Finnish band Steve 'N' Seagulls, which shot to fame in 2014 thanks to its bluegrass covers of metal classics, will release its second album, Brothers In Farms, on September 9th via Spinefarm. This time out, the brothers-in-farms tackle legendary tunes from Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Nirvana, Megadeth, and more.

The Brothers In Farms tracklist is below:

"Aces High"
"Sad But True"
"Wishmaster"
"It's A Long Way To The Top"
"You Could Be Mine"
"November Rain"
"In Bloom"
"Symphony Of Destruction"
"Fill Up The Tank"
"Burn"
"The Pretender"
"Self Esteem"
"Out In The Fields"
"Born To Be Wild"

Check out "Aces High" below:

Steve N' Seagulls on tour:

September
23 - Knitting Factory - Brooklyn, NY
24 - Rowdy on the Roof - Cumberland, MD
25 - Haymarket Whiskey Bar - Louisville, KY
26 - Cosmic Charlie's - Lexington, KY
27 - The Hi-Fi - Indianapolis, IN
28 - Duck Room - St.Louis, MO
29 - George's Majestic Lounge - Fayetteville, AR
30 - Oklahoma International Bluegrass Festival - Guthrie, OK

October
1 - The Riot Room - Kansas City, MO
2 - 7th Street Rascals Live - Moline, IL
4 - Vaudeville Mews - Des Moines, IA
5 -The Frequency - Madison, WI
6 - Rose Music Hall - Columbia, MO
7 - O'Leaver's - Omaha, NB
8 The Armory Performing Arts Center - Brighton, CO

Video footage of Steve 'N' Seagulls performing "Aces High" on May 24th in Bologna, Italy can be seen below.

 

 

 

 

What became a genuine international viral phenomenon actually started out on a farm in central Finland; in a barn, to be precise... There, a bunch of like-minded countrymen — with the emphasis on "country" — played a customized version of AC/DC's "Thunderstruck" using homespun instrumentation, everything from banjo picking to anvil bangin' to achieve their original take on a classic. They filmed the event, posted the results on YouTube, and within a couple of weeks, the clip had accumulated over five million views. It's now topped out at 25 million.

 

 

For Steve 'N' Seagulls, this was a bolt from the blue, but then, as history shows us, the greatest stories ever told tend to start in a stable... Yes, a stable.

 

 

September 21st, 2015 was christened Steve 'N' Seagulls Day in the entire state of Colorado, while the band also covered the Beastie Boys' hit "Sabotage" for The AV Club, toured the US, bringing their folk metal madrigals to the masses, and appeared at the annual SXSW festival in Austin, Texas, last spring.

 

Iberian extreme metal outfit Noctem have revealed the details surrounding their fourth studio album entitled Haeresis. Scheduled for release on September 30th via Prosthetic Records in  North America, The UK and EU, and via Art Gates Records in Spain, Haeresis consists of ten brutally punishing tracks which conceptually delve into the dark history of Noctem's home country of Spain. Complimenting cover artwork, as seen below, was completed by Seth Siro Anton (Septicflesh, Moonspell, Behemoth) and depicts an epic and grotesque display of obscene torture extracted from the Spanish inquisition (1.500 A.C.). 

Haeresis tracklisting:
 
"Through The Black Temples Of Disaster"
"Auto-Da-Fé"
"The Submission Discipline"
"Blind Devotion"
"The Dark One"
"Haeresis"
"Whispers Of The Ancient Gods"
"Conjuring Degradation And Morbidity"
"The Paths Of The Lustful Abandon"
"Pactum With The Indomitable Darkness"

Noctem, consisting of Beleth (vocals), Exo (lead guitars), Ethell (rhythm guitars), Varu (bass) and Voor (drums), self-recorded and produced Haerisis earlier this year at Firework Studios in Valencia before sending it to Sweden's Necromorbus Studio for mixing and mastering by Tore Stjerna (Watain, Valkyrja). 

The band collectively proclaimed; "This record is proof that a band like us can keep evolving with time. It looks, sounds, smells and tastes different from anything we've ever done while keeping our  original essence in every track. We're sure that any fan of extreme metal will be satisfied with this new opus."

Catch Noctem live:

October
27 - Salamanca, Spain - Nave Bunker (with Negura Bunget, Antagonist Zero)
28 - Madrid, Spain - Sala Silikona (with Negura Bunget, Antagonist Zero)
29 - Zaragoza, Spain - CC Vadefierro (with Negura Bunget, Antagonist Zero)
30 - Barcelona, Spain - Sala Monasterio (with Negura Bunget, Antagonist Zero)

Last week, atmospheric deathcore behemoths Lord Of War unleashed the audio lashings of their latest full-length via Unique Leader Records. Appropriately titled Suffer, the record was engineered and mixed by Daniel Castleman and Kelly Cairns (Killswitch Engage, As I Lay Dying, Carnifex, Winds Of Plague, Molotov Solution) and mastered by Miah Lajeunesse (Whitechapel, Aegaeon).

Today, the band debuts a lyric video for the title track, "Suffer".

You can also sample "Nexus Of Hate", featuring Nick Arthur of Molotov Solution:

Order bundles for Suffer are available at this location.

Boston-based metal band Worshipper has signed to NYC's Tee Pee Records, the independent record label known for releasing landmark albums from acts such as Graveyard, Earthless and Sleep.

Worshipper will release its full-length debut, Shadow Hymns, on August 26th. Recorded at Q Division, Mad Oak, and Converse Rubber Tracks Studios with producers Benny Grotto (Aerosmith, Orange Goblin) and David Minehan (The Replacements), the LP showcases the group's melodically thunderous sound.

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

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

Tracklisting:

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

Pre-order Shadow Hymns at this location.

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

Canadian based Extreme Metal Television releases Part 2: Development from their four part series on extreme vocals. In the episode, EMTV investigates how the voice changes over the years, and what vocalists do to achieve their sound. The episode features appearances from: Tomas Lindberg (At the Gates), Jukka Pelkonen (Omnium Gatherum), Dave Khan (Scythia), Sean Jenkins (Divinity), Che De Tremaudan (Kyoktys) and many more.

"This time we are talking about development with an array of awesome heavy metal vocalists. We want viewers to enjoy plus learn from the veterans on the Do’s and Don’ts for a heavy metal singer the day of a show.” says EMTV producer James Neill.

Check out episodes one and two below:

 

Brendan "Cygnus" Brown, the bassist of Australian metal band Ne Obliviscaris has released a new play-through video of the track "Devour Me Colossus", check it out below.

