Switzerland’s Broken Fate released their debut album, The Bridge Between, on November 6th via Massacre Records. The album was produced, mixed and mastered by Christian Schmid and R.D. Liapakis at Music Factory/Prophecy Studios.

The band’s official video for the song "Rising To The Dream" can be seen below. The video was produced by LensFlareClips/BOB-MEDIA and directed by Ivan K. Maras.
 

Broken Fate have also introduced their new bassist Patrick von Gunten, who will replace Dario Stutz, who's leaving the band at the end of this year.

The Bridge Between tracklisting:

“The Beginning (Intro)”
“Your Night”
“Mind Control”
“The Bridge Between”
“No Chance”
“Thorns Of A Rose”
“Rising To The Dream”
“Freedom”
“Fall Of Serenity”
“The Moment With You”
“Take You Away”
“Forever In Me”
“Broken”
“Steel Grove”
“Layla”
 
“The Bridge Between”:



window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-a',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Relapse Records recently announced the first reissue in nearly 30 years of Opprobrium’s (formerly known as Incubus) landmark 1988 debut, Serpent Temptation. The track “Incubus” is now streaming below.

Released at the height of extreme metal's reign, the pioneering deathtrash record Serpent Temptation has since been rightfully hailed as an underground classic for its innovation and ferocity. Undoubtedly one of the heaviest records of the 1980s, the album has now been remastered by Brad Boatright (Sleep, Obituary, etc.) and includes four bonus tracks from the band's 1987 demo plus an extended booklet.

The remastered reissue of Serpent Temptation is due out worldwide on deluxe LP on January 15th. Serpent Temptation and bundle deals are available for physical pre-order via Relapse here, and digitally via the band's Bandcamp page here.

Serpent Temptation tracklisting:

“The Battle of Armageddon”
“Voices From The Grave”
“Sadistic Sinner”
“Incubus (Opprobrium)”
“Blaspheming Prophets”
“Hunger For Power”
“Serpent Temptation”
“Underground Killers”
“Serpent Temptation” (Demo)
“Sadistic Sinner” (Demo)
“Voices From The Grave” (Demo)
“Incubus (Opprobrium)” (Demo)

“Incubus”:

“Voices From The Grave”:

On Serpent Temptation, Opprobrium is:

Francis M. Howard - Vocals, Guitar
Moyses M. Howard - Drums
Scott Latour - Bass, Vocals



window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-a',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

People often wonder why Philadelphia's Nothing are so damn loud. In the case of many artists, the volume stems from a preoccupation with negativity, misanthropy and the human condition. But while Nothing's attitude lines up with these ideas, their personality isn't one that the band picked from a list of cliches. Instead, it's one that's been molded by the band's own experiences, from family troubles and personal tragedy to a string of bad luck that Murphy's Law would balk at. And that volume, rather than a selling point, is the only way the band has been able to translate the difficulty of real-life events into musical form.

Nothing frontman Domenic Palermo got his start as the brains behind the late 90s/early 2000s hardcore/punk act Horror Show in the crime-riddled neighborhoods of Frankford & Kensington in North Philadelphia. Unfortunately, Horror Show's existence was cut short in 2002, when Palermo was incarcerated for an aggravated assault charge (to which he pleaded self-defense) and subsequently served a 2-year prison sentence. After getting out of prison and working the next 5 years under watch of Pennsylvania parole board, Palermo took a lengthy hiatus from music, entering a period of personal reflection that led him through a maze of death, negativity and uncertainty. Nicky returned to music in 2010, and founded Nothing with the release of the demo Poshlost (named for an intense and quintessentially Russian form of spiritual banality). Following the release of Poshlost, Palermo met Brandon Setta, who would bring lush, rich soundscapes and a fresh approach to Palermo's vision for Nothing and to the band's next two EPs, Suns And Lovers (Big Love, 2011) and Downward Years To Come (A389, 2012).

Nothing then signed to Relapse for their debut 2014 full-length Guilty Of Everything, which was inspired by the events surrounding Palermo's prison sentence. The album's genuineness and widespread critical acclaim seemed to forecast a new, more positive chapter for Nothing. The band toured Europe and North America extensively in support of Guilty, and performed at festivals including Osheaga, Roadburn, Firefly, Budweiser Made In America, and SXSW, but this period was unfortunately brief. In summer 2015, while on the eighth consecutive month of a non-stop tour that had seen the band performing with the likes of DIIV, Merchandise, Torche, Failure, Hum and more, Palermo was mugged and badly injured in Oakland, CA. The assault ultimately left Palermo with a fractured skull & orbital, nineteen staples, and a drastically re-shaped perspective about his music and life in a larger sense.

That new mindset, which the band hadn't been able to realize until Palermo's injury, forced them to come up for air from the endless touring - "Like when you're in a car going 100 miles per hour and connect with an oak tree and everything behind you comes smashing forward," Palermo said. That was the basis for the band's new record Tired Of Tomorrow, which was recorded over the course of a month at Studio 4 with Will Yip (Title Fight, Superheaven, Touche Amore, etc) this past October. Even since the completion of Tired Of Tomorrow, Nothing have faced new challenges and difficulties that would certainly have sunk a lesser band. As Nothing were gearing up to release Tired Of Tomorrow via Collect Records, the band discovered that the label had been funded by the now-infamous hedge fund manager Martin Shkreli. After Collect Records and their entire roster eventually dissolved under the weight of the controversy, Nothing were left adrift. Former partner Relapse Records got on board with releasing the new album, but Nothing were not finished with their trials - just this past November, Palermo's father unexpectedly passed away in a tragic accident, heaping the band with further personal difficulties on top of their professional ones.

Yet throughout all this, the band has always maintained a unique stoicism alongside its apathy, one that extends beyond mere riffs and reverb. All the band's music, especially Tired Of Tomorrow and Guilty Of Everything, have managed to meld past, present and future simultaneously into their approach, both musically and thematically. Borrowing from personal memoir and external works alike, Nothing have worked the deepest influences of their youth and maturation into a package that's ultimately at its most relevant in the present day. Case in point: Tired Of Tomorrow was written before the Shkreli debacle, but as Palermo sees it, those events only served to strengthen the sentiments and ideas behind Tired Of Tomorrow rather than confuse its message. It's a mess to think about, but as always, the contradictions and paradoxes of the kind Nothing harnesses ultimately lead to the greatest revelations, and the band's personal and tragic path has nonetheless led Nothing to produce deeply heartfelt and inspiring music. Whichever way you want to look at it, you can't deny that Nothing feels good.

Album teaser:

Nothing tour dates:

December
31- Philadelphia, PA - Boot & Saddle

July
16-17 - Louisville, KY - Forecastle Festival



window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-a',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

BLACK SABBATH singer Ozzy Osbourne spoke to Australia's News.com.au about the band's decision to embark on one final tour next year before calling it quits. He said: "It's the end of SABBATH and people have been asking, 'Well, I thought you were doing an album. But the things we've discovered are — number one: People aren't really interested in hearing new stuff and number two: If we were to do an album before the tour, it would take three or four years to complete the album. We want to end it on a high note."

He continued: "I'd rather end it now though than drag it out for another five albums. I mean I'm 67 in December. When we started out, I thought, 'This thing will be all right for a year or two.'

"One of my greatest memories of anything SABBATH was that we were a band that weren't created by some London fucking business dickhead. We were four guys in different bands and we all got together and made a record.

"I remember being in a pub in Birmingham and the manager at the time said to me, 'I have some news for you. Your album is entering the British charts at Number 17 next week.' I went, 'Fuck off! You're winding me up.' It remained in the Top Ten for over a year and none of us have looked back since."

Asked how he reacted to seeing SABBATH guitarist Tony Iommi fighting cancer, Ozzy said: "When Tony was diagnosed with lymphoma, we are all, 'Oh God, why now?' But in saying that, we all got around him.

