D.C.-based prog innovators Periphery return this summer with a new album, Periphery III: Select Difficulty, out on July 22nd via Sumerian Records, and a US tour, dubbed the Sonic Unrest tour, which launches on August 4th. The new song, “Prayer Position”, is streaming below.

Periphery III: Select Difficulty tracklisting:

“The Price Is Wrong”
“Motormouth”
“Marigold”
“The Way The News Goes…”
“Remain Indoors”
“Habitual Line-Stepper”
“Flatline”
“Absolomb”
“Catch Fire”
“Prayer Position”
“Lune”

“Prayer Position”:

“The Way The News Goes…”:

“Marigold” video:

“Flatline”:

“The Price Is Wrong”:

“Periphery III: Select Difficulty is finally complete and we’re extremely excited to show everyone,” said guitar player Jake Bowen. “For the past couple of years we’ve been refining our collaborative process as a band and we feel that it’s only getting better with the completion of this album. We spent two months writing songs that are not only representative of the Periphery sound but also reflect where all of us are as musicians, working together has helped us tread new ground musically and creatively. In support of Periphery III you’ll see us hit the road in the States this summer with SikTh, Chon, and Toothgrinder on the Sonic Unrest tour, it’s going to be a blast! See you on the road!”

Periphery’s own Adam “Nolly” Getgood oversaw production for the album as he did with the Juggernaut releases. Nolly will no longer be a touring member of Periphery, as he will be expanding his production work in his native UK. He remains an integral part, and a member, of Periphery. At this time no decision has been made about a touring bassist.

“Touring with Periphery has shown me some of the most incredible experiences I could ever have imagined, to meet amazing people all over the world and to create friendships for life; it has truly been an honour to perform in front of every audience who has watched us play over the years. However the touring life isn’t something that everyone can continue doing indefinitely, and for me, the time has come where I want to settle into a more normal existence, be able to make plans further into the future than the touring life enables, and to be able to focus more on the studio side of my music career,” explained Nolly. “I will, however, be remaining as a band member and contributing in any way that I can while the band is off the road; I love all of my fellow bandmates like brothers and I’m so grateful for the incredible support they’ve shown as I make this huge life change. I know they are going to be taking the music and performances to the next level when they hit the road later this year.”

The Sonic Unrest tour, a month-long outing, sponsored by D’Addario and Guitar Center, includes openers SikTh, Chon and Toothgrinder and kicks off on August 4th in Raleigh, NC. Tickets are on-sale this Friday at 10 AM, local time. VIP packages, which feature a private meet and greet with the band as well as a limited edition, exclusive poster are available simultaneously via periphery.net.

Sonic Unrest Tour dates include:
 
August
4 - Raleigh, NC - Lincoln Theatre
5 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade
6 - Memphis, TN - New Daisy Theater
7 - Dallas, TX - House of Blues
8 - San Antonio, TX - Alamo City Music Hall
9 - Houston, TX - House of Blues
11 - Phoenix, AZ - The Press Room
12 - San Diego, CA - House of Blues
13 - Los Angeles, CA - The Regent
14 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
16 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theater
17 - Seattle, WA - The Showbox
19 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Complex
20 - Denver, CO - Summit Music Hall
22 - Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theater
24 - Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall Ballroom
25 - Grand Rapids, MI - Intersection
26 - Detroit, MI - St. Andrew’s Hall
27 - Pittsburgh, PA - Mr. Small’s Theatre
28 - Philadelphia, PA - Theatre of the Living Arts
30 - Boston, MA - Paradise
31 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza

September
1 - Baltimore, MD - Baltimore Sound Stage

Periphery will host a four-day, immersive summer camp dubbed the Periphery Summer Jam on July 25th to 29th at the Full Moon Resort in Big Indian, New York. Registration and further information can be found here.

“Once in a while in an band’s career comes a special time, a period where you feel it's all finally coming together and that time I'm proud to say is NOW! The new Tygers album is finished, done and dusted and ready to unleash our Tygertastic, audience. You're gonna love this one, it's a MONSTER......”, Robb Weir, founder and guitarist of Tygers Of Pan Tang, July 2016.

Who would have predicted that 2016 would turn out to be the most productively successful year since their early days for a band whose history stretches back to the birth of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal? Much has been written about the role the Tygers played in the establishment of the movement and about the comings and goings within the band, but it is safe to say that the current line up brings a creative stability and a shared camaraderie that will keep them together, playing live and making records for some time to come.

The year began the signing of a new record deal with Scandinavia’s premier rock and metal label Mighty Music giving the band the opportunity to record the material they had written and honed in a burst of activity in late 2015. Whilst the band were happy to produce themselves at The Blast Studio in Newcastle they knew that the mix needed a fresh pair of ears.

Mighty Music CEO Michael H. Andersen recommended Soren Andersen/Medley Studio for the mix of the album. Having heard and been impressed by material recorded and mixed by Soren Andersen (Glenn Hughes, Mike Tramp) the Tygers sought out his services. Soren was only too happy to work with a band whose credentials were so firmly established. For the mastering, Harry Hess of Harem Scarem fame was the perfect man for the job.

Leaving the music in his capable hands, next stop for the band was South America. Having no idea what reception they would receive they were overwhelmed by the fierce dedication of the fans in Brazil and Columbia, who, in many cases, had waited years for an opportunity to witness the live show. From South America to Europe without a breath and then on to North America where they headlined Chicago’s Ragnarokkr festival. To say they aced it is an understatement and in the words of the promoter ‘The Tygers started the first Ragnarokkr riot because people were so pumped up.

And the new material will be road tested with their first extensive UK dates for many a year. And, as we write, plans for worldwide dates in support of the album are already coming to fruition.

In late August first single “Only The Brave” will be released on 7” vinyl EP with exclusive bonus track “What Do You Say” from the album recording session. A music video for “Only The Brave” is being shot as we speak.

The long awaited comeback album, Tygers Of Pan Tang, will be released worldwide on Friday, October 21st on LP, Ltd picture LP, CD and through all digital services.

