Fan-filmed video footage of AC/DC's May 8 performance at Zeppelinfeld in Nürnberg, Germany can be seen below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Rock Or Bust 02. Shoot To Thrill 03. Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be 04. Back In Black 05. Play Ball 06. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap 07. Thunderstruck 08. High Voltage 09. Rock 'N' Roll Train 10. Hells Bells 11. Baptism By Fire 12. You Shook Me All Night Long 13. Sin City 14. Shot Down In Flames 15. Have A Drink On Me 16. T.N.T. 17. Whole Lotta Rosie 18. Let There Be Rock (with Angus Young guitar solo)

Encore:

19. Highway To Hell 20. For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)

AC/DC's sixteenth studio album, "Rock Or Bust", has sold around 524,000 copies since debuting at No. 3 on the Billboard album chart back in December.

It's the band's first album without founding guitarist Malcolm Young, who is suffering from dementia. He has been replaced by nephew Stevie Young.

AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd was arrested last November at his home in Tauranga on charges of threatening to kill and possession of methamphetamine and cannabis.

Although Rudd played on "Rock Or Bust", he did not appear in photos or videos for the disc.

One-time AC/DC drummer Chris Slade officially joined the band's lineup for its performance on the February 8 Grammy Awards telecast. Slade is also behind the kit for the group's current world tour.

The band will return to North America later this summer for 13 more tour dates, starting on August 22 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts and wrapping up on September 28 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

Ex-FAITH NO MORE vocalist Chuck Mosley rejoined his former bandmates on stage last night (Friday, May 8) in Detroit, Michigan for a performance of the song "Mark Bowen". Video footage of his appearance can be seen below.

With Mosley at the helm, FAITH NO MORE became one of the '80s' leading underground bands on the strength of 1985's "We Care a Lot" and 1987's "Introduce Yourself". Despite exiting the group in 1988 under less-than-friendly circumstances, the Ohio-based Mosley is now friendly with most of his former FNM bandmates and had joined them on stage several other times in recent years.

Mosley released his first solo album, "Will Rap Over Hard Rock For Food", in August 2009 via the Cleveland-based label Reversed Image Unlimited. The CD featured guest appearances from John 5 (ROB ZOMBIE, MARILYN MANSON), Roddy Bottum (FAITH NO MORE, IMPERIAL TEEN) and Michael Cartellone (LYNYRD SKYNYRD). KORN frontman Jonathan Davis, who attributes Mosley as a massive influence, also made an appearance on the single "The Enabler".

FAITH NO MORE's two best-selling albums, 1989's "The Real Thing" and 1992's "Angel Dust", are being reissued in new editions featuring plenty of bonus rarities. The reissues will be available as either double-CD or heavyweight double-vinyl sets with the CDs available on June 9, one month after the band releases its first set of new music in 18 years, "Sol Invictus", on May 19.

Neither disc will contain any previously unreleased tracks, but both will collect hard-to-find rarities in the form of live cuts, remixes and other B-sides and bonus tracks.

Fan-filmed video footage of MÖTLEY CRÜE's May 9 performance at the Vector Arena in Auckland, New Zealand as part of the band's "The Final Tour" can be seen below.

MÖTLEY CRÜE's "The Final Tour" kicked off last year and will end New Year's Eve at the Staples Center in Los Angeles after one more round of North American gigs.

MÖTLEY CRÜE first announced plans for "The Final Tour" by signing a Cessation Of Touring Agreement at a press conference in Los Angeles in January 2014, solidifying the end of their touring career for December 2015. Since the announcement, the band has been touring tirelessly to say goodbye to fans around the world, most recently playing their final shows in Japan.

After thirty-four years performing together, MÖTLEY CRÜE's 2015 leg of "The Final Tour" includes shows all across the globe. The band is currently in Australia and New Zealand in May for their last-ever shows there. June will see the band saying farewell to the European festival circuit with three massive performances at Download (UK), Sweden Rock (Sweden) and Nova Rock (Austria) festivals before taking their can't-miss show back to the U.S., Canada, and Mexico this summer.

The 2014 leg of "The Final Tour" was one of last year's top-grossing tours, selling close to a million tickets across 72 cities and grossing more than $45 million.

"MÖTLEY CRÜE's 'Final Tour' has been a massive global success and a true testament to the popularity of this legendary rock band," said Rick Franks, Live Nation's regional president of North American concerts. "New Year's Eve 2015 will mark the end of an era in rock history but there's no doubt that MÖTLEY CRÜE's music will influence generations of artists for years to come."

