Saigon Kick guitarist Jason Bieler has released another new song via his Owl Stretching side-project. He has posted the following update:

"Hope you had a great weekend! I wanted to let you know that...yes there is another new song up for your listening pleasure called 'The Girl' a twisted, strange little tune and I really hope you enjoy it!"

The Girl by Owl Stretching

Bieler released another new song via his Owl Stretching side-project back in January He posted the track along with the following update:

"So strange that I wrote and recorded this song on Friday (January 8th) and did this Bowie 'Fame' vocal nod that I was going to take out just because it was, well, a rip, but now I will leave it in as a small nod to the genius."

True Love by Owl Stretching

Saigon Kick recorded a cover of the David Bowie classic 'Space Oddity' for their Water album in 1993 featuring Bieler on lead vocals (check it out below). Bieler checked in with a tribute to Bowie, who passed away at 69 on January 10th following an 18 month battle with cancer.  

"Getting a message that David Bowie thought a cover you did 'was really good' was a massive career highlight, even if he was just being kind. Knowing that in some microscopic way we briefly crossed paths is like saying you shared a cup of coffee with Dali or rode the train with John Lennon, irrelevant in their worlds but life changing in yours. I had no idea he was that ill when I posted about him on Friday (January 8th). I spent the entire weekend listening to the Blackstar album over and over, talking with my daughter about how amazing it is to be that current, cutting edge and relevant for so long... as he is on her playlists as much as mine. Music and life done right…well done Mr. Bowie."

A 360° view of MEGADETH performing the song "Poisonous Shadows" from the band's Virtual Reality experience for the new album, "Dystopia", is available below. The track features piano playing from new MEGADETH guitarist Kiko Loureiro as well as orchestration from famed Nashville arranger Ronn Huff, the father of former MEGADETH producer Dann Huff. MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine described the track to Rolling Stone as "a really haunting piece" and added that "the part that [Kiko] played is very Chopin-meets-MEGADETH, if that makes sense."

As previously reported, MEGADETH will film a video for the song "Post American World" early this week.

"Dystopia" shifted 49,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending January 28.

In terms of pure album sales, "Dystopia" 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. In addition to Mustaine and Loureiro, MEGADETH's current lineup includes longtime bassist David Ellefson and LAMB OF GOD drummer Chris Adler.

On April 8, Universal Music / Tradecraft / T-Boy Records issued "Dystopia" as a limited-edition vinyl picture disc featuring the album's vivid dark and chilling artwork which takes the bands long-time mascot Vic Rattlehead to a whole new level and drops him into a bleak, futuristic dystopian universe.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, Slash's best friend, Marc Canter, has told the Daily Mail that the GUNS N' ROSES reunion finally fell into place thanks to bassist Duff McKagan brokering a peace settlement between Slash and singer Axl Rose — but only after Slash left his wife of 13 years, Perla Ferrar-Hudson. Canter explained: "Duff was a big part in getting them back together. He was working with Axl again and is a good middle man. There was no one else who communicated with Slash and Axl. When Axl was venting about Slash, Duff was able to help him see things through Slash's eyes."

McKagan had been instrumental in getting both ex-bandmates, who had not been speaking since 1996, to sign off on a series of music licensing deals that required both their signatures.

Yet one thing stood in the way of a full-fledged reunion: Perla, who had managed Slash's solo career and was an executive in his various companies.

According to Canter, Axl thought Perla was "controlling," with her presence remaining an obstacle.

Slash separated from Perla in 2014, with Canter saying, "Perla was out of the picture and Axl didn't like Perla and the way she controls things."

Canter also claimed that the band originally broke up because Slash and Duff wrote a dozen new songs around 1995 and Axl refused to sing on all but three or four of them — leading Slash to pursue a solo venture.

Slash told The Pulse Of Radio a while back why he found it too difficult to work with Rose at the time. "Something with Axl was very insecure and it just kept the band from sort of functioning properly," he said. "Although he was wanting to do things, I never to this day really understand exactly what he was getting at, and because it took so long to ever get anything done, I always attribute it to some sort of fear factor."

The reunited trio of Axl, Slash and Duff played their second Coachella festival gig this past Saturday (April 23) and will head out on a full North American tour this summer — after Axl finishes his stint as AC/DC's guest frontman on 22 dates in the U.S. and Europe.

GUNS N' ROSES bassist Duff McKagan and PEARL JAM guitarist Mike McCready have joined forces with ex-SCREAMING TREES drummer Barrett Strong to form a new project called LEVEE WALKERS.

The first two songs from LEVEE WALKERS, titled "Freedom Song" and "Tears For The West", also feature KILLING JOKE singer Jaz Coleman. Jaz is just the first in a handful of select singers who will be putting words and voice to the music of the LEVEE WALKERS.

According to Martin, LEVEE WALKERS' collaboration with Coleman took seed several years ago at the Classic Rock Awards. "We have been listening to his music for decades," Martin wrote "We were seated at the same table and introduced by our fellow bandmate Duff McKagan, and we immediately hit it off with a night of memorable conversation, which is how great collaborations usually begin."

Martin added: "A Levee Walker, by the way, is a phantom that occasionally appears on the tops of levees in the deep American South, which is the mystical heartland of all American music. And like a levee walking phantom, this band will appear, disappear and reappear again, as the musical inspiration suits us."

McCready and Martin previously played together in MAD SEASON, the '90s supergroup also featuring late ALICE IN CHAINS vocalist Layne Staley. McKagan and Martin were also members of WALKING PAPERS, which released its debut album in 2012.