"He said to us, 'Look, If I sit at home in my house thinking I'm going to die, I'll fucking probably will die.'

"He's a different person to everyone else — he's one of those guys who say, 'What do I have to do to fucking beat this?'

"I mean, there's never been a leader of BLACK SABBATH, but I suppose in the early days, it was him. But don't forget, in the very early days, he left and joined JETHRO TULL, but then he told them to go fuck themselves and came back.

"He has courage in his own conviction. He's fucking unbelievable."

Ozzy also confirmed in the same interview that he has no intentions of retiring anytime soon and he revealed that he is "going to do a solo album and a solo tour."

Epic Records president Sylvia Rhone recently told Billboard.com that Osbourne is working on a "really special album." She added, "It's going to be amazing. It's something Ozzy has never done before that he's always wanted to do."

Ozzy has not released an all-new solo album since 2010's "Scream", having spent the last few years touring with BLACK SABBATH and recording that band's "13" album.

Ozzy will rejoin SABBATH in early 2016 for what is being dubbed as that band's farewell tour, which kicks off on on January 20 in Omaha, Nebraska. A second leg of North American dates commencing on August 17 in Wantagh, New York was unveiled in October.

Florida metallers TRIVIUM have commented on their split with drummer Mat Madiro and addition of Paul Wandtke.

Wandtke, who previously drummed for the hit musical "Rock Of Ages" and sat behind the kit for KILL HANNAH during the band's main-support run with the SMASHING PUMPKINS, made his live debut with TRIVIUM at this past weekend's Knotfest in Mexico.

In a statement posted on TRIVIUM's Facebook page, the band says: "We are writing this to let you all know that TRIVIUM has amicably parted ways with Mat Madiro as our drummer.

"Mat stepped up for us at a dire moment where it was either leave a tour, or carry on. With Mat, we will forever be eternally grateful of everything he helped us out with. Mat's time filling in for us was much appreciated. Creatively though, we felt at this time we needed to make a change. And every change, every difficult decision and every evolution that TRIVIUM has either decided, or been forced to make has been for the necessary for us to continue on as a functioning band.

"The things that go on behind the scenes that directly involve the TRIVIUM members aren't always apparent from an outside fan's perspective.

"With that said, our new drummer is Paul Wandtke from Chicago, Illinois. With Paul, we took our careful time deciding exactly what had to happen and how.

"We spent our time checking out, trying out and feeling out many drummers this time around. After much deliberation, Paolo [Gregoletto, bass] said to Matt [Heafy, guitar/vocals] one day, 'You should hit up John Petrucci [DREAM THEATER] and see if he has an ideas.' We figured our friend John may have some ideas from the Berklee world. John brought Mike Mangini into the conversation and within minutes of describing our conundrum to Mike, he had a name: Paul Wandkte. Paul studied under Mike at Berklee, and obviously made an impression on a man we consider to be one of the greatest drummers on the planet.

"Paul made his debut with us in thunderous fashion this past weekend by playing to 40,000 fans at Knotfest Mexico. And he nailed it.

"We hope to work with Paul for a long time and we hope the TRIVIUM fans around the world welcome him with open arms."

Added Paul in statement: "I was blown away when TRIVIUM had contacted me. I have been looking for a place to call home all my life, a home of brothers with similar tastes in music, musicianship and goals.

"I'd like to thank DREAM THEATER's Mike Mangini for getting us in contact. I couldn't be happier, this is literally life-changing.

"Never give up, be yourself and rock on."

TRIVIUM in May 2014 parted ways with drummer Nick Augusto due to personal differences.

The band's latest album, "Silence In The Snow", debuted at No. 19 on The Billboard 200 chart, having shifted 18,000 equivalent album units in the week ending October 8.

The Billboard 200 ranks the most popular albums of the week based on multi-metric consumption, which includes traditional album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA).

"Silence In The Snow" was released on October 2 via Roadrunner. The follow-up to 2013's "Vengeance Falls" was produced by Michael "Elvis" Baskette (SLASH, ALTER BRIDGE, THE AMITY AFFLICTION) and was mixed by Josh Wilbur (GOJIRA, LAMB OF GOD).

Guitar and keyboard virtuoso Tony MacAlpine, who was recently diagnosed with colon cancer, has checekd in with an update on his health:

"Hello my friends,

I would like to say hello to you all and wish you the best during this holiday season. Regardless of whether you are near or far, this is the time of the year that brings friends and family together.

It has been a while since I have had the energy to write, so I will take this time to give you an update of sorts, a small window into some of my daily activities at this point.

Two months after my surgery on August 28th, I have been strictly following the course of these excellent Doctors of Medicine, and progress is being achieved at a rate they as well as I am encouraged by. It is a difficult routine that I must endure for many more months that involves a very intense series of drug therapies and constant analytical procedures that are overwhelmingly draining because of their brutal side effects, but my eyes and heart are on the big picture, which is recovery.

More often than not the biggest hurdle is knowing that after you engage yourself in this fight - this battle on a weekly schedule - you still must reserve some energy to think positive, as that is a very important and necessary mechanic in this healing process.

Your prayers, messages and positive energy are not going unnoticed, and although I have quite a long road ahead, it is not traveled alone, as I have all of you there for support. And I thank you all for that!

I will touch base and give you further updates soon."

Tony MacAlpine

The Benefit for Tony MacAlpine will take place at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles on December 12th, at 7 PM, featuring performances from John 5 & The Creatures, Zakk Wylde with Mike Portnoy, Billy Sheehan and Derek Sherinian; Steve Vai and band, and culminating in an all-star jam with house band Portnoy, Sheehan, Sherinian, and featuring special guests. Eddie Trunk will serve as master of ceremonies for the night. A new guitar master has been added to event and all-star jam with Extreme's Nuno Bettencourt.

In addition to this extraordinary musical event, Steve Vai, John 5, Paul Gilbert, Joe Bonamassa, Steve Lukather, Steve Stevens, and Joe Satriani have all graciously donated personal guitars to be auctioned during the event. In addition, Rudy Sarzo has offered private lessons as an auction item, and Simon Phillips has donated a signature snare. Tony’s gear manufacturers Ibanez, Hughes & Kettner, EMG, Ernie Ball, Source Audio and Voodoo Lab have also generously donated equipment to be raffled.

Tony’s cancer diagnosis comes on the heels of his wife’s diagnosis with breast cancer in June, making the situation even more trying for Tony and his family.

“Tony is a dear friend, an absolutely sweet human being and one of the most talented musicians I've ever worked with,” says Mike Portnoy, “We are coming together to help raise money and awareness to help him fight his battle and come out on top!”  

Adds Steve Vai, “It's a great privilege to take to the stage with my friends Zakk, John, Mike and Billy in support of our dear friend Tony. Tony has always been blessed with an exceptional talent and more so, he's an exceptionally cool guy. It's a great cause and will be a magical evening of guitar extravaganza.”

“Tony has been such an inspiration to me,” says John 5. “He is an incredible musician and an unbelievable talent. Please let's all come together and beat this!”

"Tony is our brother. We look forward to making a historical night, and raising a lot of money to help our friend in need.” said Derek Sherinian.

Tony MacAlpine is widely known as a guitar virtuoso who is just as skilled on the keys. Edge of Insanity, his classic debut album, was recently ranked by Guitar World magazine as one of the Top Ten Shred Guitar Albums of all time. Aside from his solo work, Tony has also been part of several rock supergroups including Planet X with Derek Sherinian and Virgil Donati; PSMS (Portnoy/Sheehan/MacAlpine/Sherinian); as well as the Grammy nominated CAB with bassist Bunny Brunel and drummer Dennis Chambers. MacAlpine also spent seven years playing guitar and keys in Steve Vai‘s touring band The Breed.