Three years after the release of their self-titled album, Canadian extreme metallers CRYPTOPSY will release a series of EPs titled "The Book Of Suffering". This approach will allow the band to put out new music more often while remaining true to their standards of quality.

After being on a record label for their entire career, CRYPTOPSY decided to go independent in 2012. Supported by their fans, CRYPTOPSY distributed and sold thousands of albums across the globe and had the opportunity to tour Japan, Western and Eastern Europe, the U.K., South America, Scandinavia and Canada. They are now embarking on a crowdfunding campaign that will allow them to give their fans more in terms of videos and enhanced live show production.

As of May 8, CRYPTOPSY's crowdfunding campaign is open with exclusive t-shirts, girly tank tops, hoodies, CDs and vinyls. In addition to the more traditional merchandise, they are offering signed Flo Mounier cymbals, online lessons with each band member, guest performances and a song mix by their guitarist and sound engineer Chris Donaldson. For those who are interested in memorabilia, they are offering stage banners that have been used since 2012. CRYPTOPSY's $20,000 goal will fund the recording, mixing and mastering of "The Book Of Suffering Tome 1", as well as produce artwork, a music video and stage banners. Additional rewards such as a play-through video, a tour documentary and more music will be unlocked for all backers if they surpass their goal.

CRYPTOPSY said in a statement: "We hope that every extreme metal fan will be exposed to 'The Book Of Suffering Tome 1'. We are extremely proud of the material; it is some of the most brutal, technical and fresh music we have ever created."

CRYPTOPSY will premiere a song from "The Book Of Suffering Tome 1" on the "Back To The U.S." 2015 tour with DISGORGE, ERIMHA, SOREPTION and THE CONVALESCENCE. The tour runs from May 14 to June 1.

Swedish metallers THE HAUNTED have commenced the songwriting process for the follow-up to 2014's "Exit Wounds" album. Guitarist Patrik Jensen states: "Not known as a band that likes to rest on our laurels, we're pushing ahead with the follow-up to last year's 'Exit Wounds' album! We have most of the stuff written already, [and are] looking to record in August/September and to have it released before the end of this year."

He adds: "We're very excited about the new material and can't wait to give you the chance to hear it! Better nail down the roof in good time… and reserve the top spot on your X-mas wish list for this upcoming aural bad boy!"

In the meantime, THE HAUNTED is continuing to promote "Exit Wounds", which was released last August via Century Media Records. The band next travels starting this weekend take the group to China, Japan as well as to Australia, where they team up with Century Media labelmates INSOMNIUM for a string of shows. Furthermore, the band will appear at several European summer festivals, including Graspop Metal Meeting (Belgium); Hellfest (France), Nord Open Air (Germany), Rock Harz (Germany), Brutal Assault (Czech Republic) and Metal Hammer Paradise (Germany).

Asked if going back to the old-school THE HAUNTED sound on "Exit Wounds" was a conscious decision, Jensen told EMP Rock Invasion: "The thing with THE HAUNTED is that we have always been five guys that have written music together; we were all like five generals. I mean, Marco's [Aro, vocals] from FACE DOWN, I had SÉANCE, the [Björler] twins had AT THE GATES, and so on. Every album has been written without us knowing what will happen. So we put our riffs in, and then everyone contributes, and we discover what the outcome will be. This is the same with 'Unseen'; we didn't know it was gonna sound like this. It was what happened. Same with 'Exit Wounds'. We didn't know what was gonna happen. We have never sat down and said that we have to make this kind of album. It's kind of logical that this album sounds the way it does, because we have the drummer from the first album, we have the singer from albums two and three, and me and Jonas have been in the band forever."

"Exit Wounds" was once again recorded with the group's longtime producer Tue Madsen at Denmark's Antfarm Studio (DARK TRANQUILLITY, HEAVEN SHALL BURN, SICK OF IT ALL) and features THE HAUNTED's revamped lineup: founding members Jonas Björler (bass) and Patrik Jensen (guitar) along with with returning members Adrian Erlandsson (drums) and Marco Aro (vocals), and the band's latest addition, guitarist Ola Englund.

"Exit Wounds" features two special guests appearing on the song "Trend Killer": Jed Simon (SCAR THE MARTYR, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD) on lead guitar and Chuck Billy (TESTAMENT) on vocals.

Rufus Taylor, the son of legendary QUEEN drummer Roger Taylor, has been named new drummer of British rockers THE DARKNESS.

Taylor's hiring comes just days after THE DARKNESS announced the departure of drummer Emily Davies in a Facebook post.

Rufus made his debut with THE DARKNESS at the Gibson release party for the band's upcoming album, "Last Of Our Kind", in London on April 24.