On the weekend of March 12th/13th, Jägermeister accomplished a world first by producing a thrilling continuous gig on air, sea and land, featuring Matt Tuck – lead singer of multi-award winning British heavy metal band, Bullet for My Valentine. The adrenalin-filled gig, which marked the fifth and most extreme chapter in Jägermeister’s Ice Cold Gig series, took place amidst (and above) the Lyngsfjord region, near Tromsø, in the stunning setting of North Norway, 192 miles north of the Arctic Circle.

Jägermeister, the iconic German herbal spirit renowned for pushing the limits in the music world, invited the Bullet for My Valentine frontman, who has been part of the JägerMusic programme for years, to perform in this exhilarating world first attempt. The epic event encompasses three elements – never before associated with one continuous gig.

Matt and his unsuspecting audience of three loyal friends - completely oblivious to the adventure ahead until arriving at the dropzone - ascended to 15,000 feet above the stunning Lyngsfjord in a Eurocopter AS350 helicopter, set to start the show of a lifetime and truly test the bonds of friendship. Each paired with a specially trained instructor, Jägermeister’s 2016 Ice Cold Gig started in freezing freefall with the band launched into the brutal -30 Norwegian air. After the icy and swift free-fall and with canopy opened at 7000 feet, Matt grabbed his guitar playing the first song of the gig, The Last Fight, recorded on Zaxcom receivers for his floating audience, listening in on Sennheiser G3 headphones; a unique moment in music history.

Stage two of the Ice Cold Gig saw Matt and his mates whisked across the tranquil Lyngsfjord they had plummeted towards moments before, in a Buster Magnum speed boat. With wind chill factored in at -20 the challenge for Matt to sing and play the guitar was very real, yet spirits remained high with Matt wanting to put on a show deserving of his closest friends, who all sang along to Matt’s second song of the gig, Venom, the title track of Bullet for My Valentine’s phenomenally successful latest album which topped charts across the globe, and hit number 3 in the UK.

When the quartet arrived back on land they were led by Siberian huskies through the glistening Norwegian snow towards the Gukkesgaissa Mountains with Matt playing his 2010 classic Bittersweet Memories. Ushering his crew back to a traditional Norwegian Sami camp, the friends gathered alongside enthusiastic locals (including a couple of reindeer) – and, toasting to friendship and a world’s first in music; air, sea and land, celebrated with a well-deserved ice cold shot of Jägermeister.

After the gig, frontman Matt Tuck said: “I’ve played some incredible gigs around the world, but that was right up there, literally. Jäger’s Ice Cold Gig was one of the very best and definitely the most extreme! It’s my first skydiving experience, so dealing with the excitement and nerves – even before you add in the ruthless cold – was intense, but totally worth it. It’s awesome to say you did a world’s first in music, but to do it with my best mates, the guys who were there with me from the beginning, made it unforgettable. Now for a drink!”

In the Ice Cold Gig series, there’s no obstacle too big for Jägermeister to overcome. Jägermeister’s 2015 Ice Cold Gig saw UK progressive rock band TesseracT perform on top of an immense gigantic igloo, thought to be the world’s biggest, spanning the equivalent of 3.5 double decker buses in Ylläs Village in Lapland, Finland.

In 2014, Jägermeister hosted the world’s first gig on an iceberg with UK metal band The Defiled. The band performed a special set to a host of locals from the nearby town of Kulusuk Greenland, who ventured out to the ice field to watch this once-in-a-lifetime experience from an array of fishing boats and leisure craft.

Tom Carson, Jägermeister UK music manager added: "We go bigger every year and because of the nature of this world first, spanning air, sea and land, in extreme conditions, this gig was not only a test of friendship but one of supporting each other too. I think they had a great laugh. The Ice Cold Gigs have become such a prominent feature for our JägerMusic programme and this year we really wanted to celebrate musicians giving back to the people who supported them from the very start; typically their best friends".

Like Jägermeister’s 85 year old secret recipe, plans like these do not come about overnight. The mammoth challenge of putting this incredible tribute to friendship together fell to Secret Compass, a professional expedition company whose Brand Projects team is adept at conceptualising and delivering multi-platform media projects of this nature in the world's wildest places. Faced with extreme modes of transport, freezing temperatures, high winds and rock stars, the team utilised strategic planning, the latest high tech equipment and sheer human endurance to capture the essence of the project.

Tom McShane, Operations Director, Secret Compass commented: “From having to film from helicopters, skydiving, speedboats to huskies, this project was mammoth in the extreme. From looking after all the filming and audio kit in freezing temperatures, to co-ordinating the permissions to run a really complex project, and getting the logistics in place has been challenging to say the least, but like Jägermeister, we revel in breaking boundaries."

According to Business Insider UK, Led Zeppelin legends Jimmy Page and Robert Plant have been accused of "hiding in the UK" after they signalled through their lawyers that they would not attend the upcoming "Stairway To Heaven" lawsuit that is due to take place on May 10th in Los Angeles.

Earlier this month, Page and Plant lost their bid to avoid a trial that may rewrite the history of rock n’ roll over song-writing credit for the 1971 classic, reported Bloomberg.com.

A federal judge in Los Angeles ruled that a jury must decide whether the British rockers ripped off the opening licks of “Taurus”, which was recorded by a band named Spirit that once played concerts with Zeppelin. The judge dismissed some claims in the lawsuit and also said the plaintiff can get only half of any jury award of damages.

