Epica vocalist Simone Simons has checked in with the following update:

"The new Epica album is coming closer. Today we discussed the final details of the artwork. I can tell you that it will be amazing! Yesterday the final sessions for the backing vocals were wrapped. The mixing and mastering will slowly begin. So exciting!

Who would have thought 14 years ago, that I would still be singing on stages all over the world?! Still in high school, nervous and shy to stand in front of a crowd, I can still remember the small list of gigs that we had on our first website, the forum where we communicated with our fans. In between my lessons, I would go online in the computer room to refresh the forum site. Now we are all connected via the phones that are glued to our hands, or stuck in our pants (or in a toilet).

So much has happened since then. Uncountable things to be grateful for. 

Today, I had to go through all the shows of 2013 and 2014 for book keeping and I tried to remember all the shows. Boy, we have toured like crazy since the beginning! I feel very 'rich' when I think about all the great memories that I have created, the lessons that I have learned, the faces that I have seen singing Epica songs.

On to many more years filled with the good, the bad, and the Epic."

Epica recently issued the following announcement:

"On October 1st we will kick off our new album cycle at Epic Metal Fest at the 013 in Tilburg, Netherlands. We will perform with a number of our good friends in Katatonia, Textures, MaYaN and Myrath. Tickets and tickets and new album bundles are available at this location."

Epica recently updated their 2016 tour schedule. It is currently as follows:

June
4 - Re:Public - Minsk, Belarus
5 - MetalFest Open Air - Plzen, Czech Republic
7 - Majestic Music Club - Bratislava, Slovakia  
8 - Postepay Rock - Rome, Italy
10 - Sweden Rock Festival - Norje, Sweden
23 - Refshaleøen - Copenhagen, Denmark

July
23 - Corona Hell & Heaven Metal Fest - Iztacalco, Mexico

October
1 - Epic Metal  Fest - Tilburg, Netherlands

February
4 - Le Zénith - Paris, France

Carcer City are a progressive metalcore band from Liverpool, England. They have created their own brand of 21st century metal that falls somewhere between Linkin Park, Meshuggah, Bring Me The Horizon, Killswitch Engage, and The Amity Affliction.

Their new album Infinite/Unknown is out this September via Stay Sick Recordings and is the band's first global release. The exact release date, tracklisting, cover art, and more will be revealed shortly.

While the band has been building a formidable reputation for itself, thriving and blossoming in the underground of its home country with the self-released The Life We Have Chosen and The Road Journals, Carcer City are just getting their US legs under them.

Check out the song and video for "Infinite/Unknown”, below:

Toronto based heavy metal trio Black Absinthe are surfacing from the basement to unleash new tunes from their debut album Early Signs Of Denial, produced by Dave Baksh (Cross Dog, The Mahones), plus mixed and mastered by Frank Gryner (Rob Zombie). Set for release on May 13th, the album is the band's first professional recording to follow their three self recorded EPs Live At Coalition (2014), Noise Complaint (2014) and Augusta (2012).

Black Absinthe's powerful heavy riffs and bass lines are reminiscent of classic thrash and new wave British heavy metal with a range of progressive to classic rock influence. A full album stream can be found below.

The title Early Signs Of Denial is a conceptual connection to the themes of fear, corruption, and overcoming disparity, which is explored in the album's songs. The record has emphasis of crushing modern tone, polished instrumental sections, soaring vocals and a blending of contemporary and classic metal. With each track, this unique record represents different aspects of Black Absinthe’s diversity in song writing. The band does not tread lightly over their new wave of British heavy metal song style or their technical and progressive metal influences.

 

 

"The Wild"
"Is This Life"
"Berj Khalifa"
"Pigs"
"Now"
"Winter"

Album stream:

Catch Black Absinthe live:

May
13 - Oshawa, ON - The Atria
14 - Toronto, ON - Coalition (CD release show)

 

 

Black Absinthe is: Kyle Scarlett - bass, Jack Cerre - vocals / guitar, Austin Henderson - drums

15 years of heavy metal and you might end up in a wheelchair. Heavy metal music can be dangerous. There is a huge obstacle in front of the Finnish modern melodic metal band, The Hypothesis.

Bassist Markku "Neissu" Ruuskanen has been headbanging for decades and now is facing several spine and cervical vertebra surgeries. According to the Finnish doctors the need of the surgeries is imminent, otherwise he might paralyze and end up in a wheelchair.

"Shit happens! This is a tough brake for the band, but situation could be even worse! I wouldn’t change a day without heavy metal!”, says Ruuskanen.

Finland’s leading doctors and neurosurgeons are deciding the schedules of the surgeries in fastened pace. Band mates and the manager of The Hypothesis hope that their friend will get well soon.

"Let’s hope that he recovers quickly! His headbanging journey ain’t done yet!”, comments guitarist / composer Asko Sartanen.

The Hypothesis recently released their Origin album. Origin is now available in Spotify, iTunes and other download and streaming services. The Origin –album has already gathered excellent reviews globally and radios around the Europe and US have added The Hypothesis on their playlists. Origin is available on CD and digital.

Tracklisting:

“Shades To Escape”
“Leak”
“End Of Your Days”
“Scarface”
“Exit”
“Atonement”
“Eye For An Eye”
“Weak Story”
“Second Chance”

“Eye For An Eye” video:

(Photo by: Valtteri Hirvonen)

Dan Reed Network’s new album, Fight Another Day, will be released on June 3rd. The new song “Champion” is now available for streaming below.

Fight Another Day marks the return of one of the most infectious and gifted bands to come out in the melodic rock world in the second part of the 80's. The new album was recorded primarily in the home town of members of DRN, Portland, Oregon, while most of the writing process took place in Dan Reed's private studio in Prague in the Czech Republic, where Reed currently resides with his family. Demos were sent back and forth between Derek Shulman (A&R for Frontiers), Brion James, Melvin Brannon Jr. and Rob Daiker, making notes and refining the songs over great distances via the internet. This process was not unlike with DRN composed songs back in the late 80's and early 90's as Dan Reed used to demo out songs on his Akai 12 track machine and bring the songs into rehearsals where the band members would then arrange and flesh out the band's classic 'funk rock' sound.

After the tracking was completed, band's keyboardist Rob Daiker went to work editing and mixing each track alongside Shulman and Reed, sending mixes back and forth, making notes and shaping and moulding the album to best represent what DRN sounds like currently, while paying respect to what brought the band to the world's attention back in the late 80's.

"I thought it would be a great experiment and interesting challenge to revisit what endeared the band to so many back in the day and deliver a rock record with funk and soul elements, strong melodies, but this time around incorporate even edgier lyrics while not losing sight that this release needed to be uplifting, infectious, and most of all, powerful when performed live," says Dan Reed. "The title Fight Another Day'represents the fact that after 25 years we were able to gravitate back to the passion we discovered playing together all those years ago, and battle once more!"

The band looks forward to the world's response to this new labor of love, and this testament to the bonds of friendship and musical chemistry! Worldwide touring over the next twelve months will support the album release.

