In a brand new interview with U.K.'s The Guardian, KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons was asked if it's correct to say that he will vote for Donald Trump in the upcoming U.S. presidential election. He responded: "That's totally inaccurate. I've known the man over the years, but that doesn't mean I'm going to vote for him."

He continued: "To be quite honest, I wish celebrities would shut up: I don't like the idea of celebrities announcing who they're for and not for, because a number of their fans will be voting just because their favourite band said to do so. That takes away the honesty of the democratic process. I'm totally against advertising who I want to vote for, and I haven't made up my mind, quite honestly. Celebrities should shut up and keep it private."

Asked if he thinks there's a place for artists to speak up over issues such as North Carolina's discrimination law, Gene said: "I do — but that's not a political issue, that's a human rights issue. Discrimination of any kind ... Well, I don't agree with Donald Trump on his views on, say, Mexico – I would certainly speak up over the border."

Simmons, a former contestant on Trump's "The Celebrity Apprentice" show, recently told People magazine that he likes how the real estate mogul is shaking up the current presidential race.

"The important thing about Trump, and I'm not saying whether I'm voting for him, or Hilary [Clinton], or anybody else, is that he has changed the game," he said. "He doesn't want your money. This guy funds his own campaign, and he is going to say things that tens of millions of people actually say quietly because politically it's 'incorrect.'"

Cradle Of Filth wrap up their current tour of Russia tonight (May 20th) in Krasnodar. Backing vocalist / keyboardist Lindsay Schoolcraft recently posted the following update from the tour:

"The last time we toured Russia it was, no pun intended, quite rushed and as a vegan I was totally not prepared. But this time I am on my A game (thanks to Vega) and we’ve actually had a chance to breathe between gigs. And when I say 'breathe' I mean shower, sleep, and text Mother.

I do have to send out an apology to some of the fans who we’ve rushed by to get to the bus after our gigs. It breaks my heart not being able to say hello, but sometimes our travel schedules don’t work in our favour. I swear we’re not a bunch of jerks!

The shows have been so memorable. Hearing the crowd singing along to every word in 'Blackest Magick', 'Nymphetamine', and 'Cradle to Enslave' is really surreal, but so humbling. We’re half way through our trek now with three shows left to go. Xandria have been such a solid live opening act. It’s really nice to finally share the stage with them. I have been a fan of their music for a quite awhile now and catch myself singing along through out their set.

Dani has been teaching me the ways of old school black metal for a good portion of this trip. From Satyricon to Emperor and Mayhem, we’ve been listening to it all. His commentary is pretty comical too. Pinkies up. Between those chats we’ve also been trying to discuss better strategies on how to work from home, which we both do and apparently are pretty shit at. Who knows, maybe we’ll be more productive after this tour. Or not. Creative minds working from home? Absolute disaster. Sometimes we do need some structure in being told what to do. Only time will tell if we smarten up."

Read more at this location.

A piece of black metal history has been lying dormant for over two decades, deep in the shadowy abyss of dust-ridden, musty vaults. The authors of this forbidden rite decided the world was not quite ready for its offering in 1995, and thus locked it away from the light. But the years passed, and gradually it's power grew too strong. Freed from its vault by genre-defining creators Cradle Of Filth and the recently resurrected extreme music label Cacophonous, the two have joined forces to finally unshackle the unreleased sophomore album Dusk… And Her Embrace: The Original Sin as a CD and digital album on July 8th. A vinyl LP version will be available later this year.

“The wait is over. The original Dusk… And Her Embrace is dragged kicking and screaming into the world, and people can finally hear for themselves what a true masterpiece it is.” – Neil Harding, Cacophonous Label Head

Tracklisting:

“Macabre, This Banquet”
“Nocturnal Supremacy”
“Heaven Torn Asunder”
“Dusk And Her Embrace”
“A Gothic Romance”
“The Graveyard By Moonlight”
“Funeral In Carpathia”
“Beauty Slept In Sodom”
“The Haunted Shores Of Avalon”
“Carmilla’s Masque”
“A Gothic Romance” (Bonus Demo Track)
“Nocturnal Supremacy” (Bonus Demo Track)

Trailer:

Cradle Of Filth signed to Cacophonous in 1994, releasing their debut album, The Principle Of Evil Made Flesh on an unsuspecting world, consequently landmarking themselves at the forefront of the extreme music movement. With their writing becoming more fluid, more confident, Dusk… And Her Embrace: The Original Sin is the precursor to the band’s sound as it is today, and a must-have for any extreme music fans.

Dusk… And Her Embrace: The Original Sin will be available to pre-order from May 30th.

Louder Noise has uploade a new episode of "Vinnie Paul's True Metal Stories" in which former PANTERA and current HELLYEAH drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott talks about how a chance meeting with Rob Halford in the early 1990s led to PANTERA touring Europe with JUDAS PRIEST. The clip, which was animated and directed by Máté Szabó, can be seen below.

Said Vinnie Paul about Halford: "[Rob is] one of the most unbelievable, sincere people that you'll ever meet. He's an artist, but he's like myself. You get those artists that have egos and attitudes and they're difficult. But then you get those artists that are fans and love music and love people and love doing what they're doing, and Rob's one of those kind of people. He's just the most sincere, unbelievably loving, cool dude that you'll ever meet, man. He's awesome."

Back in 2004, Halford talked about his first meeting with PANTERA. He said: "I first met [late PANTERA guitarist] Dime ['Dimebag' Darrell Abbott] in 1991. I was in Toronto preparing for the 'Painkiller' tour. I had MuchMusic TV on and saw this guy talking about metal and wearing a 'British Steel' shirt. From what he was saying and the PANTERA video that aired I knew right away that this man was a guitar god!

"I called MuchMusic and spoke to Dime and that night went to a club and hung with the band. We jammed 'Metal Gods'. From that point on, he and the rest of the band became solid friends. My gut feeling was that this band would be huge.

"So PANTERA toured with PRIEST all over Europe. Many a night I would stand off stage and watch them tear up city after city leaving everyone stunned by their intense performances. It was a thrill to watch and hear Dime invent and advance with his playing. Soon the world became Panterarized!"

Newly reformed from the ashes of Spirit Caravan, mainstay guitarist/vocalist Scott "Wino" Weinrich and the pair of musicians who rounded out the former (and current) trio, have signed to Relapse Records for the first new Obsessed disc since The Church Within, which was issued via Columbia back in 1994. Tentatively entitled Sacred (the name of a Spirit Caravan tune that has since been usurped by The Obsessed), the timetable for said album is encumbered by the current tour. More news when it's available.

Wino announced The Obsessed's return back in March:

Wino: “I have been waiting for the right combination of ability, attitude and personality to accomplish this goal. From this day forward The Obsessed is myself, Dave Sherman (Spirit Caravan - bass) and Brian Costantino (Spirit Caravan - drums) who have proven to be dedicated, fearless and unwavering in their love of this music.”

