Mephisto, keyboard player for Indian metal veterans Demonic Resurrection, is parting ways with the band and has issued the following statement:

“14 years is a long time. In Jan 2003 I joined the band when everyone advised against it. Ridicule followed. Friends tried to break up the newly formed line-up. We even had stones and cigarette butts thrown at us at Independence Rock. We endured.

“In 2005 we released what is now called a landmark release in the history of Indian metal - A Darkness Descends. We were changing perceptions. Album after album we pushed our musical and even geographical boundaries by playing at some incredible festivals both in India and abroad. Despite multiple line-up changes, the one thing that remained constant was that rhythm and synth were always in sync.

“The upcoming album. To be honest, it sounds very good. But the creative differences are far too great for me to ignore. And I cannot have that on my conscience. Which is why after 14 glorious years, I’ve decided to step down as an active full-time member of the band.

“The future. At some point I would like to release some music on my own. I wish the band more success. They are not only talented musicians but amazing people too and if they ever need my services to perform live again, I’ll always be available.

“Thank you and goodbye. I’d like to say a special and heartfelt thank you to Demonstealer for providing me with the opportunity to be a part of this awesome journey. The times I’ve spent with the band have been the best. But at this point I believe this is the right thing to do. I hope the fans understand my decision and continue to support the band.

“Cheers and stay demonic.”

Demonic Resurrection is currently in the studio finishing up their fifth full-length album, which is slated for an early-2017 release. No replacement has been announced yet.

Dust Bolt have released a video for “SickxBrain”, the lead track of their new album, Mass Confusion, out worldwide via Napalm Records (order here). The new video can be found below.

Mass Confusion tracklisting:

“SickxBrain”
“Mass Confusion”
“Allergy”       
“Turned To Grey”
“Blind To Art”   
“Mind The Gap”  
“Exit”
“Empty Faces”
“Taking Your Last Breath”
“Portraits Of Decay”
“Masters Of War”
“Into The Void” (LP Bonus Track)

“SickxBrain” video:

“Mass Confusion” video:

“Into The Void”:

Album preview:

UK-based extreme metallers, Anaal Nathrakh, will release their new album, The Whole Of The Law, via Metal Blade Records on October 28th worldwide. Pre-order options can be found here, while the album cut “Hold Your Children Close And Pray For Oblivion” is available for streaming below.

Since their last album, Desideratum, Anaal Nathrakh have scaled new heights, including their first headline coast-to-coast North American tour and announcing their first headline shows in Japan. And now it's time for their new opus, The Whole Of The Law, to be unleashed upon mankind.

A sandblasting assault similar to the experience of a demented ocular surgeon operating on your head while riding a rollercoaster through hell, The Whole Of The Law marries all of Anaal Nathrakh's trademark ferocity and against-all-reason-catchiness with a reinvigorated sense of focus and insane hatred. Simultaneously fresh and their most mature creation to date, The Whole Of The Law is Anaal Nathrakh at the very height of their twisted powers.

Tracklisting:

“The Nameless Dread”
“Depravity Favours The Bold”
“Hold Your Children Close And Pray For Oblivion”
“We Will Fucking Kill You”
“..So We Can Die Happy”
“In Flagrante Delicto”
“And You Will Beg For Our Secrets”
“Extravaganza!”
“On Being A Slave”
“The Great Spectator”
“Of Horror, And The Black Shawls”
“Powerslave” (Bonus Track)
“Man At C&A” (Bonus Track)

“Hold Your Children Close And Pray For Oblivion”:

“Depravity Favours The Bold”:

Tour dates:

October
21 - Rasnov, Romania - Rockstadt Extreme fest

November
1 - Utrecht, Netherlands - De Helling
2 - Hasselt, Belgium - Muziekodroom
3 - Groningen, Netherlands - Simplon
4 - Oberhausen, Germany - Helvete
5 - Selestat, France - Rock Your Brain Festival

On November 11th, Downfall Of Gaia will release their fourth full-length, Atrophy, via Metal Blade Records. Recorded in June 2016 at Hidden Planet Studio Berlin with Jan Oberg, Atrophy was mixed and mastered by Jack Shirley at Atomic Garden Studio in San Francisco, CA, and is a record about the absurdity of life and human existence - an album about the constant dialog between life and death.

For a first preview of Atrophy, the new single, "Woe", is streaming below. The record can also be pre-ordered here.

Available formats:

- CD
- 180g black vinyl
- black/white vinyl (limited to 300 copies)
- clear vinyl (limited to 200 copies)
- yellow marbled vinyl (limited to 200 copies)

* an exclusive t-shirt bundle, plus digital options are also available

Downfall Of Gaia comments: "Today we are pleased to share the first single from our upcoming album, Atrophy, with you guys! This record continues directly where the recent one stopped. Harsh blast-beats combined with atmospheric elements. In my opinion the straightest piece of music we've written so far! Atrophy is a story told about the constant dialogue between life and death in which each and everyone is caught day by day, where life itself became the Sisyphean masterpiece. We hope you will enjoy these new tunes as much as we do!"

Downfall of Gaia is a dark wall, moving forward relentlessly, enveloping the listener, absorbing one's spirit to take one into the realm of the band's potent sound. Founded in 2008 and having undergone several line-up changes, the quartet is now comprised of the two founding members Dominik Goncalves dos Reis (guitar and vocals) and Anton Lisovoj (bass and vocals), plus Marco Mazzola (guitar) and Michael Kadnar (drums), who are located respectively in Berlin, Hamburg, and New York City. Although the group's roots lie within the DIY / crust scene, Downfall of Gaia has expanded their sound to incorporate elements of black, doom, and sludge metal. For their efforts, the band has earned many "album of the year" accolades - and with their upcoming release, Atrophy, they will surely earn praise from media and fans alike, once again.

Atrophy tracklisting:

“Brood”
“Woe”
“Ephemerol”
“Ephemerol II”
“Atrophy”
“Petrichor”

“Woe”:

Downfall Of Gaia lineup:

Dominik Goncalves dos Reis - vocals/guitars
Marco Mazzola - guitars
Anton Lisovoj - vocals/bass
Michael Kadnar - drums

(Photo - Downfall Of Gaia)

Swedish melodic death metallers DARK TRANQUILLITY will release their eleventh album, "Atoma", on November 4 through Century Media Records.

Fans needing a first taste of the album can hear the new track "The Pitiless" this coming Friday, September 23 at Music Choice or by pre-ordering the digital album via Apple Music, Amazon or Google Play.