The lawsuit was brought in 2014, 43 years after "Stairway To Heaven" was released, on behalf of the late Randy California, Spirit’s guitarist and the composer of “Taurus”. A trust created by his mother and administered by a former rock journalist alleged in the complaint that Page lifted the opening guitar plucks in “Stairway” from an instrumental that California had written in 1966 for his girlfriend. According to trustee Michael Skidmore, Page had asked California to teach him the chords to Taurus in 1969, when the two groups would sometimes tour together.

In February, Page, Plant, Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones and Warner Music Group Corp. asked US District Judge R. Gary Klausner to throw out Skidmore’s lawsuit, arguing that California was a songwriter for hire who didn’t own the copyright to his composition. Even if he did, they argued, the similarity between "Stairway To Heaven" and "Taurus" was limited to a "descending chromatic scale of pitches" that have been known for centuries and are too commonplace in music to be entitled to copyright protection.

Read the full story at Bloomberg.com.

The official lyric video for the song "Somewhere" from CIRCLE II CIRCLE can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's latest album, "Reign Of Darkness", which came out on October 16, 2015 via earMUSIC.

earMUSIC/Edel and Zak Stevens have enjoyed critical acclaim and commercial success together over the years with SAVATAGE albums like "Edge Of Thorns", "The Wake Of Magellan" and "Dead Winter Dead" (true milestones of hard rock and metal and some of the biggest charts metal successes of the '90s) and CIRCLE II CIRCLE albums such as "Seasons Will Fall" alike.

CIRCLE II CIRCLE is a band that has been reinventing itself through the years, but maintaining that signature sound that fans around the world love. "Reign Of Darkness" is no exception to that attitude, bringing out the very best CIRCLE II CIRCLE has to offer. Needless to say, "Reign Of Darkness" overshadows what has been done before.

Says Stevens: "You might say that 'Reign Of Darkness' represents a musical reinvention for us, but the minute you hear each song you know right away that it's CIRCLE II CIRCLE. We wanted to pay homage to the past, but we also wanted to create a musical renaissance within our genre that is fresh and energetic. This is an album that will positively pave the way for our future."

"Reign Of Darkness" features the powerful metal sound, strong hard rock riffs, both emphasizing Zak Stevens's passionate melodic rock vocals. Again, the band has created something new, something fresh and vigorous. And the artwork definitely sets new standards.

"Reign Of Darkness" track listing:

01. Over-Underture02. Victim Of The Night03. Untold Dreams04. It's All Over05. One More Day06. Ghost Of The Devil07. Somewhere08. Deep Within09. Taken Away10. Sinister Love11. Solitary Rain

Progressive death metal masters, Fallujah, will release their third full-length album, entitled Dreamless, on April 29th via Nuclear Blast Entertainment. A new music video for the album track “Abandon” can be seen below:

Dreamless was recorded at Sharkbite Studios with producer Zack Ohren (Animosity, Suffocation), and was mixed and mastered by Mark Lewis (Devildriver, Cannibal Corpse) in Orlando, FL at Audiohammer. Cover art was created by Peter Mohrbacher.

Dreamless tracklisting:

“Face Of Death”
“Adrenaline”
“The Void Alone”
“Abandon”
“Scar Queen”
“Dreamless”
“The Prodigal Son”
“Amber Gaze”
“Fidelio”
“Wind For Wings”
“Les Silences”
“Lacuna”

"The Void Alone” playthrough:

"Scar Queen” playthrough video:

“The Void Alone” lyric video:

“Making Of” videos:

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Unhallowed Resurrection MMXVI tour dates with The Black Dahlia Murder, Disentomb are listed below.

April
26 - Tallahassee, FL - 926 Lounge (formally Pug's)
27 - Birmingham, AL - Zydeco
28 - Pensacola, FL - Vinyl
29 - Houston, TX - Eastdown
30 - Austin, TX - Mohawk

May
1 - Lubbock, TX - Jake's Sports Cafe
3 - Albuquerque, NM - Blu Phoenix Venue
4 - Tucson, AZ - Club XS
5 - Phoenix, AZ - Rebel Lounge
6 - Las Vegas, NV - Divebar
7 - Anaheim, CA - Chain Reaction
8 - Glendale, CA - The Complex
9 - Bakersfield, CA - Jerry's Pizza
10 - Fresno, CA - Strummers
11 - San Francisco, CA - Brick and Mortar Music Hall
12 - Sacramento, CA - Boardwalk
13 - Portland, OR - The Analog Cafe and Theatre
14 - Spokane, WA - The Big Dipper
15 - Boise, ID - Mardi Gras
16 - Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court
18 - Grand Junction, CO - Mesa Theatre
20 - Sioux Falls, SD - The District
21 - Des Moines, IA - Vaudeville Mews
22 - Madison, WI - Frequency
23 - Chicago, IL - Beat Kitchen
24 - St. Louis, MO - Fubar
25 - Indianapolis, IN - Emerson Theater
26 - Grand Rapids, MI - Pyramid Scheme
27 - Kent, OH - The Outpost
28 - Howell, MI - Bled Fest

Fallujah is:

Alex Hofmann - vocals
Rob Morey - bass
Andrew Baird - drums
Scott Carstairs - guitars
Brian James - guitars

French avant-garde black metallers Glorior Belli have released a new song from their upcoming album Sundown (The Flock That Welcomes), which drops on May 6th via Agonia Records. The track is titled “Satanists Out Of Cosmic Jail” and it is streaming below.

