CHARRED WALLS OF THE DAMNED, the brainchild of former DEATH/ICED EARTH drummer Richard Christy, will release its third full-length album, "Creatures Watching Over The Dead", on September 23 via Metal Blade Records.

The first single from the album, titled "The Soulless", can be streamed below. Ask Christy what he wanted to achieve with "Creatures Watching Over The Dead", and his answer is as succinct as it gets: "To bring the metal! I want people to listen to this album, bang their head, and have fun." It's actually hard to imagine anyone with even the slightest hankering for the hard stuff not having this exact reaction when exposed to the nine tracks comprising the record — for this is heavy, catchy, anthemic and downright killer music to wreck your neck to. At the same time, it stands as one of the most uplifting contributions to the metal canon of 2016, which is both timely and welcome. With five years having elapsed since the quartet dropped "Cold Winds On Timeless Days", it's understandable that fans have been yearning for more, but they have not exactly been sitting around, kicking their heels. Christy, who has previously played with ICED EARTH, DEATH, CONTROL DENIED, BURNING INSIDE and LEASH LAW, played drums on Monte Pittman's "Inverted Grasp Of Balance", wrote music for New York State's "The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze" event, and co-wrote a heavy metal comedy Viking rock opera with guitarist Jason Suecof and Titmouse Animation, titled "Majestic Loincloth". Suecof is, of course, one of the most in-demand producers in contemporary metal. Then there's legendary bassist Steve DiGiorgio, who made a name for himself in the ranks of DEATH, TESTAMENT, VINTERSORG, DRAGONLORD and a myriad of other great metal bands; in recent years, he has laid down his inimitable style on records from EPHEL DUATH, SOEN, MEMORAIN and others. Which just leaves vocalist Tim "Ripper" Owens, who for a time fronted a little-known British band named JUDAS PRIEST — before lending his formidable pipes to ICED EARTH and Yngwie Malmsteen's mighty compositions, touring relentlessly under his own name, starting new band PROJECT ROCK. When it was time to lay the songs down, the members convened at Suecof's Audiohammer Studio, outside Orlando, Florida, and the subsequent sessions might well have been the smoothest in the history of the metalverse. With everyone more than prepared, after nailing a drum tone that sounds "so natural and crushing," Christy laid down all the drum parts in a single day, and DiGiorgio "crushed it as usual" over the space of two days, delivering an incredible performance which really shines through on every song. Suecof infused Christy's riffs with character, dynamics and sheer power as he tracked them, and then it was down to Owens, who delivered one of his finest performances - made all the more impressive by how quickly he worked. It's understandable that the four guys are seriously proud of the finished product. Once released, Christy has a simple ambition for the record, wanting "people to crank it up while they're drinking their favorite craft beer and cleaning their guinea pig's cage — which I do once a week — or mowing the lawn!" "Creatures Watching Over The Dead" track listing:

01. My Eyes02. The Soulless03. Afterlife04. As I Catch My Breath05. Lies06. Reach into the Light07. Tear Me Down08. Living in the Shadow of Yesterday09. Time Has Passed CHARRED WALLS OF THE DAMNED is:

Richard Christy - DrumsJason Suecof - Guitar, ProducerTim "Ripper" Owens - VocalsSteve Digiorgio - Bass

Celebrating their 20-year career, Sacred Steel has revealed the cover artwork for Heavy Metal Sacrifice, the new album due out on October 14th.

This sensational art was provided by Polish artist Lukasz Jaszak who has worked in the past with acts such as Blood Red Throne, Decapitated, Dornenreich, The Vision Bleak among others.
Heavy Metal Sacrifice will be released on CD (digipack edition), LP (featuring Sacred Steel’s embossed logo) and digital via Cruz Del Sur Music.

Tracklisting:

“Intro (Glory Ride)”
“Heavy Metal Sacrifice”
“The Sign Of The Skull”
“Hail The Godz Of War”
“Vulture Priest”
“Children Of The Sky”
“Let There Be Steel”
“Chaos Unleashed”
“The Dead Walk The Earth”

The band has announced a round of shows to accompany the release of the album. Confirmed dates are as follows:

October
10 - Ludwigsburg, Germany - Scala (20 Years Of Sacred Steel Festival / Heavy Metal Sacrifice Record Release Party with Tankard, Stallion, Tradedy Divine, Septagon)
21 - Vienna, Austria - Escape
22 - Pilsen, Czech Republic - Phantoms of Pilsen

November
12 - Rome, Italy - Traffic Club (Burn This Town Festival with Rosae Crucis, Hammer King, Battle Ram, Graal)

January
13 - Hamburg, Germany - Bambi Galore

(Photo - Matthias Leise)

On a new episode of Talking Metal, Mark Strigl talks with Chip Z’Nuff of Enuff Z’Nuff.  Topics include Howard Stern, Mancow, Donnie Vie, Blue Island, his work with Kanye West, upcoming tour dates opening for Ace Frehley, the Tweaked album, Enuff Z’Nuff’s issues with drugs, his recording studio, his autobiography and producing Jessie Camp’s band.

He also reveals that the forthcoming Enuff Z’Nuff album Clowns Lounge will feature the late Derek Frigo on guitar. Frigo died in 2004 from an apparent drug overdose at the age of 37.

Rock icons Enuff Z’Nuff will release a brand new studio album in the fall of 2016.

Wrongly lumped in with the disposable pop-metal bands of the late '80s, Enuff Z'Nuff are a truly gifted act. Founded in Chicago in 1984 by Chip Znuff, Enuff Z’Nuff arrived with their self-titled debut in August 1989, scoring a couple of hit singles with "New Thing" and "Fly High Michelle”. The follow up was 1991's Strength album, where the band had noticeably toned down their image and turned up their creative ambitions to deliver a masterful '90s take on the crunchy power pop sound of Cheap Trick and Badfinger.

As of today, Enuff Z’Nuff is still going strong and continues touring the globe. Singer-songwriter Johnny Monaco now fronts the power-pop trio along with co-founder Chip Z’Nuff and drummer Erik Donner.

Chip Znuff says, “We are very excited with this new deal with Frontiers, thanks to old friend who discovered us, Derek Shulman. The new record is pure ROCK and features a couple rockstar friends, most notably James 'JY' Young (Styx), and the late great Jani Lane (Warrant) singing on one of his last recording sessions.

“The band will be touring through 2016, worldwide. A few of the titles on the new Enuff Z'nuff record are: "Good Luv", "Radio", "Nothing", and "The Devil Of Shakespeare".

“Wishing everyone a prosperous 2016 and may the BEST thing that happened to you last year be the WORST thing that happens to you this year!”

Hells Headbangers has set October 14th as the international release date for the comeback album of Hobbs Angel Of Death, Heaven Bled. Helmed by one relentless maniac named Peter Hobbs, Hobbs Angel of Death are one of the more unsung cult favorites of '80s metal. Hailing from Australia many years before it was cool to do so, the band released two classic demos in 1987, Angel Of Death and the telltale Virgin Metal Invasion From Down Under, before time came for the inevitable debut album. That album, 1988's Hobbs Angel Of Death, was released by Steamhammer during the label's glory years, and quickly found a devoted legion of fans enthralled to Hobbs' Kreator-meets-Dark Angel style of deathrash. With a unique charisma that was devilishly gleeful in a sense, Hobbs Angel Of Death sired the band's self-tagged "virgin metal," which worked in both connotations of the word. It would be many years before a follow-up, 1995's Inheritance, and the band broke up not long after.

Come 2002, however, Hobbs Angel Of Death would reform and play a number of European festivals and scattered tour dates over the next decade, but aside from the Hobbs Satan Crusade compilation of the two demos, no new material had yet arisen. But now, courtesy of longtime fans Hells Headbangers, the first all-new recording of Hobbs Angel Of Death in over two decades has finally come to pass. Titled Heaven Bled, this 12-song firestorm of thrashing death metal ("deathened" thrash?) proves that time has not dulled Peter Hobbs' passion one bit nor do the band once rest on their laurels. Much like Atomic Aggressor's Sights Of Suffering - which Hells Headbangers released in 2014 - Heaven Bled is undoubtedly infused with Hobbs' classic past, but is recast in a powerfully streamlined manner where the songwriting and execution take center stage and rawness and youthful enthusiasm are no longer the guiding principles. There's demonic fury in abundance, but it's tempered with the quiet confidence of age and wisdom, through which Hobbs loudly casts his incisive gaze on a whole host of subjects, each one more vitriolic (and catchier) than the next. Altogether, Heaven Bled is a timeless blend of extreme metals throughout the ages, sounding as fresh as Hobbs Angel Of Death's explosion onto the international scene in 1987. Hear for yourself with "Son Of God," the first track to be revealed from Heaven Bled, below.

A statement from Peter Hobbs reads: "With Hobbs' new album, I've tried to cater for a wider majority of metal lovers, giving a variety across the board with old-school feel and arrangements, but with a mature Hobbs Angel Of Death outlook. I'm sure many will find it an enjoyable album to listen to, showing my writing skills on the new album and giving back to the industry some of the great influences that have won me over the past lot of years. I've been fortunate enough to have met some of the greats I have the utmost admiration for, and it's an honor for me to hear it in return. I've met people through my travels, and especially one that I felt so overwhelming to hear that my now-cult album of 28 years ago actually saved someone from committing suicide, and they thanked me for my music, that it pulled him through that rough time! I know that I can't please everyone, but I have given this new album my heart and soul to accomplish another cult album in years to come!"

Tracklisting:

“II Mostro Di Firenze”
“Walk My Path”
“Final Feast”
“Suicide”
“Drawn & Quartered”
“Heaven Bled”
“Sadistic Domination”
“Son Of God”
“Depopulation”
“T.F.M.F”
“Hypocrites”
“Abomination”

“Son Of God”:

Heaven Bled by HOBBS' ANGEL OF DEATH

Preorders are being taken on Bandcamp.

The Mute Gods, the new band from the mind of renowned bassist, chapman stick player and vocalist Nick Beggs, alongside drummer Marco Minnemann (Steven Wilson), and long-time Steve Hackett collaborator and keyboardist Roger King, have released a new video (see below) for their track “Praying To A Mute God”.

“Praying To A Mute God” is featured on the band’s debut album, Do Nothing Till Your Hear From Me, out now via InsideOut Music.

The enigmatic artwork for the record was created by Lars 'Zeituhr" Tellmann,

Tracklisting:

“Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me”
“Praying To A Mute God”
“Nightschool For Idiots”
“Feed The Troll”
“Your Dark Ideas”
“Last Man On Earth” (bonus track)
“In The Crosshairs”
“Strange Relationship”
“Swimming Horses”
“Mavro Capelo” (bonus track)
“Father, Daughter”

“Praying To A Mute God” video:

“Father, Daughter” video:

“Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me” video:

“Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me” video (4K 360 degree version):

"Real", a brand new song from OF MICE & MEN, can be streamed at SiriusXM.com. The track is taken from the band's much-anticipated new album, "Cold World", which is set for a September 9 release on Rise Records.

The full track listing for "Cold World" is:

01. Game Of War02. The Lie03. Real04. Like A Ghost05. Contagious06. -07. Pain08. The Hunger09. Relentless10. Down The Road11. +12. Away13. Transfigured

The "Pain" video was directed by Mark Lediard at J6 Films and can be seen below. Fans can get "Pain" as an instant download by pre-ordering the album. OF MICE & MEN (vocalist Austin Carlile, guitarist Alan Ashby, drummer Valentino Arteaga, vocalist/bassist Aaron Pauley and guitarist Phil Manansala) recorded "Cold World" with producer David Bendeth, who they worked with on 2014's "Restoring Force", which hit No. 4 on The Billboard 200 album chart and No. 1 on both the Billboard Top Independent and Top Rock Albums charts. Fans can catch the band performing "Pain" as part of their set on the summer arena tour with SLIPKNOT and MARILYN MANSON. The tour, which kicked off at the end of June at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena, runs through August 27 and will be followed by OF MICE & MEN's headlining U.K. tour, which begins September 30 in Birmingham. Over the course of the past few years, OF MICE & MEN has shared stages with artists such as METALLICA, LINKIN PARK and QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, blanketed rock radio airwaves, garnered critical acclaim, amassed over 153 million Spotify streams, 20 million YouTube views and close to 5 million social media followers on the strength of an blistering sound and live show.

The official lyric video for the song "The Glory And The Scum" from Dutch symphonic metallers DELAIN can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's fifth studio album, "Moonbathers", which will be released on August 26 via Napalm Records.

Comments DELAIN: "We have never had so many milestone events in one year. The release of our EP, 'Lunar Prelude', our fifth studio album, 'Moonbathers', our upcoming 10-year anniversary celebrations and live registration, and there is still more to come. All of this while playing our most heavy touring year ever. We are on a roll, and our new album, 'Moonbathers', is here to embody that. We hope you will enjoy this new effort and join us on our endeavors making 2016 the biggest year for DELAIN ever!"

"Moonbathers", mastered by Grammy Award winner 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 (ARCH ENEMY) as a special guest on opening track "Hands Of Gold".

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

DELAIN singer Charlotte Wessels told Xpress Radio about the songwriting process for "Moonbathers": "For this new album, we cut up… Normally, you would like to take a few months to go into writing mode, to go into recording mode, and then go and put it all together. But we never really had the time for that this year. We kind of did a few writing blocks and a few recording blocks and a few production blocks. I really like the way that has allowed us to keep touring and to not take a break on anything else we were doing. On the other hand, I do also like the feeling of really immersing yourself in that creative process, and for my taste, we've been having to move on very soon. It's not really saying that one is better than the other, but everything comes with a price. And last time we were really, really busy touring, and I wouldn't have done anything else, but you do notice that for everything that you want to do, there's something else that you cannot do. So now we solved that challenge by kind of cutting up that whole production of the new album in different blocks. And I think it was a creative solution that worked."

Regarding the musical direction of the new DELAIN material, Charlotte said: "Listening to the album now, I think that in the style of the songs, it really goes in… It's more varied than our… Like, the production is a lot like our last album, because we really like the mix and we really like the master, so we chose to handle some of those the same, with the same people. But at the same time, if you listen to the songs… For example, on the last album, there wasn't like a real 'ballad ballad,' and there is on this record, but also it has probably some of the loudest tracks. Amd then there is like a really uptempo rock kind of track. There's really a lot of different stuff there, but the overall feel is really dramatic, and I like that. There's not one particular thing that I can pinpoint as being different, but I think in a way that the album is kind of going from one end of the style spectrum to another on this record, I think that's pretty interesting."

"Moonbathers" track listing:

01. Hands Of Gold (feat. Alissa White-Gluz)02. The Glory And The Scum03. Suckerpunch04. The Hurricane05. Chrysalis - The Last Breath06. Fire With Fire07. Pendulum08. Danse Macabre09. Scandal10. Turn the Lights Out11. The Monarch Bonus CD

12. Suckerpunch (live in The Netherlands)13. Turn The Lights Out (live in The Netherlands)14. The Glory And The Scum (live in The Netherlands)15. Don't Let Go (live in The Netherlands)16. The Glory And The Scum (orchestra)17. Hands Of Gold (orchestra)

As previously reported, DELAIN will celebrate its tenth anniversary with a special show in Amsterdam on December 10 that will also be recorded and filmed for a release on CD, DVD and Blu-ray.

DELAIN released a new EP, "Lunar Prelude", on February 19 via Napalm Records. Mastered by Grammy Award-winning engineer Ted Jensen, the set offered two brand new songs in the shape of the catchy "Suckerpunch" and the melancholic "Turn The Lights Out". "Don't Let Go" (taken from 2014's "The Human Contradiction") came in a brand new version, while the EP also contained four live cuts, as well as an orchestral reprise of "Suckerpunch".

DELAIN recently announced the addition of guitarist Merel Bechtold to the group's ranks.

Swedish melodic metallers AMARANTHE have completed work on their new album, "Maximalism", for a tentative October release via Spinefarm. The follow-up to 2014's "Massive Addictive" was recorded at Top Floor studios in Gothenburg with producer Jakob Herrman.

AMARANTHE will promote "Maximalism" with an extensive world tour which will kick off this October in Europe. Support on the European trek will come from SONIC SYNDICATE and openers SMASH INTO PIECES.

AMARANTHE guitarist Olof Mörck previously described the band's new material as "certainly [our] most diverse so far; our trademark bleeding edge modern metal is ever present, but fused with an even wider range of genres than before, featuring everything from stadium rock, the latest in pop music innovation and danceable super-hits. Expect these tunes to enter your mind permanently, never to leave!" AMARANTHE's single "Nexus" recently went gold and "Amaranthine" and "Hunger" were certified platinum — all in AMARANTHE's home country of Sweden. AMARANTHE singer Elize Ryd stated in a 2014 interview that the songs on "Massive Addictive" "represent each genre in a more clear way than on the two previous albums. I play around with the vocal melodies more than I’ve been able to do earlier."

She added: "I stand most for the vocal melodies; that's my ace in the making — to build up the spirit and emotion I want to represent.

"I wanted the album to sound more modern, sporty, intense, unlimited, playful. It's most important for me to always think forward and to keep the voltage alive in the music."

Frontiers Music Srl will release TYKETTO's new album, "Reach", on October 14.

After five years of relentless touring that included playing on some of the most prestigious stages on the planet, TYKETTO took their revitalized energy in to the studio in the spring of 2016. The sessions took place at the legendary Rockfield Studios (QUEEN, RUSH, OASIS) in Wales. Musically, the band is truly at the top of their game, with their muscular brand of melodic rock delivered with the finest arrangements and awesome performances.

Lead vocalist Danny Vaughn comments: "Although we only had planned on recording ten songs for 'Reach', we were so pleased with everything, we decided to keep all twelve songs on the record.

"We unanimously decided on 'Reach' as the title of the album as it defines who this band is in 2016.

"We have a new energy, some incredible new members, and a fresh outlook toward the future.

"All of us have pushed each other beyond our limits to make what we feel is a pinnacle record in our catalog."

Adds drummer and founding member Michael Clayton Arbeeny: "Many bands who have been out as long as we have feel they need to fit into a preconceived notion of what their fans expect to hear.

"Following in the footsteps of icons such as QUEEN, LED ZEPPELIN and Prince, we have decided to expand our musical boundaries and introduce our friends around the world to TYKETTO 2016.

"Rest assured that all the songs on 'Reach' still carry the trademark melodies and choruses our fans have grown to love over the decades.

"The band is feeling stronger and performing better than ever and we can’t wait to share this music with the world."

In addition to Vaughn and Arbeeny, the 2016 lineup of TYKETTO includes Chris Green (guitar and vocals), Ged Rylands (keyboards and vocals) and Chris Childs (bass).

A video for the title track, "Reach", will be released soon.

An eleven-country tour to support "Reach" commences in October.

"Reach" track listing:

01. Reach02. Big Money03. Kick Like A Mule04. Circle The Wagons05. I Need It Now06. Tearing Down The Sky07. Letting Go08. The Fastest Man Alive09. Remember My Name10. Sparks Will Fly11. Scream12. The Run13. Precious Little Gets Away (digital bonus track)

TYKETTO is:

Danny Vaughn – Lead VocalsMichael Clayton Arbeeny - Drums, Percussion, Vocals Ged Rylands - Keyboards, Vocals Chris Green - Guitar, Vocals Chris Childs - Bass, Vocals

Dark Embrace has recruited Snowy Shaw as session drummer and have started mixing the new album. 

Dark Embrace have just finished the recording of their new album titled The Call Of The Wolves together with drummer Snowy Shaw (ex-member from bands such as King Diamond, Sabaton, Dream Evil, Mercyful Fate, Therion and Dimmu Borgir). The recording sessions have taken place through Sweden and Spain at Sound Industry Studios with Arnold Lindberg and Estudios Mafia with Oscar Fernández and Raúl Muradás. The mixing process is being done and the other new members are going to be announced later this month.

This new recording means a new era for the band. That's the reason behind the new logo and symbol made by graphic designer Mario Moreira. The artwork is being created by Gustavo Sazes who also did works for Arch Enemy, Morbid Angel, Amaranthe, Kamelot, Angra, Rage, Sirenia, The Agonist, and more. A video clip will be shot in the first days of September by the video production company Ziwa directed by Santiago Raimundi.

Singer Tarek of German heavy/power metallers Majesty has announced a new Majesty album, which will outshine everything the band has done before. That’s why he uses the term “Majesty 2.0” to describe the upcoming release. The album will be available worldwide at the beginning of 2017 via NoiseArt Records. Check out the video below.

Furthermore, the band also announced a short film for one of the new songs. For this ambitious project the band needs the support from everyone who is into film-making. So if you are ready to support the band on this unique cinematic project, write an e-mail to movie@metalentertainment.de. More info in the YouTube video.

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions have signed putrid Canadian death/grind horror fiends Human Compost and are set to release their debut album entitled From The Grave They Crawl August 26th on CD and Digital formats. Below is the official description:

“Human Compost slash their path to Horror Pain Gore Death Productions with the long awaited debut album From The Grave They Crawl. Hailing from the crypts of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Human Compost exit their tomb after a 3 year gestation period, releasing countless cult EP's and demos of Death Grinding Madness! From The Grave They Crawl displays a distinct rotten brand of buzzsaw groove, exhuming old school metal and horror... caked with plenty of cemetery soil. Human Compost destroy the listener with crushing concepts and rotten sounds of death and decay!”

Tracklisting:

“Urethral Maggot Infestation”
“Rancid Orgy Of Rotted Cadavers”
“The Horror Is Legion”
“Stalk, Rape, Mutilate”
“Maniac”
“Towers Of Silence”
“Post-Mortal Perversions”
“Seven Doors Of Death (The Beyond)”
“From The Grave They Crawl”
“Bound In Human Flesh”

“Rancid Orgy Of Rotted Cadavers”:

CD preorders are available at Horror Pain Gore Death while digital preorders can be found on Facebook.

Melbourne-based rock n’ roll nomads Palace Of The King released their second full-length album, Valles Marineris, on July 15th. A full album stream can now be found below.

BraveWords recently premiered the new video for "Beyond The Valley”, with the band commenting on the clip: “We decided we really wanted to do something different and push the boundaries when making our first official film clip from Valles Marineris. Something that didn't necessarily feature the band members but represented the music. I was a fan of Sergio the clip creator so I suggested to the guys that we send him the song to see what he might do. He loved the song and we love what he did visually to capture the feeling behind it.”

 
Valles Marineris deepens Palace Of The King’s footprint on the international rock music scene by expanding on the qualities of their debut through an all-new ten track collection of blues and psych-infused hard rock.

Lead by the bruising gospel-tinged riffathon of “Let The Blood Run Free”, Valles Marineris is both eclectic and unrelenting right through to the final eerie piano fadeout of album closer “Into The Black”.
 
Vocalist Tim Henwood comments “I feel like we’re really honing in on our own distinctive sound now. I love our early recordings but after traveling around the world and playing over 300 shows in our first three years as a band, we’re growing and evolving. It’s real, it’s from the heart and we can’t wait to let this one out of the box.”
 
Having always placed equal importance on the visual component of each release, the band once again enlisted award-winning tattoo artist Kristian Kimonides for the album artwork, whose original painting was inspired by the music and lyrics of Valles Marineris.
 
With extensive tour dates already scheduled in Australia, US and Europe, 2016 is set to be Palace Of The King’s best and most prolific year yet.

Tracklisting:

“Let The Blood Run Free”
“Beyond The Valley”
“Black Cloud”
“The Bridge Of The Gods”
“We Are The Vampires”
“Empire Of The Sun”
“Sick As A Dog”
“River Of Fire”
“Throw Me To The Wolves”
“Into The Black”

Album stream:

"We Are The Vampires" lyric video:

Lacrimas Profundere will release their first concept album, Hope Is Here, on August 12th via Oblivion/SPV. A second video trailer for the upcoming released is now available. See both trailers below.

The new album was produced by guitarist / founding member Oliver Nikolas Schmid and vocalist Roberto Vitacca, and mixed and mastered by Kristian 'Kohle' Kohlmannslehner at the Kohlekeller Studio (Powerwolf, Eskimo Callboy, Aborted). The cover artwork was designed by Brazilian artist Elton Fernandes, who also created the Antiadore sleeve. Schmid states: “Elton has captured the atmosphere of our songs perfectly, almost as if he’d been there when we were writing the material.”

 

 

Tracklisting:

“The Worship Of Counting Down”
“My Halo Ground”
“Hope Is Here”
“Aramis”
“A Million Miles”
“No Man's Land”
“Pageant”
“You, My North”
“Awake”
“The Path Of Broken Homes”
“Timbre”
“Black Moon”

Trailer #1:

Trailer #2:

On August 26th, Eagle Rock Entertainment will unleash KISS Rocks Vegas on DVD+CD, Blu-ray+CD, DVD+2LP, and Deluxe Edition DVD+Blu-ray+2CD. Check out “Detroit Rock City” from the upcoming release, streaming below:

Captured in the midst of their 40th Anniversary World Tour, the Rock And Roll Hall Of Famers sonically shook Vegas during their residency at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in November 2014. This Sin City set sizzles with KISS classics from across their 44 album legacy: “Rock And Roll All Night,” “Detroit Rock City,” “Shout It Out Loud,” “Love Gun,” and more. As a bonus feature, KISS Rocks Vegas includes a seven-song acoustic set. Punctuated with pyrotechnics galore, the film presents the fire, electricity, and one-of-a-kind rock experience that earned KISS over 100 million sales globally.

The Deluxe Edition of KISS Rocks Vegas is presented as a hardcover package with a 12X12 book, boasting photos from the show and an exclusive CD.

“We rocked and Vegas rolled! This was epic in your face KISS! We got Up close and personal, I think rock and roll fans will really enjoy this spectacle that only KISS can deliver.” - Paul Stanley

“KaBOOM! We blew up the Joint at The Hard Rock in Vegas like never before. We are very proud of this and know that you will be blown away as well.” - Gene Simmons

Tracklisting:

“Detroit Rock City”
“Creatures Of The Night”
“Psycho Circus”
“Parasite”
“War Machine”
“Tears Are Falling”
“Deuce”
“Lick It Up”
“I Love It Loud”
“Hell Or Halleluja” + Tommy Solo
“God Of Thunder”
“Do You Love Me”
“Love Gun”
“Black Diamond”
“Shout It Out Loud”
“Rock And Roll All Night”

Acoustic Set:
“Coming Home”
“Plaster Caster”
“Hard Luck Woman”
“Christine Sixteen”
“Goin' Blind”
“Love Her All I Can”
“Beth”

 

 

 

 

The self-titled debut album from Swedish AOR band, Cruzh, will be released on August 26th. The album cut “Hard To Get” is streaming below:

Cruzh was put together after the demise of Swedish glam rockers TrashQueen, in which both Anton Joensson and Dennis Butabi Borg played. They shared a love for melodic rock and AOR and joined forces with Tony Andersson, who previously worked as a studio musician on the never released TrashQueen record.

It all started in March 2013 when Cruzh was announced online. The only things shown to the public were an image of the silhouette of the three band members, the debut song "In A Blink Of An Eye”, information that the band was Swedish, and the text "Get ready for the Cruzh". The song quickly spread on the internet and both Swedish and international websites and radio stations played it and speculated about the identities of the band members. In May came the sequel "Stay", which continued in the same melodic rock spirit. Meanwhile, the band spread various clues on social media regarding their whereabouts. In the fall of 2013 Cruzh had reached a point where they chose to “unmask” and take it all to the next level and reach out to the masses together with the release of the Hard To Get EP, the first of two very successful self-produced demos. Hard To Get and its successor, the darker Aim For The Head got great reviews worldwide.

By late spring of 2015, just when Cruzh was about to release a new EP, they were approached by Frontiers Music Srl who wanted to sign the band, so Cruzh started the recording process by the end of summer 2015. The result is truly an awesome debut, in the spirit of Def Leppard, Danger Danger, H.E.A.T, Winger, Firehouse and Bryan Adams.

“We all share the love for Melodic Rock,” says bassist Dennis Butabi Borg, “but in the meantime we all have very different musical background and inspirations. This shows in our songs”. “When we started out, almost immediately I felt this synergy in the band,” adds Tony Andersson, “and despite our musical backgrounds and differences, we all head in the same direction.” “When a piece of music is coming to me and I am developing someone else’s work, I am filled with some sort of emotion that I want to convey,” concludes guitarist Anton Joensson, “it’s easy to do this in a natural way with Cruzh because I could not feel more at home with our band and the music we create. This is also true with Tony and Dennis. This is who we are!”

Tracklisting:

“In N' Out Of Love”
“First Cruzh”
“Aim For The Head”
“Anything For You”
“Survive”
“Stay”
“Hard To Get”
“You”
“Set Me Free”
“Before I Walk Alone”
“Straight From My Heart”

“Aim For The Head”:

“First Cruzh” video:

EPK:

Cruzh lineup:

Dennis Butabi Borg – bass
Anton Joensson – rhythm, lead and acoustic guitars on all tracks, backing vocals
Tony Andersson – lead vocals on all tracks, keyboards

With:

Erik Wiss – piano on “Anything For You”, intro on “In N’ Out Of Love”
Louisian Boltner – drums on all tracks
Mattias Silfver – backing vocals on all tracks
Martin Johansson – backing vocals on “Anything For You”
Patrik Norén – backing vocals on “Aim For The Head”

In the new video below, Dutch classical guitarist Thomas Zwijsen performs the KISS classic “Detroit Rock City”, featured on their 1976 album, Destroyer. Acoustic/Classical/Flamenco fingerstyle guitar arrangement by Thomas Zwijsen.

Zwijsen performs the original song “Estuary” in the clip below. “Estuary" is composed by Zwijsen for classical/acoustic/Spanish/Flamenco/fingerstyle solo guitar.

In the official music video below, Blaze Bayley, Thomas Zwijsen and Anne Bakker perform “What Will Come”, a track from Bayley’s Infinite Entanglement album.

Blaze Bayley, Thomas Zwijsen and Anne Bakker recently released a video performing an acoustic version of Iron Maiden’s X Factor album track, “Judgement Of Heaven”. In the interview below, Blaze and Thomas talk about how the video was made.

Watch the “Judgement Of Heaven” video below:

This version of “Judgement Of Heaven” is on the new Nylon Maiden double CD, available at ThomasZwijsen.com and iTunes.

Nylon Maiden’s Preserved In Time is Zwijsen’s ultimate Iron Maiden tribute album. It makes the classical guitar world a bit more metal by adding 16 Iron Maiden songs (and two Bruce Dickinson songs) to its repertoire.

Zwijsen’s long-time collaborator Blaze Bayley is one of the returning guest musicians on this album, performing two tracks from his Iron Maiden days, as well as a unique version of “Blood Brothers” off the Brave New World album! This is the first time Blaze performs an Iron Maiden song from the post-Blaze era. It gives Iron Maiden fans an idea of what it would have sounded like if Blaze had stayed with the band.

Tracklisting:

Disc 1
“If Eternity Should Fail”
“Stranger In A Strange Land”
“Judgement Of Heaven” (with Blaze Bayley & Anne Bakker)
“Ghost Of The Navigator”
“Powerslave” (Thomas & band)
“Burning Ambition”
“Tears Of The Dragon” (Bruce Dickinson song)
“Blood Brothers” (with Blaze Bayley)
“When The Wild Wind Blows” (Thomas & band)

Disc 2
“Afraid To Shoot Strangers”
“Como Estais Amigos” (with Blaze Bayley & Anne Bakker)
“Wrathchild”
“Tears Of A Clown”
“Jerusalem” (Bruce Dickinson song)
“For The Greater Good Of God”
“Reach Out”
“Fear Of The Dark”
“Rime Of The Ancient Mariner” (Thomas & band)

Zwijsen comments: “In our attempt to choose the best tracklisting for the most fulfilling, surprising and complete Iron Maiden tribute album, we simply couldn't fit all the songs on a single CD, so we decided to make it a double CD this time. Many of the songs were requests from people on YouTube. If this were to be the setlist at an Iron Maiden concert, I’d be very happy!”

“Rime Of The Ancient Mariner”:

“When The Wild Wind Blows”:

“Powerslave”:

“If Eternity Should Fail”:

"Afraid To Shoot Strangers”:

“Tears Of The Dragon”:

“Ghost Of The Navigator”:

Sirius XM is reportinging that, hours before Ozzy Osbourne announced that he’s entered “intense therapy” for sex addiction, his son Jack got candid about his parents’ marital troubles.

“They’re working on it,” Jack said Wednesday on Sway in the Morning of Ozzy and Sharon. “You know, they’re trying to rein it in. They’ve been together for so long and this isn’t their first rodeo. They don’t have this picture-perfect marriage, and they’ve never claimed to, so they’re just trying to figure it out, I guess.”

TMZ is reporting that Ozzy Osbourne's former mistress, Michelle Pugh, is suing Ozzy’s daughter Kelly, over several tweets that Kelly fired off after Ozzy's secret affair went public.

Says TMZ: “If you recall, Kelly blasted Pugh - a hairstylist - saying, "Anyone looking for cheap chunky LOW-lights a blow out and a b***job call [phone number]." She also accused Pugh of manipulating Ozzy - saying, "My father is almost 70 ever heard of elder abuse?" Pugh says she was "slut-shamed, bullied and harassed."

In her suit, filed in L.A. County Superior Court, Pugh claims the relationship was no fling - that Ozzy made advances and turned their friendship into a romantic situation in 2013. She claims they secretly dated until May 2016. Pugh says Osbourne's accusation that she committed elder abuse is not only wrong - but defamatory - and caused her all sorts of problems. Pugh says she's been emotionally damaged and lost business as a celebrity stylist.

Read more at TMZ.com.

In a new interview with People,  Michelle Pugh talks about her relationship with the Prince Of Darkness.

"When I say he gave me the greatest love of my life, I mean it," she claims after Ozzy first pursued her one year after she first colored his hair in late 2011. "He made me feel like the most beautiful and worshipped woman in the world."

"What attracted me to him? Chemistry," says Pugh. "We just had it. It's that indescribable thing in life, and you can't deny it. And he didn't."

Ozzy says that his relationship with Pugh was a purely physical one that resulted from his sex addiction. His rep says that he’s “gone into intense therapy and he apologizes to the other women he has been having sexual relationships with.”

"I still love him," continues Pugh. "And I would never exploit the truly personal and private parts of what we had. That's not me. I'm going to stand tall and proud and say, 'This is me. I'm not ashamed.' I fell in love with a man that gave me the love I never knew I could receive."

Ozzy claims that his marriage with Sharon is back on track.

For Michelle Pugh's exclusive interview about her affair with Ozzy Osbourne, pick up the latest issue of People, on newsstands Friday.

According to E! News, Ozzy Osbourne's daughter Kelly has been sued by his former mistress for defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress and public disclosure of public facts.

Kelly took to Twitter on May 23 to post an angry message directed at the celebrity hairstylist whose alleged affair with Ozzy is rumored to have led to her parents splitting after 33 years of marriage. The 31-year-old Kelly wrote: "Anyone looking for cheap chunky LOW-light and blow out and a blowjob call ..." along with listing a phone number that has since been disconnected.

One Twitter user told Kelly to "hate your father not the woman. HE did this 2 ur family ...again," to which Kelly responded, "Are you in my family? NO YOU ARE NOT YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT SHE DID! So keep ur high-mighty opinions to yourself!"

After another user told Kelly that "it takes 2 to tango — both guilty. She knew he was married," Kelly fired back, "My father is almost 70 ever heard of elder abuse?"

In court documents obtained by E! News, Michelle Pugh claims Kelly "intentionally and maliciously harmed her by publishing private facts and defamatory statements, in addition to inciting a rash of mass cyber-bullying against [Michelle] utilizing the highly popular social media platform, Twitter, wherein Kelly had approximately 4.07 million followers."

Sharon Osbourne commented on Kelly's tweet during a conversation on her show "The Talk", saying, "Kelly has the best sense of humor ever. She loves her mom and loves her dad so much and listen, I'm always proud of my girl. What are you going to do? Be angry with her because she loves her mom and dad and she wants us to be together?"

Sharon reportedly kicked Ozzy out of their home after discovering evidence of the affair — and possibly others — although the singer has since announced that his marriage was "back on track" after hitting a rough patch.

Michelle insisted in an interview with People magazine that she and Ozzy connected on an "emotional level" through their "shared passions," but the rocker claimed otherwise, saying through a rep that he "has been dealing with a sex addiction. He is sorry if Ms. Pugh took their sexual relationship out of context. He would like to apologize to the other women he has been having sexual relationships with. Out of the bad comes good. Since his relationship with Ms. Pugh was exposed, Ozzy has gone into intense therapy. Ozzy is mortified at what his behavior has done to his family. He thanks God that his incredible wife Sharon is at his side to support him."

In her suit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, Pugh claims Ozzy made advances and turned their friendship into a romantic situation in 2013. According to TMZ, she claims they secretly dated until May 2016.

Sharon Osbourne addressed Ozzy's infidelities on today's episode of "The Talk", stating: "He's [been] going to outpatient for sex addiction for the last three months and after the BLACK SABBATH tour, he goes into inpatient for three months.

"It's hard because it affects the whole family and it’s quite embarrassing to talk about," she added. "Drugs and drinking is more acceptable, but when it's somebody who has a sex addiction, it's more embarrassing.

"I am proud [Ozzy] has come out and admitted it finally. It's very very hard. Every person who comes in the room thinks, 'Oh, don't come in, he's here.' He should call Tiger Woods for some advice."

Michelle is seeking compensatory damages, attorneys' fees, punitive damages and "other relief."

Ozzy Osbourne's former mistress Michelle Pugh has opened up about her four-year relationship with the BLACK SABBATH singer, saying that "he made me feel like the most beautiful and worshipped woman in the world."

Ozzy and his wife Sharon split in May after she discovered that he was having an affair with the celebrity hair colorist.

Sharon reportedly learned of Ozzy's affair by having a private investigator look into his activities. A source told In Touch that Sharon "found out that Ozzy was spending a lot of money. She wanted to know what he was buying and who he was buying it for. The investigator discovered that he was basically living a double life."

In an exclusive interview with People, Pugh spoke for the first time about her relationship with Ozzy. She said: "When I say he gave me the greatest love of my life, I mean it. He made me feel like the most beautiful and worshipped woman in the world."

A rep for Ozzy, who allegedly pursued Pugh one year after she first colored his hair in late 2011, released a statement to People in which he said: "He is sorry if Ms. Pugh took their sexual relationship out of context. He would like to apologize to the other women he has been having sexual relationships with. Since his relationship with Ms. Pugh was exposed, Ozzy has gone into intense therapy."

Ozzy told "Good Morning America" last month that he and Sharon were "back on track" after experiencing "bump in the road." "Some days are good. Some days are terrible," he said. "Some days you just drift apart for a while, but you get back on the horse."

Ozzy resumed a year-long farewell tour with BLACK SABBATH in June, which will include SABBATH and SLIPKNOT headlining a combined festival, Ozzfest Meets Knotfest, this September in San Bernardino, California. He has also reportedly been working on a new solo effort.

In a new interview with music writer Joel Gausten, Norwegian hard rock/metal singer Jorn Lande discusses a variety of topics including his new album Heavy Rock Radio and stepping in for the late Ronnie James Dio to front Heaven & Hell at their last-ever show in 2010 at the High Voltage Festival. Excerpts from the chat appear below:
 
On working with Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler:
 
Lande: “These guys are obviously one-of-a-kind musicians. Tony doesn’t only take care of the playing; he really takes care of his sound. He spends a lot of time developing his guitar sound. Maybe the diehard fans do, but I don’t think most other people who like Rock and Metal in general are aware of how great the sound he has is, and how powerful it comes out when he actually plays it. The combination of his talent and that sound that he has developed… I never heard anything like it before. I never stood in a rehearsal room with anything near that kind of sound and power; that was really massive. The same goes for Geezer; the bass playing is so good. It’s like an extension of the heart when they play. They just know exactly how to do it…These guys really have something special, and it’s really inspiring. Also, there’s no compromise musically [with them]. I think most other people today are compromising a lot with everything they do – what the record company wants, what’s a smart move for the market, what’s modern in the Metal and Rock scene. I think some of these old school guys do it in a more nature way.”
 
On his love of '70s Rock:
 
Lande: “It was a golden era for quality music that came from the heart and was really performed with feeling. If you didn't have the ‘Elvis Presley’ factor, you wouldn’t succeed back then; you wouldn’t get a record deal. That resulted in so many great performances and great bands. I think people were more honest towards themselves back then when they wrote music. They weren’t as focused on the market and not as calculating. It’s not right to say that everything that happened back in the ‘70s was the only way to do it. That’s wrong too, but at the same time it’s very hard when you grew up with that quality to actually put new bands and artists on the same level as some of these people you really look up to. They just give you something personal in a way and do something really natural, and it just hits you like an arrow.”
 
The complete interview can be read at this location. 

Romania's Rock FM recently conducted an interview with IRON MAIDEN drummer Nicko McBrain. You can now watch the chat below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On performing so many songs off IRON MAIDEN's latest album, "The Book Of Souls", in the current setlist:

Nicko: "We've always made great records, and I always say, 'Oh, this is the best thing we've ever done.' [And people complain about it] 'Oh, you said that about [2010's] 'The Final Frontier'.'Well, yeah, it's one of the best records I've made with the band — until the new one, the next one. Now if it's not, then there's a problem. But I don't say that because it's something to say.

"My feeling is that when you make a masterpiece like 'The Book Of Souls', I said to Steve [Harris, IRON MAIDEN bassist], 'We should do the lot. We should play every song off that record.' And, obviously, that would have been a bit of a push, 'cause it's ninety-two minutes long. That's your show gone, just your record; you can't [play] anything [else] like 'Iron Maiden', 'Hallowed', 'Number Of The Beast'… maybe 'Run To The Hills' or whatever. But it was a silly suggestion that was blown out. But the point being, it's such a great album, and, yeah, why not do six songs off it?

"The beautiful thing is, you've got longevity. The band's been around over thirty-five, thirty-six years plus… right? Forty years in 2019, so that's a long, long span with a lot of songs that have been written, and a lot of favorites that people have. And, unfortunately, we physically can't play a three- or four-hour se, which still wouldn't cover everything that everybody would wanna hear. So we have to be a little bit selfish in our motivation what we wanna play live, what makes us tick, what makes us feel happy when we go on stage and do these older songs.

"[People complain], 'You always do that one. You always do that.' 'Cause we like it. We love playing 'Number Of The Beast'. We love playing… Oh, well, 'Iron Maiden' will always, always close the set, no matter what.

"So, yeah, it's a great problem to have, if you wanna call it a problem."

On making a double album in an era when most music fans never listen to complete albums:

Nicko: "We do it our way. And we do what we feel we want to do. We don't pander… and we never did, even when albums… to do a platinum album, you had to sell a million records in those days. And gold is five hundred thousand in the U.S. But we decided, when we were recording it, and 'The Red And The Black' came in, and that was thirteen minutes long plus, and we were halfway through, two or three weeks in the studio, and [producer Kevin Shirley] is going, 'Do you know how long you've got on the record so far?' And I don't know… He said it was, like, seventy minutes, and we still had a couple of songs to go. And Bruce [Dickinson, vocals] just turned around and looked at us and went, 'I suppose it's a double album then.' And we went, 'Okay.' And that was the motivation for that album. It was, 'Well, we don't wanna stop,' because we had these other songs to record. And we were fortunate enough in our career and the stage we were at to be able to say to our manager, 'Go and do a deal with Universal and whoever is doing the record now.' So we weren't really trying to make any other point than the fact that we were doing it our way and the way we always have."

On whether there are any plans for IRON MAIDEN to perform with an orchestra:

Nicko: "Not that I'm aware of, but there has been, you know, certainly things that have cropped up where we [thought], 'That'd sound really good with a 120-piece orchestra behind it.' But my feeling is… I know DEEP PURPLE did it, Jon Lord did it, I'm sure other bands… I think METALLICA did one, and [SCORPIONS] have done it. But, for me, a lot of songs that Steve writes are very orchestral. I'd love to just sit down and go out and a full orchestra behind it. Of course, the great thing about it is the conductor will be following my time. So, boys and girls, don't worry about it. I'm not gonna be slapped on the wrist for getting too quick on certain things, 'cause they have to follow me. I could give them a bollocking if they can't keep up, you see. [Laughs]"

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

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

THE RAVEN AGE, the U.K.-based band led by IRON MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris's son George Harris, will release its debut album, "Darkness Will Rise", in December. The effort can be pre-ordered with an exclusive free track, "Trapped Within The Shadows", at this location.

Comments THE RAVEN AGE: "Everything we have done in the last three years has built up to this announcement… We're incredibly proud and weve been overwhelmed by the reactions weve received on this tour and cant wait to deliver this album to our fans around the world."

"Darkness Will Rise" track listing:

01. Darkness Will Rise02. Promised Land03. Age Of The Raven04. The Death March05. Salem's Fate06. The Merciful One07. Eye Among The Blind08. Winds Of Change09. Trapped Within The Shadows10. My Revenge11. The Dying Embers Of Life12. Angel In Disgrace13. Behind The Mask

Having hit 36 countries over the past six months, THE RAVEN AGE will play the final show of their tour at Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany, on August 4.

THE RAVEN AGE's self-titled EP has had over one million streams and the band has had over one million combined hits on Youtube. Upon release back in 2014, it climbed to No. 1 on Amazon's hot new release chart and No. 16 on the top 100 Amazon Rock And Metal chart. "Angel In Disgrace" reached No. 3 in the iTunes metal chart in Australia.

THE RAVEN AGE is a melodic metal band from London, United Kingdom consisting of five individuals who very quickly became friends through sharing a love for heavy music and a passion for songwriting.

In 2009, guitarists Dan Wright and George Harris began establishing their vision of a band that combines contemporary heavy music with powerful melodic vocals to create an epic and unique sound.

After writing their first album, they began searching for likeminded musicians to join the band and make their vision a reality.

Taking on bass player Matt Cox in 2012, with vocalist Michael Burrough and drummer Jai Patel joining in early 2013, the lineup was complete and ready to take their music to the stage.

THE RAVEN AGE is:

Michael Burrough - VocalsMatt Cox - BassDan Wright - GuitarGeorge Harris - GuitarJai Patel - Drums

Death metal legends MORBID ANGEL have signed with UDR Music for all territories exclusively outside Japan. Featuring founding member and venerated guitar legend Trey Azagthoth, plus returning longtime member, bassist/vocalist Steve Tucker, MORBID ANGEL is delighted to be back working with people who know metal music and will ensure the band reaffirms their status as the world's greatest death metal band. "We are extremely excited to be in this partnership with UDR," says Steve Tucker. "We are looking forward to making a great album and destroying the stage at many shows. UDR is a great label that supports the bands that they believe in, and we are proud to be one of those bands! Looking forward to a successful partnership!" While there are no specific details at this moment, Azagthoth and Tucker both look forward to writing and recording MORBID ANGEL's ninth studio album, to be released sometime in 2017, and to taking the band back out on tour. Tucker recently spoke to Metal Wani about what he thinks went wrong with MORBID ANGEL's controversial 2011 album, "Illud Divinum Insanus", which incorporated industrial and electronic elements into the band's traditional death metal sound. He said: "I really wouldn't know what to say about that. I mean, honestly, I think that they did an album, and I think when you're doing an album, the people that are involved in the album have their input and their say in things, and I think maybe that album is what some people involved actually really wanted. It is who it is. I mean, it's the people that wrote the album together, and that's what the final product was, and, like I said, I don't think that everyone involved with that album was disappointed with the album at all. Maybe some of the fans were, but that's fans, and they have that right — they have that right to like or dislike; that's completely their choice. I mean, if they didn't like it, I wouldn't say they're wrong, I wouldn't say they're right. It's their choice."

"Illud Divinum Insanus" marked the group's first CD to feature bassist/vocalist David Vincent since 1995's "Domination" album.

Vincent confirmed a year ago that he was no longer working with Trey Azagthoth. His announcement followed the exit of drummer Tim Yeung and Norwegian guitarist Destructhor (a.k.a. Thor Anders Myhren).

MORBID ANGEL has yet to announce replacements for Yeung and Destructhor.

The band is confirmed for next year's edition of Maryland Deathfest, set to take place May 25-28, 2017 in Baltimore.

Estranged BLACK SABBATH drummer Bill Ward has shot down reports that he will perform with the band on the U.K. leg of their farewell tour.

Ward has posted the following message on his Facebook page: "We have seen it reported in the news that Bill will be playing with BLACK SABBATH on 'The End' tour in the U.K. This is incorrect, and we wanted to make sure you heard it from us directly: Bill is not playing with BLACK SABBATH in the U.K. or on any other dates of 'The End' tour. As always, we thank you for all your support and understanding."

Ward was on board for the SABBATH reunion when it was first announced in November 2011, but backed out soon after. He later claimed that he sat out the recording and touring sessions because of unfair contractual terms, although the members of SABBATH have hinted in other interviews that he wasn't physically up to the task.

SABBATH has used singer Ozzy Osbourne's regular touring drummer Tommy Clufetos since then for live work. RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE's Brad Wilk laid down the drum tracks on the band's comeback album, "13", which came out in June 2013.

It was rumored that SABBATH wanted to bring a second drummer on the road to share duties with Ward, which he allegedly balked at.

Asked in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine if he would be in shape right now to rejoin BLACK SABBATH, Ward responded: "Absolutely, yeah. I have no doubt in my mind. I know that they've suggested that I played half the gig, and I don't want to play half the gig. I'm quite capable of playing a complete fucking BLACK SABBATH set. So this health thing has been bandied around, and it's true that I have heart disease, and it's true that I did get sick a couple of years after the fact. But when the health card is being thrown around, the bottom line is that I really tried to take care of myself. Every day, I always look at the day and say, 'Could I have played a gig today no matter what's going on with me?' And the answer is always, 'Yes.' I'm much harder on me than those guys could ever be."

Ward in 2015 released his first solo album in 18 years. Titled "Accountable Beasts", the record can be purchased on iTunes.

More recently, Ward launched a new new three-piece band called DAY OF ERRORS. The group, which was formed by Ward "in the desire to have my drumming spirit continue to live," also features Joe Amodea on guitar/vocals and Nick Diltz on bass/lead vocals.

Australia's Sticks For Stones recently conducted an interview with vocalist Andrea Ferro of Italian heavy rockers LACUNA COIL. You can now listen to chat in the YouTube clip below.

Speaking about how LACUNA COIL's live show has evolved over the years, Ferro said: "I would say, obviously, we're more experienced, but also we do have a new lineup, because we've been changing a few bandmembers; they've been retiring from the band. And so we now have Ryan Folden as a drummer, [who] has also recorded [his] first record with us, the last one, 'Delirium'. And then we have a new guitar player called Diego [Cavallotti], [who] is from Italy, whom we're trying on this album cycle. He recorded a couple of lead guitars on the record, and now he's doing this debut live. I mean, he's been touring with us since a few months now; he's done Asia and North America, and now he's playing with us in Europe. So, basically, we're gonna try him for the whole cycle of the record before we decide if it's gonna be a permanent member. But so far so good, and it's a very good candidate, and we like him. And if everything works as right now, he will be our permanent guitar player."

Cavallotti joined LACUNA COIL as a fill-in guitarist following the recent departure of Marco "Maus" Biazzi.

Biazzi left LACUNA COIL in January, explaining in a statement: "I felt I couldn't add more in this project any longer so I decided to leave my second family, LACUNA COIL, to take a different path for a new challenge in my life.

"Delirium" entered The Billboard 200 chart at position No. 33 with first-week sales of just over 13,000 units — nearly all from pure album sales. The set follows the No. 27-peaking "Broken Crown Halo", which also opened with around 13,000 copies back in 2014.

"Delirium" was released on May 27 through Century Media. The CD was recorded at BRX Studio in Milan between December 2015 and February 2016. The effort was produced by LACUNA COIL bassist and main songwriter Marco "Maki" Coti-Zelati, with engineering by Marco Barusso and additional assistance from Dario Valentini. Coti-Zelati also created the artwork for "Delirium", which is based on an atmospheric session captured by Italian photographer Alessandro Olgiati.

Germany's EMP Rock Invasion recently conducted an interview with SLAYER guitarist Kerry King. You can now watch the chat below.

Asked about SLAYER frontman Tom Araya's recent hints that he may be ready to retire in the not-too-distant future, King said: "He's very unclear. That's just how he is. I don't know if he likes holding his cards in his pocket or what."

He continued: "I mean, I don't have an answer. I'm holding off a lot of things I wanna do at home, just 'cause I don't know if I'm gonna be working in two years. I'm gonna be working, hopefully in SLAYER. Yeah, dude. What else am I gonna do? I came out of high school and fucking went on tour. [Laughs]"

Pressed about whether there is any end in sight for SLAYER, King said: "Not for me. Not for me, man — especially on such a good record [last year's 'Repentless']."

When the interviewer said that he is looking forward to another 35 years of SLAYER, Kerry said: "Well, I don't know about that. I'll take another record or two."

Araya talked about his possible retirement in an interview with Loudwire earlier in the year. He said: "At 35 years, it's time to collect my pension. [Laughs] This is a career move."

He continued: "I'm grateful that we've been around for 35 years; that's a really long time. So, yeah, to me, it is. Because when we started off, everything was great, because you're young and invincible. And then there came a time where I became a family man, and I had a tough time flying back and forth. And now, at this stage, at the level we're at now, I can do that; I can fly home when I want to, on days off, and spend some time with my family, which is something I wasn't able to do when [my kids] were growing up. Now they're both older and mature. So now I take advantage of that."

Araya added: "Yeah, it just gets harder and harder to come back out on the road. 35 years is a long time."

Tom also revealed another reason for his diminished enjoyment of the touring life. He said: "There's things that have gone on in my life that have made me change how I play as a bass player. I had neck surgery, so I can't headbang anymore. And that was a big part of what I enjoyed doing what I do — singing and headbanging. I liked knowing that I was one of the fucking badass headbangers. That played a big part. Now I just groove with the music, which is cool, because I'm grooving with the music and the feel of the songs, so that's changed a little for me."

Tom went on to say that he doesn't know if there will be a follow-up album to "Repentless", explaining that it was "too early to tell."

"Repentless" debuted at No. 4 on The Billboard 200, having shifted 50,000 equivalent album units in the week ending September 17, 2015.

As previously reported, SLAYER will join forces with special guests ANTHRAX and DEATH ANGEL this fall for a seven-week North American tour. The dates start in Cleveland on September 9 and will hit both major and secondary markets across the continent.

Streaming below is “Let The Good Times Roll” from Joe Bonamassa's new live album, Live At The Greek Theatre, which was recorded live on August 29th, 2015 and will be released on CD, Blu-ray and DVD on September 23rd.

Pre-order Live At The Greek Theater here, and get a free poster.

The Grammy Foundation and Grammy Museum are partnering on September 1st to celebrate the life and legacy of B.B. King, 15-time Grammy-winning rhythm & blues singer.

Titled Icon: The Life And Legacy Of B.B. King, the live tribute will include performances by multi-Grammy winners Keb' Mo', Derek Trucks, and Jimmie Vaughan; Grammy winners Slash and Susan Tedeschi; Grammy nominees Joe Bonamassa and Kenny Wayne Shepherd; and artist Joe Lewis Walker. The show will be musically directed by the Conan show's own musical director and house band Jimmy Vivino and the Basic Cable Band.

In addition to a live tribute performance and storytelling by artists influenced by King's work, there will be a pre-event VIP reception, for VIP ticket buyers. A handful of auction items signed by participating artists will be available exclusively to attendees for silent bidding.

More details at this location.

Italian heavy metallers Myriad Lights have revealed the tracklisting of their second album titled Kingdom Of Sand. The new effort will be released on August 27th by Punishment 18 Records. Myriad Lights features members and former members of band such as Highlord, Bastard Saints and Furor Gallico.

Tracklisting:

“Desert Nights”
“Kingdom Of Sand”
“Abyssal March”
“The Deep”
“The Grave Chant”
“039 Lights”
“Mirror”
“The Waves”
“Deathbringer”
“Ascension” 

“Abyssal March” video:

Finland's ominous progressive metal outfit Oddland has released a new art video for the track "Thanatos", the song culled from the band's second album, Origin, which is nearing release in September via Sensory Records.

Oddland stylistically incorporates a broad spectrum of tones and methods into their forward-thinking delivery, melding aggressive tones, spacious textures, and glorious melodies into a seamless and cohesive entity. The band's new Origin was partly recorded by Oddland, the rest captured at Fantom Studio (Insomnium, Korpiklaani, Oranssi Pazuzu) after which it was mixed and mastered by Daniel Bergstrand (Meshuggah, In Flames, Dimmu Borgir). Containing over 45 minutes of music, the album bears a theme which ties deeply into the lyrics and extensive artwork, with a separate piece of art created by Egyptian artist Mohammed Essam for each of the nine songs.

Tracklisting:

“Esotericism”
“Thanatos”
“Penumbra”
“Untrue”
“Hidden”
“Skylines”
“Unknown”
“Faraway”
“Will”

"Thanatos" art video:

"Hidden" animated video:

Trailer:

(Photo by: Jarno Terho)