Tracklisting:

“Only The Brave”
“Dust”
“Glad Rags”
“The Reason Why”
“Never Give In”
“Do It Again”
“I Got The Music In Me”
“Praying For A Miracle”
“Blood Red Sky”
“Angel In Disguise”
“The Devil You Know”
 
Tour dates:

October
8 - Rotterdam, Netherlands - Rotterdam Rocks Festival@ Baroeg
9 - Roeselare, Belgium - Verlichte Geest
21 - Newcastle, UK - The Cluny
22 - Wigan, UK - Old Courts
24 - London, UK The Black Heart
25 - Bilston, UK - Robin 2
26 - Hull, UK – Fruit
27 - Merthyr Tydfil, UK - The New Crown
28 - Barnsley, UK - Rock And Blues Venue
29 - Edinburgh, UK - Bannerman’s

January
7 - Mangualde, Portugal - Hardmetal Festival

March
3 - Hamburg, Germany - Hell Over Hammaburg Festival

May
12 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Nordic Noise Rock Festival

Lineup:

Robb Weir - guitars
Jacopo Meille - vocals
Micky Crystal - guitars
Gav Gray - bass
Craig Ellis - drums & percussion

Anderson / Stolt, the new duo of legendary YES vocalist and singer/songwriter Jon Anderson and progressive rock veteran Roine Stolt (The Flower Kings, Transatlantic), recently released their collaborative album, Invention Of Knowledge, via InsideOut Music. A new video for the track “Knowing” can be found below.

Jon Anderson was also recently announced as this year's recipient of the Prog God accolade at the Progressive Music Awards 2016, set to take place in London on September 1st, 2016. Jon joins illustrious company, with previous winners representing some of the most legendary musicians in progressive rock, including Rick Wakeman, Peter Gabriel, Ian Anderson and Tony Banks.

Invention Of Knowledge charted in several countries upon release and you can find those below:

#61 - US Billboard Top Current Albums Charts
#21 - US Billboard Rock Chart
#18 - German Album Charts
#58 - UK Album Charts
#26 - Swiss Album Charts
#61 - Austrian Album Charts
#67 - Italian Album Charts
#56 - Dutch Album Charts

Tracklisting:

I.  Invention of Knowledge
“Invention”
“We Are Truth”
“Knowledge”
 
II. Knowing
“Knowing”
“Chase And Harmony”
 
III.Everybody Heals
“Everybody Heals”
“Better By Far”
“Golden Light”
“Know...”

“Knowing” video:

Teaser #1:

Teaser #2:

Power/metal opera masterminded Frode Hovd has released the cover art for the upcoming album, Land Of Light. The album is in its finishing stages of recording, before it will be sent to Roland Grapow (Masterplan, Helloween) for mixing and mastering

The album features some stunning performances from big names in heavy metal scene, and the lineup so far is:

Singers:

Fabio Lione (Rhapsody of Fire)
Rick Altzi (Masterplan)
Todd Michael Hall (Riot V)
Yannis Papadopoulos (Wardrum)
Tommy ReinXeed (ReinXeed)
Jonas Heidgert (Dragonland)
Kristoffer Göbel (ex Falconer)
David Åkesson (Qantice)
PelleK (PelleK)
Marit Børresen
Bernt Fjellestad (Guardians Of Time)
Vasilis Georgiou (Sunburst)
Sigfried Samer (Dragony)
Mayo Petranin (Signum Regis)
Konstantin Naumenko (Sunrise)
Mina Giannopoulou

Musicians:
Uli Kusch, Frode Hovd, Mike LePond, Christer Harøy, Jimmy Hedlund, Peter Danielsen, Andreas Nergård, Peter Crowley, Ronnie König, Kenneth Skarsvåg, Rayner Harøy, Filip Andel, Paolo Campitelli, Linus Abrahamson, Robert Myrhaug, Filip Kolus, Mistheria and Gabriels.

Aldaria is now on the lookout for the right label to make this opus reach its full potential. Stay tuned for updates.

Following six successful studio albums, Powerwolf will finally release their first DVD, The Metal Mass - Live, on July 29th. It contains almost seven hours of material and features plenty of songs, old and new. A third video teaser can be found below.

Powerwolf's history of success truly is a metal fairytale: Thanks to lifeblood, passion and talent the band has gathered an enormous amount of followers with until now six albums and uncountable captivating live gigs. Two albums in the Top 3 of the German album charts, sold-out headliner shows, frenetically celebrated festival gigs all over Europe – there is just one thing missing… a DVD / Blu-Ray which brings the glorious metal mass on your TV.

Powerwolf do it again in style and have assembled a truly opulent package for their loyal fans. The Metal Mass Live contains three complete live shows with which you can enjoy the irresistible hook lines and great metal hymns of Powerwolf with live recordings from the Masters Of Rock, the Summer Breeze and the Oberhausen gig from the Wolfsnächte tour.

Apart from that all the previous videoclips and two documentaries are included – fans will surely appreciate to witness the hilariously maverick sense of humour of the band members.

The Metal Mass Live will be presented in a beautiful valuable packaging that will make collectors' hearts beat faster: With about 7 hours material, the first DVD / Blu-Ray release of one of the most successful German metal bands will be coming out on Mediabook with 2-DVD / Blu-ray + Live-CD, Earbook with 2-DVD and 2 Live-CDs, a live CD and as Gatefold-Double-Vinyl.

It's about time to finally enjoy the inimitable live feeling of a Powerwolf gig on your couch. Pre-order The Metal Mass Live here.

Teaser #1:

Teaser #2:

Teaser #3:

Powerwolf  and Dutch symphonic metal stars Epica are teaming up for an European tour in early 2017. This impressive co-headline tour comes in support of the highly awaited new Epica album Holographic Principle, which is scheduled for a September 30th release and Powerwolfs The Metal Mass Live.

Comments Matthew Greywolf of Powerwolf: “In early 2017 we will embark on a special tour, sharing stages throughout Europe with the amazing Epica. Those shows will become Powerwolf’s biggest indoor metal masses to date. Be prepared for an amazing stage set and crazy nights full of metal madness!”

“Woohoow, this fall we're releasing our seventh studio album and the band has exciting times coming up! A new album means a new Epica chapter and obviously a new world tour. Early 2017 we'll join forces with our German friends in Powerwolf and together we'll storm stages allover Europe. If you want to hear our brand new songs come to live, if you want to see our brand new visuals and if you simply want to have a good time with us, we expect you on our biggest tour to date! I really can't wait to be back on the road again and to see the music, the energy and our lovely fans become one. Until then!,” commented Epica frontwoman Simone Simons.

Tour dates:

January
12 - Wiesbaden, Germany - Schlachthof
13 - Cologne, Germany - Palladium
14 - Ludwigsburg, Germany - MHP Arena
16. - Geneve, Switzerland - Salle des Fetes de Thonex
17 - Zurich, Switzerland - Volkshaus
20 - Munich, Germany - Tonhalle
21 - Vienna, Austria - Gasometer
24 - Warsaw, Poland - Progresja
25 - Berlin, Germany - Huxleys
27 - Oberhausen, Germany - Turbinenhalle
28 - Prague, Czech Republic - Forum Karlin

February
3 - London, England - Shepherds Bush Empire
4 - Paris, France - Zenith

Further dates of this tour to be announced at a later date. Tickets for all shows can be purchased on the bands’ websites: Powerwolf, Epica.

