolutionary second ear drum to take the pounding, ADEL technology absorbs the harmful pneumatic sound pressures caused by all personal listening devices and provides a much safer and higher fidelity listening experience for everyone. Formal studies conducted at Vanderbilt Medical Center confirmed that personal listening devices modified with ADEL technology sound louder at lower volumes than anything else on the market. ADEL delivers sound the way it was always meant to be heard — bass sounds deeper, midrange is clearer and highs sound richer than ever.

Johnson issued a statement on April 19 in which he detailed the hearing problems that forced him to stop touring. While he promised to continue recording, he couldn't say whether he would ever perform onstage with AC/DC again.

Johnson said his hearing problems were interfering with his ability to perform and he added that he has continued to consult with doctors, and was told that he could not "perform on stage at arena and stadium size venues where the sound levels are beyond my current tolerance, without the risk of substantial hearing loss and possibly total deafness."

Looking forward, he said, "My entire focus is to continue medical treatment to improve my hearing. I am hoping that in time my hearing will improve and allow me to return to live concert performances. While the outcome is uncertain, my attitude is optimistic."

Johnson has been AC/DC's singer since 1980, when he replaced the late Bon Scott. He made his recording debut with the group on the classic "Back In Black".

AC/DC has been on the road since last year in support of its 16th studio album, "Rock Or Bust".

Jason Bonham says that the reunited BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION will get together in January to begin work on a new album, to be released later next year.

Bonham, along with BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes and producer Kevin Shirley confirmed last month that the band would return sometime in 2017. The group, which also features keyboardist Derek Sherinian (DREAM THEATER, ALICE COOPER, BILLY IDOL) and blues-rock guitarist/vocalist Joe Bonamassa, split in late 2012 due to tensions between Bonamassa and Hughes.

During a May 2 appearance on the SiriusXM satellite radio show "Eddie Trunk Live", Bonham spoke about how the decision to resurrect BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION came about. He said: "Joe sent out a message… Hopefully I'm not talking out of turn here… He just said, 'You know what? I can't believe it's been six years since we did the first [BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION album].' He goes, 'I feel that we could really give it all and make another amazing album. Anybody interested?' And that was literally [it]."

The drummer admitted that he "did wait until everyone had responded" before he replied. He explained: "I didn't wanna be the first one. And I just said, 'Hey, you know what? Yeah. Why not?'"

Jason said that he is looking forward to getting into a studio with his BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION bandmates and putting together another album that will recapture the vibe of the band's self-titled debut and 2012's "2".

"It was a great time when we did the first album — I remember the excitement — and the second album," he said. "I loved how quickly [they came together]. We don't do any really pre-arranging. It's literally eight days of recording and pretty much writing all in the same time. So every day we'd be creating, hopefully, one or two songs."

While there is no set timeline for the release of BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION's next album, Jason is excited at the prospect of focusing on the creative process without allowing the business side to interfere.

"At the moment, there's no plans of anything other than, 'Would you be interested in doing it?' We all went, 'Yeah.' And, 'How is your schedule for January?'" he said. "So, yeah, it's an exciting thing. I spoke to Kevin Shirley for a while about it, and he said it would be very similar to how we [did] it [on the first couple of albums] — basically create everything on the spur of the moment. Which is kind of a weird way… I've always liked to be able to go in a little bit more prepared, but I think now I know the way process is with them. It's a little bit easier."

Jason said that there are no plans to alter the songwriting formula that worked so well on BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION's first two efforts. He explained: "I said, 'Let's just get in a room and see what happens.' I think it could be a great thing if we can capture some of the magic that we had on the first two albums when it was still really exciting. I think we're on to a winner. How it goes on from there, I don't know. I've kind of said to myself and said to them, 'Let's not stop it before we get there by talking business and talking when and where and tours and whatever.' I said, 'Let's go in and see what happens before we do any of that. Let's not stop that process.' 'Cause that causes… It's happened so many times; I can think of one particular band I've been in. Once the business side and all the politics and the press and everything get involved, it can actually stop them."

