QUEENSRŸCHE guitarist Michael Wilton says that controversial Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is his forced choice in the upcoming election.

Asked by SMNNews in a new interview whom he would choose between Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton if the presidential election were held today, Wilton said (see video below): "You know, I'm kind of disappointed in both of 'em, but if I had to choose the leader of the world, I think I'd probably want Trump."

QUEENSRŸCHE singer Todd La Torre recently spoke to East Valley Tribune about the political themes covered in some of the songs on the band's latest album, 2015's "Condition Hüman". He said: "'Guardian' was a song where I envisioned a guy being hunted by his government. Also, I thought about the enormous amount of money spent on military defense. Honestly, do we really need more weapons? From there, I just kind of tied the two together in my imagination. In many ways, it isn't any more 'scathing' than a song like 'Speak' ['Operation: Mindcrime'] with the lyric, 'Educate the masses, we'll burn the White House down.'"

He continued: "I've read that some people see 'Guardian' as being [a critique] against law enforcement. It's about as 'real' as the fictional story of 'Operation: Mindcrime'. [The lyric] 'Arming police like the military, it's obscene' came to me after seeing news footage (of the unrest) in Ferguson, Missouri. Sure, I suppose I could have said 'extreme' to describe it. But you know what? No, it is obscene."

"Condition Hüman" debuted at No. 27 on The Billboard 200 chart, having shifted 14,000 equivalent album units in the week ending October 8, 2015.

QUEENSRŸCHE will enter the studio in January 2017 to begin workon the follow-up to "Condition Hüman".

Swedish metallers IN FLAMES will release their new concert DVD, "Sounds From The Heart Of Gothenburg", on September 23 via Nuclear Blast.

Nostalgia or a return to their roots has never been an option for the progressive IN FLAMES, but the setlist of this bombastic DVD tears through the band's entire history. With 20 tracks, the show that was recorded on November 7, 2014 at Scandinavium in Gothenburg, Sweden reaches a length of one and a half hours, and achieves in capturing the band at their very best, celebrating current hits such as "Through Oblivion", "With Eyes Wide Open" and "Rusted Nail" to a packed arena. But, of course, old-school classics like "Trigger", "Cloud Connected" and the hypnotic closer "Take This Life" are not left out. Prepare for an intense and visually explosive performance in front of ten thousand fans, featuring pyros, circle pits, flying crowdsurfers and IN FLAMES' incomparable riffs. "This DVD is for everyone who was been following our career; we have songs from the early years, the middle years and the new era," states IN FLAMES guitarist Björn Gelotte. "It has to be fun for us to play but also fun for the audience to watch and we try to get a good flow with nice dynamics and different songs."

A performance clip of the song "Everything's Gone", taken from "Sounds From The Heart Of Gothenburg", can be seen below.

IN FLAMES recently signed with Nuclear Blast for all territories excluding North America and Scandinavia.

Formed in 1990, the band is considered one of the forefathers of melodic death metal and the purveyors of the "Gothenburg sound." With eleven studio albums released, countless successful tours around the globe, millions of records sold and a massive fanbase worldwide, IN FLAMES has proven to be an unstoppable force in heavy music. From their 1994 debut, "Lunar Strain", to the most recent CD, "Siren Charms" (2014), the band's intricate twin-guitar attack, melodic vocals and superb arrangements have given them a signature sound that has evolved throughout the years.

"In a way, IN FLAMES and Nuclear Blast share a similar story," said IN FLAMES vocalist Anders Fridén. "Both started in a garage in Europe, both love metal and both have grown a lot bigger over the years. For these reasons, it seemed a natural fit to come back to the place it all started."

"We're enormously happy that IN FLAMES decided to return and trust in us for the second time — Nuclear Blast is their home again from now on. I remember well how their debut album, 'Lunar Strain', inspired me back in the days. I was totally fascinated by their great and absolutely unique blend of death metal with delicate melodies," commented Nuclear Blast CEO Markus Staiger. "One year later, IN FLAMES signed with us and released eight splendid records over the years, including groundbreaking classics such as 'Whoracle', 'Clayman' and 'Reroute To Remain'. IN FLAMES developed all the time, reinvented themselves again and again and enthused fans of various genres with their always innovative sound. We're looking forward to the common future with Anders, Björn, Peter and Niclas."

IN FLAMES has been working on a new studio album, the details of which have not yet been announced.

IN FLAMES last year inked a new management deal with Tenth Street Entertainment, which also looks after MÖTLEY CRÜE and FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, among others.

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

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

IN FLAMES has not yet named a replacement for Svensson.

IN FLAMES is:

Anders Fridén - VocalsBjörn Gelotte - GuitarPeter Iwers - BassNiclas Engelin - Guitar

"Meat Hook", the new video from former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman, can be seen below. The song, which features a guest appearance by Jørgen Munkeby of the acclaimed "blackjazz" act SHINING, is taken from Friedman's latest solo album, "Inferno", which was released in May 2014 via Prosthetic Records (except in Japan, where the album was made available through Universal Music).

"Inferno" was recorded primarily in Los Angeles with engineer Chris Rakestraw (DANZIG, CHILDREN OF BODOM) and mixed by Jens Bogren (OPETH, AMON AMARTH) — features what Friedman recently told Guitar World is "the most intense writing and playing I can do." The album also includes notable guest appearances by several artists influenced by Friedman, including CHILDREN OF BODOM frontman Alexi Laiho, SKYHARBOR mastermind Keshav Dhar and David Davidson, as well as Friedman's first songwriting collaboration with Jason Becker since the pair played together in CACOPHONY, the pioneering duo of guitar mayhem.

In an interview with Metal Discovery, Friedman stated about "Inferno": "I wanted to do a really unique album and not just having guests on it, but guests that write songs. Not just guest solos because everybody does that; I wanted the guests to have real commitment. And I wanted the guests… it's kinda selfish, but I wanted guests that really have openly admitted that they like my music and been influenced by me and stuff.

"I remember Michael Schenker asked me to join him on a project once and I remember how I felt because I was his fan, of course… I wanted to give three thousand percent. So I wanted to get that reaction out of other people who are really good, and that was the concept."

Regarding the "Meat Hook" video, Friedman told Billboard.com: "'Meat Hook' was one of the few times that a guitar riff shot a vivid image into my mind as I was writing it. That's pretty rare, so I kept that concept of the image I had in mind when it came time to make a video. It was the image of all these massive slabs of meat on hooks, kind of like in the movie 'Rocky'… No idea why the image came to me. Maybe it's because the actual guitar riff is quite aggressive, and when you play it you really feel the stamina of your muscles going at full throttle. If a guitar riff could be physical or 'animalistic,' the main riff in 'Meat Hook' could be described that way."

