Alpha Omega Management/Century Media Records artists, Malevolent Creation – one of most legendary and longest running death metal horde on this globe - released their debut album The Ten Commandments on April 24th, 1991 (via Roadrunner Records). A 25th Anniversary photo tribute video of the album has been posted online (courtesy of Jim Malevolent), check it out below.

The Ten Commandments was produced and engineered by Scott Burns and it was highly considered as a milestone of death metal genre, being also characterized by a very aggressive songwriting - sharp and granitic guitar riffs of Phil Fasciana, as well as by a frantic drumming by Mark Simpson.

Tracklisting:

"Memorial Arrangements"
"Premature Burial"
"Remnants of Withered Decay"
"Multiple Stab Wounds"
"Impaled Existence"
"Thou Shall Kill!"
“Sacrificial Annihilation"
"Decadence Within"
"Injected Sufferage [sic]"
"Malevolent Creation"

25th Anniversary Photo Tribute:

Malevolent Creation lineup on the The Ten Commandments album:

Brett Hoffmann - vocals
Phil Fasciana - rhythm guitar
Jeff Juszkiewicz - lead guitar
Jason Blachowicz - bass
Mark Simpson - drums

Malevolent Creation was formed in Buffalo, New York in 1987, but only a year later they moved to Florida. Their debut album The Ten Commandments (1991) became a landmark in the death metal underground, expanding on the early work of bands like Slayer, Kreator, Possessed, Onslaught, Obituary and Death. After 11 studio albums and unleashing three of them (Warkult, Doomsday X and Invidious Dominion) under Nuclear Blast Records, in 2014 the band signed the global records deal with Century Media Records, releasing their 12th and latest effort Dead Man’s Path in 2015, heading right away to the extended co-headliner Death Raid Over Europe tour.

Atmospheric blackened metal outfit Wayfarer have finally unveiled the first listen of new music from their forthcoming sophomore effort Old Souls with the video stream of album closer "All Lost In Aimless Chaos". Wayfarer will release their sophomore album on June 17th via Prosthetic Records. Recorded at Flatline Audio with Shane Howard (Martriden, Khemmis) while being mixed and mastered by Dave Otero (Cattle Decapitation, Cobalt), the album features seven tracks clocking in at almost 50 minutes long.  The album's cover artwork was created by Colorado artist and knifesmith Adam Gersh.

Wayfarer’s debut album, Children Of An Iron Age was met with worldwide critical acclaim. Asked how Old Souls differs, guitarist and vocalist Shane McCarthy commented: "This record is a darker and much more focused effort from us. Writing the album was a very cohesive and involved process as a whole band this time around. It has moved further and further away from any particular genre trappings and stepped closer into what we feel our sound is; which is always shifting, always evolving. Life is too short to write music that already exists. We can't wait to get this out there."

Following the release of Old Souls, the band will head out on the road with Maine’s Falls of Rauros, joining them in Canada is Numenorean.

Tracklisting:

“Ever Climbing”
“Frontiers”
“Old Souls’ New Dawn”
“Catcher”
“Deathless Tundra”
“The Dust Lakes”
“All Lost In Aimless Chaos”

"All Lost In Aimless Chaos":

Portugal's volume merchants, Miss Lava, will drop the deliciously riff raging sounds of their Sonic Debris full-length via Small Stone Recordings next month. The band has released a new video for “The Silent Ghost Of Doom”.

The clip was directed by Bruno Simões with direction of photography by Mr. Ivo Cordeiro (the team behind Miss Lava's "Black Rainbow" video). "To shoot this video, we went to Lisbon's old athenaeum -- the Ateneu Comercial de Lisboa," elaborates drummer, J. Garcia. "The historic scenery set the right vibe for the song." 
 
"This is a loud one that shouts about freeing yourself from tedium, apathy and past time glories," adds vocalist Johnny Lee. "The broken mirror sights the silent ghost of doom."

Sonic Debris will be released May 20th and come available on CD and 180-gram light blue vinyl limited to 500 units. For preorders go to this location.

Sonic Debris was captured at Pentagon Audio Manufacturers, JDB Showroom and Estúdio Crossover in Lisbon at various times throughout 2014 and 2015, produced by Fernando Matias and Miss Lava, engineered by Matias, José Pedro Ataíde and Ricardo Bravo, mixed by Benny Grotto at Mad Oak Studios in Boston, Massachusetts, and mastered by Chris Goosman at Baseline Audio Labs in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Sonic Debris follows 2013's Red Supergiant and 2009's Blues For The Dangerous Miles, which was listed among Loud Magazine's Top Five Portuguese albums of that year, and 2008's limited edition, self-titled EP.

"With this album we left the door of our spacecraft wide open... this is a trippy ride with lots of headbanging going on," comments guitarist K. Raffah. "We feel this is our best journey so far," adds Lee. "It explores a sonic galaxy somewhere between Monster Magnet's Dopes To Infinity and Corrosion Of Conformity's Deliverance."

Tracklisting:

“Another Beast Is Born”
“The Silent Ghost Of Doom”
“I’m The Asteroid”
“In A Sonic We Shall Burn”
“At The End Of The Light”
“In The Arms Of The Freaks”
“Symptomatic”
“Fangs Of Venom”
“Pilgrims Of Decay”
“Planet Darkness”

"The Silent Ghost Of Doom":

“In The Arms Of The Freaks” video:

“Another Beast Is Born”:

Sonic Debris by Miss Lava

Pacific Northwest black metal clan Wolves In The Throne Room will re-release their 2006 debut album Diadem Of 12 Stars through their own Artemisia Records in mid-June. The album will precede the band's first East Coast North American dates in 5 years.
 