THE DARKNESS guitarist Dan Hawkins confirmed the replacement in an interview with Real Radio XS on April 25. He said (hear audio below): "We already have someone, and we actually played our first show with him last night. The 'drummist' will be known as Rufus Taylor, son of Roger Taylor."

THE DARKNESS's fourth album, "Last Of Our Kind", will be released on June 1 in partnership with Kobalt Label Services. The CD was penned in Ireland and was produced by Dan Hawkins.

The follow-up to 2012's "Hot Cakes" was recorded at Leeders Farm Studio in Norfolk, owned by Dan Hawkins. "The new album is brutal," singer Justin Hawkins told Classic Rock. "It's definitely stripped back — with the exception of some mandolins. But when you're doing medieval rock, you should have a mandolin on it. And while I wouldn't say that this is our 'Rainbow Rising', we're definitely exploring the myths of old. It's medieval rock, but it still sounds like THE DARKNESS. It's medi-urban, I suppose.…"

"Last of Our Kind" will be released on limited-edition color vinyl, compact disc and as a digital download.

The official performance video for "Road Of Resistance" (formerly referred to as "The One"), a brand new song from the Japanese pop-metal group BABYMETAL, can be seen below. The track, which was debuted during BABYMETAL's November 8, 2014 concert at the Brixton O2 Academy in London, England, is a collaboration between BABYMETAL's production team and guitarists Herman Li and Sam Totman of British epic power metallers DRAGONFORCE, whose guitar playing can be heard in the studio version of the song.

As previously reported, BABYMETAL has signed with RAL/Sony Music Entertainment for the U.S. release of the band's 2014 critically acclaimed self-titled debut album. The CD will feature two bonus tracks and be available digitally on Tuesday, May 12 and physically on Tuesday, June 16.

"Babymetal" will be released via earMUSIC in Germany, Sweden, Finland and Spain on May 29, in the United Kingdom, Belgium, Holland, Poland, Switzerland, Norway and Denmark on June 1, and in Italy on June 2

The European release will be available as the standard edition as well as a deluxe edition that includes a bonus DVD compiling six music videos from BABYMETAL.

Says Bill Richards, VP of Marketing at RAL/Sony Music Entertainment: "After witnessing the band's sold-out New York show, we knew we wanted to be involved. The core metal fans and metal press seem to get BABYMETAL, which shows how the language of music transcends boundaries. They hit all the entertainment buttons and are really fun to watch."

Since forming in 2010, BABYMETAL — the young trio of 17-year-old Su-Metal (vocal, dance) and 15-year-olds Yuimetal (scream, dance)and Moametal (scream, dance), backed by a four-piece band packing a heavy metal arsenal — has already achieved two major debut singles — "Ijime, Dame, Zetta!" and "Megistune", both of which ranked in the Top 10 Oricon Chart in Japan. Their first studio album, "Babymetal", also earned the #1 spot on Japan's album chart and Billboard's World Album Chart. The official live music video for their debut album's lead single, "Gimme Chocolate!!", has garnered over 24.5 million views on YouTube.

2014 saw BABYMETAL headline numerous sold-out shows from New York to London, including the 20,000-capacity Saitama Super Arena in Japan. They performed at major festivals in multiple countries such as the U.K.'s massive Sonisphere in front of 65,000 festival goers and supported Lady Gaga on her "Artrave: The Artpop Ball" tour.

The band will gear up for an equally busy 2015 when they kick off their "The Dark Knights Begin" world tour on May 9 in Mexico City. U.S. tour dates included a special one-off headlining show on May 14 at House Of Blues in Chicago, Illinois, followed by a festival appearance on May 16 at Rock On The Range in Columbus, Ohio.

"Babymetal" European release track listing:

CD

01. Babymetal Death02. Megitsune03. Gimme Chocolate!! 04. Line!05. Akatsuki06. Doki Doki * Morning07. Onedari Daisakusen08. Song 409. Uki Uki * Midnight10. Catch Me If You Can11. Rondo Of Nightmare12. Head Bangeeeeerrrrr!!!!!13. Ijime, Dame, Zettai

Bonus

14. Road Of Resistance (feat. Herman Li & Sam Totman of Dragonforce)15. Gimme Chocolate!! (Live at O2 Academy Brixton, London)

DVD - official video clips

- Doki Doki * Morning- Iine!- Headbangeeeeerrrrr!!!!!- Ijime, Dame, Zettai- Megitsune- Gimme Chocolate!!

Greek extreme metal veterans ROTTING CHRIST have entered Devasoundz studios in Athens to begin recording their new album for an early 2016 release. The CD is once again being produced by the band's frontman, Sakis Tolis.

