Roadrunner Records’ group, The Amity Affliction, have announced details for their new album. This Could Be Heartbreak, the platinum-certified Australian band’s new LP, will arrive on August 12th.

This Could Be Heartbreak is available now for pre-order in a variety of limited edition physical bundles via theamityaffliction.net, with all DSP pre-orders going live Thursday, May 19th at 12 AM, local time. All digital pre-orders will receive an instant download of the album’s gripping first single, “I Bring The Weather With Me”, which debuted today along with the track’s official music video (see below).

Deeply personal and emotionally wrenching, This Could Be Heartbreak is The Amity Affliction’s most transformative and revealing record yet. Recorded by producer and longtime collaborator Will Putney at Melbourne’s Holes and Corners with additional drum tracking done at Sing Sing Studios, the album finds The Amity Affliction evolving their signature powerful and cathartic song craft. Both ambitious and grand, album standouts “This Could Be Heartbreak” and “All Fucked Up” are equal parts heavy and hopeful, fuelled by frontman Joel Birch’s desperation which achieves extraordinary transcendence through radical honesty and absolute power.

This Could Be Heartbreak tracklisting:
 
“I Bring The Weather With Me”
“This Could Be Heartbreak”
“Nightmare”
“Tearing Me Apart”
“O.M.G.I.M.Y.”
“All Fucked Up”
“Fight My Regret”
“Some Friends”
“Wishbone”
“Note To Self”
“Blood In My Mouth”

“I Bring The Weather With Me” video:

 
Furthermore, The Amity Affliction have announced a run of Australian headline shows taking them back to venues they haven’t played in over four years. After a massive arena tour in December 2015, these new dates will see The Amity Affliction getting up close and personal with their Australian fans in smaller and more intimate venues. Tickets for the upcoming dates will only be available for purchase with pre-orders of This Could Be Heartbreak at this location through Sunday, May 22nd with a limited amount of tickets released to the general public the following week.

This summer, The Amity Affliction will head to the UK where they will embark on a series of festival dates and headline shows with highly anticipated sets slated for the United Kingdom’s Slam Dunk Festival and Download Festival. Following the UK run The Amity Affliction will then touch down in the US for a string of stateside festival dates kicking off September 10th at Denver, Colorado’s High Elevation festival. For complete details and ticket information, please see theamityaffliction.net/tour.

Veteran radio personality Jenn Marino, who in 2014 joined MÖTLEY CRÜE and SIXX:A.M. bassist Nikki Sixx as co-host of "Sixx Sense With Nikki Sixx" and "The Side Show Countdown With Nikki Sixx", conducted an interview with DISTURBED guitarist Dan Donegan at this year's Welcome To Rockville festival, which was held Saturday, April 30 and Sunday, May 1 at Jacksonville, Florida's Metropolitan Park. You can now listen to the chat using the audio player below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On attracting younger fans to their shows after returning from a four-year hiatus:

Dan: "It's amazing to have… I mean, to be off the road for four and a half years and come back and see that next generation of kids… That's some great parenting there. Bringing their kids out to the shows now, and it's a wide demographic of fans that we've kind of developed over the years now."

On the success of DISTURBED's "comeback" album "Immortalized":

Dan: "Hey, you know what? It's great for everybody who's just clawing away, and it's great for rock music to kind of shake things up a bit for everyone; we all win that way. When we're stomping around, making some noise, it's just a reminder to the rest of the world that there's a huge rock fanbase out there. And we may be the black sheep of the music industry, but that's fine. We do our thing. This is a lifestyle-type music; this isn't a trendy thing. I'm not trying to knock all the other genres, but that stuff kind of comes and goes. Rock music, you get lifelong fans out of this genre."

"Immortalized" was released last August and debuted at the top of The Billboard 200 chart. That made it DISTURBED's fifth effort in a row to enter the chart at No. 1, a feat shared only with METALLICA and DAVE MATTHEWS BAND.

Interview (audio):

German speed/power metallers Iron Savior are gearing up for the May 20th release of their new album, Titancraft. The band are streaming the album track “Beyond The Horizon”, which can be found below.

"Under Siege" (intro)
"Titancraft"
"Way Of The Blade"
"Seize The Day"
"Gunsmoke"
"Beyond The Horizon"
"The Sun Won't Rise In Hell"
"Strike Down The Tyranny"
"Brother In Arms"
"R&R Addiction" (limited edition bonus)
"I Surrender"
"Rebellious"
"Protector 2016 (limited edition bonus)

"Beyond The Horizon”:

"Way Of The Blade" video:

Iron Saviour recently announced a string of live dates for Europe and issued an update: "Now it's official: the Savior is about to land in Tokyo for the first time ever! We are proud to announce Iron Savior live in Tokyo on July 12th. Looking forward to this very very much!"

May
26 - Hamburg, Germany - Logo (tbc)

June
18 - Fosser, Norway - Oak Metal Club

July
2 - Hostim, Czech Republic - Rocková
12 - Tokyo, Japan - Tsutaya O-West

September
2 - Berlin, Germany - Blackland
3 - Zgierz, Poland - City of Power Festival
10 - Zollernalb, Germany - Umsonst Und Draußen Festival

December
2 - St. Petersburg, Russia - tba
3 - Moscow, Russia - tba

Iron Savior released their first ever DVD/Live CD Live At The Final Frontier on May 29th, 2015. It includes the recordings of the band's show in their hometown Hamburg (from January 2015) and comes as exclusive DVD/2CD digipak.

Richards/Crane, the new project birthed from Ugly Kid Joe frontman Whitfield Crane and guitarist/vocalist Lee Richards (Another Animal, Godsmack, Dropbox), are preparing for the release of their debut album this May via Metalville Records. The self-titled effort will feature a collection of heartfelt, stripped down songs including the new single “Black & White” featuring Myles Kennedy (Alter Bridge, Slash featuring Myles Kennedy & the Conspirators) originally released last year.

Produced by Dave Fortman (Slipknot, Godsmack), who also added additional electric guitar, drummer Shannon Larkin (Godsmack, Ugly Kid Joe) and bassist Jim Preziosa (Dropbox) also appear on the album.

In addition to the stunning performance by Myles Kennedy, who duets with Crane on the first single, guest vocals on the album include classical Indian artist Vishal Vaid, who has performed with the likes of Anoushka Shankar, Bill Laswell, Michael Franti and Karsh Kale.

Richards recalls, "This project came together on the heels of the Another Animal project which is where Whitfield and I first connected. We had written a bunch of acoustic tracks while on tour as the rest of the guys went back to the Godsmack camp Whitfield and I thought it would be a great time to record an acoustic based album.”

The video for “Black & White”, shot by director Dan Sturgess (Butcher Babies, Skindred, Coal Chamber), was filmed on the streets of London and backstage at the Download festival in June 2014. The video features star-studded cameos from the likes of Steel Panther, Benji Webbe (Skindred), Phil Anselmo, Dee Snider, Chris Jericho, Dave ‘Snake’ Sabo and Myles Kennedy to name but a few.

Richards adds, “If I had to describe the sound of this record I would almost describe it as 70's sounding with a lot of vocal harmonies as well as a lot of counter melody.  Working with Whitfield is truly a pleasure as he has one of the broadest vocal ranges in the business and I've always loved the way our voices work together. He is truly one of the best front men in the business.”

Tracklisting:

“Homeward”
“Everyone”
“Here In The Light”
“Black & White” (Featuring Myles Kennedy)
“Someday”
“Lost”
“Waiting On A Prayer”
“Rainy Day”
“Don't Cry For Me”
“World Stand Still”

“Black & White” video:

BraveWords has received a note from Harper Collins/Dey Street Books stating that: "The Sebastian Bach book has been delayed and we don’t have a confirmed publication date as of yet."

The former Skid Row frontman was scheduled to release his autobiography, 18 And Life On Skid Row, on June 28th.

“My favorite photos in the book are the day that I went to see KISS in 1979 at Maple Leaf Gardens,” Bach told Billboard recently. “I tell the story that my parents had divorced in Peterborough when I was 10 and then I didn’t see my dad for a long time with my mom. I would go back and forth. And then when KISS came on August 4 of ‘79, he came back to my family and reunited with my mom and took me and my sister to the KISS concert. It’s almost hard to even talk about. But he had pictures from that day, our outing, they capture 1970s rock and roll fandom. Nobody’s ever seen these shots, pictures of KISS too, of Gene because we’re in the front row. Nobody’s ever seen these. And me, he captured my excitement, at 11.  And those are in the book. Then the pictures captured the time, like big time. It’s not like a bunch of Polaroids of little kids. It’s artistic, unbelievable photos just in and of themselves, as art, and nobody has ever seen these, nobody in the world because I couldn’t look at ‘em [laughs]. They’re too heavy. It’s too powerful.  But then there’s the task of doing a book. So I have all those archives. I went through them all and there’s just so much in this book because this is the very, very first-ever Skid Row book. I know in the future there will be more books on the band Skid Row, but when I go to Barnes & Noble, there’s zero.  There’s none. And every other band has a hundred books, Motley Crue, Cinderella, Bon Jovi, Aerosmith; every band has 10, 15 books. There’s none on Skid Row. So this is the first one, so I’m going to pack it full of as much info as I can because you only get one chance to make a first impression [laughs].”

 

In anticipation of 18 And Life On Skid Row, Sebastian Bach has embarked on a US Spring Tour that will incorporate an intimate acoustic set followed by a full electric live show.

 

"'An Evening with Sebastian Bach'. No, that doesn't mean we're going to end up in the back of a police car. It means that for selected shows on the upcoming tour, we want to do something brand-new. Let's bring the music back to its purest form. We have been touring a lot in the last few years so it's time to do something different. You're going to get two sets for the price of one. We're going to open up the show with some stripped-down tunes, re-set the stage, and then come back with the Big Guns", says Bach.  

The tour wraps up in Salt Lake City on June 3rd. Tickets go on sale Friday March 4th, at 10 AM local time. VIP package upgrade will be available here.

About 18 And Life On Skid Row Bach says. "Pushing the book gives us the opportunity to really finish it properly. The publishers asked me for 30 pictures. I gave them 150. There are easy ways to do memoirs, simple ways to do biographies. What separates these books is the archival content. 18 And Life On Skid Row could also be called the Skid Row Archives. I am giving you my personal collection, photos, & documents none of you have ever seen. A lot of them. I look forward to the book release and the book tour following the book release. If I am going to go on a tour of book stores, I have to really be into the book. June 28th release date gives us an extra month to pay attention to detail. In a project of this scope there are many details."
 
In his memoir, Bach recounts lurid tales of excess and debauchery as he toured the world with Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, Mötley Crüe, Soundgarden, Pantera, Nine Inch Nails and Guns N' Roses. Filled with never before seen photos from his own personal collection, 18 And Life On Skid Rowis the story of hitting it big at a young age, and of creatively reeling from a band that broke up in its prime.

From a man who achieved his wildest dreams, only to lose his family, and then his home, this is a tale of perseverance, of wine, women and song, and of a man who has made his life on the road. 18 And Life On Skid Row is not your ordinary rock memoir, because Sebastian Bach is not your ordinary rock star.

Tour dates:
 
May
18 - New York, NY - BB Kings
19 - Philadelphia, PA - Theatre of Living Arts
20 - Sayreville, NJ - Starland Ballroom
22 - Pittsburgh, PA - Altar Bar                            
24 - Cincinnati. OH - Bogart's
25 - Indianapolis, IN - The Vogue
26 - St. Charles, IL - The Arcada Theatre
27 - Toledo, OH - Ohio Bike Week*
28 - Dubuque, IA - Mystique Casino
29 - Pryor, OK - Rocklahoma*
31 - Kansas City, MO - Knuckleheads

June
1 - Lincoln, NE - Vega
2 - Engelwood, CO - Gothic Theatre
3 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot

* - Festival date

Brazilian power trio, Nervosa, will release their second studio album, Agony, on June 3rd via Napalm Records. Agony was mixed and mastered by Andy Classen. A full album audio preview can be found below.

Agony tracklisting:

“Arrogance”
“Theory Of Conspiracy”
“Deception”
“Intolerance Means War”
“Guerra Santa”
“Failed System”
“Hostages”
“Surrounded By Serpents”
“CyberWar”
“Hypocrisy”
“Devastation”
“Wayfarer” (Bonus Track)

Album preview:

“Hostages”:

“Intolerance Means War” lyric video:

This South American riff tornado is in flawless shape. With nods to Kreator, Slayer and more, this new album is really just the tip of the iceberg here, and the Brazilian squad continues to drag its fans down into a malicious maelstrom full of old school darkness.

Pre-Order your copy via the following links: North America, Rest of world.

LAMB OF GOD's third album, "Ashes Of The Wake", which came out in 2004 via Epic, was officially certified gold in February by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) for sales in excess of a 500,000 copies.

Prior to their concert earlier tonight (Tuesday, May 17) at The Paramount in Huntington, New York, the members of LAMB OF GOD were presented with gold plaques signifying the achievement. Check out a photo above (courtesy of the band's publicists at Adrenaline PR).

Over the past few years, more and more people have stopped paying to download or physically own albums and started instead consuming music on platforms like Spotify, YouTube and Apple Music. As a result, effective February 1, RIAA started including on-demand audio and video streams and a track sale equivalent in gold and platinum album award. The modernization of the program's album rule follows a similar update made to digital single certifications in 2013, when the RIAA first added on-demand streams to its digital single award. Collectively, this now means that the program's iconic benchmarks — 500,000 (gold), 1,000,000 (platinum) and 2,000,000 plus (multi-platinum) — count both sales and streams for single and album certifications.

After a comprehensive analysis of a variety of factors — including streaming and download consumption patterns and historical impact on the program — and also consultation with a myriad of industry colleagues, the RIAA set the new album award formula of 1,500 on-demand audio and/or video song streams = 10 track sales = 1 album sale. RIAA's digital single award ratio was also updated from 100 on-demand streams = 1 download to 150 on-demand streams = 1 download to reflect the enormous growth of streaming consumption in the two plus years since that ratio was set. Just as RIAA announced when setting the initial formula in 2013, the analysis and the determination of a formula is based on comparative consumption patterns, not marketplace value.

"Ashes Of The Wake" was reissued as a DualDisc edition in March 2005. One side of the "Ashes" DualDisc featured the regular album, while the other was a DVD featuring the entire album in enhanced LPCM Stereo, plus bonus features.

LAMB OF GOD's latest album, "VII: Sturm Und Drang", was released in July 2015 via Epic in the U.S. and Nuclear Blast Entertainment in all territories outside of North America. The CD was once again produced and mixed by Josh Wilbur with engineering by Wilbur, Nick Rowe and Kyle McAulay, and was recorded at NRG Recording Studios in North Hollywood, California and Suburban Soul Studios in Torrance, California.

MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine was recently interviewed on the KBAD 94.5 radio station in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. You can now listen to the chat in the YouTube clip below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On covering political topics in his lyrics:

Mustaine: "Part of the problem with people is they listen to what I say and they think I'm making a judgment. And what I'm doing is saying, 'Look, here's a situation. Find out for yourself. Get your own truth.' And because the Internet is a hundred percent honest, everything they say about me is true about all those horrible things. But, you know, it's funny, because with our songs, we've always tried to educate our fans. I've never told anybody which way to vote, which way to think, which way to dress, which way to act; it's always been, 'Hey, here's the moral at the end of the story.'"

On his reputation as a controversial figure:

Mustaine: "I think the reputation that we had for being dangerous, that's certainly true. You don't kick your lead guitar in the face and not have people say, 'This guy's a little dangerous.' But he deserved it! I think that a lot of people have… in metal, they try and come off being really super hard and stuff like that. And I'm of the belief that if you've had a really hard life, all you need to do is just continue living it, and people will be able to experience it. Like Bon Scott [late AC/DC singer]. What a rock star that guy was. Bon Scott was one of my favorite frontmen of all time. And he didn't have to come up and say, 'Hey, I'm gonna bash your brains.' You just knew that if you stepped out of line, he might punch you."

On whether the title of MEGADETH's new album, "Dystopia", is a commentary on the state of the U.S. at the moment:

Mustaine: "No, no, no. See, a lot of people think that I have a very negative view of the world. I think the world's a beautiful place, but that there are bad people here, instead of some other people who are very pessimistic and think the world's a bad place and that there's only a few good people left. So I try and go through my day, my job, my travels and just make people as happy as I possibly can. I'm not here to say, 'Oh, the world's gonna end,' and all this kind of stuff. My job is to go out there and have people walk away and say, 'Oh my God! How does that guy play guitar and sing that stuff?', you know."

MEGADETH filmed a video for the song "Post American World" late last month. The track is taken from "Dystopia", which came out in January.

In addition to Mustaine, MEGADETH's current lineup includes longtime bassist David Ellefson, LAMB OF GOD drummer Chris Adler and Brazilian guitarist Kiko Loureiro, best known for his work with ANGRA.

Arch Enemy guitarist Michael Amott recently announced the return of original singer Johan Liiva for a new project, Black Earth, which is performing Arch Enemy's first three albums material live on stage in Japan this month. They kicked off the tour with a sold out show in Tokyo on May 17th, fan- filmed video is available below.

Liiva has checked in with the following update:

"Ok.. where to begin? Just performed, dare I say, the show of a lifetime? The debut of the Black Earth tour 2016 in Japan could not have turned out any better! Truly amazing!! Tomorrow we are heading south for Fukuoka, see you there! Now, after a good warm bath it's good night from here..."

The setlist on the night was as follows:

"Black Earth"
"The Immortal"
"Dead Inside"
"Pilgrim"
"Sinister Mephisto"
"Tears of the Dead"
"Diva Satanica"
"Angelclaw"
"Let the Killing Begin"
"Bury Me an Angel"
"Dark Insanity"
"Eureka"
"Idolatress"
"Cosmic Retribution"
"Demoniality"
"Transmigration Macabre"
"Time Capsule"
"Fields of Desolation"

Encore:
"Aces High" (Iron Maiden cover)
"Beast of Man"
"Silverwing"
"Bridge of Destiny"

Tour dates:

May
19 - Fukuoka, Japan - Drum Be-1
21 - Hiroshima, Japan - Hiroshima Club Quattro
23 - Osaka, Japan - Umeda Club Quattro
24 - Aichi, Japan - Nagoya Club Quattro
27 - Sapporo, Japan - Lane24 Penny Sapporo

Arch Enemy releases with Johan Liiva: Black Earth (1996), Stigmata (1998) and Burning Bridges (1999).

Black Earth line-up:

Michael Amott – guitar
Christopher Amott – guitar
Johan Liiva – vocals
Daniel Erlandsson – drums
Sharlee D’angelo - bass

Check out the exclusive Black Earth feature on BraveWords here.

Photo courtesy of Michael Amott's official Facebook page.

AC/DC drummer Chris Slade recently posted a brief update on Facebook regarding the band's current string of tour dates featuring Guns N' Roses vocalist Axl Rose up front in place of Brian Johnson. He also commented on the future of the band.

Slade: "Angus is definitely NOT thinking of retiring. We all look forward to Axl not requiring the chair anymore. Shouldn't be too long now. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity to see the band in this form. Of course, everyone would like it to be Brian up there but unfortunately, due to his health problems, this is not possible. Axl is doing a wonderful job and the majority opinion now is that the band were right to finish the Rock or Bust tour with him. Fans have the opportunity to go to the shows or not, it is entirely their choice or indeed their loss."

AC/DC continued their Rock Or Bust tour with Brian Johnson replacement -  Guns N' Roses singer Axl Rose - in Lisbon, Portugal on May 7th hat Passeio Maritimo De Alges. The setlist was as follows:

“Rock or Bust"
“Shoot to Thrill"
“Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be"
“Back in Black"
“Got Some Rock & Roll Thunder"
“Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap"
“Rock 'n' Roll Damnation"
“Thunderstruck"
“High Voltage"
“Rock 'n' Roll Train"
“Hells Bells"
“Given the Dog a Bone"
“Sin City"
“You Shook Me All Night Long"
“Shot Down in Flames"
“Have a Drink on Me"
“T.N.T.”
“Whole Lotta Rosie"
“Let There Be Rock”

Encore:
“Highway to Hell"
“Riff Raff”

Pro-shot video and fan reactions to the show are available below.

AC/DC European Tour Dates (with Axl Rose):

May
19 - Vienna, Austria - Erns-Happel Stadium
22 - Prague, Czech Republic - Letnany Airport
26 - Hamburg, Germany - Volksparkstadion
29 - Berne, Switzerland - Stade De Suisse

June
1 - Leipzig, Germany - Red Bull Arena
4 - London, England - The Stadium, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
9 - Manchester, England - Etihad Stadium
12 - Aarhus, Denmark - Ceres Park

In 2012, former Mister Kite frontman Alf Wemmenlind contacted BraveWords to introduce his new band Fifty Grand Suicide, a partnership featuring former Soilwork guitarist Ola Frenning. The band has checked in with the following update on their official Facebook page:

"Fifty Grand Suicide is changing our name to Into Dust. We have been exploring new paths and approaches to our music. As vocalist Nicklas Malmquist left the band to focus on Mörbultad we no longer feel that Fifty Grand Suicide reflects what we do or stand for. This page will be updated for Into Dust and we want to let you know why in advance. If you’re still interested in what we have to offer you don’t have to do anything. Just sit back and await the transformation.

Thanks for your support.

Into Dust out of Helsingborg, Sweden is:

Alf Wemmenlind - vocals
Simon Niklasson - bass
Jesper Sunnhagen - drums
Ola Frenning - guitar
Henke Blomqvist - guitar

According to U.K. weekly tabloid newspaper Sunday Express (via Radar Online), Ozzy Osbourne has been ordered by his wife and manager Sharon to check in to a sex rehab facility previously attended by pro golfer Tiger Woods.

Sharon is reportedly considering pulling the plug on her marriage to the BLACK SABBATH singer because she believes he has been cheating on her with a celebrity hairstylist.

The Sunday Express claims that Ozzy is being treated at the Pine Grove facility in Hattiesburg, Mississippi,

Seven On Your Side reached out to Pine Grove representatives about Ozzy's supposed attendance in the program — called "Gratitude" — and was given the following statement: "We cannot confirm or deny that any patient is receiving treatment at our facility."

Pine Grove's Gratitude program offers treatment for people seeking help and hope from sex addiction, sexual anorexia, love and relationship addiction and sexual trauma.

Sharon addressed her split from Ozzy during a May 10 appearance on "The Talk". The 63-year-old admitted to kicking her hubby out of the house but explained that he has since moved back in and she has decided to leave.

Sharon walked on-set with a glass of lemonade as a nod to Beyoncé's recent album about her husband's cheating. Sharon told her co-hosts, "It's right for me because I, honestly at this point today, have no idea what I am going to be doing for the rest of my life. I don't know where I am going, who I'm going with and I just need time to think and really think about myself and what I really want for the rest of my life."

She also admitted that she doesn't know if she and Ozzy will stay married because she hasn't figured out what she wants yet. She also acknowledged that she loves her husband for the life and children that he has given her.

At last week's Ozzfest Meets Knotfest press conference in Hollywood, Ozzy stated about Sharon (see video below): "She's a remarkable woman to put up with me."

Legendary Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen will release his new studio album, "World On Fire", on June 1 via King Records. He told Seymour Duncan about the CD: "I spent two years [working] on it, touring, recording, touring, recording. And that's much, much better, actually, in a way. Back in the day I would write the songs then rehearse them with some musicians, then go and do a backing track and we'd record it, mix it, learn the songs to go play them on tour, then do it all again. That way isn't necessarily conducive to making the best music, y'know what I mean? So in a very, very backhanded way, this weird twist of fate in the music industry has actually made it a more inspiring environment, for me at least. I can write anytime and record anytime. My recording studio is always open, 24 hours. I can just record when I want and it's a beautiful thing."

Asked what the new record sounds like, Malmsteen said: "It's a Malmsteen record. [Laughs] But I would say it's a little different. First of all, I do all the lead vocals on it. Any time I did lead vocals in the past, I was singing blues stuff. This time I decided to do lead vocals in my style of songwriting, so it's different in that way. It's a very hard-hitting album and some parts are very advanced, very complicated. But it's a broad record. It's definitely a must-listen-to!"

Yngwie also confirmed that he laid down the bass tracks on his new album. "I play all the bass and most of the keyboards," he said. "And there's a string section and a choir. It's very neoclassical. It's super neoclassical!"

"World On Fire" track listing:

01. World On Fire02. Sorcery03. Abandon04. Top Down, Foot Down05. Lost In The Machine06. Largo - EBM07. No Rest For The Wicked08. Soldier09. Duf 122010. Abandon (Slight Return) 11. Nacht Musik

Produced by Yngwie J. MalmsteenAll music composed and arranged by Yngwie J. MalmsteenAll lyrics and melodies by Yngwie J. Malmsteen

Recording lineup:

* Yngwie J. Malmsteen - Lead Guitar, Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Bass, Keyboards, Cello, Sitar* Nick Marinovic - Additional Keyboards* Mark Ellis - Drums

Asked what keeps him inspired to regularly release studio albums over the last thirty years, Malmsteen told Heavy Metal Bands Info in a 2015 interview: "It's the same approach I have when I am in the studio. I go into the studio and pick up the guitar or play the drums or whatever. I just do something and something comes out that inspires me. Then I carry on with it. I wanna have it happen like an inspired thing. Then I just put it down and listen to it in the car or wherever and I think, 'Oh, that sounds great.' I mean, I play it back a week later or so and I don't even remember doing it. Then I go, like, 'Wow, that’s great,' or, 'Wow, that's shit.' This is important to me, because at that stage I am listening more like a listener. Then I take that further and make it into a more complete thing. I found that this is the best way for me. That makes it exciting and inspiring. That's why I'm still doing it."

Hardcore/metal crossover pioneers D.R.I. (DIRTY ROTTEN IMBECILES) will release a new EP, "But Wait… There's More!", on June 10 via Beer City Records.

The track listing for the effort is as follows:

01. Against Me 02. Anonymity03. As Seen On TV04. Mad Man05. Couch Slouch

You can pre-order the EP at this location.

Check out a teaser for the EP below.

"[It's] just a handful of songs to test the waters," vocalist Kurt Brecht told the Phoenix New Times. "We haven't put out anything new in so long, so we wanted to see how much interest there really is in it."

Regarding the musical direction of the new D.R.I. material, Brecht said: "It's more old-school hardcore. It's straightforward, without the metal guitar sound."

He added: "I'm more into the hardcore myself, but it's okay if we keep the metal because we mix it all together."

Asked why it has taken so long for D.R.I. to record the follow-up to 1995's "Full Speed Ahead", Brecht said: "We'd taken a good amount of time off. And when we came back together, we had many offers to play, so we started doing that and have just been busy trying to make a living playing and touring. Bands like us make most of our money touring and selling merchandise at live shows."

D.R.I.'s forthcoming EP will include the song "As Seen On TV", which the band has been performing live. Brecht told BoulevardBrutal.com in a 2014 interview about the inspiration for his new lyrics: "It's a similar vein of lyrics, I'd say [to my other band PASADENA NAPALM DIVISION] — basically, just talking bad about society and human beings in general, that sort of thing, but never really offer any kind of solution… 'cause I can't think of one. Advertising, I talk shit about a lot… Mass marketing and stuff, even though I do it, so I'm a total hypocrite. I advertise the band, I sell our products at the shows and all that kind of stuff."

He continued: "For [the upcoming D.R.I.] EP, some of the lyrics — at least one of the songs — is, I think, one of my best lyrical tunes yet. It's called 'As Seen On TV'. I won't tell you the lyrics right now, but it's basically about advertising, that sort of thing. I went to school for it, and that's why I talk about it a lot, 'cause I learned a lot [when I was there]."

KORN guitarist Brian "Head" Welch spoke to Bakersfield.com about the progress of the recording sessions for the band's twelfth studio album, due out later this year. He said: "We are finishing some songs for the new KORN record. We have an announcement coming out pretty soon with the producer that we're working with, and new record label and management things."

He continued: "The new record just with me and Munky [guitarist James Shaffer] being back together, we've had three years to tour and jam together and so we really came together and focused heavily on guitars on this record. So it's going to be a guitar-heavy KORN record and it sounds… I believe what the true fans have been waiting for for a long time. I just feel like that they're going to be really satisfied and excited about this album. We are pumped."

Welch previously told Billboard.com that he and Shaffer "wanted to go heavier on the [next] record, because we're the guitar players and KORN was a guitar-heavy band. The last record that we did was me coming back. I saw them at a show, played one song with them, and a few weeks later, was in the studio with them writing new songs. We didn't have any time to hang out. To live with everyone on the road and to function in the band, with the fans and business together for three years, we really connected and felt comfortable."

Welch said in a 2015 interview with "Do You Know Jack?" that touring with SLIPKNOT in 2014 inspired KORN to get back to a heavier sound, saying, "I think it sparked and reminded everybody in the band what KORN started out to be."

KORN last fall completed a North American tour on which the band performed its debut album in its entirety at every stop.

Alice Cooper is out on the road on his Spend An Evening With Alice Cooper tour and with the US Presidential race heating up, candidates Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton showed up when Cooper was performing “Elected” live in Biloxi on April 29th.

After flirtations at the 2011 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony and on the same year's Welcome 2 My Nightmare album, Alice Cooper and the members of his original band -- guitarist Michael Bruce, bassist Dennis Dunaway and drummer Neal Smith -- are working together again on new music for the shock rocker's next album, reports Gary Graff of Billboard.

"Neal Smith and Mike Bruce and I wrote five songs in Phoenix," says Cooper. "Dennis wrote four or five songs in Connecticut. You never know what's going to make it on an album, but I think we've got a lot of stuff that has a good chance of being there." Members of Cooper's current band are also contributing songs for the set, which has led to a welcome plethora of material. "I don't care where a song comes from; if it fits the idea, what the album's going to be, then we go with it. We'll see which ones make the album."

Read more at this location. A complete list of Alice Cooper tour dates can be found here.

 

 

 

Avatar stopped by the SiriusXM studios to perform their song “The Eagle Has Landed” on Octane. Octane is pure, high-powered hard rock that’s loud, uncensored, and in your face.

Avatar recently released a video for "The Eagle Has Landed”. Directed by longtime collaborator Johan Carlén, this is the first official music video we've seen from the band off their forthcoming LP.

Vocalist Johannes Eckerström explains: "During the past few months I've ended up saying "this is our most ambitious work to date" quite a bit, but this one takes the cake. While still keeping it in the family we've created yet a new universe for everyone to get immersed in. A fable is a metaphor to explore the human condition and we've taken it one step further, zooming in on one song and what it has to say in and out of itself beyond the frames of the concept of Feathers & Flesh."

This is the story of five conmen traveling around the land, selling their snake oil to the easily persuaded people of the soil. Often when we want karma to bite someone's ass the most, they always seem to get away. It was fun to play the bad guy for once. I think the visuals and our treatment of the classic one take-concept speaks for itself. This is one of those you'll want to watch over and over again. I know I'm already doing just that. Enjoy!"

Avatar will release their very first concept album Feathers & Flesh, on Friday, May 13th via Entertainment One (eOne) in North America and Canada and Another Century overseas. The new release will be the band's highly anticipated follow-up to Hail The Apocalypse released in 2014, which cracked the Billboard Top 200 for the first time in the band's career.

The aim is set higher, further and deeper than ever before for Avatar. Not only is this concept album their most extensive work to date, showing the widest range of any of their albums, it also contains a story too extensive for any booklet, so they made a book. A fully illustrated 60 page, 109 verse poem hardcover book. The physical album pre-order, book, and exclusive merchandise is available directly from the band. Click here to preview.

Feathers & Flesh was recorded in Germany, Finland and Sweden in December 2015 with producer extraordinaire Sylvia Massy (Tool, Red Hot Chili Peppers).

“Avatar is an amazing band,” said Massy, adding, “The singer has the wild energy and charisma I love, and the players are relentless. The album we’re making is an epic. Each song powerfully stands on it’s own, but is only a piece of a larger story. This album is the project I’ve been dreaming about for years!”

The music is as always, rooted in the extreme, with plenty of melodic sensibility and a lust for experimentation. There is a love for intense double bass drumming, riffing and shredding of timeless dimensions alongside rough edges, slow grooves and epic storytelling for the ages. The idea is that as the band digs deeper, the fists will be held up higher. The end result is a modern metal album with all the ruthlessness and power one could ask for handled with a loving songwriter’s hand, inspired by The Beatles and Queen.

Avatar have developed quite the reputation for touring the US harder than even some of their American counterparts. Most notably, the band has grown well known for their epic performances in the US festival market. After their memorable performance at Rock on the Range 2014, a first for the band, it shows no signs of stopping. Avatar will return to Rock On The Range, Welcome To Rockville, Carolina Rebellion, Rocklahoma and River City Rockfest in 2016. They will also be performing at Download UK this summer. All tour dates listed here.

Tracklisting:

“Regret”
“House Of Eternal Hunt”
“The Eagle Has Landed”
“New Land”
“Tooth, Beak & Claw”
“For The Swarm”
“Fiddler's Farewell”
“One More Hill”
“Black Waters”
“Night Never Ending”
“Pray The Sun Away”
“When The Snow Lies Red”
“Raven Wine”
“Sky Burial”

"Tooth, Beak & Claw” art video:

“The Eagle Has Landed”:

“Regret” and “House Of The Eternal Hunt”:

“For The Swarm” video:

Richmond doom quartet, Cough, has shared another new song from their forthcoming offering, Still The Pray, their first new full-length in 5 years. The track “Let It Bleed“ is streaming below.

With this release, Cough summon psychedelic feedback-driven melodies just to deconstruct them to their core. Still They Pray is easily Cough at their most focused: pessimistic riffs and tortured grooves collide in melodic agony alongside a hallucinogenic blend of harsh and clean incantations, crushing and cathartic yet utterly mesmerizing. Step through the gates of madness and stare into the void.

Still They Pray is set for release via Relapse Records on CD/2LP/Digital on June 3rd. Physical preorders and bundle deals are available via Relapse.com here, and digital copies can be pre-ordered through Cough's Bandcamp page at this location.

Still They Pray Tracklisting:

“Haunter Of The Dark”
“Possession”
“Dead Among The Roses”
“Masters Of Torture”
“Let It Bleed”
“Shadow Of The Torturer”
“The Wounding Hours”
“Still They Pray”

“Let It Bleed”:

"Dead Among The Roses":

“The Wounding Hours”:

(Photo by: Jordan Vance)

Bulgarian occult metal act Ghost Warfare has unveiled the cover artwork of their new album which will be entitled Dusk Reloaded. The album was released in Spain on May 16th and is out May 30th for the rest of the world by Art Gates Records. A new 9 minute trailer is streaming below explaining what ideas stand behind the name and general theme of the album and how it was created.

The front cover was hand drawn with pens on paper by the artist Nikolay "Chipi" Saraminev, digitally photographed and edited by Vasil Delchev and Dimitar Naydev and with its setting, yet still flaming sun, surrounded by decaying borders, it represents the raging last remains of sense, bitterly striving for long lost knowledge and spiritual ascendance, while helplessly sliding into the cold embrace of utter degradation that has embodied society today, which is the main theme of the album.

The album was recorded at Ghost Warfare's studio in Haskovo, Bulgaria produced and mixed by Georgi Latev, and mastered by Lenko Draganov.

Tracklisting:

“We Are Not…”
“New Kingdom”
“Anything Illusion”
“Et L’amour Dans Tout Ca…”
“BRS”
“Following Their Last Trip”
“Dusk”
“Radioactivity”
“Knot”
“Bells In The Wilderness”
“Solar Insignia”
“Fields In The Nowhere”
“Oh, Happy Days”
“Something Wicked”
“Fall”
“…Slaves”

Teaser:

Chicago powerviolence quartet Weekend Nachos will release their final LP, Apology, on May 20th via Relapse. A full album stream can be found below.

After having been active for over a decade, Weekend Nachos have decided to call it quits and have honoured their name in the best way possible. Recorded by the band's own Andy Nelson at Bricktop Studios (Lord Mantis, Like Rats, Harms Way), Weekend Nachos' final album Apology is a veritable tornado of grindcore/powerviolence/hardcore savagery. The album thirteen tracks of utter punishment that sees Weekend Nachos sounding more dangerous and urgent than ever before and also features guest vocals from Dylan Walker of Full Of Hell.

Apology is set for release on May 20th via Relapse Records on CD/Digital worldwide. Physical pre-orders are available at Relapse.com here, and digital copies can be pre-ordered via the band's Bandcamp page here. Apology will see an LP release via Deep Six Records - more info will be revealed soon.

Apology tracklisting:

“2015”
“Dust”
“Fake Political Song”
“All”
“Judged”
“Dog Shit Slave”
“Writhe”
“N.A.R.C.”
“POW MIA”
“World Genocide”
“Eulogy”
“Night Plans”
“Apology”

Album stream:

Mike of Metal Temple and Ian of ARFM, conducted an interview with former ACCEPT and current U.D.O. frontman Udo Dirkschneider on April 13 at the Manchester Academy in Manchester, England. You can now listen to the chat in the YouTube clip below.

Speaking about the current state of the rock scene, Udo said: "Of course, I listen to younger bands, and there are a lot of good bands around. But what I'm missing is there is no personality on stage anymore — like Bruce Dickinson, like Lemmy, like [Ronnie James] Dio or whatever. They're really good bands — music-wise, they're doing really good stuff — but I think they play for themselves and not for the people. And I think what we're doing, in a way, is we entertain people, you know. Of course, if I wanna play for myself, then I can go to the rehearsal room, but not play in front of people. This is, I think, what I was learning with ACCEPT, especially in America — you have to entertain people and give the people what they want, of course."

He continued: "Some people were also asking me, 'Why do you still play [the ACCEPT song] 'Balls To The Wall'? I said, 'Yes, you can wake me up in the morning at three o'clock and I can play this song.' But if you're on stage and you see — also with U.D.O. — fifteen- and sixteen-year-old kids singing the whole song, that means you did something. You see the reaction and then you don't start thinking, '[I have to sing this song again.] It's again getting boring.' No; it's really, like, 'Yes!' But if you create something like this. Like, for example, DEEP PURPLE [is expected] to [always] play 'Smoke On The Water' and 'Highway Star' or whatever. And maybe also they are [like] 'Okay,' but the people wanna hear it. I give the people what they want. Sometimes also the young bands have to learn this — to play for the people and not for themselves."

Udo in February embarked on a special DIRKSCHNEIDER tour during which he is performing ACCEPT songs one last time before he closes the chapter for good.

The April 2 DIRKSCHNEIDER concert at Kaminwerk in Memmingen, Germany was professionally filmed and recorded for a DVD and CD release.

DIRKSCHNEIDER is:

Udo Dirkschneider - lead vocalsFitty Wienhold - bassAndrey Smirnov - guitarKasperi Heikkinen - guitarSven Dirkschneider - drums

DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT, the band led by Canadian musician/producer Devin Townsend, will release its new album, "Transcendence", on September 2. The cover artwork for the effort can be seen below.

In a recent interview with Metal Wani, Devin stated about the songwriting process for the follow-up to DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT's 2014 double album "Z2": "Because 'Z2' happened amidst the crowdfunding, amidst touring and just lots of shit, it was really a challenging and tiring experience. So I've tried to spend this year really putting the pieces together. So now that we are working on a new DTP record, the process will be more streamlined, more efficient and more fulfilling."

He continued: "The way that I write is I just write a ton of music in the background of my life and then I just bring it into rehearsal. It's, like, 'Okay, guys. It goes like this. Let's smooth it out.'"

Townsend also talked about the new album's musical and lyrical direction. He said: "In terms of what the music is, it's always hard to tell. But in terms of what the theme is, I can tell you — it's about getting over it: getting over yourself, getting over… all that stuff. And I'm not saying that I am. But the point of it is, that seems to be the next step."

He went on to say: "You know, I'll get into situations with people that I'll be really irritated by them. And recently there's been this sort of thing that's been going on in my process where I'm, like, 'This is your problem. This is not [the other] person that needs to change; it's you and how you're reacting to them.' And that's kind of new, right?"

Townsend added: "Because I have been so pigheaded and so selfish about so many things for so many years, I've spent a lot of time being, like, 'That person needs to change. This person needs to change.' So, in a sense, this record is based around the sense of, like, what needs to change is your reaction to these things and not them."

"Z2" was a double album where the first CD was a DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT album called "Sky Blue", and the second disc was a ZILTOID album called "Dark Matters".

DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT will team up with BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME for the "Transcending The Coma Tour" this fall. Support on the trek will come from FALLUJAH.

Israeli seven-piece progressive extreme metal formation Winterhorde are streaming the new track “Worms Of Souls”, from their upcoming third album Maestro, out on May 20th worldwide via Swedish label ViciSolum Productions.

Recorded by Alex Feldman in Sound Studio, Tel AvivMixed by V.Santura (Obscura, Triptykon, Secrets of the Moon) and mastered by Jens Bogren (Amorphis, Katatonia, Amon Amarth), the album features guest appearances from Jiri Valter (Root) and Peter Huss (Shining).

Tracklisting:

“That Night In Prague”
“Antipath”
“Worms Of Souls”
“They Came With Eyes Of Fire”
“Chronic Death”
“The Heart Of Coryphee”
“A Dwaying Swan”
“Maestro”
“ThroughTthe Broken Mirror”
“Dancing In Flames”

“Worms Of Souls”:

“Maestro” lyric video:

“Antipath”:

GUNS N' ROSES singer Axl Rose played his fourth show as the temporary frontman for AC/DC on Monday night (May 16) at Werchter Festivalpark in Werchter, Belgium.

For the Werchter concert, Rose was once again confined to a throne after snapping his metatarsal bone while singing during GUNS N' ROSES' Troubadour reunion show on April 1. It is the same custom throne Dave Grohl used last year for FOO FIGHTERS concerts after breaking a leg.

The setlist for the Werchter show:

01. Rock Or Bust02. Shoot To Thrill03. Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be04. Back In Black05. Got Some Rock & Roll Thunder06. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap07. Rock 'N' Roll Damnation08. Thunderstruck09. High Voltage10. Rock 'N' Roll Train11. Hells Bells12. Given The Dog A Bone13. If You Want Blood (You've Got It)14. Sin City15. You Shook Me All Night Long16. Shot Down In Flames17. Have A Drink On Me18. T.N.T.19. Whole Lotta Rosie20. Let There Be Rock

Encore:

21. Highway To Hell22. Riff Raff23. For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)

It was reported earlier in the month that approximately 7,000 AC/DC fans who bought tickets to see the band in Werchter asked for their money back because they didn't want to watch Axl Rose on lead vocals.

The newly released seats were then first made available to those people who were previously on the waiting list for the event, with the remaining 6,000 tickets once again going on sale to the general public.

The park can hold up to 88,000 people although it is not known how many tickets were sold for this show.

The show is one of twelve European dates AC/DC is performing with the GUNS N' ROSES frontman on lead vocals after singer Brian Johnson was ordered to stop touring or risk going deaf.

A similar refund offer has been made available on some of the other dates on AC/DC's European tour, which kicked off on May 7 in Lisbon, Portugal and runs through June 12 in Aarhus, Denmark.

Following that, Rose will head out on his previously announced summer reunion tour with GUNS N' ROSES. AC/DC's ten postponed U.S. dates will take place later in the year, also with Rose as frontman, and the refund policy on those shows has not been revealed.

Accomplished comedian Jim Breuer understands that comedy and heavy music have long made for great bedfellows. On his first musical full-length, "Songs From The Garage", Breuer delivers both in his inimitable style with longtime backing band THE LOUD & ROWDY. Due on May 27 via Metal Blade, the CD was produced by VOLBEAT/ex-ANTHRAX guitarist Rob Caggiano and features Brian Johnson (AC/DC) on two tracks.

The song "Mr. Rock N Roll", featuring Johnson, can be streamed using the SoundCloud widget below.

Breuer says: "Going into the record, the music had to be killer and have great hooks — that was most important — and I wanted to balance that with something that's funny. I wanted to bring the smile back to hard rock that has a nice punch to it." From crunchy opening romp "Thrash" through the swaggering "Who's Better Than Us?!" to the gloriously deranged excitement suffusing "Sugar Rush", his exuberance is infectious, and he challenges you to keep your ass from shaking and the corners of your mouth twitching while it thunders from the speakers.

Backing Breuer up is THE LOUD & ROWDY with Mike Tichy on drums, Joe Vigliotti on bass, and Metal Mike on guitar. Initially known as the JIM BREUER BAND, without even having a record under their belt, it did not take long to turn a lot of heads. After finding themselves on massive festival stages, the band headed into three different studios to record — Metrosonic Studios Brooklyn, Clear Track Studios and Sonic Debris Recording Studio. With Caggiano on production and guitar duties, the album was filled with eleven musically badass tracks featuring lyrics that are not only funny but also relatable, reflecting Breuer's position in life: "A dad with three kids who loves family life yet is still a metalhead at heart."

The inspiration for all of this comes from Breuer's adolescent immersion in the world of heavy music, falling in love with JUDAS PRIEST and AC/DC, alongside the likes of SCORPIONS, OZZY OSBOURNE, METALLICA and VAN HALEN. The fire to start a band was soon lit under him, though he wouldn't begin his musical career until he was older. Having finally made the album that has been burning to get out of him since his teens, Breuer couldn't be happier with the result. Though he has fulfilled one rock and roll dream with its completion, it certainly does not mean he's about to kick back and leave it at that.

"I plan on making great, funny videos for every song and have videos up during the concerts," he says. "I want pure entertainment when you come see this live, and now my rock and roll dream is to play this not only here in America, but anywhere else in the world that will accept it! I'm taking it one day at a time, living the dream."

"Songs From The Garage" track listing:

01. Thrash02. Raising Teenage Girls03. Old School04. Be a D**k 2nite05. My Rock N Roll Dream *06. Mr. Rock N Roll *07. Who's Better Than Us?! 08. Family Warrior09. Sugar Rush10. Wannabe11. The Unexplained

* Vocals by Brian Johnson (AC/DC)

Former GUNS N' ROSES and current SIXX: A.M. guitarist says that he "walking away" from GN'R after a six-year stint with the group was "the hardest decision" he has ever had to make in his life. He tells Music Radar: "I loved sharing the stage with Axl [Rose] and the guys. Axl put together such an incredible bunch of musicians, and I was proud to be part of that."

He continues: "I'll always be thankful for Axl believing in me. But it's not my band and it never will be. I was performing songs written before I got there. I had a blast doing it, and I will cherish it. But we did a 19-day sold-out run on the SIXX:A.M. 'Modern Vintage' tour and it was that tour of playing my own songs — songs that came from my soul — and seeing how they connected to the fanbase, I could not put that feeling into words, and I realized that I needed to follow my heart."

Ashba recently said that Rose wanted him to be a part of a partial reunion of GN'R's classic lineup but he "just didn't feel like it was [his] place."

Ashba, who joined GUNS N' ROSES in March 2009 following the departure of Robin Finck and stayed in the band until last July, told Metal Insider: "At that point, it's best I go do what I'm really good at doing. It's kind of the best of both worlds. I get to have my favorite band back and I get to go play in my favorite band again. It's a win-win."

Ashba issued a statement in July 2015 saying that he was leaving GUNS N' ROSES "to dedicate myself to my band SIXX: A.M., my adoring wife and family, and to the many new adventures that the future holds for me."

Ashba said earlier in his statement that working with GUNS N' ROSES was "the most incredible journey I could have possibly imagined."

Anderson / Stolt, the brand new duo of legendary YES vocalist and singer/songwriter Jon Anderson and progressive rock veteran Roine Stolt (The Flower Kings, Transatlantic), will release their collaborative album, Invention Of Knowledge, on June 24th via InsideOut Music. A new teaser can be found below.

Jon Anderson had this to say: ".....Music is always the driving force in my life... working with such a wonderful musician as Roine Stolt made the creation of this album very unique,we are very excited with the release of Invention of Knowledge."

Roine Stolt adds: "It is not aiming at being new YES music; just new music, modern and classical, rock and ethno, tribal and orchestrated, grooving and floating. Hopefully in the true spirit of "progressive" - leaning forward, surprising and also comforting with familiar run-arounds. We've been "inventing" as we go along - Jon is an endless source of new ideas. We've been bouncing ideas back and forth for months and as a result there are probably dozens of versions of these songs. It's been a very interesting and rewarding time and the result is just insanely detailed."

InsideOut label-head Thomas Waber comments: "I have been talking to Jon for ages about making an album of ‘YES music' - as Jon calls it - and Roine seemed like the perfect guy for him to work with. I am really happy that it has finally happened and I am also thrilled with the material they have come up with. I think it will please a lot of fans!"

The idea came to life swiftly off the back of a performance from Roine's band Transatlantic, and Jon Anderson on the Progressive Nation At Sea Cruise in 2014, and was initially instigated by InsideOut Music label boss Thomas Waber. The duo set about crafting new music in the spirit of early epic works such as Tales From Topographic Oceans, Awaken & Olias Of Sunhillow, but giving it a modern twist.

Written AND recorded over the course of 1 and a half years, the tracks have been in a state of constant change as Roine and Jon swapped and refined ideas by sending tracks to each other via the internet. In March 2015, an ensemble was put together by Roine to realize the music live in the studio. Joining him there was Tom Brislin (who played on the YES Symphonic tour) and Lalle Larsson on keys, Jonas Reingold and Michael Stolt on bass and Felix Lehrmann on drums. The sessions were also bolstered by appearances from Daniel Gildenlöw, Nad Sylvan, Anja Obermayer, Maria Rerych and Kristina Westas, who all provided backing vocals.

Tracklisting:

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

Teaser #1:

Teaser #2:

AMERICAN BOMBSHELL, a pure unadulterated hard rock band from Indiana and winner of the 2016 Grammy Amplifier program, in partnership with Hyundai, was chosen from 4,000 entrants. The group was awarded the studio session prize and the opportunity to record a single with a Grammy-affiliated producer.

The winning session resulted in "My Drug", a song recorded with legendary producer Mike Clink at East West Studios in Los Angeles. You can now listen to the track below via Soundcloud.

AMERICAN BOMBSHELL vocalist Jay Cee recently spoke with writer David E. Gehlke about the experience, and in particular on working work Mike Clink. "[Mike] has a great demeanor that puts you at ease," he said. "He wants to push you the get the best out of you, so you know it's going to be a great product. You just sit back and let him do the driving. It was a great experience."

Added guitarist Andy Nixon: "Not only did we get to work with Mike Clink, who I'm sure most of the people who follow BLABBERMOUTH.NET know that he produced some of the better records like [MEGADETH's] 'Rust In Peace' and [GUNS N' ROSES'] 'Appetite For Destruction'.

"We definitely fanboyed out a little and asked [Mike] about some GUNS N' ROSES stories. He had some interesting things to say [laughs]."

Asked about lessons learnt from the winning experience, vocalist Jay Cee elaborated: "From a professional standpoint, just knowing we can go into a top-notch studio with a top-of-the-line producer and hold our own, was huge for us. Who gets that opportunity?!"

The Recording Academy and Hyundai launched the fourth annual Grammy Amplifier program last November when program hopefuls were asked to upload their song on the Grammy Amplifier web site and drive fans to listen and "amplify" their track. A group of ten finalists were selected and submitted to the Grammy Amplifier curators — including HALESTORM frontwoman Lzzy Hale, Big Sean and Sam Hunt — who then chose the winners. All the finalists were also given the opportunity to fly to Los Angeles where they participated in a Music Business Immersion Day with the goal of educating them on social media promotion, copyrights, and publishing, among other topics.