Berlin, Germany’s Earth Ship have released a music video for “Read Leaves”, a track from their upcoming album, Hollowed, set to be released on June 24th via Napalm Records. Watch the new video below.

Behold the power of the riff in all shapes and sizes: It would be a serious understatement, even borderline ignorance to simply lump Earth Ship in with the rest of the sludge rock genre – a horribly abused and undefined tag.

Earth Ship was born in 2010 and present an intriguing mix of heavy metal, fuzzy stoner rock and some of the finest sludge to date. The band has already released three full-length albums and toured all across Europe and the UK. Now it’s time to take the next step together with their new home at Napalm Records.

Hollowed tracklisting:

“Reduced To Ashes”
“Hollowed”
“Valley Of Thorns”
“Conjured”
“Monolith”
“In Fire's Light”
“In The Arms Of Medusa”
“Castle Of Sorrow”
“Safeguard Of Death”
“Red Leaves”
“The Edge Of Time”
“Blood Candy” (Bonus Track)
“The Edge Of Time” - Acoustic (Bonus Track)

“Red Leaves” video:

Album preview:

"Safeguard Of Death":

"Valley Of Thorns" lyric video:

On Hollowed, the band once more gracefully tackle the soft yet stronger dynamic of bands like Kylesa and Crowbar, celebrating and crowning the whole thing with morbid melodies Alice In Chains would be proud of. Saturated with monolithic doom and hauntingly good!

Earth Ship states: "Musically and lyrically, hollowed is a dark and baleful journey through oceans of sludge and vast whisky-flooded valleys to the edge of time."

Pre-order the new album here.

German blues rockers Zodiac will release their new album, Grain Of Soul, on July 29th via Napalm Records. It was recorded and mixed by Arne Neurand (Guano Apes, Subway To Sally, The Intersphere) at Horus Sound Studio in Hannover, Germany. The mastering duties were handled by Grammy Award winning Jean-Pierre Chalbos (Gojira, Kavinsky) at La Source Mastering in Paris, France. A music video for the track “Follow You” can be found below.

Grain Of Soul tracklisting:

"Rebirth By Fire"
"Animal"
"Follow You"
"Down"
"Faithless"
"Crow"
"Ain't Coming Back"
"Get Out"
"Like The Sun"
"Sinner"
"Grain Of Soul"
 
Bonus 7-inch single:

"Shore"
"Dying One"

“Follow You” video:

"Rebirth By Fire" lyric video:

"The recordings of Grain Of Soul were the most intense so far and the album turned out deep and heavy," says drummer Janosch Rathmer. "It's definitely a new chapter that just happened and it's gonna be a blast getting the material up on stage!"

Prior to kicking off a European headline tour in support of the album in September / October, Zodiac will be playing two exclusive record release shows in Germany.

July
29 - Münster, Germany - Skater’s Palace
30 - Berlin, Germany - Privatclub

Upcoming summer festival dates:

June
24 - Hamburg, Germany - Hamburg Harley Days

August
17-20 - Dinkelsbühl, Germany - Summer Breeze Festival

Deadlock have released a second trailer for The Longest Road, the DVD included with their upcoming Hybris album. Both trailers can be found below.

Sabine Scherer recently decided to leave Deadlock to have more time for her family and her two children. Margie Gerlitz has been confirmed as new permanent female singer in the band. Sabine released a special farewell video for her fans and supporters, including the first audio sample with Margie! Check it out below:

Deadlock have risen from the ashes, scarred, but with their heads held high, fully fuelled with new strength and their well-known passion for releasing their upcoming album, entitled Hybris.

Hybris is set to be released on July 8th via Napalm Records and turns out to be a multi-faceted monster in terms of both shape and content. At the same time it painfully digs through the latest events in the Deadlock camp. Despite the tragic death of founder and drummer Tobias Graf (immortalized with a moment of silence on the album) and the departure of singer Sabine Scherer (now replaced by Margie Gerlitz), the megalomaniac creative urge could not be suppressed.

Sebastian Reichl on Hybris: “Hybris is both powerlessness and hope, melancholia and confidence united, accounting for the past in the truest sense. The effort to meet your demons, to forgive and to find salvation with your own history. The release of dammed aggressions and wash away all fears. Put all wrath and anger in music and lyrics to fill with new passion. This is all what Hybris symbolizes and you can feel it every second on the album. It was our longest trip. Giving up was never an option.”

Hybris tracklisting:

“Epitaph”
“Carbonman”
“Berserk”
“Blood Ghost”
“Hybris”
“Wrath / Salvation”
“Backstory Wound”
“Ein Deutsches Requiem”
“Vergebung”
“Welcome Deathrow”
“Uncivil Hands” (Bonus Track)
“Fight Song” (Bonus Track)

“Ein Deutsches Requiem” lyric video:

“Berserk” video:

Hybris finds its inseparable counterpart in a 90 min. DVD documentary, The Longest Road, that translates the album concept to visuals. The DVD tracklisting reads as follows:

Intro
Winter - Restart
Spring - Songwriting
Summer - Demo
Fall - Pre-Production
Winter - Recordings
Spring - Hybris
Credits

The Longest Road trailer #1:

The Longest Road trailer #2:

Deadlock have always been about extremes – and always will be! Fans love these Germans for every emotional force run through the raging depths of death metal, technical prowess, borderline pop-laden melodies, nods to classic metal, and casual flirtation with trance and beats. A gripping and blunt rollercoaster ride that sees light in the blackest night – and that is something only Deadlock can achieve!

See Deadlock live at these upcoming summer festivals:

July
3 - Basinfirefest - Spálené Porící, Czech Republic
7 - Rockharz - Ballenstedt, Germany
8 - Out & Loud - Geiselwind, Germany

August
19 - Summerbreeze - Dinkelsbühl, Germany
20 - Rockin' Rümmerschen - Wenden, Germany
26 - Metalacker Festival - Tennenbronn, Germany

Deadlock lineup:

Margie Gerlitz - Vocals
John Gahlert - Vocals
Werner Riedl - Drums
Ferdinand Rewicki - Guitar
Sebastian Reichel - Guitar
Christian Simmerl - Bass

Greek melodic metallers, InnerWish, have released a video for the track “Machines Of Fear”, featured on their new album, InnerWish, available via Ulterium Records. The live footage for the video was recorded at Fuzz Live Music Club in Athens, Greece on December 26th, 2015.

The album was mixed by Fredrik Nordström and Henrik Udd at Studio Fredman (In Flames, Dimmu Borgir, Hammerfall) and mastered by Peter In De Betou (Arch Enemy, Opeth, Amon Amarth).

The artwork for the album was created by Felipe Machado Franco (Blind Guardian, Rhapsody Of Fire, Xandria) and the design was done by Jan Yrlund (Korpiklaani, Apocalyptica, Manowar).

Tracklisting:

“Roll The Dice”
“Broken”
“Modern Babylon”
“Machines Of Fear”
“Needles In My Mind”
“My World On Fire”
“Rain Of A Thousand Years”
“Serenity”
“Sins Of The Past”
“Through My Eyes”
“Zero Ground”
“Cross The Line”
“Tame The Seven Seas”

“Tame The Seven Seas”:

“Modern Babylon” video:

“Needles In My Mind” lyric video:

“Rain Of A Thousand Years”:

France’s BlackRain have released a lyric video for “Rock My Funeral”, a track from their new album, Released, out now via UDR Music. Watch below:

The legendary Jack Douglas (Aerosmith, Cheap Trick) is on production duty once again on BlackRain’s fourth CD.

“Killing Me” video:

“Back In Town” lyric video:

EPK:

Helix have released a video for "(Gene Simmons Says) Rock Is Dead", the new single from their new compilation CD, Rock It Science. Rock It Science is a compilation CD spanning the band's career, beginning with their first album Breaking Loose in 1979 and continuing up until the present.

The song, "(Gene Simmons Says) Rock Is Dead”, was produced by Aaron Murray, who just won Producer Of The Year at the Jack Richardson Music Awards in London, Ontario, and the video was filmed and edited by former Helix guitarist Brent Doerner.