ROTTING CHRIST says in a statement: "We will work hard to not disapoint you."

ROTTING CHRIST's eleventh full-length studio album, "Kata Ton Demona Eaftou", was released in March 2013 via Season Of Mist. The band spent more than four months at Devasoundz crafting what it said was "its darkest and more mystical and occult outcome ever." The CD was mixed by Jens Borgen (AMON AMARTH, PARADISE LOST, KATATONIA, OPETH) at Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden.

"Kata Ton Demona Eaftou" was made available as jewel case CD, double gatefold LP and limited-edition digibox, including a digipak CD with bonus track "Welcome To Hel", a pendant in velvet bag and a flag.

Frontiers Music Srl will release ASIA's new live audio visual release "Axis XXX Live In San Francisco MMXII" in two-CD/DVD and Blu-ray formats on July 3 in Europe and July 10 in North America.

Recorded on November 7, 2012 at the Regency Ballroom in San Francisco, this new ASIA live CD/DVD and Blu-ray captures once again the band, in the original lineup, in front of an ecstatic audience during one of the shows that ASIA performed in support of the "XXX" album and which was broadcasted by AXS TV in the USA.

With HD recording this new live album is truly a rewarding experience for all ASIA fans. After the recent DVD releases, this is ASIA performing one of the very last shows featuring the original lineup with Geoff Downes, Steve Howe, Carl Palmer and John Wetton live on the road, in your face and for your viewing pleasure.

The setlist features songs from their first two albums and selected cuts from the reunion albums, including the single from the "XXX" album, "Face On The Bridge". This is a historical document of where the band was at the time and a snapshot of their musicianship, camaraderie and passion. This live CD, DVD or Blu-ray is an irreplaceable companion to the "XXX" studio album.

According to John Wetton, "Axis" is "a journey through ASIA's history, from 'Alpha' to 'Omega' and more, in the beautiful setting of the Regency Ballroom, San Francisco, California. Much newer material is aired, plus the band's vintage hit songs performed by all four original members of ASIA. A stunning recording, an unmissable treat for any ASIA fan, new or old."

Formed at the dawn of the MTV era, ASIA's first release was the best-selling album in the world in 1982 and sat at the No. 1 spot in the USA for 9 weeks, powered by the classic rock anthem, "Heat Of The Moment", and four other radio hits. ASIA's 1983 sophomore album, "Alpha", also went multi-platinum and enjoyed several hit singles, including the No. 1 smash, "Don't Cry". During the recording of its third disc, the band splintered, and by the 1990s, only Geoff Downes remained from the original lineup.

"Axis XXX Live In San Francisco MMXII" track listing:

CD1

01. Introduction02. Only Time Will Tell03. Wildest Dreams04. Face On The Bridge05. Time Again06. Tomorrow The World07. Ride Easy08. Pyramidology09. The Golden Mean10. I Know How You Feel11. Don't Cry12. The Smile Has Left Your Eyes

CD2

01. Cutting It Fine02. Holy War/Drum Solo03. An Extraordinary Life04. Here Comes The Feeling05. Open Your Eyes06. Sole Survivor07. Heat Of The Moment

DVD / Blu-ray:

01. Introduction02. Only Time Will Tell03. Wildest Dreams04. Face On The Bridge05. Time Again06. Tomorrow The World07. Ride Easy08. Pyramidology09. The Golden Mean10. I Know How You Feel11. Don't Cry12. The Smile Has Left Your Eyes13. Cutting It Fine14. Holy War/Drum Solo15. An Extraordinary Life16. Here Comes The Feeling17. Open Your Eyes18. Sole Survivor19. Heat Of The Moment

You can check out a performance clip of the song "Face On The Bridge" below.

Colombian true living death metal legends Masacre have inked a deal with Xtreem Music for the European version of their latest album Brutal Aggre666ion, the fifth in their long career for this band formed back in 1988 that has built a truly incorruptible cult status as one of the most mythic South American bands ever.

First released only for the Colombian territory through the band's own label Mórbida Prod in October 2014, Brutal Aggre666ion is another solid step in the band's discography, showing a truly brutal form of death metal in their traditional style, empowered, once again, by the production skills of Hate Eternal/ ex-Morbid Angel's Erik Rutan at his own Mana Studios in Tampa, Florida.

