Pandora, the go-to music source for fans and artists, announced today it will livestream METALLICA's headlining performance at Minneapolis' new U.S. Bank Stadium on Saturday, August 20. The band's performance is the first rock concert at the new home of the Minnesota Vikings and tickets sold out in less than ten minutes. The livestream will begin at 10 p.m. EST on Saturday, Aug. 20. Pandora listeners can tune in the day of and catch it on replay at this location. Individual songs from the concert will also spin on Pandora. METALLICA, who has nearly 2 billion spins on Pandora, also curated an exclusive mixtape in celebration of the show and livestream. The mixtape features songs handpicked by all of the members of the band and features an eclectic mix of all-time favorites and recent discoveries from across the spectrum of music. "We love being invited to the opening party of new buildings, so when the opportunity to break in the new U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis presented itself, we of course jumped at the chance," said METALLICA's Lars Ulrich. "Thanks to our friends at Pandora, if you can't make it to Minneapolis, you'll still be able to partake in the festivities." "METALLICA is one of the most successful and influential rock bands in the world. Partnering with them to expand the audience for their live show is a great honor," said Tim Westergren, founder and CEO of Pandora. "It's also another illustration of the power of our platform to connect artists and fans. This is a seminal moment for live music and as a Minneapolis native myself, it's exciting to be part of the opening of the city's beautiful new stadium." This is Pandora's third livestream of a major performance and advances Pandora's mission to help artists grow their careers. Jack White's sold-out show at Madison Square Garden was live streamed to great success and the livestream of MUMFORD AND SONS' sold-out concert at Merriweather Post Pavilion resulted in over a million station adds last year.

THE APOCALYPSE BLUES REVUE (formerly BLUE CROSS BAND), the new project from GODSMACK's Shannon Larkin and Tony Rombola, will release its self-titled debut album on August 26 via Provogue.

A song from the CD, "Devil Plays A Strat", can be streamed below.

The track listing for the effort is as follows:

01. Evil Is As Evil Does02. Junkie Hell03. Devil Plays A Strat04. I Think Not05. Whiskey In My Coffee06. The Tower07. Crossed Over08. Blues Are Fallin' From The Sky09. Work In Progress10. The Devil In Me11. Blue Cross12. When The Music's Over (bonus track)

THE APOCALYPSE BLUES REVUE, whose lineup is rounded out by frontman Ray Cerbone and bassist Brian Carpenter, honors blues traditions, while etching their stamp on the genre in blood. "As far as blues goes, APOCALYPSE BLUES REVUE is a little heavier, a little darker, and has some punk rock attitude in the lyrics," affirms Shannon. "We wanted to make something deep that will provoke thought. It had to be evil, though. We're not trying to make it happy. It's called blues for a reason! It was also an opportunity to show the world what a phenomenal guitar player Tony is." Shannon witnessed Tony's knack for the style firsthand while writing together for GODSMACK's 2010 offering "The Oracle". Burnt out on metal and hard rock, the pair would loosely jam without boundaries. During one impromptu session in their Southwest Florida rehearsal spot, the drummer laid down a slow, simmering groove, and another side of the guitar player reared its head. "I couldn't believe it," smiles Shannon. "I didn't even know he was into blues or could play the way he does. My reaction was immediate. We had to officially start a blues band.” Provogue/Mascot Label Group's CEO Ed van Zijl was equally impressed when he heard the band for the first time: "This is a very cool band and they made a very cool record," he says." Melodic and groovin' blues rock with touches of Hendrix and THE DOORS. The whole album sounds very organic and natural, great songs and vibe as if they have been playing together for a long time. I love it!"

Talking about joining the label, Larkin adds: "We looked at Mascot's roster and track record, and made the decision on the spot. We didn't feel we needed to shop the band to any other labels; it just felt too perfect."

While work is underway for Canadian progressive sci-fi metal innovators VOIVOD's next studio album, expected for 2017, the band has announced its next split seven-inch EP release, following up the most recent ones with labelmates AT THE GATES and NAPALM DEATH.

In the light of the next European tour pairing, VOIVOD is this time teaming up with ENTOMBED A.D. for a limited-edition split seven-inch EP, featuring their track "Fall" off the "Post Society" EP, which is so far unreleased on vinyl. The release will happen with the start of the tour on October 28, so watch out for further details soon.

VOIVOD continues to tour in support of "Post Society" and has started a first of two comprehensive runs across Europe this week. Their current trip sees the band headlining clubs hows and appearing at selected festivals, while their return in October/November will have them paired up with ENTOMBED A.D. for even more shows.

2013's "Target Earth", VOIVOD's first album of new material written without Piggy's left-over riffs, was almost universally hailed it as a triumphant return to form, a return to the "classic" VOIVOD sound, and the best thing they'd done in years.

The official lyric video for the song "Generation Nevermore" from German thrashers DESTRUCTION can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's latest album, "Under Attack", which was released on May 13 via Nuclear Blast.

DESTRUCTION frontman Schmier states: "Did you ever ask yourself how is it possible that the global population just loves to make cash with killing our planet and our fellowmen and doesn't give a fuck? Where is the wake-up call of our political leaders in charge? Mankind does not really wanna have a look in the mirror 'till it's too late ... and this is an angry thrash song about that sad fact!"

DESTRUCTION started recording "Under Attack" after the summer festivals last year and tracked segments in various studios between September 2015 and January 2016. They completed the drum recordings with Martin Buchwalter at Gernhart Studios in Germany, and mixed and mastered with VO Pulver at Little Creek Studios in Switzerland.

Schmier stated about the making of "Under Attack": "We really took our time for this album. After the summer festivals, we went into the studio every couple of weeks to record brand new songs and ideas in between all the touring activities. We took several studio sessions instead of one long one, to keep the ideas fresh and have time later before the mix to change bits and pieces that we did not like. Maybe this was the most effective writing we did in the last years! Due the fact we had more time in between the albums, there was a lot of musical output and creativity, but also less pressure. From my point of view, you can definitely hear the crispiness in the songwriting and the kick-ass attitude we brought from the shows into the studio. The 'on tour into the studio on tour mode' was so effective that I wanna keep this method for the future!"

The track track listing for the effort is as follows:

Digipack

01. Under Attack02. Generation Nevermore03. Dethroned04. Getting Used To The Evil05. Pathogenic06. Elegant Pigs07. Second To None08. Stand Up For What You Deliver09. Conductor Of The Void10. Stigmatized

Bonus:

11. Black Metal (feat. Alex Camargo of KRISIUN)12. Thrash Attack

2LP

Side A

01. Under Attack02. Generation Nevermore03. Dethroned

Side B

04. Getting Used To The Evil05. Pathogenic06. Elegant Pigs

Side C

07. Second To None08. Stand Up For What You Deliver09. Conductor Of The Void

Side D

10. Stigmatized

Bonus:

11. Black Metal (feat. Alex Camargo of KRISIUN)12. Thrash Attack

Regarding the "Under Attack" artwork, Schmier said: "I had the vision of the exploding earth with the DESTRUCTION skull as continents before we even had the title.

"Never has the earth and every individual been so under attack: whether it’s environmental issues, wars or politics and media madness, we just destroy everything that we love!

"The cover brings together the classical concepts of the band’s history and fits in well with the discography… but, unfortunately, it also represents the current state of the world today!"

Bobby Blotzer's RATT has parted ways with bassist Robbie Crane. He is the second member to exit the band after guitarist Nicholas "Blaze" Baum's departure from the group was announced by Blotzer.

In a Facebook post, Crane says: "As of today, I have resigned my position as the bass player of Bobby Blotzer's band RATT.

"While the events of the past few weeks did play a small role in my decision, I feel like it's time for me move on and focus on the positive things in my life.

"I wish Bobby the best in the future, and thank Warren [DeMartini], Stephen [Pearcy], Robbin [Crosby] and Juan [Croucier] for writing the great songs that afforded me the opportunity to live the dream. Thank you for understanding and supporting me in my decision."

Blotzer earlier in the month hinted at trouble in the RATT camp, telling ClassX Radio: "We are a great band, that's all I can say. I'm so proud of us, you know. But I also wanna see people having their act together on every level. That includes me, too. Nobody's immune from the… from what we've gotta do out there.