See his full statement below, and stay tuned for updates from The Obsessed.

The Obsessed is currently on the road with Karma To Burn and The Atomic Bitchwax. Remaining dates are as follows:

May
20 - Huntington, WV - V Club
21 - Indianapolis, IN - 5th Quarter Lounge
22 - Chicago, IL - Beat Kitchen
23 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry
24 - Rock Island, IL - Rock Island Brewing Co.
25 - St. Louis, MO - Fubar
26 - Kansas City, MO - Riot Room
28 - Denver, CO - 3 Kings
30 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon
31 - Portland, OR - Dante's

June
2 - San Francisco, CA - Slim's
3 - Los Angeles, CA - Complex
4 - San Diego, CA - Brick By Brick
5 - Phoenix, AZ - Club Red
7 - Austin, TX - Dirty Dog
8 - Ft. Worth, TX - Tomcats West
9 - Houston, TX - Walter's
10 - New Orleans, LA - Siberia
11 - Atlanta, GA - Drunken Unicorn

Los Angeles thrashers Mindwars have posted the official video for the title track of their new studio album, Sworn To Secrecy. The album was mixed and mastered by the legendary Bill Metoyer and was released on April 29th by Punishment 18 Records. Check out the video below.

Tracklisting:

“Sworn To Secrecy”
“Cradle To Grave”
“Lies”
“Twisted”
“Helpless”
“Scalp Bounty”
“Rest Now (For Tomorrow Comes)”
“No Voice”
“Prophecy”
“Release Me”
“Transporting”

(Photo - Robert Orsa Photography)

During a brand new interview with RockRevolt Magazine, CINDERELLA frontman Tom Keifer was asked if the band is now officially "done." He responded: "Well, the truth of the matter is, there have been some issues with CINDERELLA, within the ranks of CINDERELLA, for years now… going back decades. They came to a head in 2012. We took some pretty extreme measures to right the ship and fix things, and we made a pact as a band in 2012 that we would not do anything as a band until the issues were resolved. That's how much it came to a head. The issues are unresolved, so that's all I can say about that."

Although CINDERELLA hasn't released a new studio album since 1994's "Still Climbing", the band started playing sporadic shows again in 2010 but has been largerly inactive for the last few years while Keifer focuses on his solo career. Earlier this year, CINDERELLA bassist Eric Brittingham told the "Talk Toomey" podcast that he didn't think Keifer was coming back to the band. Eric said: "If [Tom] wants to do a tour [with CINDERELLA], I'm in. I'm glad that I didn't hold my breath. I'd be blue now. [Laughs]."

Keifer and his solo backing band (Tony Higbee on guitars and vocals, Billy Mercer on bass and vocals, Paul Simmons on drums and vocals, Paul Taylor on keyboards and vocals, Savannah Keifer on vocals, percussion and piano, and Kendra Chantelle on vocals and percussion) recently entered a Nashville studio to record with four-time Grammy Award-winning producer/engineer Vance Powell (ELLE KING, CHRIS STAPLETON, JACK WHITE). The new tracks will be featured as bonus material on an expanded, deluxe edition of Tom's solo debut, "The Way Life Goes", set for release later this year. The package will also include the original album that was remastered by Richard Dodd (KINGS OF LEON, JASON ALDEAN, LADY ANTEBELLUM), a bonus DVD with video extras, a documentary about the creation of the bonus tracks, and exclusive interviews with the band filmed during the new recording sessions. "The Way Life Goes" sold 5,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 78 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD was released on in April 2013 via Merovee Records (through Warner Music Group's Independent Label Group).

Although Paul Stanley was at odds with both Gene Simmons and his wife Shannon Tweed over Simmons's admittedly callous remarks regarding Prince's death — Stanley is taking his partner's side and lashing out at Nikki Sixx. On Sixx's radio show, the MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist slammed Simmons — who's since apologized — saying: "His heartless and uneducated remarks about Prince's death shows why he's not my hero anymore or anybody's. I think that he is an overrated, lucky guy that dresses like a clown. He wrote some good songs, but hasn't in a long time, and loves to brag about himself."

Stanley responded on his Facebook page, knocking Sixx by saying, "Jesus Christ, Nikki Sixx! Would you please shut up, find another way to be in the news and get off your self-inflated pedestal? Regardless of some things Gene Simmons has said that I may take issue with, his influence on musicians (you included) is undeniable and will continue. More importantly, his work, generosity and monetary contributions to numerous causes and charities for those less fortunate makes your ongoing rant, in the scheme of things, the unimportant but annoying squeak it truly is. Move on."

Sixx responded by saying: "Looks like good old Paul doesn't like that someone called out his buddy Gene again. I will give him a standing ovation for calling out Gene himself publicly and then trying to hold my feet to the same fire, but you can't save him. If the press wants to run with a story, they got legs and we all know they need fresh content. I have to admit calling the next KISS album 'Move On' would be a clever idea though. Love to the Starchild. We all give to charities and support our troops etc because that the right thing to do with our success. Telling a depressed kid to kill themselves etc. etc. etc. etc. is not. So don't confuse issues."

Stanley told The Pulse Of Radio that Nikki Sixx seems to be scooping up free publicity at Gene Simmons's expense. "Ah, it's just silly stuff, honestly," he said. "It's one thing to call somebody out and to have a point of view on somebody's quotes, but then to just harp on it is just, you have to be suspect of the motive. And honestly, whatever questions I have of about whet Gene has said is one thing; but to beat the issue is, it's self-serving. It gets annoying."

Stanley, who was the first to slam Gene for calling Prince's alleged death from prescription drugs "pathetic," thinks that Sixx is feigning outrage to keep the story alive in an effort to score ratings. "Look, I think what Gene said was questionable, and I certainly took offense to some of it," Paul told The Pulse Of Radio. "But, y'know, I think he sometimes speaks without giving, y'know, full thought to what he's saying and then comes to regret it afterwards. But, y'know, that being said, for other people to just harp on it is just not something that I want to sit by and listen to. Y'know, when someone starts to denigrate or take pot shots at your contributions, or your band, or, y'know, anything else — if you consider the source, it gets a bit ludicrous."

Neoclassical virtuoso and Metal Method instructor Dan Mumm has released a music video for "Synchronicity", the lead single off of his latest instrumental album Peering Through The Lens Of Time. The video was shot and directed by Hellion guitarist Maxxxwell Carlisle and was filmed on location in the desolate Nevadan desert. 

Known as a "guitarist's guitarist", Mumm has made the guitar tablature and backing track for "Synchronicity" available for download on Sellfy.

 

 

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

"Magma" track listing:

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

The cover artwork for "Magma" can be seen below.

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

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

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

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

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

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

GOJIRA's fifth album, "L'Enfant Sauvage", sold almost 11,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 34 on The Billboard 200 chart.

In March 2015, GOJIRA released "Les Enfants Sauvages", a limited edition 5" x 7", 60-page hardcover photo book chronicling the band's journey around the world over the first two years since the release of "L'Enfant Sauvage". The images were taken around the globe, spanning over 150 shows on three continents, and were hand-selected by Joseph and Mario. The package also included a live CD and DVD capturing the band's performance at the legendary Brixton Academy in London, England.

Back in October 2015, San Francisco Bay Area metallers MACHINE HEAD went into Trident Studios in Martinez, California to record a new song called "Is There Anybody Out There?" A video for the track has just been filmed, and several photos from the set can be seen below.

MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn revealed during an appearance on a of HATEBREED frontman Jamey Jasta's official podcast, "The Jasta Show", that "Is There Anybody Out There?" will be released as a standalone track. He said: "It's just gonna be digital. It's gonna be just a single song. It's gonna be a... just on Spotify and probably iTunes, but not any physical product around it."

"Is There Anybody Out There?" will mark MACHINE HEAD's first new release since the arrival of the band's latest album, "Bloodstone & Diamonds", which sold around 18,200 copies in the United States in its first week to debut at position No. 21 on The Billboard 200 chart. Issued on November 10, 2014 via Nuclear Blast Entertainment, the CD was produced by Robb Flynn and Juan Urteaga, and like the last seven of eight MACHINE HEAD albums, was mixed by Colin Richardson. Additional tracking, editing, and mixing was done with Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, EXODUS, TESTAMENT, ARCH ENEMY) and Steve Lagudi.

Akron, Ohio's If These Trees Could Talk will release their third full-length, The Bones Of A Dying World, on June 3rd worldwide via Metal Blade Records. Featuring 9 instrumental tracks of the quintet's signature post-rock, The Bones Of A Dying World can be pre-ordered in various formats at this location. The new track “Berlin” is streaming below.

Formed in 2005, If These Trees Could Talk has grown tremendously since their humble origins in drummer Zack Kelly's basement as an instrumental project in college. After self-releasing their If These Trees Could Talk EP (2006) and two full-lengths, Above The Earth, Below The Sky (2009) and Red Forest (2012), the group garnered buzz from the global music community, and consequently sold out a three-week European tour in 2012. Music from the band's catalog has also been heard in Sony PS3 titles, and on NBC, MTV, VH1, the NFL, in videos for Vans, and for projects on the Sundance Film Festival. Cumulatively, If These Trees Could Talk has sold over 20,000 copies for their efforts, with 3,000 on vinyl alone across all of their albums. Their upcoming third full-length, The Bones Of A Dying World, promises to be another landmark achievement in the band's career.

"We feel this album 'steps up the sound' in a way that could only come after Red Forest and not before," Mike Socrates (guitar) comments. "The songs were constructed in a much more deliberate and cautious approach. A lot of time was spent on small parts and transitions in order to maximize the full effect of the song as a whole. In a way, we feel like this is the perfect continuation from Red Forest."

Recorded over the past year at NE Meadow Studios in Akron, OH, The Bones Of A Dying World was once again produced and engineered by the band's own Zack Kelly (drums). Mixing duties were handled by Zack Kelly and Freddie DeMarco while the final master was completed by Alan Douches at West West Side Music. For the album artwork, If These Trees Could Talk called upon long-time designer Charlie Wagers, who worked with the band on their past two releases. After four years of fine-tuning these audio and visual components, the quintet is now ready to unleash their Metal Blade Records debut this summer.

The Bones Of A Dying World tracklisting:

“Solstice”
“Swallowing Teeth”
“Earth Crawler”
“After the Smoke Clears”
“The Here and Hereafter”
“Iron Glacier”
“The Giving Tree”
“Berlin”
“One Sky Above Us”

“Berlin”:

“Earth Crawler”:

“Solstice”:

After The Bones Of A Dying World's release, If These Trees Could Talk will play two special album release shows in their home-state of Ohio (see below for details), with a full US tour planned for September. Stay tuned for more news and dates coming soon.

If These Trees Could Talk album release shows:

July
8 - Rumba Cafe - Columbus, OH
9 - Musica - Akron, OH

If These Trees Could Talk lineup:

Zack Kelly - Drums
Tom Fihe - Bass
Jeff Kalal - Guitar
Cody Kelly - Guitar
Michael Socrates - Guitar

Kiss star Gene Simmons says there's a "special place in hell" for child abusers
Gene Simmons has described paedophilia as "an incurable condition" to which "death is the only answer."

The Kiss bass player is the subject of a regular feature called The Gospel According To... in the latest issue of Classic Rock magazine, in which he tackles everything from politics and drugs to religion and paedophilia.

Simmons says: "Paedophilia is an incurable condition – death is the only answer, apart from sending them to the gulags of Siberia.

"And priests who are paedophiles are the lowest of the low. If you put on a priest's collar and use your influence to command someone to suck your cock, there's a special place in hell for you."

Last year, Simmons' Los Angeles home was raided by officers from the city's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, with the musician saying his internet connection was "used by some very bad people to do porn of a certain kind – the worst kind.”

Simmons was away on tour at the time the alleged offences took place.

Also in The Gospel According To Gene Simmons article, he insists he doesn't believe Islam is a violent culture and says he advocates marriage, but only for older men as "males of all ages are actually 16-year-old horny toads."

GUNS N' ROSES singer Axl Rose played his fifth show as the temporary frontman for AC/DC on Thursday night (May 19) at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion in Vienna, Austria.

For the Vienna concert, Rose was only partly 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 Vienna 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. Givin' 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)

Rose told NME in a new interview that he didn't speak with Brian Johnson before temporarily replacing the latter as frontman for AC/DC, saying it was only because he didn't have enough time. Rose explained: "I have not spoken with Brian. We haven't spoken much about Brian. There hasn't been any negative talk with the guys or anything — it's just the time schedule of having to get things together for the shows, while I also had GUNS N' ROSES commitments, and then breaking the foot."

Rose took over the mic in AC/DC after Johnson was warned by doctors that he would face a total loss of his hearing if he stayed on the road. Rose is slated for now to play AC/DC's current run of European shows as well as ten postponed North American gigs.

Rose also spoke about his injured foot, saying: "The day I found out it was broken I left the hospital to rehearse. My only day off was the surgery day, and the next day was back to rehearsals."

The singer said he had "about twenty rehearsals" with AC/DC, adding, "If I really screw up, they can blame me for that, because I did have good rehearsals."

Rose reached out to AC/DC himself after hearing about Johnson's misfortune. Guitarist Angus Young said: "A lot of people were putting people forward. You get a lot of people. The modern world being what it is, everyone's, 'Well, I can sing a song.'" AC/DC did audition at least two tribute band singers during their search.

Rose recently indicated that he's willing to continue with AC/DC past the 22 shows he's contracted for. He will have to take a break from them this summer, however, for his North American stadium run with GUNS N' ROSES.

On Jeff Beck's forthcoming studio album "Loud Hailer", his first in six years, the legendary guitarist combines fluid fretwork with topical lyrics to make a powerful statement about everything from the love of power, to the power of love. "Loud Hailer" will be available on Atco Records, an imprint of Rhino Entertainment, on July 15 on CD ($18.98), LP ($21.98), and digitally. "Loud Hailer", which is another name for a megaphone, is a suitable moniker for an album that isn't shy about speaking its mind. The two-time Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer explains: "I really wanted to make a statement about some of the nasty things I see going on in the world today, and I loved the idea of being at a rally and using this loud device to shout my point of view." The album's first single, the riotous rocker "Live In The Dark", will be unleashed soon. To help him write the 11 tracks on "Loud Hailer", Beck enlisted two fierce young females from London: singer Rosie Bones and guitarist Carmen Vandenberg. It was a chance meeting with Vandenberg last year at a birthday party for QUEEN drummer Roger Taylor that eventually led to the trio's collaboration. "She invited me to one of their shows, and I was blown away," the guitarist recalls. "When we got together in January, I explained the subject matter I had in mind, we sat down by the fire with a crate of Prosecco and got right to it. The songs came together very quickly; five in three days." Beck produced "Loud Hailer" with Filippo Cimatti, who also works with Rosie and Carmen. In addition to the core trio, the album also features drummer Davide Sollazzi and bassist Giovanni Pallotti, who were both recruited by Cimatti. Bones lends her powerful voice to nine of the 11 songs on "Loud Hailer", including the intense album opener "The Revolution Will Be Televised", the reflective ballad "Scared For The Children", the funk-infused "O.I.L." and the tranquil album closer "Shrine". The album is rounded out by two signature Beck instrumentals in "Pull It" and "Edna". A few days after the album's release, Beck will launch a summer tour of the U.S. with blues legend Buddy Guy. And on August 10, Beck, with special guests to be announced shortly, will make his Hollywood Bowl debut for a very special, career-spanning concert that celebrate 50 years of "dynamic music making." "It will be head teacher Beck in a gown and mortar board in front of the class giving everyone a history lesson," he jokes. The show will also include an orchestra. Over the course of Beck's illustrious 50-year career, the trailblazing guitarist has earned many accolades. He has twice been inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame — first as a member of THE YARDBIRDS in 1992 and then again, as a solo artist, in 2009. Rolling Stone ranked him as one of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" and he has earned a total of eight Grammy Awards during his long career. In addition, Beck has been a guest performer at scores of sessions with everyone from Stevie Wonder and Buddy Guy to Tina Turner and Mick Jagger. Throughout his career, Beck routinely makes the fantastically difficult sound effortless. In addition to recording "Loud Hailer", Beck has been hard at work on his first official book, "BECK01" (Genesis Publications). Available on July 12, this signed, limited edition book explores Beck's passions for hot rodding and rock 'n' roll. Inspired by the sleek curves, luxurious finish and iconic imagery of the hot rods he builds, "BECK01" is hand-bound in leather and aluminum with every book numbered and personally signed by the author, Jeff Beck. The guitarist's handpicked selection of more than 400 rare and unseen photographs and items of memorabilia is narrated with an original manuscript of nearly 20,000 words, making "BECK01" the definitive visual and historical record of the dynamic musician. Included is an eloquent foreword by John McLaughlin that begins, "Jeff Beck is my all-time favourite guitarist, what do I say after that?" Indeed. "Loud Hailer" track listing: 01. The Revolution Will Be Televised02. Live In The Dark03. Pull It04. Thugs Club05. Scared For The Children06. Right Now07. Shame08. Edna09. The Ballad Of The Jersey Wives10. O.I.L.11. Shrine

Inquisition are streaming a track off their forthcoming new album, Bloodshed Across The Empyrean Altar Beyond The Celestial Zenith. The song, titled "Wings Of Anu" can be heard via the YouTube clip below.

Regarding the track, guitarist/vocalist Dagon comments: "Anu is the god of all gods, the cosmos, the all. His seeds were dropped to the soil of earth and life was spawned. His wings represent those who came here and seeded the earth. Still today those wings continue to return and are at times seen in the skies in various forms in the most unnatural forms transcending through interstellar portals to earth."

Bloodshed Across... will be released by Season Of Mist worldwide on August 26th. The artwork and tracklisting can be found below. Pre-orders across several CD and LP formats, including several limited edition bundles, are available at the Season of Mist e-shop.

Their first new record in three years,Bloodshed Across The Empyrean Altar Beyond The Celestial Zenith was recorded at the legendary London Bridge Studios in Seattle (Alice In Chains, Queensryche, Soundgarden) with long time engineer Arthur Rizk (Prurient, Power Trip).

Regarding the album, Dagon adds: "Bloodshed Across The Empyrean Altar Beyond The Celestial Zenith represents a multi layered theme beginning with the universe as an infinite space of war between the cosmic gods of our creation, transcending into the spirit of our inner space which is an extension of the gods, and the connection between our species, our spirit, and the absolute universe as a whole as a result from the interstellar warfare. Inspired by the forces before creation, its mechanics and the ancient question/reason as to what placed us here as the most recent ruling species in such an instantaneous window of time."

"Intro: The Force Before Darkness"
"From Chaos They Came"
"Wings Of Anu"
"Vortex From The Celestial Flying Throne Of Storms"
"A Black Aeon Shall Cleanse"
"The Flames Of Infinite Blackness Before Creation"
"Mystical Blood"
"Through The Divine Spirit Of Satan A Glorious Universe Is Known"
"Bloodshed Across The Empyrean Altar Beyond The Celestial Zenith"
"Power From The Center Of The Cosmic Black Spiral"
"A Magnificent Crypt Of Stars"
"Outro: The Invocation Of The Absolute, The All, The Satan"
"Coda: Hymn To The Cosmic Zenith"

 

 

Gruesome are streaming their Dimensions Of Horror EP in it’s entirety. Listen below. The EP is out tomorrow, May 20th, on CD, LP, cassette and digitally worldwide. Pre-orders are available at Relapse Records.

Self-produced by the band and recorded with Jarrett Pritchard at New Constellation Studios in Orlando, FL, Dimensions Of Horror is a gruesome salute to Death’s iconic Scream Bloody Gore. and once again features cover art by the legendary Ed Repka (Death, Atheist, Massacre). A six-song slab of grisly, bone-breaking death metal jams, Dimensions Of Horror continues the development of Gruesome’s homage to the founding fathers of the genre and proves that no matter the decade, old-school death metal is always relevant, always savage, and always irresistible.

Tracklisting:

“Forces Of Death”
“Raped By Darkness”
“Amputation”
“Hellbound”
“Seven Doors”
“Dimensions Of Horror”

EP stream:

“Dimensions Of Horror” video:

Trailer:

Check out "Revocation Of Humankind" - the opening track from the upcoming Blood Red Throne album entitled, Union Of Flesh And Machine, to be released in July by Spinefarm Records.

Tracklisting:

"Revocation Of Humankind"
"Proselyte Virus"
"Patriotic Hatred"
"Homicidal Ecstacy"
"Martyrized"
"Union Of Flesh And Machine"
"Legacy Of Greed"
"Exposed Mutation
"Primal Recoil"
"Leather Rebel"
"Mary Whispers Of Death"

 

"Tied Up", a brand new song from Long Beach, California's RIVAL SONS, can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's upcoming album, "Hollow Bones", due on June 10 via Earache

RIVAL SONS' fifth studio album features nine brand new tracks of electrifying rock 'n' soul, including a breathtaking cover of "Black Coffee".

With a huge range of "Hollow Bones" products available, including limited-edition gold, silver and transparent vinyl, plus ultra-limited signed CD and vinyl editions, there's something for everyone from the casual fan to the die-hard collector.

Once again recorded with two-time Grammy winner Dave Cobb, "Hollow Bones" follows the release of RIVAL SONS' chart-hitting 2014 album "Great Western Valkyrie". Since then, the band has appeared on "Later... With Jools Holland" in the U.K. and "The Late Show With David Letterman" in the USA, performed at the iconic Glastonbury and Isle Of Wight festivals and sold out countless headlining shows.

Always a band who feel artwork is as much a part of the album experience as the music, their first outing was a collaboration with legendary artist Storm Thorgerson, known for many iconic album covers from the likes of PINK FLOYD and LED ZEPPELIN. This time they have teamed up with artist Martin Wittfooth, whose intensely allegorical paintings all suggest the future of the human condition — without showing a single person — on a piece called "Rainsong". Guitarist Scott Holiday commented: "I discovered Martin Wittfooth about halfway through making 'Hollow Bones'. I was immediately drawn into his work. I loved his imagery with animals and felt it was calm and unnerving all at the same time. I also loved the touch of whimsy and beautiful psychedelic overtones he used. First time I saw his work, I immediately felt it was right for this album.

"I won't try to overly interpret the album cover or explain in detail why I believe it works perfectly with the album… but I can safely say I think this just might be my favorite cover of ours yet."

Having recently supported the legendary BLACK SABBATH on "The End" world tour, and with the upcoming release of yet another jaw-dropping record, 2016 looks set to be RIVAL SONS' best year yet.

In the words of frontman Jay Buchanan: "Each record we've made has been part of a distillation toward revealing the band's essence. This record finally is the release of the unapologetic, wild beast that has long lived within the ribs of RIVAL SONS howling to be freed."

Brian Rademacher of RockEyez recently conducted an interview with CRASHDÏET guitarist and SWEET CREATURE frontman Martin Sweet. You can now listen to the chat in the YouTube clip below.

Speaking about vocalist Simon Cruz's sudden departure from CRASHDÏET in January 2015, Sweet said: "Well, he left the group when we were in Tokyo [Japan]. We had two shows to play — two shows in a row; like maybe Saturday and Sunday, or something like that. We were opening for EUROPE. And after the first show, he left home to Sweden without announcing anything. But he had been acting weird for some time before."

He continued: "We've been through some rough times, with our manager dying in the midst of our world tour. And I don't know… He changed after Michael Sundén died, and he seemed to be having a lot of personal stuff going on. And we actually wanted to cancel the Japanese tour, 'cause we didn't think he was fit for it, but he was stubborn, as he is, and he went to Tokyo anyway. So we did what we could. I mean, we did a whole show; we did like an hour set, and it was fine. Then he left the morning after."

According to Sweet, Cruz's exit from CRASHDÏET came at a time when the band was already working on material for the follow-up to 2013's "The Savage Playground". "We had plans for the next album, and demos were being made," he said. "We had plans, but it just didn't work out. And then when [Simon] left, we kind of lost the spirit for a while."

Despite the fact that CRASHDÏET has been inactive for nearly a year and a half, Sweet insists that the band still has a future. "A lot of people are talking about, you know, they ask, 'Is CRASHDÏET over?' Fuck no!" he said. "CRASHDÏET is my main band, you know. And when the time is right, we will start the search for a new singer."

Martin does stress, however, that fans shouldn't expect to hear new music from CRASHDÏET for quite a while. "I don't think we have the energy to start a huge campaign about searching for singers right now," he said. "We get e-mails every now and then — or quite often, actually — [from singers offering their services] so we look at all of them and listen. But we're not actively searching for a new singer right now. We're just kind of trying to recoup and trying to get our lives together."

Cruz, who was previously a member of the Stockholm act JAILBAIT, joined CRASHDÏET in 2009 as the replacement for H. Olliver Twisted (now in RECKLESS LOVE).

Former CRASHDIET singer David Hellman (a.k.a. Dave Lepard) was found dead on January 20, 2006 at his apartment in the Swedish city of Uppsala, north of Stockholm. It was reported in several places that he hanged himself, although this was never officially confirmed.

"The Savage Playground" entered the official chart in Sweden at position No. 2. The CD was released in January 2013 via Frontiers.

CRASHDÏET released a DVD titled "Shattered Glass And Broken Bones – Three Years Of Generation Wild" on December 4, 2012. The disc featured three hours of live and behind-the-scenes footage complied by the band with Bear Productions.

THE APOCALYPSE BLUES REVUE (formerly BLUE CROSS BAND), the new project from GODSMACK's Shannon Larkin and Tony Rombola, has inked a deal with Provogue. The band's debut album will be released later in the year.

THE APOCALYPSE BLUES REVUE, whose lineup is rounded out by frontman Ray Cerbone and bassist Brian Carpenter, honors blues traditions, while etching their stamp on the genre in blood. "As far as blues goes, APOCALYPSE BLUES REVUE is a little heavier, a little darker, and has some punk rock attitude in the lyrics," affirms Shannon. "We wanted to make something deep that will provoke thought. It had to be evil, though. We're not trying to make it happy. It's called blues for a reason! It was also an opportunity to show the world what a phenomenal guitar player Tony is." Shannon witnessed Tony's knack for the style firsthand while writing together for GODSMACK's 2010 offering "The Oracle". Burnt out on metal and hard rock, the pair would loosely jam without boundaries. During one impromptu session in their Southwest Florida rehearsal spot, the drummer laid down a slow, simmering groove, and another side of the guitar player reared its head. "I couldn't believe it," smiles Shannon. "I didn't even know he was into blues or could play the way he does. My reaction was immediate. We had to officially start a blues band.” Provogue/Mascot Label Group's CEO Ed van Zijl was equally impressed when he heard the band for the first time: "This is a very cool band and they made a very cool record," he says." Melodic and groovin' blues rock with touches of Hendrix and THE DOORS. The whole album sounds very organic and natural, great songs and vibe as if they have been playing together for a long time. I love it!"

Talking about joining the label, Larkin adds: "We looked at Mascot's roster and track record, and made the decision on the spot. We didn't feel we needed to shop the band to any other labels; it just felt too perfect."

Southern California’s Nails will release You Will Never Be One Of Us on June 17th via Nuclear Blast Entertainment. Today, the band has released a music video for the track “Savage Intolerance”. Check it out below:

You Will Never Be One Of Us was recorded, mixed and produced by Kurt Ballou (Converge, High On Fire). Artwork was created by WHTHD. Pre-order the album in CD or vinyl format, with or without several bonus items, from the Nuclear Blast web shop. Pre-order the album digitally right now through iTunes or Amazon and receive the title track instantly.

You Will Never Be One Of Us tracklisting:

“You Will Never Be One Of Us”
“Friend To All”
“Made To Make You Fall”
“Life Is A Death Sentence”
“Violence Is Forever”
“Savage Intolerance”
“In Pain”
“Parasite”
“Into Quietus”
“They Come Crawling Back”

“You Will Never Be One Of Us” video:

Making-of documentary videos:

Part 1:

Part 2:

In support of their new album, Nails has announced several worldwide tour dates. Confirmed shows are listed below.

Tour dates:

June
11 - Sound and Fury Festival - Regent Theater - Los Angeles, CA

June (with Full Of Hell, God’s Hate, Eternal Sleep)
17 - The Empty Bottle - Chicago, IL
18 - The Loving Touch - Femdale, MI
19 - Hard Luck - Toronto, ON CANADA
20 - Les Foufounes Electriques - Montreal, QC CANADA
21 - Middle East - Cambridge, MA
22 - Marlin Room at Webster Hall - New York, NY
23 - Underground Arts - Philadelphia, PA
24 - Ottobar - Baltimore, MD
25 - Strange Matter - Richmond, VA

July (with Terrorizer, Freedom, Nomads)
20 - Brick By Brick - San Diego, CA
21 - Constellation Room - Santa Ana, CA
22 - The Roxy Theatre - West Hollywood, CA
23 - Thee Parkside - San Francisco, CA (no Terrorizer)

August
5 - This Is Hardcore Festival - Electric Factory - Philadelphia, PA

October
21 - Southwest Terror Fest - 191 Toole - Tucson, AZ

November (with Full Of Hell)
4 - Cathouse - Glasgow, Scotland
5 - Damnation Festival - Leeds, England
6 - The Fleece - Bristol, England
7 - Underworld - London, England
8 - Point Ephemere - Paris, France
9 - Trix - Antwerp, Belgium
10 - Underworld - Cologne, Germany
11 - Aalborg Metal Festival - Aalborg, Denmark
12 - Babel - Malmo, Sweden
13 - Hafenklang - Hamburg, Germany
14 - Musik & Frieden - Berlin, Germany
15 - Futurum - Prague, Czech
16 - Arena - Vienna, Austria
17 - Hansa 39 - Munich, Germany
18 - Keller Club - Stuttgart, Germany
19 - Doorroosje Indoor Fest - Nijmegen, Netherlands

(Photo - Jimmy Hubbard)

"Hated", a brand new song from Columbus, Ohio's BEARTOOTH, can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's new album, "Aggressive", which will be released on June 3 via Red Bull Records.

In the two short years since their debut album was cooked up in frontman Caleb Shomo's basement, BEARTOOTH has catapulted into heavy music's stratosphere. They have collected over ten million views on YouTube, trekked around the globe sharing the stage with SLIPKNOT, PIERCE THE VEIL, BRING ME THE HORIZON and SLEEPING WITH SIRENS and playing festivals like Reading and Leeds, Download and the Vans Warped Tour.

For "Aggressive", Shomo again retreated to his home studio to write, perform and produce the album's twelve tracks, re-teaming with John Feldmann (THE USED, BLINK-182) for a bit of songwriting contribution and enlisting David Bendeth (KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, PARAMORE) to mix the release. The resulting songs have as much in common with stomping metalcore as old-school punk, vintage screamo and harder-edged pop punk, combining circle pit-inducing bangers with soaring choruses and bridging raw authentic intensity with accessibility.

"Aggressive" track listing:

01. Aggressive02. Hated03. Loser04. Fair Weather Friend05. Burnout06. Sick Of Me07. Censored08. Always Dead09. However You Want It Said10. Find A Way11. Rock Is Dead12. King Of Anything

Italian thrashers Extrema are preparing for the release of The Old School EP, set for May 27th by Punishment 18 Records. The EP will be released as digital version, CD and vinyl (250 copies limited edition), and will feature two powerful guests: Ralph Salati (Destrage) and Bob Capka (ex-Vicious Rumours).

A video for the song  “Carcasses”, featuring Ralph Salati, can be found below. The clip was filmed, directed and edited by Daniele Farina with additional filming from Jimmy Rey, Loris Marinoni and Nicole Alagna.

Guitarist Tommy Massara comments about the track and video: “”Carcasses" is the only track on the new EP that was never recorded before, even on a demo. I found the song on a rehearsal tape that was unheard and un-played since 1987. All we did was change up the lyrics for this EP.

“It was immediately clear to the whole band that this song was perfect for an in-your-face video. We contacted our close friend Daniele Farina to direct, film and edit the video, who also filmed and edited two of the videos from our 2013 album, The Seed Of Foolishness. The place he suggested to film it is currently abandoned, a totally dangerous place for us to be and I don't think we were even supposed to be in there. But it was incredible for the video - such a cool place. The results came out amazing."

The Old School EP embodies the spirit, immediacy and brutality of the years in which its tracks were originally written, accented by fresh, pummelling production. Recorded last year at Fear Studios in Alfonsine (Ravenna, Italy) with The Seed Of Foolishness producer Gabry Ravaglia, these tracks do not just prompt the "old school" cliché - they are the real deal - recorded in classic brutal fashion with only minimal writing tweaks.

All five tracks were originally written in 1987, shortly after the release of Extrema’s We Fuckin ' Care EP. Only one of these songs saw the light on an album - "Life" was originally released in 1993 on the band's first full-length album Tension At The Seams. The track has been re-recorded for The Old School EP in addition to tracks the band is known for performing live-only or releasing as raw demos on rare tapes, including "Child Abuse", the instrumental "M.A.S.S.A.C.R.O", "Tribal Scream" and "Carcasses". The idea came to guitarist Tommy Massara while tidying Extrema’s audio archives. He began listening to a tape on which there were no notes or text records of any kind.

In addition to those tracks, The Old School EP will feature two bonus tracks, including live versions of "Life" and Motörhead's "Ace of Spades", both recorded in Rome, Italy.

Tracklisting:

“Life”
“Carcasses”
“Tribal Scream”
“Child Abuse”
“M.A.S.S.A.C.R.O.”
“Life” (Live in Rome)
“Ace Of Spades” (Live in Rome)

Extrema will perform an EP showcase presentation on May 21st at Legend Club in Milan, Italy.

100 Years will release their debut, selt-titled album via Suicide Records on June 17th. The Swedish indie-metal outfit formed back in 2012, housing members from the legendary, pioneering death metal band Merciless as well as one of Sweden's most influential and esteemed acts Dia Psalma.

Written, recorded, produced and mixed over the last two years by the band themselves, 100 Years is a gloomy celebration of rain battered concrete, human downfall and desperate solitude that will delight fans of acts such as Voivod, Swans, Killing Joke and Celtic Frost. Watch the band’s new video for the track “All Grey” below.

Tracklisting:
 
“The Medicine Knows My Name”
“Breath Of Summer”
“Too Far From Goodness”
“Incendie”
“All Grey”
“Calling For Daylight”
“All The Fools And Me”
“The Flood”
“Concrete Eden”

“All Grey” video:

100 Years is available on pre-order now at this location.

100 Years lineup:

Roger Petersson - vocals
Magnus Borg - bass
Adam Magnusson - guitar
Henrik Borg - drums
Pontus Andersson - guitar

(Photo - Uffe Sandin)

They came from Venus to destroy the cities. Valient Thorr is a wild ass rock ’n roll band said to hail from inside of the planet Venus. Since crash landing on Earth in the year 2000, they've played well over 1,500 shows all over the world. They've toured with visionaries from Motörhead and Joan Jett to contemporary heroes like Mastodon, Gogol Bordello, and Clutch. Since 2005 they have put out six full-length records and two seven inches! And just so you don't think we're blowing smoke, look them up! This is only the cusp of the feats of greatness this hard working, sweat drenched band has accomplished!

Today the aliens can confirm a July 29th release date for their Napalm Records debut and seventh full-length release. Old Salt is the follow-up to 2013's Our Own Masters. Additional details including album art and track listing have been revealed as well.

Valient Himself commented on the new album: "Old Salt wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for Eidan Thorr. He helmed this beast & put the wheels in motion. What is it about? If you ask me it's about stepping into the future as an artist while trying to anticipate what comes next using that old man logic that comes with age- that no one ever tells you about until it's time to say "if I'd known then what I know now". All the best old storytellers aren't just weaving you yarns. They are recounting from experiences. And believe me, we've had plenty of those in the last few years."

Pre-order your copy of Old Salt in exclusive bundle packages here.

Old Salt tracklisting:

“Mirakuru”
“Lil Knife”
“Cut And Run”
“No Count Blues”
“The Trudge”
“Worm Up”
“Spellbroke”
“Linen Maker”
“The Shroud”
“Looking Glass”
“Jealous Gods”

In support Old Salt, Valient Thorr will be hitting the road in North American on the 15 Years on Earth Tour. Joining them on the road will be Pears, Black Wizard and label-mates Hammer Fight. The tour kicks off May 25th in Asheville, NC and runs through July 13th in Baltimore, MD.

 

 

Valient Thorr - 15 Years On Earth Tour:

May
25 - Asheville, NC - The Mothlight
26 - West Columbia, SC - New Brookland Tavern
27 - Gainesville, FL - The Atlantic
28- Satellite Beach, FL - Sports Page
29 - Lake Worth, FL - Propaganda
31 - Mobile, AL - The Blind Mule

June
1 - Atlanta, GA - Drunken Unicorn
2 - Birmingham, AL - Syndicate Lounge
3 - Memphis, TN - Hi Tone Café
4 - Hattiesburg, MS - The Tavern
5 - Houston, TX - Rudyards
6 - San Antonio, TX - Jacks Bar
8 - Austin, TX - The Lost Well
9 - Dallas, TX - Three Links
10 - Oklahoma City, OK - The Blue Note
11 - Denver, CO - Marquis Theatre
12 - Salt Lake City, UT - Metro Bar
15 - San Diego, CA - Soda Bar
16 - Glendale, CA - Complex
17 - Reno, NV - Shea's Tavern
18 - Sacramento, CA - Starlight Lounge
19 - San Francisco, CA - DNA Lounge
20 - Portland, OR - Mississippi Studios
22 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon Lounge
23 - Vancouver, BC - SBC
24 - Edmonton, AB - Starlight Room
25 - Calgary, AB - Palomino Smokehouse
27 - Winnipeg, MB - Pyramid Cabaret
30 - Fort Wayne, IN - Brass Rail

July
1 - Louisville, KY - Haymarket Whiskey Bar
2 - Columbus, OH - Shrunken Head
3 - Ferndale, MI - Zeke's
5 - Toronto, ON - Hard Luck
6 - Montreal, QC - Bar Le Ritz PDB
8 - Buffalo, NY - The Studio at Waiting Room
9 - Providence, RI - Firehouse 13
10 - New Haven, CT - Café Nine
11 - Brooklyn, NY - Black Bear Bar
12 - Philadelphia, PA - Underground Arts
13 - Baltimore, MD - Baltimore Sound Stage

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

Grain Of Soul tracklisting:

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

"Shore"
"Dying One"

"Rebirth By Fire" lyric video:

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

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

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

Upcoming summer festival dates:

May
21 - Bully-les-Mines, France - Bully On Rocks Festival

June
24 - Hamburg, Germany - Hamburg Harley Days

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

Finnish melodic deathsters INSOMNIUM have been forging a very special release during the past few months. Titled "Winter's Gate", it is a concept album made up of one epic 40-minute song. The album is built around a short story, "Winter's Gate" ("Talven Portti" in Finnish), written by vocalist and bassist Niilo Sevänen, recipient of numerous Finnish awards and nominations. The compelling short story is about a group of Vikings who set out to find a fabled island west of Ireland, despite the treacherous winter drawing near.

The full story will be released together with the album as a book with translations in English, Finnish and German, and illustrated by the artist Teemu Tähkänen.

"Winter's Gate" is currently being mixed by Dan Swanö at Unisound AB studio in Sweden and will be out worldwide through Century Media Records on September 23. Upcoming tour dates for autumn and winter will be announced soon.

INSOMNIUM's latest album, "Shadows Of The Dying Sun", was released in April 2014 in North America via Century Media Records. All the drums were recorded at studio SF Sound with Kimmo Perkkiö while the rest of the instruments were laid down at studio Korkeakoski with Teemu Aalto. André Alvinzi of Fascination Street Studios took care of the mix, with Svante Forsbäck at Chartmakers overseeing the mastering. The artwork was once again created by Wille Naukkarinen.

Artistically imperious, instinctively forward-thinking and remorselessly creative, Satyricon have long since earned the right to be hailed as one of black metal’s most important and influential bands. And now they are to revisit the album that raised them from underground heroes to bold contenders on the world stage… the timeless and towering Nemesis Divina.

To herald the 20th anniversary of this most illustrious piece of dark art, Nemesis Divina will be re-released on May 20th via Napalm Records, newly remastered by Satyr himself and boasting upgraded and revamped packaging worthy of an album that has had a huge and enduring impact on both the black metal scene and underground heavy music in general. A full album stream can be found below.

Satyricon will return to celebrate the 20th anniversary of this seminal masterpiece with a never-to-be-repeated series of exclusive European shows, wherein the Norwegian trailblazers will perform the album in its entirety for the first and last time.

“It’s not what we do and it won’t happen again!” avows frontman and creative mastermind Satyr. “This band, as you know, is definitely not retrospective. But we started playing live in 1996. Our most groundbreaking milestone record came out in 1996.  It’s the only one that we still play several songs from in our set to this day… so if we're ever going to do anniversary shows, do a reissue and make it a big deal, it’s gonna be Nemesis Divina and it has to be now.”

When Satyricon released their third album in 1996, their status as one of the most significant and creatively vital bands in Norwegian black metal was already beyond dispute. But Nemesis Divina was no ordinary record or just another step along the road to infamy. Instead, this was a revolutionary and groundbreaking piece of work from a band that had suddenly hit their stride on every conceivable level. From its uniquely vibrant and impactful artwork, which broke every supposed rule in the black metal handbook with its vivid colours and refined aesthetic core, to the supremely confident and idiosyncratic songs and individual performances that heralded a newfound sophistication and a freshly incisive vision, Nemesis Divina almost single-handedly took black metal from its voluntarily shadowy and obscure origins into the glaring spotlight of the international metal scene. There are many classic albums to salute from the Norwegian scene of the early 90s and while the likes of Mayhem, Darkthrone, Emperor and Immortal undoubtedly share Satyricon’s esteemed position in the genre’s spectral hall of fame, it was arguably Nemesis Divina that most vigorously announced the arrival of this arcane musical phenomenon to the rest of the world, destroying the notion that black metal was an entirely self-contained and inward-looking subculture in the process. Most of all, however, Nemesis Divina showcased a band that finally had the skill and the musical intuition to back up the undeniable potency of their artistic vision. Sonically devastating and compositionally meticulous, songs like Mother North and The Dawn Of A New Age redefined what black metal was capable of, while proudly retaining the genre’s ageless essence and aesthetic values.

“Everything expanded tenfold with Nemesis Divina,” Satyr states. “For most people who liked the first two records, Satyricon climbed to a whole different level on Nemesis Divina and people really started to love the band. This album has a special place in our history. Suddenly we were selling 80,000 and then 100,000 records, and those numbers were unheard of in our small part of the world. That was the record that everyone that was into this scene wanted to buy. If you say there are two stages of evolution in black metal – the 80s, with Venom and Celtic Frost and Bathory, and then the 90s with the Norwegian stuff and everything followed in its wake – there are, at most, a handful of albums and a handful of songs that really define modern day black metal. Nemesis Divina is definitely one of those records and Mother North is definitely one of those songs.”

Nemesis Divina tracklisting:

“The Dawn Of A New Age”
“Forhekset”
“Mother North”
“Du Som Hater Gud”
“Immortality Passion”
“Nemesis Divina”
“Transcendental Requiem Of Slaves”

Album stream:

Nemesis Divina formats:

- Limited Edition Mediabook CD + extended Booklet incl. exclusive liner notes
- Limited Vinyl 1LP Gatefold + A2 Poster
- Limited Deluxe Box Set incl. Mediabook CD + 12” Picture Vinyl + 12” Slip Mat + A2 Poster

Pre-Orders are now available here.

Satyricon will then embark on a series of exclusive one-off shows, performing the record in full for the first and only time.

“Its 20 years since Satyricon made its live debut as a band, and 20 years since we released Nemesis Divina,” Satyr states. “I thought  ‘Either we do multiple shows, re-release the album and do it properly…or we don’t do it at all’. «So here we are. We’ll be performing Nemesis Divina, front to back, doing only a few exclusive shows and we look forward to sharing this unique experience with our loyal fans."

Tour dates:

June
10 - Norje, Sweden - Sweden Rock Festival     
18 - Dessel, Belglium - Graspop

July
8 - Harzgerode, Germany - Rockharz Festival    

August
12 - Jaromer, Czech Republic - Brutal Assault
13 - Graz, Austria - Metal On The Hill Festival
14 - Walton On Trent, UK - Catton Park
19 - Sinbronn, Germany - Summer Breeze
27 - Crispendorf, Germany - Wolfzeit Festival

Deadlock have released their new music video for the new track “Berserk”, from their upcoming Hybris album. Watch below:

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

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

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

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

Hybris tracklisting:

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

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

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

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

See Deadlock live at these upcoming summer festivals:

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

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

Deadlock lineup:

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

"Clandestine Ways (Krokodil Rot)", the new video from San Diego-based deathgrind masters CATTLE DECAPITATION, can be seen below. The clip was once again directed by Mitch Masse, who previously helmed the band's video for "Your Disposal".

CATTLE DECAPITATION frontman Travis Ryan comments: "Mitch Massie once again hurls us into a nightmarish world of the eye for an eye table turning that CATTLE DECAPITATION lyrics exude, but this time in a much more surreal manner. Here we see the circus has come to town and with it a grisly 'freaks' exhibit featuring the barbaric aftermath of what the protagonists (the 'Ringmaster' and a freed 'specimen') have done to the leading researchers at Cosmeugenics Laboratories — a place where cosmetics testing is performed on earthen creatures all in the name of human vanity — but this time by completely incorrectly administering the clandestine, flesh-eating drug 'krokodil.' I'll leave out the horrific details as you'll have to see that for yourself!"

"The Anthropocene Extinction" came out last August via Metal Blade. The CD was once again helmed by Dave Otero (ALLEGAEON, CEPHALIC CARNAGE), who worked on 2012's "Monolith Of Inhumanity".

CATTLE DECAPITATION also enlisted a surprising array of guests to help achieve their vision. The one and only legendary Philip H. Anselmo lends his throat to "The Prophets Of Loss" while recent signee to his Housecore Records label, fellow San Diegan and friend of the band, AUTHOR & PUNISHER, brings forth the industrial damnation as an intro to the track "Plagueborne". Additionally, Germany's dark metal misanthrope, Mr. Jurgen Bartsch of the almighty BETHLEHEM, lends a spoken-word piece in his native tongue to the apocalyptic final track "Pacific Grim".

The record also sees the band extending their collaboration with illustrator Wes Benscoter, who's handled the artwork for every CATTLE DECAPITATION release since 2002's "To Serve Man".