"The production is by far one of the best that Glorior Belli ever had”, comments the band. "Drums and bass are absolutely devilish and placed under the spotlight. Everything was recorded, mixed and mastered in our own studios, having an absolute control as usual over the sound. The guitar work overall will bring you back to the origins of Glorior Belli.”

"Conceptually wise, Sundown (The Flock That Welcomes) will smother you with darkness and light, both stuffed down your throat with the same rage that could be heard on Glorior Belli's ealier records. When the Night is coming down on you, will you find a way through the dark? A record for the very few of us who truly embrace the desire to break from the cosmic prison.”

Tracklisting:

“Lies-Strangled Skies”
“World So Spurious”
“Rebels In Disguise”
“Thrall Of Illusions”
“Sundown (The Flock That Welcomes)”
“Satanists Out of Cosmic Jail”
“Upheaval In Chaos Waters”
“We Whose Glory Was Despised”

“Satanists Out Of Cosmic Jail”:

"Lies-Strangled Skies":

Sundown (The Flock That Welcomes) by Glorior Belli

“Sundown (The Flock That Welcomes)” lyric video:

Formats:
- Jewelcase CD
- Regular black gatefold LP (limited to 200 handnumbered copies)
- Gold gatefold LP (limited to 100 handnumbered copies)
- T-shirt in two different designs
- Digital

Sundown (The Flock That Welcomes) is available for pre-orders here.

Steadily climbing the ladder of artistic development, the French band Glorior Belli has developed a very unique sound and image in the often stiff frames found within the black metal genre. While the band's last album Gators Rumble, Chaos Unfurls (2013) was a combination of southern stylistics and crushing heaviness, its upcoming successor Sundown (The Flock That Welcomes) will reveal a new chapter in this unusual relationship of genres, only this time, the emphasis is on the black metal side.

The band is led by Infestvvs (aka Billy Bayou), since its inception in Paris in 2002, who currently takes care of all instruments. He is endorsed by Randall Amplifiers and will be accompanied on stage by fellow Luciferian silhouettes known as "The Innominati".

Fan-filmed video footage of LAST IN LINE — the band featuring DEF LEPPARD guitarist Vivian Campbell alongside fellow founding DIO member Vinny Appice, plus singer Andrew Freeman, who has previously fronted HURRICANE and LYNCH MOB — performing on April 23 at the Frontiers Rock Festival III at Live Club in Trezzo (Milan), Italy can be seen below.

LAST IN LINE has recruited Phil Soussan (OZZY OSBOURNE, BEGGARS & THIEVES, Steve Lukather) to play bass for the group for its shows in April and May. Also joining them at the dates is virtuoso keyboardist Erik Norlander (Lana Lane).

Soussan made his live debut with LAST IN LINE on April 14 at Count's Vamp'd Rock Bar & Grill in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Freeman previously played with Soussan in the acclaimed Las Vegas rock and roll production "Raiding The Rock Vault".

Appice and Soussan had done a number of shows together as members of the all-star jam band BIG NOIZE.

Original LAST IN LINE bassist Jimmy Bain passed away in late January at the age of 68. He was reportedly suffering from lung cancer at the time of his death.

LAST IN LINE's debut album, "Heavy Crown", was released on February 19, 2016 via Frontiers Music Srl. The CD was recorded at a Santa Clarita, California studio with producer Jeff Pilson, a veteran bassist who has played with DIO, FOREIGNER, DOKKEN and T&N, among others.

Remaining LAST IN LINE tour dates:

May 24 - Ramona Mainstage - Ramona, CAMay 25 - Whisky A Go Go - West Hollywood, CAMay 27 - Rocklahoma - Pryor, OK

In a recent interview with Glide Magazine, Vivian stated about LAST IN LINE's future: "I honestly don't know. We're not in a position where we have to make that decision yet, fortunately, because we only have this opportunity to do these handful of shows. It would have been wrong to just go out on tour a month after Jimmy died with some guy playing bass. That would have been very disrespectful. So we're just trying to find the right balance now between doing nothing and giving up and doing something to help this record and consequently further Jimmy's memory, 'cause Jimmy really believed in this record and this band. In fact, so much so, last year Jimmy got a LAST IN LINE tattoo on his arm. When he died, it was the only tattoo on his body, the LAST IN LINE logo. He believed in this project so much and he was so involved creatively in this record, and it is a great record and a great bookend to his career.

"Like I said, we're fortunate we don't have to make that decision yet. We're just going to do these handful of shows and then I'm on tour with LEPPARD until mid-October. So if anything does happen further with LAST IN LINE, it wouldn't happen before the end of the year. So we have a lot of time to think about it and I guess, more than anything else, our decision on our future would be determined by what happens with the record. And so far it's very encouraging, the reviews and the responses have been tremendous. With that in mind, and if it continues that way, if there's enough of a desire for people to hear us play, then we probably would."

Greek heavy metal band, Diviner, released their debut album, Fallen Empires, last November via Ulterium Records. A new video for the album track “Evilizer” can be found below.

Fallen Empires is a very strong heavy metal album that keeps the legacy from the genre but at the same time sounds new and inspired. Perfect for fans of bands like Accept, Dio, Judas Priest and Iced Earth. Mastered by Peter In de Betou (Arch Enemy, Opeth, Amon Amarth).