"I'm doing all the work behind the scenes, and these cats, all they've gotta do is show up and do their part," he added.

"They'd better grow up real quick here, because there's a lot of sailors out there that would give their leg to go out on this ship."

Blotzer also defended his decision to go out on tour as RATT without any other original members of the band, explaining that fans just want to hear the music performed the way it was recorded on the group's albums.

"No matter what, this band plays so good and does such great integrity to the music of RATT," he told ClassX Radio. "That's why everybody's been hired. The singer just blows Stephen Pearcy out of the water at this day and age. And frankly, [he sounds better than Stephen did] even when we started out."

Blotzer's revamped RATT also includes vocalist Josh Alan (ex-SIN CITY SINNERS) and guitarist Doc Ellis (Jizzy Pearl's LOVE/HATE).

Fan-filmed video footage of former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach's August 6 performance at the Heavy Montreal festival at Parc Jean-Drapeau in Montreal, Quebec, Canada can be seen below.

Bach's long-awaited autobiography, "18 And Life On Skid Row", which was scheduled to be released in June, will now arrive on September 27 via Dey Street Books (formerly It Books), an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Bach told the Rock 100.5 The KATT radio station: "It's been delayed because it's a very big project — six hundred pages with lots of pictures. They asked me for thirty pictures; I gave them a hundred and sixteen. And I'm, like, 'It's my book, dude.' [Laughs] It's got a lot of stories of crazy shit that I did. But there is a beginning and an end to it, like a story arc, because my life was very weird."

Bach revealed that he "wrote the whole thing" himself without the help of a co-writer and mentioned recent books by Keith Richards (THE ROLLING STONES), Paul Stanley (KISS) and Duff McKagan (GUNS N' ROSES) as ones that he found particularly interesting. He said: "I love [punk rock icon] Henry Rollins's writing. If my book had any kind of the power of that, I would be honored. 'Cause the way he writes is very impactful. Every paragraph, you wanna read it over and over."

Asked what was different about branching into the literary world compared to being in the music business for so long, Bach said: "You still have to fight for what you believe in and stick up for what you think is cool. Dave Grohl [NIRVANA, FOO FIGHTERS], he said one of the biggest things in rock and roll is you have to learn how to say 'no,' because there's always people trying to get you to do shit that's not cool."

Rock And Roll Fantasy Camp celebrated its 20th anniversary this past weekend (August 4-7) with an amazing summer camp featuring British heavy metal legends JUDAS PRIEST.

As headliners at Rock And Roll Fantasy Camp, attendees jammed with JUDAS PRIEST frontman Rob Halford and Richie Faulkner. Participants of Rock And Roll Fantasy Camp spent the day at a professional recording studio with famed producer Bob Marlette and were privy to a question-an-answer session with Halford and Faulkner led by illustrious radio personality Mancow.

Over the course of four days, attendees were placed into bands led by rock-star counselors including Rudy Sarzo (QUIET RIOT, WHITESNAKE), Vinny Appice (DIO, BLACK SABBATH) and many more. Musicians honed their stage presence, learned to play some of music's greatest songs, got tips and hear stories of life on the road from their counselors, attended master classes with these renowned musicians and then performed live with their band in front of a packed house at Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California.

JUDAS PRIEST has sold over 45 million albums to date. MTV ranked them the second greatest metal band of all time. This hard and heavy camp featured four members of JUDAS PRIEST: vocalist Rob Halford, bassist Ian Hill, guitarist Richie Faulkner and drummer Scott Travis.

"Rock And Roll Fantasy Camp is where adults come to live their rock and roll dreams and jam with their musical heroes, and where our Jr. rockers come to begin their rock and roll dreams," said David Fishof, owner of Rock And Roll Fantasy Camp. "The camp is open to all levels of musicians, vocalists, from beginners to expert. There is a spot in a band for everyone."

Rock And Roll Fantasy Camp is a non-competitive atmosphere designed for all levels of musicians and music enthusiasts. Participants are placed in bands with like-minded people and skill level to make for an off-the-charts experience.

For additional information, go to www.rockcamp.com or call 888-762-BAND.

Last summer, internationally-renowned heavy rock band Lamb Of God released their latest Grammy-nominated full-length album, VII: Sturm Und Drang, which includes the emotive anthem "Embers”, featuring Deftones vocalist Chino Moreno.

 
In order to further illustrate the story behind "Embers", Lamb Of God has revealed the official music video for the track. The video is directed by Zev Deans, also recognized for directing videos for Ghost, Behemoth, Chelsea Wolfe, and others.

Lamb Of God  will perform in their hometown on August 20th at Gwar BQ 2016 in Richmond, VA. Tickets are available here.
 
VII: Sturm Und Drang landed a #2 first week debut on the Billboard U.S. Top Current Albums chart, #3 on the Top 200, and #1 on both the Rock Album and Hard Rock Album charts.

Lamb Of God is:

Randy Blythe (vocals)
Mark Morton (guitar)
Willie Adler (guitar)
John Campbell (bass)
Chris Adler (drums)
 

Tony Iommi has revealed that his cancer is finally in remission.

The legendary BLACK SABBATH guitarist confirmed the news as he unveiled a plaque at the hospital where he has been receiving treatment for his illness.

"I came back to hospital straight after we finished a round of European tour dates, and the good news is that everything is alright up to this point," he told the Birmingham Mail while unveiling the Macmillan Quality Care plaque at Solihull, England's Spire Parkway Hospital.

"I am in remission and hopefully, this situation will continue.

"The chemotherapy and the follow-up treatment appear to have done the trick — but I'm aware that it could come back one day.

"I have a blood test every six weeks at my GP's, and I come in here at regular intervals for check-ups. That's something that I'll have to live with for the rest of my life, looking for any warning signs that it might be rearing its ugly head again.

"But the availability of a facility like the Specialist Care Centre makes it so much easier. They’re all lovely here!"

The 68-year-old rocker attended said that Spire is a vital resource for cancer sufferers in the Midlands region of England.

He explained: "When you have an illness such as cancer, it is important that the inevitable anxiety associated with a hospital visit is eased.

"The new center, which is separated from the hospital, offers a warm and welcoming environment.

"All the staff are friendly and helpful. You can talk to them about any concerns you may have, about your treatment or just about life in general, which is sometimes exactly what you need.

"I can't thank them enough for what they have done for me, and others like me."

BLACK SABBATH's North American tour kicks off on August 17 in Wantagh, New York.

SABBATH will make their final visits to Mexico and South America at the end of the year as they wind down their farewell tour.

SABBATH will bring its storied career to a close in the band's native England, with seven shows booked there in January and February. The last two, on February 2 and February 4, will take place in SABBATH's hometown of Birmingham and will likely be their final shows.

Threshold and Headspace frontman Damian Wilson has announced he will release his new solo album, Built For Fighting, on September 9th. The album is preceded by the new single “Thrill Me”, available on iTunes now. A lyric video for the single can be found below.

The album, produced by Andrew Holdsworth, is Damian’s first solo album in more than 10 years. Following suit with his previous solo releases, Built For Fighting is a singer-songwriter album containing 11 new original songs and a cover of Depeche Mode’s “Somebody”.

Damian had this to say about the album and the inspiration for its title: “I was fortunate to be surrounded by exceptional musicians and people, who allowed me to produce the album I really wanted to produce. Life is a fight. A never ending brawl and struggle to find a little peace.”

The album was recorded over the last 12 months in studios in London (UK), Dublin (IE) and Tilburg (NL) with a group of talented musicians, including Bill Shanley (Ray Davies), Lee Pomeroy (Jeff Lynne’s ELO, Headspace), Adam Wakeman (Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath) and Brian Willoughby (The Strawbs).

Built For Fighting was mixed and mastered in Sweden by the Fascination Street duo Jens Bogren and Tony Lindgren, who have worked with acts such as Opeth, Devin Townsend and Paradise Lost.

Tracklisting:

“Thrill Me”
“When I Was Young”
“Impossible”
“Fire”
“Somebody”
“Sex & Vanilla”
“Can’t Heal War”
“What Have We Done”
“Written In Anger”
“All I Need”
“I Won't Blame Life”
“Battlelines”

“Thrill Me” lyric video:

Built For Fighting will be available as digipak CD, 12” vinyl and as digital download on all major platforms, including a special ‘Mastered For iTunes’ version. Pre-sale and more information at damian-wilson.net.