Ne Obliviscaris are currently enjoying their first-ever North American headlining tour; remaining dates are as listed:

July
21 - Edmonton, AB - Starlight Room 
22 - Calgary, AB - Dickens 
24 - Minneapolis, MN - Cabooze 
25 - Chicago, IL - Reggie’s 
26 - Cleveland, OH - Agora Ballroom 
27 - Toronto, ON - Mod Club 
28 - Montreal, QC - Petit Campus 
29 - New York, NY - Gramercy Theater 
30 - Lemoyne, PA - The Champ Venue
31 - Boston, MA - Once Ballroom 

August
1 - Philadelphia, PA - Voltage Lounge 
2 - Baltimore, MD - Soundstage 
3 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade 
5 - Austin, TX - Dirty Dog Bar 
6 - San Antonio, TX - The Rock Box
7 - Ft. Worth, TX - Rail Club 
8 - Kansas City, MO - Riot Room 
10 - Denver, CO - Bluebird 
11 - Albuquerque, NM - Launchpad 
12 - Phoenix, AZ - Joe’s Grotto 
13 - Anaheim, CA - Chain Reaction

 

"Deride The Wretch" is the unrelenting new single from Denmark's brutal death faction, Dawn Of Demise. Culled from the band's impending fourth full-length studio album, The Suffering, which is rapidly nearing release through Unique Leader Records, the song is delivered to the public by way of a new lyric video.

The band commented, "'Deride The Wretch' shows what Dawn Of Demise is all about. It's heavy, groovy, slamming, but it also has a few fast parts and quite a few of our signature breaks here and there. All in all, 'Deride The Wretch' is very representative of this upcoming album... The Suffering is without a doubt our most varied release, but here's a very Dawn Of Demise -ish track to get the ball rolling!"

Appropriately titled The Suffering, the new Dawn Of Demise album bears eleven new tracks totaling a punishing thirty-seven minutes of extreme death metal savagery engineered mixed and mastered at Antfarm Studios by Tue Madsen (The Haunted, Behemoth, Aborted). Unique Leader will issue The Suffering from these Danish death metal dealers on August 26th; pre-orders are available here.

“We are so pleased with the new album,” issues the band in a collective statement. “Every time we finish an album, we always have a few things we aren’t too thrilled with — this time around though we got it right! With The Suffering, we chose to be more open-minded in our approach to writing songs and it’s much more of a band effort. We are still fond of our previous albums, but this time so many elements came together to create a more ‘varied’ ride. (Bassist) Bjørn (Jensen) wrote so much of the Rejoice In Vengeance album, but on this one he and (guitarist) Martin (K. Sørensen) chose to go riff crazy together. A new drummer, Bastian Thusgaard (Soilwork), has also been added to the fold, and his approach to drumming has also given these new songs a fresh gush of brutality. Expect a no holds barred, brutal, groovy, and heavy as fuck US style death metal record with lots of inspiration from the American East Coast.

An album teaser is available below:

 

Billy Ray Cyrus has partnered with Kentucky rockers Black Stone Cherry on a music video for their beautifully haunting ballad "The Rambler". Cyrus stars in the video as the title character "The Rambler," a drifter who tries to face his past in a simple tale of guilt, heartache, and longing for redemption.

The video was directed by fellow Kentuckian Blake Judd (Shooter Jennings, Blackberry Smoke).

"If you are ready to hear a great band with an incredible song, hit play,” Cyrus said. "I was honored when they asked me to bring 'The Rambler' to life. Make something real? Hell yea. I'm in!”

"The Rambler has been an incredibly special song to us from the beginning and we knew the video had to be equally as special, but not too over dramatic. Simple and effective,” Black Stone Cherry said. "We are honored to have Billy Ray Cyrus as 'The Rambler' in the video, as well as the many amazing actors and team it took to make this story come to life. We hope this special song and video hits a chord with you like it has for us.”

In live news, Shinedown, Halestorm, Black Stone Cherry, and Whiskey Myers have teamed up for the 2016 Carvival Of Madness Tour; confirmed dates are as listed:

July
22 - Kansas City, MO - Starlight Theatre
24 - Maidstone, United Kingdom - Ramblin' Man Fair
26 - Rogers, AR - Walmart Arkansas Music Pavilion
27 - Tulsa, OK - BOK Center
29 - New Orleans, LA - UNO Lakefront Arena
30 - Spring, TX - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
31 - Austin, TX - Cedar Park Center

August
2 - Bossier City, LA - CenturyLink Center
4 - Nashville, TN - Ascend Amphitheatre
6 - Raleigh, NC - Red Hat Amphitheater
7 - Brooklyn, NY - The Amphitheater at Coney Island
9 - Wilkes-Barre, PA - Mohegan Sun Arena
10 - Columbia, MD - Merriweather Post Pavilion
12 - Gilford, NH - Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion
13 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena
14 - Erie, PA - Erie Insurance Arena
16 - Chicago, IL - First Merit Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island
17 - Cleveland, OH - Jacobs Pavilion
18 - Detroit, MI - DTE Energy Music Theater

KORN will release its new album, "The Serenity Of Suffering", on October 21 via Roadrunner. The follow-up to 2013's "The Paradigm Shift" was helmed by Grammy Award-winning producer Nick Raskulinecz, who has previously worked with FOO FIGHTERS, DEFTONES, MASTODON and RUSH, among others. The CD features a guest appearance by SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor on the song "A Different World".

"The Serenity Of Suffering" track listing:

01. Insane02. Rotting In Vain03. Black Is The Soul04. The Hating05. A Different World (feat. Corey Taylor)06. Take Me07. Everything Falls Apart08. Die Yet Another Night09. When You're Not There10. Next In Line11. Please Come For Me

The official video for the song "Rotting In Vain", which stars actor Tommy Flanagan ("Sons Of Anarchy", "Gladiator"), can be seen below.

KORN frontman Jonathan Davis told Rolling Stone about the track: "'Rotting In Vain' was written about being in that black place, being in situations that I don't like in life — be it relationships, or feeling when you're stuck and you're just being abused or you don't like where you're at, and you just sit there and rot. It takes you years and years to figure out how to claw your way out. That's where 'Rotting In Vain' came from. I'm just sitting there, fucking dying and letting it happen for years and years and not helping myself to get out of that place. That's the vibe that inspired the song."

"The Serenity Of Suffering" marks the second KORN album since the return of guitarist Brian "Head" Welch, who said, "This is a record to me that the intensity of KORN is back, and the live energy. Raw energy is there."

KORN's co-headlining tour with ROB ZOMBIE, "Return Of The Dreads", kicked off on July 19 in Englewood, Colorado. That trek winds down on September 3 in Bristow, Virginia.

KORN will also hit the road this fall with co-headliners BREAKING BENJAMIN for the "Nocturnal Underground Tour", which will kick off on September 24 in Fargo, North Dakota and run through late October.

The official video for "Delirium", the new album from Italian heavy rockers LACUNA COIL, can be seen below.

Commented LACUNA COIL singer Cristina Scabbia: "We filmed our parts for this video in one evening while we were on the U.S. tour this past May. We used a GoPro against a black backdrop and we wanted something that would be purposely rough, something that could remind some weird lost videos found after years and years.

"The whole video edited together with the parts filmed by the director with an actress turned out as a very strange sort of a trip, where a girl tries to tight up memories and details together to try to find her sanity back, somehow.

"I really like some of the scenes as they reminded me some kind of Korean horror movies vibe and it is totally fitting the 'Delirium' vibe and concept. It also leaves a lot to the imagination, so thanks for checking it out and enjoy."