The war of words between Hughes and Bonamassa goes back to September 2012, when Hughes began telling journalists that Bonamassa's solo touring schedule was preventing BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION from touring and fulfilling its potential. He stated that if the situation didn't change, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION's third album, "Afterglow", could be the group's last recording project.

"I was the only member of the band — in three albums and one live DVD — that spoke to the press, and not just on the phone, in person in Europe," Hughes explained to rock journalist Mitch Lafon in a recent interview. "And the guy that does the talking is the guy that's gonna get comments on. All I was trying to do was just hope that BCC would never break up. And, unfortunately, it did, and we had to move on with it. But as I listen to the music now, I listen to how incredible not just the songs are, but the way we played, the production, Joe's and my voice together, the enthusiasm, the emotion… all that stuff really brings it back home to me — how wonderful that band is. I say 'is.'"

He continued: "BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION will be the only band… will be the last band I play in. After that band, I did CALIFORNIA BREED, which was really a great record; it's just a difficult [band] to tour with.

"BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION… You can't better it for classic rock music; it's so damn good. And you need to know that we're all friends, and long may that remain."

Speaking about the press feud between him and Bonamassa over BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION's split in 2012, Hughes said: "Joe and I, man to man, never, ever fell out — never had a bad word for each other. The problem with BLACK COUNTRY was that we wanted to continue, and Joe has an amazing solo career — a truly amazing… He works his fucking ass off. Us three wanted to play more, but Joe told us, kind of going into it, 'BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION is like another thing. I'm a solo artist.' Simply because the albums were so… We thought they were great, and we thought we should play some shows. We all thought, genuinely, that Joe would wanna play more, and it didn't happen. And we had to walk away from [it]. Like I said, the band broke up, and then, three months later, Joe's at my 60th-birthday party."

According to Hughes, replacing Bonamassa and carrying on with BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION was never an option. "I don't think Joe would have minded it, but I minded it," he said. "So Glenn Hughes came up with the name; big deal.

"To be honest, if they [BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION] were to replace me, I would have been hurt, 'cause I created it. And Joe is, I know, really proud of his work in BCC. It's a hard to pill to swallow that he didn't want to tour any more after 'Afterglow', but we had to get over it. And I only remember the great stuff, the great music; we had a lot of fun together."

He added: "There's nothing [that's] gonna stop Joe from doing what he's doing with his solo career, because he's having a great career, and I think it's great that he's doing well."

BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION's third album, "Afterglow", sold 8,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 48 on The Billboard 200 chart.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS frontman Anthony Kiedis said that the band scrapped at least two albums worth of songs and wrote new ones when it began working with producer Brian "Danger Mouse" Burton on its upcoming new disc "The Getaway". Speaking with Los Angeles radio station KROQ, Kiedis explained: "We had an unusually difficult experience making this record where we wrote 20 to 30 songs and it was all ready to go and we thought it was happening, and then Flea went snowboarding and broke his arm real bad."

Kiedis continued: "So we rethought everything and then we didn't have a producer and we were just sort of lost in space with all these songs… When all the dust settled, Brian Burton, a.k.a. Danger Mouse, emerged and said, 'Let's go make a record.' We were, like, 'Great! We have all these songs,' and he was, like, 'Leave those there. Let's go write new songs in the studio.' So the process began over again."

Kiedis said that although Burton had listened to all the songs the band had already prepped, "He just wanted to see what would happen when we went into the studio and started something fresh." The singer admitted that there was "pushback" at the first to the idea, but added, "The only way we saw this working was to have trust in him and get rid of our old ideas and our old way of doing things."

"The Getaway" is due out June 17. The first single, "Dark Necessities", premiered last week.

The band has a number of festival appearances coming up, including a radio festival in Irvine, California on May 14, Ohio's Rock On The Range on May 22 and BottleRock in Napa, California on May 29. The group will then head to Europe for a while before returning to headline Lollapalooza in Chicago on July 30.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, former ASKING ALEXANDRIA singer Danny Worsnop slammed the group in a new interview with Alternative Press, saying: "My priority always lies with my art, and that has never changed and will never change. I ended up leaving [ASKING ALEXANDRIA] because it lost the art to me. It lost its artistic integrity in my eyes. It was just selling out and that’s not what I do."