Written almost exclusively in a windowless, black room over the long dark nights of Winter 2005, Diadem Of 12 Stars was the first official Wolves In The Throne Room release. Re-imagining black metal as an ode to rain storms, wood smoke and the wild energies of the Pacific Northwest, WITTR created a unique melancholic atmosphere. Diadem Of 12 Stars is about lunar sorcery on Cascadian mountaintops and encounters with wild spirits. In contrast to the icy, razor sharp soundscapes of their 90s Norwegian forebears, the sound of Diadem... is lush and ethereal, dripping with rain soaked moss and lichen.

 
 
Wolves In The Throne Room honed the material for Diadem Of 12 Stars by touring across the country's basements and squats. Its raw analog sound in many ways pays homage to the band's varied influences: the harsh black metal of Norwegians Ulver and Emperor or their American counterparts Weakling and Ludicra, the monolithic heaviness of Neurosis and Swans, the sorrowful Funeral Doom of My Dying Bride and in places, the mournful goth of Dead Can Dance. Yet, WITTR distills these inspirations to create a sound that is entirely their own.
 
Described by guitarist Nathan Weaver as the rawest and most "punk" of their five full-length releases Diadem Of 12 Stars was recorded live to tape in Oakland by Tim Green. Joined in the studio by Jamie Myers (Hammers Of Misfortune, Sabbath Assembly) and Dino Sommese (Asunder. Dystopia), every song was rendered in one or two takes and the album was mixed without the aid of a computer. Originally released on a small DIY label and unavailable physically for many years, this reissued version has been carefully remastered by Jason Ward at Chicago Mastering Service. The band redeveloped every photograph from the original negatives, creating richer, high quality prints in order to present the artwork as originally envisioned.
 
The Diadem Of 12 Stars reissue will be released June 17th on CD, 2LP, Cassette, and all Digital formats. Preorders are live at this location.

The band will follow the reissue with their first live performances since mid-2014 this September, with two weeks of shows currently confirmed and more to be added in the coming weeks.

Dates:

September
13 – Brooklyn, NY – Saint Vitus Bar
14 – Philadelphia, PA – Kung Fu Necktie
15 – Washington, DC – DC9
17 – Richmond, VA – Strange Matter
18 – Atlanta, GA – The Earl
19 – New Orleans, LA – Sisters In Christ
20 – Austin, TX – Barracuda
21 – Dallas, TX – Dada
22 – Lawrence, KS – Riot Room
23 – Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle
24 – Toronto, ON – Lee’s Place
26 – Portland, ME – Space Gallery
27 – Somerville, MA – Cuisine En Locale

South Carolina progressive black metal unit Enthean have released the new song "Before You, I Am". Enthean will release their debut album Priest Of Annihilation on May 20th. Preorder the album on Bandcamp.

Priests Of Annihilation will unquestionably appeal to fans of Dissection, Emperor, Origin, and Immortal. Yet the album more broadly represents the band's musical take on experiences past and present. Indeed, it is an ode to their many influences, musical or otherwise.  Put simply, Enthean has created a fierce and dynamic album that will excite a wide range of metal fans.

Tracklisting:

“1054”
“Tones Of Desecration”
“Before You, I Am”
“Dysthanasia”
“Ekpyrosis”
“Behold The Primordial”
“Bring Forth The Raven”
“Invalesc De Profundis”

"Before You, I Am":

“Dysthanasia”:

Priests of Annihilation by Enthean

Italian legendary deaththrashers Node have released today their sixth studio effort Cowards Empire via Punishment 18 Records (available also on iTunes and all other platforms). The album contains a DVD with excerpts of the 20th Anniversary concert of the band, which took place on March 15th, 2014. Cowards Empire release party will be held on May 13th at Legend Club – Milan (free entrance).

Furthermore Node have unleashed a new lyric video "Lambs" from the new album. The band states: "This song is our tough stance and denounce against all forms of child exploitation. A nightmare for all of us, which in everyday life involves many children around the world. Future is in our hands, make it better!"

Guest musicians appearing on the effort include names such as Daniele Orlandi (Blackstarr & The new Black), Gianluca Ferro (Time Machine), Tommy Massara (Extrema), Lisy Stefanoni (Evenoire), Luca Di Fato (Wake Arkane), Oinos (Will o wisp Australwave), Andrea Caniato, Steve Minelli.

Cover art created by Seldon Hunt (Neurosis):

Tracklisting:

“StagNation”
“Death Redeems”
“Lambs”
“Average Voter”
“Locked In”
“No Reason”
“Money Machine”
“The Truck”
“Still The Same”
“Liar.com”
“The Plot Survives” (instrumental)

Bonus tracks (Revisited and Re-Recorded)
“Jerry Mander” (from Sweatshops 2002)
“Children” (from Technical Crime 1998)

*with solos from Node founder and former guitarist Steve Minelli, available only in digital platform.

"Lambs" lyric video:

“Jerry Mander” lyric video:

Node will support Kataklysm on their Russian shows in June.

June
11 – Moscow – Volta Club
12 – St. Petersburg – Club Zal

Node lineup:

Gary D’Eramo - guitar, vocals
CN Sid - vocals
Pietro Battanta - drums
Rudy Gonella Diaza - guitar
Davide (Dero) De Robertis - bass

(Photo - Giulia Thinkgreen Carbonero)

Richmond doom quartet, Cough, has shared a second new song from their forthcoming offering, Still The Pray, their first new full-length in 5 years. The crushing 11 minute-long "Dead Among The Roses" is streaming below.

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

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

Still They Pray Tracklisting:

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

"Dead Among The Roses":

“The Wounding Hours”:

(Photo by: Jordan Vance)

Washington D.C.-based prog innovators PERIPHERY return this summer with a new album, "Periphery III: Select Difficulty", due out on July 22 via Sumerian Records, and a U.S. tour, dubbed the "Sonic Unrest" tour, which launches on August 4.

"'Periphery III: Select Difficulty' is finally complete and we're extremely excited to show everyone," said guitar player Jake Bowen.

"For the past couple of years we've been refining our collaborative process as a band and we feel that it's only getting better with the completion of this album.

"We spent two months writing songs that are not only representative of the PERIPHERY sound but also reflect where all of us are as musicians, working together has helped us tread new ground musically and creatively.

"In support of 'Periphery III', you'll see us hit the road in the States this summer with SIKTH, CHON and TOOTHGRINDER on the 'Sonic Unrest' tour. It's going to be a blast! See you on the road!"

PERIPHERY's own Adam "Nolly" Getgood oversaw production for the album as he did with the "Juggernaut" releases. Nolly will no longer be a touring member of PERIPHERY, as he will be expanding his production work in his native U.K. He remains an integral part, and a member, of PERIPHERY. At this time no decision has been made about a touring bassist.

"Touring with PERIPHERY has shown me some of the most incredible experiences I could ever have imagined, to meet amazing people all over the world and to create friendships for life; it has truly been an honour to perform in front of every audience who has watched us play over the years," he said. "However the touring life isn't something that everyone can continue doing indefinitely, and for me, the time has come where I want to settle into a more normal existence, be able to make plans further into the future than the touring life enables, and to be able to focus more on the studio side of my music career. I will, however, be remaining as a band member and contributing in any way that I can while the band is off the road; I love all of my fellow bandmates like brothers and I'm so grateful for the incredible support they've shown as I make this huge life change. I know they are going to be taking the music and performances to the next level when they hit the road later this year."

The "Sonic Unrest" tour, a month-long outing, sponsored by D'Addario and Guitar Center, includes openers SIKTH, CHON and TOOTHGRINDER and kicks off on August 4 in Raleigh, North Carolina.

A special BLABBERMOUTH.NET presale for select dates (denoted by * below) will take place on Wednesday, April 27 from 10:00 a.m. until Thursday, April 28 at 10:00 p.m. local time. When prompted, type in the presale code "BLABBERMOUTH" to access tickets before the general public.

Tickets to the general public are on sale this Friday at 10 a.m. local time. VIP packages, which feature a private meet-and-greet with the band as well as a limited-edition, exclusive poster, are available simultaneously via Periphery.net.

"Sonic Unrest" tour dates: Aug. 04 - Raleigh, NC - Lincoln Theatre *Aug. 05 - Atlanta, GA - MasqueradeAug. 06 - Memphis, TN - New Daisy Theater *Aug. 07 - Dallas, TX - House of Blues *Aug. 08 - San Antonio, TX - Alamo City Music HallAug. 09 - Houston, TX - House of Blues *Aug. 11 - Phoenix, AZ - The Press RoomAug. 12 - San Diego, CA - House of Blues *Aug. 13 - Los Angeles, CA - The Regent *Aug. 14 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore *Aug. 16 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne TheaterAug. 17 - Seattle, WA - The ShowboxAug. 19 - Salt Lake City, UT - The ComplexAug. 20 - Denver, CO - Summit Music Hall *Aug. 22 - Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theater *Aug. 24 - Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall BallroomAug. 25 - Grand Rapids, MI - Intersection *Aug. 26 - Detroit, MI - St. Andrew's Hall *Aug. 27 - Pittsburgh, PA - Mr. Small's TheatreAug. 28 - Philadelphia, PA - Theatre of the Living Arts *Aug. 30 - Boston, MA - Paradise *Aug. 31 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza *Sep. 01 - Baltimore, MD - Baltimore Sound Stage *

* Part of BLABBERMOUTH.NET presale

PERIPHERY will host a four-day, immersive summer camp dubbed the Periphery Summer Jam on July 25-29 at the Full Moon Resort in Big Indian, New York.

Ostrich puppet-wielding, family-friendly comic singer Bernie Clifton was stunned to find this week that his new CDs had been printed with the tracklisting for Abhorrent Decimation’s new album, Miasmic Mutilation, reports Independent.co.uk.

Instead of classic covers like “Wind Beneath My Wings” and “Lady In Red”, the CD purported to contain the death metal tracks “Eternal Repulsion”, “Glaciate The Servants” and more.

"I'm fuming and furious... I got [the CDs] out the box and I looked on the back and here was the track listing of a death metal group,” said Clifton, who made the album of covers after competing in BBC One talent contest The Voice.

Read the full story at Independent.co.uk.

 

London-based riff monsters, Stoneghost, have released a lyric video for “The Sound Remains”, a track from their New Age Of Old Ways album, released last year via the Mascot Label Group.

 

 

New Age Of Old Ways tracklisting:

"Faceless Ghost"
"Devil's Motion"
"All They Need Is The Light"
"Second To Breathe"
"The Sound Remains"
"Raynardine"
"Sleeper"
"Your Trigger, My Finger"
"Third Degree"
"Let Sleeping Beasts Lie"
"Mother Of All Bastards" (demo)

“The Sound Remains” lyric video:

“Raynardine”:

"Faceless Ghost":

The Jelly Jam will release their new album, Profit, on May 27th via Music Theories Recordings / Mascot Label Group. The album track “Stain On The Sun” is now streaming below.

Dream Theater’s John Myung, Winger’s Rod Morgenstein, and King’s X’s Ty Tabor will tour globally for the first time to support the recordings. Profit is a cinematic experience, full of suspense, as the individual songs sequentially follow the heroic yet daunting journey of The Prophet, who inspired by a deep sense of responsibility embarks on a mission to try and save the world, aiming to open the eyes of those who will not see .

When asked about collaborative efforts of The Jelly Jam guitarist Ty Tabor describes John as, “The forefather of the band,” and enthuses that “Playing with Rod has been a lifelong dream. I was a huge fan of his right out of high school and The Dixie Dregs transformed my idea of what a band could do. Rod was a huge part of the insanity on all of those early Dixie Dregs albums. It’s just a joy to get to play with him.”

The band’s first album The Jelly Jam was released in 2002, followed by 2004’s The Jelly Jam 2. The members’ work with Dream Theater, Winger and King’s X kept the band away from the studio until the critically acclaimed Shall We Descend in 2011 marked a triumphant return for the trio.

Guitarist Ty Tabor’s musical pedigree is vast. Not only has he produced The Jelly Jam’s four albums, he wrote all three of King’s X top ten songs that include “It’s Love”, “Black Flag”, “Dogman” and toured the world with AC/DC, Pearl Jam, Cheap Trick, Scorpions, Iron Maiden amongst others. Honoured by VH1 as one of Hard Rock’s Top 100 bands, they were also included in the 1991 movie soundtrack to Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey and their 1994 appearance at the Woodstock Festival was hailed by USA Today, The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart and Howard Stern as the festival’s highlight.

Bassist John Myung is a founding member of Dream Theater who have sold over twelve million albums worldwide. Dream Theater have won many awards including the Spirit of Prog Award from Classic Rock Magazine, and were inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame in 2010. The band have two Grammy nominations, while Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory was voted the #1 Progressive Rock Album of All Time by Rolling Stone, whose readers also voted Dream Theater as one of The Best Prog Rock Bands of All Time.

Drummer Rod Morgenstein began his illustrious career with The Dixie Dregs, who received six Grammy nominations, before becoming a darling of the ‘80s rock scene with Winger who achieved multiple chart topping singles including “Seventeen”, “Headed For A Heartbreak” and “Miles Away”. Rod has played with Platypus, The Steve Morse Band, Dream Theater’s Jordan Rudess and is an Associate Professor at the prestigious Berklee College Of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. He has also been awarded Modern Drummer Magazine’s Best Progressive Rock Drummer five years in a row, as well as the Best All-Around Drummer Award, and was inducted into the magazine's Honor Roll.

The Jelly Jam will support their latest album Profit with a full tour (dates to be announced). As guitarist Ty Tabor explains, “This album is without a doubt the most special moment the band has ever had together and we must make touring real this year to support this album.”

Ty Tabor describes the album’s concept as “a fight between progress and jobs at all cost and not thinking about any future payment that are going to have to be made.” Adding further that, “Each Jelly Jam album is very different and we are most definitely discovering new ground. The first album was pretty straight ahead in its nature and vibe. The second album was more about the songwriting and had a very different feel. By the time we got to Shall We Descend, we were all at different musical places. It had more of a darker edge to it, but we finally realized that we had tapped in to something that was unique to us. There really is no Jelly Jam ‘sound’. In order to make Profit the strongest album, we recorded a lot of excess music and chose songs that work together towards the general story idea. Musically and sonically we started experimenting a lot further than we had before. It stands on its own as an album beginning to end with a purpose. It’s not just a bunch of songs thrown together. It’s an entire journey through a story.”

The album will be available in LP + Mp3, CD, Digital and MFiT formats.

Tracklisting:

”Care"
"Stain On The Sun"
"Water"
"Stop"
"Perfect Lines (Flyin')"
"Mr. Man"
"Memphis"
"Ghost Town"
"Heaven"
"Permanent Hold"
"Fallen"
"Strong Belief"

"Stain On The Sun”:

“Care”:

 

Phantom 5's self-titled debut album will be released on May 13th. Listen to the album track, “They Won’t Come Back”, streaming below.

Phantom 5 is the new band put together by former Bonfire singer Claus Lessmann, together with producer and guitar player Michael Voss (Casanova, Bonfire, Mad Max, Michael Schenker). They have enlisted a sort of who’s who of German classic and melodic hard rock with a lineup completed by Robby Boebel (Frontline), Axel Kruse (Jaded Heart) and Francis Buchholz (Scorpions).

Born as Supremacy, this new German melodic rock alliance, with five real aces on the pitch, could not disappoint. So, after the name change to Phantom 5, the new album started to take shape.

According to Michael Voss, “For me it sounds like we did a follow up to the famous Bonfire Fireworks album with a touch of Frontline meets Jaded Heart groove… it is a driving monster with huge walls of guitars, powerful soaking drums and fine catchy melodies… we took a trip back into the world of the 80’s!”

Claus Lessmann adds, “I am very proud of being part of a very fine piece of melodic rock and I hope that many people will like and love it the same way we do. Everything came together very naturally and I had the feeling, that our flow of creativity never seemed to run dry, just like it should be. After the more than painful situation with Bonfire, it was exactly the right thing, at the right time to do for me and it just felt and feels so damn right!”

And indeed it’s been a long time since we’ve heard a melodic hard rock record this good coming from Germany! Think Bonfire’s Point Blank, Casanova’s debut album, Frontline’s Heroes, or Fair Warning’s debut record and you get an idea of how this is going to hit you. Get ready to push the play button very often. This record has everything you’d expect and more.

Phantom 5 tracklisting:

“All The Way”
“Blue Dog”
“Someday”
“Don’t Touch The Night”
“Renegade”
“Flying High”
“Since You’re Gone”
“They Won’t Come Back”
“Frontline”
“We Both Had Our Time”
“Why. Sing Along” (digital version bonus track)

“They Won’t Come Back”:

“Since You’re Gone”:

“All The Way”:

A music video for “Too Far”, the new single from hard rock band Romantic Rebel, can be seen below.

The track is off of the band’s forthcoming EP, to be released in early summer, and is available for purchase at iTunes.

In addition to the premiere, the band has announced a North American Summer tour with Smile Empty Soul that begins on July 14th in Joplin, MO and concludes September 14th in St. George, UT. The band’s live itinerary can be found at this location.

The band is currently in the studio with Grammy nominated producer, Johnny K (Megadeth, Machine Head, etc.) where work has begun on their sophomore album.

"This EP is very special to us. Alex and I wrote these songs from the heart; about past experiences and struggles. That said, we were very attached to them and didn't want to see them change. Johhny, being the multi talented producer that he is, helped us take the songs we thought couldn't get any better, to a whole new level. It's amazing how a simple change in melody can make me feel even more emotional about a song than I had felt previously”, says KT Paige.

Romantic Rebel is:

KT Paige: Lead Vocals
Alex Vincent: Guitar and Backing Vocals
Zach Smith - Bass
Ty Del Rose - Drums

Alpha Omega Management has announced the signing of progressive power metal monsters, Artizan, to its roster family.

Founded by drummer Ty Tammeus in 2008, Artizan crafts powerful, traditional metal. Dynamic arrangements, dominant rhythms and soaring melodies are key ingredients to the Artizan formula. The band has released three critically acclaimed albums via German record label Pure Steel Records, all produced by legendary producer Jim Morris (Iced Earth, Death, Jag Panzer, Crimson Glory): Curse Of The Artizan (2011), Ancestral Energy (2013) with guest vocalist Matt Barlow (Iced Earth), The Furthest Reaches (2015) - an epic sci-fi rock opera featuring guest vocalists Sabrina Cruz (Seven Kingdoms) and Matt Barlow (Iced Earth). Artizan was honored to be direct support for Fates Warning on their 2013 tour and recently performed at the legendary Keep It True festival in Germany.

Singer Tom Braden’s distinctive tone, strength and range are fundamental elements that personify the Artizan sound. Artizan is currently working on their fourth album slated for a mid-2017 release. Jim Morris is expected to be at the helm as producer again.

Artizan drummer and founder, Ty Tammeus states: "We look forward to an exciting future with the team at Alpha Omega. Their talent, combined with the solid foundation we have established, should foster fresh opportunities, ultimately exposing us to a wealth of new fans."

Alpha Omega Management adds: "We're so glad to welcome these guys in Artizan to our Family! Their music is forged with towering vocals, glorious melodies and triumphant riffs. In three words: "Dynamic, powerful and majestic", this is Artizan! Stay tuned for next announcements for the shows and else!"

MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine was interviewed by Terrie Carr for the latest edition of "Box Of Rock" on WDHA-FM 105.5 FM, the rock music station licensed to Dover and Morristown, New Jersey. You can now watch the second part of the chat at this location. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On recent reports that he was planning to release his second book:

Mustaine: "All I had said was that I did have a lyric book that I wrote of all the songs [from the] first twenty years of my career and turned it in to Sanctuary Publishing, when we were with Sanctuary, and then their publishing company folded. So they gave me back my book, let me keep the check, and I was very happy about that. So I've got a book that's complete sitting at my house, but it's only the first twenty years; there's been another fifteen after that, almost, so I need to update it. And I think after becoming a New York Times best-selling author, there's a way that you learn how to write and the way that you get what you're trying to say conveyed to the reader different from when you're talking with them. They have to be able to read what it is you're trying to talk to them about. So it's a little different. And the other thing, too, is you see some of these books that are put out, and it's just mudslinging and name calling. I remember reading this one book. I flipped through a couple of pages, and this one dude, I know this guy. 'Oh, I'm screwing, and I'm drugging. She's hot, and I've got three girls.' And I flipped the page, and there was more girls and more drugs. And I'm going, 'Dude, I was there. You were never that lucky. Maybe you had girl magazines.' And you know what? If I'm a fan, I don't wanna know what the guy's doing in bed. I wanna know how he got to be a rock star. I wanna know what his life was like so I can see the comparisons between said rock star and myself, so that I can see if there's any congruency, where maybe I can be like you or better even. And a lot of times when you're reading some of those books, you're, like, 'God, I'll never do that.'"

On the recently completed reality-show pilot that he and his family are seeking to premiere and turn into a series:

Mustaine: "Yeah, they did shoot a pilot. Electra [Dave's daughter] and Pam [Dave's wife] and Justis [Dave's son] think it's funny to… People don't really know the real Dave is. They know who I am on stage, but they don't know what it's like when I'm in my bathrobe in my house. .. [The reality show] may [come out]. Right now, they just finished colorizing it, so they're working on that. You know, music is my bag; that's what I do. So if this happens, it happens; great. If it doesn't happen, you know, it's still not gonna keep everybody on the entire globe from knowing everything we do. My kids are tweeting pictures of everything that passes my teeth. And it's, like, 'Stop! You're taking pictures of everything I eat.'"

On being considered a "legend" and one of the architects of heavy metal:

Mustaine: "Do I feel like an architect? No. I think it's flattering you said that. You know, metal music isn't all that different from other types of music; it's just played with a different passion, I think. And I think that classical music and metal music are probably the closest in similarity because we're trying to convey [a] picture [with our songs]. For me, I think that a lot of times when you listen to classical music, the music itself is telling you what the words can't. And I think a lot of times, if you can hear a song and a song will speak to you and you don't need some guy coming up and going, 'Baby, baby,' then that's a good song."

According to The Pulse Of Radio, LINKIN PARK vocalist Mike Shinoda has sent out a new update on the progress of the band's seventh studio album, which is currently being recorded in Los Angeles. Shinoda wrote: "We just started narrowing down to some of our favorite songs, and we’re starting to put our first 'final' vocals on them. As I listen through them, I feel like these songs are really personal and revealing. We have really poured our hearts into the words and melodies, and it’s starting to show as we approach recording the 'keeper' vocals."

Shinoda added that the band has "a lot of material to choose from," with all six members deciding on which songs will make the final track list.

He continued: "We clearly have an album in there. We’re looking forward to getting the vocals right, and starting to put sounds on them. Keyboards/samples and drums are high on the list…but first, we’re going to get some of these vocals nailed down."

Singer Chester Bennington told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that he always feels confident that LINKIN PARK's fans will enjoy the band's latest offering. "You can't help but wonder," he said. "That always has to be a factor, I guess. But we stand by our philosophy that if we write good songs and we write good lyrics, then people are gonna want to listen to those songs. You know, I think that's the key to being in a successful band, is those two things, and as long as we continue doing that, then our fans will always stand by us."

The new disc will follow up 2014's "The Hunting Party", which featured the No. 1singles "Guilty All The Same" and "Until It's Gone".

LINKIN PARK has been mostly out of the public eye since an early 2015 tour in support of "The Hunting Party" was scrapped when singer Chester Bennington injured his foot. Bennington also ended his two-year run as STONE TEMPLE PILOTS frontman in late 2015 so he could refocus on LINKIN PARK.

On April 10, Scott Wark of Canada's The Metal Voice conducted an interview with former QUEENSRŸCHE and current OPERATION: MINDCRIME singer Geoff Tate at The Brass Monkey in Ottawa, Canada. You can now watch the chat below.

Asked if he would consider a return to QUEENSRŸCHE if the opportunity to rejoin the band ever arose, Tate said: "No. You know, there's a spirit of the deal. When you… How do I put it?... When you betray somebody so badly, when you hurt them so badly, it's really hard for the other person to forgive to the extent where, 'Hey, everything is fine. Let's make music.' Making music is very personal. You just don't… you just don't do that with everybody. You can't." Geoff went on to joke that he might be open to reuniting with his former bandmates "if the money was good," before adding: "At this point in my life, it's not worth that enough to go through the toxic vibe."

In April 2014, Tate and QUEENSRŸCHE announced that a settlement had been reached after a nearly two-year legal battle where Tate sued over the rights to the QUEENSRŸCHE name after being fired in 2012. Original QUEENSRŸCHE members Michael Wilton (guitar), Scott Rockenfield (drums) and Eddie Jackson (bass) responded with a countersuit. The settlement included an agreement that Wilton, Rockenfield and Jackson would continue as QUEENSRŸCHE, while Tate would have the sole right to perform the albums "Operation: Mindcrime" and "Operation: Mindcrime II" in their entirety live.

In a 2012 interview with "The Classic Metal Show", Tate stated about his former band: "I truly believe that my vision of QUEENSRŸCHE is what has propelled the band for many, many years. When Chris [DeGarmo, guitar] was in the band, we shared a common vision together, and we were a very strong writing team, and a very strong musical team, directing the band and pushing in a certain direction — that kind of thing. Now, when he left, there wasn't anybody but me to do that, and so I've led the band and pushed and pulled and cajoled and bribed and tried to get everyone on the same page for all these years to keep the integrity of the band intact and to keep moving ahead with our vision for what the band was, which was 'no limits.' Let's not put a box around ourselves, let's not give in to some category that somebody assigns us, let's not be who other people think we should be, let's be who we are. And that's the motto I've always followed with the band. And I was instrumental in building this band all these years — this band is mine. I built this thing — all those songs, a majority of them are my thoughts, my ideas, my creativity, my passion. It's me, it's my music, it's my words, it's my dreams, my passions. And especially 'Operation: Mindcrime', that is my baby and my work, and I'm gonna go out and present that the best way that I can."

"The Key", the first album of an ambitious trilogy from OPERATION: MINDCRIME, sold around 2,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD was made available last September via Frontiers Music Srl.

OPERATION: MINDCRIME's next album, which has already been completed, will arrive in September 2016.

British heavy metal legends IRON MAIDEN made their highly anticipated first-ever visit to China on "The Book Of Souls" world tour, playing at Beijing LeSports Center on Sunday, April 24.

According to the Polish IRON MAIDEN fan club SanktuariuM, MAIDEN did not alter "The Book Of Souls" setlist for the Beijing show, although several minor changes in the performance were made — presumably at the reqest of China's Ministry of Culture, which had to approve all of the band's lyrics prior to MAIDEN's Chinese dates being confirmed.

Among the changes:

* There were no pyrotechnics used during the show.* During the performance of "The Trooper", IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson did not wave a Union Jack flag, but, as can be seen in the video below, he still sported the red coat uniform worn by troops during the battle which inspired the song and waved an "invisible" flag while singing the track. In addition, the Union Jack flag was still prominently displayed on the backdrop during MAIDEN's performance of the song.* Bruce changed the lyrics to the chorus of the song "Powerslave" from "Tell me why I had to be a Powerslave" to "Tell me why I had to be a Wicker Man."* IRON MAIDEN was not allowed to throw stuff (wristbands, drum heads, etc.) into the crowd during the concert.* Bruce didn't swear and had to be careful not to use the "F" word.

IRON MAIDEN's setlist for the Beijing concert:

01. If Eternity Should Fall02. Speed Of Light03. Children Of The Damned04. Tears Of A Clown05. The Red And The Black06. The Trooper07. Powerslave08. Death Of Glory09. The Book Of Souls10. Hallowed Be Thy Name11. Fear Of The Dark12. Iron Maiden13. The Number Of The Beast14. Blood Brothers15. Wasted Years

IRON MAIDEN will play a second show in China on April 26 at the Shanghai Mercedes-Benz Arena.

Vetting by the Chinese authorities for foreign bands and artists isn't uncommon and has resulted in many big names being refused entry to the country to perform.

THE ROLLING STONES were censored in their China debut in 2006, most likely for their songs' suggestive lyrics. "Brown Sugar", "Honky Tonk Woman", "Beast Of Burden" and "Let's Spend The Night Together" were banned from the concert.

According to The Wall Street Journal, "authorities [in China] require entertainment companies to jump through hoops, submitting minute details of their show, including setlists. The process reflects the control held by China's censors, who try to prevent incidents like one in 2008, in which Icelandic singer Bjork sang at a Shanghai concert about the ever-politically sensitive issue of Tibetan freedom." Speaking about her comments at the time, a spokesperson for the ministry of culture in China stated: "[Her] political show not only broke Chinese laws and regulations and hurt the feeling of Chinese people but also went against the professional code of an artist."

The members of METALLICA revealed in 2013 that they were asked to send the lyrics to their entire discography to the Chinese government for approval before they were given permission to play in the country. "We had to give them a whole set of songs and they went through all the lyrics and okayed which ones we could play, which ones we couldn't play," METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett said. "They see a lyric like 'Master Of Puppets' being so subversive that they're not allowing us to play it. It's kind of scary." Added METALLICA frontman James Hetfield: "And that just brings more attention to it, of course. That doesn't work."

UK grindcore pioneers Napalm Death are currently on a massive and extremely successful touring campaign across North America as part of the Savage Imperial Death March Tour together with The Melvins and Melt Banana. Plenty of shows have sold out already, so act fast to get your tickets for the remaining dates.

Napalm Death bassist Shane Embury checked in with the following status report: "This ongoing tour with Melt Banana and the The Melvins has been awesome! A really great vibe between all three of the bands with a lot of the shows selling out which is great to see. The diversity of the fans and the musical styles of the bands on offer for me is really refreshing! I also got to play 'Night Goat' live with The Melvins, which for me is one of the best songs ever! But for sure this kind of tour is inspirational food for thought as I look towards writing for the next Napalm Death album!"

April
26 - Omaha, NE - Waiting Room
27 - Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre
29 - Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge
30 - Walla Walla, WA - Main Street Studios

May
1 - Seattle, WA - The Showbox - SOLD OUT
2 - Vancouver, BC - The Venue
3 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theater
4 - Eugene, OR - Old Nick's
5 - San Francisco, CA - Slim's - SOLD OUT
6 - San Francisco, CA - Slim's - SOLD OUT
7 - Los Angeles, CA - The Troubadour - SOLD OUT
8 - Los Angeles, CA - The Troubadour - SOLD OUT
9 - Los Angeles, CA - The Troubadour - SOLD OUT

Napalm Death has also revealed a string of new European festival dates, as well as a tour across South America for June / July. Find their complete live itinerary at this location. 

GUNS N' ROSES singer Axl Rose was filmed by TMZ.com as he arrived at the Los Angeles International Airport earlier today (Monday, April 25) to catch a flight to Europe to resume rehearsals for AC/DC's upcoming European tour. Check out the clip below.

Asked by the TMZ.com cameraman what his favorite AC/DC song is, Axl responded: "Right now, 'Touch Too Much'."

Rose also talked about GUNS N' ROSES' apppearances at the Coachella festival, saying, "The shows went really good. The crowd was amazing. It was really nice." He added: "The first show was good. The second show was more fun." Pressed on why he preferred this past weekend's gig over the one on April 16, Axl responded: "I don't know. The crowd was even more responsive."

The seventh live appearance of GUNS N' ROSES since the reunion of Rose, guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan found Rose still confined to a throne after breaking his foot during the reunited act's first show at the Troubadour in Los Angeles on April 1.

Asked if he feels restricted by his injury, Axl told TMZ.com, "Not really." He also revealed that he expected to be able to remove the cast from his leg in "a couple of weeks."

AC/DC's European stadium tour begins on May 7 in Lisbon, Portugal and runs through June 12 in Aarhus, Denmark. Following that, Rose will head out on his previously announced summer reunion tour with GUNS N' ROSES, dubbed "Not In This Lifetime". AC/DC's ten postponed U.S. dates will take place later in the year, also with Rose as frontman.

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.

On Sunday, April 24th, Pink Floyd legend David Gilmour performed for Teenage Cancer Trust at the Royal Albert Hall. Below is an audience recording of Gilmour performing “Comfortably Numb”, with the inclusion of “Purple Rain” as a tribute to Prince.

North American syndicated rock radio show InTheStudio: The Stories Behind History’s Greatest Rock Albums, recently celebrated David Gilmour’s 70th birthday with a look back at his 2006 solo album, On An Island.

Sunday, March 6th marked both David Gilmour’s 70th birthday and the 10th anniversary of his third solo album On An Island. It is remarkable that over the course of a 48 year recording career Gilmour has only released four solo albums. His first, self-titled, was released between Pink Floyd’s Animals and The Wall albums; his second, About Face , was released in 1984 amidst “a period of limbo”, remarks Gilmour, at a period in which Pink Floyd was idle due to Roger Waters’ reluctance to carry on. But unlike those first two albums, On An Island was highly significant because, in Gilmour’s mind, Pink Floyd was in the rearview mirror. The 2005 Live 8 concert featuring a Pink Floyd reunion, which would be the band’s last, was fresh in Gilmour’s mind when David shared his thoughts with InTheStudio’s Redbeard.

“That (Live 8) was fun. I’m very pleased in the end that I did it. Together with that, it sort of served as closure on that period of my life, and I’m very very happy and satisfied musically, artistically, with my whole career within Pink Floyd in the early days with Roger, and in the latter years too.” - David Gilmour

Listen to the InTheStudio interview at this location.

Unexpectedly, on April 21st, Prince passed away at his Paisley Park recording studio and home in Chanhassen, Minnesota; he was 57. Autopsy results have not yet been released. 

Dream Theater keyboardist Jordan Ruddess recently "grabbed five minutes after sound check in Phili to create my tribute to the one and only Prince - 'Purple Rain'." The clip below was performed by Rudess on Korg Kronos and Wizdom Music's GeoShred for iPad; produced by Keith Wechsler.

Dream Theater's next show is April 26th in Greensburg, PA at Palace Theatre. To view their complete tour schedule, visit this location.

 

 

On April 21st, Kamelot kicked off their latest European tour in support of the Haven album in Prague, Czech Republic. Kobra And The Lotus vocalist Kobra Paige will accompany the band for the duration of the tour. Fan-filmed video from the tour is available below.

Remaining dates are as follows:

April
26 - Solothurn, Switzerland - Kulturfabrik Kofmehl
27 - Luzern, Switzerland - Konzerthaus Schüür    
29 - Kopervik, Norway - Karmøygeddon Metal Festival 
30 - Trondheim, Norway - Byscenen

Kamelot have announced three shows for Japan, due to take place this May. They have also confirmed that Arch Enemy vocalist Alissa White-Gluz will be on board once again as the band's backing vocalist for these dates.

German thrashers Accuser have released an official video for “Unreal Perception”, a track from their new album, The Forlorn Divide, out now via Metal Blade Records.

From 1986 to 1996, Accuser were a mainstay within the national and international metal scenes. Especially albums such as Who Dominates Who (1989) and Repent (1992) are an impressive display of the Siegen, Germany-based group's technical and compositional abilities.

Musically Accuser finds their own niche somewhere between Bay Area thrash metal and the German sound of bands such as Kreator or Destruction. Collaborations with Alex Perialas (producer of Testament, Anthrax) or German industrial pioneers Die Krupps speak for themselves.

After several line-up changes, the band eventually splits up in 1996. That is, until 2008: Accuser returned. Although they have never truly been gone, to be exact. Under the name of Scartribe, they have been writing songs all the time and played countless concerts.

By the end of 2008, the band returned to their familiar name and has been firing on all cylinders ever since. In May 2010, Agitation was released, an album featuring all their trademarks. Classical thrash tiffs, melodic leads and nifty soli fall together with Frank Thoms' inimitable voice and soulful lyrics about social issues.

The band has already been working on new material since 2013. The addition of new guitarist Dennis Rybakowski, the re-recorded version of their classic Who Dominates Who to celebrate their 25th birthday in 2013 and several very successful festival shows were whiffs of fresh air for the group. Quickly, it became apparent that the new stuff was going to be more progressive and complex, so the band took their time in order to work meticulously with a focus on detail. Slowly but steadily, The Forlorn Divide took shape in their tried-and-tested Gernhart Studio. It contains everything you know and love about Accuser: involved, powerful thrash metal with virtuoso guitar work, thought-out drum patterns and last but not least aggressive, at times desperate vocals, perfectly highlighting the dark recesses of human psyche that are described in the lyrics.

Tracklisting:

“Predawn”
“Lust For Vengeance”
“Unreal Perception”
“Arbitrary Law”
“Impending Doom”
“Tribulation”
“Perish By Oblivion”
“Fifth Column”
“Sulfur Rain”
“Flow Of Dying”

"Impending Doom":

“Tribulation”:

Accuser live:

May
13-15 - Gelsenkirchen, Germany - Rock Hard Festival

September
30 - Dresden, Germany - Skullcrusher (Metal Gegen Krebs Festival)

After several months of hard work of song writings and rehearsing at studio At Rock in Grenoble (France) with Pierre Caci behind the desk, Nightmare has entered the studio to start the recordings of their new album, produced and arranged by Patrick Liotard and Joost Van Den Broek (Epica) and recorded at Noise Factory Studio in Belgium with Gerald Jans (Epysode, Channel Zero).

Mixing will be done in May at Sandlane studio in The Netherlands by Van Den Broek. Check out a new clip from the studio below:

Last October, Nightmare introduced vocalist Magali Luyten (Beautiful Sun, Beyond The Bridge, Ayreon) and drummer Olivier Casula (Sangdragon, ex-Thalidomide, The Seven Gates).