Tony’s most recent album Concrete Gardens was released in May. Tony toured the US in June to promote the album, but was forced to cancel tours of Asia, Australia and Europe when his health deteriorated.

Tickets went on sale Saturday, November 7th through LiveNation.com, with all proceeds going to help Tony and his family. A GoFundMe campaign will be set up for fans who can’t make the show, but still want to contribute.

Doors will be at 7 PM with the show set to begin at 8 PM. For tickets, visit livenation.com.



window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-a',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

RUSH bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee has shot down reports that the band's drummer, Neil Peart, has retired.

Peart gave an interview to Drumhead magazine in which he was quoted as saying that he was happy to accept his daughter's description of him as a "retired drummer." He added: "It does not pain me to realize that, like all athletes, there comes a time to... take yourself out of the game."

But Lee insists that nothing has been decided about RUSH's next move and that Peart was simply explaining his decision to take a break.

Lee tells U.K.'s Prog magazine: "There's really nothing to say. I think Neil is just explaining his reasons for not wanting to tour, with the toll that it's taking on his body. That's all I would care to comment on it."

He continued: "We'll get together eventually and chat about things. But in my view, there is certainly nothing surprising in what he said. Neil just feels that he has to explain with all the thousands of people asking, 'Why no more tours?' He needs to explain his side of it."

Asked whether he feels Peart's quote was taken out of context, Lee said: "I think that's absolutely right. That's their job. Talking about something when there's nothing to talk about."

Peart recently admitted to being "of two minds" about another lengthy run of concert dates, pointing out that having a young child at home makes it difficult for him to be gone for weeks at a time.

"I've been doing this for 40 years — I know how to compartmentalize, and I can stand missing her, but I can't stand her missing me and it's painful and impossible to understand for her. How can a small child process that? And there's the guilt that comes with that — you feel guilty about it, of course. I'm causing pain."

Late STONE TEMPLE PILOTS singer Scott Weiland's ex-wife Mary Forsberg Weiland — who is the mother of his children, Noah, 15, and Lucy, 13 — has penned an open letter for Rolling Stone, in which she writes that her kids in fact "lost their father years ago" and "what they truly lost on December 3rd was hope."

"We don't want to downplay Scott's amazing talent, presence or his ability to light up any stage with brilliant electricity. So many people have been gracious enough to praise his gift. The music is here to stay," she adds. "But at some point, someone needs to step up and point out that yes, this will happen again — because as a society we almost encourage it.

"We read awful show reviews, watch videos of artists falling down, unable to recall their lyrics streaming on a teleprompter just a few feet away. And then we click 'add to cart' because what actually belongs in a hospital is now considered art.

"You might ask, 'How were we to know? We read that he loved spending time with his children and that he'd been drug-free for years!' In reality, what you didn't want to acknowledge was a paranoid man who couldn't remember his own lyrics and who was only photographed with his children a handful of times in 15 years of fatherhood.

"Our hope for Scott has died, but there is still hope for others. Let's choose to make this first time we don't glorify this tragedy with talk of rock and roll and the demons that, by the way, don't have to come with it."

Read the entire letter at Rolling Stone.

Scott Weiland's current wife told TMZ.com that her husband was not doing drugs before he was found dead on his band's tour bus last Thursday night.

Jamie Weiland, who met Scott in 2011 on the set of his music video for "I'll Be Home For Christmas", one of the singles from his "The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year" solo album, claimed the singer was drug free for years, although she admitted he had been drinking socially.

Weiland had a history of drug abuse. He was arrested in 1995 for attempting to buy crack cocaine before being arrested again two years later for heroin possession. In 1999, the singer was ordered to spend a year in a county-jail recovery center due to a probation violation. He also entered rehab following a DUI arrest in November 2007.

STP fired Weiland in February 2013 after reuniting with him in 2010 for a series of tours and one self-titled album. The band had previously been on hiatus since 2002, primarily due to the singer's struggles with drugs and alcohol. STONE TEMPLE PILOTS then recruited a new frontman, Chester Bennington of LINKIN PARK, and released one critically acclaimed EP, "High Rise".

Speaking to a Canadian reporter last year, Weiland denied that his "demons" were still a factor as he continued to tour with THE WILDABOUTS. "Past demons are past demons; that's stuff that I dealt with 14 years ago," he said. "I mean, I guess Keith Richards [of THE ROLLING STONES] gets asked about [his past drug use], so why shouldn't I? But it's not something that I think about, ever. Those days of my dope abuse, and use, are long since by me."

Weiland's passing is the second death for THE WILDABOUTS. Back in March, THE WILDABOUTS guitarist Jeremy Brown died as a result of intoxication from multiple drugs. Brown's death was ruled accidental.

Matt Sorum has spoken out about the death of his former VELVET REVOLVER bandmate Scott Weiland, saying that he the singer to be remembered for his music and not for his troubled personal life.

Weiland was found dead on his band's tour bus Thursday night (December 3). The singer, who was 48 years old at the time of his death, was on tour with THE WILDABOUTS in Minnesota when he was found unresponsive shortly before 9:00 p.m.

During a chat with SiriusXM host Matt Pinfield on Friday (December 4), Sorum revealed that he found out about Weiland's passing from VELVET REVOLVER bassist Duff McKagan.

"Last night, me and Duff were gonna meet for dinner and we were gonna go see the Gary Clark Jr. show [in Hollywood]," he said. "And Duff called me at about 7:30; I think we found out pretty close to when things happened….Then we decided to go have something to eat, just to discuss what we were gonna do. And then we decided to pass on the Gary Clark show, because… out of respect for Scott, and just to sort of capture our thoughts."

Sorum also talked in more detail about his feelings for his fallen ex-bandmate. He said: "I don't know how I felt initially, 'cause I can't say it was a shock, but it was definitely… I wasn't expecting it, because I felt like Scott was gonna be here, hopefully, longer than this.

"It's like you lived a lot of life together. It was a big chunk of life, as Duff said in the post that he put out for the band."

He continued: "In the end, obviously, we had our differences and the band split up, but the wave of emotions that you feel is more like a family member. It's like if you had a family member that maybe you didn't get along with great, but you still loved them. So that's the feeling. And then I started reflecting on the beginnings of the band and that's when I started to get emotional, because we did great things together. We traveled the world together. Scott made the music come to life."

Sorum and McKagan, along with guitarists Slash and Dave Kushner, held an exhaustive singer search after VELVET REVOLVER's formation in 2002 that lasted for almost two years, during which they issued an open invitation to the public to send in demos. Eventually they settled on Weiland.

Sorum said: "Being in a band, obviously in my career, has never been a perfect ride. But the reality of it is, rock and roll is never a perfect ride — real rock and roll. And I think Scott Weiland was that guy. He was complicated, yes, but the artistry was magnificent. Because, you've gotta remember… People remember what we went through to find a singer. So it was two years of dedication, and I mean dedication. I mean, going to the studio every day, not knowing the outcome, with Slash, Duff, Dave Kushner and myself, writing fifty, sixty songs, trying singers from all over the world. And then when Scott Weiland came in, it was like magic. All of a sudden, here's this guy that can write a melody in about five minutes and write a lyric and you've got a song that's a contemporary rock and roll song. And I just looked at Slash and Duff, and it's in the documentary 'The Rise Of Velvet Revolver'… I looked at Slash and Duff and I said, 'There is your guy. Scott Weiland. Rock star.' I said, 'The real deal.'