Fight Another Day tracklisting:

“Divided”
“The Brave”
“Infected”
“Champion”
“Ignition”
“Give It Love”
“B There With U”
“Save The World”
“Eye Of The Storm”
“Reunite”
“Heaven”
“Sharp Turn”
“Stand Tall”

“Champion”:

“Divided” video:

EPK:

Tour dates:

June
4 - Oslo, Norway - Hard Rock Cafe (CD Release Show)
6 - Stockholm, Sweden - Gronalund
7 - Goteborg, Sweden - Liseberg
10 - Sweden Rock Festival - Friday, Main Stage
13 - Hamburg, Germany - The Rock Café - St. Pauli
15 - London, England - 100 Club (UK CD Release Show)

Dan Reed Network is:

Dan Reed - Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitars, Piano, Synth Programming, Moog Bass
Brion James - Vocals, Lead and Rhythm Guitars, Synth Guitars, Synth Programming, Drum Programming
Dan Pred - Drums, Percussion, Videographer
Melvin Brannon II - Vocals, Bass, Acoustic Bass, Electric Contra Bass, Synth Bass
Rob Daiker - Vocals, Keyboards, Synth Programming, Drum Programming

 

Faithsedge is returning with Restoration, their third and most melodic release to date. Fronted by mastermind singer/songwriter Giancarlo Floridia, the band returns with a stellar lineup featuring Stryper bass player Tim Gaines, Ace Frehley / Mr. Big drummer Matt Starr and former Dokken guitarist Alex De Rosso. Both keys and production have been handled by Alessandro Del Vecchio (Hardline, Revolution Saints).

The approach is very melodic with an old school feel: 80's style hooks, big drums, slamming bass, epic keys and big production. At the same time the album keeps a current up to date feel with lyric content of today’s world mixed with a competitive metal feel. Giancarlo's songwriting approach mixed with each members experience and skills takes the album to new heights.

Tracklisting:

“Never A Day”
“Jennifer”
“You Cannot Give Up”
“Faith And Chris”
“Her Way Back”
“Regret At All”
“This War”
“Taking Our Lives”
“Let You Breathe”
“This Is Everything”

With different supergroups that come and go, Faithsedge is more than just that, the band members worked together as a tight team and the result and chemistry show in the end result.

The album will be released on Scarlet Records in Europe and North America on June 24th and on Spiritual Beast in Japan, Korea, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan on June 15th.  

Steve Hackett’s The Total Experience Live In Liverpool will be released on 2CD+2DVD Digipak, Blu-Ray, and Digital album (audio only) via InsideOut Music on June 24th.

Celebrating the 40th anniversary of his first solo album, Voyage Of The Acolyte, and following his latest Wolflight, the Acolyte To Wolflight With Genesis Revisited 2015 tour was Steve’s effort to represent the many chapters of his career. Featuring two sets - one highlighting his solo work, the second paying tribute to Genesis - the two hour performance was greeted with enthusiasm by both fans and critics.

This release captures the whole show. Two versions will be available; a 2DVD/2CD set and also a stand-alone Blu-ray edition. All copies pre-ordered via HackettSongs will be signed by Steve.

Check out an official trailer for the upcoming release below:

German metal band, Rage, will release their new album, The Devil Strikes Again, on June 10th via Nuclear Blast Records. The band have released the first official album trailer, which can be seen below:

The Devil Strikes Again will be released in various formats: CD / Digibook (2CD)/ Deluxe Digibook (3CD) / 2LP. Pre-order the new album at this location.

Tracklisting:

CD/LP:
“The Devil Strikes Again”
“My Way”
“Back On Track”
“The Final Curtain”
“War”
“Ocean Full Of Tears”
“Deaf, Dumb And Blind”
“Spirits Of The Night”
“Times Of Darkness”
“The Dark Side Of The Sun”

Bonus (Digibook/ Deluxe / LP)
“Bring Me Down”
“Requiem”
“Into The Fire”
“Bravado” (Rush Cover)
“Slave To The Grind” (Skid Row Cover)
“Open Fire” (Y&T Cover)

CD Live 2016 (Deluxe only)
“Black In Mind” (live)
“Sent By The Devil” (live)
“End Of All Days” (live)
“Back In Time” (live)
“Down” (live)
“My Way” (live)
“Until I Die” (live)
“Don't Fear The Winter” (live)
“Higher Than The Sky” (live)

“Spirits Of The Night” lyric video:

“My Way” video:

Studio trailers:

Part 1:

Part 2:

Hamburg-based sludge metal / stoner / power doom band High Fighter have launched another teaser video for their upcoming, first full length album, Scars & Crosses, set to be released June 10th on Svart Records on CD digipak, digital, and LP gatefold. The new teaser focuses on the track “Darkest Days”, and can be found below.

Scars & Crosses was recorded live at RAMA Studio in Mannheim, Germany (Ahab, The Hirsch Effekt, Fjørt) by Jens Siefert, and is mixed and mastered by Toshi Kasai (Melvins, Big Business) in Los Angeles. Again the band worked with artist Dominic Sohor from the UK, who has already been responsible for the stunning artwork of The Goat Ritual back in 2014, on the band's upcoming album:

Tracklisting:

“A Silver Heart”
“Darkest Days”
“The Gatekeeper”
“Blinders”
“Portrait Mind”
“Gods”
“Down To The Sky”
“Scars & Crosses”

Teaser #1: “Blinders”:

Teaser #2: “Darkest Days”:

After the band formed in the summer of 2014 and in one band year only, High Fighter heavily toured across Europe including UK dates, shared the stages with bands such as Ahab, Mammoth Storm, The Midnight Ghost Train, Corrosion of Conformity or Greenleaf, and played festivals in 2015 such as Stoned from the Underground, Sonic Blast in Portugal, Red Smoke Poland, Hamburg Metaldayz and an exclusive press showcase live at Wacken Open Air 2015.

(Photo by: Peter Kupfer)

Having announced their reformation and return to the live arena last month, British extreme metal masters Akercocke have revealed a run of UK shows, with six dates being added to the already scheduled appearance at Bloodstock Festival in August, including the band’s first performance in Jersey, Channel Islands.

Dates include:

September
30 - London, England - Underworld

October
1 - Southampton, England - Engine Rooms
2 - Bristol, England - The Fleece
7 - Sheffield, England - Corporation
8 - Dublin, Ireland - Voodoo Lounge
9 - Manchester, England - Club Academy
15 - Jersey, Channel Islands - The Watersplash

After a five year break from during which individual members pursued other projects, three founder members – Jason Mendonca, Paul Scanlan and David Gray - have returned to their original purpose; to create new, exciting and innovative music. Complimented by the addition of bass player Nathanael Underwood, Akercocke are presently producing their sixth studio album, which is tabled for a fall release.

Frontman Jason says of the forthcoming tour: “Circus Akercocke returns to the road at last. After our five year break from the live circuit, the band is charged, primed and ready to unleash our signature metal assault. Expect a barrage of rampant beats, face-melting guitar work, fan favorites’ from the past and killer new tunes from the present. See you down the front!”

The band’s new track, “Inner Sanctum”, is streaming below:

Reformed 80s hard rock/heavy metal legends, Q5, will release their third album, entitled New World Order, on July 8th. You can pre-order the album now via Amazon.com (widget below) or iTunes.

Q5 was formed in 1983, comprised of members of two popular Seattle bands: vocalist Jonathan K and guitarist (plus famous guitar tremolo inventor) Floyd Rose from The C.O.R.E. and Rick Pierce (guitar), Evan Sheeley (bass) and Gary Thompson (drums) from TKO. The band released its first album, Steel The Light (on Music For Nations) in 1984, receiving immediate worldwide critical acclaim, and landing them touring spots with Twisted Sister, Y&T and Lita Ford. The success of Steel The Ligh" led them to eventually sign with Polygram/Squawk for their 1985 sophomore release, When the Mirror Cracks. Due to personal differences, the original lineup dissolved shortly after this release.

In 2014, Q5 was asked to perform at Sweden Rock Festival, a performance that the band had agreed would be a "one off" show, but at the completion of the performance, it was obvious that this was not an ending, but merely a beginning. Upon returning to Seattle, The band secured drummer Jeffrey McCormack (former Heir Apparent, Fifth Angel) and guitarist Kendall Bechtel (former Fifth Angel) and began rehearsing formally as Q5. The band's relaunch debuted at the Rock You To Hell Festival in Athens, Greece followed by a headlining performance in Cyprus. The band then returned to Seattle to begin work on music for a new album. Kendall Bechtel, however, was unable to stay with the band due to personal reasons, so the band secured guitar virtuoso Dennis Turner to complete the lineup.