The classic lineup of DOKKEN will play its only U.S. reunion show on September 30 at Badlands Pawn Guns Gold And Rock 'N' Roll in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The concert will be a warm-up gig for the band's six-show Japanese run dubbed "Unleashed In The East".

Singer Don Dokken, guitarist George Lynch, bassist Jeff Pilson and drummer "Wild" Mick Brown will launch the Japanese tour on October 5 in Osaka, before heading to Fukuoka, Tokyo for an appearance at the Loud Park festival and continuing on to Hiroshima, Aichi and finally, back to Tokyo for the final show on October 12.

Tickets for this once-in-a-lifetime event, as well as VIP-package experiences, will be on sale beginning August 27. This will be the one and only opportunity for fans to see the classic lineup play its iconic hits.

"Unleashed In The East" tour dates:

Oct. 05 - Osaka, Japan - Namba HatchOct. 06 - Fukuoka, Japan - Fukuoaka Civic HallOct. 08 - Tokyo, Japan - Loud ParkOct. 10 - Hiroshima, Japan - Blue LiveOct. 11 - Aichi, Japan - Zepp NagoyaOct. 12 - Tokyo, Japan - Zepp Divercity

Don Dokken recently spoke to "The Classic Metal Show" about how the long-rumored DOKKEN reunion finally came to fruition. He said: "Years and years ago, I made a comment offhandedly, like, 'You wanna do a reunion tour? I'll do it for this amount of money. "It was like a one and a lot of zeros. And that was my price, and everybody said, 'You're crazy.' And I said, 'Well, that's my price, and I'm not gonna do it [for anything less].' And now, fifteen years later, somebody came up with that price. So I approached George and Jeff, and I said, 'You guys wanna make a shitload of money for about one week of work?' And I told them the price, and I told them how much I wanted and how much they'd make, and, basically, they could make more money in one week than they'd probably make in several years. And so everybody said, 'Okay.' So I said, 'Well, I'll do it on the condition that I don't wanna do it in America or Europe or anywhere else. Just six shows in Japan.' 'Cause we were very big in Japan, and it's just a… It's a reunion tour. So they agreed."

Despite the fact that there is plenty of interest from promoters in other parts of the world to book the DOKKEN reunion, Don claims that the Japanese dates are the only shows the group is committed to doing.

"Of course, everybody came out of the woodwork, and they want us to do Sweden Rock, Wacken festivals, M3… People are throwing money at us to do a DOKKEN reunion in the States and Europe, and my answer to everybody is, 'No. It's not gonna happen,'" he said.

"I feel bad for my agents, 'cause they're getting bombarded from these offers for us to play these big festivals all over the world as a reunion, but I'm just not interested; I'm sorry, I'm just not," he continued. "Jeff's busy. He plays like crazy in FOREIGNER. He's on the road. George is out, you know, playing the bars with LYNCH MOB, so everybody's busy. So I don't see any reason… I can't say, 'We can make all this tons of money…' And we're doing this tour for a lot of money, but I'm doing it to put an exclamation point on a very temporary reunion."

According to Don, part of the reason there are no plans for the reunited DOKKEN to play any other shows after the Japanese run is the fact that the current lineup of DOKKEN — which includes fellow member of the band's classic lineup, drummer Mick Brown, alongside longtime guitarist Jon Levin and bassist Chris McCarvil — is still very much an active entity, with a steady schedule of live shows throughout the year.

"I'm so happy with Jon Levin and Chris," he explained. "I mean, we get along so, so good. We're happy. We get on a plane, we fly to a venue, we hang out together and we go to dinner and we do the show and we hang out in the dressing room. It's very easy; you know, there's no drama. And at my age now, the last thing I need in my life is drama. So I am hopeful everything goes smoothly in Japan [with the reunion shows], but I am ready [laughs] for something to… There was always drama in DOKKEN, so I don't expect anything to change. I'm just gonna kind of keep myself removed from it all. All I'm gonna do is go up there and sing my butt off and play two or three songs on guitar and just make it a fun thing for [the fans]."

(Thanks: NJthrasher)

Finnish masters of melancholic progressive metal AMORPHIS have announced a special "Eclipse" tour for this winter, to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the legendary release. For this special occasion, the band will perform the album in its entirety, as they already did with "Tales From The Thousand Lakes" in 2014.

"A bit over ten years ago, we released one of the most remarkable AMORPHIS albums, 'Eclipse'. An album that started a whole new era in AMORPHIS's history and has put its mark to all of us," states guitarist Esa Holopainen. "The first album with Tomi Joutsen on vocals and an album of timeless music. The circumstances making this record were totally different than with its predecessor, 'Far From The Sun'. We had a highly talented new frontman and his energy truly motivated all of us. For a long time it was fun and inspiring to write and rehearse new music. I think 'Eclipse' captured pretty much the elements of what AMORPHIS is nowadays, got generally known about for and it was a great platform for its followers ('Silent Waters' and 'Skyforger').

"Travis Smith's artwork is stunning. His cover art is a perfect match for the music and lyrics and the 'Eclipse sun' is still today an important symbol for AMORPHIS's visual outlook.

"It's time to celebrate this album with our friends and fans. We are going to play 'Eclipse' in its entirety. No need to say that these limited shows are going to be really special. We'll add more songs from the 'Silent Waters' and 'Skyforger' era. Some tracks that are not that often played.

"Shine on, brothers and sisters, and get your tickets as long as they last!"

"Eclipse" tenth-anniversary shows:

Nov. 05 - FIN - Helsinki - NosturiNov. 26 - FIN - Terminaali Areena - OuluNov. 29 - D - Herford - Club XNov. 30 - D - Cologne - EssigfabrikDec. 01 - NL - Tilburg - 013Dec. 02 - D - Regensburg - Airport ObertraublingDec. 03 - D - Dresden - ReithalleDec. 04 - CH - Zurich - Komplex 457Dec. 08 - FIN - Jyväskylä - LutakkoDec. 09 - FIN - Joensuu - KerubiDec. 10 - FIN - Kouvola - House Of RockDec. 16 - FIN - Seinäjoki - RytmikorjaamoDec. 17 - FIN - Himos - Himos AreenaDec. 30 - FIN - Tampere - PakkahuoneDec. 31 - FIN - Helsinki - Virgin Oil

Ozzy Osbourne has responded to a lawsuit filed by his former songwriting partner and bassist Bob Daisley over unpaid royalties.

Daisley filed a suit against Osbourne and his company Blizzard Music Limited, seeking $2 million.

The dispute centers around the royalties for the song "Crazy Train", which was originally released in 1980. Daisley has a songwriting credit on the track, along with the late guitarist Randy Rhoads.

In a statement, Osbourne reps responded, saying: "For the past 36 years Mr. Daisley has been receiving bi-annual royalty statements and checks from Blizzard Music, totaling in the millions of dollars, which have been routinely cashed. Mr. Daisley has audited Blizzard Music accounts over the years using several different auditing firms who found no discrepancies. He has previously filed lawsuits in the U.K. and the U.S. and has lost on each occasion.

"We understand that Mr. Daisley is now in retirement and that these funds are his main source of income, so it is his right to be diligent with his money, but after 36 years, this is tantamount to harassment. We would have hoped that after 36 years that Mr. Daisley would have lost his unhealthy personal obsession and resentment towards Mr. Osbourne's success. Blizzard Music and Mr. Osbourne plan to vigorously defend these proceedings."

Daisley, who played bass on the first two solo albums by Ozzy Osbourne, previously that he was "devastated" and "flabbergasted" by the August 2002 ruling by the Los Angeles Federal Court dismissing the lawsuit over unpaid performance royalties brought by Daisley and ex-Osbourne drummer Lee Kerslake against Ozzy and the singer's wife and manager, Sharon Osbourne.

Daisley continues to get paid his songwriting royalties for the songs he wrote on Ozzy's "Blizzard Of Ozz" album and the follow-up, "Diary Of A Madman". The issue is, and always has been, about performance royalties.