To keep the excitement going, DARK TRANQUILLITY will premiere a video for "The Pitiless" — filmed during their appearance at Germany's Turock Open Air festival in Essen — on Monday, September 26. "Atoma" track listing: 01. Encircled02. Atoma03. Forward Momentum04. Neutrality05. Force Of Hand06. Faithless By Default 07. The Pitiless08. Our Proof Of Life09. Clearing Skies10. When The World Screams11. Merciless Fate12. Caves And Embers A limited-edition double CD will be available as a digipak in North America and as a mediabook in Europe. The bonus disc features the songs "The Absolute" and "Time Out Of Place" that showcase a very different side of the band. Recorded and mixed by Anders Lagerfors at Nacksving studios, these tracks are among the darkest and most brooding ever from the band — but their experimental nature make them far removed from the usual metal territory. The band explains: "A lot of our songs start out as pieces of music written on piano/keyboards before getting transformed into guitar driven metal. With this recording, we wanted to explore what would happen if we instead let the material take another direction, and we're extremely thrilled by the result."

These songs will exclusively be available on the physical deluxe edition of "Atoma" and won't appear on the digital edition of the album. A vinyl seven-inch single is planned for early 2017. The gatefold vinyl LP will contain the 12 track CD and is available in different vinyl colors:

* Black vinyl: worldwide* Blue vinyl: limited to 400 copies exclusive through Bengans in Sweden* Dark Green: limited to 200 copies exclusive through CDon in Scandinavia* Clear vinyl: limited to 400 copies in North America* Transparent Blue vinyl: limited to 300 copies exclusive through cmdistro.com in North AmericaTransparent Red vinyl: limited to 200 copies exclusive available through cmdistro.com in Europe "Atoma" was recorded at Rogue Music in Gothenburg, the studio owned by DARK TRANQUILLITY keyboardist Martin Brändström. Mixing duties were handled by David Castillo, known for his work with bands such as KATATONIA, OPETH and CANDLEMASS. The cover artwork was once again created by the band's guitarist Niklas Sundin. The touring cycle for "Atoma" will start with a headline North American run in November, featuring SWALLOW THE SUN, ENFORCER and STARKILL as support acts. A European tour is planned for early 2017.

DARK TRANQUILLITY vocalist Mikael Stanne recently told Kaaos TV about the recording process for the band's upcoming album: "We actually decided to start recording in January, and then we realized, 'Nah, we're not really ready. We need to work on this stuff a bit more.' And then a bit more and then a bit more. And finally, it was, like, 'Fuck it! We need a deadline. We need to finish this.' So finally it happened. But for a while there, I just couldn't see it. Like, 'It's not even close.'"

Asked why it was so difficult for DARK TRANQUILLITY to come up with a new album's worth of material that they were happy with, Mikael said: "This is gonna be our eleventh album, [and] for yourself, you feel, like, 'My God! We don't wanna repeat ourselves. We don't wanna do the same thing over and over again. We wanna do something new.' It has to feel fresh, and it has to feel different. And how do you find the inspiration and stuff like that? It is kind of tough. But we got started, and eventually, it's, like, 'Holy shit! We're on to something here.' And it started feeling really good, and now it feels awesome. Some of the songs are incredible."

Regarding how DARK TRANQUILLITY's recent lineup change affected the songwriting process for the new album, Mikael said: "[Bassist] Martin Henriksson left the band in January, and that was a big blow. I mean, he used to write tons of stuff for the band, but in the last couple of years, he has kind of focused on other things. He's more like a manager for he band — he arranges all the festivals and trips and everything like that — and he just kind of fell out of love with touring and writing and playing, so now he's a full-on manager and stuff."

Mikael also talked about how the songwriting process was different this time around. He said: "Anders [Jivarp, drums] has written most of the songs, I think, or most of the material, and then Martin [Brändström, keyboards] and Anders kind of structured it and put it together. And then Niklas wrote two or three songs, and Martin [Brändström] wrote two or three songs, stuff like that. It's becoming really diverse. Like some of the stuff that Anders has done is really different, and the stuff that Niklas has done is really different and the stuff that Martin [Brändström] has done is really, really kind of out there in a way. So I'm super excited. The album is shaping up to be fantastic."

MUSHROOMHEAD, the influential industrial metal band from Cleveland, Ohio, will enter the studio this fall to record its eighth studio album. The group is also gearing up for its annual Halloween tour.

The tour starts September 30 in Lynchburg, Virginia, and concludes in Cleveland and Detroit. The annual Halloween performance is a must-see show, with fans coming from all over the world to witness the spectacle.

The band will be heading overseas in 2017 for a full European tour. MUSHROOMHEAD is touring without vocalist Waylon Reavis, who was fired from the band last October.

MUSHROOMHEAD's current lineup still includes two vocalists, J. Mann (a.k.a. Jason Popson) and Jeffrey "Nothing" Hatrix.

The band's eighth studio album, "The Righteous & The Butterfly", sold around 11,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 20 on The Billboard 200 chart. Released on May 13, 2014 via Megaforce Records, the CD was recorded in Cleveland with longtime co-producer Bill Korecky.

"Heavy", the new video from Glenn Hughes, can be seen below. The clip features a guest appearance by RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS drummer Chad Smith, who also played on the track.

"Heavy" is taken from Hughes's new solo album, "Resonate", which will be released on Friday, November 4 via Frontiers Music Srl.

"It's time to bust out the big grooves," Glenn said about the song.

From album opener "Heavy" to the very last chords of the closer "Long Time Gone", "Resonate" promises to be a contender for "Album Of The Year" on many a list. It features his live solo band members, Søren Andersen (guitars and co-producer), Pontus Engborg (drums) and newcomer to his band, Lachy Doley (keyboards), in addition to longtime friend Chad Smith, who joined them in the studio for the opening and closing numbers.

An EPK (Electronic Press Kit) for the album is available below.

"Resonate" will be available in two configurations: regular CD and deluxe edition including one bonus track, "Nothing's The Same", and a DVD featuring a "making of" album documentary, "Heavy" (music video), and "Long Time Gone" (music video). Vinyl release will be made available via Frontiers's label partners Soulfood Music.

"Resonate" track listing:

01. Heavy02. My Town03. Flow04. Let It Shine05. Steady06. God Of Money07. How Long08. When I Fall09. Landmines10. Stumble & Go11. Long Time Gone12. Nothing's The Same (deluxe edition bonus track)

Glenn told Billboard.com about "Resonate": "It's possibly the heaviest record I've ever made. I don't want to confuse it with horns-up heavy; it's not metal. But it's definitely fucking heavy. It's dense. It's dark. There's some aggression on this record. Every bloody track is begging to be played live."

While he was in the studio recording his new album, Hughes talked to Denmark's Metalized magazine about the musical diversity that has been his trademark throughout his four-decade-plus career.

"I never make the same album twice," he said. "Go back to the first TRAPEZE album. The second was different and the third one was different. And then you go to 'Burn', and 'Stormbringer' was different from that, and then 'Come Taste The Band'. You got HUGHES/THRALL and that was different from DEEP PURPLE. And then you go to 'Seventh Star' with Tony Iommi. That was different from HUGHES/THRALL. And then the blues album and then the Glenn solo albums."

He continued: "Although some of [my albums] have been very, very soulful and very, very funky, the key for me — as I am an Englishman that grew up in the West Midlands — is rock. But when I moved to America in the early seventies, I started to listen to what came out of Detroit. And I met Stevie Wonder. He became a very, very close friend and still is. He became my mentor.