Italian prog metal masters DGM will release their new album, The Passage, on August 26th. The group are streaming the album’s lead track, “The Secret (Part 1)”. Listen below:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Passage tracklisting:

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

“Animal” video:

EPK:

Teaser:

DGM lineup:

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

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

Alice Cooper has posted this video performing “Elected” live in Biloxi, MS on April 29th.

“Featuring the fight you've always wanted to see, the all out no holds barred match between United States Presidential Candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump!”

Following their wildly successful concerts at the Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles, in front of 100,000 screaming fans at the Rock In Rio festival, and their spectacular worldwide television debut on the 2016 Grammy Awards reaching a global audience of almost 25 million people, fans worldwide demanded more. Hollywood Vampires - Alice Cooper, Joe Perry and Johnny Depp – always deliver and arranged their schedules to give their fans what they want.

Joining the Hollywood Vampires on tour are modern day Vampires Matt Sorum (Guns N' Roses/The Cult) on drums, Robert DeLeo (Stone Temple Pilots) on bass, Tommy Henriksen (Alice Cooper) on guitar, and Bruce Witkin (The Kids) on piano, percussion and guitar. For tickets, visit this location.

"Here is a gang of friends who came together really by chance and over the last year we were finally able to wrangle our schedules and the energy just fell into place. Playing with this line up is like a dream come true. After seeing the reaction at Rock in Rio in front of 100,000 fans, I know this band is going to tear the house down. Hell, I would want to be in the audience to see us rip it up." – Joe Perry

A super-group comprised of rock royalty and a Hollywood superstar, the Vampires will hit the stage offering fans a non-stop, energetic rock concert like no other, performing their new single "Bad As I Am" from their new deluxe album, as well as renditions of popular classics including "My Generation," "Whole Lotta Love," and a "School's Out"/"Another Brick in the Wall" medley.

Hollywood Vampires released a new digital deluxe version of their self-titled album. This expanded version includes three additional songs, including one original and two rocking covers. The deluxe version includes the scorching new single "Bad As I Am" an original song penned by Johnny Depp, Tommy Henriksen, and Bruce Witkin and features Matt Sorum, Alice Cooper, Joe Perry, and Johnny Depp. Also included is "I'm A Boy," a Who original, that was only available as a Japanese bonus track. "7 and 7 Is" is an unreleased track from the album sessions and is the classic song by the legendary Los Angeles band Love, a Vampires special pick and one that Alice covered on his 1981 solo album, Special Forces.

In 1969 on the Sunset Strip at a club called the Rainbow Bar & Grill, the Hollywood Vampires were born in the upstairs bar. It was a gathering place for the rock stars living in or passing through L.A. "To join the club, one simply had to out drink all of the members," says Alice Cooper, a founding member of the original Vampires.

Cooper and good friend Johnny Depp got together and decided the spirit of the Hollywood Vampires should live again (minus the drinking). Cooper and Depp were joined by Joe Perry, who is an old friend of both, and the recording began: a tribute to the original Hollywood Vampires. An environment was born for great artists to hang, laugh and play together.

Tour dates:

July
18 - Fargo, ND - Scheels Arena
22 - Rohnert Park, CA - Weill Hall
23 - Jacksonville, OR - Britt Pavilion
24 - Saratoga, CA - The Mountain Winery
25 - Paso Robles, CA - Mid State Fair

PROPHETS OF RAGE, the supergroup featuring members of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, PUBLIC ENEMY's Chuck D and CYPRESS HILL's B-Real, has released a song called "Prophets Of Rage". Check it out below.

While the description on PROPHETS OF RAGE's official YouTube channel calls this a "new original song," "Prophets Of Rage" takes quite a few lyrics from the PUBLIC ENEMY's track of the same name which appeared on 1988's "It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back" album.

The band tweeted a message about the song, saying: "In a year, we won't soon forget, 'Prophets Of Rage' is a song/band for those who feel they no longer have a voice."

In other news, PROPHETS OF RAGE will play a free show at the Republican National Convention today in Cleveland, Ohio. It is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. at the End Poverty Now! rally at 1416 E. 47th Street. They will also play at The Agora in Cleveland tomorrow as part of their RNC protest.

PROPHETS OF RAGE recently entered the studio to record a brand new song called "The Party's Over", which the band premiered at its recent live shows. Helming the sessions was veteran producer Brendan O'Brien, who has previously worked with RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, PEARL JAM, AC/DC and STONE TEMPLE PILOTS, among others.

Morello told Billboard.com that the members of PROPHETS OF RAGE have set a very high bar for the material that they want to release. "The goal is a simple one: The music has to be devastating," he explained. "In all these interviews, we talk a lot about the politics, but the cornerstone is that the music has to be devastating and we have to not just be competitive with our legacies, but in 2016, it has to be something that goes beyond that and is very authentic, unapologetic and contemporary."

The guitarist added that PROPHETS OF RAGE is still finding its direction.

"When we got in the room, it was like, 'Well, hold on, we're getting ahead of ourselves. We have to figure out what this band's chemistry is to be great. How do we win with this team on the field?'" he said. "And that took awhile to figure out. I would say that it really came together a couple days before the Whisky show [May 31], where it was like, 'Oh, shit, that's what PROPHETS OF RAGE is going to sound like!' And it's still a process. I always look at it like it's never done and will continue to be refined as we go along."

PROPHETS OF RAGE made their live debut in May in Los Angeles, playing numbers from all three acts.

The band will embark on a North American tour in August.

Dutch symphonic metallers EPICA will release their seventh studio album, "The Holographic Principle" on September 30 via Nuclear Blast. The CD was produced by Joost van der Broek at Sandlane Recording Facilities and was mixed by Jacob Hansen (VOLBEAT, DESTRUCTION). The cover artwork was created by Stefan Heilemann.

"The Holographic Principle" track listing:

01. Eidola02. Edge Of The Blade03. A Phantasmic Parade04. Universal Death Squad05. Divide And Conquer06. Beyond The Matrix07. Once Upon A Nightmare08. The Cosmic Algorithm09. Ascension - Dream State Armageddon10. Dancing In A Hurricane11. Tear Down Your Walls12. The Holographic Principle - A Profound Understanding Of Reality

The first part of a studio documentary on the making of "The Holographic Principle" can be seen below.