Warfather has premiered "Judgement, The Hammer." The first track unleashed off the band's forthcoming new album, The Grey Eminence sees Warfarther mastermind Steve Tucker (Morbid Angel) take his frenzied brand of extreme metal to a new level. 

The album will be released on September 16th via Greyhaze Records. Preorder it at this location.

Featuring Steve Tucker (Morbid Angel), Warfather's highly anticipated follow-up to their debut album, Orchestrating The Apocalypse, was produced by death metal icon and studio wizard Erik Rutan (Hate Eternal, ex-Morbid Angel). The collaboration marks the first time Tucker and Rutan have worked together since Morbid Angel’s Gateways To Annihilation.

Tucker had this to say about the results: "I am extremely excited for the release of The Grey Eminence. I feel that this album is one of the best things that I have ever been a part of! Erik Rutan did an amazing job on the production and the songs speak for themselves!"
 
Erik Rutan added: "Recording with Steve and the guys on the new Warfather album has been fantastic! It has been a blast to be working on this monster album in the studio once again with my great friend and former band mate. The songs are heavy as hell and just outright awesome. We have some great tones and performances."

The Grey Eminence tracklisting:

“Orders Of The Horde”
“Headless Mean Can No Longer Speak”
“Judgement, The Hammer”
“For Glory Or Infamy”
“The Dawning Inquisition”
“Heedless Servant”
“Carnage Of The Pious”
“Grey Eminence”
“Fair And Final Warning”

"Judgement, The Hammer":

The Grey Eminence by Warfather

"Headless Men Can No Longer Speak":

The Grey Eminence by Warfather

It only seems like yesterday that Mexico's melodic death metal quartet Nuclear Chaos released their second record Ruins Of The Future. That release also came with the band's first ever music video “Suffocate” which featured guest vocals from none other than David Vincent of Morbid Angel fame. Having been on the road including a stint in Europe playing at prestigious events such as Wacken Open Air and Metal Days we're now over half way through 2016 and the band have been busy tracking the follow up to that release.

The band comments, "The new record is very different from what we did in the past but it keeps the Nuclear Chaos essence intact. The album will contain many different influences going from melodic death metal to Latin metal. We are very excited about this release and this album will show a stronger and more mature Nuclear Chaos."

With a title yet to be revealed, and a release date slated for early 2017 the band have a new single to bridge the gap. Coinciding with the new single, entitled “Shockwave”, the band have also unleashed a new music video for it. The video was shot in Templo San Lázaro (St. Lazarus Temple), an abandoned church from the 1520's in Mexico City. It was shot, directed and edited by Frank Fletcher and Ponce Chiefs from the Mexican studios Soberbios Films.

"’Shockwave’ is an allusion to what we have lived in the past years," comments the band. "It shows a metaphor of how we overcame some personal problems that we will carry as chains forever. They will always be there as a reminder of what we have gone through but they also show that what doesn't destroy you will make you rise stronger."

New York / New Jersey based female fronted melodic power metal band Flames Of Fury have issued their brand new lyric video for the song "I Burn" from their self-titled debut EP.

Vocalist Angelica Valkyrie has checked in with the following comments:

"We have wanted to give back to our loyal fans who have been with us from the very beginning, so we went back to our debut EP release and chose the song ‘I Burn’ and immortalized it in a killer new lyric video. This song has been a fan favorite since our humble beginnings. Our desire has always been to create a video for it and now we finally have it. It's crazy, dark and metal AF!"

"We are now actively seeking a permanent bassist to join the band and perform on future tours. Currently Flames Of Fury is performing with bassist Mike LePond (Symphony X / Mike LePond's Silent Assassins). We have been so happy and honored to have Mike LePond perform with us onstage as our guest bassist, as he's definitely extremely busy! So now, the band has come to a crossroads, where we really have to have a permanent bassist with us for future touring. So help us get the word out to all potential candidates, as we are counting on securing a worthy replacement to join the band permanently. Interested candidates can contact Flames Of Fury directly at: info@flamesoffury.com.

"Finally we are on the final stretch of completing our upcoming blazing debut full length album "Firestarter", which we hope to independently release later in the year. Cover artwork, tracklisting, and other news related to the release will be disclosed in the not too distant future.”

Flames Of Fury:

Angelica Vargas: vocals 
Jason Perez: lead guitar 
Paul Duthil: rhythm guitar 
Mike LePond: bass (Symphony X / Silent Assassins) 
Marc Capellupo: drums

Austria's Mastic Scum released their new DVD entitled Rage [Live & Rare] on May 13th. It will also be available as an MP3 album for download. "The Vortex Within" is streaming below.

The band stated, “We are proud to share the artwork ‘mechanical eye’ for our upcoming DVD RAGE [Live & Rare]. Lukáš Lancko from Isis Design Studio did an awesome job! We are proud of the final design! The DVD will include a four page booklet and the live shot will also be available as MP3 album for download!”

DVD content:

-Full live show
-Band interview
-Nine official music videos 
-Live footage from five festivals
-Photo gallery 1993-2015
-Complete discography
-Bonus video footage

More than 160 minutes of content. 

"The Vortex Within":

Teaser:

Danish composer Amalie Bruun, better known as Myrkur, has unveiled a live recording of "Onde Børn”, streaming below.

Bruun explains, "Onde Børn (Wicked Children)" is a song that I wrote as a tribute to my supporters and it feels powerful to play it live, for them, with them. Performing it with the girls choir in the Emanuel Vigeland Mausoleum was a beautiful experience, the dark mood in the cold tomb, the crystal clear voices of the girls. There is room for very few people in the Mausoleum, but my whole Norwegian "family" was there, people who worked on 'M' and so forth. A night I will never forget and which I'm excited to share with you."

Myrkur has reimagined Bathory's "Song To Hall Up High". This version was also recorded live in the historic  Emanuel Vigeland Mausoleum in Oslo, Norway alongside the eight other beautifully dramatic and stripped-down acoustic reinventions of songs from her critically-acclaimed, masterful debut full-length M.

Mausoleum was captured in a cold, dimly-lit tomb covered in morbid frescos that depict the circle of human life from conception til death, all with the accompaniment of the storied Norwegian Girls Choir and Håvard (ex-Ulver) on guitar. Mausoleum is an incredible showcase of Myrkur's sublime yet haunting voice in a truly chilling, unrivaled atmosphere. Hear "Jeg er guden, I er tjenerne”, streaming below.

Mausoleum is due out on August 19th on CD/LP/Digital via Relapse.

Mausoleum tracklisting:

“Vølvens spådom”
“Jeg er guden, I er tjenerne”
“Skøgen skulle dø”
“Byssan lull”
“Den lille piges død”
“Frosne vind”
“Onde Børn”
“Song To Hall Up High”
“Dybt i skoven”

“Jeg er Guden, I er tjenerne”:

Physical pre-orders here, digital pre-orders at this location.

Corey Taylor says that he doesn't know why Glen Benton is upset with him, claiming that he hasn't talked to the DEICIDE frontman for more than a decade.

Benton recently gave an interview with the "Talk Toomey" podcast in which he slammed SLIPKNOT for not ever touring with DEICIDE despite apparently crediting the Florida-based death metal act as an early musical influence.

Speaking to the Tucson, Arizona radio station Rock 102.1 KFMA, the SLIPKNOT singer addressed Benton's remarks, saying (hear audio below): "I haven't seen Glen Benton in ten years, you know, and I haven't talked to him in even longer. So I don't know why he's upset with me, I don't know why he's upset with us."

He continued: "We take out the bands who submit for us, man. It's just that simple. I mean, out of respect to him and what DEICIDE has done over the years, it's, like… If you talked to somebody, it wasn't me, and they sure as hell didn't tlak to me, 'cause I would have tried to do something."

Asked if he ever thought that he would one day become such a constant focus of news stories in the rock world, Taylor said: "Honestly, no, to be honest, because we were always such a collective that I figured the band would be a target, not me personally. But then, over the years, as I became a little more of the spokesperson for the band and became more of the… you know, kind of stepping out and making sure that somebody was representing us in the media and whatnot, and keeping things straight, I think that's where the target kind of started to get tattoed on my back. So it is what it is."