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

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

LACUNA COIL has recruited Diego Cavallotti as a fill-in guitarist for the band following the recent departure of Marco "Maus" Biazzi.

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

The first trailer for "Death Resonance", the upcoming special collection of rarities from Swedish metallers SOILWORK, is available below. Due on August 19 via Nuclear Blast, the CD's cover art was created by MNEMIC guitarist Mircea Gabriel Eftemie (VOLBEAT, CARCASS, SCAR SYMMETRY, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD) and can be seen below. The set includes the Japan-only EP "Beyond The Infinite", which featured outtakes from the recordings sessions for the band's globally praised double album "The Living Infinite".

Commented SOILWORK singer Björn "Speed" Strid: "'Beyond The Infinite' consists of some special, quite experimental songs. They might have been cut out from the original album but have a unique charm to them.

"It wasn't easy to pick the final track list for 'The Living Infinite'. It was never obvious which songs wouldn't make it. The writing and recording was highly experimental and playful in general, and it was through this album that we rediscovered ourselves as songwriters, with a new and improved lineup which brought — and will bring — so many interesting things to the table.

"Originally only released in Japan, it is with great pleasure that we finally share those special songs with you all. Enjoy!"

SOILWORK has released one of the two brand new songs that are featured on "Death Resonance". The lyric video for "Helsinki", created by well-known videographer Tommy Antonini, can be seen below.

Commented SOILWORK guitarist David Andersson: "Death. It's a word that might be used too often, but it can still be interpreted in a myriad different ways. It's not just the soma being deprived of its life-force; it's also the end of infinity, the birth of new possibilities and the acceptance of inevitable change. This song was written soon after the recording of our live album in Finland, making new friends and making sure that the old ones stay with us forever, despite the fact that everything is finite."

Added Strid said: "The cover for 'Death Resonance' is made by Mircea Eftemie and in many ways he has managed to capture what we went through while recording 'The Ride Majestic': the sorrow, the close encounter with death, the aftermath and also the existential cogitation that came with it. It links those albums together, even though 'Death Resonance' contains unreleased material from 2005 onwards. The cover almost seems like a link between life and death and not only captures where the band is right now, but also where we've been and what lies ahead."

"Death Resonance" track listing:

01. Helsinki (new song)02. Death Resonance (new song)03. The End Begins Below The Surface ("The Ride Majestic" Japan bonus track)04. My Nerves, Your Everyday Tool ("Beyond The Inifite" Japan-only EP)05. These Absent Eyes ("Beyond The Inifite" Japan-only EP)06. Resisting The Current ("Beyond The Inifite" Japan-only EP)07. When Sound Collides ("Beyond The Inifite" Japan-only EP)08. Forever Lost In Vain ("Beyond The Inifite" Japan-only EP)09. Sweet Demise ("The Panic Broadcast" Japan bonus track)10. Sadistic Lullabye (re-recorded, "The Panic Broadcast" Japan bonus track)11. Overclocked (2016 mix, "Sworn A Great Divide" Japan bonus track)12. Martyr (2016 mix, "Sworn A Great Divide" Japan bonus track)13. Sovereign (2016 mix, "Sworn A Great Divide" Japan bonus track)14. Wherever Thorns May Grow (2016 mix, "Stabbing The Drama" Japan bonus track)15. Killed By Ignition (2016 mix, "Stabbing The Drama" Japan bonus track)

SOILWORK's tenth studio album, "The Ride Majestic", was released worldwide on August 28, 2015 via Nuclear Blast.

Drummer Dirk Verbeuren recently left SOILWORK to join MEGADETH as a permanent member. He has since been replaced in SOILWORK by Bastian Thusgaard of THE ARCANE ORDER.

"Dark Samaritan", the new video from THIS ENDING, the Swedish death metal band featuring former AMON AMARTH drummer Fredrik Andersson, can be seen below. The clip was written, directed and filmed by Jimmy Johansson (SISTER, IRON LAMB, SWEET CREATURE, GRGA) for the Super Lino Puro film studio.

Commented the band: "Jimmy captured the essence of the song very well and managed to create an atmosphere inspired by a mix of Ingmar Bergman and Miller / Rodriguez / Tarantino, and we are thrilled with the result of this morbid creation!"

"Dark Samaritan" is taken from THIS ENDING's third album, "Garden Of Death", which was released on April 22 via Apostasy Records. The CD was produced by guitarist Linus Nirbrant at his Audiogrind studio. The cover artwork was created by Björn Gooßes of Killustrations (THE CROWN, NERVECELL, DEW-SCENTED). The limited first edition of "Garden Of Death" also included the tracks from the "Systematic Worship" EP, which was recorded during late 2011 and released the following year.

THIS ENDING recently recruited Peter Nagy as its new guitar player. Peter is known from such acts as MÖRK GRYNING, ETERNAL OATH and HYPOCRITE, and has been a vital part of the Swedish death metal scene since the '90s. THIS ENDING is:

Mårten Hansen - VocalsLinus Nirbrant - GuitarPeter Nagy - GuitarLinus Pettersson - BassFredrik Andersson - Drums

Swedish metallers SOILWORK have confirmed the departure of their longtime drummer Dirk Verbeuren as he joins heavy metal legends MEGADETH. Verbeuren has been performing with MEGADETH for months — his first show with the band was at Rock On The Range festival in May, where he played to a crowd of 40,000 concertgoers. SOILWORK vocalist Björn "Speed" Strid states: "In regards to the statement MEGADETH released confirming that Dirk will join them as their full-time drummer, I just want to take the time to wish Dirk good luck on this new venture and thank him for 12 great years together. Together we have created a beast of a band and have pushed the limits musically further than we ever could have imagined." Strid continues to state that SOILWORK is charging forward, continually progressing their performance but not straying too far from their defining, signature sound. "In the recent years, SOILWORK have found new ways of expressing ourselves, and as much as of a cliché it is, I strongly believe that this is very much of a new era for us and that we still have so much left to say, whether it being with or without Dirk," he says. "This band has grown to be quite a metal collective and an institution that paves the way creatively and we hope that you, the fans, can feel the presence and the heart in our music still to this day. Believe me, it's there.

"I can assure that you will forever get 100% SOILWORK, as long as we release albums," he adds. "We aim to surprise ourselves and the listeners by constantly developing our sound and songwriting, something I believe we have succeeded in doing and yet remained true to our roots. That is something to be proud of and we are. We appreciate all our loyal fans and are excited that so many of you share our musical vision."

While Verbeuren was playing with MEGADETH, his seat in SOILWORK was occupied by Bastian Thusgaard of THE ARCANE ORDER. Strid adds: "Meanwhile, I'm sure many of you have seen us at a festival in Europe this summer with our friend Bastian Thusgaard filling in on drums and I'm sure we can all agree on what a monster he is. Thank you, Bastian — you are absolutely killing it. Check out the remaining festival dates and come see us. We'll be there. Thank you." Verbeuren had this to say about his exit from SOILWORK: "They say the biggest decisions in life are the hardest to make. This decision falls under that category.

"As a drummer, I've always enjoyed the evolution of my path.