According to Sorum, he and his bandmates were very aware of Weiland's drug-addiction battles and chronic tardiness when they first joined forces with him to launch VELVET REVOLVER. "We all knew what we were signing up for, but those early years of the band and the success… Man, I've gotta tell you, of anything I've done in my career, that was the highlight for me. And I think it's because it was something we all built together. The odds were against us. Scott came in and really put the icing on the cake, and all of a sudden, boom, we were off. I remember when he took the demos. He said, 'I like this song. I like this song.' He knew exactly what he was gonna do. And he grabbed thirteen of our riffs… thirteen or fourteen of the riffs… And it was just riffs, you've gotta remember — just guitar stuff with grooves. And he came back with 'Slither' and 'Fall To Pieces' and 'Big Machine' and 'Dirty Little Thing' within, like, two weeks. And we went, 'Oh my God! We've got a record.' Obviously, we dropped 'Set Me Free' first [as part of 'The Hulk' soundtrack], which was the song that ended up getting us signed as a band."

He continued: "All of us had been through so much with all of our other bands. We'd been at the top and then we'd been in a very deep valley — you know, the wild ride of rock and roll, right? And then all of a sudden, man, we were on fire again, lightning in a bottle. We were off and running and the machine cranked up… We had that first great run with [VELVET REVOLVER's debut album] 'Contraband' when we were like kids again; I felt like I was 25. And we all got in really great shape. And Scott had a lot to do with that. Scott was always kind of a very fashiony guy; he wanted the band to look cool. He wouldn't tell us how to dress or anything, but he was, like, 'Hey, man, let's do this. Let's just strip it down. Let's go street rock and roll.' And we were, like, 'Okay, cool.'"

Sorum went on to say: "When we did the 'Slither' video, I remember going out… We had to go… [laughs] We had to go visit him. He was at a rehab, because he got arrested right before the [completion] of the album. And we all rallied around him. I mean, Duff took him up to Seattle and took him to this mountain area where they did martial arts. We were all trying to help, because we had all gotten clean. And then when we did 'Slither', the video, he had such a vision for it. We just had a great rapport in the beginning."

The drummer also once again reiterated his view that the launch of VELVET REVOLVER was the high point of his career. He said: "I remember me and Duff McKagan came out of a… We were coming out of the subway in New York, and he's two guys who were in GUNS N' ROSES, right? And we came out of the subway, and this guy looks over, and he goes, 'Hey, you're Duff and Matt from VELVET REVOLVER.' And I looked over at Duff. I went, 'Oh my God! That's the first time I've ever heard that.' And it was a very pivotal point for us, because now we'd created something new, modern, but at the same time, it was still great rock and roll. So I've gotta thank Scott for that."

Weiland and his former VELVET REVOLVER bandmates said all kinds of nasty things about each other after their acrimonious split in 2008. But now Sorum says he's not bothered anymore, partly because he says he had a chance to talk things out with the frontman a couple of years ago.

"I think me and Scott were probably the most outspoken ones in the band; Slash and Duff tend to be a little bit more quiet," Matt said. "And we had the most outspoken moments, maybe, on social media and whatnot. But the reality is, that's like a brotherly thing."

He continued: "In the end, I just want the world to know that I feel like I made my peace with [Scott]. I saw him in New York at a show we did together maybe about… I guess it was about two years ago. I had this band called CAMP FREDDY and we invited Scott to come. And everyone said, 'Is that cool if we invite Scott?' I was, like, 'Yeah.' 'Cause we had done two shows after VELVET REVOLVER [split with Scott]. We did one show for a friend of Dave's that passed away, and we did one reunion gig. And me and Scott had a conversation. He apologized, I apologized. We made some amends. We were able to say, 'Hey, man, let's move forward. Let's just let the old stuff go.' And then when we were in New York, we had a really great time together. And after that, we didn't really stay close, but I felt like it at least got past that point… it's almost like when you have an issue with somebody and you finally get to have that conversation and then it's like okay again, kind of thing. And that's really where we left it. And then we sort of all ventured off into our own musical journey."

When all is said and done, Sorum wants people to remember Weiland for his musical accomplishments and not for his often-turbulent personal life.

"I'd like to say that I feel that he had an incredible musical journey and I was glad to be a part of that, and, you know, just blessed to be with a great frontman in my life, and Scott was definitely one of the greatest — one of the greatest, for sure," Matt said. "And I want people to focus on that part; I want people to look at music."

He added: "These characters in rock and roll that we've lost through the ages, their soul and their heart and everything that they felt in their life goes into their music, and they do that for us because whatever pain or hurt or anything they're going through, that's what music does for all of us. It's, like, with what's going on in the world right now, and what happened in Paris to the EAGLES OF DEATH METAL, the only thing we can say is that one thing that we all can hold in our hears is the music. So I just want people just to remember that part of him and not focus on the obvious. Because that pain and that part of him was the music; you have to remember that. And his journey was done. And, unfortunately, that's part of the story, and that part of the story says the music will remain and his journey is over and he's moved on."

VELVET REVOLVER released two full-length albums through RCA/Sony BMG — 2004's "Contraband" and 2007's "Libertad" — before dismissing Scott Weiland back in April 2008.

VELVET REVOLVER reunited with Weiland for a four-song set in January 2012 at a Los Angeles tribute concert for late songwriter John O'Brien, but the band has otherwise remained inactive.

At one point it was reported that VELVET REVOLVER was going to team with STONE SOUR and SLIPKNOT vocalist Corey Taylor, but the idea was ultimately vetoed by Slash. The group and Taylor recorded demos of 10 songs together.

Swedish heavy metal heroes SABATON recorded their concerts at the Wacken Open Air festival in Germany and at their hometown festival Sabaton Open Air in Falun for an upcoming live DVD/CD package called "Heroes On Tour". Due on March 4, 2016 via Nuclear Blast, the set will contain two DVDs and a CD. The second DVD will feature two switchable viewing angles: live and studio.

SABATON bassist Pär Sundström commented: "We have always aimed to be a band people love to see live, for the simple reason we love to play live. With this DVD/Blu-ray release, we hope to share some of that feeling with you. We recorded two shows in case one is not enough for you!"

"Heroes On Tour" track listing:

DVD/Blu-ray 1

01. Final Countdown02. The March To War03. Ghost Division04. To Hell And Back05. Carolus Rex06. No Bullets Fly07. Resist And Bite08. Far From The Fame09. Panzerkampf10. Gott Mit Uns11. The Art Of War12. Soldier Of 3 Armies13. Swedish Pagans14. Screaming Eagles15. Night Witches16. Primo Victoria17. Metal Crüe

Bonus material:

- Noch ein Bier- SABATON With Bohemian Symphony Orchestra Prague

01. The Art Of War02. The Final Solution

DVD/Blu-ray 2

01. Final Countdown02. The March To War03. Ghost Division 04. To Hell And Back05. Carolus Rex06. Panzer Battalion07. Wolfpack08. Attero Dominatus09. 773410. Union11. The Art Of War12. Saboteurs13. Coat Of Arms14. En Livstid I Krig15. Resist And Bite16. Swedish Pagans17. Night Witches18. Primo Victoria19. Metal Crüe

CD

01. The March To War02. Ghost Division03. To Hell And Back04. Carolus Rex05. No Bullets Fly06. Resist And Bite07. Far From The Fame08. Panzerkampf09. Gott Mit Uns10. The Art Of War11. Soldier Of 3 Armies12. Swedish Pagans13. Screaming Eagles14. Night Witches15. Primo Victoria16. Metal Crüe

SABATON released a special, three-disc limited-edition deluxe version of its 2014 album, "Heroes", in the U.S. and Canada on April 7 via Nuclear Blast. Limited to 5,000 copies, this deluxe edition includes two discs of live audio recorded on the 2014 Sabaton Cruise in addition to the original ten "Heroes" album tracks. Released on May 16, 2014 via Nuclear Blast Records, the "Heroes" cover artwork was created by Péter Sallai. A number of bonus tracks were made available, including cover versions of songs originally written and recorded by METALLICA, BATTLE BEAST and RAUBTIER.