He added: "There are pros and cons with it, and you deal with it the best you can. At the end of the day, not everyone's gonna like you, and you have to learn that. If you think everyone's gonna like you, you need to get a helmet, 'cause your life's gonna be really sad."

In the "Talk Toomey" interview, Benton seemed to imply that SLIPKNOT was afraid of taking out a band like DEICIDE on the road with them for fear of being upstaged.

"Fucking blow me, Corey Taylor and all you f*gs," Glen said. "'Oh, we're gonna take DEICIDE out on tour with us and blah blah,' blowing air up our asses, back in the day. And it's just, like, you know what?! You never did a fucking thing for us. You introduced us at a show once. Great, thanks. How about a fucking tour? How about fucking helping us out a little bit? I mean, we've only been doing this for so many years. These bands [are like], 'Dude, these guys are what got me started.' Well, you know what? Return the fucking favor. You know what I mean? And I see a lot of this, 'We don't want that kind of competition.' At least they know it.

"But you know how they get away with… This is how a lot of the bigger bands… this is how they get away with getting out of having you on a tour, 'cause they offer you a shitty amount of money, where it's virtually impossible to do it, so you end up declining or canceling or whatever the fuck, and then you look like the idiot. 'We offered you the tour. You can make t-shirt money.' Yeah, right. We've gotta at least make it so we can afford our transportation. You wanna stick us on a fucking city bus to the gigs?

"But I appreciate the fact that bands like that fucking mention us, and shit like that, and it's great. It's really awesome. Here's an idea: talk to one of these big-time promoters [into offering] DEICIDE a better position on a festival or putting us on one of these tours this year.

"I don't mind opening for these bands; I really don't. But I'm gonna fucking bring my 'A' game, and if I blow you away in the fucking process… whatever."

Musik Universe conducted an interview with NIGHTWISH singer Floor Jansen at this year's Heavy Montreal festival, which was held August 6-7 at Parc Jean-Drapeau in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. You can now watch the chat below.

Speaking about how she has been accepted by the NIGHTWISH fans in the four years since she first stepped in as the replacement for Anette Olzon, Floor said: "Well, fans are always divided, but from the get-go, I felt very much welcome. I know that the lady before me had a lot of trouble being accepted. Maybe being the third singer, that is easier, because people are more used to changes, or whatever it was. For me, it was very easy; I've been accepted from Day One. And, of course, back then, and still, there are people who'd rather see one of the other singers, or maybe somebody completely different — you can't please everybody — but the general feeling of being welcome has been, and is, there."

NIGHTWISH recently announced that it will take a year-long break in 2017 following the completion of the touring activities for the group's latest album, 2015's "Endless Forms Most Beautiful". NIGHTWISH keyboardist and main songwriter Tuomas Holopainen told Finland's Kaaos TV: "It's a peculiar feeling, because throughout the twenty years [of NIGHTWISH's existence], I've never felt like this, that you really, really need to step away for a while. And it's not really fatigue — it's not like we're burning out or anything — it's just the inspiration or the passion of starting to do a new album, it's just not there. And we are fortunate enough to be in a position that we can actually take a year off, and that's a huge privilege for us. So we're just taking advantage of that."

An unofficial 20th-anniversary show will be held on August 20 at Himos Park in Jämsä, Finland.

NIGHTWISH will release "Vehicle Of Spirit" on November 4. The DVD will feature the band's performance from London's Wembley Arena in the U.K., along with their show at Tampere, Finland's Ratina Stadion.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH guitarist Jason Hook says that the passing of legendary singer, guitarist, songwriter and producer Prince is "a great loss" and a reminder that life is short.

Prince's body was discovered on April 21 in the elevator of his Minnesota estate Paisley Park. The coroner later ruled that he had died of an accidental fentanyl overdose.

In a recent interview with Anne Erickson, Hook said about Prince's death: "Absolutely shocking and very sad. It's a reminder that it doesn't matter how talented or successful you are when something happens with your health. You can't control that stuff. It's really sad. To think of how old I am and how old he was when he died, I really reminds me that life is short and that nobody escapes that fate. It's a just a question of when. He's obviously an incredibly talented individual — not just a great guitar player but piano player, and he played the drums and sang and did everything. It's a great loss. It's very sad, and he'll be missed."

Prince has won seven Grammy Awards, and he won an Oscar for the original song score to the classic film "Purple Rain", in which he also starred.

He recorded some 39 studio albums, recording and touring prolifically even after a very public battle to get out of his major label contract threatened to derail his career.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH is working on material for the follow-up to 2015's "Got Your Six" for a tentative 2017 release.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's first album with Rise Records, the BMG-owned rock label, will be made available following the completion of the band's obligation to its current label, Prospect Park.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH recently announced a new co-headlining arena tour with SHINEDOWN that will kick off on October 18 in Little Rock, Arkansas. Support on the trek will come from SIXX A.M. and AS LIONS.

IRON MAIDEN's "The Book Of Souls" world tour concluded on August 4 when the band performed at the Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany, marking the end of the trek that began in late February and touched down on six continents.

In a video recap, which can be found below, the members of IRON MAIDEN share memories from the tour and thank fans for coming out to the shows.

IRON MAIDEN manager Rod Smallwood stated: "We decided to finish the tour at Wacken as it is the ideal way to end this magical tour playing to 80,000 core metal fans at this legendary metal festival.

"Wacken has become such as international event with many thousands of fans from many other countries around the world joining and celebrating with the German fans, so it is perfect for the final show of a memorable tour. Everywhere we've played the fans have been amazing and the reaction to the new songs and stage show has been phenomenal. The band has loved every minute on stage."

IRON MAIDEN's latest album, "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.

TEMPLE OF THE DOG — the Seattle supergroup featuring SOUNDGARDEN's Chris Cornell, PEARL JAM's Jeff Ament, Stone Gossard and Mike McCready, and drummer Matt Cameron (who plays drums with both SOUNDGARDEN and PEARL JAM) — will reunite for the first time ever to tour in celebration of their self-titled album issued 25 years ago. TEMPLE OF THE DOG came together in 1990 in the wake of MOTHER LOVE BONE frontman Andrew Wood's drug overdose.

The seeds for the band were planted by Cornell, who was roommates with Wood. The album went platinum and the band has reunited for one-off performances, but they have never toured.

Of the tour, McCready told Rolling Stone: "I hope if these [shows] go well, there will be more in the future. That's kind of why we didn't want to do an extensive tour. We just wanted to feel out the landscape. I hope we can go to Europe. It depends on how much fun we have with it, and how much people get out of it."

But Cornell stressed that a second TEMPLE OF THE DOG record is less likely. "We'd have to feel really great about the songs," he explained. "It's a scary thing. I don't want to say they'd have to live up to the [first] album, but I wouldn't want it to take away from it either. It was the same issue with reforming SOUNDGARDEN. I'm super excited about writing new songs as long as we don't detract from what came before, and ultimately we did that. I think the same thing would apply to TEMPLE."

Eddie Vedder, PEARL JAM's lead man, was part of TEMPLE OF THE DOG, but he is not listed as among the members taking part in this tour. Asked if there is a possibility of a Vedder guest appearance at some of the shows, McCready said: "I can't say anything about that. I don't know if he is, and that's kind of up to him. I would love it if he did." Added Cornell: "I don't think that's even been discussed, but we certainly haven't planned on it."

On September 30, UMe will release a special TEMPLE OF THE DOG 25th-anniversary reissue collection of their landmark album, newly mixed by Brendan O'Brien. The collection will be available in four configurations, including a four disc Super Deluxe, a double LP, a two CD Deluxe, and a single CD.

Physical pre-orders are available today along with a detailed list of the contents of each configuration here.

Over 75,000 fans were rocked at the Wacken Open Air music festival in Germany this past weekend as the late Ronnie James Dio reunited with his bandmates via hologram. The surprise performance took place at the end of DIO DISCIPLES' set to close the world's largest annual live heavy metal event. DIO DISCIPLES features members of the DIO band, which last performed with Ronnie in 2008 before he passed away two years later, leaving a void in the rock community. Eyellusion, a hologram entertainment company focused on the live music market, created the hologram and produced the groundbreaking performance.