"Musically, the tune is kinda gory, and there are a lot of tension-and-release moments in it," continued Friedman. "That's like the concept of meat, in the way that slaughtering anything is grotesque and reprehensible, but once the thing is killed, then it gets all dressed up and pampered and seasoned, so when you are eating it, it can be blissful. Kind of a strange turn of events, isn't it?"

"Time To Rise", the new video from WESTFIELD MASSACRE, the Los Angeles-based band featuring former DIVINE HERESY and SNOT singer Tommy Vext, can be seen below. The clip was directed by Stephen Steelman of Brigantine Films.

"Time To Rise" is taken from WESTFIELD MASSACRE's self-titled debut album, which was released on April 29 via Urban Yeti Records. The CD was recorded at Echelon Studios with producer Joseph McQueen.

Regarding WESTFIELD MASSACRE's musical direction, Vext said: "There's definitely a traditional American metal vibe, but we blend power metal, melodic death metal, metalcore all together to get an original flavor to our sound."

Commenting on his choice of joining forces with an independent label like Urban Yeti, Vext said: "Signing with Urban Yeti has been an exciting experience. I try to go by a few rules in life. One of which is to go where the love is. I shared my vision with them and they were excited about it."

He added: "Urban Yeti has really amazing ideas and approaches to getting our music out to an audience that will understand and support it. They are thinking outside the box. I want to be a part of that kind of thinking."

WESTFIELD MASSACRE in 2014 released a video for the song "Darkness Divides". At the time, the band's lineup included former DIVINE HERESY and MORBID ANGEL drummer Tim Yeung alongside guitarists Bill Hudson and Rick Di Marco.

Regarding how WESTFIELD MASSACRE came up with its name, Vext told Metal Injection: "The WESTFIELD MASSACRE is a name I had come up with for a graphic novel idea. Coincidentally it turned out to also be the name of an episode of 'American Horror Story'. In their episode, Westfield High is the stage for a school shooting."

The band will head back out on the road for a series dates starting August 4 in Pomona, California.

WESTFIELD MASSACRE's current lineup:

Stephen Brewer - GuitarIra Black - GuitarDio Britto - DrumsTommy Vext - VocalsErik Tisinger - Bass

Multi-national metallers DRAGONFORCE enlisted the help of Norwegian singer Per Fredrik Åsly, also known as PelleK, to front the band for their appearances this past weekend at the MetalDays (July 29 in Tolmin, Slovenia) and Benátská! (July 30 in Liberec, Czech Republic) festivals. Åsly was filling in for regular DRAGONFORCE vocalist Marc Hudson, who was forced to miss the dates due to "health problems/issues."

Norwegian actor, composer and singer PelleK is best known in the rock and metal scene for his phenomenal vocal range which spans four octaves. In his native Norway, he has one of the world's biggest rock/metal channels on YouTube, with an impressive 200 million views and 1.6 million subscribers. He has also sung on video game soundtracks for Square Enix ("Final Fantasy", "Kingdom Hearts"), Riot Games ("League Of Legends") and has written songs for games like "Path Of Exile" and "Jelly Realms".

Fan-filmed video footage of DRAGONFORCE performing with Per Fredrik Åsly at Benátská! can be seen below.

DRAGONFORCE recently began recording the follow-up to 2014's "Maximum Overload" album at Fascination Street studios in Örebro, Sweden with producer Jens Bogren, who has previously worked with OPETH, THE DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT, AMON AMARTH, KATATONIA, SOILWORK and SYMPHONY X, to name a few.

DRAGONFORCE released a comprehensive career-spanning "best-of", "Killer Elite - The Hits, The Highs, The Vids", on July 23 through Spinefarm. The 22-track set contains two hours and 30 minutes of music, featuring both studio and live material, with promo clips added to the deluxe set. DRAGONFORCE will headline the ProgPower USA festival in Atlanta on Wednesday September 7 and a special "up close and personal" show at St. Vitus in Brooklyn on Saturday, September 10. At both shows, the band will play a "best-of" set to reflect the track listing of the "Killer Elite" album.

Thank you @MetalDays for watching us tear it up last night. God bless! @DragonForce #KillerElite #Jesus # pic.twitter.com/x0HUtZ3JTJ

— VADIM PRUZHANOV (@vadlife) July 29, 2016

Finnish melodic deathsters INSOMNIUM will release their new album, "Winter's Gate", on September 23 via Century Media. A concept album made up of one epic 40-minute song, the effort is built around a short story, "Winter's Gate" ("Talven Portti" in Finnish), written by vocalist and bassist Niilo Sevänen, recipient of numerous Finnish awards and nominations. The compelling short story is about a group of Vikings who set out to find a fabled island west of Ireland, despite the treacherous winter drawing near.

The first trailer for "Winter's Gate" is available below.

The cover artwork for the album was created by Teemu Tähkänen.

"Winter's Gate" was mixed by Dan Swanö at Unisound AB studio in Sweden.

The full story will be released together with the record as a book with translations in English, Finnish and German, and illustrated by the artist Teemu Tähkänen.

INSOMNIUM's last album, "Shadows Of The Dying Sun", was released in April 2014 in North America via Century Media.

German power metal band REFUGE, built around heavy metal icon Peter "Peavy" Wagner, has signed a deal with Frontiers Music Srl. The Herne, Germany-based REFUGE, which consists of Manni Schmidt (guitar), Christos Efthimiadis (drums) and Wagner, is the 1987-1994 lineup of the German metal institution RAGE. The former RAGE members got back together at the end of 2014 under the name REFUGE to play the old RAGE songs from their time in the band. What started out as a fun project with friends, has since evolved into a very special band. Schmidt says: "When we played at a number of festivals last summer, we instantly realized that the chemistry was back. The shows worked out great and very naturally, there were ideas for new songs that we wanted to hold, because we liked them so much. Somehow the guys from Frontiers have heard about this and they offered us a deal.

"Peavy, Efthi and I are very thrilled to say that there will be a record released full of brand new songs by our band REFUGE!" Wagner also points out that releasing a new album with REFUGE won't clash with his other band RAGE. "REFUGE and RAGE are two different bands now," he says. "With REFUGE, we are able to play songs of the old era that have never found their way to a setlist of a RAGE show. REFUGE also consists of different musicians — except me — who have different ideas and a different vibe. REFUGE is more like old school. The fans will find out latest when they will hold the new REFUGE album in their hands."

About the signing with Frontiers, Peavy says: "The members of REFUGE are looking very much forward to working with such a renowned label as Frontiers Music Srl. The company's roster is impressive, and for all I know, Mario, Serafino and their crew are behind the band to a hundred percent I can’t wait to start working with them." Mario de Riso, label manager of Frontiers Music Srl, adds: "We are very happy to welcome REFUGE to our label. Since we are all fans of the 'old' RAGE, we are particularly glad about the fact, that the band with the lineup from back then is a part of the Frontiers family now and we look forward to our future cooperation."

Devin Townsend Project recently announced the release of their new studio album Transcendence for September 2nd worldwide. Devin comments: “Transcendence, like every record I've done prior, is an extension of what’s been going on in my world, represented in a new batch of songs. I'm 44 years old now, and this is where I have been over the past two years since Z2.”

The tracklist is as follows. It features an updated version of the song "Truth", which originally appeared on Devin Townsend's Infinity album from 1998.

"Truth"
"Stormbending"
"Failure"
"Secret Sciences"
"Higher"
"Stars"
"Transcendence"
"Offer Your Light"
"From The Heart"
"Transdermal Celebration"

Transcendence is now available to pre-order via Omerch for release in Europe on September 9th.

Available in the following formats + t-shirt bundles:

- Limited Edition Picture Disc *Exclusive to Omerch*
- Limited Edition Gold 2LP Vinyl *Exclusive to Omerch*
- 2LP Black Vinyl
- Limited Edition Digipak 2CD w/ bonus disc
- Jewelcase CD

*Picture disc includes hand signed and numbered certificate

*Vinyl formats include the album on CD

North American, Nordic and Australian pre-orders to follow soon...

The follow-up to 2014’s Z2 double-album (half of which was made up of the DTP full-length Sky Blue), sees the award-winning Townsend exploring a relatively new way of working, collaborating with the entire DTP band during the writing stages of the record.  “The result of this process is a record that I truly think the intention of is special” he says of the album. “I 'found' gas to put into the tank and am glad I did. I think the intention, the theme, and the participation of everyone involved allows this album to act like a fulcrum between the past few years and what I intend to do next with the symphony. I am very proud of it and everyone involved.”

The artwork was once again created by Anthony Clarkson, who Devin has been working with for several years now. Townsend comments of the cover (above): “He presented me the main image of the girl as a painted version, and I was intrigued and asked him to redo it with a girl he knew with photos. I liked the idea that it seemed like a mash up of religious and spiritual imagery, in a sense, representing the idea (to me) that these types of connections to the infinite are often more like identities we can cling to rather than what lies behind. In a sense, the character on the front almost seems like the ideologies she's representing are more 'brand names' than anything else.”

Devin Townsend Project has also announced a North American tour to coincide with the album’s release, which will see them co-headline with progressive metallers Between The Buried & Me with main support offered on all dates by Fallujah. Tickets will be on sale on Friday, May 20th at 10 AM, local time online or through local venue ticket outlets.

September
9 - Nashville, TN - Marathon Music Works
10 - Charleston, SC - Music Farm
11 - Orlando, FL - The Plaza
12 - Charlotte, NC - Amos' Southend
13 - Silver Spring, MD - The Fillmore Silver Springs
15 - Philadelphia, PA - Theatre Of Living Arts
16 - New York, NY - Playstation Theater
17 - Worcester, MA - The Palladium +Sabaton
21 - Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall
22 - Detroit, MI - St. Andrews Hall
23 - Chicago, IL - House of Blues
24 - Grand Rapids, MI - The Intersection
25 - Louisville, KY - Mercury Ballroom
27 - New Orleans, LA - The Joy Theater
29 - Dallas, TX - Gas Monkey Live

October
5 - San Francisco, CA - The Regency Ballroom
6 - Los Angeles, CA - The Novo
7 - Tempe, AZ - The Marquee
8 - Las Vegas, NV - Brooklyn Bowl * no DTP
9 - Sacramento, CA - Ace of Spades
11 - Boise, ID - Knitting Factory * no DTP
12 - Spokane, WA - Knitting Factory
13 - Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom
14 - Seattle, WA - Studio Seven

Between the Buried and Me will be performing their most recent album, Coma Ecliptic, in its entirety on this tour. This will be the first time the album will be performed live in full.

Bassist Dan Briggs offers his thoughts and says: "The songs on Coma Ecliptic came together in 2014 (and some of them even earlier than that), so it feels amazing to finally present the album live in full, the way it was intended to be heard. It's our most theatrical album yet and we'll be looking to bring that element to the stage as best we can; not to mention how great it will be to share the stage with Devin + crew again."

Meanwhile, Devin Townsend Project have also announced a string of dates prior to the above mentioned tour, also with support from Fallujah.

September
2 - Hell Raiser Festival - Kelowna, BC
3 - The Gateway - Calgary, AB
4 - Starlite Room - Edmonton, AB
6 - Pyramid Cabaret - Winnipeg, MA
7 - Mill City Nights - Minneapolis, MN

Goth rock group Lacrimas Profundere will release their first concept album Hope Is Here on August 12th via Oblivion/SPV; check out a video preview 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”

“Join us into the deep forest – to a boy who lives there. Alienated at home for years. The dangers, the emotions, the sudden twists. Feel his freedom. Taste his dirt in the deep dark woods that our parents warned us from in all those good night stories...”

 

In the new video below, Apocalyptica perform “House Of Chains” - taken from the Shadowmaker album - at Sonisphere Festival 2016 in Switzerland.

Catch Apocalyptica live at the following shows:
 
August
6 - Rock Oz'Arènes -  Avenches, Switzerland
13 - Mera Luna Festival -  Hildesheim, Germany  

September
13 - Zepp -  Tokyo, Japan
14 - Zepp -  Tokyo, Japan  
16 - Zepp -  Tokyo, Japan   
17 - Zepp -  Tokyo, Japan  
21 - Capitol Perth - Perth, WA, Australia
23 - 170 Russell (formerly Billboard) - Melbourne, VIC, Australia 
24 - Metro Theatre - Sydney, NSW, Australia  
25 - Max Watt's - Brisbane, QLD, Australia   

November
5 - Le 106 - Rouen, France 
6 - L'Aéronef - Lille, France  
7 - Radiant Bellevue - Lyon, France 
9 - La Cooperative De Mai - Clermont-Ferrand, France  
10 - Substage - Karlsruhe, Germany 
11 - Metal Hammer Paradise - Weissenhäuser Strand, Germany

December
5 - Auditorio Josefa Ortiz de Dominguez - Queretaro, Mexico 
6 - Auditorio Banamex - Monterrey, Mexico  
7 - Auditorio Nacional - Mexico City, Mexico 
8 - Teatro Diana - Guadalajara, Mexico 

Turkish technical death metal assassins Carnophage will release their sophomore full-length via Unique Leader Records this Fall. Titled Monument, the nine track punisher was recorded by Unsal Ozata at Studio Deep (Burial Invocation, Cenotaph, Decaying Purity), mixed and mastered by Sasha Borovykh at TsunTsun Productions (Cerebral Effusion, Soils Of Fate, Epicardiectomy), and comes adorned in the tormented, Baroque-era influenced cover art of Cihan Engin. Boasting an inexorable assault of jackhammering blasts, churning riffs, and inhuman death grunts, Monument is a true exercise in controlled chaos and, following an eight-year dormancy, finds the band at the peak of their methodical and unapologetically diabolical ingenuity.