"Heroes" was tracked at The Abyss, the recording studio in Pärlby outside Ludvika, Sweden owned and operated by record producer and musician Peter Tägtgren (HYPOCRISY, PAIN).

Guitarist Cooper Carter, who has a large following on YouTube, has released a clip featuring his rendition of the classic Star Wars theme emulating all 31 orchestral parts on guitar. Check it out below.

Cooper: "50 tracks. 31 orchestra parts. 9 guitars. 12 shirts. One massive tribute to the greatest saga of all time! May the Force Be With You."

The new highly anticipated Star Wars film, The Force Awakens, hits theaters on December 18th.



window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-a',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

According to The Pulse Of Radio, singer Chris Cornell has told Australia's The Advertiser that SOUNDGARDEN will resume work on its seventh studio album as soon as he finishes touring behind his latest solo effort, "Higher Truth". The band already began working on new material earlier this year for the follow-up to 2012's "King Animal".

SOUNDGARDEN has taken a more relaxed approach toward recording and touring ever since it reunited in 2010, which Cornell told The Pulse Of Radio he appreciated. "That made me feel a lot like it did when we initially were writing and making records, you know, and playing shows, 'cause it never felt like a job," he said. "That was how SOUNDGARDEN started — we didn't consider what we did a job and we didn't think of it in terms of business. So it felt a lot like that again."

Cornell is currently on tour in Australia and will come home to play a handful of U.S. shows before the holiday break.

He is scheduled to tour Europe in April and May of 2016, so it's not clear whether SOUNDGARDEN will start recording in the first quarter of the year or after he returns from that trek next spring.

Cornell told The Advertiser. "It's great to be able to do the SOUNDGARDEN stuff and my solo career simultaneously. That's what makes me lucky as a performer. As soon as this album cycle is over, I'm working on SOUNDGARDEN songs for an album. I get to do a lot of different things and it feels like I get to have my cake and eat it too."

"Higher Truth" is Cornell's fourth studio solo set and contains the Top 5 rock radio single "Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart".

Finnish metal sextet AMORAL will release its seventh studio album in early 2016. "In Sequence", the follow-up to the critically acclaimed "Fallen Leaves & Dead Sparrows", will be made available in Japan on January 29 via Ward Records, and in the rest of the world on February 5 through Imperial Cassette (Gordeon Music, GSA).

The first single from "In Sequence", a song called "Rude Awakening", can be streamed below.

"Rude Awakening" is a great example of the style of the upcoming album, says vocalist-guitarist Niko Kalliojärvi. "One song, a lot to listen to!" he explains. "The opening track of the new album starts off epic yet brisk. Accompanied by multi-layered guitar parts and tight rhythmic playing, both of the band's vocalists can now be heard on the same track for the first time ever."

The album cover is designed by Aki Siltala, who is also one of the most well-known tattoo artists in Finland.

"In Sequence" track listing:

01. In Sequence (Prologue)02. Rude Awakening03. The Betrayal04. Sounds Of Home05. The Next One To Go06. Helping Hands07. Defuse The Past08. From The Beginning (The Note Part 2)

Said AMORAL guitarist and founder Ben Varon: "We went into making the seventh album with an Yngwie Malmsteen state of mind: more is more! Once we got our original singer Niko Kalliojärvi back in the band — expanding the group into a six-headed monster, with two vocalists and three guitar players — it was time to start the writing process, which was one of the most inspiring ones for me so far. More guitar parts, more keyboards, more back and forth between clean and growling vocals."

Another angle used to get a fresh touch for "In Sequence" was the decision to invite a whole bunch of guest musicians — including percussionist Teho Majamäki, INDICA singer Jonsu and ACYL singer/mastermind Amine Benotmane — to play on the album, which was a first for AMORAL.

Stated Ben: "The album is filled with stellar guest performances from many talented musicians, who added percussion, female vocals, analog syths and ouds to the songs, amongst other things. The guests definitely helped take the songs to the next level."

He added: "To me, 'In Sequence' is the logical follow-up to 'Fallen Leaves & Dead Sparrows', on which we took our love for grandieuse prog to new hights. 'In Sequence' continues on that path, though the return of Niko gives the new material some of that old school AMORAL vibe. And I think this one turned out a touch heavier as well, not least because of the real-life based concept of the album."

Agonia Records has announced the signing of Canadian melodic thrash metal powerhouse THREAT SIGNAL to a worldwide deal. The band has finished recording its long-awaited fourth studio album, "Disconnect", for an early 2016 release.

Since their critically acclaimed debut offering "Under Reprisal" (2006), which won the Canadian Recording Of The Year Award at the Hamilton Music Awards, THREAT SIGNAL became internationally recognised as one of the best modern acts in thrash metal. Their latest two installments, the intense "Vigilance" (2009) and reinvented "Threat Signal" (2011), have both met with unrelenting hype, with each entering Billboard's Heatseekers chart, at #32 and #26, respectively.

THREAT SIGNAL came to life in 2003 and immediately began generating growing interest within the metal community. Their debut song, "Rational Eyes", hit No. 1 on the international music web site GarageBand.com and maintained that position for over two years. As a result, the young band signed to Nuclear Blast and started intensive touring, having performed with such acts as CHILDREN OF BODOM, SOILWORK, SAXON, OPETH, KATAKLYSM, HATEBREED, EPICA and ARCH ENEMY.

THREAT SIGNAL combines the complexity of thrash metal, with a more contemporary groove sound involving technical rhythms, and melodic musical passages.

THREAT SIGNAL frontman Jon Howard commented: "We are very excited to have inked a deal with Agonia Records.

"We strongly believe that Agonia will be a great partnership, and together we will push THREAT SIGNAL's music to more listeners than ever before.

"Our new album, 'Disconnect', in my opinion, is the strongest album we've recorded to date.

"Thank you, Agonia, for making this happen for us, and we look forward to the road ahead!"

THREAT SIGNAL is:

Jon Howard - vocalsTravis Montgomery - guitarPat Kavanagh - bassMatt Perrin - guitar

According to TMZ.com, a number of drugs were found on Scott Weiland's tour bus shortly after his death, including at least two bags of cocaine and the erectile dysfunction drug Viagra. The site obtained a copy of the search warrant the Bloomington, Minnesota police got to search Weiland's bus, and it shows they also found a generic version of Xanax; two different brands of sleeping pills; and buprenorphine, a drug that is supposed to stop the cravings and withdrawal symptoms that come with addiction. There was also ziprasidone, which is used to treat bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Scott was diagnosed as bipolar in 2001. The police also found a bag of "a green leafy substance," which is presumably marijuana. Everything except for the pot was found in a bedroom on the bus. The document doesn't indicate if it was the bedroom that Weiland was found dead in.

Weiland was 48 years old at the time of his death.

A cause of death for the singer, who struggled for most of his adult life with drugs and alcohol, has yet to be determined. Police in Minnesota have said it could take "four to eight weeks" for the former STONE TEMPLE PILOTS frontman's toxicology report to come back.

Weiland was on tour with THE WILDABOUTS in Minnesota when he was found unresponsive shortly before 9:00 p.m. They had been scheduled to perform Thursday night at the Medina Entertainment Center in Medina, Minnesota. However, that concert was canceled more than a week earlier because of slow ticket sales, according to StarTribune.com. The group was set to perform in Rochester on Friday (December 4) at the Wicked Moose.

Both of Scott's former bands, STONE TEMPLE PILOTS and VELVET REVOLVER, issued statements on his passing, while musicians and fans around the world have also posted tributes.

Kentucky rockers BLACK STONE CHERRY have set "Kentucky" as the title of their fifth studio album, due in the spring via Mascot Label Group. The band is recording the effort at Barrick Recording in Glasgow, Kentucky. Taking a "back-to-the-roots" approach, the CD is being produced in the same way and same place as BLACK STONE CHERRY's eponymous debut album, which broke the band out of the small southern backwater and onto the world stage.