"Halfway through 2015, EPICA started a new journey: writing and recording the seventh studio album, 'The Holographic Principle'," explains EPICA guitarist Isaac Delahaye. "In between touring, we spent our time in the Sandlane Recording Facilities with producer Joost van den Broek and here's the first part of our studio documentary! It gives you a little insight into the creation of what we see as our most complete album ever. You'll hear rough snippets of new music, and you'll see how we built things up. Enjoy!"

EPICA previously stated about the lyrical inspiration for "The Holographic Principle": "'The Holographic Principle' deals with the near future wherein virtual reality has taken off and allows people to create their own virtual worlds which can't be distinguished from 'reality as we know it.' This raises the question whether our current reality is a kind of virtual reality on itself, a hologram. This implies the existence of a higher reality which we currently do not have access to. The lyrics challenge you to think out of the box, to reconsider everything you thought to know for sure and to be open-minded towards recent revolutions in science. Fasten your seat belts and get ready for a ride as nothing appears to be what it seems in our holographic universe."

Speaking to Spark TV, which is part of the Czech monthly magazine Spark, EPICA singer Simone Simons stated about the follow-up to 2014's "The Quantum Enigma": "It's a huge amount of songs, it's a lot of information, it's a lot to take in, but we put everything in this record and we hope that it will pay off and that the people will feel what we feel when we listen to it."

She added: "Since 'The Quantum Enigma' was received so well, we set the bar so high, but we accepted the challenge to make an even better record. And we've done everything bigger than before — we had more orchestra, a bigger choir. We had so many different instruments — real, live instruments. Vocally, I put everything in the record that I can possibly do, and I'm very pleased with it."

According to Simone, she has once again experimented a bit with her vocal approach on the new album. "With each record, I try to get the best out," she said. "And Joost [van den Broek], our producer, he's also very good at getting everything out of me. And the songs themselves, they just ask for a lot of variation in the vocal style. And I do opera, rock, pop, and in the ballads you hear the really soft voice. And, yeah, I can belt out some high notes as well."

Even though "The Holographic Principle" is one of EPICA's most ambitious offerings to date, the album doesn't sacrifice any of its instant appeal, something which Simone says was intentional. "I think it needs to be all in balance," she said. "We are, in heart, a metal band going in the symphonic direction. The orchestration, the choir is a little bit like the seventh and eighth bandmember of EPICA, and that's something we'll always keep in there. And the choir parts are often very catchy, the choruses are very catchy. But on this record, besides having catchy melodies, we also wanted to have really groovy vocal lines. And that's something that we worked on as well; we changed up some things to make it less predictable."

One of the aspects of EPICA's sound which has been enhanced on "The Holographic Principle" is the growling vocal style of EPICA guitarist and main songwriter Mark Jansen. "Well, it's Mark and it's actually our drummer as well," Simone said. "Mark is the main grunter, and our drummer, Ariën [van Weesenbeek], has a really nice, thick sound. So I don't know if he sang all the grunt parts as well, if he doubled them with Mark, but them together makes a totally new grunt sound, and I like it. Also, it changes it up a bit. Mark can do also really low grunts, he can do screams, and Ariën really has that deep sound to it."

Simone also praised the contributions of Isaac Delahaye, who came into the band in 2009. "The guitars are definitely more brutal," she said. "Also in the mix, the melodies, the grooves, and I think that ever since Isaac joined the band, not only as a songwriter but also the guitars have been lifted to a different level, and have become more interesting to listen to, I find myself. So I'm a big fan of his guitar work and also his songwriting."

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 tells 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."

As previously reported, SLAYER will stage a takeover of San Diego Comic-Con International (SDCC). The occupation will begin on Thursday, July 21 with a special live performance at the intimate-capacity House Of Blues. SLAYER will also execute two very exclusive signings inside the walls of San Diego Comic-Con with Dark Horse Comics. These signings will take place Friday, July 22, booth #2615, and at the Nuclear Blast Records booth, #501.

At Guitare en Scene festival in St Julian, France on July 15th, guitar legend Steve Vai joins Dweezil Zappa on stage for first time in 10 years to jam on a classic piece of the Zappa repertoire, "Muffin Man". Vai even ends up doing a surprise vocal turn. Check out the clip below.

Vai's first-ever interactive video guitar masterclass, Alien Guitar Secrets: Passion and Warfare, is now available at TrueFire. The video masterclass (Windows, Mac, and iOS compatible) features 4+ hours of video lessons, tab, notation, 11 naked tracks and 6 bonus live performance videos.

Learn more at this location and enter the Steve Vai Giveaway for a shot at winning the autographed Steve Vai Carvin Legacy 3 Amp that he used during the filming of the masterclass!

Bonus: use promo code "VAI" at checkout to save 15%.

Vai will giving several Alien Guitar Secrets masterclasses in Italy this September. Classes will fill quickly, reserve your space today. Dates are as follows:

September
18 - Fiorano (Modena), Italy - Teatro Astoria   
19 - San Giovanni alla Vena (Pisa), Italy - Blitz Live Music Pub    
20 - Rome, Italy - Planet Live Club
21 - Cagliari, Italy - venue tba
23 - Foggia, Italy - Teatro Giordano
24 - Martirano Lombardo (Catanzaro) - Sala Cesare Nava
25 - Palermo, Italy - Teatro Santa Cecilia
26 - Verona, Italy - Teatro Astra

Go to this location for ticket information.

Vai has posted an overview of the Modern Primitive / Passion And Warfare 25th Anniversary behind-the-scenes video clip that was released last week:

"Hey folks,

Sterling Ball is a dear friend and has been for many years. I’ve been exclusively using his excellent Ernie Ball strings for decades because for me, they work best. On virtually all my records I have used a Choral sitar on at least one song but was always in search of something with more dimension. As a gift Sterling made me this spectacular and exotic sitar that is unique, and I believe that it will appropriately be used in the future whenever I reach for that sound. Thanks to Sterling and Ernie Ball Music Man for their amazing work here. http://bit.ly/DivyaDora

And I can also be seen in the video using my old Fender Sticker Strat. Strats have a particular sound that I like to blend in recordings at times and it was wonderful to break-out my old Sticker Strat for the recording of a song that I wrote on that guitar. For the recording of Modern Primitive I used my main Ibanez Guitars Jems: EVO, Flo III and 7-string Universe Bruno on the majority of the recordings. I am the Jem. l am even shaped like a Jem! As you may have read, Modern Primitive was written and conceived between Flex-Able and Passion And Warfare— which is right around the time I designed the Jem based on specific idiosyncrasies of my playing. These guitars have been a pivotal part of my recording, writing and live performance for over 30 years.

Lastly, you might be interested to know I employed an 8-string Ibanez on tracks like 'Mighty Messengers', 'The Lost Chord' and 'No Pockets'. I use a plethora of gear in the studio from all sorts of companies to add different colors to the music. For instance, in the video I mention that I used an Orange amp on one song. I occasionally blend various amps into one tone and it’s not uncommon for me to mix 3 or more different amplifiers (via re-amping) to get one color. But I would say that perhaps 75% or more of the audible amp sound on Modern Primitive’s recent guitar recording is my Carvin Legacy. I use the Legacy because for me, nothing sounds like the Legacy. It’s my favorite amp tone. It’s really me and I’m so grateful to have this amp. And Carvin is truly a wonderful company.

I do feel fortunate to receive many gifts of gear from various companies and sometimes that gear can be special and I will put it to the appropriate use that’s dictated soley by my creative manager that abides in the formless dimension within, because he/she/it's really the boss."

Life Of Agony official artisan coffee will be coming soon. The band has partnered up with East Coast Roast, a family-owned and operated small-batch artisan roasting company to produce Red River Roast. 

Each batch is perfectly roasted using 100% Arabica coffee beans. Orders will be available soon.

Life Of Agony recently signed a worldwide record deal with Napalm Records. They are currently hard at work on their new album and Napalm Records debut, A Place Where There's No More Pain, which is due in early-2017.

Life Of Agony returned to the stage and performed on multiple festival dates in Europe over the summer of 2014. The famed River Runs Red lineup of vocalist Mina Caputo, guitarist Joey Z, bassist Alan Robert and drummer Sal Abruscato were excited to take the stage together once again after a three-year hiatus.

Unfortunately last week drummer Sal Abruscato was injured causing LOA to cancel their upcoming European tour dates, but fear not. Sal will be fully recovered soon and the band will be returning to Europe this November. The European jaunt kicks off November 13th in Vienna, Austria and runs through December 10th in Aalborg, Denmark.

Life Of Agony will also be playing two special shows in the Northeast this fall. September 30th sees the band stopping in Clifton Park, NY. Then the band will appear at The Rock Carnival in Lakewood, NJ on October 2nd.

Life Of Agony Northeast dates:

September
30 - Clifton Park, NY - Upstate Concert Hall

October
2 - Lakewood, NJ - Rock Carnival Festival
 
Life Of Agony European tour:

November
13 - Vienna, Austria - Simm City
15 - Gdansk, Poland - Stary Manez
16 - Warsaw, Poland - Progresia Music Zone
18 - Aschaffenburg, Germany - Coolste
19 - Eindhoven, Netherlands - Klokgebouw
30 - Saarbrucken, Germany - The Garage

December
1 - Bochum, Germany - Zeche
3 - Augsburg, Germany - Kantine
4 - Herford, Germany - TBD
6 - Hamburg, Germany - Markthalle
8 - Stockholm, Sweden - Fryshuset Klubben
9 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Sticky Fingers
10 - Aalborg, Denmark - Aalborg Metal Festival
 

Montreal, Quebec, Canada-based melodic death metallers THE AGONIST have posted a second teaser for their forthcoming album — their first since signing a worldwide deal with Napalm Records. The CD was recorded with producer Mike Plotnikoff, who has previously worked with BUCKCHERRY, OTEP, HALESTORM, DROWNING POOL, THEORY OF A DEADMAN, 3 DOORS DOWN, FEAR FACTORY, FLYLEAF and SKILLET, among others. THE AGONIST guitarist Danny Marino stated about the band's new material: "Since recording 'Eye Of Providence', we have been exploding with creativity and are set to record our best record to date. We've been working non-stop on the material on and off the road and now after four albums we have really found ourselves.

"Vicky [Psarakis, vocals] and I seem to operate on a hive mind where we know exactly what the other is going for in the writing before it happens. It can actually be freaky sometimes. We are also very excited to be recording this album with Mike Plotnikoff. His experience and input will really help take our sound to a new level." "Eye Of Providence" was released in February 2015 via Century Media. The band's first CD with Psarakis was recorded at The Grid studio in their hometown with producer Chris Donaldson (CRYPTOPSY).

Vicky joined THE AGONIST as the replacement for Alissa White-Gluz, who left the band to focus on her new gig as the frontwoman of ARCH ENEMY.

Demonic Resurrection frontman Demonstealer released his second solo album This Burden Of Mine featuring George Kollias (Nile) on drums on March 25th. A video has been made for album track “From Rubble And Ruin”.

Demonstealer comments, "I think the video takes a step away from the conventional metal ones and I'll give complete credit to director Guilherme for this vision. I guess it was born from not actually having a full band or even myself to shoot because we are in different countries. So I gave him complete creative freedom and he delivered the goods I think."

Artwork was created by Michal 'Xaay' Loranc (Behemoth, Vader, Nile, Demonic Resurrection).

Album lineup:

Demonstealer - Vocals/Guitars/Keys
Ashwin Shriyan - Bass
George Kollias - Drums

Dutch doom death metal pioneers ASPHYX will release their new studio album, "Incoming Death", on September 30 via Century Media Records. The follow-up to 2012's "Deathhammer" was recorded at several diffferent studios throughout 2016 and was once more mixed and mastered by Dan Swanö, who previously worked with the band on the "Deathhammer", "Death…The Brutal Way" and "Live Death Doom" releases.

Commented ASPHYX vocalist Martin Van Drunen: "Four and a half years after the release of 'Deathhammer', we finally managed to finish its long-awaited successor. Expect eleven unmerciful battering tracks in the typical ASPHYX death/doom style, but also the most varied ASPHYX material up to date without losing our rawness, brutality and heaviness.

"The album will be entitled 'Incoming Death'. And like 'Deathhammer', it's a phrase that doesn't really exist, but refers to what entrenched soldiers cry out when under severe artillery fire. Thus 'Incoming Death' implies another relentless bombardment of monstrous ASPHYX death/doom metal!" He continues: "Serious ear bleeding is guaranteed! It's also our first record also featuring 'Husky' on drums, who is now with us for already two and a half years molesting the pig skins with the absolute perfect ASPHYX attitude, passion, pride and mayhem.

"We are very proud of this best ASPHYX album ever! And knowing our dedicated fans worldwide, they will be proud of us as well! Soon we will hit the stages on every continent to do what we do best: intense, loud, sweaty, filthy and ruthless live performances!"