The first video footage of the Ronnie James Dio hologram — which took place during a performance of the song "We Rock" — can be seen below. Almost one year in the making, Eyellusion's Ronnie James Dio production represents the world's first rock hologram performance and the first time a hologram has been accompanied by a live band in a traditional concert setting. The Wacken Open Air festival marked the debut of the Ronnie James Dio hologram, which features the singer's actual live vocals and will be toured globally in 2017, with further details to be announced. "When I first experienced the full production of Ronnie performing with his band as a hologram, I couldn't believe my eyes and ears," said Wendy Dio, who manages DIO DISCIPLES and is also a member of the Eyellusion team, supporting industry relations. "With Eyellusion, we have been able to get Ronnie back up on stage where he belongs, ensuring that his music and memory live on. I want Ronnie's fans around the world to share this experience." "We know how much the fans miss Ronnie and the special and unequaled element that he brought to his live performances," said Craig Goldy, lead guitarist for DIO DISCIPLES. "Being able to recreate that same kind of magic for his fans at Wacken was incredible. For so many years Ronnie always invested big in his live shows as his way to give back to the fans, and that is exactly what we aimed to do with this latest performance. We can't wait to bring this experience to even more of his fans and perhaps even a newer generation when we bring this incredible live experience on the road next year."

"At first I did not know what to think or to expect. But after I got over the initial surprise, it felt like Ronnie was still with us. It was wonderful, sad and emotional," stated David James of California, a fan present for the performance at Wacken Open Air.

"I have watched quite a few hologram clips online and nothing can compare to the performance here tonight at Wacken — this was the most realistic of all. Amazing! Ronnie James Dio and metal will live forever," added Anna Lorenz, a 25-year-old fan from Germany, also in attendance. "Eyellusion is creating the best hologram content and live music productions for a completely new concert experience," said Jeff Pezzuti, CEO of Eyellusion. "We're taking every step to capture the excitement and energy that comes from seeing your favorite band perform live. That means when the lights go down in the venue, the amps are loud, the band sounds great and the pyro is blinding. We are creating an entirely new way for fans to experience their favorite music." Touring remains a viable revenue stream for many artists as music industry business models continue to evolve. However, it is not always financially or physically feasible to get to every market where there is demand. Further, massive loyal fan bases still exist for artists that are no longer able to tour or that can only do a set number of dates within a year. Eyellusion is expanding touring opportunities for emerging and established acts alike. In addition to unique shows based around digital recreations of artists, Eyellusion can stream live holographic performances of one show to many locations, opening global possibilities to play new markets and venues. "The economics of making music are changing, with tours being more important than ever," said Wendy Dio. "For artists who have been blessed with legions of fans around the world, the question is how to continue meeting the demand for your music. At the same time, newer acts are thinking about how to build a following and reach more people. Today, all artists need to find new, modern ways to connect with fans and Eyellusion is supporting those efforts." Eyellusion's hologram and live production focus spans a range of genres, including rock, country, pop, EDM and more. Key team members include Wendy Dio, who supports industry relations, veteran rock manager Todd Singerman and Pat DiNizio of THE SMITHEREENS, who support artist relations, and Kenny Aronoff, world-renowned live and studio drummer, who supports business development and technical live production efforts. Chad Finnerty at Digital Frontier FX is Eyellusion's exclusive content creation partner, working directly with clients to help bring every project vision to the live stage. Legendary Hollywood digital effects executive Scott Ross advises Eyellusion on overall content production. "Holograms represent a major opportunity for live music and fan engagement, but they have to be done right," said Pezzuti. "We believe we've cracked the code on delivering the highest quality hologram-based events, creating the ultimate live music experience that keeps fans coming back. The Eyellusion team's unmatched production capabilities and deep music industry ties bring crucial industry knowledge to our collaboration with artists as we work toward a shared vision of creating unforgettable shows. We can't wait to see music fans everywhere on the road." Photo by PG Brunelli

All hail Ronnie James Dio. @OfficialRJDio #Wacken pic.twitter.com/bh6ZuMnZWM

— Wacken Open Air (@Wacken) August 7, 2016

Wow. Ronnie James Dio just made an appearance - as an hologram. Strange, but great. Feels good. @OfficialRJDio pic.twitter.com/PFO4g17q5U

— Wacken Open Air (@Wacken) August 7, 2016

Dutch symphonic metallers, Delain, will release their fifth studio album, Moonbathers, on August 26th via Napalm Records. Vocalist Charlotte Wessels recently commented on the lyrical inspiration for the new record and where the album title came from.

Charlotte: "I was looking at the lyrics and some of them were dark to the point of being morbid. There is a lot of thought about endings, both figuratively and very literally; songs about death. Negative emotions are a trigger for my creativity, but though most of my lyrics originate there, I don’t want to glorify it. So as a lyricist I try to make sure that there is always some sort of light at the end of the tunnel. I also realized that when I feel bad, I listen to sad music and it makes me feel better. So I embraced the idea that it’s possible to find comfort in that dark place, and I went looking for a metaphor for finding that light in the darkness, that comfort. The moon for me remains the ultimate icon representing that. So I chose moonbathers, rather than sunbathers, as a metaphor for those who find comfort in dark."

The lyric video for new song "The Glory And The Scum" can be found below.

Moonbathers, mastered by Grammy award winning Ted Jensen, will satiate your hunger for the symphonic greatness, catchy hooks and a solid dose of metal that the band is known for. It showcases Delain from both their most extravagant and sensitive sides as they explore all things nocturnal through an especially varied set of tracks including a surprising cover of classic rock legends Queen as well as a reappearance of Alissa White-Gluz as a special guest on opening track, “Hands Of Gold".

The visual counterpart comes courtesy of longtime collaborator and neo-Victorian romantic Glenn Arthur:

Tracklisting:

“Hands Of Gold” (featuring Alissa White-Gluz)
“The Glory And The Scum”
“Suckerpunch”
“The Hurricane”
“Chrysalis - The Last Breath”
“Fire With Fire”
“Pendulum”
“Danse Macabre”
“Scandal”
“Turn The Lights Out”
“The Monarch”

Bonus CD
“Suckerpunch” - Live In The Netherlands
“Turn The Lights Out” - Live In The Netherland
“The Glory And The Scum” - Live In The Netherlands
“Don't Let Go” - Live In The Netherlands
“The Glory And The Scum” - Orchestra
“Hands Of Gold” - Orchestra

Pre-order the album at this location.

"The Glory And The Scum" lyric video:

Delain will celebrate their 10th anniversary with a special show in Amsterdam on December 10th that will also be recorded and filmed for a release on CD and DVD.

The band states: “Happy Birthday to…US! Dear Delainers, as many of you know, 2016 marks a very important milestone for Delain: our tenth anniversary in music! In September 2006, we released our debut record, Lucidity, and YOUR overwhelming response to our first record made us turn Delain: The Project into Delain: The Band. That was 10 years ago, and today, we find ourselves looking back at a decade of rocking stages all over the world. Four albums, two EPs, and ten years later, we feel that we need to celebrate this milestone properly…with you!

“On December 10, 2016, legendary Amsterdam music venue Paradiso Amsterdam is ours to celebrate our 10 year anniversary. We are planning to go all out for this one! Best of all, the entire show will be recorded and made available on DVD, Blu-Ray, CD, vinyl, and digital download! We’ve made it as a band for ten years thanks to you, so we turn to you directly to help us make this happen. Please check out our Pledge campaign and get ready for the biggest birthday bash ever! We are incredibly excited about this project and we hope you will join in with us!”

Delain recently announced a fall European/UK tour.

Since the release of their album The Human Contradiction in 2014 on Napalm Records, Delain have been constantly touring all over the world and shared the stages with arena acts such as Nightwish, Within Temptation and Sabaton. Delain ended 2015 headlining and conquering stages in sold out venues all over the world.

In between heavily touring, Delain found the time to release a new EP titled Lunar Prelude (February 2016, Napalm Records), which includes two brand new tracks, exciting live cuts, mastered by Grammy Award winning Ted Jensen, Lunar Prelude leaves the listener with a hunger for more, but shortens the wait for the next full length album.