The video features Moe Maurizio (Demon Moe) and Michael Moodry from the KISS clone band, Destroyer, as well as Laura Nielsen (an aspiring London singer) and Chelsea Zimmerman. Written by Helix leader Brian Vollmer and guitarist Sean Kelly, the song was in response to an interview Gene Simmons did a while ago with his son Nick, in which he stated that "Rock is Dead” (see article below and Helix’ lyrical response from the song).

In the interview with Esquire conducted by his son, Nick, Simmons said that - thanks to a crumbling business model, including "file-sharing and downloading" by fans who believe they "were entitled to have something for free" - "rock is finally dead."

"I am so sad that the next 15-year-old kid in a garage someplace in St. Paul, that plugs into his Marshall and wants to turn it up to 10, will not have anywhere near the same opportunity that I did," Simmons said. "He will most likely, no matter what he does, fail miserably."

Simmons blamed a lack of industry support, piracy and a lack of appreciation for "the creators”. "It's very sad for new bands... They just don't have a chance," he said. "You're better off not even learning how to play guitar or write songs."

“Today's songwriters and creators are more likely to work behind the scenes than practicing and testing their material out on stage”, he added. "The death of rock was not a natural death. Rock did not die of old age. It was murdered.”

Simmons, of course, is far from the first to lament the decline of rock. In 1972, The Who sang "Rock is dead, they say" in "Long Live Rock”, a finger in the eye to those who believed the music wasn't what it was a few years earlier. In 2009, guitarist and "Underground Garage" host Steven Van Zandt gave a speech at SXSW, "A Crisis Of Craft," that observed that one reason nobody's buying records is "because they suck”.

In blogs and on Twitter, reaction was largely negative to Simmons' statements.

"Business models for the music industry will come and go. But rock will never die," wrote Bill Brenner.

"So What's This About Rock Finally Being Dead? I Beg To Disagree, Gene Simmons," was the headline of a column by Alan Cross on A Journal Of Musical Things.

And the Foo Fighters were probably the pithiest. "Not so fast, Mr. God of Thunder," the Dave Grohl-led band tweeted.

Simmons, however, doesn't think there's much future in the genre.

“(Gene Simmons Says) Rock Is Dead” lyrics (Kelly/Vollmer):

I’m a man of practicality
I know that Rock N Roll money isn’t what it used to be
The local record store is hanging by a thread
We mainline stolen music through a cell phone to the head

I see it in the streets, I feel it everywhere
A crowd of people gather with their fists up in the air

We want it heavy, rough and ready
So don’t believe it when Gene Simmons says

ROCK IS DEAD (gang vocal)

You can’t replace it, techno-erase it
So don’t believe it when Gene Simmons says

ROCK IS DEAD (gang)

ROCK IS DEAD

If rockin’ is your business, then business ain’t too good
But tell that to the longhaired kid in any neighborhood
With a second hand guitar, some sweat and blood and luck
He’ll bring it to the people, he ain’t in it for the buck

He sees it in the sparkle of a pretty young girl’s eye
Those power chords work magic as her hand moves up his thigh (oh my!)

We want it heavy
Rock steady
So don’t believe it when Gene Simmons says

ROCK IS DEAD (gang vocal)

You can’t replace it, techno-erase it
So don’t believe it when Gene Simmons says

ROCK IS DEAD (gang vocal)
Rock Is Dead
Rock Is Dead (gang vocal)

Deader than a doornail
Deader than a post
Deader than old Jim Morrison’s ghost
Rock ain ‘t dead
It’s never going down
From D-Rock City to your-home-town

If Rock is a religion
You don’t need to pass the plate
We don’t need no God of Thunder
To tell us what is great
A million dollars might be nice
But it doesn’t drive this song
We just want electric licks to keep the power on

Like this:

We want it heavy
Hot and sweaty
So don’t believe it when Gene Simmons says
Rock Is Dead
You can’t replace it
Techno erase it
So don’t believe it when Gene Simmons says
Rock Is Dead
We want it heavy
Ruff and Ready
So don’t believe it when Gene Simmons says
Rock Is Dead
You can’t replace it
Techno erase it
So don’t believe it when Gene Simmons says
Rock Is Dead
Rock Is Dead
Rock Is Dead

Rock It Science tracklisting:

"Billy Oxygen"
"You're A Woman Now"
"Heavy Metal Love"
"Rock You"
"Deep Cuts The Knife"
"Wild In The Streets"
"Good To The Last Drop"
"Shock City Psycho Rock"
"Get Up!"
"Make 'Em Dance"
"Even Jesus (Wasn't Loved In His Home Town)"
“(Gene Simmons Says) Rock Is Dead”

Catch Helix live in concert:

June
30 - The Brass Monkey - Ottawa, Ontario

July
22 - Fourth Annual Rock & Roar - Kitchener, Ontario
23 - Mattawa Voyageur Days - Mattawa, Ontario

August
2 - Canna Fest - Grand Forks, BC
27 - Great Canadian Kayak Challenge & Festival - Timmins, Ontario

November
4 - Club Regent Event Centre - Winnipeg, Manitoba

The self-titled debut album from Swedish AOR band, Cruzh, will be released on August 26th. The band’s new video for the album cut “First Cruzh” can be found below.

Cruzh was put together after the demise of Swedish glam rockers TrashQueen, in which both Anton Joensson and Dennis Butabi Borg played. They shared a love for melodic rock and AOR and joined forces with Tony Andersson, who previously worked as a studio musician on the never released TrashQueen record.

It all started in March 2013 when Cruzh was announced online. The only things shown to the public were an image of the silhouette of the three band members, the debut song "In A Blink Of An Eye”, information that the band was Swedish, and the text "Get ready for the Cruzh". The song quickly spread on the internet and both Swedish and international websites and radio stations played it and speculated about the identities of the band members. In May came the sequel "Stay", which continued in the same melodic rock spirit. Meanwhile, the band spread various clues on social media regarding their whereabouts. In the fall of 2013 Cruzh had reached a point where they chose to “unmask” and take it all to the next level and reach out to the masses together with the release of the Hard To Get EP, the first of two very successful self-produced demos. Hard To Get and its successor, the darker Aim For The Head got great reviews worldwide.

By late spring of 2015, just when Cruzh was about to release a new EP, they were approached by Frontiers Music Srl who wanted to sign the band, so Cruzh started the recording process by the end of summer 2015. The result is truly an awesome debut, in the spirit of Def Leppard, Danger Danger, H.E.A.T, Winger, Firehouse and Bryan Adams.

“We all share the love for Melodic Rock,” says bassist Dennis Butabi Borg, “but in the meantime we all have very different musical background and inspirations. This shows in our songs”. “When we started out, almost immediately I felt this synergy in the band,” adds Tony Andersson, “and despite our musical backgrounds and differences, we all head in the same direction.” “When a piece of music is coming to me and I am developing someone else’s work, I am filled with some sort of emotion that I want to convey,” concludes guitarist Anton Joensson, “it’s easy to do this in a natural way with Cruzh because I could not feel more at home with our band and the music we create. This is also true with Tony and Dennis. This is who we are!”

Tracklisting:

“In N' Out Of Love”
“First Cruzh”
“Aim For The Head”
“Anything For You”
“Survive”
“Stay”
“Hard To Get”
“You”
“Set Me Free”
“Before I Walk Alone”
“Straight From My Heart”

“First Cruzh” video:

EPK:

Cruzh lineup:

Dennis Butabi Borg – bass
Anton Joensson – rhythm, lead and acoustic guitars on all tracks, backing vocals
Tony Andersson – lead vocals on all tracks, keyboards

With:

Erik Wiss – piano on “Anything For You”, intro on “In N’ Out Of Love”
Louisian Boltner – drums on all tracks
Mattias Silfver – backing vocals on all tracks
Martin Johansson – backing vocals on “Anything For You”
Patrik Norén – backing vocals on “Aim For The Head”

Swedish hair metal outfit Crazy Lixx will release their first live album, Sound Of The LIVE Minority, on July 8th. The track “Rock And A Hard Place” is streaming below. Pre-order the album via the Amazon link at the bottom of this page.

