Black Crown Initiate have announced some brand new details surrounding their new release, due out later this year. The band will release Selves We Cannot Forgive on July 22nd via Entertainment One Music (eOne). The tracklisting and visually mindbending cover art created by Travis Smith (Opeth, Devin Townsend, Avenged Sevenfold) is also being revealed today.

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

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

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

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

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

Tracklisting:

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

Tour dates:

April
29 - Baltimore, MD - Soundstage
30 - Lowell, MA - Mill City Ballroom

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

(Photo - Black Crown Initiate Facebook)

New England-based metal pioneers Unearth will return for another run of European shows this summer, including festival appearances at Summer Breeze, Bloodstock and Brutal Assault.

The band comments: “Europe! We are excited to be coming back this August to play the festival circuit. We'll be throwing some club dates between the fests, so stay tuned for updates and announcements on those.

“We are also releasing a 'new' video for “Never Cease” (off Watchers Of Rule) that was put together with footage from our European tour last spring. We want to thank Lukas Hambach from Frameshock Productions for shooting and editing the video.”

Unearth tour dates are listed below:

August
6 - Sylak Open Air - St. Maurice De Gourdans, France
12 - Brutal Assault - Jaromer, Czech Republic
13 - Into The Grave Fest - Leeuwarden, Netherlands
14 - Bloodstock Open Air - Walton-On-Trent, UK
18 - Club Vaudeville - Lindau, Germany
19 - Schüür - Luzern, Switzerland
20 - Summer Breeze Festival - Dinkelsbühl, Germany
27 - Reload - Sulingen, Germany

"In Cold Blood", the new video from OTEP, the band led by singer, poet, illustrator, author and activist Otep Shamaya, can be seen below. The clip was directed Paul R. Brown, who has previously worked with MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, THREE DAYS GRACE, AUDIOSLAVE, SLIPKNOT, SEVENDUST, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, AVENGED SEVENFOLD and STATIC-X, to name a few.

"In Cold Blood" is taken from OTEP's seventh studio album, "Generation Doom", which will be released on April 15 via Napalm. The CD was produced by Howard Benson, who has previously worked with such acts as MOTÖRHEAD, PAPA ROACH, THREE DAYS GRACE, FLYLEAF, P.O.D. and HALESTORM.

Said Shamaya about the song: "There are nights I think of you. Suffering in the sweet amnesia of nostalgia. Then I remember the cold loneliness of being by your side and I hear my own voice whispering in the night, 'There's something wrong with me for thinking something's right with you. In cold blood. In cold blood.' This bit of writing created the song 'In Cold Blood'. It was really hard to share something so private and personal but I'm glad I did."

"Generation Doom" track listing:

01. Zero02. Feeding Frenzy03. Lords Of War04. Royals (LORDE cover)05. In Cold Blood06. Down07. God Is A Gun08. Equal Rights, Equal Lefts09. No Color10. Lie11. Generation Doom12. On The Shore

With Shamaya's multifaceted vocal approach, from gut-wrenching roars to soft seductive poetry to singing with a surprisingly magically beautiful voice, to her evolution as a writer and story teller, "Generation Doom" erupts with thunderous, punishing grooves that harmoniously detonate into dark industrial fury with magma flows of hard rock melodies that seamlessly shape shift into a mysterious musical beast we've just discovered.

Speaking about the current lineup of OTEP, Shamaya said, "These are the most talented group of musicians I've ever worked with. We are a family. These are my brothers in arms. My guitarist Aristotle and I have a spiritual connection on an alchemical level that's preternaturally conducive to creativity. Along with my amazing drummer Justin Kier and bassist Corey Wolford, we are a force of nature and resistance fighters. Music is our weapon. They believe in what we're doing, what we stand for, and have the utmost affection and respect for our fans, the OTEP tribe."

OTEP recentyl embarked on the "Generation Doom" tour. Support on the trek, which kicked off April in 8 in Las Vegas, Nevada and runs through May 28 in West Hollywood, California, is coming from Lacey Sturm (ex-FLYLEAF), SEPTEMBER MOURNING, THROUGH FIRE and DOLL SKIN. OTEP was formed in Los Angeles in 2000 and immediately signed to Capitol Records, an achievement based solely on the strength of its live performance. They were selected to appear at Ozzfest after Sharon Osbourne witnessed one of these incendiary performances. Their debut at Ozzfest was only their ninth live show, a major achievement for any band. It would be the kick-off for a career spanning 15 years.

