The Pineapple Thief will return with its most ambitious studio album to date, Your Wilderness, on August 12th (August 19th in France) via Kscope. A video for the album track “In Exile” can be found below.

Frontman Bruce Soord comments: “”In Exile” is the first track on our new album and I think it sets the tone perfectly. To me, it's immediately apparent to the listener how important Gavin [Harrison's] drumming is, as well as Darran [Charles'] fantastic guitar work - not to take away anything from the three of us in the band of course! As for the meaning, it's a song about estrangement."

Your Wilderness, the band's 11th studio album, showcases the group performing without any inhibitions, providing a springboard for the ongoing creative growth of The Pineapple Thief.

"The new album was a joy to make. More so than any other The Pineapple Thief album before it," commented Bruce Soord. "Everything came together so effortlessly and I think this comes across when you hear the record."

For the first time, The Pineapple Thief has brought in several special guest performers. Bruce Soord added: "Since our last album Magnolia, the most eye catching change is obviously having Gavin Harrison contribute drums throughout the album. This has not only redefined our sound, but also redefined how we approached the songs as a band.  Gavin's drumming is technically brilliant, but also incredibly musical, and it inspired all of us to raise our game. I've also rediscovered my progressive roots in terms of song-writing and arrangement. Added to that, we were lucky enough to have John Helliwell from Supertramp contribute some beautiful clarinet parts and Geoffrey Richardson (Caravan) provided a string quartet. We were also joined by a lovely four piece choir and, to cap it all off, my friend Darran Charles (Godsticks) added some jaw dropping guitar playing... You've never heard a The Pineapple Thief album like this one!  I am convinced people will love this record as much as we do."

Your Wilderness was recorded entirely by the band with the exception of the drums, which Gavin Harrison produced and engineered at his own studio. The string quartet which was recorded at Geoffrey's own studio in Canterbury. The album was mixed and produced by Bruce Soord and Steve Kitch with mastering duties also carried out by Kitch. There will be a special lossless 5.1 surround mix available with the special edition mixed by Soord.

Cover artist Carl Glover's thought provoking collection of photographs perfectly compliment the concept of the album, something which Soord is tight lipped about. "It should reveal itself to the listener and be open to interpretation. I don't want what it means to me to influence how it affects you."

Your Wilderness will be released on CD, LP, digitally and as a special deluxe hardbook. All formats available for pre-order at this location.

Tracklisting:

“In Exile”
“No Man’s Land”
“Tear You Up”
“That Shore”
“Take Your Shot”
“Fend For Yourself”
“The Final Thing On My Mind”
“Where We Stood”

“No Man’s Land” lyric video:

Teaser:

Despised Icon released their Nuclear Blast debut, Beast, today, July 22nd. To coincide with the band's first release since 2009's Day Of Mourning, they have released a full band performance of the track "Inner Demons". View the footage presented by ICI Musique/Radio-Canada, below:

The new album was produced and engineered by former guitarist Yannick St-Amand (Beneath The Massacre, Neuraxis) and mixed/mastered by Andy Sneap (Megadeth, Opeth, Nevermore). Artwork was created by Alexandre Goulet. Order here.

"It's been 7 years since our last record and our batteries are fully recharged," comments the band. "The O.G. lineup is back and the new shit hits hard. You'll hear sounds of our older slammin' death metal days blended with the speed and technicality of our latest records. Cheers to everyone that has stood by us after all these years. Can't wait to unleash the Beast."

Beast tracklisting:

“The Aftermath”
“Inner Demons”
“Drapeau Noir”
“Bad Vibes”
“Dedicated To Extinction”
“Grind Forever”
“Time Bomb”
“One Last Martini”
“Doomed”
“Beast”

"Bad Vibes" video:

"The Aftermath" video:

"Beast" video:

Despised Icon’s live itinerary can be found here.

(Photo - Charlie Baron)

Swedish adventure metallers, Twilight Force, have released a third video trailer for their upcoming new studio album, Heroes Of Mighty Magic, out on August 26th through Nuclear Blast. Find the new trailer below.

The band recently announced the guest bards on their forthcoming record. Fabio Lione from Rhapsody Of Fire joins them on “There And Back Again” and Joakim Brodén from Sabaton on the title track, “Heroes Of Mighty Magic”.

Joakim commented: "When one of the best bands to come out of Sweden in a long time turns out to be your friends and people you have played with many times over the years, it's quite easy to feel proud about being invited to sing on the title-track on their new album, fantastic!"

Twilight Force comments: “It is an honour to have two of the most powerful, esteemed and renowned voices of the genre appear on Heroes Of Mighty Magic. Joakim Brodén and Fabio Lione are two very different sonic entities. They each bring something very unique and captivating to our tonal landscape. Our old and revered friend Joakim appears on the title track of the album, and provides an excellent contrast to Chrileon's voice, at just the right moment in the song. Nothing in the world even comes close to Joakim's unbelievably mighty voice! Fabio did an amazing performance on 'There And Back Again'. He entered the Twilight Forge with a brave and proud mind, emerged victoriously and left us in complete awe. His familiar voice provided the track with an absolutely magical contribution. We feel really humbled and grateful to have been given the opportunity to create something alongside these two titans of the genre!”

Heroes Of Mighty Magic tracklisting:

“Battle Of Arcane Might”
“Powerwind”
“Guardian Of The Seas”
“Flight Of The Sapphire Dragon”
“There And Back Again”
“Riders Of The Dawn”
“Keepers Of Fate”
“Rise Of A Hero”
“To The Stars”
“Heroes Of Mighty Magic”
“Epilogue”
“Knights Of Twilight's Might”

“Battle Of Arcane Might” lyric video:

Trailer #1:

Trailer #2:

Trailer #3:

"This next opus of Twilight Force will be a journey unlike any you have ever experienced. While we are still staying true to the essence of power metal, the songs, sounds and magic adventures have all evolved from the once drake hatchling into a colossal arcane arch-dragon. The time, effort and primordial wisdom that we have invested into this album is truly immeasurable, and we profoundly hope that this will shine through upon our venerated audience."

(Photo - Twilight Force Facebook)

LINKIN PARK's Mike Shinoda has defended Chester Bennington's comment that the band's debut album "kept metal alive."

In a recent interview with Metal Hammer, the LINKIN PARK singer talked about fans approaching him to gush about his influence on them: "I met a kid a few days ago who said, 'You were the first rock band I ever listened to' and I hear that all the time. Every one of them was either, 'Your band was my first record.' Or, 'Your band is the reason I'm playing music.'"

Bennington went on, saying that when the band played the Vans Warped Tour in 2014, they invited other artists to perform, every single artists "was either, 'Your band was my first record.' Or, 'Your band is the reason I'm playing music.'"

He said that experience made him realize that "we were the band that people looked at in the way that I look at DEFTONES, METALLICA and STONE TEMPLE PILOTS."

Bennington added: "In my opinion we actually kept metal alive."

After a number of web sites, including BLABBERMOUTH.NET, reported on Chester's comments, Shinoda took to his Twitter account to chime in. He wrote: "Bunch of rock outlets taking Chester's 'kept metal alive' quote out of context today. So dumb. Its click bait, don't fall for it. He basically said that pop music was ruling the world, and we made a case for (commercially) viable heavy music. NBD [No Big Deal] Maybe not the best choice of words, but the sentiment wasn't as outrageous as today's rock news would have you think."

Both Bennington and Shinoda have said that the band's return to heavier sounds on their last studio album, "The Hunting Party", was partially a reaction to the more subdued music being played on Modern Rock radio.

LINKIN PARK is currently working on the follow-up to "The Hunting Party" for a 2017 release.

Bunch of rock outlets taking Chester's "kept metal alive" quote out of context today. So dumb. Its click bait, don't fall for it.