Brutal Aggres666ion tracklisting:

“La Guerra”
“Mutilated”
“Bullets”
“War In Hell”
“Donde Habital El Mal”
“Satanic Peace Agreement”
“Reality Death”
“The Calm Before The Storm”
“Valle De La Muerte”

“War In Hell”:

Niagara Falls, ON's metalcore quintet Take The Throne have posted their new music video “Artificial Heart” in support of their latest release Guardian available on Bandcamp and iTunes.

"We are extremely excited to release our music video for 'Artificial Heart'. The video was shot by director and cinematographer Ben Dundas and visual effects, editing and color grading by Igor Omodei of the band Uneven Structure. We had a lot of fun developing the plot for this album and can't wait to see the response from our fans! Fun fact, Nick Xourafas of the band Structures played the role of the lead soldier in the video," comments guitarist Tom Jakobs.

Take The Throne live:

May
25 – St. Catharines, ON – Detour Music Hall
26 – Barrie, ON – The Foxx
29 – Regina, SK – Mercury Café
30 – Saskatoon, SK – Mazz Fest

June
1 – Calgary, AB – Skate Shack
3 – Edmonton, AB – DV8
4 – Red Deer, AB – Slumland Theater
5 – Lethbridge, AB – Moose Hall
6 – Brandon, MB – North Hill Inn
7 – Winnipeg, MB - TBA

Irish rockers Trucker Diablo have signed a worldwide deal with Off Yer Rocka Recordings.

OYR CEO Jonni Davis commented: "They're back and what an album we have in store for you! When the masters hit our desk, we knew instantly that it was exactly the sound that OYR were looking to sign! We've known Trucker for a long time, this is a huge musical thrust north, it's just a great FKN album and sits perfectly into what we're all about, can't wait to get this one out there."

Trucker Diablo's Tom Harte added

"When we decided to set up a pledge campaign for our new album, signing with a label was far from the agenda. When OYR got in touch it was like an old friend getting in contact. We have been friends with the guys for quite a few years now and have been lucky enough to be a part of the amazing festivals they host. So for us it’s an easy decision to make this next step into the OYR family and we trust our new album will find more ears through the great team they have working with them."

Rise Above The Noise will be available via all good record stores and platforms late June with a teaser EP out shortly before.

Blending a mirage of musical influences with a desire to create evocative music, Chicago's Kastasyde are set to unleash their third album Gnosis on June 2.  The band has produced an album that is the result of a decade of experimenting with different styles of metal, rock, and acoustic music coupled with touring and forging a dedicated fan base.

Gnosis was mixed and tracked by Chris Wisco at Belle City Sound in Racine, Wisconsin.  Drum tracking was done by Pete Grossman at Bricktop Recording in Chicago.  The album features a guest guitar solo by The Black Dahlia Murder guitarist Ryan Knight as well as lap steel guitar contributions by Justin Spring.

Featuring vocalist Jarrett Roberts, guitarists Eric Kornfeind and Jerome Marshall, bassist Dustin Roberts, and drummer Garry Naples (Novembers Doom), Kastasyde is a collaborative effort of diverse influences.  With new album Gnosis the band has taken ingredients from many different genres of music to create a cohesive and exciting recording.  Gnosis shows a band that is hungry to evolve their sound and defy categorization.  Groove, atmosphere, and style take precedence for Kastasyde and Gnosis is their newest evidence of that.

Gnosis tracklisting:

“Natural State”
“Burial In The Sky”
“Gnosis”
“In The Spiral”
“Blackheart”
“Never At Peace”
“Empyrean”
“Tiamat”

“Burial In The Sky”:

North Carolina’s occult hard rockers, Demon Eye, release their new full-length, Tempora Infernalia, today (May 8th) via Soulseller Records. The track “I’ll Be Creeping” can be heard below.
 
The album was recorded and mixed by Alex Maiolo at Seriously Adequate Studio in Carrboro, NC and mastered by Pete Weiss at Verdant Studio in Southern Vermont. The band's sophomore release after last year’s debut Leave The Light, is a blast of wicked riffery and skilled song craft that conjures apocalyptic visions of a world on the brink of destruction.

Cover artwork created by John Hitselberger, Raleigh, NC:

 

 

Tempora Infernalia tracklisting:

“End Of Days”
“Listen To The Darkness”
“I’ll Be Creeping”
“See The Signs”
“Poison Garden”
“In The World, Not Of It”
“Black Winds”
“Give Up The Ghost”
“Please, Father”
“Sons Of Man”

“I’ll Be Creeping”:

Lineup:

Erik Sugg – vocals, guitars
Larry Burlison - guitars
Paul Walz - bass
Bill Eagen – drums, vocals

(Photo - Don Oneil)

Gothenburg, Sweden-based melodic metallers, Rawburt, have released a video for the new track, “The Hunter”.

"The Hunter" was recorded in Sound Industry Studios in Mölndal, Sweden with producer Julien Fabre in early spring, along with three other tracks for an upcoming EP.

In February the band released the song ”Shallow Grave” (see below) with a video of the band performing. This time they wanted to do a more untraditional hard rock video with more of a story based on the lyrics.

The video was mostly filmed in the woods of Gothenburg by drummer Anders Östman (also a photographer/videographer) with the model Izabella as the star of the video. Watch below:

“Shallow Grave” video:

 

Norwegian death metal act, Defect Designer, consisting of former members of Trollfest, Blood Red Throne, and Diskord, have signed with the Sleazy Rider record label. The band has also revealed the artwork for their upcoming album, Ageing Accelerator.

Artwork is done by Seth Siro Anthon, famous for his work with Soilwork, Paradise Lost, Moonspell, Sybreed and other acts.

 

 

Ageing Accelerator recording lineup includes such names as:

- Flo Mounier (Cryptopsy) - drums
- Stelios Mavromitis (SepticFlesh live guitarist) - guitars
- Martin Storm-Olsen (Trollfest) - guitars and clean vocals
- Christos Antoniou (SepticFlesh) - sampling and orchestration
- Dmitry Sukhinin (Diskord) - vocals, bass and guitars

Check the lyric video for “Yellow Grimace” below. According to the band, the album release date, as well as new videos, are to be posted shortly.

(Photo - Polina Helvete Kulikovskikh)

Australia’s The Amity Affliction has announced a deluxe edition of their new album, Let The Ocean Take Me. The special edition release will be available exclusively via tour sales and the band’s own store Fan pre-sales begin May 14th; Let The Ocean Take Me: Deluxe Edition goes on sale worldwide on July 10th.

Let The Ocean Take Me: Deluxe Edition appends The Amity Affliction’s 2014 album with two previously unreleased bonus tracks, “Skeletons” and “Forever”, alongside Seems Like Forever, a stunning new documentary chronicling the band’s history through last year’s epic Let The Ocean Take Me World Tour. An exclusive trailer is streaming below.

 

 

Known worldwide for their incendiary live performances, The Amity Affliction will be spending their summer traveling North America with the 2015 Vans Warped Tour, kicking off June 19th at Pomona, CA’s Pomona Fairplex and then continuing through early August.

Twilight Force have released a video for their single, "Gates Of Glory”, featuring Joakim Brodén of Sabaton on vocals.

Says the band: “Here is a mid-tour surprise to show our appreciation for your mighty support! Tonight we do battle in Bochum!”

Find the band’s live itinerary at this location.

 

Legendary guitarist Bruce Kulick (ex-KISS), in a career-spanning interview by the podcast Cobras & Fire, announces the release of a new single this June and plans for a new solo album.

Conducted prior to a Grand Funk Railroad headlining concert in Key West, Kulick shares in depth stories from topics including Michael Bolton’s shoe fetish, KISS Exposed video porn stars, Hot In The Shade drum machines, Alive III fixes, timeline of KISS reunion negotiations, and much more.

Listen below:

 

Having allowed it to remain dormant for a few years, founder and frontman Doedsadmiral has given his black metal project Svartelder a considerable infusion of both enthusiasm and talent by bringing in members of Carpathian Forest, In The Woods, Den Saakaldte, Pantheon I and Old Forest to form a new lineup.

Whilst Svartelder's roots were initially planted in Norwegian black metal, it is obvious that an influx of musicians with this kind of experience brings with it a whole different set of influences, as each of the members contribute their own skill-sets and style to the overall sound. So much so, in fact, that the band's newly debuted demo track "Askebundet" clearly shows that Svartelder's music is expanding outwards from straight black metal to include more varied elements.

 

 

As to the actual lineup itself, the musicians have kept their identities a secret by changing their usual names. Aside from Doedsadmiral on vocals, the rest of the lineup comprises Maletoth on bass and guitars, AK-47 on drums, and Kobold on keys.    

The band are currently working on their debut full-length album and will be looking for a label. The demo track "Askebundet" can be heard below:

 

Guitarist/vocalist Chris Caffery (Savatage, Trans-Siberian Orchestra) is currently working on a new solo album, due for release later this year. He has checked in with another studio update:

"Two years of writing. Six months of demos. Four months of recording after I received drums. Done! Time to master!!!

Fitting to end with 'Arm And A Leg'. It was the first song I wrote for this record. I actually wrote it as a hopeful future Doctor Butcher song but I decided to use it for this record. This song I wrote about Prohibition. It was inspired by my great grandfather who used to make moonshine a long time ago. That's all the details I'll give about that!