British band Doogie White & La Paz recently released their brand new studio album, Shut Up And Rawk! Today, you can check out the video for the second single, “Daughter Of Time”, streaming below.

Tracklisting:

“Light The Fire”
“Heart Of Stone”
“No Place In Heaven”
“The Revenge Of El Guapo”
“A Certain Song”
“Retribution Blues”
“Daughter Of Time”
“The Prize”
“Faith Hope And Love”
“Throw Me To The Wolves”
“Miss Dynamite”
“Book Of Shadows”

“Daughter Of Time” video:

“Light The Fire” lyric video:

The album was mixed and mastered by Rolf Munkes at Empire Studios in Frankfurt, Germany.

La Paz lineup:

Doogie White - vocal
Chic McSherry - guitar
Alex Carmichael - bass
Andy Mason - keyboards
Paul McManus - drums

London, England’s Zoax will release their self-titled debut album on May 13th via Century Media Records. The band have launched a video for their brand new track "Roses All The Way" off the upcoming album.

Vocalist and frontman Adam Carroll comments: "This is one of our favourite songs that we have ever written and probably one of the most straightforward for us. The whole aim was to capture a track that everyone can jump around to from the word go. One of the most interesting writing ideas for us was creating a unique drum beat that is consistent throughout. The whole track is about being on the brink of being fed up/making mistakes, but always looking on the brighter side and not to dwell in the past all the time. Learn, move on, be a better person."

The new album is now available for pre-order as CD Digipak and LP+CD at CMDistro or EMP.

Tracklisting:

“The Bad Blood”
“Devil Dance”
“Roses All The Way”
“Fly High”
“ZuperHeroez”
“The Wave”
“Good Times”
“Mirrors”
“KSYCHIA”
“King And Queen”
“Alive In Sound”
“Slàn”

Pre-order the digital album at iTunes and get the previously released song “The Bad Blood” and “Roses All The Way” (on April 29th) as Instant Grats.

The video for “The Bad Blood” can be seen below:

In a brand new interview with Metal-Rules.com, ex-DEEP PURPLE bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes was asked about the fact that he and his former DEEP PURPLE bandmate David Coverdale didn't perform with the band at their Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction earlier in the month. He said: "There is a band out there called DEEP PURPLE featuring Ian Paice, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover which was essentially Mach 2. Every artist gets to do three songs. Now let me talk to you openly as there was a 99.9 percent chance that Hughes and Coverdale would not be invited to sing. I'm not going to name names, as there is a member who didn't feel it was appropriate that we should sing. So David and I braved it together as we were arm and arm all the way through. But I knew by the end of the night it would not happen. CHEAP TRICK closed the show and they invited us to play with Sheryl Crow and Grace Potter."

Hughes denied that he bothered by the fact that he didn't end up performing with PURPLE at the event. "Am I upset about not singing with DEEP PURPLE? Not at all," he said. "Everybody knows that David and I can sing. Everybody knows that we were in the band. All that mattered to me was accepting the award on behalf of DEEP PURPLE and the fans."

Glenn also talked about the absence from the induction of original DEEP PURPLE guitarist Ritchie Blackmore. He said: "I can say that David spoke to Ritchie in 2012 during the first nomination. David asked him, 'When we get in, are you going to attend?' He said, 'Oh no, not at all.' David is my brother and he would have no reason to fib to me, but Ritchie had no intention of attending the Hall Of Fame. It had nothing to do with him and Gillan not speaking. He just didn't want to show up. Nobody stopped him, and you can't stop an artist from getting inducted unless the chairman of the Hall Of Fame bans you. The chairman of the Hall Of Fame reached out to Ritchie with both hands and Ritchie gracefully declined. He didn't say anything bad. He just said, 'Thank you. I'm not going to attend.' People need to know it was a gracefully done. There were two guys that didn't show up: Ritchie, who declined; and Jon [Lord, former DEEP PURPLE keyboardist] who had passed."

METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich inducted DEEP PURPLE into the Rock Hall. PURPLE had been on the ballot three times and Ulrich has been championing their inclusion for years.

DEEP PURPLE's acceptance speeches included turns from Gillan, Glover, Paice, Coverdale and Hughes before the current lineup of DEEP PURPLE — Gillan, Glover, Paice, guitarist Steve Morse and keyboardist Don Airey — took the stage and played a short set consisting of "Highway Star", "Green Onions" (with an image of late DEEP PURPLE keyboardist Jon Lord behind them), "Hush" and "Smoke On The Water".

Despite Blackmore being a no-show at this year's Rock Hall, he was given several shoutouts during the induction speeches of the DEEP PURPLE members in attendance. In addition, Ulrich praised "Ritchie fucking Blackmore" for one of the most memorable guitar riffs of all time on "Smoke On The Water".

"It's a big disappointment for me that [Blackmore] wasn't here tonight," said Coverdale. "I e-mailed his manager a couple of days ago and extended a personal invitation. I never really got a response. Ritchie and I reconnected in 2012 after the loss of Jon Lord just to express my condolences and we buried the hatchet... which was great."

DEEP PURPLE singer Ian Gillan defended the band's decision to only perform with the group's current lineup at the Rock Hall induction, explaining that "there [was] no slight intended nor any desire to upset anyone" with this move.

The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony seemed like a rare opportunity for DEEP PURPLE to reunite with Blackmore, who wrote many of the band's most memorable riffs, but hasn't played with the group since 1993.

The DEEP PURPLE members that were inducted are: Ritchie Blackmore, David Coverdale, Rod Evans, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Glenn Hughes, Jon Lord and Ian Paice.

POISON singer Bret Michaels says that he is hopeful the band will play together again.

The multi-platinum "hair metal" rockers haven't done any major touring since taking part in the 2012 "Rock Of Ages" trek with LITA FORD and DEF LEPPARD. Since then, Michaels has been focusing on his solo career and last year released the video for "Girls On Bars", his rock-and-country-crossover track which was written with Grammy Award-winning songwriter Luke Laird.

During an April 18 appearance on the SiriusXM satellite radio show "Eddie Trunk Live", Michaels was asked if he thinks POISON will ever regroup to do some more touring. He responded: "One thousand percent. I still consider 'em great friends. We've been through a lot together. And, you know, we've been out there a lot a few years back — with DEF LEPPARD, MÖTLEY CRÜE, we were out with KISS, [LYNYRD] SKYNYRD… We've done a lot of stuff. And just as POISON, playing the amphitheaters and arenas. But I still see something amazing happening."

Michaels added that POISON's future plans depend partly on the health of drummer Rikki Rockett, who last year completed nine rounds of chemotherapy and seven weeks of radiation after being diagnosed with oral cancer in the summer. He said: "Right now we've all got a prayer out for Rikki and his health; we hope that it's great. And that's number one — for our drummer and his health and his kids and everything… He's working really hard at [his treatment]. And you know the combination — it's grace of God and good medical attention and taking care of himself. But I think if all goes great, which it will, I'm hoping in the very near future — I don't wanna say a date — we go out there and do some amazing shows together. And I'm thankful for every minute I have had and will have. Meaning I'm not… I'm not one of those guys, I'm not a bitter guy. I'm happy for what I've got and the amazing time we had together, and hopefully we'll continue to do it in the future. But if not, it was a great journey and a great time."

POISON appeared at the 2013 Indy 500 Miller Lite Carb Day, but has otherwise been mostly playing private shows, including one in January 2015.

Rockett has been critical of Michaels's decision to spend so much time nurturing his solo career. He said in a December 2015 interview: "I don't know that Bret wants to do another record with us. I think he'll do shows, I think he'll do maybe a tour."

He added: "POISON is my baby, you know what I mean? Thirty years. I don't wanna kill it off. But at the same time, it will get killed off if we don't do anything. It'll just automatically start to suffocate itself. And so, it's time to do something. This year is definitely decision time."

EMP Rock Invasion recently conducted an interview with vocalist Johan Hegg of Swedish death metallers AMON AMARTH. You can now watch the chat below.

Speaking about the departure of drummer Fredrik Andersson and AMON AMARTH's decision to enlist a session drummer, Tobias Gustafsson (VOMITORY, CUT UP), during the recording sessions for the band's new album, "Jomsviking", Hegg said: "Tobias was helping to write the album and record the album. We asked him to help us write and record the album, 'cause we didn't wanna go out and find a complete replacement, start working on a new album and then realize halfway through that, 'All right. This is not working out. We need to find someone else.' That wouldn't have been good at all. So we decided to work with someone we know really well. Tobias is an old friend and a great drummer. I mean, he's been playing for years in VOMITORY and now, obviously, he's in CUT UP. I think he contributed a lot to the end result of the album. I think it would not have turned out as great as it did without him. But right now, for the upcoming tours, we're working with a guy called Joakim Wallgren (OCTOBER TIDE, VALKYRJA). We're gonna do a U.S. tour and the summer festivals with him. And then we'll see. If he wants to continue working with us and everything works out fine…"

According to Hegg, AMON AMARTH is in no rush to make a decision regarding who will sit behind the kit for the band on a more permanent basis. "To be fair to anyone, you need to give them a real chance to grow into it, 'cause it is a tough lifestyle and it can be very aggravating," he explained. "You have to make sure that you feel you get along really well and it's the right guy. I have a good feeling about Jocke, but maybe down the road, he'll grow tired of us. Who knows? [Laughs]"

AMON AMARTH's tenth studio album, "Jomsviking", debuted at No. 19 on The Billboard 200, having shifted 21,000 equivalent album units in the week ending March 31.

The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week based on multi-metric consumption, which includes traditional album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA).

In terms of pure album sales, "Jomsviking" opened with 20,000 copies.

"Jomsviking" was released on March 25 via Metal Blade in North America and Sony Music internationally.

AMON AMARTH's previous album, "Deceiver Of The Gods", sold around 17,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 19 on The Billboard 200 chart.

AMON AMARTH's 2011 CD, "Surtur Rising", opened with around 15,000 units to debut at No. 34. The band's 2008 album, "Twilight Of The Thunder God", registered a first-week tally of more than 11,000 copies to enter the chart at No. 48.

"Jomsviking" — the first concept record in AMON AMARTH's storied career — tells a tragic tale of love and revenge, backed by the Swedes' trademark melodic, anthemic metal, which was produced and mixed once again by Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, TESTAMENT, ACCEPT) and also features special guest session drummer Tobias Gustafsson (VOMITORY). The epic original story is set in the world of the Jomsvikings, the legendary order of mercenary Vikings.

AMON AMARTH's North American tour features support from fellow Swedes ENTOMBED A.D. and young USA metal upstarts EXMORTUS.

"Stranded", a brand new song from French progressive metallers GOJIRA, will make its online debut on Friday, April 22. The track is taken from the band's brand new studio album, "Magma", which will be released on June 17 via Roadrunner Records. The as follow-up to 2012's "L'Enfant Sauvage" was recorded at GOJIRA frontman Joseph Duplantier's Silver Cord Studio in Queens, New York.

A teaser for "Stranded" is available below.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Swedish glam rock legends EASY ACTION will release their new single and the video for the track "Drop The Bomb" on May 27 via Monty Music.

This spring marks the tenth anniversary of EASY ACTION's comeback show at the Sweden Rock Festival in 2006. The Swedish glam pioneers Zinny Zan (SHOTGUN MESSIAH, ZAN CLAN) and Kee Marcello (EUROPE, K2) had not played together for over twenty years, and the show was meant to be a one-time thing. "But with the new members Simon Roxx (AMMOTRACK, VOLUME UNIT), Björn 'Grizzly' Höglund (THE SUMMIT, MARTINA EDOFF) and Michael Grimm (SUPERGROUPIES), we had so much fun, and sounded so good … that we decided to have a go at it," says Zan.

In the years that followed, EASY ACTION played several club dates and festivals, and supported TWISTED SISTER for a handful of Scandinavian dates. In 2008, the band released a new version of "We Go Rocking" and the new song "Jack's Back". By 2009, the band had written enough material for a new album, and the basic tracks were laid down in September 2009. However, as of 2011, the new album, titled "Looking Up Your Old Address", had still not been completed.

Says Höglund: "That's when we lost Michael due to complications with his diabetes, and... well that's where we left it. The album is still on the shelves."

In January 2016, EASY ACTION retrieved a hard drive consisting of multi-angle pro-shot video footage of the 2006 show at the Sweden Rock Festival.