"Deathhammer" entered the German Media Control chart at position No. 67. The CD was released in February 2012 via Century Media Records. ASPHYX is:

Paul Baayens - GuitarAlwin Zuur - BassMartin Van Drunen - VocalsStefan "Husky" Hüskens - Drums

Swedish progressive metallers OPETH will release their twelfth album, "Sorceress", on September 30. The band's first effort for Nuclear Blast via OPETH's imprint label Moderbolaget Records is proof chief architect Mikael Åkerfeldt has a near-endless well of greatness inside. From the album's opener "Persephone" to "The Wilde Flowers" and "Strange Brew" to the album's counterpart title tracks "Sorceress" and "Sorceress II", OPETH's new full-length is an unparalleled adventure, where visions cleverly and secretly change, colors mute as if weathered by time, and sounds challenge profoundly.

For "Sorceress", OPETH returned to Rockfield Studios in Wales, also home to pivotal releases from QUEEN, RUSH and JUDAS PRIEST, where the Swedes had tracked "Pale Communion" in 2014 with Tom Dalgety. The band spent twelve days recording at the countryside venue among its serene and inspiring surroundings. The result is nothing short of a powerful and intriguing record that will add yet another layer to the band's celebrated career.

"The new album 'Sorceress' is our twelfth studio album since our beginnings in 1990," says Åkerfeldt. "I find it difficult to understand that we've been going on for twenty-six years, let alone that we've made twelve records now, all of which I am very proud of. 'Sorceress' is no exception.

"I love this album, as does the whole band. I wrote the music during five-six months and we spent only twelve days recording it at Rockfield studios in Wales.

"I find that once again we've taken a step forward. Or sideways, Or backwards. Somewhere!? It's different! It's extremely diverse. And if I may say so myself, extremely good. I feel the right to say that since I like to think I know this band better than anyone on the planet. Also, I always manage to detach myself from the record and listen as a fan.

"It's a fine little record. My favorite in our discography right now. Of course. That's how it should be, right? It's both fresh and old, both progressive and rehashed. Heavy and calm. Just the way we like it. Hopefully there'll be others around the globe sharing this opinion. It was a joy to make it. A fucking joy to record it, and a sheer joy listening to it. So there you have it!"

"Sorceress" track listing:

01. Persephone
02. Sorceress
03. The Wilde Flowers
04. Will O The Wisp
05. Chrysalis
06. Sorceress 2
07. The Seventh Sojourn
08. Strange Brew
09. A Fleeting Glance
10. Era
11. Persephone (Slight Return)

OPETH has announced a North American headline tour, set to kick off with a performance at Ozzfest Meets Knotfest on September 24 in San Bernardino, California. The tour, with THE SWORD as support, will continue through the following month before wrapping up on October 26 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Queens Of The Stone Age guitarist Troy Van Leeuwen recently guested on 2 Hours With Matt Pinfield and revealed the band is due to start recording a new album by the end of the year.

Van Leeuwen: "We've already started talking about what we're gonna do next for the next Queens record. There's tons of ideas that are bouncing around. We're going to do something before the end of the year, as far as recording goes. We're excited to get back together to follow-up ...Like Clockwork, which was a really, really big record for us, personally. It was a big record for us because it was the hardest record to make, and we're trying to not do that again. We just want to keep things simpler and try that."

Lo Sound Desert, the video documentary about the Californian Desert music scene, which gave birth to bands like Queens Of The Stone Age, Kyuss, Fu Manchu and more, was released on July 1st via Monoduo Films. A decade in the making by filmmaker Jörg Steineck (Truckfighters), Lo Sound Desert is the definite music documentary about desert rock. A video trailer can be found below.

Lo Sound Desert provides a deep, intimate look into the Low Desert music scene’s history with never-ending jams in the middle of the desert which continues to live on with the same vitality, authenticity and resilience as two decades ago. Lo Sound Desert is narrated by Josh Homme (Kyuss, Eagles Of Death Metal, Queens of the Stone Age, Them Crooked Vultures), Brant Bjork (Kyuss, Fu Manchu), Mario Lalli (Fatso Jetson, Orquestra del Desierto, Ten East, The Perfect Rat) and many other from bands like Kyuss, Queens Of The Stone Age, Yawning Man, Fatso Jetson, Mondo Generator, Dali’s Llama, Hornss, Slo Burn, Unida and Fu Manchu.

What was started by revolting punk rock kids throwing parties in the middle of the desert - hidden from narrow-minded authorities of suburban America in the early 80s, became a movement over the years.

“If my opinion matters, this film is very authentic.” - Brant Bjork (Kyuss)

“Outstanding! One of the rare rock documentaries that will survive.” - Mario Lalli (Fatso Jetson)

From endless jams in unconditioned rehearsal garages to wasteland venues to smoked-up European backstage rooms: ‘Desert Rock’, a specific vibe of pure analog rock music, was fostered by the beauty of a surrounding that naturally provides a lot of space. Until nowadays it continued its slow-moving underground spread and became international treasure. In a way Desert Rock never reached extreme popularity like simultaneously grown, commercially hyped Grunge Rock in the early 90’s. But it still seems to be around and inspires new generations of rock bands to carry on.

Photo lifted from the Queens Of The Stone Age Facebook page

Portuguese Gothic metal band Heavenwood will release their new album The Tarot Of The Bohemians on July 22nd via Massacre Records. The tracklisting has been revealed for the album.

The album was recorded and mixed by André Matos, and mastered by Wojtek Wieslawski. Gustavo Sazes has created the cover artwork.

Tracklisting:

“The Juggler”
“The High Priestess”
“The Empress”
“The Emperor”
“The Pope”
“The Lovers”
“The Chariot”
“Justice”
“The Hermit”
“The Wheel Of Fortune”
“Strength”
“The Hanged Man”
“Frithiof’s Saga”

“The High Priestess”:

Springfield, MA-based melodic hardcore band, City Of Homes, have released a lyric video for their latest single, “Farewell”. The track comes off their EP What Life Remains, releases this summer.

Tracking for the EP was produced by guitarist Jon Kita (Diecast), at Conclave Studios in Manhattan, New York and was mixed and mastered by renowned producer, Chris ‘Zeuss’ Harris (Rob Zombie, Hatebreed, Suicide Silence, Huntress). Additional instrumentation was recorded in Easthampton, MA by Chris Daniele (Disappearing Mountain) and by guitarist Tyler Stroetzel’s older brother Joel Stroetzel (Killswitch Engage) at The Cave.

Comprised of vocalist Joseph Izayea, guitarists Tyler Stroetzel (ex-Diecast) and Jon Kita (Diecast), bassist Matt Deis (ex-All That Remains), and drummer T.J. McLear, City of Homes formed in 2014, releasing their debut EP shortly after. City of Homes has been touring in support of “What Life Remains” and were chosen as direct support by Killswitch Engage on their recent New York City residency in March.

Tracklisting:

“The Finding”
“Horse To Water”
“Closure”
“What Life Remains”
“Farewell”
“Two Bit Grin”

“Farewell” lyric video:

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions have released the new acoustic album from Violation Wound, entitled Open Up And Burn, on today (July 15th) on CD and digital formats. This release is strictly limited to 100 copies. The album is streaming in full via the Bandcamp player below:

Open Up And Burn (Limited Edition Of 100 Copies) by VIOLATION WOUND

Open Up And Burn is the genre-defying new album from California's punk troglodytes, drunken acoustic madness of the blurriest order, made by outsiders for outsiders.... true freak music for true freaks! Always wanted to hear an album that while being recorded involved blood, barf, broken glass and acoustic guitars? Look no further, as your calling has been heard AND it has been answered... freak out! This release is strictly limited to 100 copies and includes a cover of "Destroy The Factory" by Eat My Fuk (the infamous pre-Violation Wound punk band led by Chris Reifert). Drinking songs for the whiskey apocalypse...

Tracklisting:

“Violation Wound”
“Some Kind Of Dread”
“Spiders And Flies”
“No One To Take The Fall”
“Human Cage”
“Open Up And Burn”
“Blackout Train”
“Tumbling Bones”
“In My Veins”
“Destroy The Factory” (Eat My Fuk cover)
“Whiskey Brigade”
“Concrete Oblivion”

“Tumbling Bones”:

Order the CD for only $10 with free shipping here. Order the Digital Download for only $6.66 here.

Deathgasm Records will release the eleventh official studio full-length album from long-running Kentucky-based death metal legion, Abominant, on July 29th. Listen to the track, "Burning Hemisphers" below.

For twenty-three years, Abominant has done their best to write individual songs rather than repeating the same style, in the process simultaneously enticing or alienating much of the metal underground, causing them to maintain a purely cult status. With no interest in trends or genres, they've always carved their own path through the metal underworld, recognizing the appeal of individuality and attempting to separate themselves from getting lost in the sea of brutality. The band's relentless eleventh album, Napalm Reign was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Scott Briggs and Abominant inside Velocity Studios during the Winter months of 2015/16. Napalm Reign spews forth eleven brand new aural assaults and showcases the band executing their subterranean thrash-tinged blackened death with the passion and vehemence of true scene veterans. Check out the cover art and tracklisting:

"No Peace"
"Reborn Through Bloodshed"
"Iron Clad"
"Hordes Of Desolation"
"Burning Hemispheres"
"The Watchers"
"Truth Beyond Belief"
"As Evil Rears Its Head"
"The Villains Veil"
"Out Of The Shadows"
"Scream In The Night"

"Burning Hemispheres":

Preorders for the CD and digital versions of Napalm Reign can be placed at this location where you can also sample streams of "The Watchers" and "As Evil Rears Its Head", or alternately enjoy them via the audio player below.

Abominant has shared the stage with dozens of national and international acts including: Deicide, Aborted, Rotting Christ, Death Angel and Belphegor as well as personal underground favorites like Nunslaughter, Incantation, Deceased, and many others. Expect new tour dates in support of Napalm Reign to be announced in the coming weeks.

Napalm Reign by Abominant

 

Shadow Kingdom Records has announced the signing of Italy's legendary Death SS for the reissue of the band's first three albums: 1988's ...In Death Of Steve Sylvester, 1989's Black Mass, and 1991's Heavy Demons. Each album will be released on CD, vinyl, and cassette formats, (as well as digital) with a t-shirt design produced for each album cover. Additionally, each of these three classic albums will be faithfully restored to their origin sound and design, as per the band's specifications.

Long a cult name in the international heavy metal scene, Death SS have influenced thousands over the past three decades in their long, twisted history, equally influencing the nascent speed metal and black metal scenes with their trademark ghoulish and theatrical presentation. Shadow Kingdom couldn't be prouder and more honored to have Death SS amongst its roster, most of which have been shaped by the band in one way or another.

Founded in 1977 by vocalist Stefano Silvestri - whose initials gave the band their "SS" appellation - the first Death SS lineup was soon complete with the addition of guitarist Paolo Catena, bassist Daniele Ugolini, and drummer Tomaso Castaldi. All four members took artistic names the way their names would be in English: Steve Sylvester as The Vampire, Paul Chain as The Death, Danny Hughes as The Mummy, and Tommy Chaste as The Werewolf. Steve Sylvester and Paul Chain soon started to compose their first songs: "Terror" (1977), "Zombie" (1977), "Horrible Eyes" (1978), "Murder Angels" (1979), and "The Hanged Ballad" (1979).

Contrary to popular belief, there were lineup changes from 1977 to 1982. As Steve Sylvester stated in an interview for Trumetal.it webzine on December 2005, "Danny Hughes were really two individuals, the same way Tommy Chaste were three. It all came from my haste to quickly establish the names of the musicians that were part of the band, in a sort of magical pact. The first Danny Hughes (Daniele Ugolini) was the first guy that played the bass on the band, but […] he was substituted by Gabriele Tomassini, who became the new Danny Hughes (II). As for the musicians nicknamed Tommy Chaste, nothing is known about the first out of his real name (Tomaso Castaldi). The second was Franco Caforio (who lately gained fame with the Italian rock band Litfiba) and took the name of Thomas Chaste. The third one (Andrea Vianelli; the first one to be called with the compound name Thomas Hand Chaste) entered in Death SS in October, 1980. There’s only one recording available previous to the entrance of Andrea Vianelli, that is the rehearsal version of 'Zombie' from 1979 released on Zombie/Terror single, contained in The Cursed Singles boxed set (1995)."

Claudio Galeazzi (Claud Galley, The Zombie) also entered in the band in 1980 as rhythm guitar player, and Death SS became a quintet. This lineup recorded the demo The Horned God of the Witches (1981), unreleased as such for the general public (only two copies exist) but contained in The Story of Death SS compilaton LP (1987). The Mummy (Gabriele Tomassini) left in 1982, and Claud Galley took the bass instead. Again as a four-piece, the band recorded Demo II, which included "Horrible Eyes," "Cursed Mama," and "Kings of Evil." Other songs were composed but not recorded before Steve Sylvester left the band: "Welcome to my Hell," "Inquisitor," "Black And Violet," and "Chains Of Death," for example, would see the light in other points of Steve Sylvester’s and Paul Chain’s careers.

Epic/folk metal band Atlas Pain have signed a deal with Bakerteam Records for the release of their debut album What The Oak Left. Combining elements of extreme, pagan/folk and symphonic metal with a cinematic approach, the band is able to handle a multitude of musical genres yet maintaining a very personal touch that makes them stand out in today’s crowded music scene. 