"I need people to know that my success has come from the foundation of rock music. As much as I love THE BEATLES, Otis Redding and Stevie Wonder, when you think of Glenn Hughes, you think of the guy who plays bass and sings in any register."

Hughes added: "I am friends with a lot of famous rock stars and they are one genre. I wouldn't say who, but they have a one-genre-dimensional sound. You know it's them. And you know it's me because of my voice.

"I have been cursed and blessed with the ability to switch very quickly from rock to soul to funk to acoustic and almost into jazz — without scaring people. When you mix those ingredients, that's Glenn Hughes.

"This will be an album that is entirely Glenn Hughes music. For that reason, it is an important album."

"The Shooting Star", the new video from French progressive metallers GOJIRA, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's latest album, "Magma", which was released on June 17 via Roadrunner Records. The follow-up to 2012's "L'Enfant Sauvage" was recorded at GOJIRA frontman Joseph Duplantier's Silver Cord Studio in Queens, New York.

"Magma" track listing:

01. The Shooting Star02. Silvera03. The Cell04. Stranded05. Yellow Stone06. Magma07. Pray08. Only Pain09. Low Lands10. Liberation

The cover artwork for "Magma" can be seen below

Joseph told RollingStone.com that GOJIRA worked on twelve songs for the album before ultimately deciding on ten. "We want a short album," he said. "Something less epic than what we usually do. People's attentions are shorter now. So a lot of the songs are four minutes."

Joseph and his brother, GOJIRA drummer Mario Duplantier, who make up the band's songwriting core, were forced to put the sessions for the new album on hold when their mother got sick and eventually died last summer.

"I felt physically, mentally exhausted," Joseph told RollingStone.com. "At the same time, though, the way it happened was beautiful. We were all around her. We had to cancel a few shows when she died, but it was very enriching at the same time. We learned a lot about death."

"When you read Joe's lyrics, for me, I cry right away," Mario said. "They're very deep and to the point. No bullshit. We recycle our sadness and depression in the music."

"Mario was recording drums, and I was playing guitar with him, just trying to help him know where he's at in the song, and both of us would start crying at the same time," Joseph added.

"The songs were half-written while she was sick," he said. "After she died, I still had to finish them. So one song was like, 'You're going to make it,' but the second verse is 'You didn't make it.'"

Asked what the title of GOJIRA's new album, "Magma", means to him, Joseph Duplantier told Kerrang!: "To me, 'magma' is the primal energy. It's the blood of the earth. It's hot. It's dangerous. It is the guts. It's this music. It's the music we play. It's fusion. It's fire. It's electricity. It's… everything that we're trying to express with this music. That's what it means to me, 'magma.'"

Joseph also talked about how he comes up with all those heavy GOJIRA riffs. He said: "I don't know if we have a formula or a secret to write some of our riffs. But I wanna say that we connect ourselves to a certain energy, we put ourselves in a certain state of mind naturally. The kind of music we wanna hear, the kind of riffs we wanna hear are intricate and heavy and spiritual and there's a part of mystery in it. So we put ourselves in this kind of state of mind. But, really, we have visions when we play. When I've got my guitar, I'm already in a certain mood, and then everything that comes out will be in that specific mood. Yeah, I guess we're really connected to all… everything that's nature… Ideas like infinity, outer space, black holes [are] very inspiring for heavy riffs."

The classic-era lineup of the horror punk outfit MISFITS — Glenn Danzig, Jerry Only and Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein — reunited for second time since 1983 Sunday night (September 18) to headline this year's Riot Fest.

The reunion, billed as "The Original Misfits," took place at Chicago's Riot Fest And Carnival. Joining Glenn, Jerry and Doyle at the show were drummer Dave Lombardo (SLAYER, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES) and second guitarist Acey Slade.

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

The first MISFITS reunion show happened on September 4 at Riot Fest And Rodeo in Denver.

According to Only, the reunion came about after a meeting he had with Danzig in January. The pair had gotten together with the MISFITS management in order to discuss the rights to the band's name and merchandising with a view towards avoiding any further litigation between the parties.

Glenn didn't rule out more dates after the Riot Fest shows, saying: "We'll see how it goes. It may lead to some other work, but who knows how it's going to turn out? I mean, I don't think it's going to be a disaster; I think it's going to be incredible."

Regarding what fans can expect to see at the upcoming MISFITS concerts, Danzig said: "I'm just going to do what I normally do, which is to go out there and try and have a great time myself and make sure everybody has a fantastic fucking time. I want them to be so blown away they don't know what the fuck just hit them."

The original MISFITS band broke up in 1983, and bassist Jerry Only brought forth a new version of the MISFITS in 1995. Various members have come and gone, but Only, along with BLACK FLAG's Dez Cadena, has kept some form of the MISFITS in the recording studio and on the road for most of the last two decades.

After the original MISFITS disbanded, vocalist Glenn Danzig went on to form SAMHAIN and then the eponymous DANZIG. Several albums of reissued and previously unreleased material were issued after the group's dissolution, and their music became influential to punk rock, heavy metal, and alternative rock music of the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Napalm Records has released an Unboxing Tao Of The Devil (Fanbox) video from Brant Bjork's new album, Tao Of The Devil, out on September 30th.

As the founder of Kyuss, the singer/guitarist/drummer might be the ultimate icon the Desert Rock scene has to offer - but despite all this praise and worship, his only concern rests in supplying the planet with unpretentious laid-back rock, adorned with hefty jam-outs!

Tao Of The Devil tracklisting:

“The Greeheen”
“Humble Pie”
“Stackt”
“Luvin’”
“ Biker No. 2”
“Dave's War”
“Tao of the Devil’
“Evening Jam’ (bonus track)

“The Greeheen” lyric video:

“Stackt” video:

“Dave's War”:

Tao Of The Devil will be available as:

- 4 page digipak
- 1LP Gatefold
- Deluxe Fan LP Edition:
* 1LP Gatefold
* 1LP Slipcase (3 Bonus Tracks)
* 4 Page Digipak
* Slipmat
* A2 Poster

For more details visit Brantbjork.com.

Shark is the new rock group launched by metal veteran and co-founding member, lead guitar player and songwriter of 80’s thrash metal icons Abattoir, The band features Mark “The Shark” Caro (guitar, lead vocals), Craig “Stretch” Miller (from LA club legends A La Carte) on bass, and drum veteran John Poblick. The Los Angeles-based three-piece have just released an independent LP entitled Extreme Outbreak comprised of 10 in-your-face tracks loaded with everything that rock fans come to expect from a great rock album. 

The band will also release an EP entitled The Don’t Blink Sessions with songs that did not make it onto the full length. Caro explains: "These songs were a bit outside the style continuity of Extreme Outbreak and so the decision was made to put them out on a separate bonus release."
 