October
14 - Köln, Germany - Essigfabrik
15 - Stuttgart, Germany - Im Wizemann
16 - Hamburg, Germany - Gruenspan
17 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Pumpehuset
19 - Berlin, Germany - Columbia-Theater
20 - Cracov, Poland - Kwadrat
21 - Warsaw, Poland - Progresja
22 - Zlin, Czech Republic - Masters of Rock Club
25 - Bratislava, Slovakia - Majestic Music Club
27 - Vienna, Austria - Szene
28 - Munich, Germany - Backstage
29 - Aschaffenburg, Germany - Colos-Saal
30 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z7
31 - Lyon, France - Ninkasi Kao

November
2 - Madrid, Spain - Arena
3 - Toulouse, France - Metronum
4 - Paris, France - Elysee Montmartre
5 - Lille, France - Le Splendid
6 - Antwerp, Belgium - Trix

8 - Birmingham, UK - Institute
9 - Glasgow, UK - The Classic Ground
11 - Dublin, UK - Button Factory
12 - Manchester, UK - The Ritz
13 - London, UK - Koko
15 - Norwich, UK - Waterfront
16 - Southampton, UK - Engine Rooms
17 - Cardiff, UK - Tramshed

 

(Photo - Delain Facebook)

STRYPER frontman Michael Sweet has slammed Bobby Blotzer for "drag[ging] the name and reputation of [RATT] through the mud because he feels he has the right to do so."

The drummer has been touring the U.S. for the last few months with his own version of RATT, featuring several new members alongside bassist Robbie Crane, who previously played bass for RATT from 1996 to 2012 and appeared on the band's 1999 self-titled album and "Infestation".

RATT guitarist Warren DeMartini filed a lawsuit against Blotzer last fall, claiming that the drummer was falsely advertising his "tribute band" as the real thing. That dispute is still pending in California state court.

In a post on his Facebook page, Sweet commented on the legal battle between Blotzer and DeMartini, saying: "I wish these guys all the best and hope they can resolve their issues.

"RATT was a house band at Gazzarri's when STRYPER was a house band. Blotzer wasn't in the band at the time and they were amazing.

"I used to chat with all of them back in the day and they were great guys.

"I think it's sad and unfortunate when a member of a band (who isn't really even an original, mind you) decides to drag the name and reputation of the band through the mud because he feels he has the right to do so.

"I'm looking forward to seeing/hearing what RATT (NOT [Bobby Blotzer's] version) does. One of my favorite bands from the 80's and here's to more."

Blotzer and DeMartini are the only remaining shareholders in WBS, Inc., the company which manages the business and operations related to RATT.

Blotzer's new version of RATT played shows early last year under the name BOBBY BLOTZER'S RATT EXPERIENCE before the drummer announced that he was taking control of the RATT name.

Three members of RATT's classic lineup — DeMartini, singer Stephen Pearcy and bassist Juan Croucier — reunited last month at a Los Angeles birthday party, leading to speculation that they were planning to launch their own version of the band that would not include Blotzer.

WBS, Inc. was originally formed by Blotzer, DeMartini and Pearcy. Pearcy lost his share of the name in court after splitting with the group in 2000. He returned to the band in 2006 but exited again in 2014. Blotzer later expressed his desire to keep RATT alive with a new singer, but explained that DeMartini did not want to tour as RATT without Pearcy.




I wish these guys all the best and hope they can resolve their issues. Ratt was a house band at Gazzarri's when Stryper...

Posted by Michael Sweet on Monday, August 8, 2016

Former OZZY OSBOURNE bassist Bob Daisley is suing the singer for unpaid royalties.

According to NME.com, Daisley filed a suit against Osbourne and his company Blizzard Music Limited, seeking $2 million in unpaid royalties.

The dispute centers around the royalties for the song "Crazy Train", which was originally released in 1980. Daisley has a songwriting credit on the track, along with the late guitarist Randy Rhoads.

Daisley's complaint alleges that "although royalties have been paid to Daisley over the years, an audit conducted in 2014 showed that Osbourne and his company had been improperly deducting undisclosed fees before distributing royalties to Daisley and improperly withholding Daisley's rightful share of royalties owed under the publishing agreements for the commercial exploitations of the songs.

"While Mr. Osbourne was benefiting from the songs co-authored by our client, the audit shows that he was systematically short-changing Mr. Daisley," said Daisley's lawyer Alan Howard. "Mr. Daisley had no choice but to bring this action to secure his fair share of the proceeds those songs have generated."

Daisley, who played bass on the first two solo albums by Ozzy Osbourne, previously that he was "devastated" and "flabbergasted" by the August 2002 ruling by the Los Angeles Federal Court dismissing the lawsuit over unpaid performance royalties brought by Daisley and ex-Osbourne drummer Lee Kerslake against Ozzy and the singer's wife and manager, Sharon Osbourne.

Daisley continues to get paid his songwriting royalties for the songs he wrote on Ozzy's "Blizzard Of Ozz" album and the follow-up, "Diary Of A Madman". The issue is, and always has been, about performance royalties.

Daisley, whose "For Facts Sake" autobiography came out in 2013, told Australia's Guitar magazine about his legal battle with the Osbournes: "I started working with Ozzy in 1979, putting the band together with Randy, and then we got [drummer] Lee Kerslake. When 'Diary Of A Madman' came out, Lee and I were ousted, and 'Diary Of A Madman' came out without our credits on it, and they credited someone else that was going on the road with them. So there was a lawsuit developed out of that, which was settled in court against Don Arden, who was Sharon's father and the owner of Jet Records. But later, sort of late '90s, Lee and I found out that Sharon and Ozzy were receiving our royalties from those albums, so we sued them. And that went on for a while. And Don Arden was going to help Lee and me fighting the case for our royalties. But when Sharon found out that her father was helping us — I mean, she hadn't spoken to him for something like eighteen years or something — all of a sudden she made up with him. And he stopped helping us and went against us and that was the end of our case. But it's way more complicated than that. That's a simplified version of it."

He continued: "We were sort of devastated, flabbergasted [when our lawsuit was dismissed by the judge]. [We] just couldn't believe it.

"I remember when our lawyer took on the case, and he took it on a contingency basis, which means no win, no fee. So he was very sure that he had a good case. And he used to say to us, 'It's not if you're gonna win, it's how much.'"

In a 2012 interview with Rock Cellar Magazine, Daisley revealed that the 30th-anniversary remastered reissues of Osbourne's classic early albums, 1980's "Blizzard Of Ozz" and 1981's "Diary Of A Madman", which came with a box set of previously unreleased live recordings, a coffee table book and other goodies, could have packed much more material than what actually made the release.

"There'd been talk about it during 2010, and it was then that I offered to supply tapes of our rehearsals and writing sessions, to go as proper bonus material," Daisley said. "And I just said that I wanted a royalty out of it, because it's my stuff. But they wouldn't do it because they didn't want to give me a royalty — they just wanted to buy it.

"So no agreement was made, and as a result the bonus material in the box set is minimal, which is unfortunate because I know the fans want to hear the stuff that I've got — recordings of the writing sessions, rehearsals and the songs taking shape. But the Osbournes wouldn't come to the table, y'know. I didn't even ask for an equal royalty, it was just a small royalty I wanted because it's my stuff…"

Daisley added that he had "literally hours and hours of tapes I've got from us writing those albums and rehearsing it" that could have been included in the package. "You can hear the songs changing, the different parts taking shape, and all this stuff would have been perfect bonus material for the box set," he said. "Sadly, the Osbournes are just too greedy and self-absorbed."

Bob Daisley said in a 2010 interview with his web site that he had not been contacted about the 30th-anniversary editions of "Blizzard Of Ozz" and "Diary Of A Madman". The tracks played by Daisley and drummer Lee Kerslake on both albums were replaced on a previous reissue after Daisley and Kerslake sued Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne over royalties.

Daisley told the web site, "Neither Lee nor I have been contacted, considered or consulted in the decision to re-release the original recordings. As for royalties, we have not been approached for a reconciliation and have been offered and promised nothing."

Ozzy told The Pulse of Radio he was against the idea of replacing the original tracks when he found out about it. "Believe me, it wasn't my doing," he said. "I mean, I didn't know that was being done, 'cause Sharon was fighting all the legal things that were going down at the time. I said, 'What did you do that for?' And she said, 'The only way I could stop everything was if it went to that level.' And I said, 'You know what, whatever the circumstances were, I want the original thing back.' I mean, I wouldn't have done that."

The replacement tracks were played by current METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo and FAITH NO MORE drummer Mike Bordin.

Daisley says that he and Kerslake were fired because of disagreements with Sharon over a number of things, including refusing to do two shows in one day out of worry that Ozzy would blow out his voice.

The official Dan Sturgess-directed video for the song "Ribcage" from BLACK VEIL BRIDES singer Andy Biersack's solo project, ANDY BLACK, can be seen below. The track is taken from ANDY BLACK's debut album, "The Shadow Side", which was released on May 6 via Lava/Republic.

"The Shadow Side" was produced by John Feldmann and is expected to include collaborations with FALL OUT BOY's Patrick Stump, Gerard Way, 5 SECONDS OF SUMMER's Ashton Irwin and ALL TIME LOW's Rian Dawson.

"The Shadow Side" track listing:

01. Homecoming King02. We Don't Have To Dance03. Ribcage04. Stay Alive (feat. Matt Skiba)05. Love Was Made To Break06. Beautiful Pain07. Put The Gun Down08. Drown Me Out09. Paint It Black10. Break Your Halo11. Louder Than Your Love12. Broken Pieces13. The Void

Regarding the making of ANDY BLACK's debut CD, Biersack told U.K.'s Kerrang! magazine: "It's completely different, very unlike my entire career, which has been spent in a collaborative effort with four other individuals. There's also a precedent when it comes to making a BLACK VEIL BRIDES record. At this point now, this is our fifth record that we're making — and that's not to say that we go in with a cookie-cutter approach, but we certainly know stylistically what we like. The odd thing about the solo record was there was no precedent."

Asked what ANDY BLACK sounds like, Biersack said: "I think my intention for this was to go as far in the other direction as possible. Sonically, the goal was to really play with music and a lot of different stuff, to have a lot of odd instrumentation and to have a lot of programmed stuff, keyboards and more classic, almost pop-rock guitar. It's more U2 than MEGADETH. There are no guitar solos on the record. There's a lot of drumming styles; there's some weird sleigh bells. It was about playing with music and seeing what happened. We came up with something in the vein of stuff I love — U2, Adam Ant… It's somewere between Springsteen, new romantic and modern goth-pop music."

Biersack previously described ANDY BLACK as a "fun and artistic way for me to try something that musically I wouldn't want to force into BLACK VEIL BRIDES."

Asked why he couldn't incorporate his songs into BLACK VEIL BRIDES, Biersack replied, "There are so many bands I loved growing up whose singer would have a new idea for a sound and then completely ruin the band by taking a shit on the whole audience. That wasn't my interest."

Biersack continued, "It would be different if the reason I was doing this was that I wanted to get away from BLACK VEIL BRIDES… This is more that I didn't want to cross the two things."

The singer said that when he informed his bandmates about the project, "I made it very clear… it was a passion project on the side, and everybody in the band gets it."

After topping the rock charts in 2014 and 2015, THE PRETTY RECKLESS returns with their extraordinary third studio album, "Who You Selling For", due October 21 on Razor & Tie. The new album is the band's anticipated follow up to "Going To Hell", which spawned the biggest rock song of 2014 in "Heaven Knows" and a total of three #1 Mainstream and Active Rock hits. The first single from the new album, "Take Me Down", premiered worldwide July 15 on iHeart Radio and impacted at rock radio four days later on July 19, quickly climbing to #7 on the chart. Produced by longtime collaborator Kato Khandwala, "Who You Selling For" is an arresting collection of rock tunes that expand the band's sound to encompass soulful, bluesy undertones, written by frontwoman Taylor Momsen and guitarist Ben Phillips. This raucous 12-track collection puts Momsen's dark lyrics and raw, charismatic vocals on full display while the band delivers at full intensity with a level of musicianship that raises the bar. Formed in 2009, THE PRETTY RECKLESS released their debut album, "Light Me Up", in 2010 scoring legions of fans worldwide, but it was their sophomore record "Going To Hell" that positioned the band to become the first new artist to breakout of rock in years, debuting in the Top 5 on Billboard's Top 200. Achieving three #1 Rock hits — "Heaven Knows", "Fucked Up World" and "Follow Me Down" — was a feat that has not been accomplished by a female fronted group since THE PRETENDERS in 1984, nearly a quarter of a century ago. Despite feeling the physical and emotional demands from their epic two-year run supporting "Going To Hell", Momsen and Phillips jumped right into writing the songs for the new album. "We had so much we wanted to say, it was like shaking a can of soda on tour, and then when we started writing we cracked the seal," says Momsen. "The touring life is very isolating. You look at the world through a bus or airplane window. But music is the healing factor. It's the one thing that is grounding and a true companion through the forest. It saved us — again." With "Who You Selling For", the band continues to take bold steps forward, cementing their place at the forefront of rock. The deeply personal album features a diverse set of standout tracks, from the blistering hard rock of "Oh My God" to the classic southern rock of "Back To The River". Lead single "Take Me Down" features Taylor's distinctively smoky voice rolling over '60s-tinged rock guitar. The band will hit the road this fall in support of the album and will run through major U.S. cities such as Chicago, New York and Nashville before wrapping on December 6 in Los Angeles. Tickets go on sale to the public Friday, August 12 at 10 a.m. local time.

Tour dates:

Oct. 20 - Tulsa, OK - Brady Theater (Wizard World)Oct. 22 - Elverta, CA - Discover Park (Aftershock Festival)Oct. 23 - Las Vegas, NV - House of BluesOct. 24 - Scottsdale, AZ - LivewireOct. 26 - Lubbock, TX - Wild WestOct. 27 - Dallas, TX - Gas Monkey Live!Oct. 29 - New Orleans, LA - City Park (Voodoo Festival)Oct. 30 - Houston, TX - House of BluesNov. 01 - Atlanta, GA - The Buckhead TheatreNov. 03 - Ft. Lauderdale - Revolution LiveNov. 04 - Orlando, FL - House of BluesNov. 05 - Destin, FL - Club LANov. 07 - Nashville, TN - Cannery BallroomNov. 10 - Detroit, MI - St. Andrews HallNov. 11 - Chicago, IL - House of BluesNov. 12 - Cleveland, OH - House of BluesNov. 13 - Toronto, ON - The Phoenix Concert TheaterNov. 15 - Boston, MA - Paradise Rock ClubNov. 16 - New York, NY - Terminal 5Nov. 18 - Baltimore, MD - Rams Head Live!Nov. 19 - Niagara Falls, NY - The Rapids TheaterNov. 21 - Omaha, NE - Sokol AuditoriumNov. 22 - Clive, IA - 7 Flags Event CenterNov. 23 - Minneapolis, MN - Myth Live Event CenterNov. 25 - Green Bay, WI - The Sandlot Entertainment ComplexNov. 26 - Sioux City, KA - Anthem @ Hard RockNov. 28 - Denver, CO - The Ogden TheatreNov. 30 - Salt Lake City, UT - The DepotDec. 01 - Boise, ID - Knitting FactoryDec. 02 - Seattle, WA - The ShowboxDec. 03 - Portland, OR - The Roseland TheaterDec. 06 - Los Angeles, CA - Mayan Theatre

Norwegian black metallers DARKTHRONE will release their new album, "Arctic Thunder", on October 14 via Peaceville. The CD marks the band's first new studio material since 2013's triumphant "The Underground Resistance", its most successful release in recent years.

An eclectic mix of free-spirited '80s-fueled blackened heavy metal, all executed in DARKTHRONE's trademark raw and organic style, "Arctic Thunder" was recorded and produced by the band themselves, with the sessions conducted at DARKTHRONE's old rehearsal unit, The Bomb Shelter, which was originally used during 1988-1990. Mastering is once again handled by Jack Control at Enormous Door.

With themes based around hate, contempt, and the inner mind and soul, and with the notable presence of Nocturno Culto on vocal duties across all songs for the first time in recent years, "Arctic Thunder" retains a grim atmosphere throughout the album's eight tracks.