So, while the band’s debut album, Steel The Light  continues to grow in popularity all over the world, the fans are writing from all corners of the globe, eagerly inquiring about the next chapter in the Q5 story. That chapter begins NOW. With their new lineup solidified, and a new album slated for release, Q5 is poised to take its rightful place again in the hard rock/heavy metal hierarchy.

New World Order tracklisting:

“We Came Here To Rock”
“One Night In Hellas”
“The Right Way”
“New World Order”
“Tear Up The Night”
“Halfway To Hell”
“A Prisoner Of Mind”
“Unrequited (A Woman Of Darkness And Steel)”
“Just One Kiss”
“Fear Is The Killer”
“Land Of The Setting Sun”
“A Warrior’s Song”
“Mach Opus 206” (Instrumental)
“Get Next To You” (Bonus Track)

Trailer:

Q5 lineup:

Jonathan Scott K.: Vocals, Background Vocals
Rick Pierce: Lead Guitars, Rhythm Guitars
Dennis Turner: Rhythm Guitars, Lead Guitars, Background Vocals
Evan Sheeley: Bass Guitar, Backgr. Vocals
Jeffrey Mccormack: Drums And Percussion, Background Vocals

 

 

WHITFORD/ST. HOLMES, the collaboration between AEROSMITH guitarist Brad Whitford and Derek St. Holmes, the voice of such early TED NUGENT songs as "Stranglehold" and "Dog Eat Dog", will release its new studio album, "Reunion", on June 3. Today, the super duo has unleash its new single, "Shapes", a rock song with a nod to one of their favorite bands, THE YARDBIRDS. The track can be purchased on iTunes.

It was 1981 when Whitford, who had left AEROSMITH, first teamed up with St. Holmes to release their self-titled debut. Tracks like "Sharpshooter" and "Whisky Woman" carried on the stadium rock and roll style that made them famous. The album received critical acclaim and they did a successful round of tour dates before returning to their respective bands and shelving the duo. Until now!

Recently, the two friends found themselves living in the same town on the outskirts of Nashville. While working on some catch up time, they decided to revamp their collaboration. After writing a number of songs, the duo recruited bassist Chopper Anderson, keyboardist Buck Johnson and TESLA drummer Troy Luccketta to record the album. Produced by Whitford and St. Holmes, the album was recorded at The Castle Studios in Franklin, Tennessee.

Whitford and St. Holmes, who have collectively been part of tens of millions of record sales as part of AEROSMITH and TED NUGENT, know the true purpose of their art. "It's hard to believe we first jammed over thirty years ago," states Whitford. St. Holmes adds: "We are excited for this record to get out there, we want to share it with our friends, all those hardcore rock 'n' roll fans… Like our fans and good whiskey, we all seem to get better with age. These new cuts are bold, brassy and ballsy. We can't wait to play them live." WHITFORD/ST. HOLMES will head out on tour this June with WHITESNAKE. The trek launches on June 3 in Dallas and continues on through Texas, Indianapolis, Ohio, Detroit, Boston and more. This leg of the tour will conclude on July 1 with a headline show.

"Nattesferd", a brand new song from Norwegian rockers KVELERTAK, can be streamed below. The track is the title cut of the band's third album, which will be released on May 13 via Roadrunner. The follow-up to 2013's "Meir" was recorded live at Amper Tone Studio in Oslo, Norway (KVELERTAK's first effort to be recorded in the group's homeland) and was produced by the band and mixed/engineered by Nick Terry (LINDSTRØM, TURBONEGRO, THE LIBERTINES).

Commented KVELERTAK frontman Erlend Hjelvik: "We are finally getting ready to release our third album, 'Nattesferd', on the world, and however cliché it may sound, I'm not afraid to say that this is our best one yet. It's an exquisite smorgasbord of riffs infused with everything between the best of classic rock and heavy metal. I'm certain it will blow the minds of both old and new fans."

KVELERTAK's forthcoming third LP has garnered "Most Anticipated" accolades from the press, with Rolling Stone featuring it in the magazine's "25 Most Anticipated Metal Albums Of 2016" round-up. Additionally, Stereogum placed the new LP at #36 on their "101 Most Anticipated Albums Of 2016" while Consequence Of Sound included it in their "20 Most Anticipated Metal Albums Of 2016" preview.

"Meir" topped the official chart in Norway. The CD, which sold 1,800 copies in the United States in its first week of release, was issued on March 26, 2013 via Roadrunner Records. It was produced by CONVERGE's Kurt Ballou and features cover artwork by John Dyer Baizley.

KVELERTAK is Erlend Hjelvik (vocals), Vidar Landa (guitar), Bjarte Lund Rolland (guitar), Maciek Ofstad (guitars), Marvin Nygaard (bass) and Kjetil Gjermundrød (drums).

Fan-filmed video footage of former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach's May 4 performance at Brewster Street Icehouse in Corpus Christi, Texas can be seen below.

Sebastian's "An Evening With…" tour is scheduled to end on June 3 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Bach will follow the trek with the release of his long-awaited memoir, "18 And Life On Skid Row", due out June 28 on Dey Street Books (formerly It Books), an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Speaking about his decision to play two sets during the "An Evening With…" tour, Bach told Billboard magazine: "My true fans that have followed for decades now know that I open with the same song and pretty much done the same set for maybe 25 years now. Not exactly the same, but there's like five or six so-called hit songs that I've got in my catalogue that everybody knows I'm going to do. And then there's the song 'Slave To The Grind', which if you try to replace that as an opener, it obliterates any other songs. [Laughs] It's just such a strong opening tune. So what that leaves me with is I've pretty much done a very similar set, but so have a lot of my favorite bands. Like, KISS does the same kind of set. Lots of bands have a certain specific number of their repertoire that they have to do every night."

He continued: "The industry has changed so much in that when I started out in music, it was all about making a new record and then going out on tours supporting that new record, and then going off the road and then coming up with another new record. I only got to do that three times exactly. That's what it was a long time ago. Now if you're lucky — this isn't a bad thing, but the way the music industry is now is pretty much non-stop touring, like, all the time. Like, I don't ever stop, really. I will stop for a couple of weeks at the most, but I'm still lucky that I'm always playing shows. So I look at my schedule and thank my lucky stars I have around 40 gigs. It's just in the USA. Holy shit, dude, you're going to go to 40 shows, like that's a lot. That's a lot of cities. And I'll be damned if I'm going to go do 40 shows of the same set that I've done for 25 years."

DREAM THEATER's official music video for the song "Our New World" can be seen below. The clip highlights the band's immersive and interactive live show and captures the prog-virtuosos' transcendent performances from their recent world tour.

"Our New World" is taken from DREAM THEATER's latest album, "The Astonishing", which was released on January 29 via Roadrunner. The CD was made available in a wide range of distinctive versions, including standard 2-CD set, 4-LP vinyl box set and a limited-edition deluxe box set.

Recorded at Cove City Sound Studios in Glen Cove, New York, with guitarist John Petrucci producing, studio luminary Richard Chycki (AEROSMITH, RUSH) engineering/mixing and legendary arranger, composer and conductor David Campbell orchestrating, "The Astonishing" paints a tale of a retro-futurist post-apocalyptic dystopia ruled by medieval style feudalism. It's a place aching for a Chosen One to rise above the noise and defeat an Empire defined by the endless drone of noise machines and the illusion of safety in bland conformity.

DREAM THEATER keyboardist Jordan Rudess told La Grosse Radio about "The Astonishing": "Well, the story is really about hope and it's about the power of music for healing and bringing good energy and good spirit to people. It was a story that was written by John Petrucci. He originally thought of it, the seed of the idea, about two and a half years ago. And a little over a year ago, he presented it to the band as an idea to do our concept album, and we were all very excited about it; it seemed really great. So after he presented it to us, then we started to work on all the music for it."