Fallen Empires tracklisting:

“Fallen Empires”
“Kingdom Come”
“Evilizer”
“Riders From The East”
“The Legend Goes On”
“Come Into My Glory”
“Seven Gates”
“The Shadow And The Dark”
“Sacred War”
“Out In The Abyss”

“Come Into My Glory” lyric video:

Diviner is:

Yiannis Papanikolaou (Rock ’N’ Roll Children, ex-Innerwish) - Vocals
Thimios Krikos (Innerwish) - Guitar
George Maroulees (4bitten) - Guitar
Herc Booze (SiXforNinE) - Bass
Fragiskos Samoilis (Innerwish) - Drums

Australian melodic/progressive death metal act, Be’lakor, are streaming the new song “An Ember’s Arc”, from their upcoming fourth full length album, Vessels. The song is streaming below.

Be’lakor states: "Vessels is the product of well over a year's hard work - without doubt, it's the album that has challenged us the most. It's much richer and more textured than any of our other albums. There are parts which sound like the Be'lakor that fans know, while other sections might surprise some people. Our goal was to keep the music exciting and varied, for us as much as for anyone else. Vessels is also our first concept album, which has meant that lyrically we've really pushed ourselves this time around. We hope our fans will enjoy it as much as we do!"

Vessels tracklisting:

“Luma”
“An Ember’s Arc”
“Withering Strands”
“Roots to Sever”
“Whelm”
“A Thread Dissolves”
“Grasping Light”
“The Smoke Of Many Fires”

“An Ember’s Arc”:

Teaser:

Vessels will be available as:

- Regular Jewel Case
- Webstore Exclusive CD & Band Logo arm patch
- CD & Shirt Bundle (Webstore)
- 2LP Gatefold ( black & different colors)
- Strictly limited 2LP Gatefold Edition of the predecessor album Of Breath And Bone (black LTD limited to 300)

The eight pillar songs Vessels is built upon definitely satiate your hunger for progressive structures and technical prowess, but at the same time these new compositions live for intense, passionate and deeply disquieting melodic death metal.

Vessels will be released on June 24th via Napalm Records. Pre-orders will be available soon.

Be’lakor is:

George Kosmas - Guitar / Vocals
Shaun Sykes - Lead Guitar
John Richardson - Bass
Steve Merry - Piano / Keyboard
Elliott Sansom – Drums

EMP Label Group, the label owned by Megadeth bassist David Ellefson, has signed Dallas, Texas metal outfit, Even The Dead Love A Parade, featuring Drowning Pool bassist Stevie Benton, and will release their EP digitally on May 13th. The band have released their video for “Heart Poacher”, streaming below.

Even The Dead Love A Parade began life when friends, guitarist Braxton Henry and drummer Clint Litton decided they had wanted to get back to their original metal roots; a band with simple crushing riffs, huge drums, in your face vocals, a straight forward metal band. Braxton and Clint started sharing their ideas and riffs for the project with bassist Stevie Benton, better known as the bassist for international rock band Drowning Pool, who almost immediately signed on, and the musical core was completed with the addition of second guitarist Matt “Mattador” Raffaele, four guys who had spent countless tours and years together on the road working/playing for Drowning Pool and were already a brotherhood.

Stevie states: “I thought Matt would be a perfect fit for what we were trying to accomplish. He and I had discussed starting a heavy band in the past, so it was time to join forces and dominate the world."

With the core of ETDLAP firmly in place the search for the missing piece began, agreeing they needed a frontman whose voice could match the fierce intensity of the music, whose lyrics would paint a macabre picture for the listener; like a “Grindhouse” horror flick that sticks with you, a lyrical boogeyman who is real, relevant and in the now. After auditioning several potential frontmen to no avail, guitarist, Raffaele discovered Jordan Condrey.

“After listening to his vocals and reading his lyrics which were dark as fuck, we had found our singer.”

Since completing the lineup, ETDLAP have nurtured a brotherhood which is very evident in their unholy live show. Touring most of 2013 all over the US and Canada sharing the stage with such acts as Five Finger Death Punch, Korn, Asking Alexandria, Drowning Pool, Eye Empire, Sevendust, Nothingmore, Hellyeah and many other heavy hitters and in the genre. ETDLAP have proven their accomplishment of creating the music they set out to do from the beginning.

With a slew of new songs demoed and ready to be tracked, Even The Dead Love A Parade are poised to bringing the heavy back to fucking metal and testing God’s patience along the way with their lyrics and general irreverent bravado, guaranteed to make an impact on the heavy music scene for years to come.

“Heart Poacher” video:

Even The Dead Love A Parade is:

Jordan Condery - Lead vocals
Braxton Henry - Guitars
Matt Raffaele - Guitars
Stevie Benton - Bass
Clint Litton - Drums

L.A. GUNS singer Phil Lewis has refused to apologize for his onstage comment that "black people are all one-dimensional," explaining that he was simply attempting to broaden the debate on rap music.

L.A. GUNS was performing at the Fish Head Cantina in a Baltimore, Maryland suburb on Friday, April 22 when he made the comment. And his observation came as he attempted to praise the life and music of Prince, who died one day earlier at the age of 57.

While recalling L.A. GUNS' early days, when they played First Avenue in Minneapolis — the music venue that helped launch the careers of many local musicians, including Prince, and was featured extensively in the movie "Purple Rain" — Lewis said to the crowd: "I remember when we were working on [L.A. GUNS' 1989 album] 'Cocked & Loaded', we were on tour, and they said there was a venue that we could play in Minnesota; it was called First Avenue. And I didn't know too much about it at the time. But after I saw the movie, and I got it; I was with the program.