What The Oak Left was recorded at Media Factory studio with Fabrizio Romani (Skylark) and mastered by Mika Jussila (Nightwish, Children Of Bodom) at Finnvox Studios in Helsinki, Finland. The beautiful artwork was made by Jan Örkki Yrlund of Darkgrove (Korpiklaani, Manowar).

"We are extremely happy to be able to work with one of the most important label reality of the current italian metal scene, the debut album couldn't have best launch!" - vocalist and guitarist Samuele states.

"We're so proud to publish our very first full length through an italian label, we cannot look forward to show you the result of this collaboration" - drummer Riccardo states.

Brazil’s Hangar has released the new video clip for the song “Reality Is A Prison”, the first track of the new album Stronger Than Ever. The video was recorded Bebedouro, São Paulo, and had the direction of Junior Carelli and Rudge Campos, from Foggy Filmes. The makeup was done by artist Niandra Coast and the actor Rodrigo Carmo. Stronger Than Ever was released today (July 15th) through FC Metal Recordings.

The story of “Reality Is A Prison” is confused with the hangar itself. The letter portrays moments lived by the band in all these years and the idea of the music video is to show how many times that coexistence can become a prison. The video shows a very rare scenic side metal clips recorded in Brazil, where the band stars with actor Rodrigo Carmo, lead singer of the band Versover.

Tracklisting:

“Reality Is A Prison”
“The Revenant”
“Forest Of Forgotten”
“A Letter From 1997 (MHJ)”
“Just Like Heaven”
“The Silence Of Innocent”
“Beauty In Disrepair”
“We Keep Running The Course”
“The Hangar Of Hannibal”
“Just Like Heaven” (Acoustic)

"Reality Is A Prison" video:

"The Hangar Of Hannibal" lyric video:

Burn Up The Night, out on September 23rd (EU) / September 30th (US), is the fourth album by Kryptos, featuring amazing ‘80s throwback cover art by Mattias Frisk, renowned for his stunning work with occult rockers Ghost. Check out the new video for “Full Throttle” below:

 

The album is packed with steely riffs and twin guitar melodies straight out of the glory days of ‘80ss metal and the NWOBHM movement. With a rasping vocal attack and a gritty, street-ready production, Burn Up The Night is the ultimate sound of battle jackets, spikes and leather. It’s old school or no school!

Tour dates:

July
16 – Hamburg, Germany – Apes Enraged Festival
28 – Bradenhorner Kirchen, Germany – Headbanger’s Open Air
31 – Hamburg, Germany – Wacken Open Air

August
3 – Aschaffenburg, Germany – Colos-Saal
4 – Munchen, Germany – Free And Easy Festival
5 – Marburg, Germany – Marburg Kulturshock
7 – Koln, Germany – RheinRiot Festival
8 – Prattlen, Switzerland – Z7
10 – Cham, Germany – LA
13 – Leidersbach, Germany – Sam’s Hard’n Heavy Open Air

Tribulation’s 2009 debut album, The Horror, will be re-released on vinyl on August 19th via Century Media Records. This new version will come with gatefold cover (printed on inside out cardboard), A2 poster, LP-size booklet (similar to the 7” size booklet of the original version) and 180g vinyl.

Next to the black vinyl version, there will be a selection of different vinyl colours available:

Red: Limited to 100 copies, exclusively available at CM Distro Europe (Pre-sale starts July 22nd)
Clear: Limited to 200 copies, exclusively available at High Roller Records
Golden: Limited to 200 copies, exclusively available at Nuclear Blast
White: Limited to 200 copies, exclusively available at Sound Of Record
Silver: Limited to 500 copies, offered through RED distribution on North America
Orange: Limited to 300 copies, exclusively available at CM Distro US

Tribulation have announced their return to North America at the end of the summer for the group's first ever headlining run in the states. The band has spent much of the last year touring across the globe in support of their album, The Children Of The Night, which saw them play US tours with the likes of Ghost, Deafheaven, and Abbath.

Speaking on the upcoming trek in North America, members of the band comment: “Though we are approaching it, we haven't quite reached the end of the road for The Children Of The Night world tour. We know many of you have been waiting for it, so we are now very happy to announce that we'll make one final tour through North America, this time as a headliner! It's going to be a pleasure to be able to give you a full set in our very own way. See you this fall!"

Following the completion of their worldwide touring behind The Children Of The Night, Tribulation is expected to begin work on the follow-up to the widely praised release. Please see below for the full list of dates on the upcoming tour in North America, as well as summer festivals in Europe and a string of Australian dates.

North American dates:

August
26 - Las Vegas, NV - Psycho Las Vegas Festival
27 - Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour
28 - Oakland, CA - Oakland Metro
30 - Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court
31 - Denver, CO - Marquis Theatre

September
2 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry
3 - Chicago, IL - Sub T
4 - Detroit, MI - El Club
5 - Toronto, ON - TThe Garrison
6 - Montreal, QC - La Sala Rossa
7 - Boston, MA - Great Scott
8 - Philadelphia, PA - The Foundry
9 - Brooklyn, NY - Knitting Factory
10 - Raleigh, NC - Hopscotch Festival
11 - Washington, DC - Rock n Roll Hotel

European Festivals & Australian dates:

August
10 - Josefov, Czech Republic - Brutal Assault Open Air
11 - Schlotheim, Germany - Party.San Open Air
12 - Ieper, Belgium - Ieper Hardcore Fest
13 - Leeuwarden, The Netherlands - Into The Grave Festival
18 - Dinkelsbühl, Germany - Summer Breeze Open Air

Italy’s Hell In The Club have inked a multi-album deal with Frontiers Music Srl.

Hell In The Club is the rock n’ roll monster created by members of two of the most talented Italian heavy metal bands around: Andy (Andrea Buratto), bass player of Secret Sphere and Elvenking’s Dave (Davide Moras) on vocals. With a lineup completed by Marco “Lancs” Lanciotti on drums and Andrea “Picco” Piccardi on guitar, HITC released three increasingly acclaimed studio albums which eventually brought the band to the attention of Frontiers, who decided to snap them up.

For the uninitiated, Hell In The Club mixes classic hard rock and modern sounds, heavy metal and party songs, '50s rock n’ roll and anything in between.

“We are thrilled to announce that we just inked a deal with Frontiers Music Srl, home of some of the greatest hard rock bands out there - many of which are among our biggest musical influences,” announced the band. “This is definitely a big step forward for Hell In The Club, we are really happy and proud as Italians to be part of this family! We are already working hard on the new songs, so get ready since the new album will be released sooner than you think!”