Regarding the inspiration for "The Astonishing" story, Rudess said: "Well, I think the inspiration comes from things like 'Star Wars' and 'The Lord Of The Rings' and 'Game Of Thrones' and all these kind of fantasy, sci-fi stories. And it's something that certainly John, who wrote the story, is into and all of us could really relate to. Especially from a musical point of view, to create the music for it, for me it was like doing a score for a film. So I was very comfortable with all the different genres of music that had to be composed, 'cause it was everything from electronic sounds and music — not so much, but there's definitely electronics throughout the album — and also some more classical type of musical ideas to our usual prog kind of metal mixture."

Asked whether making "The Astonishing" forced the members of DREAM THEATER to step outside their comfort zone, Rudess said: "I think it definitely challenged everybody. It was interesting especially because, stylistically speaking, yeah, it has the prog and it has the metal — the usual components of a DREAM THEATER album — but it also has more than that. We also had to bring in electronic sounds, so I had to have some fun and search for cool sounds and get into that mode, and also there [are] some classical elements, so I was very much in my classical headspace. So it kind of brought more styles out of me that I am used to doing, for the most part, but more than I usually get to do with DREAM THEATER. And then there were some things that I hadn't done that we were learning, some stylistic things that we were learning. There's a section that's almost like a military band section — I had to try to score that — and there's a little tango section, and we were learning a little bit about that. It was an education for us to do this album as well."

LACUNA COIL's new song "Ghost In The Mist" can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's new album, "Delirium", which will be released on May 27 through Century Media. The CD was recorded at BRX Studio in Milan between December 2015 and February 2016. The effort was produced by LACUNA COIL bassist and main songwriter Marco "Maki" Coti-Zelati, with engineering by Marco Barusso and additional assistance from Dario Valentini. Coti-Zelati also created the artwork for "Delirium", which is based on an atmospheric session captured by Italian photographer Alessandro Olgiati.

When you preorder a digital copy of "Delirium" at iTunes or Amazon, you are getting access to the songs "Ghost In The Mist", "Delirium" and "The House Of Shame" immediately.

Speaking about the heavier musical direction of"Delirium" compared to some of the recent LACUNA COIL records, vocalist Cristina Scabbia told Planetmosh: "We already had the feeling that this would be a much heavier record, just because we… You see it, when you start to write music, to put down the new compositions, you kind of see the general direction. Of course, everything can change, but at the very beginning, we started to work on something more heavy. And plus, we just realized that even during the live shows, we were enjoying much more to perform the most energetic songs out of the LACUNA COIL catalog. So we definitely wanted to do something different, not only compared to the previous records we did — at least the last ones — but we wanted to do something pretty different from the bands that, in our genre, were doing, in a way, because maybe fans and press, whatever, people were expecting us to go softer and maybe more into a rock direction while we went the other way around and made it heavy. I'm happy that this record is surprising a lot of people — really happy — 'cause that's kind of the reaction that we were hoping for."

Added singer Andrea Ferro: "That's also one of the reasons why we opened the record with a song like 'The House Of Shame', which is one of the heaviest songs of the record. We really wanted people to say, 'What is this? Is it LACUNA COIL really?' That's exactly the effect that we wanted. We wanted this record to be just another record, just because we have to put it out. We wanted it to be something that said, 'Okay, this is LACUNA COIL in 2016, opening a new chapter in their career and just showing that they're still interested in experimenting with their music,' and going places we haven't been so far."

On the topic of the "Delirium" album title, Cristina said: "The title came from… It actually came out while we were working on the 'Delirium' song; there's a song on the record that has the same title. And while we were working on music and lyrics at the same time, this word popped out and came out and opened a lot of doors, and we started to think about the whole Universe. We thought about the overall idea, we thought about the location, we imagined this asylum, this fictional asylum based on a real abandoned asylum that we visited. So it really came out during the songwriting. It's something that came out in such a weird way, because it really, really let it all start."

Added Andrea: "Basically, once we found the word, we thought about connecting the concept of the record, the concept of the mental illness with the smaller topic of everyday craziness — the craziness you experience personally every day in real life. Some of us went through some depression, some other people had some family problem that forced them to experience a different moment in their life. And so we played with the symptoms and we did a bit of research about the characteristics of each mental illness and then drag it into this concept, which is we imagined a sanitorium, a LACUNA COIL sanitorium, like the record, basically, and every song is like a room of the sanitorium where a patient is facing a different kind of illness. So, for example, in the song 'You Love Me 'Cause I Hate You', we took inspiration from the Stockholm Syndrome, which is when you fall in love with a person that is keeping you prisoner. But, of course, we've never been kept prisoners, so the real story is about a love story, a relationship where you are imprisoned, and even if you know it's very toxic for you, you can't get out of it, because you think it's the right thing, so you try everything possible to save it, to make it work, although you know it's not gonna happen. So this is the kind of metaphors we've been using once we found the concept, basically."

Photo credit: Alessandro Olgiati

Fan-filmed video footage of MEGADETH's May 5 performance at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, Maryland can be seen below.

Drummer Chris Adler was unable to join MEGADETH at the concert due to his commitments with LAMB OF GOD and was temporarily replaced by Tony Laureano (ex-DIMMU BORGIR, NILE, ANGELCORPSE), the veteran extreme-metal skinsman who has worked as MEGADETH's drum tech since 2011.

MEGADETH's current touring lineup is rounded out by Dave Mustaine (guitar, vocals) and David Ellefson (bass) alongside Brazilian guitarist Kiko Loureiro, best known for his work with ANGRA.

Ellefson recently spoke to the South Orange, New Jersey radio station WSOU about how Adler's involvement with LAMB OF GOD creates scheduling conflicts with MEGADETH's shows. He said: "Well, look, we want him as often as we can have him. And there were a couple of shows, as we started on a round-the-world trip back in October that he wasn't able to participate in, 'cause they were wrapping up a LAMB OF GOD tour down in South America. And Tony, our drum tech, but I don't want it… That almost sounds like he's just a work-for-hire employee, but the truth of it is he has his own incredible resumé as a drummer. He's from the Tampa area and played with DIMMU BORGIR and has just a great resumé as a drummer. And he's been kind enough and gracious enough to work, doing some tech work with us. And we realized, 'Man, we've got a terrific drummer in-house' that was able to cover for some shows. Now, coming up, moving forward, LAMB OF GOD has a full year, MEGADETH has a very full year, and we're gonna try to make that work between both of the bands and the schedules. But we'll see how it plays out. Like I said, we want Chris as much and as often as we can have him, especially now that [his contributions can be heard] on [MEGADETH's latest album] 'Dystopia', and I think the fans would love to hear him play those songs with MEGADETH live."

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

"Dystopia" shifted 49,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending January 28. In terms of pure album sales, it opened with 48,000 copies, marking MEGADETH's highest-charting album since 1992's "Countdown To Extinction" debuted and peaked at No. 2 on the chart dated August 1 of that year. "Dystopia" also logged the group's best sales week since 2007, when "United Abominations" landed at No. 8 with first-week sales of 54,000.

MERCYFUL FATE guitar lengends Michael Denner and Hank Shermann have completed the mixing and mastering of their new DENNER / SHERMANN full-length album, "Masters Of Evil", for a June 24 release via Metal Blade Records.

The album cover was painted by Swedish artist Thomas Holm, who also created the "Satan's Tomb" artwork, and who is very well known amongst fans for his standout pieces over the past three decades! The mixing was once again handled by Arnold Lindberg at Sound Industry Studio in Gothenburg, Sweden. Mastering was done once again by Maor Appelbaum in Los Angeles, California. The vintage sound on the new record harkens one back to the days of two-inch tape machines, long nights in dark studios, and huge consoles glowing under dim incandescent light.