Coming out of the Swedish hard rock scene - with influences from bands like Guns N' Roses, Aerosmith, KISS, Whitesnake/David Coverdale, Alice Cooper, Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe - Sound Of The LIVE Minority is the band’s first live album, coming after four increasingly successful studio albums.

”It’s a milestone for every rock band,” says lead singer Danny Rexon. And a milestone it is, in more than one way. On the one hand, it is the perfect record to sum up four studio albums and more than a decade as a touring band in an hour plus documentation of energetic, live rock n’ roll with the very best songs from their catalogue and most requested fan favourites. On the other hand, it also marks the end of the band’s most successful lineup, with guitarist Andreas Z Eriksson (now with british Hard Rockers Inglorious) as the lead guitar slinger. This live performance was his last show with the band.

“We wanted to release this live album both to mark an end to the old Crazy Lixx, as well as a statement of a new beginning for the current lineup. On this show, Jens Lundgren had already taken over the guitar duties from our former guitarist Edd Liam so in a sense this gig represents both the old and the new,” says Danny.

The album was recorded at Bang Your Head Festival in Balingen, Germany in July 2015 and has been mixed by Chris Laney who has previously been entrusted to mix live albums for Europe, Talisman and CrashDïet, among others.

Tracklisting:

“Intro”
“Rock And A Hard Place”
“Lock Up Your Daughter”
“Blame It On Love”
“Sound Of The Loud Minority”
“Riot Avenue”
“Call To Action”
“Road To Babylon”
“My Medicine (R.O.C.K)”
“Hell Raising Women”
“Girls Of The 80's” (+ intro for “Heroes are Forever”)
“Heroes Are Forever”
“Whiskey Tango Foxtrot”
“21' Til I Die”

“Rock And A Hard Place”:

Lineup:

Danny Rexon (vocals)
Andreas Z Eriksson (guitar)
Jens Lundgren (guitar)
Joél Cirera (drums)
Jens Sjöholm (bass)

 

 

Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame members HEART return July 8 with "Beautiful Broken", their sixteenth album and their first on Concord Records. HEART has sold over 35 million records, and this anticipated album is their first in four years. "Beautiful Broken" finds Ann and Nancy Wilson exploring new songs, but taking some of their favorite "cherry picks" from their catalog and rerecording and rethinking them. The title track and first single features a dynamic guest vocal contribution by METALLICA's James Hetfield with Ann Wilson. The official lyric video for the song is available below.

"There is really a seventies feel to this record both in the sound, and the way we got to the emotional core of each song," says Nancy Wilson. "We picked songs that we always wanted to re-do, plus we've added three new tracks. On both new and old, we have the band playing together the way we used to. This is classic HEART."

The seven tracks that were pulled from the HEART catalog were tunes both Nancy and Ann wanted another shot at, due many times to how they were initially produced. Songs like "City's Burning", "Down On Me", and "Sweet Darlin'" have always been live favourites of the sisters, and of HEART's fan base, but they had somewhat languished. "Those songs may have fallen through the cracks, in a way, because of where radio was at the time when they were first released," Ann Wilson says. "Rediscovering those songs, I found ways they emotionally still speak to me." Two songs are from "Passionworks", two from "Private Audition", and two are from "Bebe Le Strange".

"Beautiful Broken"'s title track had been a bonus song off "Fanatic", HEART's last album, but this version is essentially an entirely new song with barnburner vocals-and even some lyrics-added by METALLICA's James Hetfield. "It blows the previous version out of the water," says Nancy. "James just took the song on, and what he added was perfect with a bite and a rock accent."

"Beautiful Broken" was co-produced by Nancy Wilson with HEART's bassist Dan Rothchild. Rothchild had previously produced BETTER THAN EZRA's platinum-selling "Deluxe", but he also comes from rock royalty: his father was legendary DOORS producer Paul Rothchild. "Beautiful Broken" was recorded at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles, the same studio the DOORS cut their best work. "There were eerie echoes in the hallway," Nancy says.

Rothchild said his goal was to capture the human feel of Heart live in the studio. "On these classics, some of which had suffered from eighties-era over-editing-production-curse, we stripped the paint off and found the beauty underneath," he says.

For Ann, the album allowed her to revisit, and re-sing, songs she felt "never reached their full development." For Nancy, the lyrical HEART came alive: "I felt these songs were poetic pieces that were lost in translation with the sounds of the eighties, which was harder and more digital. We wanted to drape them in velvet, and make them shine."

One example of is "City's Burnin'", originally on the 1982 album "Private Audition". "The first time we recorded that was in 1981," says Ann, "and it was in a key that was a bit 'show-offy,' and sped-up. On 'Beautiful Broken', we put the key in the right place, and the song really bore fruit."

Nancy Wilson sings one of three new songs, "Two". The song had a different genesis than many HEART classics, as Wilson first heard it on a demo made for a television show her husband Geoff was working on. She reached out to the song's writer — R&B sensation Ne-Yo — and asked if he'd consider giving her the song. "I went to work begging for the song," she says. "Ne-Yo said, 'sure.' It ends up he's a HEART fan. He may still release his own version at some point, but to me the song feels like mine now.

One of the unique aspects to "Beautiful Broken" is the string arrangements on four songs done by legendary arranger Paul Buckmaster. Buckmaster's resume includes work with THE ROLLING STONES and Elton John ("Levon"). "We were talking about how we wanted 'Paul Buckmaster-type' strings at one point," Nancy said. "So then we decided to call Paul himself."

Buckmaster's work on "Sweet Darlin'" is, in particular, a standout, but only because the strings highlight Ann's powerful vocals. Ann had always wanted another shot at "Sweet Darlin'" so it was an ideal choice for "Beautiful Broken". "To me the original sounded somehow incomplete," Ann says. This version, with Buckmaster's strings, finishes the song properly, but it also showcases how Ann's voice has remained strong over the decades.

Ann and Nancy Wilson formed HEART when the idea of two women leading a rock band was still groundbreaking. From the moment 1976's "Dreamboat Annie" was released, they became stars. With hits like "Magic Man", "Crazy On You", "Barracuda", "Alone", "What About Love" and "These Dreams", the band became one of the biggest hit-makers in the seventies and eighties. In 2012, their memoir "Kicking & Dreaming: A Story of Heart, Soul and Rock & Roll". became a New York Times bestseller, and in 2013 they were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. They have sold more records than any sister act in the history of popular music, but they've done so keeping their vision - that women can both rock and put forth emotional intimacy — central to their sound.

"Beautiful Broken" follows in that tradition, an album with pure rock power on the title track, but also tender sexual yearning on "Language Of Love". It's a contrast that has always been the essence of HEART. "We still make records like we always have, and they are always impossibly romantic, because Ann is always an impossibly romantic singer," Nancy says. "In a world where there is less poetic lyric writing, we've always tried to plant a flag for poetry."

That may seem "broken" in a way, in a world of machine-created pop music, but it is also certainly a beautiful vision. This year HEART will bring that vision to half a million fans during their summer concert tour, and "Beautiful Broken" extends that relationship with radio-ready songs, and deep album cuts.

German power metallers HELLOWEEN have been forced to cancel their Japanese tour due to the sudden illness of drummer Daniel "Dani" Löble.

In the morning hours of June 14, Löble was hospitalized with appendicitis. He underwent an emergency surgery and his doctors have strongly advised him to rest for several weeks.

Due to Dani's condition, the band has no choice but to postpone the scheduled Japanese tour starting this Sunday in Hiroshima. The promoter Creative Man Production Co., Ltd. is currently working on rescheduling the dates. Please keep your tickets and kindly wait for further instructions and updates via HELLOWEEN's and Creative Man's homepage and Facebook page.

Says the band in a statement: "HELLOWEEN deeply apologizes any inconvenience this may cause and greatly appreciates the understanding of their faithful Japanese fans!"

HELLOWEEN is continuing to tour in support of its 15th studio album, "My God-Given Right", which was released in May 2015 via Nuclear Blast. The CD was recorded between October 2014 and February 2015 at the band's MiSueno Studio on the isle of Tenerife with producer Charlie Bauerfeind (GOTTHARD, HAMMERFALL).

The "My God-Given Right" artwork was once again created by graphic guru Martin Häusler (BON JOVI, QUEEN, GOTTHARD) and is also available as a 3D lenticular print.

Regarding the new CD title, HELLOWEEN bassist Markus Grosskopf told New Noise Magazine: "You've got the fuckin' God-given damn right to do what you like to do. If you do something for many years, you've got the right to do any kind of stuff you like. You have the right to do and say anything, as long as it doesn't hurt anybody. When you make the choice to do whatever you'd like to do, you've got to do it with all of your heart. You've got to do it, but you've got to deal with the problems that come with it."

Grosskopf stated about the new album's musical direction: "Today, we fool around more with arrangements. It's a little more arranged, like what we did in the '80s or something. But the basic track is a basic HELLOWEEN track. If somebody writes a song and the other player plays his instrument to it, he knows exactly what he needs to do, almost without asking, to make it sound like HELLOWEEN sounds like. That's the experience you get when you do something for so many years."

HELLOWEEN returned to North America to play select shows in February and March.

Vocalist Johan Hegg of Swedish death metallers AMON AMARTH was interviewed by Kerrang! magazine at this year's edition of the Download festival, which was held June 10-12 at Donington Park in Leicestershire, United Kingdom. You can now watch the chat below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On whether any fans have accused AMON AMARTH of selling out now that the band's latest album, "Jomsviking", was released via Sony Music internationally:

Johan: "Not because of that, I don't think. There's always gonna be a bunch of people calling bands sellouts when they become popular, but if you really listen to what we do musically, it's not a big difference from what we started out doing; it's just that we got slightly better at it. [Laughs] We got slightly more budget to record our albums so we could put more effort into the production. That's it. We always try to write very epic songs mixed with brutal songs; that's always been our thing, and I still think we do the exact same thing. So I don't know… I don't really care what people say. I know that we never compromised what we do musically or anything."

On the state of the metal scene :

Johan: "The state of metal right now, in 2016, is really, really good. There's so many good bands around these days. And even though there's some tragic losses over the years — I'm thinking about Lemmy leaving us way too soon, if you ask me; Ronnie James Dio, same… like, old-school heroes leaving us — it's really tragic. I see that there is a young generation of really good bands coming up that are willing and ready to step up and at least try to fill those enormous shoes. Just look at festivals all across Europe and even at Download and everywhere; there's tons of bands, and the fans come out in heaps to watch metal. It's great."

"Jomsviking" debuted at No. 19 on The Billboard 200, having shifted 21,000 equivalent album units in the week ending March 31.

"Jomsviking" was released on March 25 via Metal Blade in North America and Sony Music internationally. The first concept record in AMON AMARTH's storied career tells a tragic tale of love and revenge, backed by the Swedes' trademark melodic, anthemic metal, which was produced and mixed once again by Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, TESTAMENT, ACCEPT) and also features special guest session drummer Tobias Gustafsson (VOMITORY). The epic original story is set in the world of the Jomsvikings, the legendary order of mercenary Vikings.

ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante has told EonMusic that the band's latest album, "For All Kings", could be its last, explaining the "inspiration" to make a follow-up effort "may not be there."

"I don't even know if there will be another record, is all I can tell you," Charlie told the site. "This may be our last record. I'd rather go out on a high."

Pressed about whether it would mean the end of ANTHRAX, Charlie said: "I didn't say we'd wrap it up; I just said it may be our last record. That's how I feel."

The drummer went on to make a sporting analogy. He said: "You know, certain sports teams will have the greatest team one year, then come back next year and a lot of those players are missing — they suck. I'm not saying any of us will be missing, but maybe I think that inspiration may not be there, so let's enjoy it."

"For All Kings" sold 34,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 9 on The Billboard 200 chart. According to Billboard, ANTHRAX was last in the top 10 back in 1993 with "Sound Of White Noise", which debuted and peaked at No. 7. "For All Kings" also gave ANTHRAX its largest sales week for an album since "Sound Of White Noise"'s second week on sale (40,000; it debuted with 62,000).

"For All Kings" was ANTHRAX's first studio album since 2011's "Worship Music" (No. 12 peak with 28,000 sold in its first week) and followed the 2013 covers set "Anthems" (No. 52; 8,000 sold in its debut frame).

"For All Kings" also topped the Hard Rock Albums chart in both the U.S. and Canada, and landed at No. 5 and No. 7, respectively, on the U.S. and Canada's Top Current Albums charts. Additionally, "For All Kings" debuted at No. 2 on Billboard's Top Rock Albums chart, No. 2 on the Independent Albums chart, No. 4 Physical Albums, and No. 5 Vinyl Albums chart.

PROPHETS OF RAGE, the supergroup featuring members of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, PUBLIC ENEMY's Chuck D and CYPRESS HILL's B-Real, has 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 is veteran producer Brendan O'Brien, who has previously worked with RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, PEARL JAM, AC/DC and STONE TEMPLE PILOTS, among others.

Guitarist Tom 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 two weeks ago in Los Angeles, playing numbers from all three acts.

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

METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich has shot a series of black-and-white images featuring his wife, model Jessica Miller, for the new denim collaboration between Citizens Of Humanity and German e-commerce site MyTheresa.com.

Inspired by the heavy metal scene of the eighties and early nineties, the collection is set to launch Wednesday at citizensofhumanity.com and mytheresa.com.

Priced from $408 to $536, pieces range from a sleeveless black denim Trucker Vest to the oversized denim Classic Jacket in a light blue wash, and three concert-ready jean styles — all manufactured entirely in Los Angeles at Citizens Of Humanity's in-house laundry and manufacturing facilities.

Asked by Vogue how his involvement in the project came about, Lars said: "Three or four months ago, I was approached via my publicist about doing a piece in the Citizens Of Humanity magazine with Justin O'Shea. [He's] a really cool guy and I had always been aware of him from the sidelines, so when the idea presented itself via the magazine to do something together, I jumped at it. [O'Shea and I] just hit it off. It felt like we were kindred souls or lost brothers, so we're hanging out the whole day, shooting stuff for the magazine, he's interviewing me and we're talking, and last thing he was doing [at MyTheresa] before he went on to Brioni was this new denim collection inspired by harder rock bands in the '80s, my own included. METALLICA was one of his inspirations in putting [it] together, and basically by the end of the day, we were going, 'Wouldn't it be fun if I shot photos of my wife for the launch?' It wasn't something that came through branding people; it was literally just Justin and me hanging out."

Ulrich also spoke about his personal approach when it comes to fashion. "Fashion has to be comfortable, and it should never be too forced," he said. "I'm Danish, and Danish people can be a little contrary in their worldview. I like to sometimes be a little contrary — overdress in situations where it's more casual, and I like to mix things a lot. If I've got a nice blazer, a nice pair of pants, then maybe have some rougher shoes, or vice versa. The turnaround at Saint Laurent in the last couple of years has been interesting and inspiring to watch. [I'm] sad to see Hedi go. I've got a lot of Rick Owens stuff that fits me really well, because it's nice and tight. I'm not a big guy, and I've been fortunate to keep it on the skinnier side, so I like things that are tighter. I got married in Saint Laurent; those suits fit me really well."

Ahead of IRON MAIDEN's barn-storming headline slot at last weekend's Download festival, bassist Steve Harris spoke to Planet Rock about how he has survived their 29 years of touring, that famous Ed Force One jet and how singer Bruce Dickinson's illness failed to derail the MAIDEN juggernaut. You can now listen to the chat below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On touring again with IRON MAIDEN after Bruce Dickinson's 2015 cancer scare:

Steve: "It's a fantastic feeling just to be out there again, because, obviously, last year we didn't know whether we even had a band, let alone a tour, so… brilliant. Obviously, he's fine, he's singing fantastic — in fact, I think he's probably singing better than ever, really. He wanted to do more rehearsals, which is unheard of; he never likes doing loads of rehearsals. So we did extra rehearsals, and by the time we got to the end of rehearsals, he was really comfortable and really starting to feel good. And we were all, like, 'Wow, this is gonna be okay after all.' I mean, to be honest, even at the start of the rehearsals, he just sounded like he had a bit of a cold — which he did have a cold — so it didn't feel that much different for us, really. But I think, confidence-wise, towards the end of it, he was really feeling strong. I suppose you never really a hundred percent know, really, if the truth be known, how it was gonna be; none of us did. So the fact that after a month's rehearsals, he was in such good shape was absolutely fantastic. And, as I said, we're just pleased to be out on the tour — well, I am anyway; and I'm sure I can vouch for the rest of them when I say that. I mean, I'm just absolutely pleased just to be here."