— Mike Shinoda (@mikeshinoda) July 22, 2016

He basically said that pop music was ruling the world, and we made a case for (commercially) viable heavy music. NBD

— Mike Shinoda (@mikeshinoda) July 22, 2016

Maybe not the best choice of words, but the sentiment wasn't as outrageous as today's rock news would have you think.

— Mike Shinoda (@mikeshinoda) July 22, 2016

Australia's Sticks For Stones recently conducted an interview with guitarist Wolf Hoffmann of German/American metallers ACCEPT. You can now listen to the chat in the YouTube clip below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On AC/DC's decision to hire Axl Rose to front the band after doctors told Brian Johnson he faced a total loss of hearing if he did not stop touring immediately:

Wolf: "It's not really up to me to have an opinion on that. I imagine that they had good reasons why they went with Axl. AC/DC is an amazing machinery that's been successful for so many years, so who am I to comment on their decision? I have no insights [and I don't] know [any] more [about it] than you do, and out of respect to other musicians, I wouldn't dare of having an opinion on it, or publicly voicing it anyhow. I'm sure they had good reasons why they went with Axl. Quite honestly, everybody said… I've heard a lot of people bitching about Axl and stuff, and I thought what I heard sounded pretty damn good to me. Everybody was saying, 'You can never…' But it kind of reminded me a lot of what people were saying when we started with [current ACCEPT singer] Mark Tornillo. At the end of the day, you always have to sort of wait and see and hear and listen and be objective about it, and then have an opinion, not beforehand."

On whether it was a dream come true opening for AC/DC back in 2010:

Wolf: "As you can imagine, man. I've been an AC/DC fan since the '70s. When I first heard about 'em, I got all their albums — still on vinyl back then, of course — and I've been hooked ever since. So to actually be on the same stage with them, and to be on their stage, it was amazing. It was really fantastic. It was two outdoor shows we did in Germany. I guess it was about eighty thousand people each, or sixty, but huge. It was amazing. [I] never met the guys, [I] never got to talk with them. We had to leave while they were playing, and they just came, and I guess they always do, just one minute before the show and they went straight on stage and had no time for anything. And an army of stage managers kept everybody away. Of course, I wanted to go and pay our tribute and shake hands and all that, but it never got that far."

Hoffmann has just released his second solo album, titled "Headbangers Symphony", via Nuclear Blast. The effort is a collection of rock-guitar-driven interpretations of some of classical music's most loved compositions. Wolf took the main pieces, and then wrote riffs that fit them. Lastly, in the grand hard rock tradition, he layered a guitar solo over it. He shaped the sound into a quite adventurous elegance, but the key themes of the originals remained.

According to Billboard, British heavy metal legends IRON MAIDEN have landed at position No. 8 on the list of the "Top 10 Highest-Grossing Tours" of the first half of 2016.

The band's dates in support of MAIDEN's latest album, "The Book Of Souls", brought in more than $35 million, with almost 540,000 tickets sold for its 34 concert dates.

The following were some of IRON MAIDEN' North and South American concert attendances/grosses, as reported by Billboard magazine:

Artist/Event: IRON MAIDEN, ANTHRAXVenue: Estadio Nacional Jorge Magico GonzalezCity/State: San Salvador, El SalvadorDate: March 6, 2016Gross Sales: $1,331,925Attendance/Capacity: 22,041 / 22,041Ticket Prices: $175, $15

Artist/Event: IRON MAIDEN, ANTHRAXVenue: Estadio Ricardo Saprissa AymaCity/State: San Jose, Costa Rica Date: March 8, 2016Gross Sales: $996,194Attendance/Capacity: 16,655 / 18,000Ticket Prices: $100.36, $32.84

Artist/Event: IRON MAIDEN, ANTHRAXVenue: Estadio NacionalCity/State: Santiago, ChileDate: March 11, 2016Gross Sales: $2,181,940Attendance/Capacity: 54,911 / 56,674Ticket Prices: $123.01, $28.94

Artist/Event: IRON MAIDEN, ANTHRAXVenue: Estadio Mario Alberto KempesCity/State: Cordoba, Argentina Date: March 13, 2016Gross Sales: $857,309Attendance/Capacity: 17,680 / 18,600Ticket Prices: $80.43, $36.86

Artist/Event: IRON MAIDEN, ANTHRAXVenue: Estadio Velez SarsfieldCity/State: Buenos Aires, ArgentinaDate: March 15, 2016Gross Sales: $1,558,520Attendance/Capacity: 32,629 / 32,629Ticket Prices: $77.08, $37.03

Artist/Event: IRON MAIDEN, ANTHRAXVenue: HSBC ArenaCity/State: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Date: March 17, 2016Gross Sales: $844,709Attendance/Capacity: 12,219 / 12,219Ticket Prices: $156.12, $29.11

Artist/Event: IRON MAIDEN, ANTHRAXVenue: Esplanada do MineiraoCity/State: Belo Horizonte, Brazil Date: March 19, 2016Gross Sales: $1,165,280Attendance/Capacity: 16,844 / 16,844Ticket Prices: $157.31, $34.50

Artist/Event: IRON MAIDEN, ANTHRAXVenue: Ginasio Nilson NelsonCity/State: Brasilia, Brazil Date: March 22, 2016Gross Sales: $631,263Attendance/Capacity: 10,942 / 11,380Ticket Prices: $132.45, $27.59

Artist/Event: IRON MAIDEN, ANTHRAXVenue: Arena CastelaoCity/State: Fortaleza, Brazil Date: March 24, 2016Gross Sales: $1,449,220Attendance/Capacity: 23,531 / 23,531Ticket Prices: $215.35, $13.84

Artist/Event: IRON MAIDEN, ANTHRAXVenue: Allianz ParqueCity/State: Sao Paulo, Brazil Date: March 26, 2016Gross Sales: $2,844,250Attendance/Capacity: 39,583 / 39,583Ticket Prices: $168.17, $27.12

Artist/Event: IRON MAIDEN, THE RAVEN AGEVenue: Madison Square GardenCity/State: New York City, New YorkDate: March 30, 2016Gross Sales: $1,472,331Attendance/Capacity: 13,289 / 13,289Ticket Prices: $125, $64.50

Artist/Event: IRON MAIDEN, THE RAVEN AGEVenue: Bell CentreCity/State: Montreal, Quebec, Canada Date: April 1, 2016Gross Sales: $866,918Attendance/Capacity: 14,963 / 14,963Ticket Prices: $67.47, $42.02

Artist/Event: IRON MAIDEN, THE RAVEN AGEVenue: Air Canada CentreCity/State: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Date: April 3, 2016Gross Sales: $889,288Attendance/Capacity: 13,734 / 13,734Ticket Prices: $74.91, $38.03

Artist/Event: IRON MAIDEN, THE RAVEN AGEVenue: Palace Of Auburn HillsCity/State: Auburn Hills, Michigan Date: April 5, 2016Gross Sales: $750,508Attendance/Capacity: 10,232 / 10,900Ticket Prices: $89.50, $29.50

Artist/Event: IRON MAIDEN, THE RAVEN AGEVenue: United CenterCity/State: Chicago, IllinoisDate: April 6, 2016Gross Sales: $1,085,976Attendance/Capacity: 13,968 / 13,968Ticket Prices: $89.50, $39.50

Artist/Event: IRON MAIDEN, THE RAVEN AGEVenue: Rexall PlaceCity/State: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Date: April 8, 2016Gross Sales: $842,035Attendance/Capacity: 12,813 / 12,813Ticket Prices: $74.40, $22.51

Artist/Event: IRON MAIDEN, THE RAVEN AGEVenue: Rogers ArenaCity/State: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Date: April 9, 2016Gross Sales: $794,762Attendance/Capacity: 12,478 / 13,405Ticket Prices: $74.59, $22.57

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

MAIDEN's sixteenth — and first-ever double — studio album, "The Book Of Souls", was released worldwide on September 4, 2015 through Parlophone Records (BMG in the U.S.A). The CD was recorded in Paris, France with producer Kevin "Caveman" Shirley in late 2014, with the finishing touches added last year.