Really thankful for Mr Tichy to be able to come in and play the drums on this record. Such an amazing musician! He really made me push everything I did to another level. Also thankful to Mr Lonnie Park for his additional keys and vocal work. Lonnie and I will master this at the end of the week!

Also very thankful for the support and inspiration from my best friend. We are currently deciding just where we are gonna go first! Time off finally this weekend 'till June!

Thanks to all of you for your continued friendship and support! As soon as I get details on the release dates I'll let you know. I still have to get the artwork and photos together. But I'm looking at a release sometime around my birthday!"

Check out a snippet of "Arm And A Leg" below:

The tentative tracklisting for Caffery's new album, Your Heaven Is Real, is as listed:

"Your Heaven Is Real"
"Just Fine"
"Sick And Tired"
"I Never Knew"
"Too Soon To Be Too Late"
"Arm And A Leg"
"Death By Design"
"Hot Wheelz" (instrumental)
"Why"
"Damned If You Do, Dead If You Don't"
"My Light"
"2-26-15" (instrumental)
"Over And Over"
"Come Home"

LA rocker chick Diamante will be supporting Hinder on their upcoming US summer tour, alongside Full Devil Jacket. She will join the tour on June 16th in Detroit, MI, and will wrap up in Chicago on July 17th. Prior to that, Diamante will join Whitesnake for a string of dates on the Purple Tour starting June 2nd.

Diamante recently released her official video for her new single "There's A Party In My Pants (And You're All Invited)". "The people I have met living in Hollywood these past few months and the real-life experiences I've had inspired the rebellious spirit in this song," Diamante explained about the single.

Diamante dropped her new EP Dirty Blonde last month, get your copy via the Amazon widget below. For further details, visit Diamante on Facebook.

 

 

Canadian melodic metallers Borealis have inked a deal with AFM Records and will release their new album, Purgatory, on June 19th in Europe, and on July 21st in North America.

After the self-released World Of Silence (2008) and 2011’s Fall From Grace (Lion Music/Hydrant Music), now with Purgatory the band reaches a whole new level. Their value not only comes from the tasteful instrumentations, but also from Matt Marinelli’s expressive voice which elegantly guides through the twelve songs on Purgatory. Borealis create atmospheric depth like few others are able to. Their partly quite modern guitar riffs merge with classic power metal, progressive elements and a symphonic touch, to build a heavy and intense, yet melodic sound which fans of Evergrey, Kamelot and Nocturnal Rites will embrace to the fullest.

Tracklisting:

"Past The Veil"
"From The Ashes"
"The Chosen One"
"Destiny"
"Darkest Sin"
"My Peace"
"Place Of Darkness"
"Welcome To Eternity"
"Sacrifice"
"Rest My Child"
"Purgatory"
"Revelation"

Check out the following album teaser:

 

 

 

 

On June 26th, Massacre Records will release Cult, the brand new album by Finnish gothic metal band To/Die/For. It was recorded, mixed and mastered by Juho Räihä in SoundSpiral Audio, with cover art created by Raziel Kainen at Dark-Prince Graphix.

Tracklisting:
"In Black"
"Screaming Birds"
"Unknown III"
"Mere Dream"
"You"
"Straight Up"
"Let It Bleed"
"End Of Tears"
"Dying Embers" - Demo 2001 (Only on Massacre Records digipack)

The video for "Screaming Birds" can be seen below.

 

 

Finland-based symphonic metal masters NIGHTWISH have just released a new single, the title track of the band's latest album, "Endless Forms Most Beautiful", as a limited-edition MCD, 10-inch vinyl and as a download. The track listing is as follows: 01. Endless Forms Most Beautiful (album version)02. Sagan (instrumental; previously unreleased)03. Endless Forms Most Beautiful (alternate version)04. Endless Forms Most Beautiful (radio edit; previously unreleased)

The official video for the "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" song can be seen below.

As previously reported, the NIGHTWISH show in Vancouver, British Columbia on April 25 at The Orpheum was filmed for a future DVD release.

NIGHTWISH is currently on the road in North America with special guests SABATON, a Swedish heavy metal band that gives us a history lesson in their songs on war and historical battles, and Dutch female-fronted metallers DELAIN.

"Endless Forms Most Beautiful" was made available on March 27 in Europe and March 31 in the U.S. via Nuclear Blast.

The "Élan" four-track single, which arrived on February 13, features the album version of the title cut, a radio edit and an alternate version of "Élan", as well as the non-album bonus track "Sagan".

The cover artwork for "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" was created by the band's longtime collaborator Toxic Angel. Famed evolutionary biologist and atheist writer/leader Richard Dawkins appears as a guest on the effort.

Longtime NIGHTWISH drummer Jukka Nevalainen sat out the recording sessions for "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" due to health issues. He has since been replaced by Kai Hahto (WINTERSUN, SWALLOW THE SUN, TREES OF ETERNITY).

Frontiers Music Srl will release "American Trash", the new album from rock and roll veterans Jean Beauvoir and Micki Free, on June 3 in Europe and June 7 in North America.

The official video for the song "Angels Cry" can be seen below.

Best known as the driving force behind the legendary CROWN OF THORNS self-titled debut album in 1994, Beauvoir and Free's collective credits read like a "who's-who" of rock, with a list of collaborations that includes the likes of the RAMONES, KISS, Debbie Harry, THE PRETENDERS, John Waite, Lionel Richie, N'SYNC, Billy Gibbons of ZZ TOP, Bill Wyman, Carlos Santana and Prince, to name but a few.

The duo both coincidentally moved back to Los Angeles in 2003 and reconnected. They discussed joining forces again for a new project and after a few shows in Europe in 2013, a deal with Frontiers was inked for a brand new album, which was recorded in 2014.

The result is "American Trash", an album that shaped up as "the continuation of the BEAUVOIR FREE sound as the writing team for the CROWN OF THORNS debut," explains Jean Beauvoir.

"When we write together, there really is this magic. We know we want killer guitar riffs and major melodic chorus... and this is what turns out in our songs, in BEAUVOIR FREE style."

All the new songs came out like "rocking babies" in the BEAUVOIR FREE fold. "And all represent the sound only Jean and I create together. The 'inimitable' sound of BEAUVOIR FREE," says Micki Free.

"We both feel this CD is some of the best work we have done, right up their next to the CROWN OF THORNS debut," adds Jean. "We want to get out on the road and bring it to the fans. We receive a lot of enquires of, 'When are you guys coming back out on tour?' and people telling us they can't wait to hear the new material. Frankly, we can't wait for our fans to hear 'American Trash' as well."

An EPK (Electronic Press Kit) for "American Trash" is available below.

"American Trash" track listing:

01. Angels Cry02. Morning After03. American Trash04. Whiplash05. Just Breathe06. Shotgun To The Heart07. Never Give Up08. Cold Dark December09. It's Never Too Late10. She's A K.O.11. There's No Starting Over

BEAUVOIR FREE is:

* Jean Beauvoir - lead vocals and background vocals, bass, rhythm guitar, drums, keyboards and orchestration* Micki Free - lead guitar, rhythm and acoustic guitar

The GRAHAM BONNET BAND has finalized its touring and recording lineup with the addition of Chase Manhattan on drums.

The band is now comprised of:

Graham Bonnet - VocalsConrad Pesinato - GuitarBeth-Ami Heavenstone - BassChase Manhattan - Drums

The first release from GRAHAM BONNET BAND will be a two-song EP titled "My Kingdom Come", the title track being written by none other than Russ Ballard, who has had a long association with Graham dating back to RAINBOW's "Down To Earth" album (on the track "Since You Been Gone") and Graham's own "Line-Up" solo outing from 1981 ("S.O.S." and "Liar").

Graham says: "It's really great to have Russ contribute a song on our first release as a new band, I have a great history with him, having recorded several of his songs for bands and projects I have been involved in over the years."

The "My Kingdom Come" song features renowned progressive rock/metal drummer Mark Zonder (WARLORD, ex-FATES WARNING) performing all drum duties. The other track on offer, a full original band composition titled "The Mirror Lies", is a powerful song that will certainly please fans of Graham's celebrated career in hard rock.

The EP, which was mixed and mastered by Alessandro Del Vecchio, will be released in time for GRAHAM BONNET BAND's Japanese tour this coming June with MICHAEL SCHENKER'S TEMPLE OF ROCK.

As a special treat for fans of Graham and Michael's 1982 MSG release "Assault Attack", Graham will be joining Michael's band for a song or two from that album on each date of the tour.

Graham adds: "We know that this record holds a very special place for many fans, especially in Japan , so this will make the debut shows of the new band even more special."

Bookings are coming in for Graham's new band, which will see the group touring extensively over the next year in the U.K., Australia, New Zealand and the USA.

Meanwhile, in May, Graham will be partaking in the "Living Legends Of Rock" tour of the Czech Republic, Russia and the Ukraine, alongside John Lawton (URIAH HEEP) and Dan McCafferty (NAZARETH).