Veteran San Francisco Bay Area metallers TESTAMENT have set "The Brotherhood Of The Snake" as the tentative title of their eleventh studio album, due later in the year via Nuclear Blast. The music for the CD's projected title track has already been recorded, with the vocals set to be completed in the coming days. "I'll start tracking probably sometime this weekend and get it mixed hopefully next week," TESTAMENT singer Chuck Billy told Chris Annunziata of WMSC 90.3's "Metal Teddy Bear Experience" radio show (hear audio below). "And I think we'll probably put it out. I think it's probably gonna look like maybe a freebie, giveaway song that we'll just give people to check out."

TESTAMENT guitarist Eric Peterson recently told Metalholic.com that the song "The Brotherhood Of The Snake" will feature "the fastest blast" TESTAMENT drummer Gene Hoglan has ever played, a sentiment that is echoed by Billy. "It is definitely some fast blast beats going on in there," Chuck said. "That's definitely a standout [song], but a lot of this record, the new record, is definitely gonna be geared up to a little more faster than [2012's] 'Dark Roots Of Earth' record, definitely a little more aggressive musically, for sure, probably vocally as well. I think I'll probably attack with a little more heavier voice on this one. I'll kind of feel my way through the song, which voice to use. But there's definitely gonna be some 'Demonic' [-type] stuff, but again like 'The Gathering', 'cause I think I did a little bit of everything on that record, which that's what we'd like to accomplish."

Regarding the songwriting process for "The Brotherhood Of The Snake", Billy said: "We've been working on it quite some time. We don't write records that have extras off the last record. It takes some time, man. And it's not as easy as it used to be either, 'cause we all don't live near each other, so it's not like we just go down to the studio and just kick the songs around. It all starts on the Internet, just kind of going through riffs and stuff. So it's quite a process, but we're there now. We've got all the music done, and the vocals is the last thing left for us to kind of make sure it's all sorted out."

Speaking about the lyrical themes covered on the new TESTAMENT album, Billy said: "It's a little all over, but the main part of them in [the song] 'The Brotherhood Of The Snake' is, basically, early five thousand years ago, secret-society kind of stuff. And we're really fascinated with a lot of… I was born Catholic, and seeing all these shows on aliens and the connection between religion and aliens, and it just kind of makes you think about everything. So there's a fascination in with that. I'll probably connect with my native heritage again some songs. So just a little bit of everything that affects our life."

According to Chuck, he will attempt to complete the lyrics for "The Brotherhood Of The Snake" once TESTAMENT hits the road with SLAYER and CARCASS later this month. "On this tour, the music, like I said, will be done," he said. "The lyrics, it'll be easier, probably, to get lyrics done on tour. Writing the music, it's really tough, because, of course, there's nowhere to jam. But as far as the vocals, I'm bringing all my recording gear, so I'll be able to still do all the demos vocally out on the road."

Chuck was reluctant to offer up any other songtitles, explaining that "the lyrics are still being wrapped up. So those songs won't be actually titled until we're right down to… Even after the lyrics are done, we'll [go], 'Okay, this is what it is.' They all have working titles, but they don't make sense right now. They make sense to us, 'cause that's how we recognize them right now. We'll be working on the vibe of the song and then once the lyrics are done, then we'll kind of go, 'Okay, that's what that song is.' Once we know what topics we're hitting, then they'll be titled. So right now, I'm in a point where I'm just singing melodies and patterns and stuff for the songs with some lyrics here and there. And the once we sit down to write the lyrics, that's when it really takes shape and that's when we really feel the vibe of the song and where we're going with it."

TESTAMENT's U.S. tour with SLAYER and CARCASS is scheduled to kick off on February 19 in Chicago, Illinois and end on March 26 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Finland's Kaaos TV recently conducted an interview with MANOWAR bassist Joey DeMaio. You can now listen to the chat in the YouTube clip below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On the recent passing of MOTÖRHEAD leader Lemmy Kilmister:

Joey: "Well, Lemmy was a friend. He was a great person, but he was also a friend. And, of course, I always loved his bass playing and his songwriting. And he was MOTÖRHEAD, let's face it. So, yeah, it has a terrible impact. You know, we have now seen and talked to a lot of the MOTÖRHEAD fans, because most of the MOTÖRHEAD fans are MANOWAR fans as well. And I was talking to quite a few fans at the shows recently, and they're, like, 'Oh my God! We want you guys to live forever. We couldn't take it if anything ever happened to MANOWAR. We lost Lemmy.' We said, 'Yeah, we understand.' And we wanna keep on playing and do what he did — just play your whole life. I mean, this guy played right 'till the end, you know what I mean? And you have to admire that. That's why we always had mutual respect for each other."

On whether there are any newer bands that could take over once groups like BLACK SABBATH, METALLICA and IRON MAIDEN are no longer around to headline festivals:

Joey: "Well, there's always gonna be people that are great musicians. There's always gonna be people are seen as heroes to their fans. But this generation of musicians that I am from, and the generation ahead of me — the Ronnie Dios and so forth — there will never be people like us again, because we grew up in a different time of music and a different time in metal. So, therefore, you're based on what your influences are, but also what the scene is. We were so lucky that we grew up right the middle of the explosion of metal, and there were just so many great bands. I mean, I don't hear another JUDAS PRIEST out there, do you? I don't hear another MANOWAR, and another KISS. You know what I'm saying? I don't think there's gonna be one. Of course there's gonna be metal, there's gonna be rock bands, there's gonna be metal concerts, and people are always gonna go have fun, but there's a reason why the bands that are out there now, you know, we're the headliners of these big shows. There's a reason for it. There aren't many of us out there that are able to put forty thousand people on the ground."

On MANOWAR's longevity:

Joey: "Well, I think that we started out to be the kind of band that wants to play our whole lives. We also wanted to write songs that made people feel good about themselves, not bring themselves down. And we have a strong sense of loyalty to our audience, and honesty. You know, like if I break a string or my guitar's out of tune, I'll just stop the show and say, 'I'm sorry. I'm out of tune. Hang on a sec.' And I think people really appreciate that. Somebody else might just keep on playing and not give a shit — get their money and leave. I think that's a big part of it. And also the fact that we love our fans. And I'm the only guy I know that signed a recording contract in blood. So I think that when you show people you're committed, you're dedicated and you do it for a number of years, and you keep on doing it, and you don't change and fuck your fans over... People know they can trust MANOWAR to get their head fucking blown off with extreme metal."

MANOWAR's "Gods And Kings" world tour celebrates "Kings Of Metal MMXIV", which many fans haven't had a chance to experience live yet, as well as the upcoming anniversary of "Gods Of War", which was unleashed on the world in 2007. The setlist is packed with fan favorites from both albums, plus many other classics and special surprises.

Brazilian bashers Shadowside have checked in with the following  update:

"Shadowside is writing the new album right now. Dani Nolden, Raphael Mattos, Magnus Rosén and Fabio Buitvidas are all working together under the production of Fredrik Nordström, and in a few days we are going to announce the collaboration on the songwriting on a few songs from a very special musician we all greatly admire. For now we are just going to make you curious. But it will be worth the wait! Stay tuned because everything is about to get insane!"

Shadowside vocalist Dani Nolden recently spoke exclusively with Bravewords scribe Carl Begai about the band's previous experience worling with Nordström.

"One of the most interesting stories from the Inner Monster Out sessions is how Fredrik really wasn't enjoying one of the choruses," Dani reveals. "We were having a hard time writing a new one in the studio, so he asked us if we wanted him to call Niklas (Isfeldt / Dream Evil vocalist) to help out. So, Niklas came up during his lunch break, listened to the song, sang a few melodies, and we had a chorus. From there I had the challenge to write the lyrics overnight because it was a completely different melody and I had to make it work. It was a really cool collaboration between the Dream Evil guys and Shadowside on the song 'A Smile Upon Death', and when we asked Niklas what he wanted for it he told us he only wanted a credit. At that point we weren't even friends yet, so for Niklas to just do that for us for no specific reason was fantastic."