"We were all into that Prince, right?! 'Purple Rain'. It was so cool, because, you know, you had all your heavy shit, and then you had the pop shit, and there was Prince doing his own fucking thing.

"The problem is, right now — and I'm not gonna be a racist about it — but black people are all one-dimensional. We need more Princes, man. We need less fucking rappers and more people like Prince."

A short time after his comments surfaced online, Lewis took to his personal Facebook page to clarify his remarks, saying that while he is sure "there are plenty of multi-dimensional, brilliant [black] musicians out there," you are "not likely to hear about them on mainstream black media."

Lewis's posting reads as follows (as captured by Metal Sludge and slightly edited for clarity):

"Alright. It seems i have ruffled a few PC feathers with my onstage comment from Friday night's show. I stand by my words and make no apology for my observations. Perhaps 'black media' would have been a better choice [of] words than 'black people.' I was just thinking about the family who recently moved in the house next to mine and [they're] all very nice but [it] is obvious that [they're] drinking the gangsta rap or hoops mentality Kool-Aid. Oops, is that racist as well?

"My solution has been to provide and teach the two 10-year-olds basic guitar with the hope it will broaden [their] horizons as it did mine.

"Don't expect there will be a new Prince anytime soon, but damn sure there will be countless rappers spouting the 'money and hoes' moronic nonsense that does the black community no favors at all.

"I posted a picture of my old band that I formed with my mate Rudy Rivera, who apparently is black — not that I ever gave it much thought; [he is] just a good mate and brilliant guitarist.

"It's one thing to say, 'Oh, I'm not a racist. Look, I have black friends,' but quite another to hitch my wagon and form a musical alliance and hopefully a career with a black musician. And, yeah, I caught some flack for it, but couldn't care less. We were mates and made great music together and race had zero to do with it.

"I'm sure there are plenty of multi-dimensional, brilliant musicians out there, but you're not likely to hear about them on mainstream black media. Shame.

"More Princes, less rappers.

"There, I said it again.

"Carry on."

Jay Nanda of San Antonio Metal Music Examiner conducted an interview with SOULFLY frontman Max Cavalera and Max's sons Zyon and Igor Cavalera on April 22 in San Antonio, Texas. You can now watch the chat below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On writing in his 2013 book, "My Bloody Roots: From Sepultura To Soulfly And Beyond", about his days of drinking and doing drugs:

Max: "About the drinking and the drugs, I did a lot of that, and I went to the edge, man. It was affecting my music, so about ten years ago, I quit evertything. I'm a pretty extreme person. Like, I do all or nothing; there's no middle [ground] with me, so once I decided to stop… [I didn't just] stop the drugs but continue the drinking, like some people do. It's, like, it's gone, it's done. And yeah, music became my drug, which is cool. It replaced what I needed to get from drinking and drugging; music is now my source. And that's why I became more active in the last ten years than ever before, releasing more shit — KILLER BE KILLED, CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, SOULFLY… tenth album, books… And I think it's kind of cool for people out there. I didn't want to preach in the book, but I wanted to kind of give a hint. If you're going through the same thing, it's possible to have fun without drinking and without drugs — like, just with metal, just with music. It's enough. And it's good. It's great way of living. So I put a little bit in the book — just to [share a little bit of my own personal experience with the] people out there. There is a way to live without that and still have fun and still let the music be your main source of inspiration."

On how he reconnected with his brother Igor in 2006:

"Well, he quit SEPULTURA and called me. It all came from him, actually, 'cause I was just waiting, man. I was, like, 'I'm not… I don't know how this is gonna turn out. But it's already been ten years without talking to him, which sucks, 'cause he's my brother and I love him. And it shouldn't be like this.' But thank God that he called and we made peace. And he was welcome back in my family. And then we started CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, which is a real kick-ass band. I loved the first record, 'Inflikted'; it came out really good. So we're just having fun now. And I think a little bit what happened to Dimebag was kind of an eye opener too, because he had a brother in a band too, Vinnie [Paul]. And I saw Vinnie after that, and you could sense the pain that he was going through. So it makes you really enjoy each moment together. So I really, now, enjoy the time with Igor a lot. It's much different than… When I was in SEPULTURA, I didn't care; it was, like, whatever. But now it's… When we do stuff together, like we're gonna play the whole 'Roots' album [from SEPULTURA] at the end of the year. It's gonna be fun and exciting. It's so good that our brotherhood and friendship, it's all back. We got to meet their kids, he met my kids. And he gave a couple of presents to Zyon, like some drum stuff from Brazil. So, yeah, it's all good. I just love the fact that everybody… We're connected together. Yeah, ten years, it was hard, it was difficult, stressful, sad, but it's life. You've gotta get through it and overcome, and we did overcome. And now the future just looks good. We're just gonna keep doing more stuff and more stuff, and the family will grow more and more, which is great."

In 1996, Max exited SEPULTURA after the rest of the band fired Max's wife Gloria as their manager.

Igor left SEPULTURA in June 2006 due to "artistic differences." His departure from the band came five months after he announced that he was taking a break from SEPULTURA's touring activities to spend time with his second wife and their new son (who was born in January 2006).

Prior to her career as the lead singer of Nightwish and launching ReVamp, vocalist Floor Jansen fronted After Forever. The band released five albums between 2000 and 2007. Jansen recently found out about a "re-issue" of After Forever's Remagine album from 2005 and has posted the following message on Facebook:

"Just found out this exists... I had no idea. I cannot tell you how horribly screwed over and defenseless this makes me, one of the musicians and the face on it, feel. Thanks to whomever is making money on this for ruining this legacy! I don't know what to tell you. As fan of our music, I know you are excited about a new release, but for me this hurts. The unrightful way the masters for our work were taken makes me mad until my last breath. This was our work! Nobody else's!"

