Tony MacAlpine and his band perform "The Kings Rhapsody" live on EMGtv. This latest release from his album Concrete Gardens features EMG artist Nili Brosh, along with Pete Griffin on bass, and Aquiles Priester on drums. Tony is playing his EMG 808X, eight string guitar pickups while Nili backs him up with her trusted EMG 57-7H and EMG 66-7H humbucker pickups.

 

Tony MacAlpine's new album Concrete Gardens will be released April 21st, and is now available for pre-order via Tony's spinshop or the Amazon widget below. The tracklisting is as follows:

"Exhibitionist Blvd."
"The King's Rhapsody"
"Man In A Metal Cage"
"Poison Cookies"
"Epic"
"Napoleon's Puppet"
"Sierra Morena"
"Square Circles"
"Red Giant"
"Confessions Of A Medieval Monument"
"Concrete Gardens"
"Maiden's Wish"

Album Personnel:
Tony MacAlpine - guitar, keyboards, bass
Aquiles Priester - drums
Pete Griffin - bass
Jeff Loomis - guitar solo on "Square Circles"
Lucky Islam - bass on "Red Giant"
Sean Delson - bass on "Concrete Gardens"

The Special Edition of Concrete Gardens is limited to 2000 copies and includes a bonus DVD of Tony and band performing the album live at EMGtv. Check out "Poison Cookies" and "Sierra Morena" below.

Tony MacAlpine will be hitting the road and touring the USA in May and June; confirmed dates are available at this location.

Check out the title track of Tony's new album via the following YouTube clip:

 

 

 

 

Italy's Blogo.it recently conducted an interview with NIGHTWISH keyboardist and main composer Tuomas Holopainen. You can now watch the chat below.

Speaking about the fact that NIGHTWISH chose to keep much of the music on its new album, "Endless Forms Most Beautiful", shrouded in mystery prior to the CD's release, Tuomas said: "I don't really see the point of giving, like, 30 seconds from each song, because, for me, personally, when a new album of my favorite band is released, it's an event; I don't want to know anything about it in advance."

He continued: "I remember when 'Far Beyond Driven' by PANTERA was released, I was really looking forward to the day when it was released and cycling to the record shop, getting the album, going back, just dedicating a few hours, just listening. That was an event. That sort of things seems to be… well, if not disappearing, but there's something of that mystery is gone — basically because of social media and the Internet.

"Don't get me wrong, I think the Internet is fab; it's the perfect way of spreading information and promoting and all that. But we would like to bring a little bit of mystery back into music and to bands as well. There's a reason why we do our best for keeping our privacy. We enjoy talking about music and the album and the live shows and all that, but personal stuff is personal for a reason."

Tuomas added: "I mean, one of my biggest idols, Vangelis [Greek composer of electronic, progressive, ambient, jazz, pop rock, and orchestral music], for example, nobody knows anything about him. He just comes out with new music every now and then, and that's it. And I really like that sort of image. It's just the music, and that's all that matters. That's the way it should be."

Asked if it was difficult to select a single from the new album, Holopainen said: "If it was up to me, we would never release singles in the first place. It seems so unfair to put one song on a pedestal to represent the whole album. And with this album, 'Élan' doesn't really give you the right impression of what's going on, but it's sort of a necessary evil that you have to do these days, and you just have to pick up that would possibly get some radio play, which would be an easy enough approach. This time, it was 'Élan'. That's it. [But] I wish people would listen to the album from beginning to the end."

"Endless Forms Most Beautiful" will be made available on March 31 in the U.S. via Nuclear Blast.

The "Élan" four-track single features the album version of the title cut, a radio edit and an alternate version of "Élan", as well as the non-album bonus track "Sagan".

The cover artwork for "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" was created by the band's longtime collaborator Toxic Angel. Famed evolutionary biologist and atheist writer/leader Richard Dawkins appears as a guest on the effort.

Longtime NIGHTWISH drummer Jukka Nevalainen sat out the recording sessions for "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" due to health issues. He has since been replaced by Kai Hahto (WINTERSUN, SWALLOW THE SUN, TREES OF ETERNITY).


"Èlan" video:

Former NIGHTWISH singer Tarja Turunen's "Luna Park Ride" live performance will be made available for the first time as an audio CD and standalone video — including over 70 minutes of bonus material.

A performance clip of the song "Until My Last Breath" from "Luna Park Ride" can be seen below. Imagine an enchanted audience in front of an enormous stage in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Thousands of fans screaming just for her: the one and only Tarja. Having their cameras and cell phones ready to film what will become one hell of a performance, Tarja finally appears, dressed fully in black and with the most beautiful smile on her face; she is in full bloom. Let the show begin.

Filmed at stadium Luna Park in Buenos Aires on March 27, 2011 during Tarja's "What Lies Beneath World Tour 2011", "Luna Park Ride" will be released as 2CD, 2LP, DVD, Blu-ray and digital download on May 29 via earMUSIC.

Previously included in a very limited edition of Tarja's live production "Act I", May 29 finally sees the stand-alone release of the breathtaking "Luna Park Ride". For the first time available on audio and video, the fan-filmed material is topped with 14 (!) bonus live performances and offers the full package including previously unseen photos.

Ranging from Tarja classics like "I Walk Alone" to "Until My Last Breath", the high-quality audio mixed by Tim Palmer (U2, PEARL JAM, ROBERT PLANT) and fan video recordings also feature NIGHTWISH rarities such as "Stargazers" and the electrifying medley of "Where Were You Last Night", BELINDA CARLISLE's "Heaven Is A Place On Earth" and BON JOVI's classic "Livin' On A Prayer".

The 70-minute bonus material, also mixed by Tim Palmer, takes the fans on a tour of Tarja's festival appearances and club shows from 2010 to 2014: From Tarja's 2010 show at Masters Of Rock in Czech Republic with her band, choir and full orchestra live on stage, to a 2011 performance at Summer Breeze festival in Germany, including a very special gold award presentation, continues with a recent performance in Ekaterinenburg, Russia as well as a performance together with VAN CANTO at last year's Wacken Open Air. The bonus material finishes with three fan favourites — "Never Enough", "Die Alive" and "Victim Of Ritual" — performed at Summer Breeze in 2014.

"Luna Park Ride" track listing: 01. Dark Star02. My Little Phoenix03. The Crying Moon04. I Walk Alone05. Falling Awake06. Signos (SODA STEREO cover) 07. Little Lies08. Underneath09. Stargazers10. Ciaran's Well11. In For A Kill12. Where Were You Last Night - Heaven Is A Place On Earth - Livin' On A Prayer13. Die Alive14. Until My Last Breath15. Wishmaster

Bonus material - CD, DVD and Blu-ray only:

01. In For A Kill - Masters Of Rock / Czech Republic 2010. Featuring Philarmonic Bohuslava Martinû Zlin and choir.02. I Walk Alone - Masters Of Rock / Czech Republic 2010. Featuring Philarmonic Bohuslava Martinû Zlin and choir.03. Archive Of Lost Dreams - Masters Of Rock / Czech Republic 2010. Featuring Philarmonic Bohuslava Martinû Zlin and choir.04. Crimson Deep - Masters Of Rock / Czech Republic 2010. Featuring Philarmonic Bohuslava Martinû Zlin and choir05. I Feel Immortal – Summer Breeze / Germany 201106. The Siren (NIGHTWISH) – Summer Breeze / Germany 201107. Until my Last Breath – Summer Breeze / Germany 201108. 500 Letters - Ekaterinburg / Russia 201409. Damned & Divine - Ekaterinburg / Russia 201410. Neverlight - Ekaterinburg / Russia 201411. Anteroom Of Death - Wacken Open Air / Germany 2014 featuring VAN CANTO12. Never Enough – Summer Breeze / Germany 201413. Die Alive – Summer Breeze / Germany 201414. Victim Of Ritual – Summer Breeze / Germany 2014

According to a new tweet from MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine, the band is "almost done with the writing" of its new album and will begin tracking the follow-up to 2013's "Super Collider" next week.

As BLABBERMOUTH.NET exclusively reported as a "rumor" on March 14, it was made official this past weekend that MEGADETH has hired drummer Chris Adler (LAMB OF GOD) to play on the band's new CD.

In a statement, Dave Mustaine called Chris "a tremendous talent" and "an amazing person" who is "going to bring a new level of excitement and energy to MEGADETH that the fans are going to lose their minds over."

Adler was equally excited about playing with MEGADETH, saying: "I'm coming into this on fire. There is an incredible amount of respect, but the goal here is to make the very best thrash album we can — not just throw names in the CD booklet or be a 'yes' man. Together, I believe we can do something very special."

In addition to Mustaine, Adler and bassist David Ellefson, the recording lineup for MEGADETH's new album is rumored to include Brazilian guitarist Kiko Loureiro, best known for his work with ANGRA.

MEGADETH has yet to announce permanent replacements for drummer Shawn Drover and guitarist Chris Broderick, who quit the group last year.

The band was still finalizing the recording lineup for its new album earlier in the month, with Mustaine tweeting on March 10 that he was "excited to be auditioning one of my final picks for my new guitarist today."

Drover quit MEGADETH on November 25, 2014 "to pursue [his] own musical interests." His statement can be found at this location. Guitarist Chris Broderick announced his departure from MEGADETH a few hours later, saying that he was exiting the group "due to artistic and musical differences."




Almost done with the writing of the new record. One more week before tracking starts. #Megadeth15

— Dave Mustaine (@DaveMustaine) March 31, 2015

A KILLSWITCH ENGAGE concert film shot on October 31, 2014 at The Palladium in Worcester, Massachusetts will be included on the band's next DVD release, tentatively due before the end of the year. The performance footage was filmed by the direction team of Ian McFarland and Mike Pecci (FEAR FACTORY, MESHUGGAH) using five Canon C300 cameras outfitted with Zeiss Prime Super Speed Lenses.

A preview of the forthcoming DVD in the form of a video clip for the song "No End In Sight" shot at the Halloween concert can be seen below.

According to KILLSWITCH ENGAGE singer Jesse Leach, the DVD will include The Palladium show along with "some other cool stuff."

Photos from the concert shoot can be found at IanMcFarlandFilms.com.

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE recently finished recording a new song, "Loyalty", that is featured on the mixtape for HBO's hit fantasy series "Game Of Thrones".

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's fifth studio album, "Disarm The Descent", sold around 48,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 7 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD arrived in stores on April 2, 2013 via Roadrunner Records.

"Disarm The Descent" was KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's first album with Leach at the vocal helm since 2002's now-classic, genre-defining "Alive or Just Breathing".

Debemur Morti Productions has revealed "Breath And Levitation" (edited version), a second song excerpt off the new Akhlys album, The Dreaming I.

Originally conceived in 2009 by Nightbringer founder Naas Alcameth, Akhlys unifies the terrifying elements of dark ambient with a regal and morose approach to black metal.

Their debut album The Dreaming I is a grandiose expression of the occult which consists of five otherworldly compositions inspired by vivid dreaming experiences and hallucinations.

The album will be released on April 20th on digipack CD and digital download. The vinyl edition, due to longer manufacturing lead times, will be out in May. Preorders are possible via Debemur Morti's webshop.

The album artwork was created by David Herrerias.

The Dreaming I tracklisting:

“Breath And Levitation”
“Tides Of Oneiric Darkness”
“Consummation”
“The Dreaming Eye”
“Into The Indigo Abyss”

 

Wishbone Ash has finished their London rehearsals for their DVD recording at Le Triton Theatre in Les Lilas, Paris, France. It will be a live audience event taking place over three days, May 21st-May 23rd and the band will play different song selections each night.

Another special event will take place in London at Metropolis Studios in Chiswick on May 16th. This VIP experience will have a live vinyl recording of the event and will be cut in real time.

Tomorrow Wishbone Ash starts their North American tour.

 Bandleader and founding member Andy Powell says: “Tomorrow we start the long road trip out to Vancouver for the beginning of our West Coast and Southern tour.

“This may be the last one out there for quite a while so make sure you catch the band playing selections from the recent Blue Horizon CD as well as songs from our extensive back catalog.

“The weather promises to be great and California and Texas are always fun. To visit Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi has to rock.

“It's been a long time since we last breezed into the Deep South. Be there or be square!”

Visit this location for Wishbone Ash’s complete schedule.

Canadian epic doom acts Funeral Circle and Gatekeeper are teaming up to deliver a heavy metal wax split.

Vancouver’s Funeral Circle return with “Hades Triumphant”  - the first new material since their 2013 self-titled debut which solidified them as one of the leading new acts of heavy doom.  Hades Triumphant also is the Funeral Circle debut of the soaring Jean-Pierre Abboud on vocals, well known for his previous work in Borrowed Time.

Epic heavy traditionalists from Western Canada Gatekeeper come galloping forth with "Bell Of Tarantia", a monumental track blazing in metal glory, and as well the first new material since their Prophecy and Judgment LP in 2012.

Both tracks evidence bands on a relentless quest to progress and evolve, showcasing what many can easily consider the best work by both groups.

Track Listing:

Funeral Circle – “Hades Triumphant”
Gatekeeper – “Bell Of Tarantia”

Gatekeeper – “Bell Of Tarantia”:

Funeral Circle – “Hades Triumphant”:

The vinyl-only release is collaboration between Canadian metal labels War On Music and Hard N Heavy Records.  The single features new exclusive artwork from Karmizad on a reverse-board printed vinyl Jacket, and is limited to a single pressing of 500 copies worldwide on classic black wax.  Available later this spring.

The Brazilian power metal opera project Soulspell has released a video for their version of the classic Helloween track "We Got The Right". The track is also available on the Helloween Brazilian tribute compilation entitled 30 Years Of Happiness that was released late 2014.

The song features vocalists like Tim "Ripper" Owens (Judas Priest, Iced Earth), Blaze Bayley (Iron Maiden), Michael Vescera (Obsession,Loudness, Yngwie Malmsteen), Daisa Munhoz (Vandroya), Matt Smith (Theocracy), Arjen Lucassen (Ayreon, Star One) to name a few. The track was mixed and mastered by Matt Smith at Theocracized Studios.

Swedish death metal quintet Gutter Instinct will release their debut EP, the four-track The Insurrection, on May 19th (North America), May 18th (UK/EU) and May 22nd (Germany).

Recorded at Helsingborg's Studio Mangelrum with Kristofer Orstadius, the band drew inspiration from newer bands such as Teitanblood, Bölzer, Grave Miasma, Black Witchery and Portal to expand their distinct grinding tone with dark, haunting blackened smatterings. Further details on the new EP will be released in the coming weeks, including the worldwide premiere of the new track "The Invisble Hand" on April 14th.

Gutter Instinct was founded in 2012 by Oscar Persson, Hannes Hellman and Thomas Ernemyr in Helsingborg, Sweden, after having played together in various bands over the years. The aim was to unleash a unique combination of grinding death metal – no compromise, no remorse. Starting out, major musical influences included bands like Verminous, Necrovation, Death, Cannibal Corpse, Morbid Angel, Rotten Sound and Napalm Death.

After writing and rehearsing four revolutionary and unholy songs, the band entered Studio Mangelrum to record their first demo tape, Obedience. Oppression, anti-religion and total rejection of the establishment were the leading themes. The demo was self-released by the band in 2013. After some various role changes in the rhythm section, the lineup became Ernemyr (vocals), Persson (guitar), Hellman (guitar), Simon Isakssn (bass) and Ola Håkansson (drums).

Teaser:

 

 

Multinational melodic metallers Eden’s Curse featuring Michael Eden has announced their new official website that contains all the latest news, merch and information at EdensCurse.net.

Eden’s Curse has plans to mix their upcoming live CD Devil In Disguise…LIVE! in May. Devil In Disguise…LIVE was recorded last November in Illinois and features 12 Curse classics and will be produced by Michael Eden and co-produced by lead guitarist Richard Kendrick (Lillian Axe)

A summer 2015 release is planned for the new live album.

Eden’s Curse would officially like to welcome six stringer Risto Tuominen (Human Temple) to the family. The band is slowly starting to work on some new songs and look forward to getting back into the studio.

Michael Eden was recently contacted by the legal team representing overseas record label AFM Records. This communication was prompted because the American Eden’s Curse launched a new website which sold previously recorded works.  This communication has odd timing, being the overseas band has chosen to use Michael Eden’s original backing vocals from previous studio works without his written consent on their live release that came out a few weeks ago. Backing vocals on the overseas live CD also include Dream Theater's James LaBrie and Helloween's Andi Deris.

Michael Eden added "Knowing how these people operate, I'd say they contacted none of the other vocalists for their consent in my opinion. They never asked my permission and that's on them. What they do with another singers voice on tape is of no concern of mine. Using my voice is wrong all together but using the lead vocal of Andi Deris is beyond stupid! It must be sad to have a new singer who clearly needs the help of backing tapes to help sell his live performance”

AFM Records has magically claimed exclusive download rights and ownership to material recorded and released for Metal Mayhem Music and has yet to reveal any legal paperwork that would prove their claim. Several attempts to work this situation out by contacting Paul Logue (Original Eden's Curse bass player) and the label’s attorney have been ignored.
 
Eden’s Curse continues to see an excellent response to the new website and the band are looking forward to what the rest of 2015 will bring. Everyone is working diligently in continuing the original vision which Eden’s Curse has always been about... The music.

Poland's grandmasters of radical grindcore, Antigama, have completed the seventh full-length installation of their cutting edge arsenal, entitled The Insolent, for May release through their trusted alliance with Selfmadegod Records. Coordinated with the LP's release is Antigama's return to US shores for the first time since 2009, with a Northeastern tour planned with labelmates Drugs Of Faith, which will conclude a return performance at this year's intense Maryland Deathfest in Baltimore on Memorial Day weekend.

 

 

Following the impact of their massive 2013-released Meteor LP, Antigama will once again captivatingly scar the planet with the inundation of The Insolent. Seeing the band further along their ongoing path of progression, The Insolent contains another intriguing alloy of their futuristic grind savagery heavily diversified with cosmic exploration and harsh dissonance through ten new tracks of unorthodox, rapid forward-thinking metal. Recorded in February at JNS Studio in Warsaw, The Insolent was engineered by Pawel Grabowski, mixed by Pawel Grabowski and the band, and mastered by Scott Hull at Visceral Sound in Bethesda, Maryland (Pig Destroyer, Agoraphobic Nosebleed), the album features a very special guest appearance of the legend of Polish electronic music scene, Władysław "Gudonis" Komendarek, and bears cover art designed by Bartek Rogalewicz. The first single from the album comes through a new Youtube video (see below) for the fourth track, "Used To”, cut from footage filmed by Paweł "Pavulon" Jaroszewicz and Łukasz Myszkowski during the recording sessions.

The Insolent will be released on CD, LP, cassette and digital download on May 7th 2015 through Selfmadegod Records. Stand by for pre-order info and more on the album to be dispatched in the coming days.

 

 

The Insolent tracklisting:

“Reward Or Punishment”
“Foul Play”
“Data Overload”
“Used To”
“Randomize The Algorithm”
“The Insolent”
“Sentenced To The Void”
“Out Beyond”
“Eraser”
“The Land Of Monotony”
 
“Used To”:

Also planned in coordination with Antigama's upcoming return appearance to Maryland Deathfest in late May, the band has confirmed a Northeastern US tour, set to begin less than a week after the release of The Insolent. Beginning on May 13th, Antigama will scorch their way through New York, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Washington DC, and Virginia on the Blast the East Coast Tour, concluding at Maryland Deathfest where the band will storm Baltimore Soundstage on Saturday, May 23rd alongside Agoraphobic Nosebleed, Backslider, Cephalic Carnage, Engorged, Full Of Hell, Inter Arma, Martyrdöd, Wolfbrigade and more. The tour leading up to MDF will see direct support from Selfmadegod labelmates, Drugs Of Faith, and will see the bands playing shows alongside The Communion, Infernal Stronghold and more, and will see both bands as main highlights of Mildfest Vol. 1: The Grinding, alongside The Communion, Organ Dealer, Pink Mass, Sentience, Toxicology and Gorscum on May 15th in Clifton, New Jersey.

 

 

Blast the East Coast US Tour (with Drugs Of Faith):

May
13 - Nihil Gallery - Brooklyn, NY (with The Communion)
14 - The Funky Jungle - Providence, RI (with The Communion)
15 - Clash Bar - Clifton, NJ @ Mildfest (with The Communion, Organ Dealer, Pink Mass, more)
16 - Second Empire - Philadelphia, PA (with Infernal Stronghold)
17 - TBA - Washington, DC
18 - Cellar Door - Annandale, VA
19 - Strange Matter - Richmond, VA
20 - Main Street Annex - Charlottesville, VA
23 - Baltimore Soundstage - Baltimore, MD @ Maryland Deathfest (no Drugs Of Faith)

Antigama:

Lukasz Myszkowski - vocals, electronics
Sebastian Rokicki - guitars
Pawel Jaroszewicz - drums, percussion
Sebastian Kucharski - bass

With less than a month before releasing their debut album Hope Within Hatred, Texas metal outfit Shattered Sun have unleashed a lyric video for “The Ultimatum”, giving fans a taste of what to expect when the album is released on April 21st via Victory Records.

“”The Ultimatum” is our big fuck you to everyone who ever said we couldn't do this. No one ever expected us to go anywhere except for us”, explains vocalist Marcos Leal. “We gave ourselves the ultimatum to take the chance on following this dream or basically giving up - giving up isn't in our blood, it's just not who we are. This song is a testament to where we are today and the long road ahead of us, this is just the beginning.”

 

 

Hope Within Hatred tracklisting:

“The Ultimatum”     
“Victory Or Death”     
“Hope Within Hatred”     
“Reign Over Me”     
“Burning Regrets”     
“Waging War”     
“Dead Set”     
“281”     
“Awaken”     
“No Sympathy”     
“Return To Serenity”

“Hope Within Hatred” lyric video:

Wednesday, April 1st, marks the first date of the most crushing heavy metal tour to hit North America this year, the Dark Roots Of Thrash II Tour, where Shattered Sun will be performing alongside Testament and Exodus.

“We couldn't be more ready to represent and show the world what we are all about! We have been anticipating getting out there and playing songs from our new album Hope Within Hatred, coming April 21st.”

 

 

Dark Roots Of Thrash II dates:

April
1 - Regency Ballroom - San Francisco, CA
2 - House Of Blues - Hollywood, CA
3 - Livewire - Scottsdale, AZ
4 - Sunshine Theater - Albuquerque, NM
6 - Aztec Theater - San Antonio, TX
7 - House Of Blues - Houston, TX
8 - House Of Blues - Dallas, TX
10 - Pop’s - Sauget, IL
11 - Mojoes - Joliet, IL
12 - Harpo’s - Detroit, MI
13 - The Intersection - Grand Rapids, MI
15 - Phoenix Concert Theatre - Toronto, ON
16 - Rapids Theatre - Niagara Falls, NY
17 - Starland Ballroom - Sayreville, NJ
18 - The Palladium - Worcester, MA, New England Metal & Hardcore Festival
19 - The Paramount - Huntington, NY
21 - Mercury Ballroom - Louisville, KY
22 - Cannery Ballroom - Nashville, TN
23 - Masquerade - Atlanta, GA
24 - The International - Knoxville, TN
26 - Culture Room - Ft. Lauderdale, FL
28 - The Filmore - Silver Spring, MD
29 - The Chance - Poughkeepsie, NY
30 - Trocadero - Philadelphia, PA

May
2 - Bogart’s - Cincinnati, OH
24 - AT&T Center - San Antonio, TX - River City Rockfest

 

Gcm Music & Alka Records have released “Frozen”, the new single by The Mugshots; the first European band ever produced by the legendary Dick Wagner. The song is a very personal cover of a famous Madonna masterpiece and features (unfortunately his last work) Clive Jones on sax and flute, from the legendary English band Black Widow - the first group to introduce occult themes in rock music. Mastering has been accomplished par excellence by Dr. Gil Markle, long time collaborator of Dick Wagner, who has also worked with Aerosmith, Stevie Wonder and The Rolling Stones, just to name a few.

Says lead vocalist Mickey E. Vil ,“Working on 'Frozen' has been a unique human and artistic experience. Clive Jones knew this would have been his final work and, as his life faded away, he channeled all of his vital energy into his flute and saxophone to add the song an ethereal dimension.”

 

 

The Mugshots are an Italian rock group who's influences are primarily Alice Cooper, along with The Stranglers and The Misfits. The quintet from Brescia have already released two albums and several EPs. Though based in Italy, The Mugshots were born in New York City in 2001 when lead singer, Mickey E. Vil, visiting the United States, chose the band's name after listening to an Alice Cooper record (DaDa, 1983). As their name would suggest, dark crime stories have infused the band's lyrics from the very beginning. As the Mugshots’ lineup was developing over the next few years, the band released two full-length albums, House Of The Weirdos and Weird Theater plus an EP, titled Doctor Is Out. Then in 2009, the band's present lineup was consolidated. In 2010, The Mugshots released a limited edition EP titled In Disguise through an independent Italian record label. This EP was made available on both red vinyl and CD and garnered enthusiastic reviews around the world.

In 2012, The Mugshots teamed up with the legendary Dick Wagner, producer and guitarist for such great rock icons as Alice Cooper, Lou Reed, KISS, Aerosmith, Peter Gabriel, Ray Manzarek and Mark Farner among others. This collaboration resulted in another EP titled Love, Lust And Revenge on which Wagner arranged, co-wrote and played lead guitars. Dick Wagner sadly passed away in July 2014, making this EP one of his last productions.

“A perfect European/American mixture of Rock sensibilities and mystery that is worldly and unearthly at the same time. I am very proud of this music and of The Mugshots for their tenacity and terrific talent!” - Dick Wagner

Throughout their career, The Mugshots have shared the stage with The Stranglers, The Damned, UK Subs, Hugh Cornwell, Dick Wagner, Brian James, TV Smith, Eddie And The Hot Rods, Baz Warne, The Lords Of Altamont, Demented Are Go, Koffin Kats, Zombina & The Skeletones, among many others.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star have released Lullaby Versions Of Lynyrd Skynyrd, available now via iTunes, and Spotify. Listen to “Sweet Home Alabama” below.

 

 

Tracklisting:

“Sweet Home Alabama”
“Free Bird”
“Simple Man”
“Gimme Three Steps”
“Tuesday’s Gone”
“Still Unbroken”
“The Ballad Of Curtis Loew”

JUNO-Award winning metallic noise rock band KEN mode will see their sixth studio album, Success, released on June 16th through New Damage Records in Canada. The album is now available for pre-order at iTunes and New Damage Records. Fans who pre-order the album digitally will receive the lead single “Blessed” as an instant grat track.
 
Today, KEN mode shares the music video for “Blessed”. Directed by Christopher Mills (Rush, Metric), the video features appearances from guest vocalist Eugene Robinson (Oxbow), guest cellist Natanielle Felicitas and guest noise by Full of Hell’s Dylan Walker. Watch below.

 

 
Success, is the follow-up record to the band’s Polaris-recognized and JUNO-nominated album Entrench. Produced by legendary engineer Steve Albini (Nirvana, The Pixies), the album marks a departure for the band both sonically and lyrically. The 9 tracks that make up their latest offering, showcase a shift from the classic spitting of metallic hardcore tinged vitriol, that the band has become know for, to a more raw, mature and even at times humorous indie rock aesthetic. Recorded entirely to analog tape in the band’s home of Winnipeg, MB, Success is the most rock and roll effort the band has ever put forth.
 
When writing their latest album, the band set out to pay tribute to where they've come from. The album is a salute to both their Canadian Prairie roots and a time when they first started to care about making music; the burgeoning 'grunge' and Touch & Go/Dischord scenes of the late 80's/early 90s. Lyrically, the band's fascination with comedy spirals around classical western concepts of 'success' - from employment, sex, marriage, religion, socioeconomic standing, and particularly the many perceptions people have of how they, and those around them, happen to fit into the world.
 
Formed in 1999, KEN mode is comprised of Jesse Matthewson (Guitar, Piano, Vocals), Shane Matthewson (Drums) and newly acquired bassist Skot Hamilton. To date, the band has released five internationally distributed full-length records, including 2011’s JUNO award-winning Venerable and 2013’s WCMA winning album Entrench. Known for their devastating live shows, KEN mode has been actively touring Canada, the United States and Europe since 2002 with
such acts as Russian Circles, Torche, Deafheaven, Norma Jean, Kylesa, Pelican, Daughters, Revocation and Today is the Day, maintaining an unrelenting schedule for the past 5 years.
 
KEN mode has just announced a short North American tour in support of Success for June with Fight Amp. The tour features Canadian dates in Toronto, Montreal and Winnipeg.  

 

 

 

(Artwork: Randy Ortiz)

 
Tracklisting:

“Blessed”
“These Tight Jeans”
“The Owl…”
“I Just Liked Fire”
“Management Control”
“A Passive Disaster”
“Failing At Fun Since 1981”
“A Catalog Of Small Disappointment”
“Dead Actors”

“Blessed” video:

 
North American Tour Dates:

June
16.15 Toronto, ON – The Shop (Parts & Labour) #
17.15 Montreal, QC – Turbo Haus #
18.15 Brooklyn, NY – St. Vitus #
19.15 Philadelphia, PA – Kung Fu Necktie #
20.15 Columbus, OH – Ace of Cups #
21.15 Chicago, IL – The Burlington #
26.15 Winnipeg, MB – The Goodwill

# with Fight Amp

 

 

Down Among The Dead Men, the death punk band featuring former Bolt Thrower/Benediction vocalist David Ingram and Swedish mastermind Rogga Johansson, are hard at work on their second full length called Exterminate! Annihilate! Destroy! 14 new songs have been written and will be released on Cyclone Empire Records later this year. The band hope to have a 7” release prior to the album.

Tentative song titles include “The Oncoming Storm”, “Unearthly Child”, “Pyramids of Mars” and “Death Seed.” The line-up for this release will be: David Ingram (vocals), Rogga Johansson (guitar/bass), Dennis Blomberg (guitar/bass) and Brynjar Helgetun (drums). 

 

Voivod drummer Michel Langevin (Away), recently chatted with The Age of Metal.  In the interview, Michel discusses the Through Space and Grind tour, the 7” singles, and the future of Voivod; see the clip below.

Voivod recently released a split 7" EP with At The Gates. This collectible is "Double A-Sided" (meaning, each band has its own, reversible front-cover side!) and comes with artwork created for both bands by Voivod's Michel "Away" Langevin. Purchase your copy here.

Catch Voivod on tour at the following shows:

May
20 - The Underworld - London, UK
28 - Rock In Park/Legend Club - Milan, Italy
29 - Primavera Sound - Barcelona, Spain
31 - Temples Festival - Bristol, UK

 

 

 

Metallica have checked in with another Live Metallica Monday update, posted on March 30th:


It's Live Metallica Monday! Six shows from Melbourne, Australia are now available on CD at Metallica.com and...
Posted by Metallica on Monday, 30 March 2015

 

Metallica are also offering a free download of their complete show from February 9th at Pier 48 in San Francisco, CA. The band performed at the corporate gig for cloud computing firm Salesforce.com. Fly-on-the-wall footage shot by the MetOnTour reporter can be seen below. It includes the band warming up in the Tuning Room, and "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" from the show.

 

 

LED ZEPPELIN has teamed with media and technology company Interlude to produce a groundbreaking interactive video to the previously unreleased rough mix of "Trampled Under Foot", which goes by the early working title "Brandy & Coke". Through this immersive music video, which can be seen below, LED ZEPPELIN fans will be able to see beyond the façade of one of rock's most iconic album covers, "Physical Graffiti", and step inside the building through each of the 16 featured windows.

Until now, no fan has had so many ways to explore and see a music video come alive. By selecting one of the featured 16 windows, the audience can enter into the room and will discover events that pay homage to the window illustrations on the original artwork.

Featuring archival footage, such as the band's full Earl's Court performance of the song, original animation and more, Interlude technology allows viewers to follow and interact with characters from room to room without disrupting the flow of the song.

Accordng to The Pulse Of Radio, Jimmy Page says that LED ZEPPELIN's 1975 "Physical Graffiti" double album gained strength by collecting the band's previous outtakes and morphing them with their new work. "Physical Graffiti" — which has just been reissued, remastered, and expanded under Page's supervision — featured unused tracks from "Led Zeppelin III", "Led Zeppelin IV" and "Houses Of The Holy", combined with then-new 1974 sessions in the English countryside at Headley Grange, a home away from home for the band.

Jimmy Page spoke to Rolling Stone and shed light on the construction of "Physical Graffiti", recalling, "It gave us the chance to put in the material that was left over from the first visit to Headley. There were three tracks that were left off of the fourth album, and that was 'Boogie With Stu', 'Night Flight', and 'Down By The Seaside'… Each of them had their own individual charm and character. So with those, plus the fact that 'Houses Of The Holy' was a track that wasn't included on the album 'Houses Of The Holy', that was four things straight away [to include]. And, you know, given the chance of having a good run at this writing and recording process, I didn't want it to be a double-album with any padding on it. It would be a double-album with all character pieces, the way that LED ZEPPELIN did their music with the sort of ethos of it, if you like, that everything sounded different to everything else."

Page was asked about how the band came upon such a unique and iconic title for the album. "Graffiti had started to appear on buildings at the time, and usually it was quotes from William Blake, and it wasn't in the graffiti which we know think of, which was more from the hip-hop times," he said. "Nevertheless, graffiti was appearing, and I imagined something, which was like a physical reaction to it. Since we were in a recording studio, if you're doing a recording, and it's going on the tape, even though its magnetic tape, that's like a graffiti in itself. The music was a physical manifestation."

Jimmy Page says that one shouldn't underestimate how comfortable ZEPPELIN was while creating new music while camped out at Headley Grange. "'Trampled Under Foot' comes out virtually out of, like, John Paul Jones is doing an electric piano vamp and that comes together really… relatively quickly, the way that 'Rock And Roll' did on the fourth album on our first visit there," he said. "The whole point of going back to Headley Grange was that it was really a tried and tested blueprint. I knew that was going to work, and that's why I elected to go back there, and yeah, we got a double album at the end of the day."

"Physical Graffiti" sold around 40,248 copies in its first week of re-release to land at position No. 11 on The Billboard 200 chart. This marks a 6,875 percent increase in sales compared to the previous week's total of 577.

LED ZEPPELIN's expanded three-disc reissue of "Physical Graffiti" features seven previously unissued alternate tracks and outtakes — in addition to remastered versions of such ZEPPELIN classics as "Kashmir", "Trampled Under Foot", "Houses Of The Holy", "In My Time Of Dying", "Down By The Seaside", "Boogie With Stu" and "The Wonton Son", among others.

Diabolical death/black metal troop, Belphegor, have released a new live video for the title track of their latest offering Conjuring The Dead, recorded at Loud Park festival in Tokyo, Japan on October 19th, 2014. The footage comes courtesy of WOWOW On-Air Loud Park 14 Special broadcast. Live Sound: Norwin Palme/ FOH.

Belphegor will return to Asia for three rituals this May. The troop will play in China for the first time and play two dates in Japan. Serpenth comments: “The ingenious Loud Park festival last year was an excellent experience. We're looking forward to coming back to Tokyo in May and marching into China for the very first time. Expect Diabolical Death Musick."

Tour dates:

April
4 - Johannesburg/ Gauteng Province, South Africa - Witchfest Open Air
10 - Kufstein, Austria - Kulturfabrik
11 - Aarhus, Denmark - Royal Metal Fest
24 - Dettelbach, Germany - Metal Franconia Festival
25 - Oberhausen, Germany - Helvete Club

May
9 - Beijing, China - Yu Gong Yi Shan
12 - Tokyo, Japan - Shibuya Club Quattro
13 - Tokyo, Japan - Astro Hall

June
6 - Bangalore, India - Bangalore Open Air

July
3 - Roitzschjora, Germany - With Full Force Knüppelnacht
11 - Hollandscheveld, Netherlands - Graveland Festival

August
7 - Derbyshire, UK - Bloodstock Open Air
14 - Hodonin, Czech Republic - Made Of Metal
15 - Dinkelsbühl, Germany - Summer Breeze
28 - Crispendorf, Germany - Wolfszeit Festival

 

 

US-based metallers Kill Ritual have released the preview track “The Enemy Inside” from their upcoming release Karma Machine CD, which will see the light of day in Summer 2015 through a yet to be determined label. The track ushers in the bands new line up of vocalist David Reed Watson and drummer Koryuan Bobikyan alongside stalwarts’ guitarist Steven D. Rice and bassist Danyael Laughing Bear following the departure of vocalist Josh Gibson and drummer Gee Anzalone.  The CD will be mixed and mastered by Andy LaRocque (King Diamond) at his Sonic Train Studios in Varberg Sweden in May  and was tracked and produced by Kill Ritual guitarist Steven D. Rice at Fossil Sound. The track is available here for free download and streaming.

Formed in 2010 by former members of Imagika, Dark Angel and Eldritch, Kill Ritual launched themselves into the metal world with their debut CD The Serpentine Ritual in 2012 on Scarlet Records. They then completed a 30-date US tour in the fall of 2013 and followed it up with the release of their 2014 CD The Eyes Of Medusa on Golden Core/ZYX.

 

 

Acclaimed rockers STONE SOUR will release "Meanwhile In Burbank…", a five-song "Record Store Day" exclusive EP featuring covers of legendary artists BLACK SABBATH, METALLICA, KISS, JUDAS PRIEST and ALICE IN CHAINS, next month. Recorded live at Room 237 in Burbank, California, "Meanwhile In Burbank…" will be available on vinyl exclusively at select record stores on April 18.

"Meanwhile In Burbank…" track listing: 01. We Die Young (ALICE IN CHAINS cover)02. Heading Out To The Highway (JUDAS PRIEST cover)03. Love Gun (KISS cover)04. Creeping Death (METALLICA cover)05. Children Of The Grave (BLACK SABBATH cover)

An audio snippet of STONE SOUR's cover version of ALICE IN CHAINS' "We Die Young" can be streamed below. STONE SOUR guitarist Josh Rand commented on the EP: "Back in February of 2014 while STONE SOUR was touring, Corey [Taylor, vocals] approached me about STONE SOUR doing a cover of the METAL CHURCH song 'The Dark' for the movie 'Fear Clinic'. I thought it would be cool not only to record 'The Dark', but the five cover songs that we had played on that tour." Rand added: "The idea was not to shy away from a song because it was popular or pick a band that most people might not have heard, but to pick ones that truly meant something to one of us at some point in our life." Last month, STONE SOUR released their new digital single "The Dark", which was recorded for the film "Fear Clinic", the latest excursion into unrelenting terror by Anchor Bay Entertainment starring horror icon Robert "Freddy Krueger" Englund alongside STONE SOUR and SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor in his acting debut. Originally performed by METAL CHURCH, "The Dark" is currently available via iTunes with a companion video piece streaming on "Fear Clinic"'s official YouTube channel. "Fear Clinic" is available now on Blu-ray and DVD.

Corey Taylor said on "The Jasta Show" podcast about the record, "This is something that we've been talking about since the first album came out, with STONE SOUR. We've always wanted to do this. Even as people have come, people have gone, this is still something we've always come back to, and we just never had the opportunity to do it. And we just kind of said, 'Well, screw it.'"

Taylor added, "You're going back to these songs that you just love to listen to, not only just sing. And that's why it's called 'Meanwhile In Burbank', because, without giving too much away, that's where Roy lives — he lives in the Valley — so that's why we call it that. Because it's, like, that's what we're doing right now."

On its last North American tour, STONE SOUR played a different cover every night, including METALLICA's "Creeping Death", KISS' "Love Gun", JUDAS PRIEST's "Heading Out To The Highway" and PETER GABRIEL's "In Your Eyes".

Guitarist Christian Martucci joined STONE SOUR in late 2013 as the replacement for Jim Root, who was fired from the group after deciding he wanted to sit out the band's last tour in order to start work on the next album from SLIPKNOT, of which he is also a member.



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Listen to a preview of "We Die Young" off of "Meanwhile in Burbank", available in record stores on April 18th!Limited to 3000 copies worldwide, find a record store near you at www.recordstoreday.com or www.recordstoreday.co.uk

Posted by Stone Sour on Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Australia's incendiary extreme musical export THY ART IS MURDER will release its third studio album, "Holy War", on June 30 via Nuclear Blast. Produced and mixed by Will Putney (SUICIDE SILENCE, EXHUMED, THE ACACIA STRAIN), the CD will be made available in various formats: digital; limited digipak + bonus track; assorted color vinyl; exclusive mail-order picture disc. THY ART IS MURDER guitarist Andrew Marsh shares the following about the origins of the new album and its title: "Late last year, we entered the studio in secret to create our follow up to 'Hate', free of expectation and public pressure. What we came out with was a reaction to things going on around the world that crawl under our skin, that make us feel sick to be alive. Musically, it is darker, faster and more technical than anything we've done in the past and it hits hard lyrically. We wrote about concerns of ours, real issues, hardships that people are facing around the world today. Of course, it wouldn't be a THY ART record if a lot of those affairs weren't rooted in religion somehow, and what better way to sum up the state of all things than by entitling our album 'Holy War'. This is our war on racism, homophobia, child abuse, animal cruelty and all evil born of religious immunity, indoctrination, and ignorance. It is ultimately a push for secularism and humanism. Without it, we will be left in the hands of mad men." Rising from the unhallowed wastes of Western Sydney, THY ART IS MURDER successfully cleaved a trail of blood and mayhem since their inception in 2006. With the acclaimed "Infinite Death" EP (2008) and their debut album, "The Adversary" (2010) firmly establishing their name in the global metal music scene, the band has traversed highways and autobahns all around the world, playing 342 tour dates alone in support of their Nuclear Blast Entertainment debut, "Hate" (2012), which landed at No. 35 on the Top 40 ARIA chart — the highest chart debut of any Australian extreme metal band. Known for their tireless work ethic, THY ART IS MURDER performed at Summer Slaughter 2014 aand 2013, headlined their own "Hate Across America" tour in 2013, and supported EMMURE and BORN OF OSIRIS in 2014, playing throughout the U.S. more times in a two-year period than any other Australian band in any genre of music. THY ART IS MURDER will tour through Europe with EMMURE this May; a return trek to the U.S. will be announced soon. Photo by Thomas Savage

New York hardcore legends AGNOSTIC FRONT will release their eleventh album, "The American Dream Died", on April 7 via Nuclear Blast. The CD was produced by MADBALL singer Freddy Cricien and engineered, mixed and mastered by Paul Miner (H2O, TERROR). The record, which features guest appearances by Cricien, Toby Morse (H2O) and Lou Koller (SICK OF IT ALL), will be made available as digital download, on vinyl as well as on CD. A limited bundle with an exclusive t-shirt will also be on sale.

The entire "The American Dream Died" album can now be streamed until this Sunday, April 5.

Commented AGNOSTIC FRONT singer Roger Miret: "We chose this title 'cause we want to open up people's eyes to what's going on in this country.

"We have a lot to say.

"Not everyone realizes that our government and the people who run this country are so corrupt, greedy and ruthless.

"We need to educate the ones we reach.

"We're losing our values.

"We address real issues, from full-blown corruption and scandals to unjust police abuse and brutality.

"Everything we stood for as a country is going down the drain. But we still somewhat have our freedom of speech. We're expressing it all through this record while we can."

"The American Dream Died" contains the following tracks:

01. Intro02. The American Died03. Police Violence04. Only In America05. Test Of Time06. We Walk The Line07. Never Walk Alone (feat. Freddy Cricien, Toby Morse, Lou Koller)08. Enough Is Enough09. I Can't Relate10. Old New York11. Social Justice12. Reasonable Doubt13. No War Fuck You14. Attack!15. A Wise Man16. Just Like Yesterday

AGNOSTIC FRONT's last album, "My Life My Way", was released in March 2011 via Nuclear Blast. The CD was recorded at Mana Recording Studios in St. Petersburg, Florida and featured 13 anthemic songs laid down by Erik Rutan (MADBALL, GOATWHORE, CANNIBAL CORPSE, etc.) under the watchful guide of producer Freddy Cricien of MADBALL. The record was mastered by Alan Douches at West West Side Music (SEPULTURA, SUFFOCATION, UNEARTH) in New Windsor, New York.

SIX FEET UNDER bassist Jeff Hughell has released his debut full-length solo album, "Chaos Labyrinth", showcasing his unique skills as a preeminent bass guitar player. His technical metal roots shine through on tracks such as "Jagermeister Death Grind" and "Chaotic Implosion", yet exceptional versatility is shown through calmer melodic songs such as "Still" and "Let It Go". The album is an embodiment of all that can be done on a bass from awe-inspiring tapping to beautifully flowing melodies.

"Chaos Labyrinth" is now available on iTunes and Amazon. "'Chaos Labyrinth' is different because it's a whole new level of sounds and dynamics from anything I have ever done," says Hughell. The album is composed of ten songs and is 43 minutes long. It succeeds a solo EP, "I Came To Hate", that was released in 2009.

"Chaos Labyrinth" was recorded at Castle Ultimate Studios by Zack Ohren. Artwork was done by Shaun McInnis, and photos by Jason Anaya at Anaya Photography. Hughell brought in many guest artists to collaborate with on the album. The title track alone features bass solos from Steve DiGiorgio (DEATH), Sean Martinez (RINGS OF SATURN) and Alex Webster (CANNIBAL CORPSE) as well as a guitar solo by Nick Avalonitas, drums by Alex Bent (ARKAIK), and keyboards by Marc Gilson. The rest of the album also features bassist Brian Wood (CYANIC), guitarists Tyler Lane, Matt Sotelo (DECRIPT BIRTH), Ola Englund (SIX FEET UNDER), and drummer Kevin Talley (FEARED). Hughell even shows off his own skills on the piano on "Dreams Of Chaos". The combination of all these musicians led by Hughell resulted in a truly special recording. Hughell is a renowned seven-string bass player who is well established in the technical metal scene. Bands he has played with include SIX FEET UNDER, RECIPROCAL, FEARED, BRAIN DRILL, VILE, OSMIUM, SEVERED SAVIOR, ASYLUM, RINGS OF SATURN and CRYPTOREUM. He is endorsed by Warwick, Gallien Krueger, Seymour Duncan and Dean Markley. For more information, visit www.jeffhughell.com.

Considered to be a pioneer of the "shred guitar" genre, Michael Angelo Batio is set to release his first-ever career retrospective. Due on April 14 via Rat Pak Records, "Shred Force 1: The Essential Michael Angelo Batio" not only highlights Michael's best work to date, but also brings together many nationally renowned musicians from the hard rock and heavy metal genres. The album features some of Michael's most memorable performances, including a dynamic version of RUSH's "What You're Doing", which features QUEENSRŸCHE vocalist Todd La Torre, METAL CHURCH guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof, ALICE COOPER bassist Chuck Garric, METAL CHURCH/TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA drummer Jeff Plate and guitarist Craig Blackwell. There is also a cover of DEEP PURPLE's "Burn" with La Torre and ALTER BRIDGE guitarist Mark Tremonti. The album also includes Michael's tributes to Eric Clapton ("Slowhand"), Randy Rhoads ("RRR"; also featuring Rudy Sarzo on bass), and a new version of Michael Angelo Batio's unique tribute ("Diamond") to the late great Darrell "Dimebag" Abbott of PANTERA, that features guitarist Michael Wilton of QUEENSRŸCHE. Also included are some of Michael Angelo Batio's most notable instrumental tracks such as "8 Pillars of Steel" (with guest appearances by Elliott Dean Rubinson, Dave Reffett, Jeff Loomis, Rusty Cooley, George Lynch, Andrea Martongelli and Craig Goldy), "Juggernaut" (featuring ex-MEGADETH guitarist Chris Poland, Dave Reffett, Annie Grunwald, Guthrie Govan, Mike LePond and Michael Romeo).

Pre-order bundles are now available at this location.

An official audio stream of "Burn" can be found below.

"I feel that 'Shred Force 1' is the culmination of my best musical work," exclaims Batio. "These are some of my personal favorite performances along with an army of featured guest stars pulled together by an amazing record company to bring it all into focus!"

Michael Angelo Batio showcased his guitar techniques and innovations for the first time with his early instructional programs, as well as in his live performances, which are now considered "standard techniques" amongst guitarists worldwide. Michael not only invented, but was the world's first player of the double-guitar, and was also voted one of the world's "Top 100 Guitarists Of All Time" by Guitar World magazine. He also holds the YouTube record for his instructional video "Speed Kills", which has had the most views for a guitarist, coming in at over 15 million!

Michael Angelo Batio has performed over 1,700 shows in 58 different countries since 1993 and continues his relentless touring and clinic schedule in 2015.

Michael will bring his shred abilities to television when he makes his debut on VH1 Classic's "That Metal Show" on Saturday, March 21 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT as the guest guitarist.

"Shred Force 1: The Essential Michael Angelo Batio" track listing:

01. Hands Without Shadows (featuring Bobby Rock and William Kopecky)02. Burn (featuring Todd La Torre and Mark Tremonti)03. Juggernaut (featuring Chris Poland, Dave Reffett, Annie Grunwald, Guthrie Govan, Mike Lepond, and Michael Romeo)04. What You're Doing (featuring Todd La Torre, Kurdt Vanderhoof, Chuck Garric, Jeff Plate and Craig Blackwell)05. 8 Pillars Of Steel (featuring Elliott Dean Rubinson, Dave Reffett, Jeff Loomis, Rusty Cooley, George Lynch, Andrea Martongelli, Craig Goldy)06. Call To Arms (featuring Dan Lenegar, William Kopecky and John Mrozek)07. 2X Again08. Slowhand (featuring Warren Dunlevy Jr.)09. Diamond (featuring Michael Wilton, Elliott Dean Rubinson)10. Rainforest11. Gotta Run (featuring Dan Lenegar, William Kopecky and John Mrozek)12. No Boundaries13. RRR (featuring Rudy Sarzo and Bobby Rock)

Bonus Tracks (digital version only)

14. I Pray The Lord15. Peace

Guitarist Greg Tribbett (MUDVAYNE, HELLYEAH), drummer Matt McDonough (MUDVAYNE), vocalist Billy Keeton (SKRAPE) and bassist Perry Stern have joined forced in a new band called AUDIOTOPSY. The group recently completed recording its debut album for a summer release. The album is currently being mixed. "I'm extremely excited about AUDIOTOPSY," says Greg. "The music has everything you want in a record... heavy, melodic, atmospheric, big, hooky riffs/singalongs as well. The guys in the band are great and we all feel as if this was meant to happen. Everyone is very artistic and we all felt an energy from our first meeting. We can't wait for the world to hear AUDIOTOPSY and can't wait to get out there and tour the world. AUDIOTOPSY is coming! I'm ready to fuck shit up!" Billy adds: "From the first few notes I knew this was going to be killer. The chemistry happening just took over and spawned this sound, this animal. I'm super stoked to get this music out, and to get this band on tour. Let the madness begin."

AUDIOTOPSY has not yet announced a label deal for its first CD, which is currently being mixed. HELLYEAH and MUDVAYNE singer Chad Gray told Songfacts in a new interview that he doesn't know if the latter group will ever work together again. Asked if there was a chance for MUDVAYNE to regroup, Gray said, "I don't know if the full band will. Who knows — they might be putting something else together. We were talking for a while and that whole Greg thing went down and everything kind of fell apart." "The Greg thing" was the departure of Tribbett from HELLYEAH in 2013. Gray called his connection with Tribbett "the only truly solid relationship in [MUDVAYNE], although Matt and I are still great, Ryan [Martinie, bass] and I still briefly talk. I mean, the only way I personally would want to do MUDVAYNE is if everybody licked their wounds and got over it."

Gray said that there were "a lot of things" that tore MUDVAYNE apart, adding, "Maybe MUDVAYNE was the martyr for people that stopped supporting music. You sell 159,000 records the first week, and then the next record is like, 'Whatever, fuck it.'"

Gray admitted to Revolver recently that Tribbett's exit from HELLYEAH "was like losing a great friend… He has always been my right-hand man."

MUDVAYNE posted a message on Facebook one year ago saying that the band had not broken up and would be "back in action" at some point.

It's been more than five years since MUDVAYNE released its self-titled fifth album, which was barely promoted and sold weakly upon release.

FAILURE will release "The Heart Is A Monster", the Los Angeles-based trio's follow-up to 1996's "Fantastic Planet", on June 30 via INgrooves Music Group's artist services division, INresidence.

"Trying to follow up 'Fantastic Planet' was a bit daunting," said Ken Andrews, who mixed the 18-song collection with the band acting as producers. "We've pushed the bar upward again, but at the same time, we've kept the signature sound of the band intact."

"Thematically we've moved from the outer space of 'Fantastic Planet' to inner space," explained Greg Edwards. "From the dislocation of one's identity to the complete erasing of it by sleep and dreams. I think we've used instrumentation in the service of mood and emotion to an even greater degree than on our previous records."

"FAILURE is that rare band who define a sound that transcends space and time. They are truly iconic and their time is now. Listen," said Bryan Mead, INgrooves senior vice president of INresidence, about the new partnership.

The band returned from a 17-year hiatus in early 2014 with a single Los Angeles date planned. The show sold out in seconds, which led to a North American tour, including a run of dates with TOOL, and eventually back to the studio. In a recent interview with Noisey, Andrews admitted that by the time the band announced their first live outing, he, Edwards and Kellii Scott were already working on new music. He said: "One thing that Greg and I agreed on very early on is that we did not want to reform for just one or two nostalgia tours. We wanted to come back as a full functioning musical force and creatively pick up where we left off with 'Fantastic Planet'. That meant we needed to start experimenting in the studio first, which we did in late 2013. After a few months, we came to the conclusion that we were having a good time and that we liked the results, and that we thought the results were definitely FAILURE. We've been chipping away at a new album this whole time."

In that same article, Andrews and Edwards explained that their approach to writing and recording "Fantastic Planet" and "The Heart Is A Monster" have been similar, saying "The songs on 'Fantastic Planet' appear more or less in the order that we wrote them… when, we do a song now, we write it and record it soup-to-nuts without moving to another song… It takes longer, but it makes more sense for us artistically to explore a song completely before you move on."

FAILURE's SXSW performance, which was the trio's first live outing since wrapping production on "The Heart Is A Monster", included the new song "Hot Traveler", which Entertainment Weekly said "had every bit the sonic thickness, rhythmic thump, and melodic bite as favorites like 'Another Space Song' and 'Heliotropic'."

FAILURE formed in Los Angeles in the early '90s, releasing "Comfort", their debut album, in 1992 via Slash Records. "Magnified" followed in the spring of 1994 with the band's final offering, "Fantastic Planet", released in 1996. "Fantastic Planet" earned a perfect 5-star score from Alternative Press, with the magazine saying the album was able "to breathe life into the corpse of contemporary, guitar-driven rock," adding that the band was "willing to stretch the definition of both their instruments and their songs." The 17-track album is considered one of the era's most influential and enduring rock records. Over the years, FAILURE has become known as a "band's band" whose songs have been covered by such diverse artists as A PERFECT CIRCLE ("The Nurse Who Loved Me") and PARAMORE ("Stuck On You"). TOOL/A PERFECT CIRCLE singer Maynard James Keenan said, "FAILURE has been a huge inspiration to me. They say amateurs borrow and professionals steal. Well, over the years this pro has robbed those poor saps blind."

The band recently announced the vinyl reissue of "Fantastic Planet", available exclusively via PledgeMusic.

Photo credit: Ken Andrews