Extreme Outbreak was recorded by Ronald “Billy the Kid” Sandoval (aka Revmatix) in his own Rev-Sound Studios. Prior to signing on to produce Extreme Outbreak, Sandoval had just completed recording LA-based thrash band Anger As Art’s new release Ad Mortem Festinamus.

Shark began work on Extreme Outbreak in 2015 and completed the album in August 2016. The band's first single, "Creepin", can be found below.

Extreme Outbreak tracklisting:

"Words"  
"LTMDTT"
"Unhappy"
"Believe It"
"Love Potion #9"
"Creepin'"
"Israel (Love and Peace)"
"That’s The Way"
"Spread the Word"
"High Noon"
"Too Good"

AC Angry will release their new album, Appetite For Erection, on November 25th via Steamhammer / SPV worldwide. It will be available as a CD version (digipak) and a fine vinyl version - limited edition of only 500 copies!

Alan Costa (AC Angry) comments: "After our well-received debut record, we decided to step up the game and deliver an even better, high-explosive monster of an album. We were absolutely happy with Black Denim, but we knew we could do better and top it! We focused on stripped down, catchy heavy rock 'n' roll tunes that will stick in your head forever by the first time you'll hear them! This album gives you the attitude to kick everyone's ass at any provocation. Convince yourself, put it on in your car, hit the gas pedal and feel the rush! The dirt is back in rock 'n' roll!"

Tracklisting:

"I Hate AC Angry"
"4TW"
"No Way To Go But Down"
"I Wanna Hurt Somebody"
"Appetite For Erection"
"Son Of A Motherfucker's Son"
"The Balls Are Back In Town"
"Take You Shake You Break You"
"Cry Idiot Cry"
"Testosterone"

 

Earlier this week, Meltdown of the WRIF radio station in Detroit, Michigan conducted an interview with METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett. You can now listen to the chat using the audio player below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET)

On METALLICA's tour in support of its upcoming tenth studio album, "Hardwired...To Self-Destruct":

Hammett: "We intend on heading to as many places as possible. We're trying to hit all the major cosmopolitan cities all over the world. We have a large handful of dates that are deserved for the States, which is something that we're looking forward to, because we have not done a proper tour of the United States for a long time now. I mean, we're known for playing a show here and show there, and we're also known for doing small festival tours in Europe or Asia or Australia or South America. But we really have not done very many shows in the States over the last six or seven years, so we're really looking forward to getting out there and playing for our American fans, 'cause that's us. That's our base, you know."

On how he prepares for a tour:

Hammett: "I make sure I'm in shape physically and mentally, I make sure that my guitar playing is always up to snuff. And I make sure that things are going well at home too. It's really important for me to check in to make sure the family is doing well. You know, we've been doing this for so long that we know how to do it well. We've been doing this for so long that every show runs really, really smoothly, because we're just veterans. We know how to go out there and get into a space or a feeling right before the show and then go out on stage and just kick it out, bro, and just rock it, and give the metal to the people."

On the "Hardwired...To Self-Destruct" album:

Hammett: "I think it's a lot along the lines of 'Death Magnetic', but the grooves are a little bit easier to kind of log in on. There's a more simplistic sort of approach. It's less progressive than 'Death Magnetic' and just more groove-oriented. That's my take on it. Everyone else has a different take, so I can only tell you my take. And I like it; I think it's great. But then again, I'm biased."

On the 25th anniversary of METALLICA's "black" album:

Hammett: "The black album is something that just kind of happened. The black album was where our heads were at musically, and it seemed to be in synch with what the music industry and rock radio seemed to be also. So there was a kind of a synchronicity… not synchronicity, but a real synergy with us making the type of music that rock radio seemed to have needed at that time. Because we got so much airplay and we were able to really just get into the minds of a lot of the record buyers. It wasn't just the album itself and going on tour for three years; it was also the support of radio that made that album what it became. And the fact that radio is still playing it now, still playing those songs now, contributes to the timelessness of those songs. If you put out that album right now, it would just totally fit into the overall musical culture that's going on right now."

"Hardwired...To Self-Destruct" will be released on November 18 elease via Blackened Recordings. The long-awaited follow-up to 2008's "Death Magnetic" consists of two discs, containing a dozen songs and nearly 80 minutes of music.

"Hardwired...To Self-Destruct" was produced by Greg Fidelman with frontman James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich. The band recorded the disc at its own studio.

Interview (audio):

SANCTUARY and NEVERMORE singer Warrel Dane was recently interviewed by Metal Wani's Carla Morton. You can now listen to the chat below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On his memories of recording NEVERMORE's 2000 album "Dead Heart In A Dead World":

Warrel: "That was the first record NEVERMORE did with Andy Sneap as producer. We were really scared to change producers because we had been working with Neil Kernon before, so 'Dead Heart' was the first one with Andy. We recorded it in Texas at the same studio [Village Productions] that we did 'In Memory', 'Politics Of Ecstasy' and 'Dreaming Neon Black', but with a different producer. It was completely different, but at the same time, I think since we were nervous about changing the producer, it made us feel more grounded because we knew the environment. We had so many crazy things happen during the recording, and some of it I should not even talk about because it was so crazy. [Laughs] We had a great time. We didn't realize that years later, people would say, 'This record is a groundbreaker.' It was the first time we used seven-string guitars, which was Jeff's [Loomis] idea. So things got a little heavier on the bottom end and it was our first experiment with using different tunings, and the seven-string guitars, and luckily, it worked! Now, at the time, I was like, 'Oh my God! Are we making a big mistake?' But now I know we did the right thing."

On the status of the next SANCTUARY album:

Warrel: "The next record is coming. It's called 'Dead Again'. It will come next year, but late next year. It's way faster and more like old-school thrash metal, but sounding a bit modern and it's fucking heavy."

On the plans for SANCTUARY to release an album full of old demos and songs:

Warrel: "It's coming in a few months. It's called 'Inception'. It's old demos for songs that nobody has heard before. A lot of the songs are from [1987's] 'Refuge Denied', but they're remixed from the demos by Zeuss [Chris Harris], the guy who produced [2014's] 'The Year the Sun Died'. The sound is fucking amazing. I'm interested to see the reaction from fans because some people will say, 'Oh my God! This sounds too modern.' Because they love the old sound of 'Refuge Denied', which, looking back now, that record does not sound that good. The original 'Refuge Denied' sounds like 1988, the new one sounds like 2017 on crack. It's fucking heavy and it sounds amazing. But the unreleased songs are crazy. I'm singing so high it's ridiculous, but I was in my 20s. I'm not going to be one of those singers who's going to lie and say, 'Nobody wants to hear those old songs.' I can't sing that high anymore. At least I admit it. I know some singers — we're not going to say names—that will say, 'Oh, nobody wants to hear those old songs.' But really, they can't sing them anymore. To play the song 'Battle Angels' live, some nights I can do it and it sounds good. Some nights, I'm like, 'Oh my God! Really? Do I have to? I don't know if I can do it!' When you get older, especially as a male vocalist, you learn how to sing on different nights, because sometimes you could do it like you were a kid, but the nights you can't, you know to stay away from it. You always want to give the best to the fans. Of course there are people who are going to be mad, 'Oh my God, you didn't play 'Battle Angels' tonight. What's wrong?' 'Uh, dude. My voice felt bad. I didn't want to do it half-assed.' I want it to be perfect, but it will never be perfect."