BLACK STONE CHERRY guitarist Ben Wells recently told Metal Hammer magazine about the band's forthcoming CD: "This is the first time we get to self-produce. And most of the songs, with the exception of maybe two or three out of fifteen, are all written by us, the four of us. Which all of our songs always are — we might co-write with somebody — but this time, the majority of the songs are all written by us. So it feels really good to kind of have that creative freedom. Even though we're still learning things as we get along, we've kind of picked up over the years touring internationally what our fans have come to expect and what we expect from ourselves and what we know people are gonna enjoy from us. So it's definitely… it's raw, it's heavy. We're going back to our hometown to record it, where we did our debut album. So we're kind of revisiting some of that old mojo that we had, and I think our fans have been wanting that from us for a long time now. So we want, and I know they want it, and we're just excited about it. I mean, the songs… These are probably some of the coolest songs we've written as far as the music and the melodies."

Added BLACK STONE CHERRY drummer John Fred Young: "We're not doing a prog record — it's not that different — but I think it does have parts where I don't think records before have had these parts. And I think people are gonna go, 'Wow! I've never heard 'em do that, or that transition there.' And I think, too, with us, we're… In America, like I've said before, and we've all said, you are only as good as your last American rock single, and for us, we just don't play that ballgame, because our fans, they're here for the live show, they're here to hear the songs and have a great time. And I think that in some previous records, we were in positions with the label where we had to write songs formatted [for radio]."

Continued Wells: "But this time, we weren't focusing on that. We said, 'Look, if they pick it up and they like it, awesome. But our fans are the ones who gave us a career. So we wrote it with them in mind and [the songs were assembled for] the live setting."

Regarding BLACK STONE CHERRY's decision to produce the new album themselves, John said: "It is very exciting for us, I think, because this is all on our back. We don't have a producer that can take a little bit of the heat if it bombs. You know, it's us being in full control of our sonic artistry."

On the topic of recording the new BLACK STONE CHERRY CD in their hometown, Wells told the WMMG 93.5 radio station: "It's just really awesome to come back here and record again and kind of feel those old vibes, because we all still live here. So it just makes sense. Why spend the money to go out to California, or even go to Nashville, like we have in the past, and record, when we have a great studio right here in our backyard and a brilliant engineer. So it feels really good."

Video footage from the new album recording sessions can be seen below.

BLACK STONE CHERRY released its debut live DVD+CD, Blu+ray+CD, Digital Video and Digital Audio, "Thank You: Livin' Live" via Eagle Vision on October 30. The performance was shot on BLACK STONE CHERRY's "Magic Mountain" tour, exactly one year prior to the disc's release date, at the band's sold-out Birmingham LG Arena show on October 30, 2014.

PANTERA is offering its own contribution to this year's "ugly Christmas sweater," a ubiquitous feature of the holiday season which began to sprout up in the last couple of decades.

"Ugly Christmas sweater" or "tacky Christmas sweater" parties have been a holiday staple for several years, but there have been very few places to actually buy these sweaters. That has since changed, according to Time magazine, which reports that vintage stores, the Salvation Army, and Goodwill are reaping the benefits of this craze, as are fast-fashion shops like H&M and high-end retailers such as Nordstrom.

The market for ugly Christmas sweaters is so large that several stores even exist solely for the purpose of selling the the festive apparel.

"Ugly is the new beautiful this Christmas especially when it comes to sweaters," said Mindi Kahn of That Ugly Christmas Sweater Store in Dallas, Texas. "What was once considered a hipster holiday fad is now becoming a regular yuletide tradition."

According to the "Ugly Christmas Sweater Party Book: The Definitive Guide To Getting Your Ugly On", the popularity of parties celebrating the garish garments began around 2001.

You can purchase your own PANTERA 2015 Christmas sweater for $68.99 at the band's webshop.

Polish death/black metallers BEHEMOTH will perform their critically acclaimed current album, "The Satanist", in its entirety on the band's upcoming European run in early 2016. They also plan to bring a brand new exhibition concept, "The Congregation", on tour. The exhibition will be dubbed "A Symbiosis Of Behemoth And Toxic Vision" and will showcase collaborative work between BEHEMOTH and Toxic Vision, the artist that BEHEMOTH has been working closely with over the past few years in terms of stage outfits, music videos, stage/photo props and such. The exhibition is planned to be held in tent, a capsule created to capture an experience on its own and built a solely for this purpose, and was first shown by Toxic Vision (in a similar way) at this year's installment of renowned Inferno festival.

Commented BEHEMOTH leader Adam "Nergal" Darski: "We've always pushed ourselves very hard trying to reach the highest picks of artistic creativity. This time around, we are not only coming back to perform 'The Satanist' in its entirety, but are also bringing along a collaboration that's unheard of! Toxic Vision, renowned and absolutely brilliant artist and designer from Canada whom we have worked with on several projects in the past (BEHEMOTH stage gear, video clip costumes), will be accompanying us on this European trek with a unique exhibition called 'The Congregation'!

"We are beyond excited to see how these synergies coexist! Sharon, it's an honor to welcome you on board!"

Adds Toxic Vision CEO Sharon Toxic: "It is a real honor to work alongside BEHEMOTH and have this opportunity to bring a vision to life!

"We aim to dazzle and inspire.

"I am inviting everyone to step into the dark world of 'The Congregation' — an exclusive showcase of my work with BEHEMOTH. Nothing like this has been done before, and, of course, nothing is really as it seems with Toxic Vision. This is a culmination of craft and magic ... once you step inside, you might never find your way out."

"The Satanist" sold around 10,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 34 on The Billboard 200 chart.

Asked about BEHEMOTH's plans to follow up "The Satanist", Nergal told Australia's "Rabid Noise" podcast: "Well, I don't really think about following it up yet. I have to change my way of thinking. I focus on the present moment — on here and now — and just make we squeeze the fuck out of this album, all the juices, and make sure all the touring [is completed successfully]. We have this attitude that we want people to have this impression that it's the last time we play on stage. When you see us live, it's now or never, if you know what I mean. So I'm not like… I used to be like that… I'd go into the studio and spit out the record, and the record… Name any record, it's been every time I did that. And I was already thinking of the next one, because I knew that I'm gonna top myself, and I really attempted that every time. But I was never satisfied. And this time, it's quite the opposite. So this is it — this is the ultimate BEHEMOTH album — and there's no plans to record the next one yet. So what we focus on, we focus on the quality of the touring for 'The Satanist', and let's see what the future brings after that."

Impericon.com recently met up with bassist Peter Iwers and guitarist Niclas Engelin of Swedish metallers IN FLAMES and asked them "25 important either-or questions." Check out their responses below.

IN FLAMES drummer Daniel Svensson announced last month that he was leaving the band to focus on his family life. He said in a statement: "It's hard to leave what have become my second family, but now it's time for me to take care and spend more time with the most important people in my life — my wife and my three daughters."

IN FLAMES' latest album, "Siren Charms", sold around 9,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 26 on The Billboard 200 chart.

Former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman is featured in the latest episode of Digital Tour Bus's "Bus Invaders", which takes you inside the touring vehicle of one of today's top touring acts. The footage was shot on September 18 in Chicago, Illinois.

With his first live appearances in North America in more than a decade, Friedman recently mesmerized fans across the continent in support of his Billboard-charting, critically acclaimed 2014 solo album "Inferno". Now Friedman has announced that he'll return Stateside once again in early 2016. Following a solo guitar clinic in Mexico City, the second American leg of the "Inferno" world tour will kick off in Phoenix on February 8, with support on most dates provided by HOLY GRAIL.