On the restrictions IRON MAIDEN faced while playing in China for the first time:

Steve: "It wasn't too bad. I thought it was gonna be worse, actually. But they [the Chinese authorities] wouldn't let Bruce use the British flag — well, any flag. 'Cause we said, 'Can we use the Chinese flag?' And they wouldn't let that either. So that was a bit odd. But there were a few things. There was a really weird one where they said on the actual written setlist that we have on stage, we had to write a different song for 'Poweslave', but we could play the song. It was just… okay. [Laughs] So we wrote 'The Wicker Man' in, and Bruce actually sang 'The Wicker Man' on the first chorus; it was sort of a joke. But it was really odd things like that. I don't know why they do things like that; only they know the answer to that. But it was fine. We still put on a show. The crowd were great. I mean, they were much better than I thought, actually; the reaction was really, really good. I don't know what I was expecting, really, but I didn't think they would be as good as they were, to be honest. And all good, really. And I got to see The Great Wall, which I've always wanted to do. So, yeah, fantastic."

On saying in a 1987 interview that IRON MAIDEN was scaling back the touring lifestyle and now still being at it 29 years later:

Steve: "Yeah. If I said that then, wow! I mean, yeah, 29 years… it's amazing. But, yeah, we're still out there, still with the family and still touring and whatever. And that's probably why I'm still here — 'cause I gave up all the partying all them years ago. So I've lived so far to tell the tale. I think you just have to look after yourself, you know, when you're doing long tours; you just have to. I think bands learn that pretty soon, really. And if they don't, I think they tend to fall by the wayside. You have to be professional. You have to remember what you're there for. Yeah, you can party and you can have a bit of fun once in a while. We've done it a couple of times on this tour where we let our hair down a bit. But you've just gotta remember what you're there for. And if that's the case, then you just have to take it a bit easier. I mean, the first two tours that we toured around the world, we were hitting every single bar there was, as you do when you're young and you've got to find out all these things. But it got boring really quick. So, lucky for me, I used to tend to get pretty ill anyway drinking — it didn't seem to agree with me too well — so it was easier to give it up than some. So I could take it or leave it, really. But it's just one of them things. You just have to look after yourself. I mean, these days we have to do a lot more running and preparing for a tour, but, yeah, we're still here, we're still jumping about, and, yeah, long may it continue."

On Bruce piloting the IRON MAIDEN jet Ed Force One on tour:

Steve: "We designed the show to [include] inflatable stuff and this and that and the other, so we could pack it down and get more stuff [in there]. But it allowed us to have a little bit more in the cargo bay. So, yeah, all good, really. It means that we could, obviously, take more personnel. So the whole thing was just brilliant. For [Bruce], to be able to go and fly that about, he's so into his planes anyway that it's an absolutely fantastic opportunity. And, for me, it's just… again, as I said, it's great to be out there, but to step up a level to go on a massive plane like that… I mean, when I first saw it, I couldn't believe the size of the bloody thing! It's pretty scary, in a way, really. You think, 'How is it gonna get off the ground with all that gear in it?' But, yeah, [it's been] great."

The Age Of Metal recently conducted an interview with vocalist Steve "Zetro" Souza of San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal veterans EXODUS. You can now listen to the chat using the Mixcloud widget below.

Asked when fans could expect to see a new EXODUS album, Zetro said: "I hate to speak for everybody, because one of our members [guitarist Gary Holt] plays in SLAYER, which is very important to us and to him as well. And, actually, Gary is the main songwriter and has always been in EXODUS. And so we'll have to, obviously, look at his schedule, but just having, actually, conversations with him since we've been home [off the road] and conversations with Tom [Hunting, EXODUS drummer], I mean, we know we need to keep new music going. And 2017 would be… Say it was towards the end of 2017… That would be three years since my return [to the band] and three years since [the last EXODUS album] 'Blood In, Blood Out' came out. So I think that's fair to say you should be able to put a record out in that amount of time. And we've always been able to write an album in an… like, come home and concentrate on it, and within five or six months, we have it written and done — even less [time] than that. We know what we're doing. We know EXODUS. We've been doing this for so many years. It's just like getting on a bicycle and riding it."

Souza also praised Holt, who wrote almost all of the music and lyrics for "Blood In, Blood Out" prior to Zetro rejoining EXODUS.

"Everybody in metal will tell you he's the real deal," the vocalist said of his bandmate. "He's the true thrash… He does everything: he writes [music], he plays lead, he writes great lyrics. He's just the all-around… Anybody… Scott Ian [ANTHRAX]… James Hetfield [METALLICA] will tell you Gary Holt is the all-around package. He's the utility guy; he can play infield, outfield, hit left, hit right, pitch, catch… He can do it all, which is great, and we're very fortunate to have that."

Zetro, who hasn't been part of the songwriting process on a full-length EXODUS album in more than a decade, is looking forward to putting his stamp on the band's forthcoming effort.

"I've always been a lyrical writer — always — but on 'Blood In, Blood Out', I really didn't come in until the end," he explained. "And I wrote… Actually, Lee [Altus, guitar], Jack [Gibson, bass] and myself, we were in the studio one day when I was actually doing my vocal tracks, and we all wrote 'Body Harvest', the lyrics, together. And on the past EXODUS records — I did five other studio records with EXODUS — I always wrote lyrics… always. Some records, like 'Fabulous Disaster' [1989], 'Impact Is Imminent' [1990] and 'Force Of Habit' [1992], I probably wrote 60/40 of the lyrical [content]. But I've always been a lyrical writer. In my band that I was doing with my son, HATRIOT, I wrote all the lyrics. I did that side project with Chuck Billy [TESTAMENT], DUBLIN DEATH PATROL, and I pretty much wrote all the lyrics for that as well. It's something I definitely am known for and definitely I do, and I'm sure having Gary and I collaborate on this next record is gonna really exciting for us, for the fans, for everyone. 'Cause it has been since [2004's] 'Tempo Of The Damned' where we knew we were writing a record together, and everybody loves 'Tempo Of The Damned', so we'll see what happens. I'm sure it's gonna be epic."

As previously reported, EXODUS will return to Europe as part of the colossal "Battle Of The Bays" European tour in October/November, alongside famed Florida death metal squad OBITUARY. Support will come from influential groove crossover metallers PRONG and Australian wrecking machine KING PARROT.

"Blood In Blood Out" was the band's first album since the departure of EXODUS's lead singer of nine years, Rob Dukes, and the return of Souza, who previously fronted EXODUS from 1986 to 1993 and from 2002 to 2004.

EXODUS last fall completed a tour of North America as the support act for KING DIAMOND.

MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine was interviewed by Kerrang! magazine at this year's edition of the Download festival, which was held June 10-12 at Donington Park in Leicestershire, United Kingdom. You can now watch the chat below.

Asked how everything is going in the MEGADETH camp almost six months after the release of the band's latest album, "Dystopia", Mustaine said: "I think that things are going great right now for us. It's fun in the camp. People are getting along really well. We are enjoying ourselves travelling the world. The music's been well received. We are excited about the fact that as many people are receiving it the way that they are."

He continued: "When you play music, sometimes you hit the mark, sometimes you don't. This time we hit the mark. And I'm really grateful that the fans and the critics alike have received this the way that they have; it's really rewarding. So I'm looking forward to continuing to take this music to the world."

Mustaine also talked about MEGADETH's drummer situation after recently recruiting Dirk Verbeuren (SOILWORK) to play drums for the band while Chris Adler is busy touring with LAMB OF GOD.

"We'll see what happens for the future as we grow closer as a band," he said. "We're still trying to figure out what we're gonna do with our drum position. It's great having Dirk here. He's been really wonderful to play with also. So there's not a shortage of great players out there, and we're gonna make our decision real soon."

Adler played drums on "Dystopia" and has taken part in most of the band's live shows in support of the CD so far. On some of the shows where Adler was unable to play with MEGADETH, he was temporarily replaced by Tony Laureano (ex-DIMMU BORGIR, NILE, ANGELCORPSE), the veteran extreme-metal skinsman who has worked as MEGADETH's drum tech since 2011.

Verbeuren was recommended for the MEGADETH job by Adler, who called Dirk "probably [one of the] top three drummers in the world."

On June 11, Kaaos TV conducted an interview with vocalist Björn "Speed" Strid and guitarist David Andersson of Swedish metallers SOILWORK at the South Park festival in Tampere, Finland. You can now watch the chat below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On how SOILWORK drummer, Dirk Verbeuren, came to be touring with MEGADETH while Chris Adler is busy on the road with LAMB OF GOD:

Björn: "I believe that Dave [Mustaine, MEGADETH mainman] called Dirk at the end of the U.S. tour that we were doing together with FEAR FACTORY, so that's kind of how it came together. Then we obviously needed to find a session drummer, and Dirk recommended one of his drum students, Bastian [Thusgaard of THE ARCANE ORDER], who's playing with us tonight."

On whether it was an easy transition having Bastian stepping in for Dirk:

Björn: "Well, it's never really easy, especially when you need to go through the set, and it's hard for somebody to come in and play seventeen songs and it needs to lock in. Obviously, it's gonna be hard, but I think he has done a terrific job — really good."

On his personal opinion of Dirk playing with MEGADETH:

Björn: "I mean, obviously, it's a great opportunity, and it was a little bit surreal, obviously, when Dave Mustaine is calling Dirk on the phone. But Dirk is a fantastic drummer, so I'm not shocked by any means."

SOILWORK will release a special collection of rarities titled "Death Resonance" on August 19 via Nuclear Blast. The cover art was created by MNEMIC guitarist Mircea Gabriel Eftemie (VOLBEAT, CARCASS, SCAR SYMMETRY, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD).

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

PureGrainAudio has uploaded the latest episode of the "Axe-Throwing Battle" mini-series featuring vocalist Jesse Leach and guitarist Joel Stroetzel of Massachusetts metallers KILLSWITCH ENGAGE. Watch as Jesse and Joel toss axes at massive wooden targets at BATL in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's latest album, "Incarnate", debuted at No. 6 on The Billboard 200, having shifted 35,000 equivalent album units in the week ending March 17.

In a recent interview with Metal Obsession, Stroetzel stated about the writing process for "Incarnate": "It was definitely more spread out [than in the past]. We probably started writing the record a year and a half ago. We just took our time with it. As we came up with arrangements that we were satisfied with, we sent it off to Jesse [Leach, vocals] and he would start doing his thing. We tried to keep it comfortable, perhaps too comfortable; it took a little while! I hope in the end that people will enjoy it."

Joel also talked about the fact that Leach really struggled with the lyrics for "Incarnate", which marks the singer's second album with KILLSWITCH ENGAGE since his return to the band. Stroetzel said: "When [Jesse] came back and did 'Disarm The Descent', that happened really fast and we had a lot of the music written already. He came in and just wrote the lyrics really fast and we got it out there. With this one, I think he wanted to step it up. I think in the end even though it took him a long time, I think one of the biggest highlights is the work that Jesse did. He sounds great on it and the lyrics are great. I know he's proud of it and we're all proud of him."

Fan-filmed video footage of FEAR FACTORY's June 11 peformance at The Assembly in Cape Town, South Africa can be seen below.

As previously reported, FEAR FACTORY's Dino Cazares tore a muscle in his right foot after the band's June 5 show in Melbourne, Australia. The guitarist saw a local doctor, who told him that he could not put any pressure on the foot for the following two weeks. As a result, Cazares sat in a chair for the last four concerts — the final two dates on the Australian tour, as well as the two South African shows.

FEAR FACTORY wrote in a Facebook post: "Dave Grohl, we need to borrow your throne."

FEAR FACTORY's latest album, "Genexus", was released on August 7, 2015 via Nuclear Blast Entertainment. The follow-up to 2012's "The Industrialist" was co-produced by longtime collaborator Rhys Fulber, along with guitarist Dino Cazares and vocalist Burton C. Bell and mixed by Andy Sneap (ARCH ENEMY, TESTAMENT, EXODUS, MACHINE HEAD). Artwork was once again handled by Anthony Clarkson. Drums on "Genexus" were performed by Mike Heller (MALIGNANCY).

FEAR FACTORY recently completed a U.S. headlining tour on which it performed its classic second album, "Demanufacture", in its entirety.

BMX lifestyle brand Subrosa has partnered with Slayer for a series of bikes and gear. Due for release on October 1st, a pre-order has been launched at Nuclear Blast.

Ryan Sher, Subrosa Brand Manager recently stated: “We couldn’t think of a bigger way to celebrate our 10th year as a brand than teaming up with Slayer to create some of the most badass BMX bikes ever seen. I am stoked, and frankly still blown away to introduce you to the Subrosa/ Slayer Collaboration. BMX has always had love for metal. Whether it’s in the headphones of riders ripping through town, background music during a contest run, or the soundtrack to some of the most famous and influential video parts, Slayer has been a huge piece of it all.

“Subrosa is a BMX lifestyle brand with the goal of producing high quality complete bikes, after market frames, parts and softgoods with great attention to detail, while always representing what BMX means to us. We are humbled and honoured to be teaming up with Slayer on this project. We wanted to create bikes that BMX riders could use and abuse, and we had to do justice to Slayer and their fans by creating a look that would represent the band, and stand out from anything we’ve done before.

“The “Cradle To Grave” theme in this collaboration project will embrace audiences from all ages because once you are a Subrosa or a Slayer fan, you are a fan for life.”

Check out a lookbook at this location, and find all the spec and details for the entire project here.

In the video below from Nerdist, Game Of Thrones’ prosthetic makeup designer, Barrie Gower, walks Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian through the process of creating the looks for the Night King, Wights and White Walkers and the shooting of the “Hardhome” episode. And, Scott becomes a White Walker!

Upcoming Anthrax tour dates include:

June
15 - Cork, Ireland - Live At The Marquee
17 - Clisson, France - Hellfest
18 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z7 Konzertfabrik
19 - Dessel, Belgium - Graspop
25 - Montebello, QC - Amnesia Rockfest

July
2 - Helsinki , Finland - Tuska Open Air
3 - Wroclaw, Poland - Stadium
9 - Oulu, Finland Jalometalli Festival
15 - Gavle, Sweden - Gefle Metal Festival
16 - Eindhoven, Netherlands - Dynamo Metalfest
24 - Rome, Italy - Rock In Roma

August
14 - Walton On Trent, UK - Bloodstock
21 - Auburn, WA - Pain In The Grass

Slayer, with special guests Anthrax and Death Angel, will join forces this fall for a seven week North American beat down. The dates start in Cleveland on September 9th and will hit both major and secondary markets across the continent. Confirmed dates, as well as a tour trailer video, are below.

September
9 - Jacob's Pavilion - Cleveland, OH
10 - Freedom Hill Amphitheatre - Detroit, MI
12 - Sound Academy - Toronto, ON
13 - Metropolis - Montreal, QC
15 - Stage AE - Pittsburgh, PA
17/18 - Rock Allegiance - Chester, PA
20 - Egyptian Room - Indianapolis, IN
22 - The Pageant - St. Louis, MO
27 - Hard Rock Live - Orlando, FL
28 - Fillmore - Miami, FL
30 - Horseshoe Casino Tunica - Tunica, MS

October
3 - Norva - Norfolk, VA
5 - Tabernacle - Atlanta, GA
7 - Gas Monkey Live - Dallas, TX
8 - ACL at the Moody Theatre - Austin, TX
10 - Fillmore - Denver, CO
11 - The Complex - Salt Lake City, UT
13 - The Wilma Theatre - Missoula, MT
17 - ENMAX Center - Lethbridge, AB
19 - South Okanagan Events Centre - Penticton, BC
20 - Abbotsford Centre - Abbotsford, BC
23 - Reno Events Center - Reno, NV
27 - El Paso County Coliseum - El Paso, TX

According to the Associated Press, guitar legend Jimmy Page testified Wednesday that until a few years ago, he'd never heard a song that Led Zeppelin is accused of ripping off for “Stairway To Heaven”.