On his plans to release another solo album:

Warrel: "It's coming soon. Most of the songs are written. Next month, we start recording."

On the possibility of replacing Jeff Loomis in NEVERMORE:

Warrel: "I have mixed feelings about that. I don't think Jeff has the time to do another NEVERMORE record. I would do it. Replacing him… I'm not so sure you can do that. I could try and see what happens. There have been legendary guitar players that have been replaced. SAVATAGE is a good example, but Criss Oliva died and he was replaced and SAVATAGE went on to do brilliant records, even with a different singer. That's something that I would approach with a lot of trepidation. I don't know if it would work, but never say never. Maybe there will be another NEVERMORE record without Jeff, maybe there will be one with him. That's not my priority right now. My priority for the moment is my next solo record and then moving on to the next SANCTUARY record. I've got my time worked out for me."

On if one-time NEVERMORE touring guitarist Chris Broderick would be a viable replacement for Loomis in the band:

Warrel: "That's a nice idea. I didn't talk to him about it, but maybe I should. I think that would be kind of cool. He never wrote any music for NEVERMORE, so first and foremost, if I decide to use another guitar player besides Jeff and that's a big 'if,' it would have to be someone who could write in a similar style. A lot of people don't know this, but I had a lot of input in the NEVERMORE music. Jeff pretty much controlled all the guitar stuff, but I had my moments. Not many people know for the song 'Believe In Nothing', I wrote the chorus, and the guitar solo — Jeff will never admit that. He wrote the verses, the acoustic parts, so we worked closely on that one. That's one of my favorite NEVERMORE songs."

Jimmy Page has told the U.K. digital radio station Planet Rock that he is hoping to hit the road in 2017 with a brand new band.

The LED ZEPPELIN guitarist appeared on "Mojo Rocks" with Phil Alexander on Saturday night to talk about the expanded version of the band's 1997 "BBC Sessions" album and he joked that he has been "quite rightly" criticized for not releasing any fresh material.

"The 'BBC Sessions' was an epic, when you think everything has to be listened to in real time and all of that," Jimmy said. "It's an epic, but it's an epic I was really prepared to take on, because, historically, it was really important for people to have all that information about what was going on in the studio at that point of time. It took a lot of time, and I must say that I hoped by this time that I would be sort of playing with other musicians. I've said that to you before but I still hope to do that. Clearly now it's not going to materialize until next year. That's not that far away now!"

Page previously told Guitar World that the live band for his upcoming shows would be "totally different" from LED ZEPPELIN.

"There will be all sorts of material from different eras," the guitarist told the magazine. "Right across the board; that's the way I'm seeing it. But like I said, there will be surprises. It won't be entirely what people might be expecting."

"I haven't got another 20-30 years left in me," Page told Billboard in 2014 year, "so I really need to get out there and present myself the way that I like to present myself, and to be seen and be heard."

Page's last tour was alongside Robert Plant in 1998.

The guitarist, who was also involved in remastering the entire LED ZEPPELIN back catalog for re-release, didn't rule out restoring more of the band's material.

"I'm sure there will be some [restored] releases over the next few years," he told "Mojo Rocks". "But it's the sort of thing where we need to have a good old chat with the band, y'know. A few band meetings to discuss the ideas. So I hope so."

Jimmy also said that he's in contact with his former bandmates in the seminal British blues-rock group THE YARDBIRDS about releasing restored versions of their works.

"I'm in touch with the members of THE YARDBIRDS and I hope to be seeing them relatively soon and then the material I've got we'll see how much of it comes out. Hopefully all of it will come out, but they haven't heard all of the things, they've just heard certain samples of things, and they were really thrilled with what they heard, which is cool.

"It's all stuff that was done right in the last stages of THE YARDBIRDS, it's more or less almost in that last year that we had together. It's got things that were really sort of crossover.

"I'm just really keen to do that and do it with them… so we're all involved, bits of memorabilia and all of that. I'm very very hopeful that it will come together. I'm confident that it will."

You can listen to "Mojo Rocks" at this location.

The drum playthrough video for "Nostrum", a brand new song from Swedish extreme tech-metal pioneers MESHUGGAH, can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's upcoming album, "The Violent Sleep Of Reason", which will be released on October 7 via Nuclear Blast. The CD was inspired by a Goya painting called "The Sleep Of Reason Produces Monsters".

MEHUGGAH drummer Tomas Haake told Rolling Stone about the song: "It ties in with the Biblical Apocalypse, the idea of a deity coming back to undo it all and taking to heaven the ones who are righteous. It's about a monster that's coming for us, or maybe an asteroid hurtling towards the earth. It's always been a weird conundrum for me how some people, even devout people, fear the Apocalypse whilst others welcome it. I've never understood that."

"The Violent Sleep Of Reason" was produced by the band and was engineered by Tue Madsen of Puk Studios in Kaerby, Denmark.

For "The Violent Sleep Of Reason" cover, MESHUGGAH once again enlisted Keerych Luminokaya who created the artwork for "Koloss" and "The Ophidian Trek" as well as the new images for each of the seven albums and three EPs featured in the "25 Years Of Musical Deviance" box set.

"Basically, the whole idea of why we chose the title is it kinda connects with the lyrical content of the album," Haake said. "Which is, to a fair degree, about current events and what you see is going on as far as terrorism today, extremist views on ideals, and religious dogma and the violent implications that you get from being asleep, so to speak, and not acting/reacting to what is going on in the proper way."

"The Violent Sleep Of Reason" track listing:

01. Clockworks02. Born In Dissonance03. MonstroCity04. By The Ton05. Violent Sleep Of Reason06. Ivory Tower07. Stifled08. Nostrum09. Our Rage Won't Die10. Into Decay

Haake told Metal Hammer that MESHUGGAH recorded "The Violent Sleep Of Reason" live in the studio — marking the first time they have done that "in 20-25 years." He said: "It was time limitations that stopped us doing it before. And it's been interesting.

"If you put it all together using computers, then you often have to fix problems after the fact. I've gone back to records where I've not known every drum part. And once you do that, you can start with drums and then just add layers of guitars and then bass and it all sounds perfect.

"'Obzen' and 'Koloss' are great albums, but, to me, they are a little too perfect. It didn't really capture what we sounded like honestly. But where we recorded live, you get to hear the push and pull, one person might be a little ahead and the other might be a little behind. If you kill that, you can kill the energy."

He added: "So for us it was just about going back to those albums that inspired us when we were growing up, that were important to us in our formative years, and all of those bands had that energy. The albums in the '80s and early '90s had the rawness that I'm talking about — that's what we wanted to recapture."

MÖTLEY CRÜE frontman Vince Neil's trial has been postponed in connection with a misdemeanor battery charge related to an incident where he allegedly assaulted an autograph seeker. The singer's lawyer told a judge that a key defense witness wasn't available this week.

The trial has been reset for October 20.

The alleged victim told police that Neil came up from behind and grabbed her by the hair.

Neil claimed he only "pushed past" the female autograph seeker, but officers concluded after reviewing a surveillance video that Vince did in fact pull the woman by her hair, according to TMZ.

Cameras also captured the woman taking pics with Carrot Top before she saw Nicolas Cage. She claims she said, "Nicolas, I love you" and followed Cage before being pulled down by Neil, who was having lunch with the comedian and the actor.

This isn't Vince's first brush with the law. Back in 2011, he served 10 days of a 15-day DUI sentence in connection with a June 2010 incident when he was speeding and weaving between lanes on Desert Inn Road west of Paradise Road, near the Las Vegas Strip, authorities said.

In 1984, Neil smashed his car into another vehicle in Redondo Beach, California, killing HANOI ROCKS drummer Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley and seriously injuring two other occupants.

Neil was charged with vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence of alcohol. His blood alcohol level was 0.17, which was over the legal limit.

Neil served half of a 30-day jail sentence, received five years probation and had to pay $2.6 million in restitution, as well as perform 200 hours of community service.

SLIPKNOT's fifth studio album, ".5: The Gray Chapter", was officially certified gold on August 31 by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) for sales of more than 500,000 copies. The certification came six months after RIAA started including on-demand audio and video streams and a track sale equivalent in gold and platinum album award.

".5: The Gray Chapter" sold around 132,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 1 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD arrived in stores in October 2014 via Roadrunner.

".5: The Gray Chapter" capped a very turbulent period for the masked rockers in which they dealt with the death of Paul Gray and the firing of drummer Joey Jordison, both longtime members and songwriters. Despite it all, singer Corey Taylor told The Pulse Of Radio he's proud of what the band has accomplished this time out. "The fact that we were able to kind of pull ourselves back up and not only go in and make a really good album, but make an exceptional album, in my opinion, I think it's a testament to just how talented this band is," he said. "It's a testament to how much passion we have for it. It's a testament to how much we're willing to fight to accomplish everything that we want to accomplish. To me, I think it's one of the best albums we've ever made." Gray died in 2010 from a drug overdose, while Jordison was let go in December 2013, just before SLIPKNOT began recording the new album.

The identities of their replacements were officially revealed in 2015 to be drummer Jay Weinberg and bassist Alessandro "Vman" Venturella.

SLIPKNOT will perform its 2001 album "Iowa" in its entirety at Ozzfest Meets Knotfest on Sunday, September 25 at San Manuel Amphitheater in San Bernardino, California.

"Iowa" came out in August 2001 and followed up SLIPKNOT's double-platinum 1999 major label debut.

"Iowa" has sold more than one million copies and featured the songs "Left Behind", "The Heretic Anthem", "My Plague", "Disasterpiece" and others.

Fan-filmed video footage of AVENGED SEVENFOLD's September 18 performance at the Rock Allegiance festival in Chester, Pennsylvania can be seen below.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, AVENGED SEVENFOLD singer M. Shadows told the "Loudwire Nights" radio show in a recent interview that the band's ongoing legal battle with its label, Warner Bros. Records, over its announcement in late 2015 that it was leaving the label, has not been settled yet. Shadows explained: "There hasn't been a resolution with that… We left because every single person at the label… not every single person; the radio department is still intact. But the people that signed us, the A&R people, all the people that had to do with the high up at the company didn't know who AVENGED SEVENFOLD was or cared at this point. So we had to leave."

Shadows added: "It had nothing to do with anything other than if you’re at a place where they don’t care about your band, then you have to do somewhere where they do care about your band."

Warner Bros. sued the band in early 2016 for breach of contract, claiming that the group owes the company one more studio effort and a live CD/DVD.

The dispute with the label may have also played a role in the abandonment of the band's long-delayed live DVD, "This Is Bat Country". Shadows said: "The reality is the DVD just never got there… The DVD was never quite good enough to come out, in our opinion. So I don’t know what’s happening with it right now. I know it's still on the cutting floor. We're still trying to make tweaks to it, but then there's also the Warner Bros. thing. We're not with Warner Bros. anymore and they own the rights to that footage."

Shadows told The Pulse Of Radio that AVENGED SEVENFOLD never wants to release anything to its fans that it doesn't deem top-notch in quality. "I really want to do better in terms of quality output," he said. "I don't want to have any little areas where you're just like, 'Eh.' When people don't like a record, I want to come back with the next one and just smash 'em with something amazing. Everyone's not gonna love everything but I think for us, I really want to keep the high quality output."

AVENGED SEVENFOLD opened for METALLICA in Minneapolis last month and has a string of headlining and festival dates on tap for this fall.

The band has been working on its seventh studio album, its first with new drummer Brooks Wackerman. But the group has not set a release date for the disc and has not indicated how far along it is in recording.

Florida-based death metal veterans OBITUARY recently announced "Ten Thousand Ways To Die", a special two-song single containing a pair of brand new studio tracks plus a bonus live set of twelve classics and fan favorites from the band's storied catalog. Recorded in eleven different cities during the band's highly successful 2015 "Inked In Blood" world tour, the live tracks capture the incredible performances of a band that has stood atop the death metal pantheon for almost 30 years.

"Ten Thousand Ways To Die" will be released worldwide on October 21 on CD and digital formats and is sure to satisfy new and die-hard OBITUARY fans and will quench the bloodthirst of listeners until the band's new album drops in spring 2017. Listen to a live recording of "Intoxicated", captured at the Revolution Center in Boise, Idaho and included on "Ten Thousand Ways To Die", using the SoundCloud widget below.

Commented the band: "We are very excited about the live songs that we recorded on this last U.S. tour. Joe Cincotta from Full Force Studio is also our live sound engineer and he had his full recording rig on the road with us so we took advantage of the opportunity and recorded the show every night. The quality was amazing so we decided to include this as part of the 'Ten Thousand Ways to Die' release to give the fans a little OB bonus! We selected songs from different cities so you will hear the sound difference between each song. Nothing was done to the songs after the live performance recording so it gives you the real, true, unedited 'live show' sound and feeling that the fans experienced at each show." OBITUARY will return to Europe as part of the colossal "Battle Of The Bays" European tour in October / November 2016 alongside San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal veterans EXODUS. Support will come from influential groove crossover metallers PRONG and Australian wrecking machine KING PARROT.

OBITUARY's ninth studio album, "Inked In Blood", sold around 5,200 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 75 on The Billboard 200 chart.

The band's first full-length CD in over five years, "Inked In Blood" was recorded by OBITUARY in April 2014 at the group's own RedNeck Studio in Gibsonton, Florida.

Legendary New Jersey thrashers OVERKILL are putting the finishing touches on their new studio album, titled "The Grinding Wheel". To give their fans a taster of what to expect from their forthcoming record, a brand-new single called "Our Finest Hour", will be released in the first week of OVERKILL's European tour, on November 4.

The seven-inch single will be made available on black, clear, green, and splatter vinyl.

Listen to a snippet of the track below.

Said OVERKILL frontman Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth: "Looks like the 'machine' is up and rolling, but for all good things we wait.

"The delay for 'The Grinding Wheel' will take us to February 2017, at the start of the U.S. tour... but fear not, the Euro tour will happen and happen with some new music!

"Friday, November 4th, we will let go of the first cut; 'Our Finest Hour', available on various colors of vinyl along with some ear-shattering madness. We will also have it with us on the road to quench your thirst and fill the hunger.

"So you heard it here first and you can hear more live the first time on tour!

"To the road, onward and upward into '17!"

Ellsworth recently told Patch.com about OVERKILL's decision to title its forthcoming album "The Grinding Wheel": "When we were looking for a title, when you think in terms of the word 'grind,' you think of something that is relentless and doesn't wear down, whether it be an old stone mill or something metallic where sparks are flying through it. It's about an all-purpose tool through all time. It's a good, quality OVERKILL record."

Regarding the musical direction of the follow-up to 2014's "White Devil Armory", Ellsworth told Alternative Nation: "At the end of the day, OVERKILL is OVERKILL. Our trademark is that we are always recognizable on every release. For the three decades we have been around, we were always OVERKILL. So, sure, it is a metal record, and like always, it will have sort of a thrash vibe to it with some melody in it."

As previously reported, OVERKILL and NILE will join forces for a U.S. tour in February/March 2017. AMORPHIS will also play a couple of shows toward the end of the trek, but will not be part of the OVERKILL/NILE tour. Exact cities and dates will be announced soon.

Fan-filmed video footage of SLAYER's September 18 performance at the Rock Allegiance festival in Chester, Pennsylvania can be seen below.

SLAYER guitarist Kerry King recently spoke to Jägermeister about when fans can expect to see the band's follow-up to 2015's "Repentless" album. He said: "We've got lots of leftover material from the last album, 'cause we wrote so much stuff, and we recorded a bunch of it too. If the lyrics don't change the song musically, those songs are done. So we are way ahead of the ballgame without even doing anything for the next record. And I've been working on stuff on my downtime. Like, I'll warm up and a riff will come to mind and I'll record it. I've gotten a handful of those on this run. So wheels are still turning. I haven't worked on anything lyrically yet except for what was done on the last record, so that's something I've gotta get on. But, yeah, 'Repentless' isn't quite a year old yet."

He continued: "There was a while I didn't consider… I thought maybe this record ['Repentless'] would be like Ozzy's first record, with 'Blizzard Of Ozz' and 'Diary Of A Madman', where they did both at once and put one out and then sat on the other one for a couple of years and put the next one out. But we didn't quite get that far, but there's plenty of stuff."

King added: "Me and [late SLAYER guitarist] Jeff [Hanneman] would usually write 'till we got around the ballpark of a record, and there might be two or three left over, but this time there's, like, eight left over. Plus a lot of ideas, like half-songs. Like, the first half a song will go with another half a song. So we might be inching up on ten songs already, when I get down and think about it, and that's very unique for SLAYER, and very cool, because can do a one-two punch on this record.

"We could probably start doing something at the end of next year, but, man, we've still got a lot of touring going on next year. So I'm guessing… What's this… '16, '17… I'm guessing it won't be '18 before we record anything."

SLAYER's seven-week North American tour with ANTHRAX and DEATH ANGEL kicked off in Cleveland on September 9.

"Repentless" debuted at No. 4 on The Billboard 200, having shifted 50,000 equivalent album units in the week ending September 17, 2015.

A KILLER'S CONFESSION, the new project led by former MUSHROOMHEAD vocalist Waylon Reavis, has signed with EMP Label Group. The band is working on its debut album, "Unbroken", for an early 2017 release.

Said Reavis: "I am so proud of this project, and being able to come back with an absolutely killer record, with killer musicians. Anyone who has been a fan of anything I have done previously is absolutely going to be floored by A KILLER'S CONFESSION. Seriously, if you have a dick, this record is going to knock it in the dirt."

"Unbroken" is being produced by Reavis and EMP's Thom Hazaert, with engineer/mixer Richard Easterling (AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE, DOLL SKIN, EMPERORS AND ELEPHANTS) at Richmond, Kentucky's Third Sky Studio, responsible for recent releases from AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE ("Tango Umbrella"), DOLL SKIN ("Furious Fixation"), TANTRIC, and more.

On signing to EMP, Reavis had this to say: "I am so thankful to Thom and David for believing in me and getting behind this project the way they have. I have been watching everything they’ve done the last year, and I am so proud and excited to be part of the EMP family."

Hazaert, who is no stranger to the Cleveland scene that spawned MUSHROOMHEAD, securing major label deals for Cleveland artists including CHIMAIRA, SWITCHED and ERASE THE GREY, adds: "I have a long, great relationship with Waylon, I’ve collaborated with him on projects in the past (Reavis also appears on a track on the current DEAD BY WEDNESDAY guest vocalist release 'The Darkest Of Angels'), and he is one of the humblest, hardest-working guys in this business. His talent and drive are endless, and I couldn’t be more excited to help bring this project to the masses."

Reavis was co-vocalist for MUSHROOMHEAD from 2004 to 2015, and appears on the albums "Savior Sorrow" (2006), "Beautiful Stories For Ugly Children" (2010) and "The Righteous & The Butterfly" (2014), as well as other projects including TENAFLY VIPER, which also featured former CHIMAIRA bassist Jim LaMarca.

As of late, the state of Pennsylvania has been churning out a lot of quality new death metal such as Rivers Of Nihil, Black Crown Initiate, and Alustrium. Now you can add another name to that list, Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania natives Burial In The Sky.

The band came to life in 2013 when guitarists (and multi-instrumentalists) William Okronglis and James Tomedi decided to form an ambitious new project after already spending years playing music with each other prior to Burial In The Sky. Joining them on Persistence Of Thought is none other than world class drummer extraordinaire Samus Paulicelli (Decrepit Birth, ex-Abigail Wiliams) whose expert skills perfectly complements the stunning atmospheric technical death metal that James and William write.

Fans of Rivers Of Nihil and Fallujah would be wise to keep an eye on the band, although Burial In The Sky is far from being a derivative copy of either. Burial In The Sky’s album, Persistence Of Thought, is set for release on Friday, November 4th. The first single from the album will be released on Wednesday, September 28th.

Persistence Of Thought tracklisting:

“Entry I”
“Entry II”
“Entry III”
“Anchors”
“Galaxy Of Ghosts”
“Dimensions Divide”

Persistence Of Thought lineup/additional credits:

William Okronglis - vocals, rhythm guitar, bass, keys, and percussion
James Tomedi - lead guitar, bass, keys, mandolin, slide guitar, and percussion
Samus Paulicelli - session drums

* Additional synths performed by Danny Greene

Vocals and all instruments played by William and James recorded at BITStudio
Drums written, performed, and engineered by Samus Paulicelli in Winnipeg, Canada
Re-amping, mixing, and mastering done by Numbskull Audio Production, Cambridgeshire, UK
Album art by Nathan Lee

Last year marked the 25th anniversary of Extreme’s classic multi-Platinum, Grammy nominated Pornograffitti, the definitive album of the band’s career. To mark the anniversary, Pornograffitti Live 25 / Metal Meltdown will be released on October 14th (delayed from the original September 23rd date) by the award-winning production company Rock Fuel Media in association with Loud & Proud Records as part of their four-part Metal Meltdown DVD series. The concert film captures the Boston band performing the album Pornograffitti in its entirety.

Directed by Brian Lockwood (Bon Jovi, Metallica, Motley Crue), the Pornograffitti Live 25 / Metal Meltdown package includes a Blu-ray, DVD, and audio CD of the complete concert that was filmed on May 30, 2015 at The Joint at the world famous Hard Rock Casino in Las Vegas. It also features Rockshow, a bonus documentary that takes fans through Extreme’s story, with exclusive interviews, ‘80s archive footage, and an exclusive photo gallery. Mixed in 5.1 Surround Sound, it’s set for release September 23. A trailer can be seen below.

“It was a great thrill to perform Pornograffitti in its entirety,” says singer Gary Cherone. “Some of these songs were never played live before so we had to go back and relearn them for the tour.  The album was a watershed moment in the bands career…it’s when we came in to our own and it will always be special.”

As guitar virtuoso Nuno Bettencourt continues, “The band always prided itself on its live performance. Over the years, some of these songs have evolved where the band actually plays them better now than when we had recorded them. Hope you enjoy it. “

Extreme achieved their greatest success with their 1990 album Pornograffitti, which peaked at #10 on the Billboard’s Top 200 Albums chart, and was certified multi-Platinum. Musically, Pornograffitti is dominated by blistering guitar riffs, often with funky, syncopated timing, and incendiary, high-speed rock/metal solos. The record provided Bettencourt with widespread admiration from rock guitar enthusiasts and continual exposure in leading guitar playing publications. But it was the acoustic ballad single, "More Than Words,” that reached #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart and was nominated for a Grammy Award for “Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal.” The subsequent single, "Hole Hearted,” another acoustic track, was also successful, rising to #4 on the same chart. "Decadence Dance" and "Get The Funk Out" were also released as singles both landing on Billboard's Rock chart and becoming fan favorites.

To date, the Grammy-nominated Extreme have released five albums, plus a greatest hits set - selling over 10 million records worldwide. The band’s trademark sound is a mix of hard rock funk in the spirit and style of their predecessors Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Queen and Van Halen - fueled by Bettencourt’s signature guitar flights and Cherone’s resonant vocals - and matched with a social consciousness in their lyrics.

Award-winning producer Barry Summers of Rock Fuel Media commented, “It was a real privilege to produce Pornograffitti Live 25 / Metal Meltdown in celebration of Pornograffitti, to have the opportunity to work first-hand with such high caliber musicians and audio purists. Over 25 years after this iconic album was released, we captured the band at their very best. Watching Nuno Bettencourt's off-the-charts guitar solos is simply mind-blowing, as confirmed by Queen's Brian May and Aerosmith's Steven Tyler, whom we filmed paying homage to the Guitar God himself in the RockShow documentary. One of the highlights of the documentary is a moment where Gary and Nuno are sitting on the doorstep of Gary’s childhood home, and they perform a spontaneous version of “More Than Words”.”

Pornograffitti Live 25 / Metal Meltdown tracklisting:
 
“Decadence Dance”
“Li’l Jack Horny”
“When I’m President”
“Get the Funk Out”
“More Than Words”
“Money (In God We Trust)”
“It (‘s a Monster)”
“Pornograffitti”
“When I First Kissed You”
“Suzi (Wants Her All Day What?)”
“Flight of the Wounded Bumble Bee”
“He-Man Woman Hater”
“Song For Love”
“Hole Hearted”
“Play With Me” *
“Cupid’s Dead” *
 
* Songs do not appear on the audio CD.

In a new interview with Gearphoria.com, Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt discusses the band’s upcoming studio album. The follow-up to Saudades de Rock (2008) is expected early next year.

"We're about 17 songs into it,” says Nuno. “We're just wrapping them up. We've got to do vocals, some guitar. Slowly but surely. We're going to release it early next year. Whether that's February or early spring, but definitely not past the spring. This thing is coming out, even if I've got to leak this fucking thing out. We've been recording mostly at my home studio. The guys have been coming out periodically."

Read the full interview at Gearphoria.com.

During their upcoming tour of Japan, Extreme will be performing live, for the first time ever, the entire third side of III Sides To Every Story, The Truth - "Everything Under The Sun". Confirmed dates are as listed:

September
29 - Tokyo Hitomi Kinen Kodo
30 - Sendai Pit

October
3 - Osaka Archaic Hall
4 - Zepp Nagoya
5 - Tokyo Dome City Hall

 

 

Trap Them will release their new album, Crown Feral, on September 23rd via Prosthetic Records. A full advanced album stream can be found below.

The band's fifth full-length, and third for Prosthetic Records, features 10 chest-pounding tracks that feature the group's famed blend of metal, d-beat punk and darkened hardcore. Once again, the band enlisted unofficial fifth member Kurt Ballou (Converge, Skeletonwitch) at GodCity Studios in Salem, Mass. to capture their unrestrained and unapologetic sound. The album features cover art from Mattias Frisk.

Tracklisting:

“Kindred Dirt”
“Hellionaires”
“Prodigala”
“Luster Pendulums”
“Malengines Here, Where They Should Be”
“Speak Nigh”
“Twitching In The Auras”
“Revival Spines”
“Stray Of The Tongue”
“Phantom Air”

Album stream:

“Luster Pendulums” video:

Trap Them have also announced plans for a headlining North American East Coast tour with direct support from Nashville heavy hitters Yautja. The tour will kick off shortly after the band returns from their recently announced European tour with Okkultokrati andl labelmates Venom Prison.

Swedish adventure metallers, Twilight Force, have released a new video, entitled The Lore Of Blackwald, in support of their new studio album, Heroes Of Mighty Magic, out now via Nuclear Blast. Learn more about keyboardist Blackwald below.

Heroes Of Mighty Magic tracklisting:

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

The Lore Of Blackwald character video:

The Lore Of De'Azsh character video:

The Lore Of Born character video:

The Lore Of Aerendir character video:

The Lore Of Lynd character video:

The Lore Of Chrileon character video:

“Powerwind” video;

"To The Stars" lyric video:

“Battle Of Arcane Might” lyric video: