Audio samples of all the tracks that are featured on "Voices Of Fire", the new album from German a cappella metal band VAN CANTO — which consists of five singers and one drummer (no guitars, no bass, no keyboards) — can be streamed in the YouTube clip below. The CD will be released on March 11 via earMUSIC.

VAN CANTO has teamed up with German bestseller author Christoph Hardebusch ("Die Trolle"; English-language translation: "The Trolls") who is going to release his new fantasy novel, "Feuerstimmen", on March 17 on Piper Verlag. The audio book for which VAN CANTO set the 17 bard songs included in the story to music will be released on the same day.

Working hand in hand on this crossover media project, VAN CANTO and Christoph Hardebusch created a whole new world filled with competing kingdoms, epic battles, dragons, of course, the element fire and bards.

VAN CANTO lead singer Sly, who developed the plot of the novel together with Christoph Hardebusch, explains: "We are barely able to tell what came first: the music as part of the novel or the novel as part of our album. Christoph Hardebusch and we worked hand in hand on this. Our compositions did influence the novel and vice versa. Simply put, we created our own world — a world full of competing kingdoms, epic battles, dragons, fire and bards. Not always deadly serious but full of adventures to set your imagination running wild… like VAN CANTO does."

Adds Hardebusch: "On the one hand, working closely with VAN CANTO was a lot of fun, but on the other hand, it was also very demanding. The great picture can only be achieved when creative minds interact with each other; the whole is more than the sum of its parts. Right from the start, story and music has been a unit which has influenced and fueled each other."

Coinciding with the album release, VAN CANTO is going to tour throughout Europe in March and April.

On April 22, Eagle Rock Entertainment release "Monsters Of Rock - Live At Donington 1980" by RAINBOW on DVD + CD format. The DVD contains all the surviving footage from the show and this release marks the first time that the audio from the show has been available as a full-length standalone CD. "Monsters Of Rock - Live At Donington 1980" includes "Since You Been Gone", "All Night Long", "Stargazer", "Long Live Rock 'N' Roll", "Catch The Rainbow", "Eyes Of The World" and more. On Saturday, August 16, 1980, RAINBOW took to the stage to headline the first rock festival to be held at Castle Donington. It was the culmination of the band's tour in support of the hugely successful "Down To Earth" album, released in 1979, and would prove to be the last live show featuring this particular lineup of the band: Ritchie Blackmore (guitar), Don Airey (keyboards), Graham Bonnet (vocals), Roger Glover (bass) and Cozy Powell (drums). The set featured tracks from the then-new album alongside classics from earlier in their career. There are virtuoso solo spots for Blackmore, Airey and Powell which serve to highlight the sheer musical prowess in the band.

"Monsters Of Rock - Live At Donington 1980" track listing: DVD:

01. Lazy02. All Night Long03. Catch The Rainbow04. Eyes Of The World05. Guitar Solo06. Difficult To Cure07. Will You Love Me Tomorrow08. Long Live Rock 'N' Roll CD:

01. Intro / Eyes Of The World02. Since You Been Gone03. Stargazer04. Catch The Rainbow05. Lost In Hollywood / Guitar Solo06. Difficult To Cure / Keyboard Solo07. Drum Solo / Lost In Hollywood (reprise)08. Lazy09. All Night Long10. Blues11. Will You Love Me Tomorrow12. Long Live Rock 'N' Roll "Monsters Of Rock - Live At Donington 1980" captures an incendiary performance from the truly legendary RAINBOW in every sense of the word. The show climaxes with Ritchie Blackmore destroying his guitar and thrusting it into an amp which promptly bursts into flames before fireworks burst overhead at the conclusion of an explosive show.

David Lee Roth has posted a new episode of his online series "The Roth Show". The ten-minute clip, which can be seen below, features the VAN HALEN frontman paying tribute to British art-rock icon David Bowie, who passed away in January after an 18-month battle with cancer. He was 69 years old.

In a 2013 interview, Roth explained that "The Roth Show" started off as an experiment. "You can prop something up with your famous name for a day or two," he said. "But does it really hold water? Let's see if a new idea really has a chance. Inside a matter of weeks, it really caught fire."

The final show of VAN HALEN's U.S. tour took place on October 4, 2015 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California.

The trek was VAN HALEN's first since an aborted North American run three years earlier in support of its then-new studio album, "A Different Kind Of Truth".

Out now is "Tokyo Dome In Concert", VAN HALEN's first-ever live collection featuring Roth, despite numerous pro-shot concerts from the band's original heyday being heavily booted for years.

AC/DC has been forced to reschedule the ten remaining dates on the U.S. leg of its "Rock Or Bust" world tour. According to a press release, AC/DC lead singer Brian Johnson has been advised by doctors to stop touring immediately or risk total hearing loss.

Tomorrow's (March 8) show in Atlanta through the April 4 concert Madison Square Garden in New York City will be made up later in the year, likely with a guest vocalist. More information regarding these rescheduled shows to come. Current ticket holders can hold on to their tickets for the rescheduled dates or receive a refund at point of purchase.

Dates to be rescheduled:

March 08 - Atlanta, GA - Philips ArenaMarch 11 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL - BB&T Center March 14 - Greensboro, NC - Greensboro ColiseumMarch 17 - Washington, DC - Verizon CenterMarch 20 - Detroit, MI - The PalaceMarch 23 - Columbus, OH - Nationwide ArenaMarch 26 - Cleveland, OH - Quicken Loans ArenaMarch 29 - Buffalo, NY - First Niagara CenterApril 01 - Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo CenterApril 04 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden

During an appearance on "The Howard Stern Show" last year, Johnson denied that his hearing loss was a result of playing with his bandmates. He said: "I've got hearing loss in my left ear. [But] I didn't get it from music. I got it from sitting in a racecar for too long without earplugs.

"I heard my eardrum burst because I forgot to put my plugs in under my helmet. That's how it happened.

"Music had nothing to do with it ... I was dizzy, my middle ear had gone, and I took my helmet off and there was blood coming out and I'd burst my eardrum."

Johnson has been AC/DC's singer since 1980, when he joined following the death of Bon Scott. His first album with the band, "Back In Black", is the second best-selling album of all time, behind Michael Jackson's "Thriller".

AC/DC's latest leg of U.S. dates kicked off on February 2 in Tacoma, Washington.

The band's 2015 tour sold 2.31 million tickets for a total of $180 million in gross sales.

AC/DC's sixteenth studio album, "Rock Or Bust", has sold more than 563,000 copies since debuting at No. 3 on the Billboard album chart back in December 2014.

It's the band's first album without founding guitarist Malcolm Young, who is suffering from dementia. He has been replaced by nephew Stevie Young.

AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd was arrested in November 2014 at his home in Tauranga on charges of threatening to kill and possession of methamphetamine and cannabis.

Although Rudd played on "Rock Or Bust", he did not appear in photos or videos for the disc.

One-time AC/DC drummer Chris Slade officially joined the band's lineup for its performance at last year's Grammy Awards telecast. Slade was also behind the kit for the group's world tour.

Hamburg, Germany-based stoner metal/sludge outfit Hight Fighter have just hit the studio to record their first full length album, now the band announced that they have signed a worldwide deal with Finland's cult label, Svart Records.

Born in the summer of 2014 by former band members of A Million Miles, Buffalo Hump and Pyogenesis, Hight Fighter self-released their first and critically acclaimed debut EP titled The Goat Ritual in the same year. Followed by numerous shows all over Europe and the UK in 2015. With one EP out and in the band's first year only, Hight Fighter have already shared the stages with acts such as Corrosion of Conformity, Ahab, Mammoth Storm, The Midnight Ghost Train and Greenleaf, and appeared on festivals like Stoned From The Underground, Sonic Blast Portugal, Red Smoke in Poland, Hamburg Metaldayz and many more, including an exclusive press showcase live at Wacken Open Air. After heavily touring in 2015, the band has now hit the renowned Rama Studios in Mannheim, Germany, to record their first full-length album, set to be released in June.

Hight Fighter's vocalist Mona Miluski states: “When we introduced the band to public by the end of 2014 and released our first demo EP The Goat Ritual the same year, we would have never imagined what amazing things and opportunities would come up for us and where the still young road of Hight Fighter would go... in one year only, we were lucky enough to tour heavily, played shows and tours with so many fantastic bands, rocked several festival stages, seen amazing places and met the greatest people out there. But when we started the band, we would have also never imagined to be signing a deal with one of the best underground labels this scene has to offer and after this very short band history. Having build up bands such as Mantar or Hexvessel, Svart Records' artist roster speaks for itself, and we're over the moon to have signed with such well-reputated and fantastic record label. We look forward to this journey, and can't wait till our first album will see the light of day on Svart!”

Hight Fighter are currently recording at Rama Studios in Mannheim, Germany. To support the upcoming album live, the band has already announced several first shows for 2016 such as at Desertfest Berlin and Summer Breeze Festival, and will be announcing more tour dates and gigs coming up this year soon. Mark your summer calendar, Hight Fighter's first full length album is set to be released on June 10th via Svart Records.



window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-a',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

New York rock act Cilver are streaming their new single "Headstone" (listen below). Cilver will release their debut album, Not The End Of The World, on April 30th via Entertainment One Music. The band's own Leon Lyazidi produced the record with help from well known producer Johnny K, who executive produced.  The band is eager to release their songs to the world, the band spent a good portion of the spring locked away in Groovemaster Studios in Chicago.

"This is the perfect time to release this record," says Preotu. "A time where America is angry, frustrated, lost, but hopeful. The songs are honest and biographical to the point that every lyric made me cry as it transported me to important and memorable moments of my life. Moments of loss and hope, moments that every citizen and immigrant can relate to."

Anchored by songwriting duo Uliana and guitarist Leon Lyazidi, the band has come a long way from their previous projects in New York City. What served as an artistic restart has turned into a runaway train of accomplishment that seems to be going faster as time goes on. The band signed a new deal with eOne Music last year.

“eOne is real," says Leon. "When we set out to launch Cilver, we were looking for people who ate, slept and bled music just like we did. eOne was clearly a cut above everyone else and we couldn’t be more excited to be part an amazing roster, led by a passionate and creative team.”

After landing a management deal with The RSE Group (Slayer, Gojira, Ghost, Mastodon), representation from The Circle Talent Agency, and legal from Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP, 2014 and 2015 ended up as the band’s busiest years yet. The band gained traction touring as openers on the Hottest Chicks in Hard Rock tour with Sick Puppies and Lacuna Coil. After a series of radio festivals and showcases, Cilver found themselves on a boat with Motorhead for the Motorboat Cruise this past fall. In similar fashion, the band also participated on the ShipRocked Cruise this January, which sailed from Miami to the Bahamas.

Tracklisting:

“Break Free”
“I'm America”
“Headstone”
“Razorblade”
“Afterlife”
“Frozen”
“It's My Life”
“Bleed For You”
“In My Head”
“Behind These Eyes”
“Not Afraid”

“Headstone”:

"Afterlife":

“I’m America”:

 



window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-a',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Swedish hard rockers Shotgun will release their new live album, Live - Down Decadencia Drive, on May 7th through Livewire/Cargo Records. A rocking new half breed of the original Shotgun Messiah is now releasing an in your face live album with all the songs from Shotgun Messiah’s highly acclaimed first album.

The result of this collaboration is a damn good live album that captures the nerve, the riffs, the attitude – and that straight-in-your-face-style that once was the trademark of Shotgun Messiah.

Live - Down Decadencia Drive tracklisting:

“Squeezin Teazin”
“I'm Your Love”
“Bop City”
“Nowhere Fast”
“Dirt Talk”
“Nervous”
“Shout It Out”
“Don't Care Bout Nothin’”

The album was mixed by Chris Laney at Laney and and mastered by Classe Persson at CRP Recordings.

Shotgun are:

Zinny J. Zan - Vocals
Stixx - Drums
Rob Marcello - Guitars
Chris Laney - Bass

Shotgun Messiah was the pioneers of the glam and sleaze era back in the 80’s and one of the first acts to come out of Sweden to relocate to the US and actually hit the charts and make a name for themselves. With extensive tours, press, radio and TV covering the entire US under the belt for some years, Shotgun Messiah was worn out in 1993 and decided to call it quits.

Later in the 90’s you could find the former members in bands like Marilyn Manson, Tom Waits and Zan Clan.

Over the years some of the members in former Shotgun Messiah has been made aware by their fans that they never got to play their songs live for their supporters in Europe, Latin America or Asia.

Now 25 years after the release of their first album, two of the band’s biggest supporters contacted singer Zinny J. Zan and drummer Stixx in order for them to consider a reunion and actually get the opportunity to play these songs for one last tour. An opportunity for the supporters that once missed out to hear the songs live – but also for it to be captured and released as a live album.

The Catch, you say? These two hardcore supporters wanted to see the original lineup reform. Since that was a definite no-go they gladly volunteered to fill the two missing slots.



window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-a',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

On April 1st, Finnish pagan metal act Moonsorrow will release their seventh studio album Jumalten Aika – which means The Age Of Gods in English – via Century Media Records. A new teaser video can be found below:

“There are a lot more folk music influences present in Jumalten Aika than earlier”, comments Henri Sorvali (Guitars, keyboards & vocals). “This time around, they are more deeply integrated to the overall sound. Jumalten Aika is like a circling wolf biting the hardest when you would never expect it. The music is unchained aggression, deep mysteries of the North and thundering witchcraft combined together in a molten forge of the Gods and reminds us all of something that never left our blood and soil.”

Jumalten Aika will be released in the following formats:

Ltd. 2CD Mediabook & Patch – European edition
Ltd. 2CD Digipak & Patch – US edition
Gatefold black 2LP+CD
Gatefold white 2LP+CD – CMDistro.de (EU webshop exclusive), limited to 100 copies
Gatefold transparent green 2LP+CD – Nuclearblast.de exclusive, limited to 200 copies
Gatefold clear 2LP+CD – distributed via RED in the US, limited to 400 copies
Gatefold silver 2LP+CD – CMDistro.com (US webshop exclusive), limited to 200 copies
CD / Digital

Pre-order at CMDistro or EMP.

The limited edition 2CD formats come with a strictly limited patch as well as a bonus disc including cover versions of Grave’s “Soulless” and Rotting Christ’s “Non Serviam”. These were intentionally added as a second disc to be separated from the main album’s intricate musical and lyrical concept. All physical formats will also include English translations of the lyrics to allow you to delve deeper into the darkened folklore of Moonsorrow.

Jumalten Aika tracklisting:

“Jumalten Aika”
“Ruttolehto incl. Päivättömän Päivän Kansa”
“Suden Tunti”
“Mimisbrunn”
“Ihmisen Aika (Kumarrus Pimeyteen)”

Bonus disc:

“Soulless” (Grave cover)
“Non Serviam” (Rotting Christ cover)

Teaser:

In April 2016, Moonsorrow will head out for a co-headline European tour with fellow countrymen Korpiklaani (pictured below). The two powerhouses of Finnish folk metal will join forces once again, with both bands playing extended sets. There will also be an official album release show at Virgin Oil in Helsinki on April 1st.

Tour dates:
 
April
1 - Virgin Oil - Helsinki, Finland (album release show)

April (with Korpiklaani)
8 - Durbuy Rock Festival - Bomal-sur-Ourthe, Belgium         
9 - Tanzmatten - Sélestat, France
10 - Melkweg - Amsterdam, Netherlands (with Heidevolk)
11 - La Trabendo - Paris, France      
12 - TBA, France     
13 - Arena - Madrid, Spain
14 - Razzmatazz2 - Barcelona, Spain
15 - CC John Lennon - Limoges, France
16 - Carène - Brest, France
17 - Antipode - Rennes, France
18 - CCO Villeurbanne - Lyon, France
19 - BAM - Metz, France
20 - Islington Academy - London, UK   
21 - Club Academy - Manchester, UK
22 - Button Factory - Dublin, Ireland           
23 - Limelight 2 - Belfast, Ireland     
24 - Classic Grand - Glasgow, Scotland          
25 - Stylus - Leeds, UK   
26 - Academy 2 - Birmingham, UK        
27 - The Fleece - Bristol, UK     
28 - 1865 - Southampton, UK    
29 - Matrix - Bochum, Germany          

(Moonsorrow photo - Tuomas Tahvanainen)



window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-a',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Katatonia, the Swedish purveyors of dark progressive rock/metal, have revealed details of their eagerly awaited 10th studio album. The new album, entitled The Fall Of Hearts, is set for release on May 20th through their long-time home of Peaceville Records.

The official follow-up to 2012’s Dead End Kings was recorded at Stockholm’s Studio Gröndahl & Tri-lamb Studio, and was self-produced by Anders Nyström & Jonas Renkse. Mixing and mastering duties were carried out by Jens Bogren (Opeth, Ihsahn, Devin Townsend) at Fascination Street Studios, with Karl Daniel Lidén (Switchblade, The Ocean, Greenleaf) brought in as engineer.

The dramatic yet desolate artwork was created by long time Katatonia designer and illustrator Travis Smith.

Katatonia have spent the past four years since the release of Dead End Kings touring the world, as well as expanding their fanbase through two special albums on Kscope, the sister label of Peaceville. 2013 saw the release of Dethroned & Uncrowned which exploded the core of the songs on Dead End Kings creating new moods and textures. In 2015, they released the live acoustic album and concert film, Sanctitude. Both releases illustrate the band’s journey toward this, their current more progressive sound.

The Fall of Hearts is the first record to feature new drummer Daniel ’Mojjo’ Moilanen and with the addition of their recently recruited guitarist Roger Öjersson (Tiamat), who came in just in time to sprinkle some blistering solos on the album, Katatonia will continue to push their musical boundaries beyond their roots in the metal scene while drawing in new fans from across the musical spectrum like peers such as Opeth and Anathema have also done, cementing Katatonia’s place as one of the most revered and cherished of all bands in the world of modern heavy music.

Katatonia comment on The Fall Of Hearts: "This album is probably everything we unknowingly ever dreamed of to release. It's a bleak but adventurous journey through our elements, we haven't held back, we have pushed to get forward and backward in the ever spiralling night of our musical legacy."

More details of The Fall Of Hearts will be released shortly.

Katatonia have confirmed the following festival appearances for 2016:

March
12 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Metal Town Festival

April
29 - Kopervik, Norway - Karmoygeddon Festival

June
19 - Clisson, France - Hellfest

July
3 - Helsinki, Finland - Tuska Festival
9-10 - Bouckenborgh, Belgium - Anterwerp Metal Festival

August
5 - Corroios, Portugal - Vagos Open Air Festival,
17-20 - Dinkelsbühl, Germany - Summer Breeze Festival



window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-a',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Montreal black metallers Éohum have teamed up with BraveWords for the premiere of their third single “Unmasking A World Of Deceit” off their upcoming EP Ealdfaeder set for release on March 18th.

Band founder and guitarist Jeremy Perkins comments: “’Unmasking A World Of Deceit’, this is the brutal blend of death and black with a great old school break for metal lovers, a signature for us now! The song speaks of the human race led astray by the rupture between us and our origins leading way to a more fabricated and plastic so to speak version of the human animal, where our wisdom and involvement in positive actions is depriving our world and leading, seemingly to a bleak future."

The EP was recorded at Chris Donaldson’s (Cryptopsy) “The Grid” with a special guest recording from drummer Simon Mackay of The Agonist on tracks 2-4-5 and features a line up with band founder Perkins on guitar along with the return of Annie Perreault on French horn/flute, guitarist Sylvain Dumont, vocalist Barrie Butler plus new comers bassist Cesar Franco and drummer Luca Belviso whom have been part of the line up for the last year. All are focused on the distinct grassroots of old school plus very heavy progression that has flourished since last year to give way to a distinct path, sound and image with each member sharing common ground on the message, beliefs and ideas behind Éohum.

Ealdfaeder tracklisting:
“Eurocide”
“Unmasking A World Of Deceit”
“The Apathetic Plague”
“Ode To A Martyr”
“Curative Undulations”



window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-a',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Philadelphia’s Nothing have released a music video for “Vertigo Flowers”, a track from their sophomore LP, Tired Of Tomorrow, due for release on May 13th via Relapse Records. Watch the new video below.

Tired Of Tomorrow will be available on CD / LP / Deluxe 2xLP (with two bonus tracks) / Cassette / Digital. Physical pre-orders and bundles are available via Relapse.com here, and digital downloads can be pre-ordered via Bandcamp at this location.

People often wonder why Nothing are so damn loud. In the case of many artists, the volume stems from a preoccupation with negativity, misanthropy and the human condition. But while Nothing's attitude lines up with these ideas, their personality isn't one that the band picked from a list of clichés. It's one moulded by their own experiences, from family troubles and personal tragedy to a string of bad luck that Murphy's Law would balk at. And that volume, rather than a selling point, is the only way the band has been able to translate the difficulty of real-life events into musical form.

Tired Of Tomorrow is a record born out of a chain of events that forced frontman Domenic Palermo to drastically re-think and re-shape his perspective about both life and music. Borrowing from personal memoir and external works alike, Nothing have worked the deepest influences of their youth and maturation into a package that's ultimately at its most relevant in the present day.

Tired Of Tomorrow was originally set for release via Collect Records, until the band discovered that the label had been funded by the now-infamous hedge fund manager Martin Shkreli, whose roster subsequently dissolved under the weight of the unsettling controversy surrounding him. Though the album was written before the Shkreli debacle, Palermo sees those events to only have strengthened the sentiments and ideas behind Tired Of Tomorrow, rather than confuse its message. It's a mess to think about, but as always, the contradictions and paradoxes of the kind Nothing harnesses ultimately lead to the greatest revelations, and the band's personal and tragic path has nonetheless led Nothing to produce deeply heartfelt and inspiring music. Whichever way you want to look at it, you can't deny that Nothing feels good.

The band’s 2014 debut LP Guilty Of Everything, a record inspired largely by the events surrounding Palermo’s incarceration in 2002 following an aggravated assault charge (to which he pleaded self-defense), garnered widespread critical acclaim. After having toured relentlessly across North America and Europe, playing with the likes of DIIV, Merchandise, Torche, Failure, Hum and many more, Nothing will announce tour dates for 2016 imminently.

Tired Of Tomorrow tracklisting:

“Fever Queen”
“The Dead Are Dumb”
“Vertigo Flowers”
“ACD (Abcessive Compulsive Disorder)”
“Nineteen Ninety Heaven”
“Curse Of The Sun”
“Eaten By Worms”
“Everyone Is Happy”
“Our Plague”
“Tired Of Tomorrow”

“Vertigo Flowers” video:

Tired Of Tomorrow documentary trailer:



window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-a',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

London-based psychedelic octet, Knifeworld, will release their third studio album, Bottled Out Of Eden, via InsideOut Music on April 22nd. Watch an official music video for the album’s lead track, “High/Aflame”, below:

Kavus Torabi had this to say: "The beautiful artwork has been executed, once again by Steve Mitchell at 57 design. He's been responsible for all of our graphics since the beginning and, for me, his work really defines the look of Knifeworld. The teaser is from the recording of the album in the studio Midi-Pyrenees with Bob Drake. It's an enormous converted barn in the South of France with the most extraordinary acoustic spaces to record in. Hundreds of albums have been made there since the 90's and it has a big connection with Henry Cow and many related projects, so it was such a pleasure to finally work there ourselves."

The band have also announced a special album launch show at London's Bush Hall on Thursday, May 12th, which will feature their biggest production yet plus a lot of surprises from the Knifeworld back catalogue. Tickets on sale at 10 AM, UK time on Wednesday, February 17th, here.

Tracklisting:

“High/Aflame”
“The Germ Inside”
“I Am Lost”
“The Deathless”
“Foul Temple”
“Vision Of The Bent Path”
“I Must Set Fire To Your Portrait”
“Lowered Into Necromancy”
“A Dream About A Dream”
“Secret Words”
“Feel The Sorcery”

Teaser:

The follow-up to 2014's The Unravelling, BOOE is a subtler but more immediate record than any other Knifeworld release. At times beautiful and uplifting and at others melancholic, haunting and otherworldly, the album remains surprisingly accessible and frontman Kavus Torabi had this to say: "After The Unravelling, which took over a year to complete, we deliberately wanted to change the variables. To alter the approach in order to make something different. I love The Unravelling but it was a very difficult record to make. Rather than spending so long in the studio, constructing, arranging, recording, re-recording and adding layers of additional instruments and noises, this time round we wanted something rawer, more live sounding."
 
Torabi continues: "Once we had the title, Bottled Out Of Eden, the songs came very quickly. For me, the title has three possible interpretations and all the songs fall under at least one of them. I always like to have a definite theme, it allows you to map out the territory making it far easier to identify which songs that will or won't fit with the overarching idea giving the record a far greater cohesion."
 
Bottled Out Of Eden fuses elements of English psychedelic pop, folk and art rock, with NY minimalist-inspired horn arrangements and typically unconventional song structures that take full advantage of the bands 8-piece line-up. The tail end of last year saw that full band out on tour in the UK with their friends in Vennart where they road-tested several songs from the album.

Kavus continues:"One aspect of Bottled Out Of Eden is the idea of a self-made Heaven or a self-imposed Hell, that agony or ecstasy are often a choice. I look back on the twenty five years of making the kind of music I do, particularly the last six with Knifeworld and just feel so fortunate for the friendships, experiences and absolute joy it has brought. I wanted the album to be as much about that, a celebration of this all too fleeting life, as it is a reflection on death and its impact on everyone that is left behind."



window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-a',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

High quality video of Krisiun performing the track “Scars Of The Hatred” at the 2015 edition of Germany's Party.San Open Air festival is streaming below:

Krisiun will support Cannibal Corpse on their upcoming European tour in April / May. Hideous Divinity will also lend support.

Comments Cannibal Corpse bassist Alex Webster: "We're psyched to be heading back to Europe for the final leg of the A Skeletal Domain tour with such a crushing lineup of bands. Everyone knows the level of brutality our friends Krisiun can deliver, and they'll soon see what Hideous Divinity are capable of, too. We can't wait to get this 3-band death metal bulldozer rolling - Europe, be ready!"

Tour dates:

April
15 - Flensburg, Germany - Roxy
16 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Vega
17 - Oslo, Norway - Sentralen
18 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Sticky Fingers
19 - Stockholm, Sweden - Klubben
21 - Helsinki, Finland - Nosturi
22 - Tallinn, Estonia - Tapper
23 - Riga, Latvia - Melna Piektdiena
24 - Vilnius, Lithuania - Loftas
25 - Warsaw, Poland - Proxima
26 - Poznan, Poland - Blue Note
27 - Prague, Czech Republic - Meet Factory
28 - Zagreb, Croatia - Vintage Industrial Bar
29 - Ljubljana, Slovenia - Kino Siska
30 - Innsbruck, Austria - Weekender

May
1 - Milan, Italy - Alcatraz
3 - Audincourt, France - Le Moloco
4 - Leipzig, Germany - Hellraiser
5 - Rostock, Germany - Mau
6 - Regensburg, Germany - Airport Obertraubling
7 - Lingen, Germany - Alter Schlachthof
8 - Wiesbaden, Germany - Schlachthof
10 - Aarau, Switzerland - Kiff
11 -Tilburg, Netherlands - 013
12 - Hannover, Germany - Musikzentrum
13 - Karlsruhe, Germany - Substage
14-15 - Gelsenkirchen, Germany - Rock Hard Festival (Cannibal Corpse only)



window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-a',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Über Röck recently conducted an interview with vocalist Biff Byford of British heavy metal legends SAXON. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Über Röck: We have this new nine-album box set, "Eagles And Dragons", to discuss. It starts with "Solid Ball Of Rock" and ends with "Into The Labyrinth". What was the reasoning behind putting this set together now and why specifically these nine?

Biff: Well, the albums became free, the license became free last year, and Demon Records already had two of the albums, "Solid Ball Of Rock" and "Forever Free", so they badly wanted the rest, as did quite a few other people. We didn't really license the albums for a vinyl deal, it's just a deal for the catalogue, but the idea came along that we should release a vinyl box set. I put the idea to them and they went for it. Also it's got some exclusive artwork which, again, was an idea I had to make it more collectible. So yeah, it won't be done again, basically, so this is a great piece of memorabilia and they're great albums. There's some absolute gems there.

Über Röck: "Unleash The Beast" was the first album with Doug Scarratt coming in to replace the departed Graham Oliver. How did his arrival change the dynamic of that band?

Biff: Well, the "Dogs Of War" tour was the first tour Doug did with us. Graham didn't do that tour. They took Graham's guitar off the album, got some other guy to play it. I think maybe people think I did that, but, actually, it was the record company who did it. They were a bit pissed off with him, I suppose. He's always wanted to release a version with him on, which, I think, if anybody gave a shit, he could do. I don't have a problem with that. There's not much different anyway. But with Doug's arrival, the musicianship changed. Graham's not really a technical player, Graham was more of a groove player at rhythm. He played solos obviously but his soloing was more smashing guitars and pyro going off, setting it on fire — you know, the Hendrix thing. He was more famous for that, I think. So Paul Quinn was able to blossom out a bit more when Doug came in. Paul's more of a mad schizophrenic blues player; he's brilliant, Paul. Doug is more of a stylized player and there's a ten-year generation gap, so he's a little bit more modern. Listening to people like Steve Vai and people like that, whereas Paul is basically a Hendrix, Clapton-y chap but in his own style. But the album opened up musically for us, more dynamics. We were able to play a little bit more complicated riffs. That's not to take away from what Graham did, but it just enabled us to go a little bit more muso.

Über Röck: I think that a lot of fans do accept that unquestionably, that there's really two eras of SAXON; the older groove-styled playing, the more modern sound with Doug.

Biff: I think you write songs for the ability of the people that are in the band. Don't forget that Nibs [Carter, bass] joined on "Solid Ball Of Rock" and he's an absolutely brilliant musician. So the dynamics of the band changes; that's all I'm saying. Things like "Terminal Velocity" and stuff hark back to more of an eighties style and the newer stuff like "Unleash The Beast" is quite modern. The beginning riff is quite complex and I don't think we'd have written that in 1980. We were writing stuff like "Heavy Metal Thunder", which is still on the edge, really fast and aggressive, so we wanted fast and aggressive still but with more musicianship and that's what we got.

Über Röck: When and how did you first start working with [cover artist] Paul Gregory?

Biff: On "Crusader". He did me a sketch of "Crusader". It was his idea, and I was, like, yeah. One of our management people who lived in his area knew his work from some "Lord Of The Rings" stuff he was doing. They'd seen his work in exhibition and they thought he would be good for SAXON because of all that mythical, Saxony, Vikingy stuff. All that imagery fits with us massively.

Read the entire interview at Über Röck.

CANDLEMASS bassist and songwriter Leif Edling has posted an audio snippet of a song called "Zodiac City" from his new solo project THE DOOMSDAY KINGDOM. The track, which features guest vocals from Niklas "Viper" Stålvind of Swedish metallers WOLF, can be streamed below.

Says Edling: "This next song is another one that I wrote back in 2014 when I was pretty sick, and it's about the Zodiac [the nickname given to an unidentified serial killer who operated in northern California in the late 1960s and early 1970s].

"In general, I don't like songs about serial killers, because there's way too many people glorifying them, but I really like the movie, so here's 'Zodiac City'."

Edling previously stated about THE DOOMSDAY KINGDOM: "THE DOOMSDAY KINGDOM was created two years ago. I was in pretty bad shape. I couldn't go out, I couldn't work, I wasn't allowed to read, I couldn't watch telly and I wasn't allowed to work in front of the computer, so all I had was the music. And I created THE DOOMSDAY KINGDOM, metal from the catacombs."

Edling won't be playing live with CANDLEMASS this year because he is "still burnt out."

CANDLEMASS will release a special 30th-anniversary EP titled "Death Thy Lover" on June 3 via Napalm. The four-track effort — which features Mats Levén on vocals — was recorded during September/October and will be made available as a four-page digipack, one-LP gatefold edition and one-LP gatefold webstore edition and old-school "skull-and-cross" slipmat. The cover artwork for the EP was created by Erik Rovanperä.

Edling's AVATARIUM project released its second album, "The Girl With The Raven Mask", in October 2015 via Nuclear Blast. The CD was released in North America as part of a joint licensing venture between Nuclear Blast and Metalville.

Heavy Metal Greg has uploaded video footage of original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley's March 5 concert at Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills, California. Check out the clips below.

Frehley will release "Origins Vol. 1", a collection of twelve newly recorded classics from Ace's formative years featuring some of the biggest names in rock and roll, on April 15. Most notably, KISS frontman Paul Stanley joins Ace on FREE's hit "Fire And Water". This collaboration marks the first time that Ace and Paul appear on the same studio recording since KISS's 1998 reunion album "Psycho Circus". Other guests are none other than Slash trading leads on THIN LIZZY's classic "Emerald", Lita Ford singing and playing lead on THE TROGGS staple "Wild Thing", ROB ZOMBIE guitarist John 5 playing guitar alongside Ace as he sings his classic KISS composition "Parasite" for the very first time, as well as Jimi Hendrix's "Spanish Castle Magic", and PEARL JAM's Mike McCready also plays guitar with Ace as he finally sings his KISS "Alive!" mainstay "Cold Gin". "White Room" is also an iTunes instant gratification track, meaning fans who pre order the LP on iTunes will receive the CREAM cover song instantly.

Ace spoke with Rolling Stone about the new record, his guest players and recording with Paul after all these years. Regarding his reunion with Stanley, Frehley shrugged off any residual tension between the two of them. "We've always been friends," he told Rolling Stone. "The press seems to amplify negativity. I guess it makes good copy."

Frehley also commented on Stanley's appearance on "Fire And Water". "I thought Paul did a fabulous vocal on it," he said. "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, you 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 who's heard it just thinks it's the shit."

At the Saban Theatre to see Ace Frehley and Lita Ford. cool place! https://t.co/p5s4TVLzvA pic.twitter.com/xrVS49yk5R

— Terri Fassio (@HBDweller) March 6, 2016

Entombed A.D. released their new album, Dead Dawn, on February 26th via Century Media. An unpacking video for the deluxe edition of Dead Dawn can be seen below:

Nico Elgstrand (guitar/backing vocals) comments the creation of the new album: “I think it is safe to say that all of us in the band feel like we just have given birth to one tank each. Meaning the pregnancy and delivery was everything but pleasant! Still, when watching our newest offspring play with their cannons and bombs, blasting everything around them to bits, we feel, just like any parent, pride and joy and wouldn’t have it undone for all the money in the world!”

Rounded off by a striking cover artwork created by Watain-frontman Erik Danielsson, and backed up by a versatile production team consisting of Tom Van Heesch and Jacob Hellner of Big Island Sound, Stockholm as well as Nico Elgstrand himself, who produced a majority of the tracks whereas Svante Forsbäck of Chartmakers mastered this new beast, Dead Dawn looks and sounds great, too.

Tracklisting:

“Midas In Reverse”
“Dead Dawn”
“Down To Mars To Ride”
“As The World Fell”
“Total Death”
“The Winner Has Lost”
“Silent Assassin”
“Hubris Fall”
“Black Survival”
“Not What It Seems”

“The Winner Has Lost” video:

“Midas In Reverse”:

Track-by-track videos:

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Entombed A.D. will tour North America with Amon Amarth and Exmortus.

April
7 - San Diego, CA - House of Blues
8 - Phoenix, AZ - The Pressroom
9 - El Paso, TX - Tricky Falls
10 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theater
12 - Dallas, TX - House of Blues
13 - San Antonio, TX - The Aztec Theater
15 - Houston, TX - House of Blues
16 - New Orleans, LA - House of Blues
17 - Atlanta, GA - Tabernacle
18 - Tampa, FL - The Ritz
20 - Charlotte, NC - The Fillmore
21 - Silver Spring, MD - The Fillmore
22 - New York, NY - Best Buy Theatre
23 - Boston, MA - House of Blues
25 - Rochester, NY - Water Street Music Hall
26 - Burlington, VT - Higher Ground
28 - Quebec City, QC - Imperial
29 - Montreal, QC - Metropolis
30 - Toronto, ON - The Danforth

May
1 - Cleveland, OH - House of Blues
2 - Detroit, MI - St. Andrews
4 - St. Louis, MO - The Pageant
5 - Chicago, IL - The Riviera Theatre
6 - Lawrence, KS - The Granada Theater
7 - Denver, CO - The Ogden Theater
9 - Omaha, NE - Sokol Auditorium
10 - Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theater
12 - Winnipeg, MB - The Garrick
13 - Saskatoon, SK - O'Brian's Event Centre
14 - Calgary, AB - MacEwan Ballroom
16 - Vancouver, BC - The Commodore
17 - Seattle, WA - Showbox Market
18 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theater
20 - San Francisco, CA - The Warfield
21 - Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern Theater



window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-a',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});

Oklahoma City rockers HINDER will release a six-song acoustic EP titled "Stripped" on May 13 via The End Records. The effort features five acoustic renditions of original HINDER songs plus an acoustic cover of "Not An Addict", originally recorded by K'S CHOICE.

Say HINDER: "We’re thrilled to finally be able to release this acoustic EP. When we write songs, we believe that they have to be great with just an acoustic guitar. The rest of the instrumentation is just icing on the cake. We can't wait get out on the road and show our fans our music in its original form."

"Stripped" track listing

01. Not An Addict (acoustic)02. Intoxicated (acoustic)03. Wasted Life (acoustic)04. Hit The Ground (acoustic)05. If Only For Tonight (acoustic)06. Get Stoned (acoustic)

To accompany the release, HINDER will embark on their first-ever acoustic tour, with June/July dates throughout the U.S.

HINDER 2016 acoustic tour dates:

Jun. 03 - Stroudsburg, PA - Sherman TheaterJun. 04 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Casino, Wolf Den (free show)Jun. 05 - Salisbury, MA - Blue Ocean HallJun. 07 - Binghamton, NY - Magic City Music HallJun. 08 - Boston, MA - Royale BostonJun. 10 - Marietta, OH - Adelphia Music HallJun. 11 - Traverse City, MI - Ground ZeroJun. 13 - Cincinnati, OH - 20th Century TheatreJun. 14 - Flint, MI - The Machine ShopJun. 16 - Madison, WI - Majestic TheatreJun. 17 - Sioux Falls, SD - The DistrictJun. 18 - Springfield, IL - Boondocks PubJun. 20 - Colorado Springs, CO - The Black SheepJun. 21 - Boulder, CO - Fox TheatreJun. 22 - Grand Junction, CO - Independence BallroomJun. 25 - Reno, NV - CargoJun. 26 - Pasadena, CA - The RoseJun. 28 - Modesto, CA - Fat CatJun. 29 - San Diego, CA - House of BluesJul. 01 - Agoura Hills, CA - The CanyonJul. 02 - San Juan Capistrano, CA - The Coach HouseJul. 03 - Phoenix, AZ - MIM Music Theater

HINDER's latest full-length album, "When The Smoke Clears", was released in May 2015. The CD features the band's new lead singer Marshal Dutton, who also happens to be the co-producer on several of their records.

Dutton previously sang for HINDER on some tour dates during original frontman Austin Winkler's hiatus from the band in 2012.

HINDER made its debut in 2005 with the album "Extreme Behavior", which yielded the Top 10 smash "Lips Of An Angel".

Texan classic rockers SCORPION CHILD will release their second album, "Acid Roulette", on June 10 via Nuclear Blast Entertainment. "'Acid Roulette' chronicles the life trials of a traveling man who was imprisoned for a murderous crime," comments vocalist Aryn Jonathan Black. "He was forced into confessing by his wife and her wealthy lover so that they could live out their romance without him in the picture. Once sentenced to a life's term, he goes through extreme emotions dealing with the only woman he'd ever loved taking everything he'd known as 'real' away from him. He has to create and redefine his own reality accompanied by its roller coaster of emotional reflection. He experiences many different psychological changes throughout the years and escapes by means of drugs and his writings. These songs become his diary of a madman. The focus is mainly on the seasons in a year, for each song represents a month. The songs exist to drive home the full power of human emotion as many albums do. However, 'Acid Roulette' wires us into those extremes." SCORPION CHILD recorded "Acid Roulette" at The Bubble in Austin, Texas with Chris "Frenchie" Smith (THE ANSWER, AND YOU WILL KNOW US BY THE TRAIL OF DEAD...), who previouslyproduced and arranged the band's self-titled, first full-length. "Acid Roulette" was mixed by Dave Schiffman (THE MARS VOLTA, DEAD MEADOW, JANE'S ADDICTION, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE). The album's artwork, pictured below, was a collaboration between Aryn Jonathan Black, photographer Max Taylor and graphic designer Rob Kimura.

"Acid Roulette" track listing:

01. She Sings, I Kill02. Reaper's Danse03. My Woman In Black04. Acid Roulette05. Winter Side Of Deranged06. Séance07. Twilight Coven08. Survives09. Blind Man's Shine10. Moon Tension11. < Tower Grove12. I Might Be Your Man13. Addictions Photo credit: Francois Berland SCORPION CHILD are kicking off a European tour supporting legendary space rock icons MONSTER MAGNET which will visit The Forum, London next week. This is an exclusive U.K. show for MONSTER MAGNET which also includes heavy groove rockers ORANGE GOBLIN.

Commented Aryn Jonathan Black: "MONSTER MAGNET are an amazing band! We can't wait to share the stage with them. We will be performing a great deal of new material that will be featured on the new album that's due out this summer!" The band had recently released a sneak peek into the new album with a lyric video for the track "She Sings, I Kill". SCORPION CHILD is:

Aryn Jonathan Black - VocalsChristopher Jay Cowart - Lead GuitarJon "Charn" Rice - DrumsAlec Caballero Padron – BassAJ Vincent – Keyboards

MELVINS, who have a history of imaginative lineup changes, feature not one, but six different bass players on their appropriately titled new album "Basses Loaded", due on June 3 via Ipecac Recordings. The collection features Buzz Osborne and Dale Crover joined by NIRVANA's Krist Novoselic, REDD KROSS's Steve McDonald, BUTTHOLE SURFERS' J.D. Pinkus, BIG BUSINESS's Jared Warren, MR. BUNGLE/FANTOMAS's Trevor Dunn and Crover swapping the drum kit for bass (as in the MELVINS' 1983 iteration). The album's nod to baseball, and the inclusion of the band's own version of "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" is a natural one, with Buzz and Dale often spotted at games across the country. Osborne discusses the new album, as well as the band's forthcoming MIKE & THE MELVINS release "Three Men And A Baby" (April 1, Sub Pop) in an interview with Rolling Stone. "Basses Loaded" track listing (bass player in parentheses):

01. The Decay Of Lying (Steve McDonald)02. Choco Plumbing (Jared Warren)03. Beer Hippie (Dale Crover, aka Melvins 1983 line-up)04. I Want To Tell You (Steve McDonald)05. Captain Come Down (JD Pinkus)06. Hideous Woman (Steve McDonald)07. Shaving Cream (Dale Crover, aka Melvins 1983 line-up)08. Planet Distructo (Trevor Dunn, aka Melvins Lite line-up)09. War Pussy (Steve McDonald)10. Maybe I Am Amused (Krist Novoselic)11. Phyllis Dillard (Dale Crover, aka Melvins 1983 line-up)12. Take Me Out To The Ballgame (Dale Crover, aka Melvins 1983 line-up) "Hideous Woman" can be streamed below.

MELVINS (Buzz, Dale and Steve McDonald) launch a North American tour, followed by a European outing, later this month (North American co-headlining dates with NAPALM DEATH and MELT BANANA opening begin March 26).

Photo credit: Mackie Osborne

Resurrected Corby, U.K. metallers RAGING SPEEDHORN will release their new album, titled "Lost Ritual", on July 15. However, anyone who pledged on the record will receive their copy a week earlier, on July 8. RAGING SPEEDHORN guitarist Jim Palmer had this to say on the album and its title: "This album seems like a true reflection of everyone's input, a slice of all of us, if you will. It has those typical SPEEDHORN, pumping rock 'n' roll moments, and some much darker ones too. Sound-wise, it's got all the feedback, distortion, bad attitude and in-your-face antics you'd expect with a sound that should be more familiar to SPEEDHORN fans, but with a twist. "The title of the album, 'Lost Ritual', came initially from the artwork. It just seemed to fit perfectly with the image. Subconsciously, though, I think maybe the title fits even better than that, as the mojo in the band seems to be back.

"SPEEDHORN have finally returned. We are really excited for everyone to hear the new album; you won’t be disappointed!" "Lost Ritual" which was produced by Russ Russell (NAPALM DEATH, DIMMU BORGIR, THE WILDHEARTS) and is RAGING SPEEDHORN's first record with original vocalist Frank Regan since "How The Great Have Fallen" in 2005, the band's first record since "Before The Sea Was Built" in 2008, and the first with their new lineup. RAGING SPEEDHORN formed in 1998 and went on to issue four records, the most successful being their second release, "We Will Be Dead Tomorrow", recorded by Billy Graziadei and Danny Schuler of BIOHAZARD fame. The band achieved chart success with "The Gush" in 2001, toured continuously with acts like SLIPKNOT, ILL NINO, RAMMSTEIN and WILL HAVEN, and performed at countless festivals across the globe, including main stage at the inaugural Download festival in 2004. They split in 2008 following the release of their last record, "Before The Sea Was Built", and a subsequent tour of Japan.

IRON MAIDEN's world tour, in support of the band's latest album, "The Book Of Souls", kicked off on February 24 in Sunrise, Florida (a suburb of Fort Lauderdale).

Official video footage featuring some of the concert highlights from the first few shows of the tour can be seen below.

Support on the trek is coming from THE RAVEN AGE, the band led by IRON MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris's son George Harris.

IRON MAIDEN new-and-improved branded private tour plane is named Ed Force One after the band's mascot, Eddie, who has appeared on all of their album covers, and graces the plane's tail.

The Boeing 747 jumbo is being piloted on the band's world tour by MAIDEN frontman Bruce Dickinson.

MAIDEN's sixteenth — and first-ever double — studio album, "The Book Of Souls", was released worldwide on September 4, 2015 through Parlophone Records (BMG in the U.S.A). The CD was recorded in Paris, France with producer Kevin "Caveman" Shirley in late 2014, with the finishing touches added last year.

IRON MAIDEN announced in May 2015 that touring plans to support the album wouldn't happen until this year to allow Dickinson time to fully recuperate after his successful cancer treatment.

"What's special about this tour is that a year ago I didn't even know if I could sing," Dickinson told reporters last month. "We've had an amazing turnaround in fortune after, obviously being ill a year ago, getting rid of that, and getting out and looking forward to doing the tour."

Regarding the fan reception to the new CD and the current tour, Dickinson said: "The album was a massive success, and we were about that far [finger and thumb barely separated] off from getting the No. 1 slot [in its debut week on The Billboard 200 chart]. So now, we get to bring it out to the people, and, I mean, there's a few tickets left but not many. Pretty much the whole of the U.S. is sold out. It's amazing."

Brighton, U.K. five-piece ARCHITECTS UK will release its new album, "All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us", on May 27 via Epitaph. Recorded in Gothenburg, Sweden, the CD is the heaviest and darkest work to which frontman Sam Carter, bassist Ali Dean, guitarists Adam Christianson and Tom Searle, and the latter's twin brother drummer, Dan Searle have ever put their name to, both on and below its surface. It is an album that challenges and progresses a genre long thought to have stagnated, and embraces its inspirations at a time when many rock and metal bands seek to hide them in search of mainstream acceptance. It is also born from considered minds filled not by thoughts of being the biggest band in the world, but of making a difference.

ARCHITECTS UK is a band like few others; they are five young men who stand for something, and who possess an intelligence, awareness and spirit that inform the very fiber of their band. The quintet all practice a vegan lifestyle, tour with a consciousness about their footprint on the world, and who devote time and energies to environmental causes.

The worldwide anger and disillusion encapsulated in "All Our Gods..." wrestles with contemplations of death, god and faith in search of some semblance of hope for a world increasingly consumed by fear, anger and confusion. This album is ARCHITECTS UK's statement of intent to the world, it is time to stand up, take notice and be counted.

ARCHITECTS UK will be playing the European summer tour circuit this summer, with plans to tour the U.S. later this year.

"All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us" track listing:

01. Nihilist02. Deathwish03. Phantom Fear04. Downfall05. Gone With The Wind06. The Empty Hourglass07. A Match Made In Heaven08. Gravity09. All Love is Lost10. From The Wilderness11. Memento Mori

Watch the video for the first single, "A Match Made In Heaven", below.

Swedish metallers HAMMERFALL have inked a deal with Austria's Napalm Records. The band's as-yet-untitled tenth studio album will be released on November 4.

Commented HAMMERFALL singer Joacim Cans: "After two exciting decades in the line of metal duty, I feel that signing with Napalm Records is the necessary step we need to take in order to grow as a band and reach the next level.

"Even though we've been around for such a long time, we are still hungry and craving for more. There are still territories left to conquer and metal hymns left to write.

"In the past, Napalm has proven to be a very strong and reliable label with great success and chart entries with bands like W.A.S.P., MONSTER MAGNET, KAMELOT and POWERWOLF."

Added HAMMERFALL guitarist Oscar Dronjak: "HAMMERFALL has been very successful and happy with Nuclear Blast for almost 20 years, but in order for us to continue to grow as a band and reach new heights, we needed a fresh challenge. This felt like a right and necessary step at this point in our careers, in order to keep moving forward and upward at a high speed. We view this label change as an opportunity to create something special, and firmly believe our best times are still ahead of us. That's why we're very, very excited to work with the people at Napalm Records for our upcoming, tenth studio album!"

Stated Napalm CEO Thomas Caser: "The signing of this extraordinary band is the major milestone for Napalm Records. HAMMERFALL's signing unlocks a lifetime achievement for all of us at Napalm Records, but also for me personally as well! We put all of our efforts into making this happen as a team, as we believe HAMMERFALL are one of the greatest heavy metal bands of all time, and this is just the start of a huge world-wide campaign. Fans can feel rest assured that we will spare no efforts to make HAMMERFALL bigger than they have ever been!"

In a December 2015 interview with Spark TV, Dronjak stated about the songwriting process for HAMMERFALL's next album: "We have been [working on new material] for a couple of months, actually. 'Cause we have always an idea, we wanna release the album at this point and then we do the tour at that point. And then if you have a sort of a release date in mind, you have to start preparing for it really early. And this time there won't be any… 'Cause we tour a lot more this time than we normally do, so there hasn't been this period of rest between end of tour and start of the album recording. So we have to start writing early, basically."

Regarding whether it's "easier" for HAMMERFALL to write new music after "(r)Evolution", Oscar said: "No, it's not easier. '(r)Evolution' was quite easy, because it's been a while, so we had a lot of inspiration that was dying to come out, Whereas now, I find it hard… For me, I always want to be removed from the live situation when I write songs, and it's very difficult when you know that in three weeks you're gonna go out on tour again."

He continued: "I don't think I would be able to do it if I was like I was when I was younger, but now I plan ahead much more. I have to. It's what Joacim has always done, but I've never really cared about it because I didn't have to. But now I have a family and everything I have to take care of, so I think about things like that."

"(r)Evolution" sold around 1,900 copies in the United States in its first week of release.

The band's previous CD, "Infected", opened with around 1,700 units back in 2011. The CD debuted at No. 16 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

Pictured above: HAMMERFALL with Napalm Records CEO Thomas Caser

Veteran Danish thrashers ARTILLERY will release their new album, "Penalty By Perception", on March 25 worldwide via Metal Blade Records.

The official video for the song "Live By The Scythe" can be seen below. The band comments: "It was great fun to record the video for 'Live By The Scythe' on Fyn in Denmark. The filming was done in an old castle — Hindsgavl castle — in the forest, and in a school near Hesselager.The story behind the video is about death, fate, the meaning and acceptance of life and death. The video was done by M&M Production who also did the video for 'Legions'."

Written over the course of the last two years, ARTILLERY's seventh full-length effort draws from their classic albums like "Fear Of Tomorrow" (1985) and "By Inheritance" (1990), as well as "When Death Comes" (2009) and "Legions" (2013). Having recorded at Medley Studios and bringing Søren Andersen on board as the producer, ARTILLERY achieved the sound that they were aiming for. "We worked really hard together to get this amazing sound," says guitarist Michael Stützer. "I feel the band have come up with some great songs. The best musical performance in the history of ARTILLERY. Can't wait to hear the fans' reactions!"

A familiar, yet modern thrash attack, "Penalty By Perception" delivers the band's signature riffing, with powerful drumming and melodic singing — and promises to be a new fan favorite in the Danish quintet's storied career.

"Penalty By Perception" track listing:

01. In Defiance Of Conformity02. Live By The Scythe03. Penalty By Perception04. Mercy Of Ignorance05. Rites Of War06. Sin Of Innocence 07. When The Magic Is Gone08. Cosmic Brain09. Deity Machine10. Path Of The Atheist11. Welcome To The Mind Factory12. Liberty Of Defeat (bonus track)

Regarding what qualities they were looking for in a singer following the departure of Søren Adamsen, Michael told StageReport.ro: "You will never hear ARTILLERY with a growler or a pop singer, but sung vocals with melody and rawness at the same time. Actually, we headhunted Michael from a cover band who played MERCYFUL FATE / KING DIAMOND covers, so we knew he could sing the old ARTILLERY songs very good."

ARTILLERY lineup:

Michael Bastholm Dahl - vocalsMichael Stützer - guitarMorten Stützer - guitarPeter Thorslund - bassJosua Madsen - drums

THE TREATMENT, the critically acclaimed British hard rock band, will release its new studio album, "Generation Me", on March 18 via Frontiers Music Srl. The band's highly anticipated third album will be THE TREATMENT's first to feature new lead singer Mitchel Emms and new guitarist Tao Grey.

The song "Bloodsucker" from "Generation Me" can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

Early reports of THE TREATMENT's "Generation Me" album points to a triumphant return to form, celebrating a raft of spectacular big-sounding rock songs bursting with high-octane rock energy.

"Generation Me" track listing

01. Let It Begin02. The Devil03. Tell Us The Truth04. Generation Me05. Backseat Heartbeat06. Cry Tough07. We Are Beautiful08. I Know She Knows09. Bloodsucker10. Better Think Again11. Light The Sun

Produced by Laurie Mansworth, mixed by Tony Newton and mastered by Ade Emsley, "Generation Me" is the follow up to 2014's "Running With The Dogs" album. It's a hands-down, mind-blowing rock extravaganza that will leave rock fans wanting more than what they bargained for.

Ever since THE TREATMENT first arrived in 2011 with their debut album, "This Might Hurt", they've played numerous festivals, including Sonisphere, Download and most recently, Steelhouse, and toured extensively with ALICE COOPER, STEEL PANTHER, KISS, MÖTLEY CRÜE, SLASH and W.A.S.P. THE TREATMENT is:

Mitchel Emms (vocals)Tagore Grey (guitar)Tao Grey (guitar)Dhani Mansworth (drums)Rick "Swoggle" Newman (bass)

Polish progressive rock band RIVERSIDE has released the following statement regarding the passing of their founding member and guitarist Piotr Grudzinski: "On behalf of the family and our own, we would like to thank everyone for the support and your presence in those difficult moments. Piotr passed away unexpectedly of natural causes (sudden cardiac arrest) on February 21. We have remained with emptiness and open wounds which need time to heal. For obvious reasons, we have decided to cancel all concerts confirmed for this year. At the same time, we would like to inform you that we are going to carry out this year releases scheduled for late spring and autumn 2016."

Grudzinski was 40 years old at the time of his death.

Before the guitarist passed away, RIVERSIDE was preparing for a Polish tour with support acts LION SHEPHERD and SOUNDS LIKE THE END OF THE WORLD. The band was also scheduled to headline this year's RoSFest in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania in early May.

Grudzinski attended a show by THE WINERY DOGS in Warsaw the night before he died, according to a tweet by that band's drummer, Mike Portnoy.

RIVERSIDE's latest album, "Love, Fear And The Time Machine", was released last September via InsideOut Music. The band recently re-entered the studio and arranged a special new version of its next single off "Love, Fear And The Time Machine", a track called "Time Travellers".

A video interview with Piotr Grudzinski, conducted at the end of 2015 by Morow.com, can be seen below.

"Zero", a brand new song from OTEP, the band led by singer, poet, illustrator, author and activist Otep Shamaya, can be streamed below. The track is taken from the group'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: "While the world is slowly dying, all they do is whine about the things they can't buy with money they don't have. And I don't give a fuck. Not a single fuck. Zero fucks given."

"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 will embark on the "Generation Doom" tour in April. Support on the trek, which kicks off April in 8 in Las Vegas, Nevada and runs through May 28 in West Hollywood, California, will come 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.

California-based rock band DEFTONES performed a brand new song, "Doomed User", live for the first time this past Saturday, March 5 at the Musink festival at the OC Fair & Events Center in Costa Mesa, California. Fan-filmed video footage can be seen below.

"Doomed User" is taken from DEFTONES' eighth studio album, titled "Gore", which will be releasedon April 8 via Warner Bros. Records. The album was produced by Matt Hyde and DEFTONES. DEFTONES singer Chino Moreno told U.K.'s Kerrang! magazine about the new album title: "If you look at the title and the artwork, it's about a juxtaposition that, for me, is very beautiful.

"I think DEFTONES have always flirted with dynamic and that yin-and-yang of things that are provocative and things that are beautiful. Where our last two album titles were a lot more optimistic, I think this title is intentionally different. This record is very different.

"I feel like 'Diamond Eyes' and 'Koi No Yokan' were brother-sister records in a lot of ways. They were both recording in the same way. And even though it was a tough few years we went through while making those records, I think it was important to have their optimistic outlook."

Moreno also spoke in more detail about the making of "Gore". He said: "We recorded this record in a different way. I'm not saying we went in with any preconceived ideas as such, but I do think we went in knowing that we wanted to make this record a little different from the last two. And I feel, definitely, like we did that. It's still a DEFTONES record — we didn't really have any new influences that changed that — but it's an expansion of what we were comfortable with. And it's important to get out of your comfort zone sometimes witch the music — just to be excited. It's got a different look. A different shade of color. I'd say some shade of purple. I don't know why, but I think it sits somewhere between pink, red and purple. Sometimes when I hear music, I see color, and when it came time to work on the artwork for this batch of songs, I knew exactly what I wanted."

"Gore" track listing:

01. Prayers/Triangles02. Acid Hologram03. Doomed User04. Geometric Headdress05. Hearts and Wires06. Pittura Infamante07. Xenon08. (L)MIRL09. Gore10. Phantom Bride11. Rubicon

"Gore" is available for pre-order at www.deftones.com. Those who pre-order will receive an instant download of the first single, "Prayers/Triangles".

"Gore" will serve as the follow-up to 2012's "Koi No Yokan", which featured the Top 15 rock radio hit "Tempest".

The new disc features a guest appearance from ALICE IN CHAINS guitarist Jerry Cantrell.

Avantasia kicked off their Ghostlights World Tour 2016 on March 14th in Berlin, Germany. Several shows were sold out before the tour started and many more will sell out shortly. If you want to see the show and don't have a ticket yet, you shouldn't wait any longer.

Check out fan-filmed video from the Berlin show below.

On February 25th, Avantasia performed in the preliminary round of the Eurovision Song Contest for their native Germany. The goal was to be chosen to represent their country later this year in Stockholm, Sweden for the main Eurovision event. Avantasia placed 3rd out of the 10 acts on the bill.

Mastermind Tobias Sammet posted the following update after the winner, Jamie-Lee Kriewitz, had been declared.

"Hey folks, thanx for your votes. It was great fun! Germany is not a rock ’n roll country, but that girl has got great talent. I wish her all the best for her future. I’ve met a lot of great vocalists here. Thank you for your support, and now we’ll get ready for the world tour! Can’t wait to present you our new stage production. Cheerz!"



window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-a',
container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails',
placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails',
target_type: 'mix'
});