"Something like that would stick in my mind. It was totally alien to me," Page said of the instrumental song “Taurus”, by the band Spirit.

A lawyer for the estate of Spirit's late guitarist, Randy California, contends that the famous descending-chord guitar riff that begins 1971's Stairway was lifted from the Spirit tune, which was released a few years earlier.

An eight-member jury is hearing the copyright infringement case in federal court. Jurors must decide whether the two sequences are substantially similar.

Earlier in the day, former Spirit member Mark Andes testified that riffs from both songs, played by an acoustic guitarist on a video aired in court, were the same.

Musical experts not involved in the case have said the sequence is common and has appeared in other pieces from decades and even centuries ago.

Read more at the Associated Press.

The lawsuit was brought in 2014, 43 years after "Stairway To Heaven" was released, on behalf of the late Randy California, Spirit’s guitarist and the composer of “Taurus”. A trust created by his mother and administered by a former rock journalist alleged in the complaint that Page lifted the opening acoustics “Stairway” from an instrumental that California had written in 1966 for his girlfriend. According to trustee Michael Skidmore, Page had asked California to teach him the chords to Taurus in 1969, when the two groups would sometimes tour together.

Dissonance Productions has announced the signing of STEVE GRIMMETT'S GRIM REAPER, the revamped version of the cult '80s British metal act GRIM REAPER led by singer Steve Grimmett, to a worldwide deal. The recently launched rock/metal label will release the band's new album, "Walking In The Shadows", on September 23. It will be GRIM REAPER's first new recording since 1987's "Rock You To Hell". Pre-order information for the album's standard and limited-edition digipak formats will be announced shortly.

The release of "Walking In The Shadows" has been an anticipated announcement by fans of the British metal band for more than two decades. Grimmett updated fans via a Facebook posting in early January noting, "2016 has started and that means only 29 days until I start touring again. This year it's Europe then North America, South America, plus a new album... bring it on!" He continued in discussing the new album saying, "I am tremendously proud of the album. It has taken a long time because it has been fraught with problems, but we have ended up with the best thing I have done in decades. We're all looking forward to bring it to the fans and excited to be doing a world tour, starting straight after its release, and carrying on until 2017."

Surrounding himself with an all-new band, Grimmett recently completed a 22-date North American tour. The trek included stops in New York, Philadelphia, Detroit, Chicago, Milwaukee, Seattle, Los Angeles, San Antonio, and Austin. Due to its success, the band recently announced a planned return in the autumn to support the new album after release. Original GRIM REAPER guitarist Nick Bowcott joined STEVE GRIMMETT'S GRIM REAPER on stage on March 25 at 4 D's Bar & Grill in Fort Wayne, Indiana to perform several of the band's classic songs. Check out fan-filmed video footage below.

Bowcott previously played with STEVE GRIMMETT'S GRIM REAPER in 2014, marking the first time Steve and Nick appeared on stage together in more than 25 years.

STEVE GRIMMETT'S GRIM REAPER's current touring lineup:

Steve Grimmett - VocalsRichie Yeates - GuitarChaz Grimaldi - BassPaul White - Drums

GRIM REAPER's debut album, "See You In Hell", was released in 1984 and was distributed worldwide through RCA. A successful world tour in support of the album included an appearance at Texxas Jam in front of over 20,000 people. The band's 1985 follow-up, "Fear No Evil", showed improvement on the production front and also enjoyed moderate success in both the United States and Europe.

Ebony Records delayed the release of the band's third album, "Rock You to Hell", by almost two years. The LP eventually arrived directly through RCA in 1987.

The back catalog from GRIM REAPER was reissued in Japan in October 2008 via RCA/BMG.

Helsinki, Finland-based melodic hard rock band, King Company, will released their debut album, One For The Road, on August 26th. A new music video for the album track “In Wheels Of No Return” can be found below.

Formed in the spring of 2014 under the name No Man’s Land, King Company is a band featuring cream of the crop Finnish hard rock scene members. Drummer Mirka "Leka" Rantanen (Raskasta Joulua, Warmen, Thunderstone, Kotipelto) had been thinking about forming a new hard rock/melodic metal band for a long time. He wanted to play with people with whom he had worked before and who he knew both as good musicians and as friends. First, he contacted guitarist Antti Wirman (Warmen) who immediately joined the band. Singer Pasi Rantanen was in Mirka's mind from the beginning, as they had played together in a couple of bands before (Thunderstone, Warmen). After keyboardist Jari Pailamo (Kiuas, Ponies To Kill) and bassist Time Schleifer (Enfarce) joined the band, this super group of sorts was finally ready to start working.

King Company’s debut album, One For The Road, is a trip back in time to the melodic hard rock world of the golden 80’s and 90’s. The band’s biggest influences come from legendary bands such as Deep Purple, Rainbow and Whitesnake, but also from other great acts like Europe, Mr Big, Lynch Mob, and Dokken. All this, but with a contemporary twist! Singer Pasi Rantanen has taken his biggest influences from the great David Coverdale and you can definitely hear it. King Company salutes all these great bands and fans of this genre with their debut album and they are hoping to reach people who are new to this kind of music too.

The album’s title track, ”One For The Road” says it all. “Some of us got in this ride back in the 80’s and we are still on that same road,” tells Mirka Rantanen. “It was 1985 we were young and wild and free, We dreamed of playing rock'n roll, and sitting in a black limousine...we still believe!”

Mirka continues: “Our debut album One For The Road should have been done years ago, but there was’t simply time to form King Company. We all had our own projects and we were too busy in our personal lives. Many of us have played in power metal and extreme metal bands, but something has always been missing. We wanted to write an album full of songs that we have always wanted to play. And we did. Most of the songs have been written together around Antti Wirman’s guitar riffs, but there are some older song from Pasi Rantanen that we re-arranged to a more modern form. The greatest ballad on the album is called “Cast Away” and it’s written by the keyboardist Jari Pailamo. Most of the lyrics are written by Mirka and Pasi.”

One For The Road tracklisting:

“One For The Road”
“Shining”
“In Wheels Of No Return”
“Coming Back To Life”
“No Man's Land”
“Farewell”
“Wings Of Love”
“Cast Away”
“Desire”
“Holding On”
“One Heart”

“In Wheels Of No Return” video:

King Company lineup:

Pasi Rantanen - vocals
Antti Wirman - guitars
Jari Pailamo - keyboards
Time Schleifer - bass
Mirka Rantanen - drums

AC/DC played the last show of the spring 2016 leg of its "Rock Or Bust" European tour earlier tonight (Wednesday, June 15) at Esprit Arena in Düsseldorf, Germany.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Rock Or Bust02. Shoot To Thrill03. Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be04. Back In Black05. Got Some Rock & Roll Thunder06. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap07. Rock 'N' Roll Damnation08. Thunderstruck09. High Voltage10. Rock 'N' Roll Train11. Hells Bells12. Given The Dog A Bone13. If You Want Blood (You've Got It)14. Touch Too Much15. Sin City16. You Shook Me All Night Long17. Shot Down In Flames18. Have A Drink On Me19. T.N.T.20. Whole Lotta Rosie21. Let There Be Rock

Encore:

22. Highway To Hell23. Riff Raff24. For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)

Fan-filmed video footage can be seen below.

AC/DC has finalized the ten rescheduled North American dates it will play later this summer — after singer Axl Rose finishes his stadium trek with GUNS N' ROSES.

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.

AC/DC earlier in the month released a new video interview in which guitarist Angus Young and bassist Cliff Williams discussed the shows they're doing with Axl, pointing out that he's led the group to change up its setlist more than usual. Young explained: "With Axl, we've been able to mix up quite a few songs, do a few older ones and put them, which we haven't done in a number of years. We always used to kind of get a setlist, and that would be (it) for a tour. So now we've got a lot more adding and putting in different tracks, and the fun part is when we get there on the stage, and seeing it come to life in front of the audience and seeing the reaction."