Says Höglund: "I started going through the footage and the energy of that show just hit me! We had something special in that lineup. Seeing Michael on that stage playing with his childhood favorite band, and all the fun we had, was moving, to say the least. But there was almost no audio recorded at the Sweden Rock show, so we decided do go back to the album we never finished. The song 'Drop The Bomb' was close enough to completion so we decided to use that."

Ironically that song was written back in 1984 and intended for EASY ACTION's sophomore album.

Says Zan: "We wanted to close the book by at least releasing something from the would-be album — if not for all the people who asked about the band,. then for Michael. Though I am sure that many of the songs we wrote will surface some way or another pretty soon."

90.7 WCLH recently conducted an interview with former QUEENSRŸCHE and current OPERATION: MINDCRIME singer Geoff Tate. You can now listen to the chat below.

Asked if he is most creative while traveling, Tate responded: "I'm more creative when I clear my head of responsibilities or day-to-day things that you have to do.

"There's an interesting book, 'Chop Wood, Carry Water', that came out several years ago that [talks about] simplifying your life, and that makes a lot of sense to me: trying to simplify your life, streamline it, so that you're not so encumbered with all these tasks and things that you have to do every day that take up so much of your brain space," he continued. "'Cause I think you need time to meditate, you need time to sort of go inside yourself in order to be creative and to take advantage of it. You've gotta let your mind wander a bit. And, at least from my experience, when I let my mind wander, it wanders into some new idea that I can make a record around."

Tate added: "As of late, the inspiration for [OPERATION: MINDCRIME's debut album] 'The Key' came from a long hike that my wife and I did across Northern Spain. We'd had a real tumultuous couple of years and we decided, 'Let's just take some time for ourselves, and we'll go on this hike across Spain we've always wanted to do, and we'll really clear our heads.' And when I did that, I just came up with idea after idea after idea, and by the time I got home a month and a half later, I had a new album in the works."

Joining Tate in OPERATION: MINDCRIME's current touring lineup are guitarists Kelly Gray (QUEENSRŸCHE) and Scott Moughton, drummer Scott Mercado (CANDLEBOX), bassist Tim Fernley (THE VOODOOS) and keyboardist Randy Gane (MYTH).

"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.

Brazil's Imprensa Do Rock recently conducted an interview with SANCTUARY and NEVERMORE singer Warrel Dane. You can now watch the chat below. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

A how he takes care of his voice:

Warrel: "The most important thing for a singer is you have to get a lot of rest, a lot of sleep. You have to drink a lot of water. You have to hydrate yourself. And you… I know I have a bad reputation about alcohol, but you kind of have to stay away. So I'm a little better now these days than I was. I know I have a bad reputation for drinking too much, but I don't so much anymore. And you just… you just have to realize your instrument and know your limitations and know your strengths. I used to, when I was younger, sing in the stratosphere — very high. As you get older, and I will completely admit this, I can't sing that high anymore. So now I focus on my strengths. And it's no secret that I'm a fan of goth music, so I love singing low."

On SANCTUARY's plans to write and record the follow-up to 2014's "The Year The Sun Died" album:

Warrel: "I have three new SANCTUARY songs that I'm working on now. So another one's coming, and it's going to heavier and faster. This is what I told the guys in the band: 'Faster, faster, faster, faster!'"

On the musical direction of the songs that he has written for his next solo album, the follow-up to 2008's "Praises To The War Machine":

Warrel: "They are not like my first solo record. My first solo record, I wanted to do something more rock and roll, but still metal. This one, fuck it! It's fucking full-on brutal metal."

SANCTUARY last year parted ways with guitarist Brad Hull and replaced him with Nick Cordle (ex-ARCH ENEMY, ARSIS).

"The Year The Sun Died" was released in October 2014 via Century Media. The CD was recorded in Seattle at Soundhouse Studios with producer Chris "Zeuss" Harris (SOULFLY, SHADOWS FALL, HATEBREED, MUNICIPAL WASTE).

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

Leaves' Eyes have now posted the following message on social media:

"Since we are fed up with the lies on social media, and as we promised yesterday, here is the proof that we tell you the truth about what is going on. Here you can read the signed protocol documents (English and German) - certified by lawyer Frank Dehn - which proves that the news about the protocol from the mediator of our crucial band meeting is accurate and correct in every way. Furthermore the protocol shows that the decisions were made together! Since January this year Liv’s exit from the band was already pending. We hope, we have finally cleared up the situation for every one now. Like posted before we wish Liv all the best for her future."

The original statement released by Leaves' Eyes regarding Liv's departure is available below, followed by Liv's much different take on the situation.

Leaves' Eyes:

"We are just back from a great weekend in Indonesia. Our first show with Elina went awesome! Despite a heavy tropical storm before the gig, 21,000 people showed up in front of the stage!

We understand that many fans and friends are surprised and shocked about the change in our band. We all know Liv had an important role for the band in the past, and we understand people are sad as it was not an easy decision for every one involved. But since a lot of hateful and disrespectful comments are in the social media, we would like to take the opportunity to make some points very clear: Leaves' Eyes has always been a band, and not a project, nor a Liv Kristine solo project at all. We always worked as a team in Leaves' Eyes. In the last decade Tosso (guitarist Thorsten Bauer) and Alex (Krull, Leaves' Eyes co-vocalist and Liv's husband) wrote the music for Leaves' Eyes and Liv took care of the lyrics.

Liv's solo project is called Liv Kristine. We supported Liv also in her solo career, writing music, recording and producing albums and doing management in the past.

The decision to part ways with Liv was taken by all Leaves' Eyes members, including Liv. A mediator — a friend of Liv and Alex — was at the band meeting who can witness that the decision of parting ways was agreed by all members. Liv was happy to have the opportunity to plan changes in her future life and she does not have to go on tour so much anymore. The idea to go separated ways came up already in January. Elina was not part of this decision or process. It was also agreed to help Liv for her solo project, Liv Kristine, and record her new demo songs and her further projects at the studio just like in the past.

Please respect the privacy of Liv and Alex. Disrespectful postings and bashing is harming their family situation and their son Leon. Liv and Alex don't want to split fans — don't give false rumors, haters and bashers a chance! At the moment, we can't tell you more details as legal actions are in process.

To our worldwide fans who are there for the music and not the gossip: Let the music talk!

We are looking forward to present new material with Elina soon! Stay tuned for news of our upcoming video clip, music and tour updates."

Liv Kristine:

"Dear fans and friends, without you I wouldn't have the strength to continue with music. What you all have done for me with all your endless support and passion keeps me going on in these difficult times. Thank you for warning me concerning new postings by someone in Leaves' Eyes, done to harm me and make my situation even worse.

I have nothing to hide, nothing to fear. I was told a bit longer than a week ago that I am not preferred as the band's singer for further tours and recordings anymore. I asked for the situation concerning Indonesia and the soon-to-happen up-coming shows. The answer was 'no.' I asked if there's a replacement and I got no clear answer.

I can't believe this process happened behind my back, parallel to a huge disappointment in my private life.

A few days later, there certainly was a replacement. I must say — that was 'quick'!

I still see Leaves' Eyes as 'my baby' and I will miss playing these gigs, feeling the good vibes, sensing the real Norwegian Viking power with the audiences. Inside my heart I will always treasure Leaves' Eyes for all the good music, tunes, themes, concept and true Viking power. The melodies I used to sing will always stay alive in my ears.

I can't wait to unveil good news for you soon. There will be good news coming from Norway!"

On April 19th, 2016 the YouTube channel for VanHalenStore.com posted complete footage of the band playing live in Montreal, Quebec at the Forum on April 19th, 1984. Check out the vintage footage below.

The setlist on the night was as follows (click the link above to skip tracks):

"Unchained"
"Hot For Teacher"
"On Fire"
"Runnin' With the Devil"
"Little Guitars"
"Cathedral"
"House of Pain"
- bass solo - 
"Jamie's Cryin'"
"I'll Wait"
"Everybody Wants Some"
"Girl Gone Bad"
"Jump"
- guitar solo - 
"Pretty Woman"
"Panama"
"You Really Got Me"
"Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love"

Van Halen’s 5150 turned 30 years old on March 24th and was the first album to feature lead singer Sammy Hagar, who replaced David Lee Roth. Previously unreleased rough demos of the album have been uploaded by the Van Halen News Desk and these tracks contain many alternate vocals and even some alternate music.

5150 hit #1 on the Billboard Album Charts upon its release and has sold over 6 million albums in the US and 300,000 in Canada, earning Platinum certifications in both countries. 

Hagar recently spoke to Rolling Stone about the album’s 30th anniversary and when asked about he felt about the anniversary, he said “What a trip, man. Unbelievable. I just got out of bed, and what a thing to wake up to. I need some coffee for that one. Wow.”

To commemorate the 25th anniversary of his landmark album, Passion And Warfare, guitar legend Steve Vai has announced he will be embarking on a very special world tour celebrating the groundbreaking recording.  

Passion And Warfare is highly regarded as one of the greatest instrumental rock guitar recordings of all time. For the first time Vai will be performing the entire Passion And Warfare record from top to bottom, with some very special surprises in store. 

Vai will be launching his PAW Euro tour hot off the Generation Axe tour and will be performing at the World Guitar Festival in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, on May 28th. This will mark the first date of the Passion And Warfare 25th Anniversary Tour. Following that festival play and an extensive run in Europe that will include stops in Scotland, England, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, Germany, Poland, France, Switzerland and many other countries, the tour will arrive in the United States in October. Additional concerts in America and abroad will be announced at a later date.

"Performing this record from top to bottom (with some very special surprises in the works) is something I’ve always dreamed of doing,” Vai said.  “There are songs here I’ve never performed before, and I’m delighted that 25 years after its release, I feel as though my guitar chops are as much up to the task as ever before."

The tour will feature a unique premium package:  the Passion and Warfare EVO Experience, where among other things fans will have an opportunity to sit with Steve in an intimate Q&A session.  A limited number of EVO Experience tickets will be available for each show.

Steve Vai's Passion And Warfare 25th Anniversary World Tour dates are as follows:

May 
28 - Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec - World Guitar Festival

June 
1 - Glasgow, Scotland - O2 ABC Glasgow
2 - London, England - London Palladium
3 - Newcastle Upon Tyne, England - O2 Academy Newcastle
5 - Manchester, England - O2 Ritz Manchester
6 - Brighton, England - The Dome
7 - Bristol, England - Academy
9 - Helsinki, Finland - The House of Culture 
11 - Solvesborg, Sweden - Sweden Rock Festival
12 - Oslo, Norway - Rockefeller Music Hall
13 - Stockholm, Sweden - Debaser Medis, Ballroom
14 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Amager Bio
15 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Pusterviksbaren
17 - Leuven, Belgium - Het Depot
18 - Gutenstetten, Germany - Ibanez Guitar Festival
19 - Berlin, Germany - Columbia Theatre
20 - Warsaw, Poland - Progresja
21 - Prague, Czech Republic - Lucerna Music Bar
23 - Vienna, Austria - Simm City
24 - Dornbirn, Austria - Conrad Sohm
26 - Paris, France - Le Trianon
27 - Solothurn, Switzerland - Kofmehl
28 - Schaffhausen, Switzerland - Kammgarn
29 - Luxembourg, Luxembourg - den Atelier
30 - Lausanne, Switzerland - Les Docks

July 
2 - Rome, Italy - Rock In Roma (G3 with Joe Satriani & The Aristocrats)
3 - Sogliano Al Rubicone, Italy (G3 with Joe Satriani & The Aristocrats)
4 - Ascoli Piceno, Itlay - Piazza del Popolo (G3 with Joe Satriani & The Aristocrats)
5 - Grugliasco, Italy - Gru Village (G3 with Joe Satriani & The Aristocrats)
6 - Gardone Riviera, Italy - Teatro del Vittoriale 
7 - Udine, Italy - Castello di Udine
10 - Weert, Netherlands - Bospop Festival
11 - Munich, Germany - Circus Krone (G3 with Joe Satriani & The Aristocrats)
12 - Offenbach A. Main, Germany - Stadthalle (G3 with Joe Satriani & The Aristocrats)
13 - Bonn, Germany - Kunst!rasen (G3 with Joe Satriani & The Aristocrats)
16 - Cordoba, Spain - Anfiteatro Axerquia
17 - San Javier, Spain - Auditrio Parque Almansa
18 - Madrid, Spain - Jardines de la Complutense
19 - Valencia, Spain - Jardines de los Viveros
20 - Palma, Spain - Teatro Trui
21 - Barcelona, Spain - BARTS Club Paral.lel 62
23 - Lisbon, Portugal - Cultural Centre of Belem
24 - Vila, Portugal - Hard Club
28 - Budapest, Hungary - Park Budapest
30 - Tbilisi, Georgia - Tbilisi Open Air