"Masters Of Evil" contains eight new Denner / Shermann tracks that continue right where the EP left off. Building upon the musical foundation of the "Satan's Tomb" EP, these songs cover the entire gamut of heavy metal nuances and take the listener down a mysterious path where tales of dark, supernatural fantasies are told, transporting you to places that can only be found in the most vivid, blood curdling nightmares.

"Masters Of Evil" is fully loaded to satisfy the old fans with just what they would expect — and also injected with menacing, sinister, new surprises that could only come from the sonic DNA of Michael Denner and Hank Shermann.

"After 'Satan's Tomb', we continued aggressively writing and recording ideas, except for the short break we took to do all the press for the release of the debut. We are very excited with the outcome, and the full-length album is ready to be unleashed this summer," says Shermann.

Vocalist Sean Peck comments: "This record really has it all, I think. Working with Hank and Michael and the guys creating this record was the ultimate metal thrill ride for me! I can't wait to hear the fan reaction to this sinister sonic salvo of savagery!"

Denner adds: "This new record really shows how the five of us have grown as a band and bonded as songwriters. It contains the kind of compositions I believe our fans would expect from us. I think this release will serve as kind of a tribute to our incredible fans worldwide, as we recognize and acknowledge their die-hard loyalty over the years."

The first single, "Angel's Blood", comes right at you with a sonic sledgehammer! Once the guitars hit your ears, the unmistakable trademark guitar sound of Michael Denner and Hank Shermann is instantly recognized.

With the upcoming DENNER / SHERMANN release comes live touring. Ever since the first announcement that this guitar duo was reforming, many show requests have been received from all over the world. Now with a full complement of original songs to draw from, look for the group to bring those to a city near you very soon.

"Masters Of Evil" track listing:

01. Angel's Blood02. Son of Satan03. The Wolf Feeds At Night04. Pentagram And The Cross05. Masters Of Evil06. Servants Of Dagon07. Escape From Hell08. The Baroness

DENNER / SHERMANN is:

Michael Denner - GuitarHank Shermann - GuitarSean Peck - Vocals Snowy Shaw - Drums Marc Grabowski - Bass

"My Night Sky", a brand new song from California's groove metal juggernauts DEVILDRIVER, can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's seventh studio album, "Trust No One", which will be released on May 13 via Napalm Records. The follow-up to 2013's "Winter Kills" was once again produced by Mark Lewis (ARSIS, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, WHITECHAPEL, DEVILDRIVER, DEICIDE, SIX FEET UNDER) with assistance from Jason Suecof (AUGUST BURNS RED, DEICIDE, DEATH ANGEL). The new CD marks the group's first release since the departures of guitarist Jeff Kendrick and drummer John Boecklin and addition of axeman Neal Tiemann and former CHIMAIRA sticksman Austin D'Amond. "Trust No One" track listing:

01. Testimony of Truth02. Bad Deeds03. My Night Sky04. This Deception05. Above It All06. Daybreak07. Trust No One08. Feeling Ungodly09. Retribution10. For What It's Worth

Said frontman Dez Fafara: "'Trust No One' is a vicious record filled with huge grooves and big hooks, guitar bass assery and thundering drums!Lyrically it goes to a realistic space exploring a ton of different emotion and headspaces regarding being human and what it means to exist. The band worked long hours writing as well as in the studio along with our producer to forge 'Trust No One'! I hope you turn it the fuck up and enjoy this record from start to finish!"

Added Spreitzer: "'Trust No One' is the record that I’ve been wanting to write for twelve years."

DEVILDRIVER recently tapped former WAYNE STATIC guitarist Diego Ibarra (a.k.a. Ashes) to play bass on its upcoming tour, which kicks off at the end of next month.

Ibarra joins DEVILDRIVER as the replacement for former BURY YOUR DEAD guitarist Chris Towning, who appeared on the Dez Fafara-fronted band's 2013 album "Winter Kills".

DEVILDRIVER will be touring non-stop this year in support of "Trust No One".

Boecklin and Kendrick played their last show with DEVILDRIVER as part of the 2014 Knotfest in Devore, California.

"Winter Kills" sold around 11,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 32 on The Billboard 200 chart.

"Stay", the new video from Mike Tramp, can be seen below. The clip shows the former WHITE LION singer in total isolation, living the life of a forest worker in the beautiful Scandinavian woods.

Says Mike: "With this video, I'm opening a new chapter and taking one step further towards being who I am, and distancing myself even more [from] the past. All the packaging [has] been shaved off and it's just me being me."

"Stay" is taken from Tramp's latest solo album, "Nomad", which was released in August 2015 via Target Records. The follow-up to 2014's critically acclaimed "Museum" was Mike's fourth release for Target.

According to a press release, "Nomad" sees Tramp "complet[ing] what he calls his trilogy on his journey to show who he is and where he stands. With 'Nomad', Tramp reaches the final step on the ladder he started climbing (with 'Cobblestone Street'), with a full band album, from first to last song."

Said Tramp: "Without the no-compromise [approach] on 'Cobblestone Street' and 'Museum', I would never have found my way home to 'Nomad'. Each previous album gave me the freedom to follow the songs wherever they wanted to go, and with 'Nomad', my vision was clear as a bell. Once again, I just had to be who I am."

Mike in February 2015 once again squashed any rumors of a WHITE LION reunion, claiming guitarist Vito Bratta had no desire to play music.

"A WHITE LION reunion is impossible," Mike told the Jakarta Globe. "Bratta has shown a negative response [to the idea]. He stopped playing guitar, stopped recording; he is just not interested in music anymore."

Tramp's last attempt to revive WHITE LION resulted in the 2008 album "Return Of The Pride" with new members Jamie Law on guitar, bassist Claus Langeskov, drummer Troy Patrick Farrell and Henning Wanner on keyboards.

"I really love the album but it's just not the sound of WHITE LION," Tramp told Hot Metal back in 2012. "I never really wanted to record under the name of WHITE LION again because so much of the sound and the songwriting came between Vito and I."

He continued: "Writing a new album is not sitting there and baking bread. The idea has to come to you. That works well when it's Mike Tramp writing new songs. But WHITE LION has restrictions. It's known for an image, for a sound and so on. You're limited already and that's tough when you go in to do that. I don't want to be that as a songwriter. Then it becomes a pre-fabricated product, then you get KISS. That's not what I want to do in this case."

Tramp went on to say: "There's a big difference between going up and playing classic WHITE LION songs and presenting new WHITE LION songs. WHITE LION isn't there. The sound of WHITE LION when it came to songwriting was Vito Bratta and Mike Tramp. That can't be changed and that will never happen again."

Tramp will make a number of festival appearances with his band during the summer, including Sweden Rock, Jelling and Nordic Noise, just before he embarks on a massive solo tour around the U.S., culminating with a performance on the Monsters Of Rock cruise.

MOTÖRHEAD's November 20 and November 21, 2015 concerts at the Zenith in Munich, Germany were professionally filmed and recorded for release this June via UDR.

Titled "Clean Your Clock", the set will be made available in the following formats:

* Colored double vinyl in gatefold with pop-up art* Standalone audio CD* DVD of the show with audio CD* Blu-ray of the show with audio CD* Boxset which contains the colored double vinyl in gatefold with pop-up art, DVD of the show with audio CD and the MOTÖRHEAD metal medal* A limited-edition boxset will be available through the UDR shop and will contain the MOTÖRHEAD medal in silver or gold* Also available as a digital download

"Clean Your Clock" track listing:

01. Start - 00:00:0002. Live Intro - 00:01:0603. Bomber - 00:02:4404. Stay Clean - 00:06:0605. Metropolis - 00:09:4106. When The Sky Comes Looking For You - 00:14:3307. Over The Top - 00:18:1608. Guitar Solo - 00:21:1009. The Chase Is Better Than The Catch - 00:23:0810. Lost Woman Blues - 00:28:3911. Rock It - 00:34:0712. Orgasmatron - 00:36:5213. Doctor Rock Pt 1 - 00:43:2814. Drum Solo - 00:45:1815. Doctor Rock Pt 2 - 00:49:5416. Just 'Cos You Got The Power - 00:52:1117. No Class - 00:58:0818. Ace Of Spades - 01:01:0719. Whorehouse Blues - 01:08:0120. Overkill - 01:14:05

"Clean Your Clock" will be made available on June 10.

A performance clip of the song "When The Sky Comes Looking For You", taken from "Clean Your Clock", can be seen below.

MOTÖRHEAD's final concert took place on December 11, 2015 in Berlin, Germany. Despite suffering from an "extremely aggressive" form of cancer, the band's frontman, Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister battled his way through to the end of the group's European tour.

"He was terribly gaunt," MOTÖRHEAD drummer Mikkey Dee< /b> told Sweden's Expressen. "He spent all his energy on stage and afterwards he was very, very tired. It's incredible that he could even play, that he could finish the Europe tour. It was only [three weeks before he died]. Unbelievable."

MOTÖRHEAD's Berlin concert was originally scheduled to take place on November 27, but was postponed after the group's guitarist, Phil Campbell, was taken ill.

Lemmy, who celebrated his 70th birthday on Christmas Eve (December 24), learned two days later, on December 26, that he was afflicted with an aggressive form of cancer. He died two days later, on December 28, at his home in Los Angeles.

Lemmy had been dealing with serious health issues for the past two years, including getting a pacemaker in 2013 and suffering from a hematoma last year. But despite 40 years of hard living and drinking, he continued to tour and record at a feverish pace.

The band was forced to cancel or postpone a number of shows this year due to Lemmy's poor health, which also forced him to cut back on his drinking and give up smoking.

While MOTÖRHEAD itself was revered by metal and punk fans, Lemmy himself became a rock and roll icon and elder statesman, the embodiment of a musician who lived the rock lifestyle to the fullest and never stopped.

Lemmy told Classic Rock: "I'm pretty happy with the way things have turned out. I like to think I've brought a lot of joy to a lot of people all over the world. I'm true to myself and I'm straight with people."

Asked whether he thought about death in the wake of his recent illnesses, Lemmy replied: "Death is an inevitability, isn't it? You become more aware of that when you get to my age. I don't worry about it. I'm ready for it. When I go, I want to go doing what I do best. If I died tomorrow, I couldn't complain. It's been good."

Leaves' Eyes vocalist Liv Kristine - who launched the band in 2003 - was recently fired and replaced by Finnish singer Elina Siirala, who made her live debut with the band on April 17th at the Hammersonic Festival in Jakarta, Indonesia. The band has been raked over the coals since the news broke, and fans have been getting two sides to the story from Leaves' Eyes and Liv Kristine respectively.

Liv has posted the following update, capping it off with some surprise news.

"Dear Fans & Friends! I'm sending you all my love and thankfulness - you all have been there for me during these rough times. Music is our common love and I have so much in my musical heart and soul that I would like to share with you. 

I am so proud of my fanclubs and everybody believing in me. Let's look into the future! 

Can't wait to work with Ray and Tommy Olsson!"

Liv is referring to former Theatre Of Tragedy bandmates Raymond Rohonyi and Tommy Olsson. It was revealed to BraveWords in December 2015 during Liv's tour with Raymond as a special guest that the pair would work on a song for her next solo album, and that Olsson was also involved. Stay tuned for more information.

Following is an excerpt from BraveWords scribe Carl Begai's interview with Liv and Raymond:

CB: Any chance of a live DVD to commemorate the tour? It’s a reunion that nobody expected…

Ray: “I hope not. I really hate seeing myself on screen…”

Liv: “I don’t know. I’m kind of old fashioned. I really like the old style of things: you go to a concert, you have that experience, you go home with great memories of that night.”

CB: How about dragging Ray kicking and screaming into the studio to record a song or two? For old time’s sake. That, and you know the diehard Theatre of Tragedy fans would lose their minds.

Liv: “You know what’s going to happen. The last album that was produced at Mastersound was the Leaves’ Eyes album (King Of Kings), so next up is a Liv Kristine solo album. I would really like to have Tosso (Thorsten Bauer / guitars) write a song with Ray in mind. I’ve told the record company it’s going to be in the same vein as Vervain and that it would be perfect to have Ray on the album.”

Ray: “We talked about it the other day, and Liv would like to have me on the album growling for her upcoming recordings. It doesn’t mean I’m back in the music business, though. There still some of it left in me so that I enjoy performing, but I don’t want to do the business thing again. It doesn’t make any sense to do that unless you do as Liv’s done with having these other bands and the studio and all that. It’s especially difficult being in the music business if you live in Norway because it’s so damn expensive, too.”

Go to this location for the complete interview.

Fan-filmed video from the show in Moscow, Russia at the Volta Club can be viewed below.

The setlist on the night was as follows:

“Vervain”
“Venus” *
“A Hamlet For A Slothful Vassal” *
“My Wilderness”
“Paris Paris”
“Cassandra” *
“On Whom the Moon Doth Shine” *
“Image”
“Panic”
“Let You Down”
“Siren” *
“Machine” *
“Black As The Devil Painteth” *

Encore:
“Commute” *
“Love Decay”
“Der Tanz der Schatten” *

* with Raymond Rohonyi

Megadeth bassist David Ellefson's EMP Label Group expanded their roster today to include Southern California metalcore staples Killing The Messenger, who will join the newly revealed EMP Underground imprint.

In March, Killing The Messenger released their first single in over a year “Fuel To The Fire” on all major digital platforms, serving as the first glimpse of their upcoming full-length album of the same name, being released on July 22nd. Fuel To The Fire is the follow-up to their widely successful self-released debut What Matters Most, which had brought the band to the forefront of the San Diego metal scene.

The band enters their second album cycle with confidence, with the strength of a powerhouse new record. “We wanted to find a balance between continuity and progression. We never wanted to change our sound, but achieving that and also creating something new isn’t an easy task! We feel we hit the nail on the head with this album,” says band frontman and founder Ahren Gray.

Their confidence is validated by an ever-growing team backing them up, who quickly caught the eye of David Ellefson’s newly formed EMP Underground imprint. Through the work of this newly assembled team, and the raw talent and passion of the band, Killing The Messenger has demanded the attention of both fans and strategic partners, having recently announced endorsement relationships with Schecter Guitars and Sinister Picks, as well as a co-headlining spot on the Summer EMP Underground Tour with Next To None, featuring Mike Portnoy’s son Max, and Denver’s Arise In Chaos.

All of this has laid the groundwork for an incredibly ambitious album cycle. As guitarist Jon Arbar says, “We couldn’t have dreamt of what this album has become. So many hours have gone into writing, rewriting and collaborating on these songs and I’m truly proud of what we’ve produced. The heavy, the soft, the deep and complex, we tried to encapsulate it all to give the listener a truly memorable experience.”

This week marks just one month left until the highly anticipated release of Numero Group's "It Came From N.Y.C." — the quintessential resurrection of WHITE ZOMBIE's eternally out-of-print early EPs and LPs. This set is the most exhaustive attempt so far to document the band's wondrously ugly birth. Get reintroduced to WHITE ZOMBIE as New York noise-rock, a grotesque creation that clawed and threatened its way to crossover metal glory.

Today, you can watch a never-before-seen unboxing video featuring a lucky set of hands rifling through the vinyl edition of the set. What you see inside is just a taste of what you can expect from this painstakingly-arranged media documentation of WHITE ZOMBIE's formative years.