The image below is the cover art being used for the bogus version of Remagine. Fans are encouraged to show support for Jansen and her After Forever bandmates by NOT buying this version of the release.

Check out the real version of Remagine below with original cover art displayed. The tracklist is as follows:

"Enter"
"Come"
"Boundaries Are Open"
"Living Shields"
"Being Everyone"
"Attendance"
"Free Of Doubt"
"Only Everything"
"Strong"
"Face Your Demons"
"No Control"
"Forever"

Legendary rocker Alice Cooper is featured in a new commercial for Apple Watch. In the 15-second ad, Cooper can be seen swinging futilely at golf balls but settling in the end for burning some calories, as measured by his watch.

Cooper's commercial is one of a series of seven ads which focus on different aspects of the Apple Watch. Each spot, which has a different colored background, is 15 seconds in length, giving a quick look at a single feature set to music. Three of the ads depict users reaching their fitness goals for the day, using the Workout app to track workout progress, and competing with friends for the best time.

Cooper has been a golf enthusiast for more than 30 years and has been quoted as saying he credits the game for helping him kick his drug addiction.

Irish thrash metal outfit Gama Bomb have released an animated send-up of the Irish 1916 Easter Rising centenary, titled “2016: Return To Easter Rising”.

The online-only single takes on a sci-fi theme as the leaders of the Rising return to battle killer robots on the streets of modern day Dublin in a video featuring art by Dublin illustrator Mark Flood. The track also lampoons the progress of Irish history over the last 100 years, bemoaning the ‘suicide and civic pride’ and ‘crooked deals in shades of green’ that characterised the century.

Gama Bomb frontman Philly Byrne commented “This started life as an in-joke about six years ago, but it’s turned into something else. To us, the centenary of 1916 just throws light on the lack of progress the country has made in some areas. We’re one of the best-loved nations on Earth, but we treat women’s bodies and children’s education with contempt under the law. We’re a nation of artists and dreamers, but we’re living in thrall to inequality and boom-or-bust economics. In the face of all that, you can only really take the piss using the medium of  killer robots.”

Gama Bomb are notorious for making their opinions known: from being the first band ever to release a full album as a free download in 2009, to asking fans to bring along ‘inferior’ metal CDs to be destroyed at their early live shows. The track will not be released physically or made available for purchase.

Dublin and Newry-based five piece Gama Bomb started life 14 years ago, releasing five full-length albums and touring globally.  

Gama Bomb are:

Paul Caffrey - Drums
John Roche - Guitar
Domo Dixon - Lead Guitar
Joe McGuigan - Bass and vocals
Philly Byrne - Vocals

Society 1 has released a music video for their track “Can't Get Through”, from their upcoming album Rise From The Dead.

The video was directed and edited by singer Matt Zane of Lord Zane Productions (John 5, Wayne Static, Zakk Wylde, DMC, Orgy). The song was produced and mixed by Alex Crescioni at Stygian Sound and mastered by Mike Wells at Mike Wells Mastering.

"This is a song that I thought was about one thing but really was about something else. It's so bizarre how opening yourself creatively can reveal the most difficult truths to see and accept. I wish the pain in this song on no one”, said Zane.

HATEBREED's video for the song "Looking Down The Barrel Of Today" can be seen below. Directed by David Brodsky (CANNIBAL CORPSE, WHITECHAPEL, ALL THAT REMAINS) the performance piece was shot earlier this month at the band's rehearsal space in Connecticut. The video opens with the preface "Welcome To Two Minutes And Forty-Seven Seconds With Hatebreed," and includes special text throughout that was written by vocalist Jamey Jasta as a message of keeping a positive mental attitude.

"Looking Down The Barrel Of Today" is now available at iTunes as an "instant-grat track" when placing a pre-order for HATEBREED's new album, "The Concrete Confessional".

"The Concrete Confessional" will be released on May 13 via Nuclear Blast Entertainment. The follow-up to 2013's "The Divinity Of Purpose" was produced by longtime collaborator Chris "Zeuss" Harris (ROB ZOMBIE, SUICIDE SILENCE, WHITECHAPEL) and mixed by Josh Wilbur (LAMB OF GOD, MEGADETH). The artwork was created by Marcelo Vasco (SLAYER).

A number of tracks provide a pragmatic look at issues that have become front-and-center in today's New Normal, and the track "A.D." is a case in point. Reflecting what is today a challenging time, it's a song that fuses together frustration with torrential thrashed-out guitars, double bass drums, and Jamey Jasta's immortal growl.

"'A.D.' was a way that I could voice my frustration about the loss of opportunities available to the average guy," said Jasta. "With the government and big business drowning in corruption and greed, the average person is being squeezed, so achieving the American Dream is becoming less and less real.

"We all need to pay closer attention to what our elected leaders are doing," Jasta added. "Start locally, in your own community, make your representatives accountable."

Regarding the "The Concrete Confessional" artwork, Jasta said: "I think da Vinci said it best when he said painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen. Marcelo was able to capture a feeling that will accompany our musical and lyrical vision and he put together a striking piece that speaks volumes."

HATEBREED — vocalist Jamey Jasta, guitarists Wayne Lozinak and Frank Novinec, bassist Chris Beattie and Matt Byrne on drums — has just kicked off a 14-date European tour and will begin this project's first North American run on May 13 in Cleveland, Ohio.

HATEBREED's last album, "The Divinity Of Purpose", sold 17,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 20 on The Billboard 200 chart.

The new lineup of EMMURE made its live debut on Friday, April 22 in Oberhausen, Germany. Joining vocalist Frankie Palmeri in the band's latest incarnation are guitarist Josh Travis (GLASS CLOUD, ex-THE TONY DANZA TAPDANCE EXTRAVAGANZA), bassist Phil Lockett (ex-THE TONY DANZA TAPDANCE EXTRAVAGANZA) and drummer Josh Miller (ex-GLASS CLOUD).

EMMURE pulled out of a series of U.S. shows in October last year "to focus on other things," which was then followed by bassist Mark Davis, lead guitarist Jesse Ketive, rhythm guitarist Mike Mulholland and drummer Adam Pierce leaving the band. Davis later told AltPress.com about his departure from the group: "There is no time or room for negativity in life. If someone is bringing you down or holding you back from your full potential, it's time to cut them out, no matter how much you may love them."

Palmeri released a statement last month in which he said he regretted saying "a lot of stupid shit" in the past. He said: "Over the years, specifically the last decade, I have done a pretty good job at painting myself as an egotistical, psychotic, moronic douche. I did and said a lot of stupid shit, a good portion of which I look back [on] with embarrassment and regret. I have grown so much as person and I like to think there is still chance for people to understand that everyone grows differently and at their own pace. I am still growing, but I am not the person people have made me out to be. I look forward to reconnecting with all the fans who have stuck with EMMURE through the years and just over all excited about the future."

EMMURE's latest full-length album, "Eternal Enemies", was released in April 2014 via Victory Records.

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

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

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

"Aggressive" track listing:

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

The video for the "Aggressive" title track can be seen below.

BEARTOOTH will give fans a taste of "Aggressive" on the band's U.S. spring tour, which kicks off tomorrow and includes slots on the Welcome To Rockville and Northern Invasion festivals. A summer tour across Europe that includes main stage slots on Download festival will follow, with more dates to be announced soon. They will also be performing at the 2016 Alternative Press Music Awards on July 18.

On April 20th the Lita Ford / Halestorm tour hit Spartanburg, SC. Fan-filmed video of Ford performing her hit song "Close My Eyes Forever" with Halestorm vocalist Lzzy Hale during her set can be viewed below, with Hale taking on the parts originally sung by Ozzy Osbourne.

Vocalist Dorothy Martin was also on the tour as support. Fan-filmed video of Halestorm performing Foghat's 1972 classic "I Just Want To Make Love To You" with Dorothy live in Tulsa, OK can be viewed below.

Halestorm's tour schedule is currently as follows:

May
18 - Bloomington, IL - US Cellular Coliseum
19 - Saginaw, MI - FirstMerit Bank Event Park
21 - Schaghticoke, NY - Rock N’ Derby

August
5 - West Allis, WI - Wisconsin State Fair

Additional dates to be announced. Stay tuned.

“Mayhem” video:

GUNS N' ROSES has added four shows to its previously announced "Not In This Lifetime" reunion tour.

Second shows in Chicago, Foxborough and East Rutherford have been announced, along with a date at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

Tickets for the new dates go on sale via Live Nation at 10 a.m. local time on April 29.

"Not In This Lifetime" tour dates:

Jun. 23 - Detroit, MI @ Ford FieldJun. 26 - Landover, MD @ FedExFieldJun. 29 - Kansas City, MP @ Arrowhead StadiumJul. 01 - Chicago, IL @ Soldier FieldJul. 03 - Chicago, IL @ Soldier FieldJul. 06 - Cincinnati, OH @ Paul Brown StadiumJul. 09 - Nashville, TN @ Nissan StadiumJul. 12 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Heinz FieldJul. 14 - Philadelphia, PA @ Lincoln Financial FieldJul. 16 - Toronto, ON @ Rogers CentreJul. 19 - Foxborough, MA @ Gillette StadiumJul. 20 - Foxborough, MA @ Gillette StadiumJul. 23 - East Rutherford, NJ @ MetLife StadiumJul. 24 - East Rutherford, NJ @ MetLife StadiumJul. 27 - Atlanta, GA @ Georgia DomeJul. 29 - Orlando, FL @ Citrus BowlJul. 31 - New Orleans, LA @ Mercedez Benz SuperdomeAug. 03 - Arlington, TX @ AT&T StadiumAug. 05 - Houston, TX @ NRG ParkAug. 09 - San Francisco, CA @ AT&T ParkAug. 12 - Seattle, WA @ CenturyLink FieldAug. 15 - Glendale, AZ @ University Of Phoenix StadiumAug. 18 - Los Angeles, CA @ Dodger StadiumAug. 22 - San Diego, CA @ Qualcomm Stadium

Only singer Axl Rose, guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan from GN'R's "Appetite For Destruction"-era lineup took part in the seven shows the band has played this month. They were joined by keyboardist Dizzy Reed, guitarist Richard Fortus and drummer Frank Ferrer. Also appearing with them was second keyboardist Melissa Reese.

GUNS N' ROSES got a reported $8 million for its two appearances at Coachella and will make an average of $2.75 million per show on the "Not In This Lifetime" tour.

By comparison, Rose's most recent pre-reunion lineup of GUNS N' ROSES was getting somewhere between $350,000 and $500,000 per show, according to Billboard's industry sources.