Immediately following the tour, Friedman will appear on the inaugural 2016 Axes & Anchors cruise, where he will perform two sets and host a guitar clinic. Reservations can be made now at www.axesandanchors.com.

"Inferno" sold around 2,100 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 186 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD was released on May 26, 2014 via Prosthetic Records (except in Japan, where the album was made available through Universal Music). The CD was the 52-year-old musician's first collection of material recorded for the U.S. market since 2003's "Music For Speeding". Among the guest collaborators that appear on the effort are CHILDREN OF BODOM's Alexi Laiho, REVOCATION's Dave Davidson, acoustic flamenco-metal hybridists RODRIGO Y GABRIELA and Friedman's pre-MEGADETH bandmate in CACOPHONY, Jason Becker.

Speaking to Guitar World magazine, Friedman said: Each of the guests on this record took a song from scratch — they would write it and then I would arrange it and add my parts to it. That way we were both invested in it and it's a little bit of a deeper experience."

Friedman described the new album as the most "Marty" record has has done in years. "I figured if I was going to come back to America, I was going to come back big and give people something they want out of me," he told the magazine. "And I know that what they want is not some avant-garde thing. What they want is just the most intense writing and playing I can do."

Fan-filmed video footage of MEGADETH's December 5 performance at Knotfest in Toluca, Mexico can be seen below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Hangar 1802. She-Wolf03. Wake Up Dead04. In My Darkest Hour05. Sweating Bullets06. Dawn Patrol07. Poison Was The Cure08. Tornado Of Souls09. Trust (Spanish version)10. Fatal Illusion11. Skin O' My Teeth12. Symphony Of Destruction13. Peace Sells14. Holy Wars... The Punishment Due

As BLABBERMOUTH.NET exclusively reported on November 10, MEGADETH will team up with SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, CHILDREN OF BODOM and HAVOK for a North American tour in early 2016. The four-band package — which will launch on February 20 in Dallas, Texas and wrap on March 24 in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada — will mark MEGADETH's first U.S. run of dates in support of its new album, "Dystopia", slated for release in January.

For more information, visit www.megadeth.com/dystopiatour.

LAMB OF GOD drummer Chris Adler played on "Dystopia" and sat behind the kit for MEGADETH for their appearance at Knotfest in Mexico.

Due to his LAMB OF GOD schedule, Adler was unable to play with MEGADETH in China and Japan in October and was temporarily replaced by Tony Laureano (ex-DIMMU BORGIR, NILE, ANGELCORPSE), a veteran extreme-metal skinsman who has worked as MEGADETH's drum tech since 2011.

Adler made his live debut with MEGADETH in July at the Festival D'été De Québec (also known as by its acronym FEQ, or Quebec City Summer Festival in English), in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.

The follow-up to 2013's "Super Collider", "Dystopia" was recorded earlier in the year in Nashville, Tennessee and was mixed by Josh Wilbur, who has previously worked with LAMB OF GOD, ALL THAT REMAINS and GOJIRA.

In addition to Adler, MEGADETH's current touring lineup includes the band's founding members, guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine and bassist David Ellefson, along with Brazilian guitarist Kiko Loureiro, best known for his work with ANGRA.

METALLICA made history when they became the first and only band to perform a concert on all seven of Earth's continents after entertaining 120 scientists and competition winners at Carlini Station in Antarctica on December 8, 2013. The hour-long show, appropriately dubbed "Freeze 'Em All", saw the rock band perform ten tracks. With a Hall Of Fame-caliber career spanning more than three decades, the band earned a spot in the 60th-anniversary edition of the "Guinness World Records" book after a whirlwind year in 2013 performing concerts in North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and Antarctica.

A 20-minute documentary on METALLICA's visit to Antarctica can be seen at Metallica.com. (Note: You must be Met Club member in order to view the video.)

Said the band: "On December 8, 2013 we found ourselves playing a gig for a couple dozen friends, fans and penguins at Carlini Base in the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica. The gig capped off a year where we were fortunate enough to set foot and perform on all seven continents during a 12-month period.

"While we were down in Antarctica, our friend Adam Dubin ('A Year And A Half In The Life Of Metallica') followed us around with his camera catching a few moments of us on a boat with our crew and our fans, checking out the unbelievable sights that Antarctica had to offer and performing our own silent disco under a dome. It was truly the most unusual show of our career and an unforgettable journey.

"We'd like to share the 20-minute documentary that Adam put together with you as an early Christmas present exclusively for Fifth Members. Club Members can download it for free or stream it.

"We hope you dig it... it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that we're still trying to wrap our heads around!"

METALLICA's setlist for the Antarctica concert was as follows:

01. Creeping Death02. For Whom The Bell Tolls03. Sad But True04. Welcome Home (Sanitarium)05. Master Of Puppets06. One07. Blackened08. Nothing Else Matters09. Enter Sandman10. Seek & Destroy

METALLICA is currently working on the long-awaited follow-up to 2008's "Death Magnetic" album for a tentative 2016 release.

The new METALLICA CD is being produced by Greg Fidelman, who was the recording engineer for "Death Magnetic".

METALLICA has spent a lot of time outside the studio in the last year, with activities that included a string of European all-request shows, a week-long residency on "The Late Show With Craig Ferguson", and a Rock In Rio USA stint.



(Thanks: MetalAddicts.com)

Swedish progressive sludge act, Moloken, recently unleashed their brand new full-length All Is Left To See, via Temple Of Torturous. In conjunction with its release, the band has premiered their new music video for the track, "Seventh Circle". The clip was caught live while the band performed at Discouraged Festival in Umeå, Sweden in 2014, and showcases Moloken as a highly visual band as the sleek light design flawlessly complements and expands the experience of their already multi-dimensional music.

 
"'Seventh Circle' deals with the painful acknowledgment that you have reached the end of a circle on your life path," explained the band of their latest psalm of sadness. "And in order to move on, you have no other choice than to dive deep into yourself, accepting your pain to be cleansed and reborn. All is left to see. There's a storm coming and Hell follows in its wake; my vessel capsized; waves come rolling and all is set loose. Beneath a raging light, into the darkness from whence I came..."

Out now globally via Temple Of Torturous All Is Left To See is Moloken's first studio offering in four years. Recorded mostly live by Pelle Henriksson at Tonteknik Recording (Refused, Breach, Cult Of Luna, Meshuggah, Entombed), the record boasts thirty corrosive minutes of some of the band's most eclectic, engrossing and traumatizing compositions to date and includes the stark and twisted cover renderings of Costin Chioreanu (Bloodbath, Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride, Ulver etc). A monolithic wall of dread and despair shrouded in sulfuric atmospheres and an overwhelming sentiment of desolation, Moloken's All Is Left To See centers itself around a lyrical concept called mörkrets kärna (Swedish for "darkness core"), and serves as a veritable soundtrack to falling into a pit of misery, depression and paranoia, dragging down loved ones and trying desperately to make sense of it all.



window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-a',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

On January 29, 2016, West Virginian dark occult rockers Brimstone Coven will release their debut full-length, Black Magic, via Metal Blade Records.

Formed only four short years ago in Wheeling, West Virginia, Brimstone Coven self-released Brimstone Coven and its follow-up II in 2013, before Metal Blade inked a deal and packaged both releases as a single set, entitled Brimstone Coven (2014). Inspired by the Appalachian's darkness and mysticism (such as the Mothman, a winged creature that emerged in the '60s; Screaming Jenny; and the Phantom Of Flatwoods), the quartet's heavy rock also pushes the atmospheric envelope when the mood fits. 

Brimstone Coven explains, "What sets Black Magic apart to me is the genuinely eerie aura it invokes. We strove for a sound that makes you feel like you're wandering through a shroud of mist, unable to see your own hand in front of your face. We want you to feel equally excited and creeped out, letting your imagination run wild and get the best of you."

Tracklisting:

“Black Magic”
“Black Unicorn”
“Beyond The Astral”
“As We Fall”
“Upon The Mountain”
“Slow Death”
“The Seers”
“The Plague”
“Forsaken”
“The Eldest Tree”



window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-a',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR singer Corey Taylor joined ROYAL MACHINES on stage last night (Monday, December 7) at The Roxy in West Hollywood, California to perform the STONE TEMPLE PILOTS classic "Sex Type Thing" as a tribute to late STP frontman Scott Weiland. Fan-filmed video footage of his appearance — which also included a rendition of THE CULT's "Love Removal Machine" — can be seen below.

ROYAL MACHINES is the "all-star covers fun-times band" featuring former CAMP FREDDY members Dave Navarro (JANE'S ADDICTION, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS), Billy Morrison (ex-THE CULT bassist, current CIRCUS DIABLO vocalist), Donovan Leitch (son of legendary folk singer Donovan), and Chris Chaney (JANE'S ADDICTION, ALANIS MORRISETTE), alongside frequent CAMP FREDDY collaborator, singer Mark McGrath (SUGAR RAY), and acclaimed drummer Josh Freese (THE VANDALS, DEVO, A PERFECT CIRCLE).

Taylor famously slammed Weiland as a "lazy piece of shit" following the former STONE TEMPLE PILOTS and VELVET REVOLVER frontman's decision to record and release "The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year", an album of holiday standards.

During the spoken-word segment at Corey's November 28, 2011 "An Evening With Corey Taylor" solo appearance at Radio Radio in Indianapolis, Indiana, the SLIPKNOT frontman said (see video below): "Does anyone know who Scott Weiland is? Do you know that Scott Weiland has a Christmas album now? [Laughs] Oh, it's bad. It's bad. Let me fucking explain to you how bad it is. There is a video online of him singing, and he's very serious. 'Cause Christmas is serious. His hair is all slicked back and he's in his shitty tuxedo. He goes [imitates Weiland's singing]. So I'm watching this painfully watching this, because hey, know your enemy and I'm just like, 'Why?' It's not that he's a bad singer, 'cause he's not. I love STP, I love some of the shit that he did with VELVET REVOLVER. It's not that he's a bad fucking singer. He's a lazy piece of shit, is what he is at this point. 'I'm gonna get up here' [imitates Weiland singing and makes snoring sound]."

Weiland was found dead on his tour bus last Thursday (December 3) at the age of 48. The suspected cause of death is cardiac arrest, although an official report has yet to be released.

A small amount of cocaine was found on the bus and Tommy Black, bassist for Scott's band THE WILDABOUTS, was arrested for possession.

Both of Scott's former bands, STONE TEMPLE PILOTS and VELVET REVOLVER, issued statements on his passing, while musicians and fans around the world have also posted tributes.





Corey Taylor talking about Scott Weiland back in 2011:

It could take "four to eight weeks" before the Hennepin County medical examiner's office has details of toxicology results from late STONE TEMPLE PILOTS singer Scott Weiland's autopsy to release to the public, Bloomington Deputy Police Chief Denis Otterness has told StarTribune.com.

In other news, Weiland's THE WILDABOUTS bandmate Tommy Black was released from jail on Friday after being arrested the day before on suspicion of having a small amount of cocaine.

An additional amount of the drug was located in the bedroom of the tour bus where Weiland, 48, was found dead.

Weiland was on tour with THE WILDABOUTS in Minnesota when he was found unresponsive shortly before 9:00 p.m. They had been scheduled to perform Thursday night at the Medina Entertainment Center in Medina, Minnesota. However, that concert was canceled more than a week earlier because of slow ticket sales, according to StarTribune.com. The group was set to perform in Rochester on Friday (December 4) at the Wicked Moose.

Weiland's long history of substance and alcohol abuse has been well documented over the years.

Both of Scott's former bands, STONE TEMPLE PILOTS and VELVET REVOLVER, issued statements on his passing, while musicians and fans around the world have also posted tributes.

Former STONE TEMPLE PILOTS manager Scott Stewart, who handled the band from 1990 to 2000, told Alternative Nation, "What always struck me most about Scott was how alone he really was. For all the people and things he had around, I always felt he was somehow separated from people… I thought he’d always beat his demons, and maybe in the end, he finally did. My prayers are with his family and children."

Pennsylvania rockers HALESTORM paid tribute to late STONE TEMPLE PILOTS singer Scott Weiland this past Saturday night (December 5) by performing a cover version of the STP classic "Interstate Love Song" at Powerstation in Auckland, New Zealand. Fan-filmed video footage of their rendition can be seen below.

Weiland was found dead on his band's tour bus Thursday night (December 3). The singer, who was 48 years old at the time of his death, was on tour with THE WILDABOUTS in Minnesota when he was found unresponsive shortly before 9:00 p.m. They had been scheduled to perform Thursday night at the Medina Entertainment Center in Medina, Minnesota. However, that concert was canceled more than a week earlier because of slow ticket sales, according to StarTribune.com. The group was set to perform in Rochester on Friday (December 4) at the Wicked Moose.

A cause of death has yet to be determined for Weiland, but the singer's long history of substance and alcohol abuse has been well documented over the years. His manager issued a statement saying, "Scott Weiland, best known as the lead singer for STONE TEMPLE PILOTS and VELVET REVOLVER, passed away in his sleep while on a tour stop in Bloomington, Minnesota, with his band THE WILDABOUTS. At this time we ask that the privacy of Scott's family be respected."

Weiland's passing is the second death for THE WILDABOUTS. Back in March, THE WILDABOUTS guitarist Jeremy Brown died as a result of intoxication from multiple drugs. Brown's death was ruled accidental.

HALESTORM's third studio album, "Into The Wild Life", was released in April.

Mitch Malloy, the singer Van Halen auditioned between their stints with Sammy Hagar and Gary Cherone, has completed an unreleased demo from the period. Malloy says the track features Eddie Van Halen, Michael Anthony, and Alex Van Halen, called “It’s The Right Time”.

Malloy auditioned for Van Halen by recording a few tracks at 5150 studios with Eddie, Alex, and Michael and his joining VH was overridden by then manager Ray Danniels, who wanted Extreme vocalist Gary Cherone.

When Malloy saw Van Halen reunite with David Lee Roth on MTV’s Video Music Awards however, he was done with the band.

“When I saw Dave come out with them,” Malloy said, “that was it for me. It was over. … This can’t work for me.”



window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-a',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Purson welcome you to Desire's Magic Theatre... a Technicolor trip through the mind's eye of songstress/vocalist /guitarist Rosalie Cunningham, whose signature approach to her craft stands boldly center stage, blending progressive dexterity and cabaret romp into a compelling, multi-faceted rock 'n' roll show.
 
The album will be released on March 25 via Spinefarm Records.
 
Desire's Magic Theatre draws inspiration from the rock operas of the late '60s and early '70s; musically, visually and lyrically, it touches on a variety of realms, including folk, prog, psychedelic, gothic, and classic rock, making telling use of classical instruments and complex arrangements, and fully exploring the outer limits of reel to reel tape.

 
"Desire's Magic Theatre has turned out to be everything I'd imagined and more," said Cunningham. "My world has been so consumed by it that I've barely been able to reflect on what it has become: a Technicolor variety show, a playful display of the musical whims only briefly hinted at in our previous work; a psychedelic rock opera dedicated to our good friends Sarge Pepper and Zig Stardust."
 
Purson-Cunningham, George Hudson (guitars), Samuel Robinson (keyboards), Justin Smith (bass), Raphael Mura (drums)-recently returned from a six-week tour of North America Special Guesting with Ghost, following on from a stint on the Kiss Kruise IV, plus a sold-out Los Angeles debut at the notorious Viper Room.

Single “Electric Landlady”:



window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-a',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});