Years before Beavis and Butt-head headbanged "Thunder Kiss '65" and "More Human than Human" into the eternal rock video canon, there was primordial WHITE ZOMBIE — a diabolically loud by-product of Manhattan's underground rock scene, born of art-school rendezvous and squalid apartment circumstance. On June 3, 2016, Numero resurrects WHITE ZOMBIE's eternally out-of-print early EPs and LPs as "It Came From N.Y.C." This set is the most exhaustive attempt so far to document the band's wondrously ugly birth. Get reintroduced to WHITE ZOMBIE as New York noise-rock, a grotesque creation that clawed and threatened its way to crossover metal glory. Spread across five LPs or three compact discs, all 39 tracks have been remastered by WHITE ZOMBIE guitarist J. Yuenger and packaged alongside the original lurid artwork. The accompanying 108-page book painstakingly documents WHITE ZOMBIE's punishing progression through scores of unpublished photos, period discography, a T-shirtography, and tales from the terrifying early years that stitch together the sordid story of a band whose true power eclipsed its mainstream heyday. "It Came From N.Y.C." package details:

* 5LPs or 3 CDs* 108-page hardcover book* 20,000 word essay by Grayson Currin* Flyer gallery* Complete shirtography, 1985-1990* 50 previously unpublished photographs* Available on black, white*, and Toxic Waste Green* vinyl

*only available via Numero Group website "It Came From N.Y.C." track listing: "God's On Voodoo Moon" 7" - 1985 01. Gentleman Junkie02. King Of Souls 03. Tales From The Scare Crow Man04. Cat's Eye Resurrection 05. Black Friday* 06. Dead or Alive* "Pig Heaven" 7" - 1986 01. Pig Heaven 02. Slaughter The Grey 03. Scarecrow #2*04. Red River Flow* 05. Rain Insane*06. Paradise Fireball* "Psycho-Head Blowout" 12" EP - 1987 01. Eighty-Eight 02. Fast Jungle 03. Gun Crazy 04. Kick 05. Memphis 06. Magdalene 07. True Crime "Soul-Crusher" 12" LP - 1987 01. Ratmouth 02. Shack Of Hate 03. Drowning The Colossus 04. Crow III 05. Die Zombie Die 06. Skin 07. Truck On Fire 08. Future Shock09. Scum Kill 10. Diamond Ass "Make Them Die Slowly" 12" LP - 1989 01. Demonspeed 02. Disaster Blaster 03. Murderworld 04. Revenge 05. Acid Flesh 06. Power Hungry 07. Godslayer "God Of Thunder" 12" EP - 1989 01. God Of Thunder 02. Love Razor 03. Disaster Blaster-2 *Previously unissued

Pre-order here via Numero Group.

Rob Zombie told England's RockAAA in a 2011 interview that WHITE ZOMBIE will never reunite. Zombie explained, "I don't see the point. I think as with most things people have a memory of something like, 'I saw them when I was 14 years old and it was the greatest thing ever,' but if they saw us now they'd probably go, 'I wish I hadn't seen that reunion, it was awful.' The singer added, "It is better to leave it alone and I haven't talked to anyone from the band except [drummer] John Tempesta in about 15 years."

WHITE ZOMBIE broke up in 1997 and Rob Zombie went on to launch a successful solo career in 1998. He told The Pulse Of Radio that nowadays a lot of his audience isn't even familiar with the old WHITE ZOMBIE songs. "The crowds are really, really young and I've been noticing that with the set list too, because, you know, as the time has gone on, we've really worked the WHITE ZOMBIE material more out of the set, because we've been finding that it's not working like it used to," he said. "It seems like that those songs just seem now old to people and it's very strange."

The history of WHITE ZOMBIE came up when Rob Zombie was asked to comment on the publication of "I'm In The Band", a memoir from former WHITE ZOMBIE bassist Sean Yseult, who is also Rob's former girlfriend.

In the book, Yseult claimed that the departure of drummer Ivan DePrume led to the eventual disintegration of the group.

Zombie said, "I have not seen it [the book] so I can't comment. I can barely remember those days, so I'm glad somebody can."

He added, "Everybody likes to make up stories which aren't true. I don't think that's fair. Ivan left the band, John Tempesta came in and the band sounded better than ever, we kept playing and made bigger records and did more tours so I don't see how that had anything to do with it."

In a 2015 Artisan News interview, Sean confirmed that Rob "hasn't spoken to any of [the other former members of WHITE ZOMBIE] since the band broke up."

Yuenger admitted to Crawdaddy! back in 2010 that he still harbored some resentment over WHITE ZOMBIE's demise. He said: "I would have liked to make another record, but it wasn't in the cards. On Rob's solo albums, you can see what he wanted to do, where he wanted to go. I always wanted to be in a rock 'n' roll band, where the primary instruments are guitar, bass, and drums, you know? We were living in New York City for all those years, hearing all the rap and techno coming out — my favorite bands back then were SLAYER and PUBLIC ENEMY. I was really all about sampling, and we put out 'La Sexorcisto' with all those samples, and it blew people away. We were like, the first rock band to do that. And it was great, I loved it. But as time went on, the sampling and techno stuff started to dominate everything, and I really hated it. Now you can hear how little humanity is in Rob's stuff."

WHITE ZOMBIE's 4-CD/1-DVD box set "Let Sleeping Corpses Lie" was released in November 2008 via Geffen/UMe. The CDs brought together for the first time all 64 original studio recordings released by the band led by Rob Zombie during its 1985-1996 career. The DVD offered nine music videos, 10 live performances, and some hidden gems.

Yuenger told Crawdaddy! about "Let Sleeping Corpses Lie": "They sent me and Sean mockups, like, two days before the release date. There was such little thought put into it. None of the photos were credited. There were no liner notes, which are essential for something like that. I mean, the band had such an interesting story, how could you not have liner notes? I hear about it all the time from fans. They're happy that the super rare early records are on there, that's cool for them to hear, but the packaging sucks. Sean's got all kinds cool shit — photos and flyers and stuff that they could have put in there."

On April 22nd, Styx vocalist/keyboardist Lawrence Gowan returned home to Canada and performed a solo show in Brampton, Ontario. During his set he paid tribute to music icon Prince with guitarist Ricky Tillo. Fan-filmed video is available below.

 

Legendary musician Prince was found unresponsive on the morning of Thursday, April 21st at his home at Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen, a Minneapolis suburb, and later declared dead. The Grammy/Oscar/Golden Globe winning artist was 57.

Prince's publicist, Yvette Noel-Schure, issued the following statement: “It is with profound sadness that I am confirming that the legendary, iconic performer, Prince Rogers Nelson, has died at his Paisley Park residence this morning at the age of 57.”

The footage below, which surfaced on YouTube on April 22nd, 2016 was filmed by Saturday Night Live alum Tim Kazurinsky last year standing on his tiptoes. At the SNL40 After Party at the Plaza Hotel in NYC, Jimmy Fallon coaxed music icon Prince onstage to give what would be a legendary impromptu performance. Here it is in its entirety.

Also featuring Emma Stone on tambourine, HAIM, Donna Grantis, Maya Rudolph, Martin Short, Bill Murray, Cuba Gooding Jr., Jim Belushi, Jim Carrey, Chris Rock and many more.

Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt, who is currently on the Generation Axe tour with Steve Vai, Yngwie Malmsteen, Zakk Wylde and Tosin Abasi, posted the following message on April 22nd:

"Tonight was supposed to be a night of guitars, so I have to thank you Orlando for giving me just a few minutes of your time and your voices and your hearts, to help me heal... and allow me to shed a few tears. I really needed that.

And I know he heard you.

Prince... the joy you have given me throughout my life, the way you made me move. You taught me to learn all instruments, not just to be a guitarist, but a musician, an individual. That the priority wasn't the skill, but the emotion behind it. And the songs, the way you'd make my pain go away when I couldn't bear it. The songs, you have given all of us to play for the ones we adore when we couldn't find something deeper to say than just. I love you.

You truly are and will always be an actual Prince...

Love You."

Chris Cornell has also paid tribute to Prince. He is streaming a cover Prince's "Nothing Compares 2 U”. Listen below.

Says Cornell: “Prince’s music is the soundtrack to the soulful and beautiful universe he created, and we have all been privileged to be part of that amazing world. I performed his song "Nothing Compares 2 U" for the first time a couple months ago. It has a timeless relevance for me and practically everyone I know. Sadly, now his own lyrics in this song could not be more relevant than at this moment, and I sing them now in reverence as I pay tribute to this unequaled artist who has given all of our lives so much inspiration and made the world so much more interesting.

“We will miss you Prince!!!”

Vancouver heavy metal power trio Spell will release their sophomore album, For None And All, on May 27th via Bad Omen Records. The record serves as the follow-up to the band's 2014 debut, Full Moon Sessions. The LP's striking cover image was created by artist Adam Burke for Nightjar Illustration (Ruby The Hatchet, Uncle Acid And The Deadbeats), foretelling the record's mystical vibe.

In a musical climate obsessed with genres and scenes, Spell builds on the rich musical traditions of the '70s and '80s without adhering to the conventions of any single style. Taking influence from bands like Judas Priest and early Scorpions, while delivering an original foreboding heaviness, the band catapults listeners through the doctrine-flouting mysticism of heavy metal in all its classic glory. Tastefully embellished with John Carpenter-sounding synths and eerie choral vocals, For None And All attempts something much braver than a timid retreading; the album is sure to plaster a grin across the face of even the most misanthropic metalhead.

Tracklisting:

"Madame Psychosis"
"Whipping Sigils"
"Too Late"
"The Sickness Unto Death"
"River Of Sleep"
"Séance"
"The Veil"
"Dark Desires"
"Vanitas"
"The Sphinx"

Spell will hold a special album release show on May 27th at Vancouver's Fortune Sound Club.

 

Iberian extreme blackened metallists' Noctem have announce they will begin recording new material for their fourth overall release next week. The quintet will head to Firework Studios in Valencia, Spain next Monday to record with Enrique Mompo and Tore Stjema (Watain, Tribulation, Valkyrja). The yet-to-be-titled album is expected to be released later this year via Prosthetic Records (North America, UK/EU) and Art Gates Records (Spain).

Noctem have spent the past two years diligently trekking across Europe with acts including Taake, Valkyrja, Marduk, Anaal Nathrakh, and Nargaroth , as well as making their first-ever trip outside Europe on a headlining jaunt across China in support of their 2014 release Exilium.  

The band will continue to broadcast their darkened assault this summer as they are set to appear at Spain's Metal Lorca Festival alongside Rhapsody Of Fire before heading out across Spain in late fall with Negura Bunget.

Tour dates:

June
25 - Murcia, Spain - Metal Lorca Festival

October
27 - Salamanca, Spain - Nave Bunker (with Negura Bunget, Antagonist Zero)
28 - Madrid, Spain - Sala Silikona (with Negura Bunget, Antagonist Zero)
29 - Zaragoza, Spain - CC Vadefierro (with Negura Bunget, Antagonist Zero)
30 - Barcelona, Spain - Sala Monasterio

(Photo - Wendy Jacobse)

Peaceville will release My Dying Bride's classic EP from 1993, The Thrash Of Naked Limbs, on 180g heavyweight vinyl on June 17th. This new edition of The Thrash Of Naked Limbs features the original cover artwork created by MDB singer Aaron Stainthorpe. Order at this location.

The Thrash Of Naked Limbs came amidst an intensely creative period for the band in their formative years. The EP arrived swiftly on the back of their debut album, As The Flower Withers, and helped solidify My Dying Bride's reputation as firm upcoming leaders of the UK gothic doom/death metal scene alongside countrymen Paradise Lost.

With the ongoing use of violin to assist with the unique atmosphere created by My Dying Bride, the title track itself is a creeping doom epic of haunting beauty and savagery in equal measure – a revered motif of the band. The EP also contains the additional songs, “Le Cerf Malade” and “Gather Me Up Forever”.

Black Crown Initiate will release their new album, Selves We Cannot Forgive, on July 22nd via Entertainment One Music (eOne). The new track, "For Red Cloud”, is streaming below. It is the first bit of new music we've heard from the band since the release of their previous LP in 2014.

Guitarist Andy Thomas calls the song, "a statement of the psychological enslavement of the modern world, and a tribute to those who resisted being enslaved. We will never become the storm of change that our world needs. Our children will never know what true freedom feels like, and we surely don't, either."

"We've been through a great deal as a band since our last release," says Andy Thomas. "We've grown a great deal as writers, players, and people and put everything we had into this one."

Recorded and mixed by Carson Slovak & Grant McFarland (August Burns Red, Texas In July, From Ashes To New) at Atrium Audio Recording Studio’s in Lancaster PA, Selves We Cannot Forgive will be the follow up to the buzzworthy debut LP The Wreckage of Stars released at the end of 2014. The Wreckage of Stars also propelled the band into the international touring act it is today. BCI quickly found themselves on the road with the likes of Behemoth, Deicide, Napalm Death and Voivod.  

Selves We Can Not Forgive, the band’s sophomore album with Entertainment One, is a lean and focused collection that jettisons the extraneous fat found too often within ambitious metal bands, striking a balance between fearless adventurousness and methodical might. It follows The Wreckage of Stars, which together with their self-financed Song of the Crippled Bull EP introduced Black Crown Initiate’s unapologetic exploration of everything from Friedrich Nietzsche and Greek Sophist Gorgias to Hinduism, Buddhism, and indigenous mysticism, with a pragmatic skepticism.

Thomas continues on their new release, “We feel it is a more than fitting next chapter for the band; one that we are truly proud and excited to enter. We hope you all enjoy it too. See you on the road!"

Black Crown Initiate have worked their way into the heavy music community’s collective consciousness with steady determination. Likeminded supporters who made the thrilling discovery of songs like “A Great Mistake,” “The Fractured One,” and “Withering Waves” are rewarded in kind by the continued evolution on Selves We Can Not Forgive. As Black Crown Initiate continuously proves, heavy metal and heavy intelligence don’t have to be mutually exclusive. These men are conjuring an awe inspiring body of work that is as unstoppable as it was inevitable, like existence itself. This is high-minded art delivered with a guttural growl.

Tracklisting:

“For Red Cloud”
“Sorrowpsalm”
“Again”
“Belie The Machine”
“Selves We Cannot Forgive”
“Transmit To Disconnect”
“Matriarch”
“Vicious Lives”

Tour dates:

May
5 -  Winnipeg, MB - Park Theater
6 -  Saskatoon, SK - Obriens          
8 -  Edmonton, AB - Shredmonton Festival
10 - Seattle, WA - Studio Seven
11 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theater
12 - Petaluma, CA - Pheonix Theater
13 - Pomona, CA - Glasshouse
14 - Hollywood, CA - Whisky
15 - Phoenix, AZ - Joe's Grotto
17 - Denver, CO - Marquis Theater
18 - Kansas City, MO - Riot Room
20 - Ft Worth, TX - Rail Club
21 - Austin, TX - Dirty Dog        
23 - New Orleans, LA - Southport Hall
25 - Tampa, FL - Orpheum
26 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade
27 - Knoxville, TN - The International
28 - Dayton, OH - Oddbody’s
29 - Greensboro, NC - Arizona Pete's

(Photo - Black Crown Initiate Facebook)

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 “Earth Crawler” 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”

“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