"The past twelve years with SOILWORK have been incredible, a portion of my life I honor with pride.

"When I was approached to join MEGADETH — a childhood dream come true and something I never anticipated — I was beyond excited to even consider the realm of possibility. But truth be told, I couldn't have rightfully made this step without the support and blessing of my SOILWORK family. For that, I owe a huge thank you to Björn, Sven, David, Sylvain and Markus. You have allowed me to see what lies ahead, and you're my brothers in metal.

"Chris Adler, thank you for introducing me to MEGADETH and for your encouragement and support.

"Dave, David and Kiko, I'm thankful for your warm welcome and thrilled to perform and create badass music with you guys.

"To the fans, this is a new chapter for us; I hope we can enjoy this ride together!"

SOILWORK will release a special collection of rarities titled "Death Resonance" on August 19 via Nuclear Blast.

The band's tenth studio album, "The Ride Majestic", came out on August 28, 2015 via Nuclear Blast.

In a brand new interview with Full Throttle Rock, former RAINBOW and DEEP PURPLE singer Joe Lynn Turner was asked how he feels about the upcoming presidential election. He said: "I think it is a circus and I think it is probably the most important election in America's history, if not the world's history. Because whichever way it goes, it is going to shape the world into a situation that is either going to be positive or negative. Personally, I am tired of 'business as usual.' I think that millions of Americans are sick and tired of politicians saying the same old, same old and that we really need to wake up and create something new here. We need our independence back, we need the power of the people, we need people to get more active and awake about things happening instead of sitting at home and watching their TV. So I do think this is an incredibly important election, and at the same time, I don't see the truth within the election. When I left the United States, there was a lot of conjecture about falsification in voting, rigged systems and I happen to know that politians are like that. So I don't doubt that that is the truth. I guess THE WHO said it best: 'Won't get fooled again,' but most time people do get fooled again, don't they?"

Joe Lynn Turner made headlines last year when it was revealed that he joined a list of Western celebrities who publicly expressed support for and defended Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose image had suffered greatly because of Moscow's aggressive foreign policy. He said at the time: "Truth be told, I have no love anymore for the United States, really. I don't like the administrations, I don't like what's going on, I don't like the lies to the people… I don't like anything. It's not the country… my father's country. When there was opportunity, when there was truth — some truth anyway — I think…" He added: "I've listened to every leader in the world. The only one who's telling the truth is Putin."

Joe was the singer of RAINBOW between 1980 and 1984 and he sang on the album "Difficult To Cure", which featured the band's most successful U.K. single, "I Surrender".

During Turner's time with RAINBOW, the band had its first USA chart success and recorded songs that helped define the melodic rock genre.

1990 saw reunited Turner with RAINBOW leader Ritchie Blackmore in a reformed DEEP PURPLE for the "Slaves And Masters" album.

"After enduring intense back pain which began halfway through Yes' spring European tour, and working with European and American doctors, spinal specialists, exploring optional treatments, I've had no choice but to undergo surgery to repair an injured disc in my lower back," writes drummer Alan White. "I'm pleased to announce a very positive result from this procedure, which took place in Seattle."

"With some rest and physical therapy, I should be back in good form and ready to rejoin the Summer Yes Tour in the near future. I'm eager to be on the road with the band but also need to ensure my recovery is complete before doing so."

"Until I'm able to rejoin the tour, my good friend Jay Schellen will be performing with the band and keeping my drum stool warm. Please welcome him to our Yes family; he's doing a great service by stepping in last minute so as to not disappoint everyone hoping to see Yes music performed live this summer." 

"Please know that I'll be back as soon as physically possible and looking forward to taking my place on stage with the band. Thanks for all your well wishes and support." 

Yes recently announced their 2016 US summer touring plans. Billed as The Album Series: Drama + Topographic 1 & 4, the tour will feature the 1980 album Drama performed in its entirety, for the first time ever, and sides one and four of 1973's double album Tales From Topographic Oceans, plus a selection of their greatest hits.

Yes (and Asia) guitarist Steve Howe talks about the upcoming tour on a recent episode of One On One With Mitch Lafon.

“It's a lot more inventive than just playing “Roundabout” or “Heart Of The Sunrise” because we are actually playing the whole album. It's a kind of opportunity... A demonstration of what we do instead of saying, 'Here's the song you know best from the album'. We play the whole album and it gives you a chance to experience things that sometimes have never been onstage like “Run Through The Night”.”

Tune in to One On One With Mitch Lafon below:

US tour dates:

July
27 - Columbus, OH - Ohio State Fair
30 - Atlantic City, NJ - Tropicana
31 - Bethlehem, PA - Sands Event Center

August
2 - Lewiston, NY - Artpark
4 - Lynn, MA - Lynn Auditorium
5 - Wallingford, CT - Oakdale Theatre
6 - Westbury, NY - Theatre at Westbury
9 - Staten Island, NY - St. George Theatre
10 - Englewood, NJ - Bergen Performing Arts Center
12 - Port Chester, NY - The Capitol Theater
13 - Morristown, NJ - Morristown Performing Arts Center
16 - Washington, DC - Warner Theatre
17 - Munhall, PA - Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall
19 - Sterling Heights, MI - Freedom Hill Amphitheatre
20 - Chicago, IL - Copernicus Center
21 - Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theater
24 - Denver, CO - Paramount Theatre
26 - Anaheim, CA - The Grove
27 - Las Vegas, NV - Las Vegas Events Center
28 - Santa Barbara, CA - Arlington Theatre
30 - Los Angeles, CA - Orpheum Theater
31 - Saratoga, CA - The Mountain Winery

September
2 - Reno, NV - Silver Legacy Casino
3 - Paso Robles, CA - Vina Robles Winery
4 - San Diego, CA - Humphrey's

(Photo courtesy of Jerry and Lois Photography)

Nearly 20 years ago, LED ZEPPELIN introduced "BBC Sessions", an acclaimed two-disc set of live recordings selected from the band's appearances on BBC radio between 1969 and 1971. Later this year, the band will unveil "The Complete BBC Sessions", an updated version of the collection that's been newly remastered with supervision by Jimmy Page and expanded with eight unreleased BBC recordings, including three rescued from a previously "lost" session from 1969. "The Complete BBC Sessions" will be available in multiple formats from Atlantic/Swan Song on September 16: * Deluxe Edition (3CD) – Remastered original album plus a third disc of unreleased audio.* Deluxe Edition Vinyl (5LP) – Remastered original album, plus a fifth LP of unreleased audio, on 180-gram vinyl* Digital Download – Remastered album and unreleased audio will both be available.* Super Deluxe Boxed Set (3CD/5LP)– This collection includes: * Remastered album. 2 CDs, each in a replica sleeve.* Unreleased audio on CD in a separate card sleeve.* Remastered album on 180-gram vinyl.* Unreleased audio on 180-gram vinyl.* High-def audio download card of all content at 96kHz/24 bit.* 48-page book filled with photos of the band, the recording locations, BBC memorabilia, and session information.* High-quality print of the original album cover, the first 20,000 of which will be individually numbered. "BBC Sessions" was originally released in 1997 and has been certified double platinum by the RIAA. "The Complete BBC Sessions" builds on that collection with a third disc that boasts eight unreleased performances. In addition, the set includes extensive session-by-session liner notes written by Dave Lewis. For the first time ever, it provides accurate details and notes about all of the band's BBC sessions. Musical highlights on this new collection include the debut of a long-lost radio session that has achieved near-mythic status among fans. Originally broadcast in April 1969, the session included three songs: "I Can't Quit You Baby", "You Shook Me" and the only recorded performance of "Sunshine Woman". Also included are two unreleased versions of both "Communication Breakdown" and "What Is And What Should Never Be". Separated by two years, the performances vividly demonstrate the young band's rapid evolution over a short period of time. Jimmy Page spoke about the band's growth in an interview with Guitar World. "The 'BBC Sessions' show in graphic detail just how organic the group was," he said. "LED ZEPPELIN was a band that would change things around substantially each time it played…We were becoming tighter and tighter, to the point of telepathy." Speaking with Wall Of Sound, John Paul Jones added: "We'd been on the road a lot by the time those sessions were recorded. The albums were always the starting point of the music, and then we'd take it out and expand it on the road. Then we'd come straight off the road into those BBC studios." Recalling the BBC experience in an interview with Mojo, Robert Plant said: "The whole thing was very quaint: the politeness of the audience, the technicians fumbling about, proper hallowed low-key introductions. Like there was some sort of holy moment about to occur." "The Complete BBC Sessions" CD track listing Disc One

01. You Shook Me02. I Can't Quit You Baby03. Communication Breakdown04. Dazed And Confused05. The Girl I Love She Got Long Black Wavy Hair06. What Is And What Should Never Be07. Communication Breakdown08. Travelling Riverside Blues09. Whole Lotta Love10. Somethin' Else11. Communication Breakdown12. I Can't Quit You Baby13. You Shook Me14. How Many More Times Disc Two

01. Immigrant Song02. Heartbreaker03. Since I've Been Loving You04. Black Dog05. Dazed And Confused06. Stairway To Heaven07. Going To California08. That's The Way09. Whole Lotta Love (Medley: Boogie Chillun/Fixin' To Die/That's Alright Mama/A Mess of Blues)10. Thank You Disc Three

01. Communication Breakdown *02. What Is And What Should Never Be *03. Dazed And Confused *04. White Summer05. What Is And What Should Never Be *06. Communication Breakdown *07. I Can't Quit You Baby *08. You Shook Me *09. Sunshine Woman * * Previously Unreleased

LIMP BIZKIT guitarist Wes Borland has asked his Instagram followers to "unfollow" him if they are Donald Trump supporters, explaining that he "can't even sleep knowing that there are so many people out there with bones in the middle of their brains."

Borland's comments were apparently prompted by the events of the first day of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland where Willie Robertson, the star of A&E's hit series "Duck Dynasty", was one of the prime-time speakers. Other people who addressed convention-goers Monday evening included the presumptive Republican presidential nominee's wife, Melania Trump; actor Scott Baio; and former Texas governor Rick Perry.

Writing on his Instagram account, Borland said: "How in the world can you absolute fucking donkey's assholes think that someone with NO political experience could even compare to someone with decades of political experience. These clowns make Sarah Palin seem capable! It's exactly as if Lockheed Martin rolled out a hot air balloon with an American flag and Jesus painted on it and proclaimed it the new Air Force Stealth Bomber.

"Please unfollow me. Go fuck yourselves.

"'Idiocracy' is no longer a movie. And P.S. — you can blow the 'stick to music' 'stick to playing guitar' comments out of a canon and back into your own face. Why don't you stick to working at Walmart?

"I don't speak out about this kind of thing publicly much but after this first night of the RNC, I can't even sleep knowing that there are so many people out there with bones in the middle of their brains. I feel like I'm going to puke.

"I cannot believe this is happening. How can you guys support this dude and his stupid stupid wife?

"Edit: AND THIS ISN'T EVEN A HILLARY SUPPORT POST!

"It's a bewildered slap to my own face as I try and wake myself up.

"I don't understand how a candidate like Trump has even gotten this far.

"I'm no one to be giving political advice, but neither is the dude from 'Duck Dynasty' and I would never speak at a party's national convention.

"And Walmart was the most American job I could think of that didn't pay its workers a living wage and then they end up shopping there to support themselves. A subject that's a whole can of worms on its own.

"I'm sticking with my 'fuck you.'

"Please unfollow me if you're a Trump supporter. I'm not trying to change your mind. I just want you out of my life."

Iconic British rockers QUEEN have slammed Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump for once again using the band's 1977 song "We Are The Champions" without permission.

When Trump took the stage at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland on Monday, he emerged in front of a blinding backdrop of white lights as a lectern rose from the floor. All the while, "We Are The Champions" could be heard throughout the arena.

QUEEN's publishing company, Sony/ATV Music Publishing, later issued a statement disapproving of the song's use.

"Sony/ATV Music Publishing has never been asked by Mr. Trump, the Trump campaign or the Trump Organization for permission to use 'We Are The Champions' by QUEEN," the statement read. "On behalf of the band, we are frustrated by the repeated unauthorized use of the song after a previous request to desist, which has obviously been ignored by Mr. Trump and his campaign.

"QUEEN does not want its music associated with any mainstream or political debate in any country. Nor does QUEEN want 'We Are The Champions' to be used as an endorsement of Mr. Trump and the political views of the Republican Party. We trust, hope and expect that Mr. Trump and his campaign will respect these wishes moving forward.”

But Sean Spicer, communications director for the Republican National Committee, disputed QUEEN's claim, saying that "@GOPconvention paid to license the use of song in the arena #RNCinCLE."

QUEEN guitarist Brian May (pictured) previously voiced his displeasure over Trump's use of "We Are The Champions" in June. He wrote at the time: "I can confirm that permission to use the track was neither sought nor given. We are taking advice on what steps we can take to ensure this use does not continue. Regardless of our views on Mr. Trump's platform, it has always been against our policy to allow QUEEN music to be used as a political campaigning tool."

In the "Letters" section of his site, May doubled down on his unfavorable opinion of QUEEN's association with the billionaire mogul. He wrote: "We certainly have not approved this use of ['We Are the Champions']. I will make sure we take what steps we can to dissociate ourselves from Donald Trump's unsavoury campaign."

May isn't the first rock musician to distance himself from Trump. TWISTED SISTER singer Dee Snider recently revealed that he asked Trump to stop using the band's signature anthem "We're Not Gonna Take It" as the "exit song" at the politician's campaign stops, explaining that he couldn't "get behind a lot of what [Trump is] saying."

A video recap of AC/DC's recent European tour with GUNS N' ROSES singer Axl Rose can be seen below.

Rose says in the clip: "Everybody has an AC/DC story. Every person knows some time in their life, there was an AC/DC song that they did something with; they have a memory attached to it."

Adds AC/DC guitarist Angus Young: "With Axl, we've been able to mix up quite a few songs with the older ones, and the fun part is, when we get there on the stage, seeing it come to life in front of the audience."

Among the rarities the band broke out on the European run were "Riff Raff", "Rock 'N' Roll Damnation", the aforementioned "Touch Too Much" and "If You Want Blood (You've Got It)".

The legendary Australian hard rock outfit recruited Rose for more than twenty shows after singer Brian Johnson had to abruptly come off the road or face total hearing loss.

Young said recently that he's not sure what AC/DC will do after wrapping up its current tour, remarking, "We were committed to finishing this tour, so that's been our main goal, and Axl's helping us. I know he's very excited. He keeps saying, can he do more? But we don't really know at the end how we will [proceed]."

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

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

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

California rockers PAPA ROACH are putting the finishing touches on their ninth album, tentatively due in early 2017. A single will precede the effort at the end of the summer or early fall.

Speaking to Ronni of the 99.7 The Blitz radio station at this past Monday's (July 18) Alternative Press Music Awards at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio, PAPA ROACH bassist Tobin Esperance stated about the follow-up to 2015's "F.E.A.R.": "We're really excited about the new record. It's actually being finished right now. As soon as we finish this performance [at the awards show] tonight, then we go back and just tighten up loose ends. But it has got a lot of energy. It's old-school P-ROACH to its truest form, and it's also got an adventurous side to it. There's a lot of surprises. There's a lot of big beats. The message is strong."

PAPA ROACH also revealed that it will hit the road extensively in support of the new album in 2017. Singer Jacoby Shaddix said: "Next year we've got a tour planned with another band, a co-headliner. We cannot announce it yet, but it's gonna be big as fuck. It's gonna be amazing. So I think rock fans will be very excited about what we're putting together."

"F.E.A.R." spawned two hits at radio with "Face Everything And Rise", which reached #1 on the Active Rock Chart, and "Gravity", which peaked at #5, landing the band as the #8 "Most Played Active Artist" of 2015.

"F.E.A.R." came out in January 2015. The disc was recorded in Las Vegas, taking the band out of their Sacramento, California home base for the first time since 2006. PAPA ROACH worked with the father-and-son producing team of Kevin and Kane Churko on the new CD.

"To Live Is To Die: The Life And Death Of Metallica's Cliff Burton", written by British author Joel McIver in 2008, will be republished in updated form on September 6 by Jawbone Press. The comprehensive, 312-page biography comes with a foreword by METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett, a new afterword by ANTHRAX bassist Frank Bello and extra material examining Burton's continued legacy since the publication of the original edition.

The early career of METALLICA, whose back catalogue has now sold over 100 million units worldwide, was marked by a gradual evolution from garage thrash to sophisticated, progressive heights — an evolution driven by their bass player, Cliff Burton, who pushed the band to new heights with his songwriting ability and phenomenal bass guitar skills across three albums: "Kill 'Em All", "Ride The Lightning" and their undisputed masterpiece, "Master Of Puppets".

Cliff's life was short but influential; his death at the age of 24 in a tour bus crash on a Swedish mountain road was sudden and shocking. Following his passing, METALLICA went on to huge global success, but by their own admission, they never pushed the creative envelope as radically as they had done during the first four years of their career.

"To Live Is To Die: The Life And Death Of Metallica's Cliff Burton" includes interviews with a host of people close to Cliff, including his bass teacher Steve Doherty; Bay Area photographers and authors Brian Lew and Harald Oimoen; EXODUS founder Gary Holt; Metal Blade label founder Brian Slagel; photographer Ross Halfin; Cliff's first guitar tech Chuck Martin; METALLICA's first fanclub manager KJ Doughton; "Ride The Lightning" and "Master Of Puppets" producer Flemming Rasmussen; the last reporter to interview Cliff, Jörgen Holmstedt; roadie John Marshall, who was also in the bus crash which killed Burton; Lennart Wennberg, the photographer at the scene of the crash; and Cliff's girlfriend for the last year of his life, Corinne Lynn.

Said MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn: "When we toured with METALLICA in 2008-09, I read Joel McIver's then-just-released Cliff Burton biography. If you haven't, do yourself a favor, and pick up one of the best biographies you'll ever read."

Joel McIver is the author of 30 books on music. As well as writing biographies of leading figures in rock and metal, he has co-written the memoirs of a number of musicians, including members of MEGADETH, DEEP PURPLE, SOULFLY and the SEX PISTOLS. He contributes regularly to magazines and newspapers such as Classic Rock, Metal Hammer, The Guardian and the Daily Telegraph.

For more information, visit www.jawbonepress.com.

Swedish melodic rock band, Palace, will release their debut album, Master Of The Universe on August 26th. You can pre-order the album at this location. Listen to the album track “Part Of Me” below:

The band was founded by lead singer and guitarist Michael Palace. The lineup is rounded out by Rick Digorio on guitar, Marcus Johansson on drums and Soufian Ma’Aoui on bass. Heavily influenced by 80’s imagery and sounds, Palace delivers massive arena rock with a modern touch! AOR fans of all ages will find much to love among the eleven hard rocking tracks on Master Of The Universe. Catchy choruses, heavy guitars, pounding drums, thumping bass, interstellar synths and soaring vocals are the order of the day with Palace. Prepare to go back to the future and beyond, with an album you simply can't miss in 2016.

Despite their young age, all four members have accumulated a wealth of experience both playing live and recording in the studio with several different acts. As individuals and at times crossing paths, they have played and/or currently play with with Adrenaline Rush, Reach, Erika, Houston, Find Me, GutterdÄMerung, Big Time, and Miljenko Matijevic to name a few.

Michael Palace began working with Frontiers as a songwriter and guitar player for First Signal (featuring Harry Hess), Cry Of Dawn (with Goran Edman), Kryptonite (featuring Jakob Samuel), and Toby Hitchcock. The successful collaborations led to a worldwide record deal with Frontiers and the signing of his band and the future is now wide open.

There is no doubt that delivering a great live performance is just as important as sounding top notch in the studio, and Palace delivers in spades. What you hear on the record is what you get live, so prepare for an unforgettable experience when Palace is in town!

"Starting in Sweden and working our way out all around Europe, our goal is to make sure that every single person who enjoys the album gets a chance to see us in their home town or at least at their favorite rock festival,” tells frontman Michael Palace. “We love the music that we play, and we want to share this happiness with all of you music lovers out there for as long as we can. We truly hope that you like the album and that we'll see you very soon!"

Palace will have an exclusive release show in Stockholm on August 26 at Harry B James Club.

Master Of The Universe tracklisting:

“Master Of The Universe”
“Cool Runnin'”
“Man Behind The Gun”
“Part Of Me”
“No Exit”
“Matter In Hand”
“Path To Light”
“Rules Of The Game”
“She Said It's Over”
“Stranger's Eyes”
“Young/Wild/Free”

“Master Of The Universe” video:

EPK:

Palace is:

Michael Palace - Vocals, guitar
Rick Digorio - Guitar
Marcus Johansson - Drums
Soufian Ma’Aoui - Bass

On September 14th, 2002, hard rock pioneers Deep Purple took the stage for a landmark concert at the NEC in Birmingham, England to bid farewell to founding member and keyboard legend Jon Lord.

On August 26th, Eagle Rock Entertainment will deliver this very concert with the release of Live At The NEC on DVD and digital formats. Previously only available as part of the Around The World Live boxed set, this film is being made available for the first time as a standalone DVD.

One of the most emotional concerts in Deep Purple’s long career, Live At The NEC is a unique experience in that it features both their keyboard players on stage – Jon Lord and Don Airey. Lord had announced his retirement earlier that year, and Airey was subsequently brought on board. Airey serves as the principal keyboardist throughout the show, culminating in a solo before the lights drop, and Jon Lord appears for a storming version of “Perfect Strangers”. The two share keyboard duties for the rest of the night, in a fitting passing-of-the-torch moment.

At 109 minutes total, Deep Purple (Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Steve Morse, Ian Paice, Lord and Airey) kick out all the classics: “Smoke On The Water”, “Woman From Tokyo”, “Space Truckin’”, “Highway Star”, “Speed King”, “Lazy”, “Hush” and more. In addition to this fantastic set, Live At The NEC includes bonus interviews with Ian Gillan and Roger Glover.

In addition to Live At The NEC, Eagle Rock Entertainment will also release two more concert films - Total Abandon and Bombay Calling - on digital formats on August 26th.

Tracklisting:

“Fireball”  
“Woman From Tokyo”  
“Mary Long”  
“Ted The Mechanic”  
“Lazy”  
“The Well Dressed Guitar”  
“When A Blind Man Cries”  
“Space Truckin’”  
Keyboard Solo  
“Perfect Strangers”  
“Speed King”  
Guitar Solo  
“Smoke On The Water”  
“Hush”  
“Black Night”  
“Highway Star”

 

 

Spanish death metal band, Bizarre, have released a lyric video for “Fleshless”, a track from their debut mini CD, Inner Necropolis, available now via Xtreem Music.

Inner Necropolis was partially recorded, and later mixed and mastered at Moontower Studios by Javi Félez (Graveyard) getting a truly dark, heavy and rotting sound for Bizarre's debut release. Compounded by six songs, the style displayed is old fashioned death metal blending heavy and brutal passages with crushing mid-tempos and killer melodies accompanied by an ultra-low guttural vocal performance.

Tracklisting:
"Dying Existence" (intro)
"Damp Earth"
"Asphyxiating Dark Memories"
"Moldy And Decomposed"
"Fleshless"
"Inner Necropolis"

"Fleshless" lyric video:

"Damp Earth”:

The new pro-shot video below features Robert Plant And The Sensational Space Shifters performing the Led Zeppelin classic, “The Lemon Song”, live at Rock Werchter 2016. “The Lemon Song” was originally featured on Led Zeppelin’s 1969 album, Led Zeppelin II.

Nearly 20 years ago, Led Zeppelin introduced BBC Sessions, an acclaimed two-disc set of live recordings selected from the band’s appearances on BBC radio between 1969 and 1971. Later this year, the band will unveil The Complete BBC Session, an updated version of the collection that’s been newly remastered with supervision by Jimmy Page and expanded with eight unreleased BBC recordings, including three rescued from a previously “lost” session from 1969.

The Complete BBC Session will be available in multiple formats from Atlantic/Swan Song on September 16th:

* Deluxe Edition (3CD) – Remastered original album plus a third disc of unreleased audio.
* Deluxe Edition Vinyl (5LP) – Remastered original album, plus a fifth LP of unreleased audio, on 180-gram vinyl
* Digital Download – Remastered album and unreleased audio will both be available.
* Super Deluxe Boxed Set (3CD/5LP)– This collection includes:        

- Remastered album. 2 CDs, each in a replica sleeve.
- Unreleased audio on CD in a separate card sleeve.
- Remastered album on 180-gram vinyl.
- Unreleased audio on 180-gram vinyl.
- High-def audio download card of all content at 96kHz/24 bit.
- 48-page book filled with photos of the band, the recording locations, BBC memorabilia, and session information.
- High-quality print of the original album cover, the first 30,000 of which will be individually numbered.

BBC Sessions was originally released in 1997 and has been certified double platinum by the RIAA. The Complete BBC Session builds on that collection with a third disc that boasts eight unreleased performances. In addition, the set includes extensive session-by-session liner notes written by Dave Lewis. For the first time ever, it provides accurate details and notes about all of the band’s BBC sessions.

Musical highlights on this new collection include the debut of a long-lost radio session that has achieved near-mythic status among fans. Originally broadcast in April 1969, the session included three songs: “I Can’t Quit You Baby,” “You Shook Me,” and the only recorded performance of “Sunshine Woman.”

Also included are two unreleased versions of both “Communication Breakdown” and “What Is And What Should Never Be.” Separated by two years, the performances vividly demonstrate the young band’s rapid evolution over a short period of time.

Jimmy Page spoke about the band’s growth in an interview with Guitar World: “The BBC Sessions show in graphic detail just how organic the group was. Led Zeppelin was a band that would change things around substantially each time it played…We were becoming tighter and tighter, to the point of telepathy.”

Speaking with Wall of Sound, John Paul Jones added: “We’d been on the road a lot by the time those sessions were recorded. The albums were always the starting point of the music, and then we’d take it out and expand it on the road. Then we’d come straight off the road into those BBC studios.”

Recalling the BBC experience in an interview with Mojo, Robert Plant said: “The whole thing was very quaint: the politeness of the audience, the technicians fumbling about, proper hallowed low-key introductions. Like there was some sort of holy moment about to occur.”

In 1968, Jimmy Page formed Led Zeppelin, one of the most influential, innovative and successful groups in modern music, having sold more than 300 million albums worldwide. The band rose from the ashes of The Yardbirds, when Page brought in Robert Plant, John Bonham and John Paul Jones. In 1969, Led Zeppelin released its self-titled debut which was produced by Jimmy Page, as were all the subsequent albums. It marked the beginning of a 12-year reign, during which the group was widely considered to be the biggest and most innovative rock band in the world.

Led Zeppelin continues to be honored for its pivotal role in music history. The band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1995, received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005, and a year later was awarded the Polar Music Prize in Stockholm. Founding members Page, Plant, and Jones, and along with Jason Bonham, the son of John Bonham – took the stage at London’s O2 Arena in 2007 to headline a tribute concert for Ahmet Ertegun, a dear friend and Atlantic Records’ founder. The band was honored for its lifetime contribution to American culture at the Kennedy Center Honors in 2012. In January of 2014, the band won their first ever Grammy award as Celebration Day, which captured their live performance at the Ertegun tribute concert, was named Best Rock Album. The last two years saw an unprecedented reissue campaign of all nine of the band’s studio albums, which achieved Top 10 chart status around the globe whilst also garnering 5-star reviews and other critical accolades along the way.

The Complete BBC Session CD tracklisting:

Disc One
“You Shook Me”
“I Can’t Quit You Baby”
“Communication Breakdown”
“Dazed And Confused”
“The Girl I Love She Got Long Black Wavy Hair”
“What Is And What Should Never Be”
“Communication Breakdown”
“Travelling Riverside Blues”
“Whole Lotta Love”
“Somethin’ Else”
“Communication Breakdown”
“I Can’t Quit You Baby”
“You Shook Me”
“How Many More Times”

Disc Two
“Immigrant Song”
“Heartbreaker”
“Since I’ve Been Loving You”
“Black Dog”
“Dazed And Confused”
“Stairway To Heaven”
“Going To California”
“That’s The Way”
“Whole Lotta Love” (Medley: Boogie Chillun/Fixin’ To Die/That’s Alright Mama/A Mess of Blues)
“Thank You”

Disc Three
“Communication Breakdown” *
“What Is And What Should Never Be” *
“Dazed And Confused” *
“White Summer”
“What Is And What Should Never Be” *
“Communication Breakdown” *
“I Can’t Quit You Baby” *
“You Shook Me” *
“Sunshine Woman” *

* Previously Unreleased

 

 

 

 

Eyexist, the band featuring former Gorelust singer Jean Beaulieu, guitarist Francis Bouillon, and session drummer/bassist/current Kataklysm member Olivier Beaudoin, are slowly gearing up to release their first album, The Digital Holocaust, via PRC Music (worldwide) this fall.

Eyexist describes it’s music as avant-garde death metal while keeping everything very, very heavy, in your face and brutal in its very own way.

Here is what label owner Rémi Coté had to say about the whole project: "Not sure how to actually describe Eyexist’s sound, but its musically original with some over the top drums arrangements and orchestrations and uber thick heavy guitars! The icing on the cake, in my humble opinion, is the amazing vocals delivery from one of the very best death metal singer coming out from Québec, ever! So yeah, we're happy to be working once again with Jean and his new project... all I can add is get this when it comes out!"

Judge for yourself by checking out a lyric video for the track "Chronicles Of Survival":

CD pre-orders are now available at the PRC MUSIC bandcamp page here. Digital pre-orders can be placed at Eyexist’s bandcamp page here.

(Photo - Cecilia Cardenas Photography)

According to an update from Noise11, the Scorpions will play Australia for the very first time in their 50 year history this October. They will perform at The Palais in Melbourne on October 18th, tickets go on sale on Friday, July 29th. Rock Zone fan club members have an exclusive ticket pre-sale starting 25th July at 10:00am (local) to get access to the best seats.

Few rock bands were as successful as the Scorpions by the mid '80s - headlining arenas/stadiums worldwide, scoring two mega-selling albums (the platinum-certified Blackout and the triple-platinum certified Love At First Sting) and two hit singles/videos ("No One Like You" and "Rock You Like A Hurricane). But what quite a few newcomers to the band didn't realize was that the Scorpions had been regularly recording music since 1972, and that throughout the remainder of the decade, featured two guitarists (Michael Schenker and Uli Jon Roth) at separate points that are considered legendary amongst the heavy metal masses.

And while such albums as Lonesome Crow, Fly To The Rainbow, In Trance, Virgin Killer, Taken By Force, Tokyo Tapes, and Lovedrive did not come close to obtaining the commercial success of the aforementioned '80s era efforts, they inspired and influenced countless renowned musicians.

German Metal Machine: Scorpions In The '70s is the first-ever book to focus solely on this period of the band. Interviews include such former members as Michael Schenker, Uli Jon Roth, Francis Buchholz, and Herman Rarebell, longtime Scorpions producer Dieter Dierks, plus members of other bands that are major admirers, including KK Downing (Judas Priest), Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins), Joe Satriani, Tom Hamilton (Aerosmith), David Ellefson (Megadeth), Alex Skolnick (Testament), and Eddie Trunk (That Metal Show), among many others, while Kirk Hammett (Metallica) provides a foreword.

Greg Prato is a Long Island, New York-based journalist, who has written for Rolling Stone, Songfacts, and Vintage Guitar, and has authored such books as Survival Of The Fittest: Heavy Metal In The 1990's, Iron Maiden: '80 '81, The Eric Carr Story, and Touched By Magic: The Tommy Bolin Story. German Metal Machine is his 19th book overall.

German Metal Machine: Scorpions In The '70s is available as a paperback version [222 pages, $16.99], a Kindle download [$9.99], a Nook download [$9.99], and an iBook download [$9.99].

Also available via Nook and iBook.

Classic hard rock act Voodoo Circle (which is led by Primal Fear guitarist Alex Beyrodt) have parted ways with bassist Mat Sinner (pictured right), also a member of Primal Fear. Sinner has posted the following message:

"The sun is shining, but it's raining in my heart. After eight years I will leave Voodoo Circle in silence. I wish the remaining guys all the best for the future and one more time I will remember the good times we had!"

Voodoo Circle released its fourth studio album Whisky Fingers on November 27th, 2015. Whisky Fingers is available as CD, digipak, colored vinyl, and box set (including digipak and whisky glass).

The reunited partial classic lineup of GUNS N' ROSES played the "Chinese Democracy" song "Catcher In The Rye" live for the first time last night (Wednesday, July 20) during the band's second show at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts. Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below.

This marks the fifth song from the 2008 album to be performed on the "Not In This Lifetime" tour so far, with the group having previously played the title track, "Better", "This I Love" and "Sorry".

"Chinese Democracy", which featured only singer Axl Rose from the classic GUNS N' ROSES lineup, was officially certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on February 3, 2009 for shipments in the United States in excess of one million copies.

The CD came out 15 years after its predecessor, 1993's "The Spaghetti Incident". It took more than a decade to record, during which every original member of the band except Rose was replaced and four different producers were used. GUNS N' ROSES' "Not In This Lifetime" stadium tour features classic lineup members Slash, McKagan and Rose backed by drummer Frank Ferrer, guitarist Richard Fortus, keyboardist Dizzy Reed and new second keyboardist Melissa Reese.

As previously reported, drummer Steven Adler performed with GUNS N' ROSES again 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 is scheduled to hit Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Saturday, July 23.

Brazil-based animator Val Andrade, who made a splash several years ago with his unique cartoons based on Iron Maiden's catalogue of songs, has returned with a new clip for "Blood Brothers", taken from the band's Brave New World album. Check it out below.

Stjepan Juras, an author from Croatia, has just published his fifth book about Iron Maiden. His new book, Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son, is now on sale and the first 300 buyers have a chance to order a very special edition with completely customized book coer including name of buyer in book bar-code. First print of his  previous book, Somewhere In Time, was sold out in just one week.

This is a book about an album which represents not only the very pinnacle of British heavy metal, but also whose release marked the last huge impact of British rock and metal on the scene worldwide. Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son is the last triumphant march of British rock towards the throne with the royal attitude similar to their predecessors such as The Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Queen, Pink Floyd, Genesis, Police, The Kinks and others respectively.

British rock music has had its moments later on, mostly heavily supported by the media trying to find new Beatles among bands such as Oasis or the Arctic Monkeys, but the saga about British rock dominating the worldwide scene ended with this amazing story.

You can order your copy of this book here.