Worsnop and ASKING ALEXANDRIA parted ways over the band's musical direction and tension over Worsnop's side project WE ARE HARLOT. ASKING ALEXANDRIA guitarist Ben Bruce admitted that some lyrics on the band's latest album, "The Black", were written out of frustration with Worsnop, saying: "Danny just stopped caring about ASKING ALEXANDRIA; his heart wasn't in it anymore."

ASKING ALEXANDRIA has moved on with new vocalist Denis Stoff, while Worsnop is preparing to release a solo album that shifts away from hard rock and has more of a country sound to it.

Asked whether WE ARE HARLOT will return, Worsnop said: "People are wondering if there's going to be a second HARLOT record, and yes, there will be. It won’t be this year, but there will definitely be another HARLOT record next year. The band still exists."

WE ARE HARLOT scored on the rock radio chart last year with "Dancing On Nails" and "Someday", while ASKING ALEXANDRIA's current single, "Here I Am", is No. 18 on the airplay survey.

Worsnop recently released "Out Without You", the first single from his upcoming solo disc, "The Prozac Sessions".

On May 27, death metal veterans SIX FEET UNDER will release the fourth installment of their "Graveyard Classics" series, this time paying tribute to two of metal's most heralded legends: IRON MAIDEN and JUDAS PRIEST. Titled "Graveyard Classics IV: The Number Of The Priest" and mixed by Jesse Kirkbride at Kirkbride Recordings in Cape Coral, Florida, the album is comprised of five JUDAS PRIEST covers (side A), and six IRON MAIDEN covers (side B), handpicked by Metal Blade Records CEO Brian Slagel.

The cover version of IRON MAIDEN's "Murders In The Rue Morgue" is now streaming below.

In regards to this new serving of death metal tributes, SIX FEET UNDER founder Chris Barnes comments: "Get ready to have your ears violated and your mind blown! 'Graveyard Classics IV: The Number Of The Priest' just crawled out of the Heavy Metal Cemetery!

"Having a good time playing music is what it's always been about since day one, and that's what the 'Graveyard Classics' albums are to me... a good fucking time! On this trip down memory lane, we cover songs from JUDAS PRIEST and IRON MAIDEN; the two greatest metal bands of all time. Ray Alder from FATES WARNING did a guest background vocal appearance on 'Invader', our first single. Ray is a great friend, and an awesome vocalist, and I felt our differences in styles blended well together for the middle section and added some harmony to the rawness. I hope you all enjoy the band's twist on these legendary songs!"

"Graveyard Classics IV: The Number Of The Priest" track listing

Side A: Judas Priest

01. Night Crawler02. Starbreaker03. Genocide04. Invader05. Never Satisfied

Side B: Iron Maiden

06. Murders In The Rue Morgue07. Prowler08. Flash Of The Blade09. The Evil That Men Do10. Stranger In A Strange Land11. Total Eclipse

SIX FEET UNDER will be on tour this summer in Europe for a very special select run of dates. Barnes comments: "'Graveyard Classics' the tour begins June 30th and ends July 9th, with our return to the all-powerful With Full Force festival!! Looking forward to that as well as playing an entire setlist of cover songs on this tour — something we've never done before! It will prove to be a very special group of shows. If you're anywhere near these places this summer, make sure not to miss this!"

SIX FEET UNDER tour dates:

Jun. 30 - Rotterdam, Netherlands - Baroeg Jul. 01 - Roitzschjora, Germany - With Full Force FestivalJul. 02 - Flensburg, Germany - Roxy Jul. 03 - Rostock, Germany - Alte Zuckerfabrik Jul. 04 - Hamburg, Germany - Bambi GaloreJul. 05 - Munchen, Germany - BackstageJul. 06 - Innsbruck, Austria - PMK Jul. 07 - Ludwigsburg, Germany - RockfabrikJul. 08 - Pratteln , Switzerland - Z7 Jul. 09 - Essen, Germany - Turok

SIX FEET UNDER is:

Chris Barnes - vocalsRay Suhy - guitars and bassJosh Hall - drums