IRON MAIDEN announced in May 2015 that touring plans to support the album wouldn't happen until this year to allow singer Bruce Dickinson time to fully recuperate after his successful cancer treatment.

"What's special about this tour is that a year ago I didn't even know if I could sing," Dickinson told reporters in February. "We've had an amazing turnaround in fortune after, obviously being ill a year ago, getting rid of that, and getting out and looking forward to doing the tour."

Regarding the fan reception to the new CD and the tour, Dickinson said: "The album was a massive success, and we were about that far [finger and thumb barely separated] off from getting the No. 1 slot [in its debut week on The Billboard 200 chart]. So now, we get to bring it out to the people, and, I mean, there [were] a few tickets left but not many. Pretty much the whole of the U.S. [was] sold out. It's amazing."

SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor had a "fan" ejected from the band's concert in Toronto, calling the spectator "a cunt" and explaining that he has been "doing this too long to deal with that disrespect."

The incident happened while SLIPKNOT was performing the song "(sic)" on July 19 at Air Canada Centre. Fan-filmed video footage shows Taylor pointing at someone in the crowd and saying into the mic: "You don't show me shit, you little pussy." He continues singing the song while keeping his finger pointed at the culprit. Within fifteen seconds, the security apparently reaches the audience member in question and has him escorted out. Taylor can be seen changing his hand gesture into a wave and saying, "Bye bye. Yup. Bye bye, bitch," as the unruly fan is being led out of the venue.

Corey addressed the incident on Twitter a couple of hours later, insisting that the ejected fan was being "a cunt." He added: "And I've been doing this too long to deal with that disrespect."

The SLIPKNOT frontman made headlines earlier in the month when he joined DISTURBED singer David Draiman in having no patience for fans texting or chatting on phones during their shows. A short video clip of Taylor smacking the phone out of the hand of a texting fan during a recent SLIPKNOT concert surfaced online, with Corey later explaining his action by tweeting, "If you're gonna text, stay home." Taylor later claimed in a separate post that the fan "TOTALLY understood the fuckup and we laughed together."

When a female fan responded to Taylor that she always sends a few texts when she's at a show to check on her daughter, Taylor replied, "Fair enough. But you might wanna do it between sets or between songs. Am I right?"

Taylor recently discussed his dislike for people using their phones at concerts in an interview with Detroit radio station WRIF, saying: "So many people have their faces glued to their phones and they're not paying attention...get off your phones and pay attention to what the hell you're doing."

The singer admitted that he sees people looking at their phones "every once in a while" at SLIPKNOT shows, adding, "If they do, they do it from quite a ways back, because I empty whole water bottles into people as soon as I see them staring at their phone or tweeting or whatever."

He added, "People need to unplug and realize that they're missing their lives, dude. It's sad. And that may be me just being an old jerk, but I don't care. I don't care. Truth is truth; it doesn't matter what age you're at."

Taylor told The Pulse Of Radio not long ago that he's long past the point of holding back his anger about things that bother him. "I guess I've just gotten to the point in my life where I'm just tired of holding back," he said. "After a while, you see all this stuff pile up, if you don't say anything man, you're just gonna drive your car into a brick wall, you know. You're just gonna lose it one day and they'll find you running down the boardwalk naked. I've just gotten to the point where it's just like, 'Man, I've got to say something,' just to get it off my own chest."

Taylor is performing with a neck brace on SLIPKNOT's summer North American tour with MARILYN MANSON after undergoing spinal surgery last month.

SCORPIONS guitarist Rudolf Schenker has refused to be drawn into a public war of words with his brother Michael after the former UFO axeman accused him of being "a trick master" and "a wannabe."

Michael Schenker gave a number of interviews in recent months in which he questioned his brother's integrity, going so far as to call Rudolf "a con artist" who "completely adopted [Michael's] image" as his own. He also denounced the SCORPIONS for "distorting" the story of his brief tenure with the band and criticized what he saw as ongoing efforts to minimize the contributions of the group's former drummer Herman Rarebell and ex-bassist Francis Buchholz, as well as SCORPIONS' long-running creative complacency.

During a June 23 interview at the Copenhell festival in Copenhagen, Denmark, Rudolf — who is seven years older than Michael — said that he was aware of the statements that his brother has been making, but that he had no intention of responding to them publicly.

"Some people were sending me stuff [from online interviews where Michael has made some comments]," Rudolf told Nalle Österman of Finland's Etelä-Suomen Media news agency and Iltamakasiini magazine. "But I can say to all these things: I love my brother. He's an outstanding guitar player. That's all what I can say."

Michael Schenker said earlier this year that he was "disappointed" in his 67-year-old brother over the way the SCORPIONS described his time with the band during the writing and recording of the 1979 album "Lovedrive". Michael also claimed that that the SCORPIONS took advantage of him and took credit for his songwriting efforts. It all came to light, Michael said, when he was approached to help with the recent 50th-anniversary SCORPIONS reissues.

Michael told the SiriusXM satellite radio show "Eddie Trunk Live" that he had no intention of reaching out to his older brother to clear the air. He explained: "My side of the street is clear. I'm just very disappointed. And Rudolf has to figure out what to do with his life. It's on his shoulders. He knows exactly what he did. And so I stay away from him as far as I can, because I don't know what else he's got up his sleeve to justify things. He's a trick master, and he's a wannabe. And that's it. He can do whatever he wants. He can enjoy his life on every level that he wants. But I stay away from him. I'm his younger brother. He's basically bullying me and he's doing with me whatever he wants."

Former SENTENCED and POISONBLACK frontman Ville Laihiala has launched a new band called S-TOOL. He is joined in the Finland-based group by drummer Aksu Hanttu (ENTWINE), bassist Kimmo Hiltunen (LULLACRY) and guitarist Sami Leppikangas. Laihiala describes the band’s sound as more straightforward and heavier than POISONBLACK and SENTENCED, and he draws parallels to PANTERA and ENTOMBED.

S-TOOL recently started a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for the recording of the band's debut album. Ville said: "For years, we all have been doing albums with record companies, but hearing, seeing and feeling the people's support at the live shows, fan web sites etc., we'd want to take a different road this time. It would mean a world to us to do it this way. Together. For it is still the fans who keep the bands alive. And, honestly, we do not have the funds to finish the album. So, with whatever amount you can help us will be grately appreciated and remembered."

S-TOOL's video for the song "Shovel Man" can be seen below.

S-TOOL is:

Ville Laihiala (SENTENCED, POISONBLACK) - Vocals, GuitarSami Leppikangas - GuitarKimmo Hiltunen (LULLACRY) - BassAksu Hanttu (ENTWINE) - Drums

POISONBLACK announced last August that it was taking an indefinite hiatus, explaining that it was "time to stop and think about the future." The band's sixth studio album, "Lyijy", was released in September 2013.

Photo credit: Jani Mahkonen / Loma Graphics

Quality fan-filmed video footage of GUNS N' ROSES' July 23 performance at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey can be seen below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. It's So Easy02. Mr. Brownstone03. Chinese Democracy04. Welcome To The Jungle05. Double Talkin' Jive06. Estranged07. Live And Let Die (WINGS cover)08. Rocket Queen09. You Could Be Mine10. Attitude (MISFITS cover)11. This I Love12. Civil War13. Coma14. Speak Softly Love (Love Theme From "The Godfather") (ANDY WILLIAMS cover)15. Sweet Child O' Mine16. Better17. Out Ta Get Me18. Wish You Were Here (PINK FLOYD cover)19. November Rain20. Knockin' On Heaven's Door (BOB DYLAN cover)21. Nightrain

Encore:

22. Patience23. The Seeker (THE WHO cover)24. Paradise City

Check out reviews of the concert from Daily News, Newsday.

GUNS N' ROSES' "Not In This Lifetime" stadium tour features classic lineup members Slash (guitar), Duff McKagan (bass) and Axl Rose (vocals) backed by drummer Frank Ferrer, guitarist Richard Fortus, keyboardist Dizzy Reed and new second keyboardist Melissa Reese.

Of the 25 shows GUNS N' ROSES is playing on the "Not In This Lifetime" stadium tour, 12 have either sold out or are close to it, with concert promoter Live Nation saying it expected to sell out five more on an average ticket price of $130.

Live Nation exec Bob Roux predicted the company would sell one million tickets for the tour, roughly 90 percent of what's available. He added that some less well-attended shows were the result of the band playing cities it wanted to play, rather than sticking to the highest population centers that would better guarantee sellouts.

Drummer Steven Adler performed with the reunited GUNS N' ROSES for the second time on July 9 in Nashville, and also spent some time with Slash, McKagan, Ferrer and Reese during soundcheck. Adler joined GUNS for "My Michelle" and "Out Ta Get Me", the same songs he played with them in his first appearance on this tour on July 6 in Cincinnati.

The "Not In This Lifetime" tour will play MetLife Stadium again tonight (Sunday, July 24) before hitting Atlanta, Georgia's Georgia Dome on Wednesday, July 27.

Tampa-based melodic death metal band THE ABSENCE has released its first song in three years, titled "Septic Testament". The track is the band's first to feature their two new guitar players: Joey Concepcion (ARMAGEDDON) and Taylor Nordberg (RIBSPREADER, INFERNAEON).

"Septic Testament" was recorded at Smoke & Mirrors Productions by Jeramie Kling and Taylor Nordberg. It was mixed by David Castillo (BLOODBATH, OPETH, KATATONIA) at Ghost Ward Studios and was mastered by Thomas "Plec" Johansson at The Panic Room. The song is available for purchase at Bandcamp, as well as iTunes, Google Play and Spotify.

THE ABSENCE drummer Jeramie Kling stated about the band's new lineup: "We had Per Nilsson (SCAR SYMMETRY) playing guitar with us when we put out 'Oceans' in 2013, but he was unable to tour with us so we had to find a fill-in guitarist. Taylor and I had played together in INFERNAEON and so we've had him playing with us live since 2013. When Per became tied up with SCAR SYMMETRY full-time, Taylor was the obvious choice to be a permanent member. Then last summer Pat [Pintavalle, guitar] decided to leave the band to pursue his own musical ventures. I had been friends with Joey on Facebook and had seen his insane guitar videos, so we invited him down to jam with us and bam! The rest is history."

THE ABSENCE has finished writing a full-length album and has begun recording at Kling's Smoke & Mirrors Productions for an early 2017 release.

THE ABSENCE vocalist Jamie Stewart stated about the making of the new CD: "Writing this album with Jeramie, Taylor and Joey has been a fantastic experience, to say the very least. For me personally, it brought back a feeling of the early days when we first started playing; back to a time when it was all together, a visceral experience, long before the business side sunk its inevitable hooks in. I cannot wait for the world to hear the best album this band has made to date!"

The "Septic Testament" cover artwork was created by Tyler Gearhart at Voidscape Visions.


Septic Testament by The Absence

Fan-filmed video footage of QUEENSRŸCHE's July 21 performance at the Jackson County Fair in Central Point, Oregon can be seen below.

QUEENSRŸCHE will embark on a month-long headlining tour of the United States in November. Support on the trek will come from ARMORED SAINT and MIDNIGHT ETERNAL.

QUEENSRŸCHE hired singer Todd La Torre to replace Geoff Tate in 2012 and has released two albums with the ex-CRIMSON GLORY frontman: 2013's "Queensrÿche" and the aforementioned "Condition Hüman".

"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 guitarist Michael Wilton recently spoke to the "Music Mania" podcast about the role La Torre has played in rebuilding the band's classic sound and reconnecting with some of the early QUEENSRŸCHE fans who didn't care for the last few albums that the band recorded with Tate. "Well, obviously, it's critical," he said. "I mean, just how [the pairing with Todd] happened, I guess, it's fate. But thrust into that position, it's not an easy deal, and he's a trooper for doing it. He has the musical ability and he has the songwriting frenzy that we need. And we're touring a lot and everything, so it's been a good gelling, growing process for Todd. It's not easy when you've got such hardcore fans, but he's won the fans the over, he's won so many people over, and it's so great to see all the great crowds that are coming to see QUEENSRŸCHE now with Todd. The energy's back, the band's playing great, and he's a great frontman. He's the guy that's given everybody in the band a good shot in the arm of adrenaline. And we're having fun playing all over the world. He's definitely at home. And we get so many compliments of, like, 'You couldn't have found a more perfect person to replace your old singer,' and it's just like that every show that we go to; people are just so into Todd."

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

Former SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo says that he has two "surprises" planned for his fans, both of which will be revealed before the end of the year.

Lombardo, who has been touring with SUICIDAL TENDENCIES for the last few months in addition to playing select shows with his DEAD CROSS project, was asked by Orbita Rock three weeks ago at the Rock Al Parque festival in Bogota, Colombia what is coming up for him in the near future. He said: "I have a new DEAD CROSS album coming out and two other surprises that I'm gonna release in the next, probably, six months, which I can't talk about."

As previously reported, Lombardo is rumored to have been recruited by the classic-era lineup of the horror punk outfit MISFITS to play drums for the band for their upcoming shows at the end of the summer.

Glenn Danzig, Jerry Only and Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein will reunite for first time since 1983 to headline this year's Riot Fest.

The reunion, billed as "The Original Misfits," will take place at the Riot Fest in Denver and Chicago. The first show is scheduled for September 2-4 at Denver's Riot Fest And Rodeo, while the second will happen at Riot Fest And Carnival, set for September 16-18 in Chicago.

SUICIDAL TENDENCIES' new album, "World Gone Mad", will be released on September 30. The follow-up to 2013's "13" disc will be the band's first to feature Lombardo and guitarist Jeff Pogan, who replaced Nico Santora in May.

In addition to Lombardo, DEAD CROSS features members of THE LOCUST and RETOX.

Joe Perry rejoined the HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES' tour Friday night (July 22) at Rohnert Park, California's Weill Hall at Sonoma State University. It was his first appearance with the band since July 10, when he became ill at a HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES performance at the Ford Amphitheater in New York's Coney Island.

HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES' 90-minute set in Rohnert Park reportedly started a half-hour late and included cover versions of mostly hits by deceased rock stars, including David Bowie's "Rebel Rebel" and "Suffragette City", THE DOORS' "Five To One/Break On Through (To The Other Side)", THE BEATLES' "Come Together", THE WHO's "My Generation" and LED ZEPPELIN's "Whole Lotta Love".

The show was seen by nearly 3,500 concert-goers, many of whom had come to see film star Johnny Depp, who plays guitar for the HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES.

Sources close to Perry and the HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES told Premiere Networks that a combination of dehydration and exhaustion caused the AEROSMITH guitarist to collapse backstage in New York, resulting in a trip to the hospital.

After being taken to nearby Coney Island Hospital, Perry was transferred to Columbia Presbyterian in Manhattan. After his release from the hospital, he flew to California, where he had been resting prior to rejoining HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES on the road.

Meanwhile, the VAMPIRES — which also include Alice Cooper, ex-GUNS N' ROSES drummer Matt Sorum and STONE TEMPLE PILOTS bassist Robert DeLeo — continued with the tour, which will wrap up on Monday, July 25 at the California Mid- State Fair.

Perry is scheduled to hit the road with AEROSMITH for a series of concerts later this summer and in early fall, beginning with a September 17 appearance at the Kaaboo festival in Del Mar, California.

Chicago-based metal band THE BLOODLINE, which features former members of DIRGE WITHIN and DIVINE HERESY, is writing material for its sophomore album. Guitarist Shaun Glass states: "So far I would say the songs have a tad more diversity in the songs and focus on big grooves and huge melodies. One new song, 'Awakening', is definitely gonna be a fan fave, I would bet."

THE BLOODLINE's debut album, "We Are One", was released in May 2015 via Another Century. The CD was recorded in 2014 with producer Joel Wanasek (RIGHTEOUS VENDETTA, VINYL THEATRE).

Regarding THE BLOODLINE's formation, singer Travis Neal told the National Rock Review: "The history of the band basically came from we were all in a band together called DIRGE WITHIN. I joined the band late in the band's career. We played a handful of shows as DIRGE, and, you know, they had a record that was out. [It] cycled for a while, so they wanted to write and start getting on a new record. So we set out to write the new record. Just slowly, we all decided that the more the music came out, the more we realized it wasn't DIRGE WITHIN at all; it was a new band. You know, DIRGE had some history behind and stuff like that. So we just kind of decided to kill the band name and start fresh — start over again with a fresh slate and a whole new brand. It's kind of a bold move for a band that's already established and has a following and tours under their belt as well as two national releases. We just felt the band wasn't the same band anymore and we needed to move forward."

Travis described THE BLOODLINE's sound as "basically a heavy active rock band. We have rock and metal tinges in our music. But overall, I would say this genre is coined active rock. We definitely keep our roots as heavy musicians. We add it in there. I guess especially with the vocals, the screams and stuff like that; I try to add them in as accents."

THE BLOODLINE is:

Shaun Glass - GuitarFrankie Harchut - DrumsChuck Wepfer - GuitarMike Sylvester - BassTravis Neal - Vocals

Former METALLICA bassist Jason Newsted took part in a Mighty Fine Guitars live Facebook webcast on Friday, July 22. The event was hosted by Stevie Coyle. Newsted debuted his new, mostly acoustic project, WOULD AND STEAL — in which he is joined by Rob Tucker — and spoke about his decision to embark on this brand new musical journey three decades after he joined METALLICA as the replacement for Cliff Burton.

Newsted said (see video below): "After thirty years of playing heavy music and travelling around the world — I've been around the globe about five and a half times, fifty-five countries — I've already climbed that mountain; there is no more of that mountain to be climbed. So within the accolades that I shared of the group's success — I was one member of that group, something bigger than all of us; and we got Grammy Awards and [Rock And Roll] Hall Of Fame and all those different things — that's as far as you can go in that kind of music, and it's someone else's turn to have fun in that music now."

He continued: "I can't play like SLIPKNOT now; those guys are heavier and faster than I could ever dream of playing now. So this is how I can play, and this is what I'll do for the rest of time.

"I always wanna play music; I have to have it in my every day, and if I don't, I'll go mad — literally. Anybody that knows me knows that. And so now as I play this, I find myself being able to expose myself to more people. I'd say age four to ninety-four can listen to this music and enjoy it. How can't you like Johnny Cash? How can't you like 'Will The Circle Be Unbroken?' You have to like those songs, American music like that."

Despite the more laid-back musical direction of his new project, Newsted was quick to point out that he still plays metal "all the time. But this project happens to be this style of music," he added. "This happens to be the thing right now that I wanna share with everybody. So it's no different attitude, approach or commitment to this music as it is in metal. It's the same — the commitment to whatever style of music is always the same; I go all the way in — and now it's to the point that I just wanna do it and share it. There's not a big deal about making a bunch of money at it or any of those things, or, 'Hey, look at me here. Check me out,' or competing with anybody else; that no longer exists for me. Whatever happens in our studio now is what we're trying to share with people and anybody that gives a crap. If they wanna come and share it, that's cool. And if they don't, and they only like metal and wanna listen to metal, then peace, and more power to you. I'm doing this, and that's what's good for me. And I hope everybody else decides what's good for them."

Newsted and undisclosed "friends" will play two acoustic benefit concerts for Little Kids Rock, which provides children in economically challenged school districts with instruments and music education, on August 5 and August 6 at Mighty Fine Guitars in Lafayette, California.

Jason in February 2014 canceled an appearance at Australia's Soundwave festival with his NEWSTED project, citing "private and personal circumstances." The cancelation followed more than a year of intense touring and promotional activity surrounding the release of NEWSTED's "Metal" EP and follow-up album, "Heavy Metal Music", both of which were positively received by the critics and fans alike.

In September 2014, Newsted announced that he was no longer on "Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or any other social networking web site" and added that he had "no affiliation with any such impostor sites using his name or likeness unlawfully."

After staying mostly out of the public eye for the past couple of years, Newsted rejoined Canadian metal innovators VOIVOD on stage during their June 8 concert at Slim's in San Francisco, California.

Jason left METALLICA back in 2001 but was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2009, along with guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield, drummer Lars Ulrich, guitarist Kirk Hammett, and the man who replaced him, bassist Robert Trujillo.



Jason Newsted plays guitar (and unplugged-ish) at Mighty Fine ...
Jason Newsted plays guitar (and unplugged-ish) at Mighty Fine Guitars in Lafayette, CA. Not to worry ... the sideways orientation gets fixed quickly. That's fellow Chophouse denizen Rob Tucker on cajon and vocals. Special thanks to Valerie May, AKA Shegor, Mistress of the Machines.

This is the debut show of Would and Steal.

Posted by Mighty Fine Guitars on Friday, July 22, 2016

Professionally filmed video footage of former W.A.S.P. guitarist Chris Holmes and his MEAN MAN solo band performing a cover version of the BLACK SABBATH classic "Electric Funeral" on April 30 at Rock Fest at Théâtre de Verdure in Nice, France can be seen below.

Holmes's latest album, "Shitting Bricks", was released last year via M & O Music.

In an interview with Noisey, Holmes talked about his decision to move to France back in 2014. He said: "My wife is from France. But since I left W.A.S.P. I dangled around in L.A., trying to find musicians to play with, but it just didn't work out. The change of culture in the last ten years… My kind of music isn't played that much — not like it was in the '80s."

He continued: "[A few] years ago, I pulled into a 7-11, and this kid got out of his car. He wasn't listening to rock. When I was his age, that's all I listened to. That made me realize the kind of music I do here anymore… [He was listening to] hip-hop. And I just don't play that kind of music."

Holmes added: "I was talking to one of my friend's kids — he's in high school — and I asked him, 'Why don't you listen to rock, like DEEP PURPLE or something?' And he said, 'Man, that's pussy music.' This is a white kid. So I thought, if people don't listen to this kind of music anymore, why should I even be here? I'm in my 50s, but I want to still keep on going, kind of. So I talked to my wife and we decided to move. They listen to rock more over here. There's lots more concerts and stuff."

Holmes joined W.A.S.P. in 1982 and remained with the group until 1990. In 1996, Holmes rejoined W.A.S.P. and stayed with the band until 2001. Holmes has not played with W.A.S.P. since.

Holmes in 2013 released a solo album called "Nothing To Lose". Chris composed, performed, and produced the music and vocals, and teamed up with former MOTÖRHEAD drummer Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor to perform on and engineer the effort.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH has unveiled the video for its next single, "I Apologize". Culled from the band's sixth studio album, "Got Your Six", the chilling clip follows Ivan Moody through a cemetery housing our era's most notable deceased rock icons, ranging from Elvis Presley to Kurt Cobain and Amy Winehouse to Jimi Hendrix. The clip was shot at Los Angeles's famed Angelus Rosedale Cemetery with Nathan Cox directing the band-conceived storyline.

Said the band in a statement: "The video is a dark somber metaphor that speaks for itself. [We] don't think we need a parallel narrative to explain it or emphasize its impact as almost everyone knows someone struggling with some form of addiction. It's real for everybody.

"We have even been losing exceptionally bright, talented people who you'd assume know better.

"No matter how much support you provide, ultimately it's everyone's own decision to face their demons or perish."

"I Apologize" is the fourth single from "Got Your Six", which hit new chart heights for the band around the world following its September 2015 release.

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

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

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

THE END, the new old-school Florida death metal trio featuring ex-DEATH/MASSACRE guitarist Rick Rozz, ex-MASSACRE drummer Mike Mazzonetto and vocalist/bassist Michael Grim, will release its debut EP, "Age Of Apocalypse", on September 23 via FDA Rekotz.

Formed in 2015 in Altamonte Springs, THE END "combines the classic Floridian death metal, well known from the early '90s, bloodsoaked heaviness and modern influences with catchy-as-fuck hooklines," according to a press release.

"Age Of Apocalypse" was recorded at CGM Studios in Altamonte Springs, Florida with producer/engineer Tim Vazquez.

The track listing for the effort is as follows:

01. Age Of Apocalypse02. Crawling Back To Life03. Silent Screams Of Death04. Inhale The Plague

The cover art was created by Misanthropic Art and can be seen below.

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz, CANNIBAL CORPSE frontman George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher and ex-THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER drummer Shannon Lucas have set SERPENTINE DOMINION as the name of their new extreme project. Accoding to a posting on SERPENTINE DOMINION's newly launched Facebook page, the first music from the new band will make its online debut on August 11.

Dutkiewicz in 2013 spoke to Decibel magazine about how SERPENTINE DOMINION came together. He said: "When [KILLSWITCH] toured with CANNIBAL CORPSE and BLACK DAHLIA on the [Rockstar Energy Drink] Mayhem [Festival], I was just hanging out with George one night, and I was like, 'Dude, if I wrote you a bunch of songs to sing over, would you do it?' And he was like, 'Fuck yeah, man!'" he said.

Asked if this was material he had sitting around that he thought George would be good for, or if these were songs that were written specifically for George to sing, Adam said: "They were written specifically for him. He's one of my favorite singers of all time, and I thought there wouldn't be any harm in at least asking him. Once he said yes, it was like, 'Alright — let's go!'"

Regarding the musical direction of the new project, Adam said: "It's not straight death metal — there's some melodic elements in there — but it's much faster and more aggressive than KILLSWITCH is. And the drums are blazing, so Shannon is probably one of the only guys on the face of the earth who could pull this off."

Fisher told "The Jasta Show" last year that KILLSWITCH ENGAGE singer Jesse Leach ended up writing all the lyrics for SERPENTINE DOMINION. He explained: "I originally was going to write stuff [for the new band], and you know what? [Writing lyrics has] just never been my thing, and we were getting down to when I was supposed to go up there [and lay down my vocals]. And [Adam] just said, 'Look, I'll ask Jesse to write some stuff.' So he wrote it, and I just said I don't want no pro-religious crap 'cause I ain't about all that. Anyway, so it's more just about like getting revenge against corrupt motherfuckers and shit like that."

He continued: "And so [Jesse] wrote a bunch of lyrics and Adam arranged a lot of it, and then when I went up there, we recorded it in his bedroom of his house. And, basically, I would be, like, 'No, wait. We've gotta change this, fix that.' Maybe we'd tweak a word or take a word out or take a couple words out or take some lines out. We just basically fucked with it, you know? And I went up two [or] three different times [to work on the vocals]."

SLAYER played a special intimate show Thursday night (July 21) at the House Of Blues in San Diego, California during this year's San Diego Comic-Con International (SDCC).

Fan-filmed video footage of the entire concert can be seen below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Repentless02. Disciple03. Postmortem04. Hate Worldwide05. War Ensemble06. When The Stillness Comes07. You Against You08. Mandatory Suicide09. Fight Till Death10. Dead Skin Mask11. Die By The Sword12. The Antichrist13. Born Of Fire14. Seasons In The Abyss15. South Of Heaven16. Raining Blood17. Black Magic18. Angel Of Death

As previously reported, SLAYER and its record label, Nuclear Blast, have teamed with comic-book publisher Dark Horse for a three-part title based on the band's revenge-themed music videos "Repentless" and "You Against You", both of which share a story arc devised by director BJ McDonnell ("Hatchet III"). The first issue, "Slayer: Repentless, Vol. 1", will come out later this year.

"I think of the songs I write as stories," SLAYER guitarist Kerry King told Rolling Stone. "And if nothing else, they are certainly visual. BJ managed to string it all together so it made sense."

The comics were written by Jon Schnepp, a former "Metalocalypse" director who previously helmed AVENGED SEVENFOLD's animated series based around "Hail To The King" and EXODUS' "Downfall" video.

"My philosophy as far as anybody working on anything regarding SLAYER, be it the album cover art or video concepts, is to let the people who do that for a living do it," Kerry said. "That's how we started working with [cover artist] Larry Carroll for 'Reign In Blood', 'South Of Heaven' and 'Seasons In The Abyss'. We gave him songtitles, lyrics, just things to put ideas in his head."

King admitted that he has never been much of a comics fan. "I've got a handful from when I was super young and then a handful from the early nineties when I got back into collecting sports stuff, but certainly not a ton of them," he said. "I love comic-book movies, be it 'X-Men', 'The Avengers', 'Iron Man', 'Thor', since those are always killer."

SERIOUS BLACK to release sophomore album "Mirrorworld" on September 9th.

The year 2015 started more than promising for fans of high class melodic metal: SERIOUS BLACK, a so-called “allstar band” appeared on the scene and dropped their highly acclaimed debut album ‘As Daylight Breaks’. Much to the surprise of many, the band indeed proved to be a real band and they kept their promise of rocking the stages wherever possible. So during only a year they not only successfully released a fantastic debut album, but also went on extensive European tours with HammerFall and later Gamma Ray. In addition, SERIOUS BLACK was chosen to be special guest on Kamelot’s German Summer shows and also played numerous festivals in Europe. Being that active in the past 18 months, it’s surprising to see the band announcing a brand new studio album already. You’ll be even more surprise when “Mirrorworld” sees its release: SERIOUS BLACK have managed to excel their excellent debut! Prepare for something special: the “Mirrorworld” opens on September 9th…

"Mirrorworld" will be available as CD, Digipak (7 bonus tracks), ltd. Vinyl, ltd. Vinyl bundle ("Mirrorworld" + "As Daylight Breaks") & ltd. box set.

Tracklisting:

01 Breaking The Surface
02 As Long As I’m Alive
03 Castor Skies
04 Heartbroken Soul
05 Dying Hearts
06 You’re Not Alone
07 Mirrorworld
08 Emotional Blackmail (Digipak Bonus)
09 The Life That You Want (Digipak Bonus)
10 State of My Despair
11 The Unborn Never Die
12 This Machine Is Broken (Digipak Bonus)
13 Hello Moon (Digipak Bonus)
14 Goodbye My Angel (Digipak Bonus)
15 I Show You My Heart - Acoustic Version (Digipak Bonus)
16 Sealing My Fate - Acoustic Version (Digipak Bonus)

Rob Halford (JUDAS PRIEST), Stephen Pearcy (RATT), Mark Slaughter (SLAUGHTER) and Taime Downe (FASTER PUSSYCAT) performed with HAIRBALL at Badlands Motor Speedway at "The Hair Ball" on Wednesday, July 20. The event, which was originally scheduled for June 17 but postponed due to severe weather, was one of the first rock concerts to be held at the newly renovated Badlands Motor Speedway in Brandon, South Dakota, all in support of a massive fundraiser for the Brennan Rock & Roll Academy.

HAIRBALL — billed as "A Bombastic Celebration of Arena Rock" — has firmly established its status as the top-drawing rock tribute show in the nation, featuring stunning recreations of rock's biggest superstars backed by world class musicians and enhanced by a massive stage show, huge pyrotechnics, video and special effects.

Prior to the event, HAIRBALL creator Mike "Chainsaw Caine" Findling said: "This concert at Badlands Motor Speedway is going to be the biggest and best of everything that HAIRBALL is all about. We've been building up to this for 16 years, and to have the voice of JUDAS PRIEST, Rob Halford, join us for this event is a rock and roll dream come true."

Chuck Brennan, founder of the Brennan Rock & Roll Academy, echoed that enthusiasm. "We're in the business of making history in racing and entertainment," Brennan said. "Adding Rob Halford to this lineup makes this a truly historic occasion in every way. His support of the kids is incredible!"

JUDAS PRIEST's latest album, "Redeemer Of Souls", was released in July 2014. The follow-up to 2008's double-disc concept album "Nostradamus" was billed as a return to JUDAS PRIEST's heavy-metal roots.

Last night-Badlands Motor Speedway, South DakotaRob Halford & Stephen Pearcy "Livin' After Midnight" Judas Priest! pic.twitter.com/zGPgld8ttk

— STEPHEN PEARCY (@StephenEPearcy) July 22, 2016

Rob Halford/SEP July 20, 2016 pic.twitter.com/l3qseTnPGO

— STEPHEN PEARCY (@StephenEPearcy) July 22, 2016

"Bizarre", the new video from STRYPER frontman Michael Sweet, can be seen below. The song is taken from Sweet's seventh solo album, "One Sided War", which will be released on August 26 via Rat Pak Records. Backing Michael on the record are WHITESNAKE guitarist Joel Hoekstra, EVANESCENCE drummer Will Hunt, bassist John O'Boyle and East Coast shred-master Ethan Brosh.

"One Sided War" showcases a full plate of hard rock and classic metal riffs that Michael Sweet has come to be known for throughout his illustrious musical career.

The album, which was recorded at Spirithouse Recording Studios in Northampton, Massachusetts, is available for pre-order at this location.

"Musically, it's my heaviest solo album," Sweet said. "It's not thrash metal but there are definitely some songs on there that will pop out at you. There are some songs that have a bit of the IRON MAIDEN / DIO feel to them, as well as some songs that have a little bit of a VAN HALEN influence to them. It's a very guitar-oriented, hard rock/metal album with lots of melodies and hooks." The fast and furious opener "Bizarre" ignites the album's pace with its lightning fast riffage, soaring vocals and blazing guitar solos. Tracks like "Can't Take This Life", "One Sided War", "Golden Age", "I Am" and "Comfort Zone" keep the metal fires ablaze, while songs like "Radio", "One Way" and "You Make Me Wanna" bring the hard rock vibe to the forefront.

"One Sided War" features only one ballad, "Who Am I?", a heartfelt, passionate song that reminds us of the softer side of Michael's talents. Closing out the disc is a bonus track; it's a different version of the song "Can't Take This Life", a duet between Michael and 16-year-old up-and-coming female vocalist Moriah Formica.

An EPK that talks about the CD and contains samples of "Bizarre" and "Radio" is available below.

"One Sided War" track listing:

01. Bizarre02. One Sided War03. Can't Take This Life04. Radio05. Golden Age06. Only You07. I Am08. Who Am I09. You Make Me Wanna10. Comfort Zone11. One Way Up12. Can't Take This Life (bonus track; feat; Moriah Formica)

Sweet is best known as the singer, guitarist, songwriter and producer for Christian rock pioneers STRYPER, who have sold over ten million albums worldwide. In addition to STRYPER, Sweet has had a successful solo career, and he served as the guitarist and co-vocalist for the legendary classic rock band BOSTON from 2007 to2011. The future remains bright for a man who has endured heartbreaking tribulations throughout his life and career, including the 2009 passing of his wife of more than 22 years, Kyle. In 2010, Sweet remarried to Lisa Champagne-Sweet, a woman he describes as "a Godsend and the one who fits perfectly by my side." Sweet continues to record and tour with STRYPER, as well as touring and recording as a solo artist.

METAL ALLEGIANCE, the all-star metal band consisting of a rotating cast of musicians, including members of TESTAMENT and DEATH ANGEL, will release a special EP, titled "Fallen Heroes", on August 12. The band united to pay homage to the three legends — Lemmy Kilmister, David Bowie and Glenn Frey — who impacted not just their lives but the world as well.

A five-minute video clip in which METAL ALLEGIANCE guitarist Alex Skolnick discusses the loss of the three legends as well as how the songs were chosen can be seen below.

"The end of 2015 and most of 2016 has been a brutal year with many of our heroes passing," comments METAL ALLEGIANCE's Mark Menghi. "When [METAL ALLEGIANCE drummer Mike] Portnoy called me in January to alert me that Glenn Frey had passed, I literally broke down. That night after having a few Tequila Sunrises in Glenn's honor, a lightbulb went off… We're going to record a few tunes to honor our fallen heroes. I called back Mike that evening and asked him what he thought and the next day we were in the studio recording. By week's end, all guitars, drums and bass were complete.

"I can't begin to explain the influence that Glenn Frey, Lemmy and David Bowie had on me. Each of their music has helped me immensely during some real dark periods of my life and not to mention their influence on me as a musician and songwriter. Lemmy is God, Glenn is King and David is the Architect."

Adds METAL ALLEGIANCE guitarist Alex Skolnick: "These brilliant artists have an extensive catalogue that is sometimes on the softer side (with the exception of MOTÖRHEAD, of course). So when it came to THE EAGLES and Bowie, we specifically chose tunes of theirs that are riff-based and translatable to high energy arrangements. For Lemmy, we immediately crossed out 'Ace Of Spades' (great tune but the last thing the world needs is yet another cover version) and chose 'Iron Fist', which we already had a good handle on from playing live and to us is every bit as much a signature MOTÖRHEAD tune."

"I'm really excited to be a part of the 'Fallen Heroes' EP," comments ARCH ENEMY's Alissa White-Gluz. "I think we have all felt the weight of losing so many great musicians this year. I think these songs are a cool way to pay tribute to a few people who contributed so much to the world of music and showcase a different side of ourselves."

METAL ALLEGIANCE took the news of Lemmy's passing very hard as the bands very first gig was on MOTÖRHEAD's first Motörboat cruise. It was on that boat where the idea to write a record together and carry the METAL ALLEGIANCE flag as a brand/band rather than a sporadic, special event show.

In late 2015, the band scheduled a West Coast string of intimate club dates with a stop as the world-famous Whisky A Go Go. The year concluded with the band heartbroken saying goodbye to their beloved friend. They later found out that his funeral and memorial services would be held the day of their performance. The band was asked by their tour agent who is also MOTÖRHEAD's agent, Lemmy's management, close friends of his, and the owner of the Rainbow and Whisky to incorporate a tribute which, of course, they obliged. The day of their performance, Sunset Blvd. was shut down and their bus was parked on a street filled with tears, madness, partiers and a sea of mourning metal heads. They said goodbye to their friend that evening with help from MOTÖRHEAD drummer Mikkey Dee amongst a ton of other special guests. The next day they played their final show at the Regency Ballroom in San Francisco. Mid-set, they were informed that David Bowie had passed.

Comments Menghi: "I remember coming off stage to trade bass duties with David Ellefson (we would rotate songs) and he stopped me, looked me and Osegueda in the eyes and said, 'Dude, Bowie just passed away.' Literally in mid-set we got that news. I looked at Mark and he was in tears. Not even a minute later, he was on stage telling the Bay Area crowd of the news he just learned. I turned to the side and looked over at Mike Portnoy and he just had his head down with his hands over his head trying to comprehend what Mark was saying. The next few songs was our Lemmy tribute and tears rolled off all of our eyes while paying tribute to one while learning of the passing of another."

Recorded at Conclave Studios in New York City, "Fallen Heroes" was produced by Mark Menghi and Alex Skolnick. The album was mixed by Jay Ruston in Los Angeles, California and mastered at Sterling Sound in New York City by Ted Jensen. The initial sketch of the artwork was created by Mark Menghi and Stephen Thompson (ANTHRAX) and was later finalized by Marcelo Vasco (SLAYER).

"Fallen Heroes" track listing:

01. Iron Fist (featuring Troy Sanders)02. Suffragette City (featuring Mark Osegueda)03. Life In The Fast Lane (featuring Alissa White-Gluz)

Guitar: Alex SkolnickBass: Mark MenghiDrums: Mike Portnoy

On August 26, California rockers TESLA will release "Mechanical Resonance Live!", a live recording of their classic album, celebrating the original multi-platinum record's 30th birthday in style. With a few surprises up their sleeve, including the single "Save That Goodness" written and produced by Phil Collen of DEF LEPPARD, the effort will be made available via Tesla Electric Company Recordings/Mailboat. The record is being released in conjunction with TESLA's summer tour opening up for DEF LEPPARD, where they will perform in front of over half a million fans.

You can now listen to "Save That Goodness" using the SoundCloud widget below. Said TESLA guitarist Frank Hannon: "30 years later and the songs on our first album still rock! Making this new live album of 'Mechanical Resonance' was a reminder of the innocence and creative beginnings of TESLA." Added TESLA bassist Brian Wheat: "It was a lot of fun to re-visit some of the songs we hadn't played in decades and had a great time recording it. " Over the course of their thirty-year career, which started in 1986, the iconic Sacramento melodic hard rock quintet — Frank Hannon [guitar], Brian Wheat [bass], Jeff Keith [lead vocals], Troy Luccketta [drums], and Dave Rude [guitar] — has sold more than 25 million albums worldwide and played to sold-out crowds across the globe. The 21st century has become something of a renaissance for TESLA. Most recently, 2014's "Simplicity" bowed at #14 on The Billboard 200. The group ignited ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" in addition to scorching stages at festivals such as Rocklahoma, Graspop Metal Meeting and Sweden Rock Festival as well as the cruise Monsters Of Rock. As they prepare to cut their ninth full-length album with Phil Collen in the producer's chair, TESLA takes another monumental leap forward as they glance back on "Mechanical Resonance Live!" "Mechanical Resonance Live!" track listing:

01. Rock Me to the Top (live)02. Ez Come Ez Go (live)03. Gettin' Better (live)04. Comin' Atcha Live (live)05. Changes (live)06. Before My Eyes (live)07. 2 Late 4 Love (live)08. We're No Good Together (live)09. Love Me (live)10. Cover Queen (live)11. Lil' Suzie (live)12. Modern Day Cowboy (live)13. Save That Goodness (bonus studio track) (written/produced by Phil Collen)

The first "Metal Meltdown" concert series event kicked off at The Joint at the world famous Hard Rock Casino in Las Vegas on May 30, 2015. Legendary, selling rockers TWISTED SISTER performed an explosive 90-minute concert of their biggest hits spanning their 40-year career. The show was dedicated to the honor of TWISTED SISTER's iconic drummer A.J. Pero, whose tragic, sudden death just two months prior to the filming of this event shocked the music world. The band announced that not only were all the remaining concerts being performed in 2015 dedicated to the memory of A.J. Pero, but that 2016 would mark the 40th and final year of the band's legendary live performances. They recruited renowned drummer and friend of A.J. Pero, Mike Portnoy (THE WINERY DOGS, DREAM THEATER, AVENGED SEVENFOLD) to take the reins, and his very first TWISTED SISTER appearance was captured by the "Metal Meltdown" camera crew. TWISTED SISTER fans will now get to witness that special concert produced by the award-winning production company Rock Fuel Media in association with Loud & Proud Records. Directed by Brian Lockwood (BON JOVI, METALLICA, MÖTLEY CRÜE), "Metal Meltdown - Featuring Twisted Sister Live At The Hard Rock Casino - Las Vegas" features that complete concert, as well as "Rockshow", a bonus documentary that takes fans through the band's 40-year ride from local club outcasts to world domination with exclusive interviews, archive footage from the '80s, photo gallery. It was mixed in 5.1 Surround Sound. Set for release July 22, the retail package includes both Blu-ray and DVD formats as well as an audio CD.

A performance clip of the song "The Price", taken from "Metal Meltdown - Featuring Twisted Sister Live At The Hard Rock Casino - Las Vegas" can be seen below. As TWISTED SISTER guitarist Jay Jay French explains: "The decision to continue performing all the summer shows in 2015, not to mention the concert that this performance celebrates, was in jeopardy over the days immediately following A.J.'s sudden death. We needed time to re-group and re-focus. Everyone was great. All the promoters of the huge European summer festivals that we were set to headline and Barry, the producer of this concert, said, 'We understand. You all (meaning the band) have to do what makes you comfortable. Whatever the band decides has to be honored and respected.' "In the end, I believe we did what A.J. would have wanted us to do and Mike Portnoy was a very big part of that decision in both an emotional and artistic way. This performance captured herein just two months after A.J.'s death really was about our way to help memorialize the great A.J. Pero. The front four (Dee, Eddie, Mark and I) have had no one but A.J. behind us since 1982. This concert has A.J.'s influence permeating through our bloodstream in ways that I will never forget and when we cut to A.J.'s drum solo on the rear projection screen, We were all emotionally overwhelmed. Not since our reunion for New York Steel in 2001 (to honor and raise money for the families of the NYC police and fire department who died on 9/11) have I been moved to tears." Award-winning producer Barry Summers of Rock Fuel Media commented: "TWISTED SISTER was the first live club band I ever saw in 1979 at Emmett's Inn in New Jersey, and they literally blew my mind. We actually revisited Emmett's and filmed a scene for the 'Rockshow' documentary. It has been a real dream come true to produce this amazing concert film for such an iconic and influential band. The tribute to A.J. Pero makes this film that much more special. We're excited to give the fans the highest quality concert film and live recordings ever released in the year of TWISTED SISTER's final farewell.” Other bands filmed in Las Vegas as part of the "Metal Meltdown" include EXTREME, SKID ROW and GREAT WHITE. Stay tuned for details on those releases. "Metal Meltdown - Featuring Twisted Sister Live At The Hard Rock Casino - Las Vegas" track listing: 01. What You Don't Know02. The Kids Are Back03. Stay Hungry04. The Beast05. Shoot 'Em Down06. You Can't Stop Rock 'N' Roll07. I Believe In Rock 'N' Roll08. Under The Blade09. I Am (I'm Me)10. We're Not Gonna Take It11. The Fire Still Burns12. The Price13. Burn In Hell14. A.J. Pero Tribute15. I Wanna Rock16. Come Out and Play17. S.M.F.