Monument will be released September 23rd, 2016 via Unique Leader Records. In the meantime check out "At The Backside Of Our Civilization" now.

Monument tracklisting:
 
"Incandescent"
"Second Genesis"
"Resistance Against Mind Clouding Heresy"
"Same Old Circle"
"Unbroken Fortitude"
"At The Backside Of Our Civilization"
"Ode To Corruption"
"Sparks Of The Experiment"
"Inertia And Failure"

Carnophage was formed in early 2006 and released their debut Deformed Future / Genetic Nightmare in 2008 through Unique Leader Records. The group played numerous shows in support of the record before going on unofficial hiatus. They reunited in 2014 with an updated lineup of bassist Bengi Öztürk, drummer Onur Özçelik (Black Omen), guitarists Mert Kaya and Serhat Kaya (Cenotaph), and vocalist Oral Akyol (Cidesphere) and are ready to rumble infrastructures globally with the subterranean sounds of Monument.

Brazilian metal band Armored Dawn announce the North American release of their debut album Power Of Warrior across all digital platforms, and physically through their exclusive Pledge Music campaign.

The album, released July 29, 2016, was recorded in the band's hometown of Sao Paulo, Brazil and was produced by Tommy Hansen (Helloween, Dragonforce). It made its debut at metal radio last week, with lead single "Viking Soul" being the third most-added song across metal programming. 
 
Armored Dawn is everything its name implies, a colossal force driven by heavy metal and born of frontman and principal songwriter Eduardo Parras' unwavering love for the music that drives so many of us. "What fascinates me about heavy metal is that it allows you to combine several musical formats, expose all kinds of feelings, and tell all of sorts of stories. You have the musical freedom to bring together many different themes and heavier sounds, blend them together, and break the barrier of imagination. To me, heavy metal is great freedom."

In an effort to give back a portion of what heavy metal has given him throughout his life, Parras - a successful doctor in Brazil - has set up a 'Power Of Warrior' Pledge Music campaign and is donating proceeds of the site's sales to the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund. 100% of the page's "Contribute To The Cause" funds will be donated to the foundation, as will 25% of all other sales through the site. Click here for full details.

"Dio was, and always will be, an inspiration to those who appreciate life as art," says Parras of his decision to donate album proceeds to Stand Up And Shout. "Contributing to the Dio foundation is simply giving back a little compared to what we have all received from him." Dio's spirit definitely shines throughout Armored Dawn's debut.

Opening track "Viking Soul" is a juggernaut, its oars calmly slicing the water in the still of night as a searing line of guitars begins the assault on our senses before building into a celebration so epic, Iron Maiden would be proud and Eddie would be raising flasks of Trooper ale for all. It's a brave new world for Dr. Eduardo Parras, and with his fearless band by his side, they triumphantly conquer "Too Blind To See," scale the ragged, Dream Theater-inspired progressive cliffs and lesions of "Prison," raise their fists and sway with a melancholic fervor on "My Heart" - quite possibly the greatest metal ballad to ever be exported from under a Brazilian flag - and sharpen their swords, raise them for battle, and charge forward with "Power Of Warrior" and the Iron Maiden-paced revelry of "Someone" as their battle cries.

Armored Dawn Is vocalist Eduardo Parras, guitarists Timo Kaarkoski and Tiago De Moura, bassist Fernando Giovannetti, keyboardist Rafael Agostino and Drummer Rodrigo Oliveira.
 
Power Of Warrior is also available via Amazon, iTunes, and Spotify.

 

Boston-based metal band, Worshipper, will release its full-length debut, Shadow Hymns, on August 26th via Tee Pee Records. Recorded at Q Division, Mad Oak, and Converse Rubber Tracks Studios with producers Benny Grotto (Aerosmith, Orange Goblin) and David Minehan (The Replacements), the LP showcases the group's melodically thunderous sound. In advance of the LP's release, "Place Beyond The Light"  can be heard now via the SoundCloud audio player below.

Boasting a sound described as "darkly epic", Worshipper has earned consistent accolades since its formation, being named the "Metal Artist of the Year" at the 2015 Boston Music Awards. The group was also chosen over 23 other participating bands as champions of the 2016 "Rock and Roll Rumble", a competition hailed as "The World Series of Boston Rock" that has taken place annually since 1979. Through its unique mix of contemporary and classic influences, Worshipper prove that the horn-throwing soul of melodic heavy music's past still burns brightly.

"'Shadow Hymns' is a document of four guys melding four unique artistic and sonic imaginations into one vision," comments guitarist Alejandro Necochea. "The sound is loud and familiar. We favor classic guitars played through classic amps, with melodies and heroics; not unlike the records we grew up on. This is exactly the record we wanted to make and we are beyond thrilled that people will finally get to hear it."

Worshipper will perform live at the Shadow Hymns album release show on September 9th at Once Sommerville, in Summerville, MA. For full details, visit the Facebook event page.

Tracklisting:

"High Above The Clouds"
"Step Behind"
"Ghosts And Breath"
"Darkness"
"Place Beyond The Light"
"Another Yesterday"
"Wolf Song"
"Black Corridor"

Pre-order Shadow Hymns at this location.

In addition to Necochea, Worshipper features John Brookhouse (vocals / guitar), Dave Jarvis (drums) and Bob Maloney (vocals, bass).

AC/DC guitarist Angus Young says that he hasn't made a decision yet regarding the band's future after the "Rock Or Bust" tour ends.

AC/DC bassist Cliff Williams recently revealed that he will retire from recording and touring after finishing out the band's current world trek. Williams' decision follows a string of personnel changes for the group that started with co-founding guitarist Malcolm Young's departure in 2014 after he was diagnosed with dementia. Last year, drummer Phil Rudd was sentenced to house arrest after he was found guilty on a drug charge, while earlier this year singer Brian Johnson was forced to step down or face the loss of his hearing.

Asked by Rolling Stone in a new interview if he thinks Cliff's decision to retire is related to Brian leaving, Angus said: "Cliff made it known before we'd even started touring — this would be his last. Besides myself, Cliff has been there the longest, since 1977. Cliff and Brian are in the same age bracket. They like to go out, hit the pubs. They had the bond."

Regarding whether he has thought his own future after the tour ends, Angus said: "At this point, I don't know. We were committed to finishing the tour. Who knows what I'll feel after? When you sign on and say, 'I'm gonna do this and that,' it's always good to say at the end of it, 'I've done all I said I would do.'

"That was always the idea, especially when we were younger — me, Malcolm, Bon. You had to show up and be on time. You'd be playing in a pub in the afternoon. Then late at night, you'd be playing a club. You got into that habit: 'If we don't play, we don't eat.'"

Williams announced his decision to retire from AC/DC during a recent interview with Gulfshore Life. He said: "It's been what I've known for the past forty years, but after this tour I'm backing off of touring and recording. Losing Malcolm, the thing with Phil and now with Brian, it's a changed animal. I feel in my gut it's the right thing."

The 66-year-old Williams is the longest serving member of the group after co-founder and sole original member Angus Young. He joined the band in mid-1977 and made his debut on its fifth album, 1978's "Powerage", appearing on every record and tour since.

Williams said about his long stint with the group: "When you start out, you kind of hope for success. That's what you are working for. But you never really know. It's been surreal, really."

Assuming neither Rudd nor Johnson return, Williams' exit means that only Angus Young remains from the lineups that recorded classic albums like 1979's "Highway To Hell", 1980's "Back In Black" and 1981's "For Those About To Rock...We Salute You".

The rescheduled dates of AC/DC's North American tour — which will be the band's first concerts here with GUNS N' ROSES singer Axl Rose on lead vocals — will kick off in Greensboro, North Carolina on August 27.

Massachusetts metallers ALL THAT REMAINS are currently recording their eighth album at a Los Angeles-area studio with producer Howard Benson, who has previously worked with such acts as MOTÖRHEAD, PAPA ROACH, THREE DAYS GRACE, FLYLEAF, P.O.D. and HALESTORM.

ALL THAT REMAINS frontman Phil Labonte stated about the follow-up to 2015's "The Order Of Things": "The disc we are working on right now is going to blow people's minds. It's gonna challenge you. There are songs like nothing we've ever done before.

"It's still a while 'till it gets released, but it's going to blow people's minds. Can't fucking wait!"

Added ALL THAT REMAINS bassist Aaron Patrick: "I can't even wait to hear the final result. These songs are such a step up on all fronts. [Benson] is really bringing out the best in all of us as musicians and we are already so proud of of the progress towards new material."

Labonte told the Q103 radio station that ALL THAT REMAINS's next record will arrive in February 2017.

ALL THAT REMAINS last year parted ways with bassist Jeanne Sagan and replaced her with Patrick, who was previously in BURY YOUR DEAD and DEVILDRIVER.

"The Order Of Things" marked the first time that Labonte collaborated on his lyrics, in this case with producer Josh Wilbur.

Swedish experimental heavy-rock pioneers Opeth have unveiled the title track to their highly-anticipated album, Sorceress, due out September 30th via the band’s imprint label Moderbolaget Records with Nuclear Blast Entertainment.

Leader Mikael Åkerfeldt remarks: “Here you go kids! Here’s the title track, ”Sorceress,” combined with the now obligatory lyric video. Why not eh? We’re happy with the tune. It’s heavy, a bit "meat and potato,” but what the hell…we love it! Hope you do too!”

Opeth’s new album, Sorceress, their first for Nuclear Blast via the band’s imprint label Moderbolaget Records, is proof chief architect Mikael Åkerfeldt has a near-endless well of greatness inside. From the album’s opener “Persephone” to “The Wilde Flowers” and “Strange Brew” to the album’s counterpart title tracks “Sorceress” and “Sorceress II”, Opeth’s twelfth full-length is an unparalleled adventure, where visions cleverly and secretly change, colors mute as if weathered by time, and sounds challenge profoundly.

”The new album Sorceress is our 12th studio album since our beginnings in 1990,” says Åkerfeldt. “I find it difficult to understand that we’ve been going on for 26 years, let alone that we’ve made 12 records now, all of which I am very proud of. Sorceress is no exception. I love this album, as does the whole band. I wrote the music during 5-6 months and we spent only 12 days recording it at Rockfield studios in Wales. I find that once again we’ve taken a step forward. Or sideways, Or backwards. Somewhere!? It’s different! It’s extremely diverse. And if I may say so myself, extremely good. I feel the right to say that since I like to think I know this band better than anyone on the planet. Also, I always manage to detach myself from the record and listen as a fan. It’s a fine little record. My favourite in our discography right now. Of course. That’s how it should be, right? It’s both fresh and old, both progressive and rehashed. Heavy and calm. Just the way we like it. Hopefully there’ll be others around the globe sharing this opinion. It was a joy to make it. A fucking joy to record it, and a sheer joy listening to it. So there you have it!”

For Sorceress, Opeth returned to Rockfield Studios in Wales, also home to pivotal releases from Queen, Rush and Judas Priest, where the Swedes had tracked Pale Communion in 2014 with Tom Dalgety. The band spent 12 days recording at the countryside venue among its serene and inspiring surroundings. The result is nothing short of a powerful and intriguing record that will add yet another layer to the band’s celebrated career.

Sorceress trackisting:

“Persephone”
“Sorceress”
“The Wilde Flowers”
“Will O The Wisp”
“Chrysalis”
“Sorceress 2”
“The Seventh Sojourn”
“Strange Brew”
“A Fleeting Glance”
“Era”
“Persephone (Slight Return)”

Studio Teaser #1:

Studio Teaser #2:

In the video below, Mikael Akerfeldt takes you on a tour of Rockfield Studios during the recording process of Sorceress.

Sorceress is being released on limited edition pink vinyl with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Gilda’s Club NYC. Additional editions of the vinyl will be announced at a later date. Pre-order the special edition pink vinyl now at this location.

The mission of Gilda’s Club NYC is to support, educate and empower cancer patients and their families. A cancer diagnosis can be an extremely isolating experience which triggers many emotions including fear, anger, depression and an overwhelming sense of helplessness. Currently more than 4200 men, women, teens and children attend free support groups, educational lectures and workshops at the West Village townhouse or at hospital partners around NYC. More than 55 percent of their members have a cancer diagnosis, and the remaining are their loved ones - their children, partners, relatives or friends. At Gilda's Club NYC, they believe no one should face cancer alone.

Sorceress 2LP pink vinyl (180 gram) tracklisting:

Side A
“Persephone”                                                                                                
“Sorceress”                                                                                                      
“The Wilde Flowers”                                                                                     
“Will O The Wisp”                                                                                       

Side B
“Chrysalis”                                                                                                         
“Sorceress 2”                                                                                                  
“The Seventh Sojourn”                                                                               

Side C
“Strange Brew”                                                                                              
“A Fleeting Glance”                                                                                      
“Era”                                                                                                                  
“Persephone (Slight Return)”                                                                

Side D
“The Ward” (Bonus Track)                                                                                                    
“Spring MCMLXXIV” (Bonus Track)

Opeth have announced a North American headline tour, which will kick off with a performance at Ozzfest/Knotfest on September 24th in San Bernardino, CA. The tour will continue through the following month before wrapping up on October 26th in Vancouver, BC.

The tour announcement comes on the heels of Nuclear Blast Entertainment’s recent signing of the band and news of the band’s forthcoming, 12th studio album, Sorceress, that’s due out later this year on the band’s own imprint label Moderbolget Records.

Tour dates are listed below. To purchase VIP packages and tickets visit this location.

Tour dates:

September
24 - San Bernardino, CA - Ozzfest/Knotfest @ San Manual Amphitheater
29 - Pittsburgh, PA - Stage AE
30 - Silver Spring, MD - Fillmore

October
1 - New York, NY - Radio City Music Hall
2 - Boston, MA - House of Blues
4 - Montreal, QC – Metropolis
5 - Toronto, ON - Massey Hall
7 - Detroit, MI - Fillmore
8 - Akron, OH - Good Year Theater at East End
9 - Chicago, IL - Riviera Theater
10 - Minneapolis, MN - First Ave
12 - Oklahoma City, OK - Diamond Ballroom
13 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Live
14 - Austin, TX - Emo’s
15 - Dallas, TX - Gas Monkey Live
18 - Las Vegas, NV - Brooklyn Bowl
19 - Tempe, AZ - Marquee Theater
21 - Sacramento, CA - Ace of Spades
22 - San Francisco, CA - Warfield
24 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theater
25 - Seattle, WA - Moore Theater
26 - Vancouver, BC – Orpheum

(Photo Stuart Wood)

Italian prog metal masters DGM will release their new album, The Passage, on August 26th. A lyric video for the song "Ghost of Insanity" is available for viewing starting today. This epic song features special guest Tom Englund, vocalist of Evergrey on vocals.

The Passage is DGM’s eighth studio album and is the culmination of almost 20 years of hard work that started back in 1997 with the release of their self-produced mini-album, Random Access Zone. The band went through several incarnations and lineup changes during the years, but since singer Mark Basile joined the group in 2007, DGM evolved and developed their sound into what they have now become.

It was probably the release of Frame (2007) that pushed the band into the top of the league of international prog metal. It was also on the strength of this material that DGM managed to tour for almost four years around the world, taking part in some of the biggest metal festivals, supporting Symphony X on their European tour, and sharing the stage with Pagan's Mind too. In 2013, DGM came back with Momentum, an album which showed the full stylistic maturity of a band which felt fully confident with their abilities, both on the songwriting and the musicianship side. The last album was promoted with more shows and after several gigs in Europe, they performed for the second time at ProgPower USA and started their first Asian tour in November 2014 playing Beijing, Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka as headliners.

The new album, The Passage is another substantial step forward for DGM. Sounding like a hungry, urbanized version of Symphony X, with substantial hard rock influences, the new record is remarkable in several aspects. The compositions are phenomenal, with sweeping choruses, technical passages, lightning fast fretwork, big vocals and bombastic transitions. The playing is simply faultless and the melodies are perfectly woven into the killer guitars, epic keyboards, and pounding drums!

“This album can easily be seen as our most ambitious work to date,” says guitarist and producer Simone Mularoni.

“This time we tried to evolve to an even more personal sound. We took all the elements we developed through all these years and we tried to take them to the limit. Throughout the whole record you will hear a recurrent musical theme. Instead of doing a usual concept album with the lyrics, we decided to do a sort of musical concept with this melody that repeats in every song but every time with different time signatures and keys,” tells drummer Fabio Costantino.

“This album will offer to the listener a key for a positive dimension. A path made of sound vibrations: The Passage to our dreams and hopes,” concludes bassist Andrea Arcangeli.

Evergrey singer Tom Englund and Symphony X guitarist Michael Romeo also appear as special guests tributing the value of this outstanding album. And let's not forget the great job that producer Simone Mularoni did in the studio. The future looks bright for these guys. Check them out live when they come to a town near you.

The Passage tracklisting:

“The Secret (Part 1)”
“The Secret (Part 2)”
“Animal”
“Ghosts Of Insanity”
“Fallen”
“The Passage”
“Disguise”
“Portrait”
“Daydreamer”
“Dogma”
“In Sorrow”

“Animal” video:

“The Secret (Part 1)” audio:

EPK:

Teaser:

DGM lineup:

Simone Mularoni – guitars, keyboards
Marco Basile – vocals
Andrea Arcangeli – bass
Fabio Costantino – drums
Emanuele Casali – keyboards

Special guests:
Tom Englund – vocals on “Ghosts Of Insanity”
Michael Romeo – lead guitar on “Dogma”

Bay Area hardcore thrashers X-Method will release their debut full-length Sex, Alcohol, Rebel Music August 12th on Pavement Music. The official video for “Suicide Gir/Cutter” is streaming below.

Hailing from the infamous and iracible thrash metal breeding grounds of California's Bay Area, X-Method was formed in 2012 by lead singer Abby. Their self-titled seven song EP gained the band national attention and landed them extensive touring in Peru and South America. X-MEthod is a family that loves to involve their fans in every aspect of the band. Referred to as the "Method Militia," these rabid and loyal fans stretch across the world and are ready to strike at a moment's notice.

Tracklisting:

“Denied What’s Ours”
“Brutal As Fuck”
“When Darkness Falls”
“Drink From The Horn”
“Woke”
“Waiting 4 The Rain”
“Addicted”
“Triangles And Sixes”
“Southern Comfort”
“Wasting My Tears”
“Born Into The Affliction”
“Silver On My Back”
“And I Know”
“Suicide Girl/Cutter”
“Fuck Sobriety”
“No Tey Yayas”

“Suicide Girl/Cutter” video:

   

Swedish thrash horde Kayser has disclosed the cover and two featured outtakes from the brand new and upcoming album IV: Beyond The Reef Of Sanity.

Consider them as distant early alerts taken from the September 23rd release. This is Kayser's strongest release to date, setting sails far beyond the reefs. The "Asphalt And Suicide" track is about alienation and hopelessness and "I Sold My Soul (For Your Dream)" talks about the feeling of sometimes being trapped by the dreams you have for your life. The burden of life and the knife edge of creativity dividing sanity from insanity. Both tracks are streaming via the Bandcamp player below.

This magnificent artwork has been done by German artist Timo Wuerz following the previous album concept.

Joke explains the cover art: "The artwork mirrors the dystopian topics in the lyrics. Emptiness, fear and regret. Mankind or a single soul come to an end.  The rise and demise of the world as we know it. It's connected to the previous album Read Your Enemy, which can be seen as the rise. IV: Beyond The Reef Of Sanity is the demise. But also the start of something new in the cycle of life."

Tracklisting:

“Beyond The Reef Of Sanity”
“Through The Darkness”
“Debris (Of A Dream)”
“The Silent Serenade”
“Dusk”
“Asphalt And Suicide”
“One Man Army”
“I Sold My Soul (For Your Dream)”
“Old Blanket”
“Allergic To Life”

“Asphalt And Suicde” and “I Sold My Soul (For Your Dream)”:

‘IV : Beyond the Reef of Sanity' by KAYSER

Preorders are available at Listenable Records.

Frontiers Music Srl will release HARDLINE's new album, "Human Nature", on October 14.

Following the rebirth of the band that happened with the release of "Danger Zone" in 2012, HARDLINE has regrouped around fabulous singer Johnny Gioeli (AXEL RUDI PELL) with the excellent production and keyboard skills of Alessandro Del Vecchio (RATED X, RESURRECTION KINGS, REVOLUTION SAINTS), the shredding talents of guitarist Josh Ramos (THE STORM), and the powerful rhythm section made up of bassist Anna Portalupi (TARJA) and drummer Francesco Jovino (PRIMAL FEAR, JORN). All these musicians have an impressive pedigree, but what makes HARDLINE special is how well their unique and different talents blend together.

The goal for their new album was to have a heavier and updated version of the original HARDLINE sound. Think debut album, 1992's "Double Eclipse", updated for the 21st Century, with a grittier and more straight-ahead sound. Anthemic, hard rocking songs are what you can expect from this record and hook after hook, riff after riff, you'll find yourself wowed by this absolute monster of an album!

When Gioeli and Del Vechhio got together to begin writing songs for the album, "The plan was to create an album that emulates the feeling of 'Double Eclipse' combined with the dynamics of modern-day rock. Very heavy and in your face, but still with hitting melodies," says Johnny.

"I have a tremendous amount of Axel Rudi Pell fans that know me for the way I deliver a metal song too. So, yes, it's definitely the heaviest we have done since the debut. I see this album as the perfect mix of styles."

"As a producer, I pushed everyone to squeeze these songs and put as much attitude as we could on tape," adds Alessandro Del Vecchio. "We wanted more of an in-your-face attitude than our softer albums. I think we understood we had something special in our hands when we finished 'Take You Home'. Even if it's the ballad of the album, I guess it's the focal point of the musical bond that Johnny and myself share with the whole band."

"The guys put their heart and soul into their performances," concludes Johnny. "You can hear the essence of every drum strike and the sweat hitting the drums shortly after. Do it again, Cesco! HARDER, HARDER! Josh, Anna and Ale wouldn't stop until their fingers said 'enough' …and then… we did it again and again. That's rock and roll man. Songs like 'Where Will We Go From Here', 'Human Nature' and 'Take you Home', to me, they are the essence of what I LOVE to sing and HOW I love to sing!"

"Human Nature" track listing:

01. Where Will We Go From Here02. Nobody's Fool03. Human Nature04. Trapped In Muddy Waters05. Running On Empty06. The World Is Falling Down70. Take You Home08. Where The North Wind Blows09. In The Dead Of The Night10. United We Stand11. Fighting The Battle

HARDLINE recording lineup:

Johnny Gioeli - Lead VocalsAlessandro Del Vecchio - Keyboards, Backing VocalsJosh Ramos - GuitarAnna Portalupi - BassFrancesco Jovino - Drums

ANVIL singer/guitarist Steve "Lips" Kudlow and drummer Robb Reiner were reunited with the band's original members Dave Allison (guitar) and Ian Dickson (bass) for the first time since 1989 at ANVIL's July 23 concert in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada.

A photo of the reunion — taken by Drew Masters of M.E.A.T in Toronto — can be seen above.

In a 2013 interview with Myglobalmind, Reiner spoke about the possibility of ANVIL's original lineup coming back together to play a number of shows in celebration of the band's early albums. He said: "In recent years, we have been throwing the notion around of doing a world tour and calling it the '1, 2, 3 Tour'. Which really means that we would only play songs from the first three records, and having said that, there has been discussion of doing it with the original guys, but at this moment, it's unknown and undetermined if they are physically in the condition to weather the life of rock' n' roll for a tour. Regardless of their involvement, we still plan on doing this tour."

Kudlow and Reiner began performing together in the early 1970s and formed the original lineup of ANVIL in 1978. The band won a cult following with albums like "Metal On Metal" and influenced may of the current metal heavy hitters like METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich and GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash. But ANVIL never hit the big time, although they received an unlikely late-career boost thanks to the movie "Anvil! The Story of Anvil", which documented the long struggle of Kudlow and Reiner to keep their group together and maintain a living long after their brief period of glory ended.

ANVIL is continuing to tour in support of its latest album, "Anvil Is Anvil", which came out on February 26 worldwide (excluding Japan) via SPV/Steamhammer.

Video footage of Finnish symphonic metallers AMBERIAN DAWN performing on July 9 at the LankaFest in Puolanka, Finland can be seen below.

AMBERIAN DAWN's latest album, "Innuendo", was released on October 23, 2015 via Napalm. The follow-up to 2014's "Magic Forest" was produced by composer Tuomas Seppälä, who also plays keyboards and guitar, and Mikko P. Mustonen, known for his work with DELAIN, ENSIFERUM and SONATA ARCTICA. The CD was mastered by Svante Forsbäck at Chartmakers.

The cover artwork for "Innuendo" was created by Jan "Örkki" Yrlund.

Commented Seppälä: "This is one of the most melodic and vocal-driven album in AMBERIAN DAWN's history. I've composed these songs in a little bit of a different way than I've used to do before. I have worked with these songs without any limitations. Some of the elements I've used have been quite unusual in the heavy metal genre and there's a fresh new sound for AMBERIAN DAWN. Musically, these songs are still very much influenced by classical music but also by electro-composers like Jean Michel Jarre and Vangelis, for example. Our new vocalist, Capri [Päivi Virkkunen], was able to bring tons of emotion with her sound and lyric writing and I'm sure that this album [is] our best so far!"

AMBERIAN DAWN released a compilation album of songs that originally appeared on their first four albums — "Circus Black" (2012), "End Of Eden" (2010), "The Clouds Of Northland Thunder" (2009) and "River Of Tuoni" (2008) — to showcase Virkkunen after the departure of Heidi Parviainen. "Re-Evolution" was made available on June 14, 2013 in Finland, distributed by Suomen Musiikki.

AMBERIAN DAWN parted ways with vocalist Heidi Parviainen in November 2012. Her final appearance with the band was at the Metal Female Voices Fest at the end of October 2012 in Belgium.

Long-running Oakland, California-based industrial/alternative/metal pioneers NEUROSIS will release their eleventh full-length album, "Fires Within Fires", on September 23 via the band's own Neurot Recordings. The follow-up to 2012's "Honor Found In Decay" was recorded at Electrical Audio Studio with producer Steve Albini.

Our first and only glimpse of the music on this record, prior to release date, is sampled in a new video which can be seen below.

"Fires Within Fires" track listing:

01. Bending Light02. A Shadow Memory03. Fire Is The End Lesson04. Broken Ground05. Reach

In true Ouroborean style, "Fires Within Fires" gives due to its predecessors while progressing forward into the unfamiliar and formidable. Striking the band's signature balance between light and dark, beauty and repulsion, dense sonic heaviness and reflective space. "Fires Within Fires" is succinct, raw and deeply soulful, an all-encompassing reminder to all that transfiguration in sound remains their most commanding and inimitable strength.

The album features exquisite album artwork from the renowned Thomas Hooper, as seen below.

A year ago, NEUROSIS's Scott Kelly spoke about the band's plans for its next studio CD. He said: "We're going to try to get a new record out quicker than the last one. The last one took five years to get out because of, you know, basically, because of personal shit that came up and interrupted the process. We're hoping to turn one around in a more reasonable time and just keep gigging."

In the meantime, NEUROSIS has announced a dozen new live performances across Europe in August, where they will be joined on select dates by Latvia's fascinating experimental trio TESA. For a list of dates, go to this location.

"Honor Found In Decay" sold around 1,800 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 9 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

John 5 & The Creatures will embark on a string of dates in the U.K. and Europe starting October 5th in London, England. This tour includes an exclusive VIP upgrade; go to this location for details and ticket information.

Tour dates are as follows:

October
5 - The Garage - London, UK
6 - The Corporation - Sheffield, UK
7 - Cathouse Rock Club - Glasgow, UK
8 - Academy 3 - Manchester, UK
10 - De Helling - Utrecht, Netherlands
11 - Kaiserkeller - Hamburg, Germany
12 - Luxor - Cologne, Germany
13 - Colos-Saal - Aschaffenburg, Germany

In addition, John 5 & The Creatures have released a new single and video, "Hell Haw". The song is available via iTunes, the video can be viewed below.

British heavy metal vocalist Blaze Bayley (IRON MAIDEN, WOLFSBANE) has uploaded a sven-minute video report from his June/July 2016 tour of Central and South America. Check it out below.

The 53-year-old Bayley, who was born in Birmingham, was the original frontman in WOLFSBANE, but left in 1994 to join MAIDEN, with whom he recorded two studio albums — 1995's "The X Factor" 1998's and "Virtual XI" — before Bruce Dickinson returned to the group.

Bayley stated in an interview about his time with IRON MAIDEN: "They were great years for me. I loved being a part of IRON MAIDEN, and I had a lot of support and encouragement from the fans as the new man in IRON MAIDEN; I had a lot of support. So I say a huge thank you to all the fans for making me feel so welcome when I was in IRON MAIDEN."

He continued: "They were great days for me, and, really, I found my true voice and my identity when I was working in IRON MAIDEN with Steve Harris and the other musicians. And then after IRON MAIDEN, my solo work, it really reflects the lessons that I learned when I was in IRON MAIDEN. So they were great days for me, and I look back very fondly, and I'm very, very proud of the work that we did together and the songs that we did."

Bayley released his eighth solo album, "Infinite Entanglement", on March 1.

Fan-filmed video footage of ALLEGIANCE OF ROCK's July 30 performance at the HojRock festival in Västervik, Sweden can be seen below.

ALLEGIANCE OF ROCK is the new Swedish/Greek collaboration between guitarist Gus G. (OZZY OSBOURNE, FIREWIND), bassist John Levén (EUROPE), drummer Anders Johansson (HAMMERFALL, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN) and vocalist Mats Levén (CANDLEMASS, TREAT, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN).

The group, which performs songs from the past, present and future of the bandmembers' own back catalogues and more, made its live debut in May at the Stockholm Rocks festival.

In an interview with Hardrock Haven, Gus stated about his collaboration with Mats: "I met him in 2003 at a festival in Sweden where he was playing with . And I'm bit a fan of him since he saw on Yngwie Malmsteen's 'Facing The Animal'. So we met there and had a great time. And we became buddies through the years and jammed together. We always stayed in touch. And he's the guy whose I always wanted to do something with. And in 2010, I asked him to join FIREWIND because our singer couldn't come on tour with us. Mats has the advantage to be not only a singer but a songwriter and producer too."

"Limerent Death", a brand new song from THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, was premiered earlier tonight (Sunday, July 31) on the BBC Radio 1 "Rock Show" with Daniel P. Carter and can now be streamed using the audio player at BBC.co.uk (starting at around the 2:00:00 mark).

The "Limerent Death" seven-inch single will be made available at select dates of the band's summer tour.

According to an ad in the latest issue of Revolver magazine, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN will release its new album, "Dissociation", on October 14 via Party Smasher Inc., the multi-faceted collective founded by the band's guitarist, Ben Weinman, and the label's global partnership with Cooking Vinyl.

Weinman spoke about THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN's upcoming album in an interview with The Void. He said: "It's heavy, man. It's super-heavy, it's definitely dark, but I think it's actually weirder than maybe our last record. There's, like, ideas and riffs that just are so weird. I have to say when I hear it, I'm proud to say nobody sounds like DILLINGER, really. We may be the worst band in the world, but when I listen to it, I really don't think anybody would ever write a riff like this. And that's, I guess, what I'm most proud of. And that's what you gotta do, that's what we try to be, you know? A band that stands out."

The guitarist added in a separate interview with Loudwire: "I'm never objective enough to actually say anything about the music, especially at this part of the process because I'm too close to it. It's like asking someone if they're crazy. If they're crazy, they're gonna say they're not crazy. I will say, though, that there's elements of the process that remind me of the 'Calculating Infinity' time. This record, we had our hands on every single thing. There's also something different about the sound of it. It doesn't sound like anything in our catalogue, production-wise. 'Calculating' didn’t sound like any record I had ever heard; it sounded cold and weird. In that respect, it's kind of a bookend to 'Calculating'."

In preparation for a busy year of new music and worldwide touring, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN has announced a short run of intimate shows throughout North America. Starting in Toronto on August 5, the band will be playing at Hard Luck, making their way down the East Coast through Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C. Soon after, they will be continuing the tour towards the West Coast for shows throughout California.

THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN's fifth full-length album, "One Of Us Is The Killer", sold around 15,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 25 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD was released on May 14, 2013 through Party Smasher Inc., in partnership with Sumerian Records in North America.