"Rock Fossils On Tour", the exhibition about ancient fossils that are named in honor of rock stars, continues its tour around the natural history museums of the world when it opens at NaturBornholm on the Danish island of Bornholm on April 15.

This travelling exhibition was the brainchild of metal-loving palaeontologist Jesper Milàn from Geomuseum Faxe in Denmark, modelmaker Esben Horn from 10Tons Aps, Rune Fjord Studio, professor Mats Eriksson from Lund University and Achim Reisdorf from University of Basel. The exhibition opened for the first time in 2013 at Geomuseum Faxe (Denmark) where King Diamond turned up and revealed the model of the 400-million-year-old worm named in his honor, Kingnites Diamondi. After Faxe, the exhibition travelled to the Natural History Museum in Oslo (Norway), the Natural History Museum in Bern (Switzerland), Fossilienmuseum Dotternhausen (Germany), and now fossil and metal fans of Bornholm get a chance to see it.

The exhibition features lifelike reconstructions of ancient animals named in honor of such celebrities as Lemmy, King Diamond, Sid Vicious and many more as well as portrays of the fossils, the rockstars and the funny anecdotes from the scientists that named the animals.

NaturBornholm is a geological visitor center that, via an impressive exhibition, tells the 1.7 billion years of geological history present on the island. Director of NaturBornholm Peter Haase says: "With more than 60,000 annual visitors to NaturBornholm, from all over the world, we hope to be able to expose the exhibition to a wide international audience."

After spending the summer on NaturBornholm, the exhibition will move on to the Natural History Museum in Chemnitz, Germany, where it will open in November.

Jesper Milàn from Geomuseum Faxe says: "It's great to see the continuing interest in the exhibition from museums around the world. That such a dull field as Zoological Nomenclature (the science of naming organisms) can be the focus of an international success is just great. On a scale from 1 to 10, this one goes to 11."

Guitarist/vocalist Matt Tuck of Welsh metallers BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE spoke to Australia's Faster Louder about the band's return to a more aggressive sound on its latest album, 2015's "Venom". He said: It just felt like something we wanted to do. With 'Fever' and 'Temper Temper', we kind of showcased the band with its biggest sound, and they had kind of touches of metal in those records, but this time around, we just wanted to make it the most aggressive record we've done, and thankfully, we've felt like we achieved that goal. We wrote a lot of stuff that didn't make it, because we didn't think it hit that criteria, and that's why it took a lot longer to write than anything we've ever done. We just had such a clear vision of what we wanted it do be — dark, super intense, ugly lyrics, heavy — and we never took our eyes off that prize, and thankfully, the time spent writing it was worth it. It's been a massive success; it's been brilliant."

Tuck was also asked about whether BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE has ever felt pressure to change the band's sound at all, especially with groups like BRING ME THE HORIZON taking a huge step in another direction with their latest effort, "That's The Spirit". He responded: "I think of the era we grew up and the bands we listened to growing up, I think we will always be us. I don't think we're going to do like HORIZON; it's a very bold move and that comes with risks. For them, thankfully, it's worked out alright. I think when you start to put yourself in that position of evolving like they have over the last two records, what you do next time is a dangerous game to play. Thankfully, it's worked out for them well, and long may continue. But, for us, I think we're very proud of what we've achieved and what we've done, so if it ain't broke, don't try and fix it. We're going to evolve and things are going to change naturally, and that's great and that's what we encourage; we love that. But I think as far as dropping guitars for synths, that's not for us, man. We're going to do what we do."

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE recently signed a worldwide deal with Search And Destroy/Spinefarm Records. "Venom" was released in August 2015 via RCA. The CD marked the band's first release since the departure of longtime bassist Jason James and addition of Jamie Mathias (formerly of REVOKER).

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE drummer Michael "Moose" Thomas took a temporary leave of absence from the band earlier this year to spend time with his wife, as they awaited the birth of his first child. Filling in for him was Jason Bowld (PITCHSHIFTER, AXEWOUND).

Christopher Derek Foley (a.k.a. KiddChris) of the WEBN radio station in Cincinnati, Ohio recently conducted an interview with HALESTORM frontwoman Lzzy Hale. You can now listen to the chat using the widget below.

Asked which candidate she supports in the U.S. presidential race, Lzzy said: "If I had to choose right now, today, I think it would be Bernie [Sanders], but then I'm looking at him, and I'm, like, 'I think he's gonna, like, die the first year in office,' 'cause he's just this old guy."

She continued: "There's really no fantastic choice. Last time, it was kind of, like, 'Okay, well, that's kind of a no-brainer,' but it's really tough this time; it really is. It's definitely not [Donald] Trump. Hillary [Clinton]… The only thing about Hillary… And I'm sorry for all those ladies out there that are just doing it because she's female, but I just don't buy it; I don't get what she stands for. She keeps changing her mind. When the time comes, I think I'm just gonna close my eyes and pick one, I think."

Pressed on why she wouldn't vote for Trump, Lzzy said: "I've just never been a fan. And for kind of the same reason with Hillary, he's just extremely inconsistent, and that's just a weird scenario."

HALESTORM's first two albums, 2009's "Halestorm" and 2012's "The Strange Case Of…" were both officially certified gold in March by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) for sales of more than 500,000 copies. The certifications came after RIAA started including on-demand audio and video streams and a track sale equivalent in gold and platinum album award.

The band's third effort, "Into The Wild Life", debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 album chart, selling 56,000 copies in its first week of release — more than double the first-week haul of their second CD — but has not reached gold yet.

In a brand new interview with Meltdown of the WRIF radio station in Detroit, Michigan, FILTER mainman Richard Patrick was asked what it was like when his band opened for GUNS N' ROSES during the Axl Rose-fronted group's Las Vegas residency in 2012. "It was awesome," Patrick said. "You know, I was given a list of places I wasn't allowed to go on stage. We were told to play, like, ten extra songs. You know, it was wild. I was, like, 'Okay, so you want me playing for an hour and a half? Okay! Hour-and-a-half show. Okay, buddy. Strap your boots on.' But it was… It's kind of weird. 'Don't touch the pole. You're not allowed to touch the pole.' I go, 'Oh, okay.'"

Patrick, who says he's known Axl Rose for twenty years, called the GUNS N' ROSES singer "a pretty cool guy," but said that he wasn't surprised to see Rose, guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan reunite last year. "Yeah, money talks," he explained. "You start running out of the cash, all of a sudden you're, like, 'I like Slash.' You just turn into that guy: 'I miss Duffy.'"

He continued: "If someone offered you seventy-two million dollars to go around the country and play songs that were written thirty years ago, you'd do it, right?

"I don't know… I think people had to kind of come back down to reality and kind of deal with… I mean, when you take twenty years to mix one record [referring to GN'R's 2008 effort, 'Chinese Democracy'], something's wrong. In the amount of time that it took to mix that record, Miley Cyrus was conceived, born, put through school and went platinum, all within seventeen years, and it took twenty years to make. Think about it: people lived their entire lives in the amount of time that it took to turn a bass up or down. You know what I mean? C'mon!"

GUNS N' ROSES will play two gigs in Mexico City and two Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival dates this month, before launching a stadium trek this summer.

GUNS N' ROSES is getting a reported $8 million for its two appearances at Coachella.

FILTER's seventh album, "Crazy Eyes", was released on April 8 via Wind-Up Records. The follow-up to 2013's "The Sun Comes Out Tonight" was produced by Patrick.

Interview (audio):

Rock icon Lita Ford recently spoke with Robert Cavuoto for My Global Mind. She discusses her new memoir, Living Like a Runaway, and her new album, Time Capsule. An excerpt from the interview is available below.

Robert: Did writing the book give you a cathartic feeling in sharing all the difficulties you experienced in your career?

Lita Ford: "I wasn’t sure how it was going to be received or if people were going to be angry at me. Turns out a lot of people were angry about me sharing my Tony Iommi stories. Nobody was more upset about it than me. Nobody was more hurt or felt screwed over more than me. They think they're mad? I was engaged to my idol, a man that I looked up to and worshiped like a god. Turns out he’s abusive, I never encountered abuse.  My family was very calm, relaxed, happy people; there were never any harsh words between my parents. I never witnessed my father hitting my mother or even raising his voice. I never thought it would happen to me, I was so naive. It’s one of those things that you say 'It will never happen to me' then I end up getting married to a guy who is verbally abuse! The guy I married made Iommi look like a pussy cat and Iommi almost killed me. I was let down and hurt. I went out and got my first tattoo after I broke up with Iommi. It was rebellious and destructive thing to do. When I get hurt or upset I feel like I want to hurt myself like I want to be drunk or OD on drugs. Instead I went out and got a tattoo, it was the dragon with the guitar on my shoulder. I was so devastated. Did I really want a tattoo? I don’t know?"

Go to this location for the complete interview.

Lita Ford is set to release her latest album Time Capsule via SPV/Steamhammer on April 15th. Check out the album track “Killing Kind”, streaming below.

The very special and unusual recording turns back the clock to a time when honest, down-to-earth rock music was still handmade and recorded without digital tricks and contraptions. Time Capsule is a "throwback" record that boasts identifiable voices and brilliant players jamming without any planning or pressure. Some of the album`s highlights: Billy Sheehan (bass), Rodger Carter (drums), Dave Navarro (mandolin), Jeff Scott Soto (vocals), Rick Nielsen and Robin Zander (backing vocals) and Gene Simmons (bass). The first single, "Rotten To The Core" is streaming below and features KISS' Gene Simmons on bass, former KISS axeman Bruce Kulick on guitar and Rodger Carter on drums.

Time Capsule contains ten songs plus an intro and will be available as a digipak as well as an LP version and download. It's Ford's gift to fans who love the ´80s, when thrilling vocal performances, raunchy riffs, and loud, growling guitars were as essential as oxygen. Time Capsule is available for pre-order via the Amazon widget below.

Time Capsule tracklisting:

“Intro”
“Where Will I Find My Heart Tonight”
“Killing Kind”
“War Of The Angels”
“Black Leather Heart”
“Rotten to the Core”
“Little Wing”
“On The Fast Track”
“King Of The Wild Wind”
“Mr. Corruption”
“Anything For The Thrill”

“Killing Kind”:

In support of Time Capsule, Lita Ford is on tour with Halestorm providing direct support on their North American tour. Select headline dates and festival appearances have also been added. A complete list of dates can be found below.

April (with Halestorm):
13 - Wichita, KS - Cotillion Ballroom
15 - Fargo, ND - Fargo Civic Center
16 - Sioux City, IA - Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
17 - Dubuque, IA - Diamond Jo Casino / Mississippi Moon Bar*
19 - Huntsville, AL - Mark C. Smith Concert Hall
20 - Spartanburg, SC - Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium
21 - Johnson City, TN - Freedom Hall Civic Center
23 - St. Petersburg, FL - State Theater*
24 - Ladson, SC - 98 Rock Fest**
25 - Norfolk, VA - The Norva
27 - New York, NY - Webster Hall
29 - Cincinnati, OH - Taft Theater
30 - Indianapolis, IN - Egyptian Room

May
27 - Madison, WI - BratFest**

June
18 - Springfield, MA - MassMutual Center (w/ Bret Michaels, Ratt, Warrant, Trixter)**

* Headline Show
** Festival Appearance

SPIRALARMS, the San Francisco Bay Area-based heavy rock band featuring Craig Locicero (FORBIDDEN, MANMADEGOD) on guitar, Tim Narducci (SYSTEMATIC) on vocals, Chris "Cornbread" Lombardo on bass, Brad Barth on keyboards, Anthony Traslavina on rhythm guitar and Andy Galeon (DEATH ANGEL) on drums, has called it quits.

Explains Locicero in a statement: "Tim and I started an idea in 2004. This idea was spawned from two major label acts that hastily broke up and were on the rebound. Three parts MANMADE GOD and and one part SYSTEMATIC. We had no set path or direction when we started jamming together; we just wanted to make great hard rock music. The kind of music we wanted to hear. No niche. No one set genre. Just cool music. As a consequence, it was difficult for some listeners to know exactly how to classify us.

"As time forged on, we had a few other very talented musicians with us at various stages. In 2014, we eventually set the lineup with Andy Galeon on drums. This was our strongest lineup yet and we went on to record our third full length with Eric Kretz [STONE TEMPLE PILOTS] producing and recording. It's the most complete and focused offering we've ever done as a unit. Unfortunately, we won't be operating as a band when it's released. Such is life. Sweet and salty.

"There were few other projects that Tim and I had spinning to keep us occupied in those twelve years. But to both of us, SPIRALARMS was always number one. Even with the reformation of FORBIDDEN from 2008-12, I wanted SPIRAL to be the band to ride into our later years. Sometimes life doesn't work out the way we expect it to. Most of the time, really.

"The last year has been a bumpy road of great shows, hard knocks and disappointments. I've come to realize that it's too difficult to jam a square peg into a round hole with this band. We've grown apart. Tim and I both leaders and he wants to blaze his own path. Ironically, that is the very best thing for both of us. It allows me re-explore my journey without feeling guilty for taking time away from SPIRALARMS.

"So thank you to our fans, our families and our friends who've stuck by and believed in SPIRALARMS all these years. You've witnessed a band that maybe should have been much bigger in notoriety, but we've all become better people. I must also thank Tim, Brad, Chris and Andy. We did some great things together.

"Sorry we have to call it a day. But as I've learned to after all of these years, never say never. One door closes, another one opens..."

Locicero also commented on the possibility of a FORBIDDEN reunion, saying that putting the band back together is "easier said than done. As things stand, FORBIDDEN still has a contract with Nuclear Blast. But the schematics are very confusing here. When we ended, there was two members from out of state (one out of the country) plus Matt [Camacho, bass] and Russ [Anderson, vocals] retired from music until further notice. All of this presents a large hurdle if we just 'wanna get together to jam.' So you must understand that it is simply not likely. But as I stated, never say never."

SPIRALARMS' second album, "Freedom", was released on October 22, 2013 via Steamhammer/SPV.

The clip below features between-song highlights of former Immortal frontman Abbath on stage in New York City recently, who clearly had one drink too many... or just enough to make his show more entertaining than usual.

Abbath have released an official video for “Winterbane”, a track from the band’s self-titled debut album, released back on January 22nd via Season Of Mist. The new clip can be found below.

Abbath album tracklisting:

“To War!”
“Winterbane”
“Ashes Of The Damned”
“Ocean Of Wounds”
“Count The Dead”
“Fenrir Hunts”
“Root Of The Mountain”
“Endless”
“Nebular Ravens Winter” (bonus track)

“Winterbane” video:

Album stream:

"Nebular Ravens Winter" video:

Order the new album at this location.

“Fenrir Hunts” live:

In support of the upcoming reissues of Kill 'Em All and Ride The Lightning, Metallica have posted this rare video of the band performing “Ride The Lightning” on August 31st, 1985 at Day On The Green, held at Oakland Stadium in Oakland, CA.

Metallica will reissue their first two albums, 1983's Kill 'Em All and 1984's Ride The Lightning, on April 15th. Both albums have been remastered for the most advanced sound quality and will be available in three formats - CD, vinyl, and deluxe box set. Both deluxe box sets include original source material from the band's personal collection with many never before heard or seen recordings, along with a book including rare photos and essays from those who were there.

Fans can pre-order both Deluxe Box sets at the Met Store.

In celebration of this year’s Record Store Day, on April 16th Metallica will be releasing a special exclusive CD titled Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité, Metallica! The artwork for the upcoming release can be seen below.

The nine-song set was recorded live at Le Bataclan in Paris, France on June 11th, 2003 and Metallica are donating all profits to victims of the attacks in Paris in 2015.

Tracklisting:

"The Four Horsemen”
"Leper Messiah”
"No Remorse”
"Fade To Black”
"Frantic”
"Ride The Lightning”
“Blackened"
"Seek & Destroy"
"Damage, Inc.”

“Fade To Black”:

Metallica will perform live at Berkeley, CA's legendary record store Rasputin Music on Saturday, April 16th in celebration of Record Store Day 2016. As this year's Record Store Day Ambassadors, the band invites fans to join them on this special day to experience the passion for music that lives on in local record stores around the world.

"Getting loud, noisy and sweaty at Rasputin's on Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley transports Metallica right back to the core of its Bay Area beginnings," said Metallica's Lars Ulrich. "We can't wait to celebrate Record Store Day while shaking up the East Bay old-school style."

Rasputin Music customers and Met Club members are invited to be in the audience by entering to win tickets to this very intimate performance.

Two Ways To Win:

1. Visit Rasputin Music in Berkeley between now and April 10th to fill out a ballot for your chance to win ONE ticket to the special performance.

2. Met Club members can click here to win ONE ticket to the performance.

For all guidelines and additional fine print details, click here.

High-end fashion brand Gucci appears to have incorporated AC/DC's iconic logo into at least one new women's ensemble, judging from the cover design put together for the next issue of T, The New York Times fashion magazine. The image in question (see below), which was taken by fine-art photographer Jackie Nickerson, features a model facing away from the camera, showing off the glittery backside of a dress emblazoned with the band's legendary symbol.

AC/DC's collaboration with Gucci was mentioned in a February New York Times article as part of the newspaper's coverage of Milan Fashion Week. Alessandro Michele, the creative director of Gucci, described the brand's fall fashion line as "rock 'n' roll Renaissance, 1980s Renaissance, street-style Renaissance, bourgeois Renaissance, chinoiserie Renaissance," with The New York Times writer Vanessa Friedman adding that couture enthusiasts can expect to see "long, ostrich-trimmed gowns and short studded leather suits; big shoulders and puffed shoulders; fur trim and fur cuffs; putti prints and giant shaggy furs; hostess dresses with fluted sleeves and one with AC/DC sequined on the back."

AC/DC has famously been reluctant to aggressively pursue brand extensions and licensing, although the band appears to have softened its attitude toward the practice. In 2011, AC/DC allowed the opening riff to its "Back In Black" song to be used in a commercial for Walmart, three years after making its "Black Ice" album available for sale in the U.S. exclusively at Walmart stores.

"They have a purist approach," Steve Barnett, the chairman of Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment, told The New York Times. (He also managed the band from 1982 to 1994.) "Their instinct was always to do the right thing for fans, think long term and not be influenced by financial rewards."

In the new video streaming below, Louder Noise sits down with Metal Allegiance members Mark Menghi and Ron 'Bumblefoot' Thal to talk about their east coast tour and what's next for the band.

Metal Allegiance recently completed their Destination (Almost) East Coast tour. The 7-day trek kicked off March 31st in Providence, Rhode Island and was followed by stops in Poughkeepsie, New Haven, and Lancaster before the final show on April 7th at the Gramercy in New York NY.

Drummer Mike Portnoy (The Winery Dogs) checked in with the following update: "Last night's Metal Allegiance and Next To None show in NYC was absolutely one of my favs! Especially sharing the kit at the end of the night with Max... that is a memory I will cherish for the rest of my life! Thank you to all my MA brothers, our ass-busting crew and the N2N boys for an unforgettable week! Here's a little taste of the fun..."

The setlist on the night was as follows:

"Electric Eye" (Judas Priest)
"The Ides Of March" (Iron Maiden)
"Wrathchild" (Iron Maiden)
"Can't Kill The Devil"
"Fast As A Shark" (Accept)
"Balls To The Wall" (Accept)
"Heaven And Hell" (Black Sabbath)
"Creeping Death" (Metallica)
"Territory" (Sepultura)
"Dying Song"
"The Prisoner" (Iron Maiden)
"I Don't Know" (Ozzy Osbourne)
"Pledge Of Allegiance"
"Into The Void" (Black Sabbath)
"Iron Fist" (Motörhead)
"Runnin' With the Devil" (Van Halen)
"Eruption" (Van Halen)
"Whole Lotta Rosie" (AC/DC)

Encore:

"Seek & Destroy" (Metallica)

British melodic rockers, Vega, will release their new album, Who We Are, on May 13th. The album track “We Got It All” is now streaming below.

Vega is really one of the few bands who successfully manage to mix in their music the heritage of the great melodic rock bands of the 80’s and 90’s with a very contemporary approach to songwriting and production. Vega is indeed one of the few bands that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up and give you that butterflies in your stomach excitement as you listen to the songs on an album for the first time. And with their fourth studio album, Who We Are, Vega manage again to create a magic formula with 11 concise and riveting songs that rock from start to finish and will leave you wanting more.

“We always try to push the envelope with each record that we do and this one is no different. We have put in all of our different musical influences into every song and what has come out of it is undoubtedly Vega but a Vega that is bigger than ever!” says singer Nick Workman.

Brothers Tom and James Martin say: “We're thrilled with how this record came out. We were in a fortunate position where we could fly Harry Hess over from Canada to produce the record. We spent the best part of 3 weeks with Harry at Monnow Valley Studios in Wales perfecting this record. There was laughter, blood, sweat and tears along the way and even a hospital visit, but what a great time we had! And to be recording where the likes of Queen, Led Zeppelin Official, Oasis and Black Sabbath have recorded was incredibly inspiring.”

“The ballad “Nothing Lasts Forever” is a stand out for me,” adds keyboard player James Martin. ”It's a huge piano ballad with Queen and The Beatles influences and Harry really went to town on the production of this song.”

Tom Martin says: "This is probably our most diverse record and that's what we tried for when choosing the songs. Each song has its own identity and we probably have the heaviest and softest songs we have ever recorded and everything in between. That gives you an idea of how strong the material is on this record."

Vega will embark on a tour upon the new album’s release with UK rock veterans Magnum. Who We Are truly sees the band taking their song writing and performance to the next level. Be sure to catch the guys on tour.

Who We Are tracklisting

“Explode”
“We Got It All”
“Every Little Monster”
“Nothing Is Forever”
“White Flag”
“For Our Sins”
“Generation Now”
“Ignite”
“Savin' Grace”
“If Not You”
“Hurts So Bad”

“We Got It All”:

“Every Little Monster” lyric video:

Vega lineup:

Nick Workman - Vocals
Tom Martin - Guitars
Dan Chantrey - Drums
James Martin - Keyboards
Marcus Thurston – Guitars

Los Angeles thrashers Mindwars (featuring former Holy Terror guitarist Mike Alvord) have released a lyric video (see below) for “Twisted”, a track from their new studio effort, Sworn To Secrecy, which was mixed and mastered in LA by the legendary metal producer Bill Metoyer. The album is slated to hit the streets on April 29th through Punishment 18 Records.

The album can be pre-ordered at a special discounted price at this location. The offer ends on April 29th.

Tracklisting:

“Sworn To Secrecy”
“Cradle To Grave”
“Lies”
“Twisted”
“Helpless”
“Scalp Bounty”
“Rest Now (For Tomorrow Comes)”
“No Voice”
“Prophecy”
“Release Me”
“Transporting”

“Twisted” lyric video:

Trailer:

Sworn To Secrecy studio vlogs:

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

(Photo - Robert Orsa Photography)

 

Killswitch Engage are streaming the song "Define Love”, an unreleased track from the Incarnate sessions. The limited edition 7" is being released as a Record Store Day exclusive on Saturday, April 16th.

The 7" includes "Define Love" on Side A, while Side B is silkscreened with "Define Love" artwork created by KsE bassist Mike D. The 7" also includes a Killswitch Engage stencil.

About the song, signer Jesse Leach said, "“Define Love” was written as my critique on our attempts as humans to limit love or restrict love. Whether it be political or religious agendas, love seems to be used as a way to manipulate people to think or act a certain way. Love is deeper than simple emotion or desire. It is an unexplainable spirit that defies our attempts to harness and understand it. True love, in my mind, is far greater than our feeble comprehension of it. We need not try to set any limitations on what defines love."

 
To celebrate Record Store Day, the band will be doing a signing at Newbury Comics in Leominster, Mass. at 2 PM, ET on April 16th. The signing takes place before their headlining set at the New England Metal & Hardcore Festival that night.

Details on the signing can be found here.

Following the success of the release of the picture disc of their current album High Country for the fall Record Store Day celebration, The Sword come back for this Saturday’s Record Store Day with a 7” vinyl single of the legendary blues classic, “John The Revelator”.

The song was originally recorded in 1930 by Blind Willie Johnson and received bigger acclaim when recorded in an a capella version in 1965 by blues man Son House. The song later found usage in the hit TV series Sons of Anarchy. The Sword’s version was recorded in Austin, TX as part of the recording sessions for High Country.  

In other news, music lesson website PlayThisRiff.com has uploaded a new video guitar lesson from The Sword. In this lesson, Kyle Shutt shows the first riff and the verse riff in the song "Buzzards”. He explains the importance of bending the last note in the riff and how the riff changes between the intro and verse.

“Check out the outtake we kept in the beginning! Pretty funny.”

Watch the new video

Anti-Flag are participating in Record Store Day this Saturday, April 16th, with a limited edition vinyl pressing for A-F diehards. The band is issuing Live At 11th Street Records, which consists of an acoustic performance that was recorded at the famed Las Vegas record store during Punk Rock Bowling in 2015, on clear vinyl.

It marks the first time the release is available physically and includes a mix of classic songs and tracks from last year's American Spring.

"The songs on American Spring pushed us into territory uncharted," said Chris No. 2. "I felt immense struggle for personal self-worth and self-identity writing these songs, making the moment of its release something incredibly scary and nerve-wracking. This show at 11th Street Records was not only us unveiling the record for the first time, but us playing these songs for people other than ourselves for the first time."

"The importance of independent record stores like 11th Street can not be understated. A forum where ideas can be shared, where outsiders of the status quo can find solace and for the dissemination of information outside of pop culture. To partner with this shop in Las Vegas and to have attendees of Punk Rock Bowling from all over the globe made this one of the coolest and powerful moments in our bands life. This collection of songs is a document of that moment."

Tracklisting:

Side A:
"Fabled World"
"This Is the End"
"Broken Bones"
"Brandenburg Gate"
"1915"

Side B:
"One Trillion Dollars"
"Without End"
"Turncoat"
 "Die for the Government"

For a list of stores selling Live At 11th Street Records on Record Store Day go to this location.

Tracy Heck of AXS conducted an interview with singer Floor Jansen of Finland-based symphonic metallers NIGHTWISH on February 26 at Royal Oak Music Theatre in Royal Oak, Michigan. You can now watch the chat below.

Speaking about NIGHTWISH's plans for the coming months, Floor said: "Well, the first thing that's gonna happen after this world tour is that we're gonna take a whole year off, which is something that in the twenty years of NIGHTWISH never happened."

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

Asked if NIGHTWISH's decision to take a year off is related to the fact that the band's tours might have been getting longer in recent years, Floor responded: "No, not really, 'cause the world tours are not longer or anything more than on previous runs. But if you think about it, twenty years without a break, that has way more to do with it than anyting else. And also 'cause, you know, we're a bunch of very creative people. As you can see, everybody in the band has been having side projects. So it's nice to take the time for that, or to take the time away. To keep things fresh, you sometimes need to take distance. I think it's very healthy — more healthy than bands that would just go, go, go, go, go and wear themselves out. But I only can see this in a very positive way. Neverheless, this [current] world tour will last for a fair amount of months. We have a lot of places that we're going to that we're looking forward to a lot. So it's not there yet. But until that time, we will rock your socks off. [Laughs]"

NIGHTWISH recently released a strictly limited (no reprints!) special tour edition of its current album, "Endless Forms Most Beautiful". The tour edition comes with a bonus DVD of live performances, documentary footage and promo videos as well as a huge photo gallery.

NIGHTWISH's 26-date headlining tour of North America launched on February 19 in Sayreville, New Jersey and closed out in Tampa, Florida on March 23. Support on the tour came from Dutch symphonic metallers DELAIN and Finnish melodic metallers SONATA ARCTICA.

Metal Wani's Fernando Bonenfant recently conducted an interview with Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro of Italian heavy rockers LACUNA COIL. You can now listen to the chat in the YouTube clip below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On the lineup changes in LACUNA COIL that took place prior to the recording of the band's new album, "Delirium":

Cristina: "Two of the members [guitarist Cris 'Pizza' Migliore and drummer Cristiano 'Criz' Mozzati] left two years ago… They just left, because they just wanted [their] life and settle and they were tired of touring. And then we continued for a while with Maus [Marco Biazzi, guitar]. And then Maus decided to resign when we were entering the studio, pretty much, because he felt that he couldn't express himself completely anymore, or whatever reason he decided to leave for. But the songwriters of LACUNA COIL are still in the band, because it was always Marco ['Maki' Coti-Zelati, bass], the writer of the music and the internal producer of the band, and it was always Andrea and I writing the lyrics. And Ryan [Blake Folden, drums] came in and added so much with his incredible drumming and his persona. So, honestly, it didn't really change the balance. Of course, it's always sad when a person that you shared so much time with decides to take a different path, but it's not that he died or he just left in a bad term or there was drama going on. So, I mean, it's a natural evolution. I think it's normal in a family; I think it's normal in your relationship. It can happen. Actually, Maus's departure [resulted in] a new energy within the band. It's, like, this is not even the next chaper; it's the new book of LACUNA COIL. A new lineup, a lot of guests in the record. Marco playing guitars. First album self-produced by us, and [we were in] total control. Everything is new, and we're excited like kids, like it's the first album we've ever done."

On how LACUNA COIL went about enlisting guest guitarists — including Myles Kennedy (ALTER BRIDGE) and Mark Vollelunga (NOTHING MORE) — to play on "Delirium":

Cristina: "Myles, he's a friend of ours. I had the chance to collaborate with ALTER BRIDGE years ago, so since then we've been in touch; we've been writing each other. When Maus decided to resign, we thought that it would be cool to invite some friends to contribute to the record… speaking about the guitar parts. And we had some slots open for solo parts, and we started to think about friends that werer playing guitars. And Myles Kennedy is really known as an amazing vocalist, amazing singer, but not a lot of people know that he's a great guitar player as well. So I think it's cool that he contributed, but not singing, as everybody would expect, but with his guitar. So we let him free to do whatever he wanted to do. We didn't hear the solo up until he sent it to us, because we recorded [the album] in Italy. And the same was with Mark Vollelunga of NOTHING MORE. He's a friend of ours, because we toured together with NOTHING MORE in the past, and they put on an amazing show; they're great musicians."

Andrea: "[NOTHING MORE] did their first national tour in America opening for us; so that's how we met them. And then we've been in touch all the time. When they played Milan, we went out for beers and drinks and food, and then it was just natural to ask him. He has such a unique style of playing that he did something very great on the song, I think."

Cristina: "And then Marco Barusso is also the sound engineer of the record, and he's a good guitar player too. And the same for Diego Cavallotti and Alessandro La Porta; they are friends of ours that came in, and that made the album even more dynamic and intense, so we could have different things in it."

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

Photo credit: Alessandro Olgiati

Seminal guitarist Punky Meadows (ex-ANGEL) is set to release his first-ever solo album, "Fallen Angel", on May 20 via Main Man Records. The offering will be the first new music from the guitarist in years and features the soaring guitars and arena-sized rock sounds for which Meadows and ANGEL came to be known.

Meadows commented: "It feels great to be back and I can't wait for all my fans to hear my new album. It's badass, rocks and every song will have you rockin' and singing along. This album is diversified and has something for everyone while still keeping true to form. Everyone who played on this record had amazing performances and made this album killer! We run the streets! This is the album you will be playing in your house, in your car, when you work out and anywhere else your ears will take you. Long live rock n' roll!"

"Fallen Angel" will be available in two formats. The standard CD will include a 16-page booklet which features previously unreleased images of Punky Meadows throughout the years. A very special limited edition will also be available which is autographed by Punky and includes two bonus tracks, one with ANGEL lead singer Frank Dimino, as well as an exclusive Meadows guitar pick. Both formats are available for sale at MainManRecords.com. Punky Meadows is best known as lead guitarist of the '70s band ANGEL (Casablanca Records). ANGEL, like labelmates KISS, were a highly successful theatrical band that headlined throughout the world, but was particularly successful in Japan. Punky was a huge influence to many musicians for not only his great feel, tone and unique style of guitar playing, but also his image that many have tried to emulate over the years. ANGEL released six albums on Casablanca before disbanding in 1981 due to the demise of the label. During his career, Punky had been sought after and asked to join such bands as KISS, AEROSMITH, NEW YORK DOLLS and Michael Bolton. Upon the disbanding of ANGEL, he occupied himself with successful business ventures while continuing to play guitar and write songs.

Through social media, fans have let him know that they want to hear from him and with his newfound passion in music and inspiration from close friend Danny Farrow Anniello, together they have written 15 new songs for "Fallen Angel".

In addition to Punky and Farrow, the band includes Felix Robinson (bass), Chandler Mogel (lead vocals), Bob Pantella (drums) and Charlie Cav (keyboards). Felix and Punky last worked together in ANGEL.

"Fallen Angel" track listing:

01. Descent02. The Price You Pay03. Straight Shooter04. Breathless And Jaded05. Loaded Gun06. Lost And Lonely07. Home Wrecker08. I Wanna Be Your Drug09. Leavin' Tonight10. Searchin'11. Something Strange12. Shadow Man13. Shake Shake14. Summertime Love15. Fallen Angel

Best known as a founding member and bassist of Blue Öyster Cult for sixteen years, who also played piano, keyboards and guitar, Joe Bouchard has nine gold and two platinum records to his credit. As a songwriter, he wrote many BOC songs including the very popular "Astronomy", which was covered by Metallica, and the band's second single, "Hot Rails To Hell". Bouchard retired from the legendary band in 1986 and since then, the multi-instrumentalist has become a composer, producer, engineer, teacher, and author, and has released three solo records. Following the release of 2014's New Solid Black, Bouchard has announced his new offering, The Power Of Music, on April 29th. The record will be available on disc and vinyl, and the CD version has a 3D cover with personally designed 3D glasses available with each autographed disc through Bouchard's website.
 
In addition to his own recordings, the lauded musician has recorded sessions and created song arrangements with different artists over the past two decades. Most recently he recorded guitar on a cover of Alice Cooper's legendary "I Love The Dead" for the critically acclaimed Mick Jagger/Martin Scorsese HBO production Vinyl.  The track, produced by punk icon Don Fleming, was recorded at the famed Electric Lady Studios and also featured Dennis Dunaway, who played bass on the original recording, and Bouchard's brother Albert on drums.

Bouchard began working on The Power Of Music in August 2015, and the album features seven new songs and two covers. One of the covers is the BOC classic, "Career Of Evil", written by Joe's brother Albert and poet Patti Smith.  "Career Of Evil" is also the title of the best-selling book by author J.K. Rowling (written under the pen name Robert Galbraith), which includes many references to the band in every chapter and will be a HBO series later this year.

Other notable tracks on The Power Of Music include the record's opener, "Walk With The Devil". With hard hitting riffs, guitar solos, delicate 12 string guitars, stomp grooves, strumming acoustics and mandolins, and a wailing vocal, the song is a retelling of the classic Robert Johnson story where he gets the secret power of the blues from the Devil at the crossroads. Says Bouchard, "The inspiration for this lyric I found in a quote where 'the old bluesmen call the electric amplifier the Devil's Box.'"

“Walk With The Devil”:

Bouchard was inspired to write the track "Is He the Wolfman" when he was on the Lynyrd Skynyrd cruise in 2012.  "It was near Halloween and I was looking for material that celebrated that classic werewolf theme.  I finally put the song together in 2015 with the spooky ‘50s Theremin riffs and a rocking tom-tom part.  In true Twilight Zone fashion the Wolfman ends being a spam caller who gets your number and won't give up.  Scary music with a dance beat works for me."

Although he has released three solo records - 2009's Jukebox In My Head; 2012's Tales From The Island; and New Solid Black in 2014, Bouchard has always considered himself "a band guy".  He's been in bands since he was 10 years old, played in more bands when he was at music college in Ithaca, NY, and joined the Stalk-Forrest Group in 1970, which one year later became Blue Öyster Cult. 

Presently he performs with several bands including The X Brothers (his band for over twenty years), and most recently the all-star group called The Greatest Hits on Earth-Live!   
His latest group, Blue Coupe, is a superstar combo which features his brother Albert, who is also a founding member of BOC, and Dennis Dunaway, a founder of the Alice Cooper Group and a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  Blue Coupe has released two studio albums.  The first recording, Tornado On The Tracks, features Doors' guitarist Robby Krieger on several songs, and their last disc, 2013's Million Miles More, includes guitar solos by Buck Dharma of Blue Oyster Cult, and a stunning vocal by Alice Cooper, plus many other guest artists.  

On April 15th Purple Pyramid records will be releasing an out of this world collection of extraordinary performances by legendary YES keyboardist Rick Wakeman. For more than four decades Rick Wakeman has established himself as a visionary showman without peer, the creator of some of the most extravagant performances, breathtaking soloing and imaginative passages ever preserved on record, or executed on stage.

Aptly titled Starship Trooper, this amazing collection contains two previously unreleased tracks including a powerful rendition of Tool's “Sober” plus several more brilliant cover songs of The Who, Pink Floyd, and The Doors including five never before heard versions. The compilation also includes performances by Gong’s Steve Hillage, YES’s Billy Sherwood, Steve Howe and Tony Kaye, William Shatner, Colin Moulding, Jerry Goodman, Nik Turner, Carmine Appice and more.

“Over the last few years I have performed on many tracks as a 'guest' but never before has anybody put some of the best of those I played on into a compilation. It's always challenging to be involved in tracks of other people's music and other people's arrangements as it often makes you think and play differently and certainly on many of these tracks I play in quite an unexpected way, but there again, much of my life has been pretty unexpected anyway!” - Rick Wakeman

The liner notes were written by modern rock scholar Dave Thompson, who says of Rick Wakeman, “This most personable of superstars has made inroads into the worlds of journalism, broadcasting and acting - professions which his eye for spectacle, story telling and stylishness might well have made inevitable all along. But he also happens to be among the most gifted, visionary and brilliant performers his chosen instruments have seen.”

Tracklisting:

“Sober”
“Are We To Believe”
“Random Acts (Revisited)”
“Dynamics Of Delirium”
“Love Reign O'er Me”
“Crime Of The Century”
“The Great Gig In The Sky”
“I'm Not in Love”
“Starship Trooper”
“Check Point Karma”
“Change”
“Nobody Home”
“Light My Fire”

Buy the CD here. Download the digital version here.

Canadian multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter and producer Devin Townsend has collaborated with the London, U.K.-based publisher Rocket 88 on his autobiography titled "Only Half There". Due in August, the book is available in two editions, both produced to the highest standard. The Classic comes with a CD of newly recorded music titled "Iceland" and includes previously unseen photos from Devin's scrapbooks. The Signature version is the same book but signed by Devin, wrapped in a different jacket material and nestling in a numbered, limited-edition box. Also in the box are a signed cassette tape of previously unreleased demo recordings titled "Ancient" and four unique, small prints of cartoons drawn by Devin.

Said Devin: "I thought writing a book was going to be easy. It wasn't. Writing about growing up, music, the creative process and connection between personal development and 'career' made me think about a lot of other stuff, too. Like the positive and negative experiences of making different albums, and how each one affected me mentally, physically and emotionally. It's all here, though, from my childhood to working with Steve Vai, forming STRAPPING YOUNG LAD and the DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT to CASUALTIES OF COOL and finding myself only half there."

Steve Vai on Devin: "I started working with Devin on my 'Sex And Religion' record and tour when he was still in his teens. I sensed he was more than just a great singer but I did not realize the depth of his brilliance until he started making his own music. I believe he's an inspired musical genius. I can only say that about 2 people I've ever worked with."

Mike Portnoy (THE WINERY DOGS, DREAM THEATER) on Devin: "Devin is one of the most intense performers I have ever witnessed on stage. When he's in front of an audience, he becomes absolutely possessed! (But don't let it fool ya, he's actually a nice guy…) I also admire his incredible work ethic and dedication to his fans. He's surely a one-of-a-kind artist."

Ihsahn (EMPEROR) on Devin: "Devin's talents as a guitar player, vocalist, songwriter and producer are undeniable, but mostly I admire how he approaches all his different projects with such passion and honesty. I've had the privilege to work with him on a few occasions and hope this book will capture his energetic and positive personality. He's had a long and exciting career so far, so this should be a good read."

Anneke Van Giersbergen (THE GATHERING) on Devin: "Obviously a book about Devin Townsend will be a very interesting read. He is one of the most colourful and eclectic musicians out there. His life and his music inspires me very much and I'm proud to call him my friend. I definitely want to have this book on my coffee table!"

For more information, visit DevinTownsendBook.com.

TOOL frontman Maynard James Keenan's biography, "A Perfect Union Of Contrary Things" will be published on November 8 via Backbeat Books. The book was written by Sarah Jensen and is authorized by Keenan, who has collaborated with Jensen on the book.

Official book description: "Here is the authorized biography of the one and only Maynard James Keenan. The book traces Keenan's journey from his Midwest childhood to his years in the Army to his time in art school, from his stint at a Boston pet shop to his place in the international spotlight and his influence on contemporary music and regional winemaking. A comprehensive portrayal of a versatile and dedicated artist, 'A Perfect Union of Contrary Things' pays homage to the people and places that shaped the man and his art. Until now, Maynard's fans have had access to only an abridged version of his story. 'A Perfect Union of Contrary Things' presents the outtakes, the scenes of disappointment and triumph, and the events that led him to take one step after the next, to change direction, to explore sometimes surprising opportunities. Included are sidebars in his own words, often humorous anecdotes that illuminate the narrative, as well as commentary by his family members, friends, instructors, and industry colleagues. The book also features a foreword by Alex Grey, an American visionary artist and longtime friend of Keenan, who has designed TOOL's album and stage art. Accompanying the text are photos of Keenan from childhood to the present, as well as reproductions of his early drawings and writings. Maynard's story is a metaphor for the reader's own evolution and an encouragement to follow one's dreams, hold fast to individual integrity, and work ceaselessly to fulfill our creative potential."

Speaking to RollingStone.com about how the idea for his biography came about, Keenan said: "One of my best friends in high school, we're still close, his sister's a writer, she's 10 years older than we are; she's kind of been around for a while, of course, seeing everything that went on pre–high school, high school, etc. So I approached her, because she's a writer, to see if she was interested in helping me work on a semi-autobiography. Because I didn't really want to write it as an autobiography, first-person — I'd rather have it be more in story form, like you're kind of along for the journey, with sidebars by me throughout, in my voice, kind of expanding on particular instances or anecdotes. But for the most part, it's just she and I on the phone a couple times a week, just going over timelines, going over stories, etc."

Asked if he is giving Jensen license to incorporate all the information as she sees fit, Keenan said: "She'll write section-by-section; we'll go back and edit and fix and tweak, section-by-section, chapter-by-chapter. We have conversations twice a week to just go over... She'll send me the chapters, and I'll read them through, and then she'll have questions or clarifications, contradictions. You talk to somebody else; they didn't remember it the same way, so you had to rack your brain and go, 'Okay, was I drunk? Did I sleep through that?' A lot of just editing, fact-checking."

Keenan's other band, PUSCIFER, released its third studio album, "Money Shot", last October.

TOOL guitarist Adam Jones revealed in March 2015 that the band had finally settled a complicated lawsuit that had dragged on for eight years, setting back the band's recording plans. The group is now reportedly working at a faster pace on music for its first new studio set since 2006.

"Mechanisms Of Omniscience", the new video from the Massachusetts-based extreme metal outfit ABNORMALITY, can be seen below. The clip was directed and produced by Jim Foster of Red13media.com.

"Mechanisms Of Omniscience" is the title track of ABNORMALITY's sophomore album, which will be released on April 29 via Metal Blade.

Formed in 2005, ABNORMALITY drew its members from the ranks of units such as TERATISM, FORCED ASPHYXIATION, GORATORY and SEXCREMENT, and they have worked patiently and persistently to build up a grassroots following, maintaining their integrity while steadily expanding beyond their local scene. In 2010, they dropped their debut EP, "The Collective Calm In Mortal Oblivion", which immediately drew attention in the underground, followed by the crushing and critically acclaimed full-length, "Contaminating The Hive Mind" (2012), cementing their status as one of the heaviest and most dynamic bands in the genre. Now, with their upcoming sophomore effort, "Mechanisms Of Omniscience" — produced once again by Peter Rutcho, and featuring artwork by vocalist Mallika Sundaramurthy — the quintet have never been more serious about getting their message out there, as well as ensuring legions of the moshing masses incur whiplash.

"Mechanisms Of Omniscience" track listing:

01. Swarm02. Synthetic Pathogenesis03. Mechanisms Of Omniscience04. Catalyst of Metamorphosis05. Vigilant Ignorance06. Irreversible07. Hopeless Masses08. Assimilation09. Cymatic Hallucinations10. Consuming Infinity

ABNORMALITY will join SOULFLY, SUFFOCATION, BATTLECROSS and LODY KONG on a USA trek that kicks off April 22 in San Antonio, Texas.

The official lyric video for "Making My Amends", the first single from INVIDIA, the new band featuring former and current members of FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, IN THIS MOMENT and SKINLAB, can be seen below. The song is taken from INVIDIA's forthcoming debut album, which was recently recorded at a studio in Las Vegas with producer Logan Mader, who has previously worked with FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, DEVILDRIVER, GOJIRA and CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, among others.

INVIDIA vocalist Travis Johnson stated about "Making My Amends": "Basically, I was an addict for a very, very, very long time. And I hit a point where I had to, basically, take responsibility for that person that, and make the changes that need to be made to not be that person anymore. And in that process, you have to make your amends to the people that you hurt to truly move on with a clear head and a clear conscience. And that's basically what this is.

"I didn't wanna dance around the subject and make you wonder what it's about: 'It could be this, or it could be that.' I wanted it to be a straight-up apology, because that's exactly what is.

"To anybody that's sick out there, I can tell you that you can do it. You find that inner strength and you fucking fight forward, and the payoff is undeniable; it's amazing. Getting to the other side, feeling free, it's like breaking out of prison. I mean, it's an amazing feeling.

"That's basically the concept. This is a big, 'Sorry I fucked up. Sorry I was down. But I'm on the other side now, and I'm better and stronger than ever."

Added INVIDIA bassist Matt Snell: "I think the hardest part was trying to choose which song to use. I mean, with every song on the record being so diverse, it was tricky to say 'here is INVIDIA' with just one track. We were so successful in writing a record with so many different styles that having to choose only one song was actually a great problem to have."

INVIDIA guitarist Brian Jackson offered: "I also suffered from years of addiction myself. And I felt the lyrics and content of this song was a great way for us to connect with the people for our first track off the debut record. It was a very hard choice to choose because I'm very happy with the outcome of all the songs, but I feel that most people can relate to the lyrics and content of 'Making My Amends'."

"Making My Amends" is now available on iTunes, Spotify and other streaming and digital music services.

INVIDIA is:

Travis Johnson (IN THIS MOMENT) - Vocals Brian Jackson (SKINLAB) - Guitar Matt Snell (FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH) - Bass

In a recent interview with Rich Inzinna and Paula Noto from "The S.I.R.E.N." radio show on iRadioUSA.com, Travis stated about how INVIDIA was formed: "This all came together super fast and super flawless. I guess stars kind of aligned, really. I put something up online and Brian hit me up. He said, 'Dude, I'd be totally down t do some work together,' and that kind of thing. And I was, like, 'You know what? I totally miss singing. And I'm totally down for that.'"

He continued: "The funny thing is, everybody that's involved in this project as of now has worked together at different times except for me and Brian. So it's almost funny. It was like this circle that was just missing a piece for it all to connect. So once me and Brian got together, the whole circle came together, and within six weeks, this whole record's done, completely recorded, everybody's in place. And it's almost super ironic the way it all came together."

Travis, who still plays bass in IN THIS MOMENT, added: "We're all super excited about this project. I'm stoked to be singing again. I love playing bass, obviously, but I've been a singer for a long fucking time. I just took a huge break, so it's good to be able to kind of get back into it and kind of have my cake and eat it too, and be on both sides."

Regarding INVIDIA's musical direction, Travis said: "The heavy stuff is kind of ingrained from my upbringing with metal [and listening] to PANTERA and SLAYER and all that stuff. But, you know, [as I have been] branching out and getting older and enjoying good choruses, good songs and strong song structures and whatnot, I've kind of come to appreciate melody and that kind of thing as well. And as far as LIMP BIZKIT and stuff, I've always loved the rap-rock genre and just the tongue-in-cheek kind of 'fun-ness' of it. So we kind of took everything that we were influenced by and kind of put it in this project, and just not really pigeonholing it to any specific thing, doing what feels right. And we're all super happy with it. I mean, there's elements across the board that, I think, everybody's gonna dig and we definitely dig."

Added Brian: "I think there's gonna be a lot of people pretty surprised, honestly. There's so many different elements that are involved with this record, with all the different people, especially with Logan being involved; it's been amazing to work with him, having him help to co-write a lot of stuff, and he's bringing a lot of ideas to the table. It just all seems to be working."

British guitarist Mark Gemini Thwaite, MGT for short, has signed with Hanover record imprint SPV and is scheduled to release his first solo album, "Volumes", at the end of June. The lead single, "Knowing Me Knowing You", a cover version of the ABBA classic featuring guest vocalist Ville Valo of HIM, will be available from April 15, mixed by Tim Palmer and mastered by Maor Appelbaum.

The official video for "Knowing Me Knowing You" can be seen below.

Speaking about the cover, Mark Thwaite said: "The single sleeve and their video had a wintery feel to it, so when we decided to shoot a video for our version, both myself and Ville Valo agreed we should try and capture some of the feel of the ABBA version and have a winter vibe to our video as well.

"We shot my footage up in the snow covered mountains and Ville's close-ups in front of a fire place that is secret place in Helsinki. We're pleased with it and director Ville Jurrikkala did a fantastic job!"

Valo is not the only guest musician on "Volumes", which has turned into a veritable all-star recording. Other appearances include Wayne Hussey of Mark's previous band THE MISSION, Miles Hunt and Erica Nockalls of THE WONDER STUFF, Ricky Warwick (BLACK STAR RIDERS, THIN LIZZY), Raymond Watts (PIG, KMFDM), Saffron (REPUBLICA), Julianne Regan (ALL ABOUT EVE), Ashton Nyte (THE AWAKENING), Carlo Van Putten (DEAD GUITARS) and goth legend Andi Sex Gang.

Originally from Birmingham, England, MGT appeared on over 20 albums. He worked with THE MISSION, Peter Murphy (BAUHAUS), Tricky, Gary Numan, Ricky Warwick, Al Jourgensen (MINISTRY), P.J. Harvey, Roger Daltrey (THE WHO), members of the RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, Alanis Morissette, WARRIOR SOUL as well as Tommy Victor and PRONG, to name a few.

On the occasion of his joint concert with Ricky Warwick at London's Kentish Town Forum, Mark Gemini Thwaite, Silke Yli-Sirniö (Tough Enough Promotion) and Gero Herrde (A&R, SPV) met to sign the contracts. They later voiced their evident joy about the recently sealed collaboration.

Mark Gemini Thwaite: "Having been a member of THE MISSION for many years, I have a longstanding relationship with Gero Herrde and SPV, a great independent label who have released several of our albums and live DVDs over the years. Now that I am finally releasing a solo album, I feel at home releasing the record through my friends at SPV!"

Silke Yli-Sirniö, management Tough Enough Promotion: "When Mark first sent me the tracks last autumn, I was immediately enchanted! No doubt that I wanted to be part of this project after being asked so kindly. A big THANK YOU actually goes to Ville Valo of HIM who first brought my attention to MGT. I am happy that at least some people are still making music like this in 2016 — and that people like Gero Herrde of SPV still believe in this kind of music!"

Gero Herrde, A&R at SPV: "Mark and I have known each other for many years; we never really lost sight of each other since our work with THE MISSION. With such a brilliant musician, it was only a question of time before he started working on his own solo album, recruiting the crème de la crème of independent rock vocalists for his project. Now the album is here at last and I'm proud to have the opportunity to release it on SPV!"

Paul Stanley has joined forces with Ace Frehley for a new track on Frehley's upcoming solo covers set. The new album, "Origins Vol. 1", will be released on April 26, and marks the first time the KISS co-founders have appeared on an original album together since the band's 1998 set, "Psycho Circus". Stanley takes the lead on Frehley's cover of FREE's classic 1970 track "Fire And Water", which can now be streamed below.

During an appearance on KBAD 94.5's "Morning Crash" radio show, Stanley stated about his new collaboration with Frehley: "Ace was doing an album of covers, songs that influenced him and that he loved, and called me. And it's always very funny, because with caller ID, I look, and the phone's ringing, and I see Ace's name come up. So, of course…

"Look, for all the bickering and stuff that we may say about each other, we go back to a very magical time. We started this together. So in spite of whatever we may say from time to time or things that get blown up, we are a family, and a dysfunctional one, but nonetheless a family.

"So Ace said, 'Would you do something on the album?' I said, 'Sure. Of course.'"

He continued: "If [Ace] succeeds, it only makes me happy. I don't wanna see anybody fail, especially somebody who I'm close to. Even if I don't speak to him weekly, even monthly, we are connected in a way that will go to the end.

"There's a great song by FREE called 'Fire And Water', which was on the album with 'All Right Now'. Paul Rodgers, besides being a friend of mine, is one of the consummate vocalists. So to get a chance to sing something that's a little different than what I do in KISS was something I didn't take lightly, because Paul Rodgers is a hell of a vocalist. So it was great, and it was a lot of fun, and it was terrific. And I only wish Ace well with it."

Ace spoke to Rolling Stone about his teamup with Stanley. Frehley said: "I thought Paul did a fabulous vocal on it. He jumped at the chance to do this because it's something that's outside of KISS and his character in KISS, and it gave him a chance to, y'know, sing. With Paul, you usually think of him singing in a slightly higher register and on 'Fire And Water', he's singing deep from his diaphragm, and it's a real cool vocal. Everyone's who heard it was just thinks it's the shit."

Other high-profile artists guesting with Ace on the new album are Slash, Lita Ford, Mike McCready, and John 5. In addition to the FREE track, Ace and his guests tackle key classic rock touchstones by CREAM, STEPPENWOLF, LED ZEPPELIN, THIN LIZZY, THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE, THE ROLLING STONES, THE KINKS — and even KISS.

"Origins Vol. 1" track listing:

01. White Room (CREAM)02. Street Fighting Man (ROLLING STONES)03. Spanish Castle Magic (JIMI HENDRIX) (feat. John 5)04. Fire And Water (FREE) (feat. Paul Stanley)05. Emerald (THIN LIZZY) (feat. Slash)06. Bring It On Home (LED ZEPPELIN)07. Wild Thing (THE TROGGS) (feat. Lita Ford)08. Parasite (KISS) (feat. John 5)09. Magic Carpet Ride (STEPPENWOLF) 10. Cold Gin (KISS) (feat. Mike McCready)11. Till The End Of The Day (THE KINKS)12. Rock And Roll Hell (KISS)

FOUR BY FATE, the band featuring John Regan, Tod Howarth, Rob Affuso and Patrick James Gasperini, will release its debut album, "Relentless", on June 3 via Amazing Record Co. in Europe and The End Records in America.

The seeds for the group's formation were planted in 1986 when Regan and Howarth were on tour together; Regan playing bass with John Waite and Howarth singing and playing keyboards with CHEAP TRICK. The tour brought the pair together as friends and musicians and many months later Regan asked Howarth to join him in FREHLEY'S COMET, a band fronted by Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee, the legendary KISS guitarist/singer Ace Frehley.

In 2014, Regan and Howarth joined forces again on a new project — FOUR BY FATE. Enter Gasperini, a New York guitarist/singer and prolific songwriter. With a solid East Coast resume, he adds ripping guitar hero presence and big tunes. Shortly after, the band invited powerhouse percussionist Rob Affuso (SKID ROW) to complete the final foursome.

Adding further rock pedigree, other contributors to the FOUR BY FATE story include Stet Howland (drummer for W.A.S.P.), Sean Kelly (guitarist for HELIX and Nelly Furtado) and AJ Pero (drummer from TWISTED SISTER), who recorded six tracks on the album before he tragically passed away in early 2015 (this is thought to be his last recording).