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

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]."

On Friday, April 1st Guns N’ Roses played their first live gig of 2016 on the hallowed ground where they started, The Troubadour (West Hollywood, CA). The band hit the stage shortly after midnight and ripped through a set of Guns N' Roses classics along with some covers and a couple surprises, namely songs from the band's Chinese Democracy record that did not feature Slash on the original recordings.

Hot Topic have posted the video below with the following words: “Couldn’t make it to the super-secret Guns N’ Roses reunion show at the Troubadour in LA? Watch Slash’s opening solo and imagine what could’ve been.”

Two legends of rock music, Alice In Chains and Lenny Kravitz, are set to join Guns N' Roses on their historic Not In This Lifetime Tour.

Alice In Chains joins the tour from opening night, Thursday, June 23rd in Detroit, MI at Ford Field and will perform through the tour's second Chicago date at Soldier Field on Sunday, July 3rd. Lenny Kravitz will then join the tour from Tuesday, July 19th starting at the first Boston, MA date at Foxboro Stadium and perform through the tour's second date at East Rutherford, NJ on Sunday, July 24th.

Demand for tickets to the Not In This Lifetime Tour continue at an unprecedented pace as additional shows were recently announced including Chicago (July 3rd), Boston (July 20th), New York City (July 24th) and two brand new dates in Los Angeles (August 18th, 19th). A full list of tour dates is below.

One million fans and counting will be part of the most celebrated music event of the past few decades when the tour of the summer kicks off on Thursday, June 23 in Detroit. Guns N' Roses launched their return in spectacular fashion beginning with the Troubadour in Los Angeles on April 1st for their first live performance in more than 20 years followed by back-to-back arena shows in Vegas filling the house to the rafters, then Coachella for two weekends (April 16th and April 23rd) including a trip south of the border for two sold out stadium shows in Mexico on April 19th - 20th. April saw almost a half million fans alone in North America!

Alice In Chains’ most recent release was the Grammy-nominated album The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here, which entered Billboard’s Top 200 at #2 and debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Alternative Albums Chart. Over the course of their remarkable career, Alice In Chains has garnered multiple Grammy nominations, sold more than 20 million albums worldwide and amassed a diehard international fanbase whose members number in the millions. They remain one of the most successful and influential American rock bands of all time.

Regarded as one of the preeminent rock musicians of our time, Lenny Kravitz has transcended genre, style, race and class into a 20-year musical career, one which revels in the rich influences of '60s and '70s soul, rock and funk. Having sold over 38 million albums worldwide, Kravitz’s talents as a writer, producer and multi-instrumentalist have resonated through ten studio albums into a timeless catalog. He has won four consecutive Grammy Awards, setting a record for the most wins in the “Best Male Rock Vocal Performance” category. Lenny Kravitz’s appeal has also been recognized by his peers; his collaborative efforts are as varied as his own influences, having worked with Madonna, Drake, Aerosmith, Jay-Z, Mick Jagger, Miguel, and Alicia Keys. His most recent studio album Strut was released in September 2014 via Roxie Records. Lenny Kravitz is currently in the studio recording a new release that is set to debut next year.

Guns N' Roses' are Axl Rose, Duff McKagan (bass), Slash (lead guitar), Dizzy Reed (keyboard), Richard Fortus (rhythm guitar), Frank Ferrer (drums), and Melissa Reese (keyboards).

Following the group's 1985 formation, Guns N' Roses injected unbridled, unrivalled, and unstoppable attitude into the burgeoning Los Angeles rock scene. The spirit went on to captivate the entire world with the release of their 1987 debut Appetite For Destruction - the best-selling US debut ever, moving 30 million copies globally. In 1991, the seven-time platinum Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II occupied the top two spots of the Billboard Top 200 upon release.

Over the course of the past decade, Guns N' Roses have performed sold out shows and headlined festivals worldwide following the critically acclaimed release of 2008's RIAA platinum-certified Chinese Democracy. Six studio albums later, Guns N' Roses are one of the most important and influential acts in music history and continue to set the benchmark for live performances connecting with millions of fans across the globe.

Tour dates:

June
23 - Detroit, MI - Ford Field*
26 - Washington, DC - FEDEXFIELD*
29 - Kansas City, MO - Arrowhead Stadium*

July
1 - Chicago, IL - Soldier Field*
3 - Chicago, IL - Soldier Field*
6 - Cincinnati, OH - Paul Brown Stadium
9 - Nashville, TN - Nissan Stadium
12 - Pittsburgh, PA - Heinz Field
14 - Philadelphia, PA - Lincoln Financial Field
16 - Toronto, ON - Rogers Centre
19 - Foxboro, MA - Gillette Stadium**
20 - Foxboro, MA - Gillette Stadium**
23 - East Rutherford, NJ - MetLife Stadium**
24 - East Rutherford, NJ - MetLife Stadium**
27 - Atlanta, GA - Georgia Dome
29 - Orlando, FL - Camping World Stadium
31 - New Orleans, LA - Mercedes-Benz Superdome

August
3 - Arlington, TX - AT&T Stadium
5 - Houston, TX - NRG Stadium
9 - San Francisco, CA - AT&T Park
12 - Seattle, WA - CenturyLink Field
15 - Glendale, AZ - University of Phoenix Stadium
18 - Los Angeles, CA - Dodger Stadium
19 - Los Angeles, CA - Dodger Stadium
22 - San Diego, CA - Qualcomm Stadium

* - with Alice In Chains
** - with Lenny Kravitz

Get tickets at GunsNRoses.com.

(Photo - GunsNRoses.com)

Back after a successful tour with Axel Rudi Pell and the release of the new studio album, Tales From Beyond, North German melodic metallers Mob Rules hit the stages this fall again. On their headlining tour, the band will play this time a comprehensive set of new songs and especially band classics – this is why the tour is titled Beyond The Classics. The program will include tracks of all previous eight albums and beside some surprises, the fans will also have the opportunity to directly affect the setlist via Facebook by voting their "favourite songs" personally.

"In our concerts we often note that our audience is mixed,” says singer Klaus Dirks. "Besides many longtime fans of the first hour, we have many new fans and their favourite songs and albums are quite different. This time, we want to offer a perfect mix: new material, proven classics and songs we have never played before."

Tour dates:

October
1 - Wetzikon, Switzerland - Hall Of Fame
2 - Weiher, Germany - Live Music Hall     
4 - Munich, Germany - Backstage
5 - Siegburg, Germany - Kubana
6 - Wilhelmshaven, Germany - Pumpwerk
7 - Roselare, Belgium - De Verlichte Geest    
9 - Bochum, Germany - Matrix

Evil Masquerade have confirmed Nicklas Sonne as a full time member. You can hear him singing on the brand new Evil Masquerade album 'The Outcast Hall Of Fame' together with Mats Levén, Rick Altzi and Apollo Papathanasio.

"Nicklas did his first show with the band in the UK a couple of weeks ago where they headlined the Breaking Bands Festival. Everything worked out really well and now it's official; Nicklas Sonne is a permanent part of the band."

Evil Masquerade recently released a video for the track “Lost Inside A World Of Fear”, featured on their new album, The Outcast Hall Of Fame, out now via Dark Minstrel Music.

The new album was produced by Henrik Flyman, and was mixed and mastered by Tommy Hansen (Helloween, Pretty Maids, Jorn). Featured vocalists include Mats Levén (Candlemass), Rick Altzi (Masterplan, At Vance), Apollo Papathanasio (Spiritual Beggars), and Nicklas Sonne (Defecto, Malrun). Backing vocals by Yenz Leonhardt (Stormwarrior, Lacrimosa).

The album’s front cover was once again painted by David Troest, who also did the artwork for the albums The Digital Crucifix and 10 Years In The Dark.

Tracklisting:

“The Outcast Hall Of Fame”
“Death Of God”
“Darkness (I Need You)”
“One Thousand Roses And A Lot Of Pain”
“Lost Inside A World Of Fear”
“The Spineless”
“Märk Hur Vår Skugga”
“On No Way To Broadway”

Trailer: