US rockers Halestorm have checked in with the following update:

"Surprise! Remember our special, limited edition vinyl release that we did for Record Store Day? It was called Into The Wild Live: Chicago and was only found by a lucky few 1000 people at awesome indie record stores around the country on Record Store Day last month. Well, turns out we have a few extras that are now available on our webstore here. Get 'em while the gettin' is good!"

In addition, Into The Wild Live: Chicago is available for streaming and download via iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, Apple Music and Google Play.

"Beautiful With You" (Live From Chicago)
"Freak Like Me" (Acoustic) (Live From Chicago)
"Scream" (Live From Chicago)
"I Am The Fire" (Live From Chicago)

Record Store Day took place on Saturday, April 16, 2016 and this special release was only available at participating independent record stores.

On April 27th, Lita Ford, Halestorm and support artist Dorothy Martin played to a sold out Webster Hall in New York City. Fan-filmed video of Lita, Halestorm vocalist Lzzy Hale, and Dorthy performing The Runaways' classic "Cherry Bomb" is available below. In addition, footage of Lita and Lzzy performing "Close My Eyes Forever" on the night can also be viewed.

Pablo of the Minneapolis, Minnesota radio station 93X conducted an interview with Rob Zombie at the Northern Invasion festival, which is being held Saturday, May 14 and Sunday, May 15 at Somerset Amphitheatre in Somerset, Wisconsin, just outside the Twin Cities. You can now watch the chat below.

Asked about his appreciation for the Japanese pop metal act BABYMETAL, Rob said: "I saw them the other day for the first time. I mean, I'd seen videos and stuff, but I saw them live for the first time the other day, and I just loved it; it was like nothing I had ever seen before. I mean, it was just like… Leave it to the Japanese to find a way to make fucking death metal cute. But it was awesome. And the crowd… The crowd was going fucking apeshit. The amount of crowdsurfing and stage diving and just complete mayhem, which made it even funnier, 'cause it's three cute little girls doing fucking karate on stage and shit, and these guys [that are backing them] are dressed like ghosts, all in white. It's the most bizarre fucking thing. It's totally worth watching; it's so good."

Zombie made headlines last week after he defended BABYMETAL against online criticism, saying that the Japanese group has "more energy than 90 percent of the bands we play with."

Last weekend, Zombie met BABYMETAL at the Carolina Rebellion festival in Concord, North Carolina. He then posted a snapshot of them together backstage to his Facebook page, much to the chagrin of many of his fans.

After one fan called BABYMETAL "a shameful embarrassment to anything metal," Rob responded: "Hey, they are nice kids out on the road touring. What are you doing besides being a grumpy old fuck?"

Another fan wrote: "[BABYMETAL] are awful. This is lame. I love you, Rob, but shame on you." Rob fired back with: "They roll harder than you."

A third fan said: "Are you kidding me, Rob? BABYMETAL is J-pop, not metal. But to each their own, I guess." Zombie countered with: "These three girls had more energy than 90 percent of the bands we play with."

BABYMETAL addressed the photo in a comment on the Facebook photo. They wrote: “Thank you Rob! The Spirit of HEAVY METAL traversed across the World,rose above language barriers, went beyond generations and created countless legends. See you again at Northern Invasion!"

Levi Seth of Australia's Sticks For Stones recently conducted an interview with QUEENSRŸCHE guitarist Michael Wilton. You can now listen to the chat below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On how QUEENSRŸCHE fans have been responding to the band's singer of the past four years, Todd La Torre:

Michael: "He's seamlessly integrated [into the band], the fans love him. He's the real deal. There's no prima donna ego on stage. It's not an act; it's all real. And as far as the albums [go], people are just blown away by [2015's] 'Condition Hüman' and his performance on it. And then live, as we expect, we have to prove ourselves with every show, and that's what we're doing. Because we're getting people that haven't seen us in a long time, or are wondering what happened, or they've had their head in the sand or something. Their jaws are dropping [after seeing us live now]. It's unbelievable, after a show, how many new fans we get, and it's just unbelievable how it's just a viral situation right now. So it's really great that we get to bring this version of QUEENSRŸCHE, a high-energy [version]… like the good old days, to Australia."

On whether he is seeing a lot of new fans and young faces coming to see QUEENSRŸCHE nowadays:

Michael: "Yeah, I mean, since we have Todd La Torre and Parker Lundgren [guitar], we have a whole contingency of new fans, and by new fans I mean youg fans as well, that are coming to the shows now that only know us from our past two albums. So it's obviously something that we want to happen, but, you know, of course, we get the people that have been there since 1982 as well. People who are coming out to support the band and see the band are just amazed that we're doing the songs like [we were doing them] when they were young [and they first saw us play]. So it's really interesting right now that you see that a QUEENSRŸCHE is so varied in the audience."

On whether the members of QUEENSRŸCHE immediately get back to writing new music once they have completed a tour:

Michael: "Well, we started [touring in support of 'Condition Hüman'] in January and we are going to December. The album's been out six months. Generally, the record company wants a new album every year and a half to two years. So, in January, we're gonna start writing a new record, and we do that in Seattle, where we live, so we get to be home. Keeping the family bond strong is always just as important. But, yeah, we're busy guys; I've gotta say that. I mean, we're out there with everybody else, and it's a lot of work, it's a lot of fun, and it's very rewarding to see everything happening the way it is for us."

QUEENSRŸCHE hired Todd La Torre to replace Geoff Tate in 2012 and has released two albums with the ex-CRIMSON GLORY frontman: 2013's "Queensrÿche" and the aforementioned "Condition Hüman".

"Condition Hüman" debuted at No. 27 on The Billboard 200 chart, having shifted 14,000 equivalent album units in the week ending October 8, 2015.

Metal Wani's Jackie Mtz conducted an interview with drummer Steve Asheim of Florida death metal veterans DEICIDE on May 12 in Phoenix, Arizona. You can now listen to the chat in the YouTube clip below. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On the progress of the songwriting sessions for DEICIDE's follow-up to 2013's "In The Minds Of Evil" album:

Steve: "We've got about eight or nine songs, and we're gonna do another three or four; we'll pull together when we get back from this tour. And if we can pull that music together, the ten or twelve songs, whatever it might be, and maybe get into the studio and start doing the drums and the music by the end of the year or something, we can have something out by next year. I doubt we'll have anything out by this year."

On the musical direction of the new DEICIDE material:

Steve: "It seems like we're gonna be taking the same approach. I mean, we're not gonna fix what isn't broken, as far as what we do. You know, we've been writing heavy riffs. We're just gonna make 'em heavier as work [on] them together. It was weird. When we did the last record, I was, like, 'Eh, I'm really not that psyched about these songs,' and the album turned out being great. And the way the new material is, it's funny, I'm kind of, like, 'Eh, it could be better.' So we're just gonna be hashing some more stuff out and really make it intense, because we know we did a pretty good one and we're gonna have to beat it. But we're gonna work on it hard, make sure it's good."

On what inspires DEICIDE to keep making new music:

Steve: "Well, you know, just wanting to be heavy. We have a nice, steady band lineup that is focused, and we feel that we can really do some good work now that everyone's kind of on the same page. So as long as we focus our riffs and focus our energies on making the songs good and doing good tours, it's gonna give us another few years, another few records, and a good number of years left ahead of us to keep doing this. It still feels good, it's fun, and we'll keep at it as long as we can keep going."

"In The Minds Of Evil" sold 2,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release. Issued on November 25, 2013 via Century Media Records, the follow-up to 2011's "To Hell With God" was recorded at AudioHammer Studios in Sanford, Florida with producer Jason Suecof (TRIVIUM, AUGUST BURNS RED, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, ALL THAT REMAINS, WHITECHAPEL, DEVILDRIVER).

Jimmy Kay and Alan Dixon of Canada's The Metal Voice recently conducted an interview with legendary German guitarist Michael Schenker (UFO, SCORPIONS). You can now listen to the chat in the YouTube clip below.

Asked if he would ever consider recording with the SCORPIONS again, Michael said: "No. I can't, because I'm very disappointed in Rudolf [Schenker, SCORPIONS guitarist and Michael's brother]. What I have found out about the 'Lovedrive' bio [that is included in the recently released 50th-anniversary deluxe edition of the album] is completely wrong.

"When I was 23, I finished with UFO. I did 'Strangers In The Night'. We had hits in '76 with 'Lights Out' and 'Too Hot To Handle' and 'Only You Can Rock Me'. The SCORPIONS always copied what UFO did.

"When Rudolf found out I had left UFO and Mathias [Jabs, SCORPIONS guitarist], who had just joined, couldn't do the album with the SCORPIONS to their liking, they asked me to help out. I came over. I was 23; Rudolf was already 30. And when I finished my work on the SCORPIONS 'Lovedrive' album, they didn't wanna let me go, so they got rid of Matthias. And so they basically persuaded me to be in the SCORPIONS after the 'Lovedrive' recording, and all the management in America, they all were very interested in wanting to sign the SCORPIONS. I put on my black-and-white suit and my black-and-white guitar and started touring, [but] after two weeks, I just couldn't do it. I ran away and I was too shy to confront them; I just couldn't do it. My brother found me. He called me back. He cried on the phone, [and] it was so embarrassing. I came back a second time. After the second time, I realized, 'This is not it. I need to stop this,' and I ran away again. [A short time later] I found out that they got Matthias back — they persuaded him to come back — and that was that. Then, a bit later, I get a phone call from Rudolf [asking me] if I would let him play my black-and-white guitar design. I said, 'Okay.' And then he also asked me if I would give him the songwriting credits for 'Coast To Coast'. All the melodies were written by me, and I didn't pay attention. I was the sixth part of the 'Lovedrive' album, and I had a contract that everything was divided by six."

He continued: "When they approached me just recently for the SCORPIONS [50th-anniversary deluxe edition reissues of their albums], I found out that they put a bio out that was a complete[ly] wrong story. I found out that there was nobody credited for what I wrote on 'Holiday'. It's the intro to 'Holiday', it's forty-five seconds long — that's the intro that I wrote but nobody got credit for it. And then Rudolf asked me to give him the melodies for 'Coast To Coast' and with my black-and-white guitar. And those two things were the most tastiest things and easiest parts to copy, because Rudolf is not really a great guitarist; he can just about play. But that was something, him being a Schenker and now having blond hair, and all the managers finding out, they wanted to sign that band the SCORPIONS where I was part of, I guess he figured out how he can misrepresent and fool people over the years, because I didn't pay any attention until just recently. I found out that there was not a picture of me on 'Lovedrive', there was no mention on 'Holiday' who wrote and played that intro, and, of course, Rudolf persuaded me to give him the 'Coast To Coast' melodies. And so I'm very disappointed with that. And I must say I'm now finding out more and more weird stuff about Rudolf."

Michael added: "I have to stay away from him and I can't trust him anymore — period."

Earlier this year, Michael spoke to Gigs And Festivals about what it was like playing in the earliest days of the SCORPIONS alongside his brother Rudolf. He said: "There are things that I know today, and I must say I'm actually very disappointed in my brother and the SCORPIONS these days, because I just found out that a lot of things have been incorrect in the past. Me, being seven years younger than the other guys, I think I was taken advantage of right from the beginning."

He continued: "I wrote most of the SCORPIONS songs on the 'Lonesome Crow' album, and it was credited to all members. The very first song I ever wrote was 'In Search Of The Peace Of Mind', and it too was credited to all members. I was focusing on music, and they were maybe focusing on business. I have no idea, but they didn't know how to write songs in those days."

Asked if he had any plans to get up on stage with the SCORPIONS before they call it a day, Michael said: "I don't pay attention to any of that. I focus on what I'm doing. I'm fed up with that, and I'm disappointed in them; they have completely distorted the 'Lovedrive' phase. Just a few weeks ago, I was confronted with the SCORPIONS [albums reissue] box, and what I saw there, it really, really shocked me. I can't trust them anymore. The whole 'Lovedrive' story is wrong. They are putting it down as if I begged them to take me into the SCORPIONS. They begged me to join — I was already doing arena tours with UFO in the States. It's unbelievable. They asked me to help them, and now I see that the whole 'Lovedrive' story is written to their favor; they are the big guys."

He continued: "I can't believe it, honestly. They're just fooling people with their finishing playing, and then they don't, and then [they continue playing] forever and ever. I guess when you get older, you get bolder or something, but I have absolutely no interest because I can't trust them. If I look back now, it's unbelievable, little bits and pieces I'm discovering. So putting together the whole picture, it looks like they're absolutely desperate."

According to Michael, the difference between him and his brother is that "one can play and the other one can't! [Laughs] That's how you can find out who is who. Or you look at the eyes; his eyes are brown, but he can fake that too by getting blue lenses. Rudolf is the entertainer on a visual level; I'm the artist."

During a brand new interview with Argentinean rock journalist Lucas H. Gordon, former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Gilby Clarke was once again asked for his thoughts on the reunion of long-estranged GN'R singer Axl Rose and guitarist Slash for a handful of comeback shows in April and a full U.S. tour during the summer. Clarke, who was not an original member of the group, said: "In all honesty, I haven't seen [any of the recent GN'R shows], so I don't have an opinion yet."

He continued: "First of all, I'm happy that the guys are back together. I think it's really important to music, especially rock and roll music, that GUNS N' ROSES is a viable band that's out performing right now. I know Axl has been out there with his band playing, but it doesn't get any better than having Slash back in the band. So with Slash and Axl back together, I really think they can have some great shows and hopefully write some good music together and keep the band name and legacy alive."

Regarding whether he thinks the GN'R reunion will last, Gilby said: "I was a part of the band twenty years ago, and a lot has happened in that amount of time. I don't know… I honestly don't know. People were asking me questions last year: 'Do you think GUNS N' ROSES are gonna get back together?' And I kept saying, 'No.' I didn't. I honestly didn't. So I'm surprised, just like a lot of people are, that the band's back together. But I think it's a great thing for music."

Asked if he would rejoin GUNS N' ROSES if he was asked to take part in the band's reunion tour, Gilby said: "You know, I don't really wanna answer that, because I don't know. I honestly don't know. It's a hypothetical question, it's a hypothetical situation. So I really don't know. I mean, before all this happened, people [would] say, 'Would you be a part of the reunion?' And I always said, 'Absolutely!' Look, I love the music of the band, I love the band and the performance, but this GUNS N' ROSES isn't the GUNS N' ROSES that I was a part of, so it's a hard question to ask right now."

Clarke replaced founding guitarist Izzy Stradlin in the GUNS lineup in 1991, during the "Use Your Illusion" tour, and stayed with the band for three years.

He has continued as a producer and solo artist since then, while also playing in ROCK STAR SUPERNOVA, HEART and other acts.

Clarke reunited with GUNS members Slash, Steven Adler, Matt Sorum and Duff McKagan at the band's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction in April 14, 2012, although he himself was not inducted as part of the band.

Gilby is currently recording a new solo album that will feature guest appearances by drummers Stephen Perkins (JANE'S ADDICTION) and Matt Starr (ACE FREHLEY) along with members of Clarke's solo band, EJ Curse (bass/vocals) and Troy Patrick Farrell (drums/vocals).

"It is with mixed emotion that I announce my departure from the Headstones drum chair to make way for other endeavors. It has been a 22 year adventure that has now come to a close for me with the band," says Dale Harrison.

"In May ‘94 I was recruited to tour Picture Of Health, record and help finish the second album Teeth & Tissue; after the departure of Mark Gibson - the drummer who helped craft the first disc. I was accepted as the new member by our fans and have been the drummer ever since. It is my hope that Headstones fans will show whomever replaces me the same respect I’ve enjoyed ever since. In 2003 after 9 ½ years of hardcore touring and five albums later the Headstones took a much needed hiatus. In 2011 we reunited and continued to hammer out our brand of chaos to incredible audiences and played slews of awesome gigs across Canada and bordering US cites. During that time we also accomplished production of two fresh albums and a 12" vinyl single.

I will always reflect on this time in my life with great pride but I feel it is now time to move on and follow my own aspirations. I wish the best to the boys in the band whom I’ve called brothers for many years. I will miss the team at Bernie Breen management who were and will always be like family to me. Perhaps one day our schedules will align again! Until then, adios amigos! All the best! Be well! Oh and stay tuned folks for what projects I've got coming up! PVTA!"

The Sound Of Music Festival in Burlington, Ontario presents The Cult, Headstones, The Glorious Sons and more on June 11th. Go to this location for details and ticket links, check out the event page here for updates.

"Unblame", the new video from SOTO, the band led by vocalist Jeff Scott Soto, can be seen below. The song is taken from the group's second studio album, "Divak", which was released on April 1 via earMUSIC.

"Divak" (pronounced "dee-vock") comes shortly after the band's debut release, "Inside The Vertigo". It's a mere 15 months later, partly due to Jeff Scott Soto's insistence on continuing to create and build a true brand for his new venture.

Once again, the album is produced by Jeff Scott Soto and drummer Edu Cominato. It was mixed by long time JSS engineer/associate John Ellis.

The band features Soto on vocals; Cominato on drums; lead guitarist Jorge Salan; bassist David Z; and keyboardist/guitarist BJ. They are heavily featured on "Divak" with their writing contributions together. The first single, "FreakShow", was co-produced/written by Tony Dickinson, who also co-wrote "The Fall", which was the first single from "Inside The Vertigo". The track is an extension of the SOTO sound created especially for this new band.

SOTO, formed in 2014, are the dream band created when Jeff Scott Soto realized how much he missed the "heavier side" of his career after fronting artists like Yngwie Malmsteen, TALISMAN and JOURNEY, and even his own solo albums. The band hopes to continue its role as a driving force in today's current hard rock and metal scene.

"Divak" track listing: 01. Divak (Intro)02. Weight Of The World03. FreakShow04. Paranoia05. Unblame06. Cyber Masquerade07. In My Darkest Hour08. Forgotten09. SuckerPunch10. Time11. Misfired12. The Fall From Grace13. Awakened Bonus tracks (all digital retailers):

14. Final Say (live)15. The Fall (live)16. Break (live)17. When I'm Older (live)18. Stand Up (live)

Additional bonus tracks (iTunes/Apple Music):

19. My Life20. Cracking The Stone

STAIND frontman Aaron Lewis paid tribute to legendary artist Prince by performing a cover version of "When Doves Cry" during his May 14 concert Stoney's in Las Vegas, Nevada. Fan-filmed video footage can be seen below.

Prince died on April 21 at his home in Minnesota, but no cause of death has been identified just yet. A law enforcement official told the Associated Press that his death was being investigated as a possible drug overdose.

Prince has won seven Grammy Awards, and he won an Oscar for the original song score to the classic film "Purple Rain", in which he also starred.

He recorded some 39 studio albums, recording and touring prolifically even after a very public battle to get out of his major label contract threatened to derail his career.

Lewis recently completed work his third country release, "Sinner", which he hopes to issue during the summer on Dot Records, part of the Borchetta Music Group. He recorded the 11-song set in a 16-hour session in Nashville with producer Buddy Cannon and musicians including pedal steel virtuoso Paul Franklin, guitarist Brent Mason, bassist Kevin "Swine" Grantt and multi-instrumentalist Jim "Moose" Brown.

"It sounds like country music, which these days is pretty rare, for a 'country artist' to actually put out country music," Lewis told Billboard. "The majority of the record is one take, sometimes two takes. The vocals are the scratch vocals. I never redid them; those are the vocals I laid down while they were laying their tracks down, and it's raw and it's real and it's very unproduced and exactly how I wanted it to be. I'm not a fan of what's for the most part coming out of Nashville these days. It's pop music; it's not country music."

"Sinner" also includes a track sung by Lewis' 13-year-old daughter Zoe, on which he sings harmonies.

Video footage of bassist/vocalist Marco Hietala of Finland-based symphonic metallers NIGHTWISH performing a solo version of the song "The Islander" during his visit to the Warwick headquarters in China in April 2016 can be seen below.

Photos of Marco's visit can be found on the Warwick.cn web site.

NIGHTWISH keyboardist and main songwriter Tuomas Holopainen recently confirmed to Roppongi Rocks that the band will take a year-long break during 2017. "That's the plan, yes," he said. "The last show for this tour is going to happen in October. Then all of 2017 off and back with a vengeance in 2018."

Regarding what he might be doing during NIGHTWISH's time off, Holopainen said: "I don't think I will be doing music. That's the idea of the break. I haven't really given it that much thought. I just enjoy the idea of getting to be at home, doing the gardening, taking care of the horse, just be steady for a while."

Holopainen was also reluctant to share any of NIGHTWISH's plans for when the band returns to live action in 2018. "It's a bit too far away to reveal anything but we know pretty much what the plans are until 2020 or so," he said.

NIGHTWISH singer Floor Jansen recently shot down speculation that the band's upcoming break has something to do with tension between members of the group. She told AXS: "Even though we will have this year off, it doesn't have anything to do with how things are in the band. I've seen some people starting to gossip online of why we [would] take a year off. We'll take a year off because we can and because we want to. That's all there is to it. It has nothing to do with how things are in the band. And it also doesn't mean that we haven't been thinking about what's coming next; we have a lot of cool stuff coming up. So we hope that, after this break, people will still be equally excited to come out and see whatever we've got cooking up in our kitchen for them."

IRON MAIDEN frontman Bruce Dickinson berated an unruly fan during the band's May 12 concert at Adelaide Entertainment Centre in Adelaide, Australia as part of their "The Book Of Souls" world tour.

At the end of "Fear Of The Dark", the eleventh song of MAIDEN's set, Bruce addressed the fan directly, telling him: "To the gentleman in the front with the Raiders shirt on. Yeah, you, yeah, you, being restrained by a couple of very friendly fans. Just fucking calm down, all right, will ya? Otherwise… Yeah, you. Otherwise you will be exiting. Pick a window. I hope you like hospital food. You, yeah. Give me the fucking finger, mate. You fucking come backstage and I'll fucking sort you out myself. Cunt!"

The incident can be seen in the video below.

One fan who attended the concert reported: "I was standing about one metre away from said cunt. Had a cut on his eye and someone ripped his shoe off and threw it on stage as security dragged him over the barrier."

Another concert-goer added: "I was there, and it happened right in front of me.

"So me and my friend were just enjoying the concert, then this guy (who Bruce yells yet) pushes in front of us. He had a Raiders shirt on and looked to be in his mid-40s. He was certainly drunk or on something, considering he could barely stand up straight.

"Now I've been to many concerts, and it's pretty common for someone to push in front of you, so we just kind of rolled our eyes and continued to enjoy the concert. Some bald guy in front of him turned around and said something to him that just set him off. This guy with the Raiders shirt went off and started hitting this bald guy. The bald guy pushed him into me and my friend, he went back at it with the bald guy which escalated into a fight. Three people were trying to restrain this crazy Raiders shirt guy and eventually someone with long hair managed to restrain him before it continued. Bruce stopped the song and said all the things you hear in the video. Eventually the security got him and kicked the douche out in which the show carried on.

"It was a great night, and it's nice to see that assholes like this get kicked out so everyone else can enjoy the show rather than have one douche ruin it for everyone else."

IRON MAIDEN's world tour, in support of the band's latest album, "The Book Of Souls", kicked off on February 24 in Sunrise, Florida (a suburb of Fort Lauderdale).

Support on the trek is coming from THE RAVEN AGE, the band led by Steve's son George Harris.

"The Book Of Souls" was released worldwide on September 4, 2015 through Parlophone Records (BMG in the U.S.A). The CD was recorded in Paris, France with producer Kevin "Caveman" Shirley in late 2014, with the finishing touches added last year.

On June 17th, the legendary Misfits will release their new EP, Friday The 13th. It features four new horror-punk anthems, written by founding fiend Jerry Only himself. An homage to '80s era slashers, classic sci-fi, and everything in between — pressed in your choice of CD with six-page booklet or limited edition 12-inch color vinyl. Both feature fiendish new Misfits art by horror and comic book illustrator Jeff Zornow (Godzilla, ’68). Pre-order yours now at this location, or via the Amazon widgets below.

Friday The 13th features the current lineup of: Jerry Only (bass / vocals), Jerry Other (guitar), and Eric "Chupacabra" Arce (drums). Note that Glenn Danzig is not part of this EP.

Friday The 13th cover art and tracklisting:

"Friday The 13th"
"Nightmare On Elm Street"
"Laser Eye"
"Mad Monster Party"

 

 

 

Check out the Tracklist of brandnew Record GENERATION GOODBYE of KISSIN' DYNAMITE, coming 08.07.2016!

Jewelcase
01 Generation Goodbye
02 Hashtag Your Life
03 If Clocks Were Running Backwards
04 Somebody To Hate
05 She Came She Saw
06 Highlight Zone
07 Masterpiece
08 Flying Colours
09 Under Friendly Fire
10 Larger Than Life
11 Utopia

Digipak Bonus incl. DVD
12 Living In The Fastlane
13 Only The Good Die Young (Acoustic)
14 Ticket To Paradise (Live In Cologne)
15 I Will Be King (Live In Cologne)

DVD Content
- Kissin‘ Dynamite Tour Documentary
- Live Clips (Ticket To Paradise, I Will Be King)
- Music Clips (I Will Be King, Six Feet Under, Money Sex and Power, DNA, Fireflies (Lyric Video))

www.kissin-dynamite.de

SIXX:A.M. singer James Michael has commented on North Carolina's recently passed HB2, also known as the "bathroom bill," which bans people from using public bathrooms that do not correspond with their biological sex.

During an interview with Big Ric of the Jacksonville, North Carolina radio station Rock 105.5, James was asked for his opinion on the fact that artists like PEARL JAM, Bruce Springsteen, Ringo Starr and BOSTON have canceled North Carolina concerts in order to protest the controversial bill. He responded: "You know, that's a great question, and, obviously, it's been incredibly controversial. How every artist decides to react to that is their own choice. Artists that have decided to cancel shows because of it, that's taking a strong stance and it's saying, 'This is what I believe in.'"

He continued: "I'll be honest with you: on a personal level, it's very disturbing to see this going on in 2016, to even be having these type of conversations. And that's really all I'll say on that at this point, because this isn't really the forum for that."

James added: "Listen, any time that artists realize that they are in a unique position, they've got a microphone, they can say something, they can take a stand, I applaud that."

While North Carolina's HB2 law has led several musicians to boycott the state, others have chosen to use their concerts as a platform against the law — a strategy encouraged by advocacy groups and welcomed by transgender musicians.

In a statement announcing their decision to cancel a show in North Carolina in protest of HB2, the members of PEARL JAM first apologized to ticket holders, saying they know people will be upset and they are "equally frustrated by the situation." They called the bill, "a despicable piece of legislation that encourages discrimination against an entire group of American citizens," then went on to say that they "want America to be a place where no one can be turned away from a business because of who they love or fired from their job for who they are."

The band said they've "communicated with local groups and will be providing them with funds to help facilitate progress on this issue." They promised to keep an eye on the situation in hope that they'll be able to return sometime soon.

The first volume of "Prayers For The Damned", the new double album from SIXX:A.M., was released on April 29 via Eleven Seven Music.

Kaspar Boye Larsen, who played bass for VOLBEAT on the band's recent U.S. tour, has been named a permanent member of the Danish/American rock 'n' roll outfit.

"Ten years ago I returned from VOLBEAT's very first European tour that I joined as a tour session bass player," Kaspar said. "I was so proud of playing with one of my favorite bands and loaded with great memories of good times but also sad that it was over.

"A lot of things have happened in the meantime, but the songs are as great as ever and I'm super stoked to be joining one of my favorite bands on stage, only this time on a permanent basis.

VOLBEAT guitarist/vocalist Michael Poulsen recenty said about Boye Larsen: "Kaspar did an amazing job in the U.S. I've been knowing the guy pretty much since I was 18. Actually, the first European tour we had in VOLBEAT, he was the bass player, because Anders [Kjølholm], our former bass player, couldn't make the first two weeks because of his kids at home. So Kaspar is not actually that new; he's just an old member [that's playing with us] again."

VOLBEAT's sixth full-length album, "Seal The Deal & Let's Boogie", will be released on June 3 via Republic Records.

Produced by longtime collaborator Jacob Hansen and co-produced by Michael Poulsen and lead guitarist Rob Caggiano, "Seal The Deal & Let's Boogie" includes a total of 13 new tracks, reflecting their signature hybrid of rock prowess, metal power, blues soul, and rockabilly swing.

Original ENTOMBED members Alex Hellid (guitar), Ulf "Uffe" Cederlund (guitar) and Nicke Andersson (drums) will rejoin forces to perform the band's early material during an appearance on the Close-Up Båten cruise, which will leave the Stockholm, Sweden port on October 27 for Åbo, Finland, and return the following day.

The band that will perform on the Close-Up Båten cruise is not to be confused with ENTOMBED A.D., which features ENTOMBED vocalist Lars Göran Petrov alongside Olle Dahlstedt (drums), Nico Elgstrand (guitar) and Victor Brandt (bass).

Hellid and Petrov have been embroiled in a legal battle over the ENTOMBED name for several years. In 2014, Petrov was awarded the right to use the band name in connection with future recording and touring activities, a decision which Hellid appealed without success. The guitarist then went on to register a trademark for beverage production under the "Entombed" name. This move did not sit well with Hellid's former bandmate, who filed a letter of protest against Alex's registration of the name, claiming that it could be confused with band activities. He also said that Hellid acted in "bad faith" when he registered name and that there was a desire to "deceive the public."

Petrov's protest, however, found no favor with the Swedish Patent And Registration Office, which rejected his claims on the issue in a March 8 ruling.

In an interview with Revolution-Music.dk, Petrov defended his band's decision to release an album under the name ENTOMBED A.D. in order to avoid a legal battle with Hellid who didn't want his former bandmates to use the ENTOMBED moniker: "It had to be done, because without an album you can't tour," he explained. "I mean, you can tour, but if there's seven years between albums, it's ridiculously long. So we did the right thing, and we did what bands should do, and still do — release an album and go on tour and headbang and have a good time with friends, and that's what it's all about."

He continued: "There was too much bullshit — crying and whining about things. It's just ridiculous.

"Some people are comfortable staying at home, but then just step aside and let us do our thing.

"We added two letters, but it's still the same band — [only] without people that wanna stay at home, or take millions of years [coming up with] a [new] riff."

Asked if he thinks the ENTOMBED name has been damaged as a result of the drama surrounding the split with Hellid and the decision to continue as ENTOMBED A.D., Petrov said: "Nah, not really. A thousand people have a thousand different opinions — good and bad. But we do what we felt was right. And we're out here touring, and that's the most important [thing], I think. And leave the childishness aside and play metal, basically."

ENTOMBED A.D.'s second album, "Dead Dawn", was released on February 26 via Century Media.

GUNS N' ROSES singer Axl Rose played his third show as the temporary frontman for AC/DC on Friday night (May 13) in Marseille, France. The band's set included the classic Bon Scott-era song "If You Want Blood (You've Got It)", which was performed live for the first time since October 2003.

For the Marseille 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 Marseille 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) (first live performance since October 21, 2003)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.

Surprising news has been posted on the official Agalloch Facebook page. It is available below in the form of a band statement:

"Following 20 years, 5 full length albums, many tours around the world, and numerous other recordings, John Haughm and the rest of the band (Don Anderson, Jason Walton, and Aesop Dekker) have parted ways. What the future holds for the separate parties remains undetermined. We collectively thank all of our fans across the world. There are also way too many other people to thank who made this band possible. You know who you are."

A short time later, Haughm issued the following update:

"After being inundated by a barrage of responses, I feel that I should clarify some things. I take full responsibility for the decision to part ways with the other guys. It was difficult, well thought-out, and something that had been culminating over the past couple of years. I simply could not continue any further with the band as it was. I had to make a change as my motivation and inspiration had started to completely deteriorate. Whether this is the permanent end of Agalloch altogether or a possible fresh start, I don't know. I probably won't know for awhile. The band has simply been reduced back to its founding, visionary member for the first time in 20 years. Beyond that, the future is unknown."

Back in March, Agalloch announced the reissue of their first three albums Pale Folklore, The Mantle, and Ashes Against The Grain. All three albums feature new layouts and album photographs, plus The Mantle and Ashes Against The Grain have been re-mastered for vinyl by Colin Marston.

Says lead guitarist Don Anderson, "We cannot underestimate the importance of these three albums in the development of our sound and our history. In hindsight I am most proud of the fact that neither of these albums pigeonholed us. It is the radical difference of each album that allows us to continue to experiment with our music and lyrical themes today. These three albums constitute a significant chapter in our history and I am excited to finally see a proper and official vinyl release of each one of them."

Each album is available individually as a black re-issue 2LP and as part of the standard bundle, which includes all three black 2LPs. Colored vinyl options are also available, exclusively on The Omega Order.

Pale Folklore tracklisting:

“She Painted Fire Across The Skyline”
“The Misshapen Steed”
“Hallways Of Enchanted Ebony”
“Dead Winter Days”
“As Embers Dress The Sky”
“The Melancholy Spirit”

The Mantle tracklisting:

“A Celebration For The Death Of Man”
“In The Shadow Of Our Pale Companion”
“Odal”
“I Am The Wooden Doors”
“The Lodge”
“You Were But A Ghost In My Arms”
“The Hawthorne Passage”
“And The Great Cold Death Of The Earth”
“A Desolation Song”

Ashes Against The Grain tracklisting:

“Limbs”
“Falling Snow”
“This White Mountain On Which You Die”
“Fire Above, Ice Below”
“Not Unlike The Waves”
“Our Fortress Is Burning”
“Bloodbirds”
“The Grain”

SOULFLY was joined by members of BATTLECROSS, SUFFOCATION and ABNORMALITY on stage on Thursday, May 12 at the Marquis Theater in Denver, Colorado to perform a cover of the MOTÖRHEAD classic "Ace Of Spades". Video footage of the rendition can be seen below (shot by Amy Hutcheson of Resident Rock Star).

Drummer Zyon Cavalera did not play with SOULFLY on the band's recent South American tour, which concluded on April 16 in Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic's capital city. Filling in for him was Kanky Lora, who plays drums for SOULFLY guitarist Marc Rizzo's solo band.

SOULFLY's tenth studio album, "Archangel", was released on August 14, 2015 via Nuclear Blast Entertainment. The CD was produced and mixed by Matt Hyde (SLAYER, BEHEMOTH, CHILDREN OF BODOM), and features cover artwork by artist Eliran Kantor (TESTAMENT, HATEBREED, ICED EARTH, SODOM).

Plying bass for SOULFLY is Mike Leon, who was previously a member of HAVOK. Leon said: "I've been a fan of Max [Cavalera, SOULFLY mainman] and his music since I was a little kid, and to be playing with him and the guys now is truly unbelievable!"

Video footage of CHASTAIN singer Leather Leone's May 7 solo show at the Ragnarökkr Metal Apocalypse festival at Reggie's Rock Club in Chicago, Iillinois can be seen below. Her backing band consisted of David Harbour (CHASTAIN, KING DIAMOND) on bass, Jim Dofka (DOFKA) on guitar and Brian Harris (DARKOLOGY) on drums. Leather's set included material from the seven albums she made with CHASTAIN, as well as her solo effort, 'Shockwaves'.

The new CHASTAIN album "We Bleed Metal" was released last November. It was the follow-up to the band's 2013 reunion CD "Surrender To No One". That release marked the return of Leather Leone. She has long been considered one of the originators of the female power metal vocal style. Leather was the vocalist on the classic CHASTAIN albums: "Mystery Of Illusion", "Ruler Of The Wasteland", "The 7th Of Never", "The Voice Of The Cult" and "For Those Who Dare".

The Leather-fronted version of CHASTAIN recorded five CDs in the mid-to-late 1980s: 1985's "Mystery Of Illusion", 1986's "Ruler Of The Wasteland", 1987's "The 7th Of Never", 1988's "The Voice Of The Cult" and 1990's "For Those Who Dare". After the "For Those Who Dare" tour, David and Leather amicably went their separate ways but kept in touch over the years before reuniting in 2013.

Leather in 2012 released the debut album from her SLEDGE LEATHER project, "Imagine Me Alive". The CD was inspired in 2010 when Leather called Sandy Sledge to collaborate on the Ronnie James Dio track "Egypt" for a demo tribute recording. Due to the overwhelming response for more material, SLEDGE LEATHER was born and performed at Germany's Keep It True festival in April 2011.

BraveWords scribe Mark Gromen has checked in, reporting that Pure Steel Records will release the next installment from Widow entitled Carved In Stone on June 24th. 

From the label:

"Five years after Life’s Blood, the North Carolina outfit presents a brand-new album that will leave no one indifferent. Carved In Stone is the fifth album released over the last 13 years. This album marks the arrival of a new drummer, who joined the already established singers/guitarists John E. Wooten IV and Cristof Bennett. The band still plays a wonderful mix of traditional American-rooted hard rock and fine old-school metal. When listening to the songs, one cannot help but notice the qualities one would traditionally find in classics from Ozzy Osbourne, Alice Cooper, Van Halen or even hints of Lion, in a metal style that the band fully masters and even brings to new grounds. Widow will dazzle the listener with strong titles like 'Another Time And Place' or 'And We Are One'. Headbanging and fist pumping tracks like 'Wisdom' and 'Of the Blood We Bind' could even awake a dead body from its torpor. Then, like a rollercoaster, Widow slows the pace down with 'Time On Your Side', but soon sets all engines on again with songs like 'Borrowed Time' and 'Live By The Flame'."

Widow explores the neo-classical side of heavy metal and is proud to take their influences from their own experiences plus groups such as King Diamond, Crimson Glory, Warlord, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Yngwie Malmsteen. The morbid personality of each member comes together to form the unique sound of the band.

For more information and updates go to the official Widow Facebook page here.

President Obama welcomed the leaders of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden to the White House on Friday. In his remarks to Finnish president Sauli Niinistö, Obama praised Finland's heavy metal culture, saying (see video below): "I do wanna point out that Finland has perhaps the most heavy metal bands in the world per capita and also ranks high on good governance. I don't know if there's any correlation there."

Heavy metal and hard rock music continues to thrive in Finland, where bands like CHILDREN OF BODOM regularly top the chart with their single and full-length releases.

According to Slate, Finland has the most heavy metal bands per capita in the world. While Sweden and Norway have only 27 heavy metal bands per 100,000 inhabitants, Finland boasts double as much, 54 bands per 100,000.

Some claim that Finland is "the only country in the world where metal is mainstream," and people actually study Finnish and Norwegian to better understand heavy metal music.

People have speculated that the climate in Finland, which is characterized by cold, and sometimes severe, winters and relatively warm summers, has contributed to the population's disproportionately high interest in heavier forms of rock. Says the A Metal State Of Mind web site: "When someone is surrounded by cold and dark for long periods of time, it is only natural that some form of depression will start to set in. And how do many Finns combat this depression, release the negative energy, and make themselves feel more positive? Well, I can't think of one form of music more tailored to the release of the negative more than metal."

Although the suicide rates of Finland are higher than those of other Nordic countries, the number of suicides among Finnish men has gone down by 48 percent since the '90s, according to a July 2014 report in the Helsinki Times.

Longtime AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd, who last year lost his appeal against a string of convictions in New Zealand, has told Bay Of Plenty Times in a new interview that he doesn't rule out one day returning to the band once his legal problems end.

"It is up to Angus [Young, AC/DC guitarists], what he wants to do. I am limited to where I can go."

Asked about his more subdued attitude about rejoining AC/DC compared with straight after his sentence when he appeared on New Zealand TV saying he wanted to "get my job back," Rudd said: "I was over-fuelled. All over the place. I am not like that anymore. I've never felt better as a drummer or a person. I am not saying I never hope of ever playing with AC/DC again but, then again, is it even AC/DC anymore? No Bon's [Scott] beautiful voice. No Malcolm [Young, guitar]. No Brian [Johnson, vocals]."

Rudd was sentenced to eight months of home detention by a New Zealand court last July after pleading guilty to charges of threatening to kill and drug possession.

The charge of threatening to kill was the result of him reportedly trying to hire someone to "take out" his personal assistant after Rudd was angered by the poor launch of his 2014 solo debut, "Head Job".

Rudd called the charge a "complete crock of shit," although he admitted, "I wasn't handling it very well."

Rudd has seeing a court-appointed psychiatrist named Rupert Bird, who specializes in methamphetamine psychosis and who the drummer said is "helping me through my imbalances and personal issues."

"He comes here to the house about once a week," Rudd told Bay Of Plenty Times. "I have got to know him pretty well. I would even describe him as a mate. At first I'd give him lots of shit, about 'Clockwork Orange' psychiatry and all that ... but talking about everything, as well as giving up the crazy shit, means that in a funny way, being forced to do that, it has been good. I was quite happy to get the help."

Rudd was replaced in AC/DC back in February 2015 by Chris Slade.

AC/DC has been on the road since last year in support of its 16th studio album, "Rock Or Bust", which arrived in December 2014.

This album cycle has been plagued with bad luck, including the retirement of founding member Malcolm Young and longtime singer Brian Johnson being ordered to stop touring or risk going deaf.

Corey Taylor (SLIPKNOT, STONE SOUR) joined members of STONE TEMPLE PILOTS and THE CULT at last night's (Thursday, May 12) Adopt The Arts event at the Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles, California to perform classic songs from both bands. Fan-filmed video footage of his appearance can be seen below. Also available is a pre-show video interview with Taylor conducted by California Rock News.

Hosted by Jane Lynch and Matt Sorum (GUNS N' ROSES, VELVET REVOLVER), the event honored 2016 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductees Glenn Hughes (DEEP PURPLE, BLACK SABBATH) and Robin Zander (CHEAP TRICK) and featured a host of other musical guests such as:

* Gilby Clarke (GUNS N' ROSES)* Steve Jones (SEX PISTOLS)* Steve Lukather (TOTO)* Chad Smith (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS)* Geezer Butler (BLACK SABBATH)

All proceeds benefit Adopt The Arts.

Adopt The Arts is raising awareness and money to keep arts education in public schools in Los Angeles, and is gradually expanding into other cities. As in many school districts around the country, year after year LAUSD has been slowly eroding its commitment to arts education by reducing its arts education budget incrementally. According to its own numbers, LAUSD estimates that only 50% of elementary school students are getting some kind of art instruction at school. Some estimates suggest that LAUSD spends just 3 cents per child on arts education even though all scientific studies show that an education rich in the arts enhances academic performance, improves school culture, mitigates truancy and tardiness, and is instrumental in fully developing the young mind.

Adopt The Arts is focused on developing strategic relationships with educators, administrators, and board members to ensure that they are identifying the most underserved schools in the district. Each school site is "adopted" by a working artist, celebrity, or public figure. And while monetary donations are essential to Adopt The Arts' mission, personal involvement on the part of successful actors, musicians, artists and entrepreneurs is vital to the success of its program. Too many children are in great need of being exposed to inspirational people who have worked hard for their successes. The interaction between the children and adoptee creates a sense of responsibility and shared commitment from all involved.

Says Sorum: "This isn't just about your kid who may or may not be in public school; this is about our community. A lot of entertainers and wealthy people in the entertainment industry don't know what is happening in America's public schools. Adopt The Arts is shedding light on the reality of public education and providing an opportunity for people to invest in their community."

Salt Lake City's Chelsea Grin are streaming “Skin Deep”, a song from their upcoming album and Rise Records debut, Self Inflicted, which is out July 1st. Listen to the track below. Pre-orders are now live at Merch Now and iTunes.

Self Inflicted Tracklisting:

"Welcome Back"
"Four Horsemen"
"Love Song"
"Clickbait"
"Skin Deep"
"Scratching and Screaming"
"Strung Out"
"Broken Bonds"
"Life Sentence"
"Never, Forever"
"Say Goodbye"

"Skin Deep”:

"Clickbait”:

Chelsea Grin will spend their summer on the Van's Warped Tour. They will appear on the entire trek, which begins June 24th and runs through August 13th, laying waste to stages across the country.