"We felt so comfortable working with Fredrik and everything went so well that we don't want to lose that," she adds. "He managed to extract everything we wanted to do on Inner Monster Out. He pushed us very hard, and he was the guy who wouldn't take no for an answer (laughs). I like the fact he's really honest. We didn't need a producer to pat us on the back and say 'Great job!', we wanted someone who would tell us when we were screwing up so we could fix things before it was too late."

Shadowside was formed by singer Dani Nolden, Raphael Mattos on guitars and Fabio Buitvidas on drums and now with Magnus Rosén (ex-HammerFall) on bass. Magnus was part of Hammerfall from 1997 to 2007, did several world tours and recorded several albums, being awarded golden records and a Grammy nomination with Hammerfall. He also recorded albums with Jorn Lande, Tony Martin (ex-Black Sabbath) and has just released his 10th solo album titled "The World Changes" with musicians who played with Hammerfall, Black Sabbath, ABBA, Yngwie Malmsteen and others.

Magnus Rosén sent a message to the fans: "I've been away from the metal stage for more than 8 years! Metal has a very nice energy that I miss and love, and I think Shadowside has just that kind of nice metal that fits my style! And at the same time I always liked Brazil/South America. After 9 times with mixed HammerFall tours and solo bass tours in this part of world, I know for sure of my feelings and I am looking forward to join the band Shadowside. So when I was asked to join and play with Shadowside, so was the desire great to once again set a high volume, smoke, light, and good metal music. The band have nice feelings in the metal music that I like. I got few new song ideas from the band and I think these songs and music are powerful and will be loved by the people out there. So I can't wait to get the wheels moving forward with the band."

Dani also commented on why they invited Magnus and what this means for the band: "Magnus is someone we admire greatly and it is an honor to work with him, not only because of his great skills as a bass player but also because he has an incredible experience with many different and special projects. We felt he would be a perfect match for us and we're thrilled that he accepted our invitation to join Shadowside. Now we can't wait to start the recordings and get this show on the road. It's going to be amazing!"

Magnus Rosén is already participating in the songwriting process of the new album with Shadowside, which is set to be recorded in the first half of 2016 in Gothenburg, Sweden.



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THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN frontman Greg Puciato says that "doesn't care" whether Philip Anselmo gets forgiven or not for his "white power" gesture at a recent concert, explaining that he hasn't "given a shit" about anything the former PANTERA singer has done since the band's "Far Beyond Driven" album.

Anselmo performed the PANTERA classic "Walk" at the January 22 "Dimebash" event at the Lucky Strike Live in Hollywood, California in honor of his former bandmate, late PANTERA guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott. As he left the stage, he made a Nazi-style salute. He appeared to say "white power" as he made the gesture, but he later claimed he was referring to drinking white wine as part of an "inside joke." Anselmo has since released a video message, saying that he "deserves completely" the "heat" that he has been getting over his actions and claiming to be "a thousand percent apologetic to anyone that took offense to what [he] said."

In a brand new interview with Australia's Sticks For Stones, Puciato was asked whether he thinks Anselmo should be forgiven for his actions or not. He responded (hear audio below): "I mean, I think it's unfortunate just because, you know when you… Metal has a hard enough time. Metal and rock have a hard enough time, I think, getting taken seriously, and a lot of the reason why is stuff like this happens and then the outside world just sees that."

He continued: "[When you are into] rock and metal, people treat you like you're an actor that came from porn, or you're an athlete that came from fucking professional wrestling. They act like it's a fucking circus, and the reason they act like it's a circus is because the only thing that people see outside of it that don't know anything about it is they hear something like this. They hear, 'Oh, this guy from this band is fucking 'sieg-heiling' on stage and yelling 'white power.'' And everyone goes, 'Of course that's what he did. He's in a fucking heavy metal band. They're all a bunch of fucking retards.' That's what people say outside of it. It's really bad for the genre, but it's just offensive, man."

Puciato went on to say: "I don't particularly care whether he gets forgiven or not, 'cause I don't give a shit about anything he's done since [PANTERA's] 'Far Beyond Driven' [album]. So I truly don't care. I don't pay attention to it. I just feel bad on a humanistic level. I don't care about whether he is forgiven, or about PANTERA, or anything like that. I just care on a humanistic level. There's people that are probably fans of him that are fucking extremely bummed out now. And not just bummed the way I am, or the way you are, but bummed because it directly, personally offends them. They're black or they're Jewish or they're Asian, or they're not fucking white."

Greg added: "It's fucking 2016, man. You might as well fucking yell out fucking, 'Burn f*ggots at the stake' while you are on stage or something like that. It's just, like, c'mon, man."

Several notable musicians have come out and criticized Anselmo for his actions, including MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn, who uploaded an eleven-minute video response to the incident in which he called Anselmo a "big bully" and described Philip's behavior as "fucking wrong."

BLACK SABBATH resumed its "The End" tour last night (Saturday, February) in Tacoma, Washington after canceling three shows because singer Ozzy Osbourne was battling severe sinusitis.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Black Sabbath02. Fairies Wear Boots03. After Forever04. Into The Void05. Snowblind06. War Pigs07. Behind The Wall Of Sleep08. N.I.B.09. Hand Of Doom10. Rat Salad11. Iron Man12. Dirty Woman13. Children Of The Grave

Encore:

14. Paranoid

Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below.

BLACK SABBATH canceled its shows in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; and Calgary, Alberta, Canada due to Ozzy's condition.

The first U.S. leg of "The End" tour will end on February 27 in New York City. Dates in Australia and New Zealand have been confirmed for April, with European festival shows taking place during the summer.

BLACK SABBATH recently revealed that it is selling a new limited-edition CD titled "The End" at the shows on its farewell tour. The disc features four previously unheard studio tracks left off the band's 2013 reunion album, "13", as well as live versions of four songs from the world tour the band did in support of that disc.

The four studio cuts are "Season Of The Dead", "Cry All Night", "Take Me Home" and "Isolated Man". They feature drums by Brad Wilk.

The live tracks, with drumming from Tommy Clufetos, are "God Is Dead?", "Under The Sun", "End Of The Beginning" and "Age Of Reason". The live cuts were recorded in Sydney, Australia, Auckland, New Zealand and Hamilton, Ontario.

Wilk and Clufetos had to get involved after founding SABBATH drummer Bill Ward withdrew from the reunion after initially agreeing to participate in it.

"13", the first SABBATH full-length studio album in 35 years to feature original members Geezer Butler (bass), Tony Iommi (guitar) and Osbourne, also became SABBATH's first No. 1 album in the U.S. when it was released in June 2013. The band abandoned plans for a follow-up after deciding that the current trek would be its last.

Grammy Award-nominated Mississippi rock band 3 DOORS DOWN will release its sixth full-length album, "Us And The Night", on March 11 via Republic Records. The group recorded the album at Rivergate Studios in Nashville, Tennessee with producer Matt Wallace (MAROON 5, TRAIN, FAITH NO MORE) over the course of 2015. It nods to the spirit of their breakout debut with seasoned songwriting and the biggest and boldest songs of their 16-year career to date.

Fans can pre-order "Us And The Night" will receive an instant download of the song "The Broken", which can be streamed below.

On the new album, 3 DOORS DOWN lead singer Brad Arnold notes: "We're all excited to release our new album, 'Us And The Night'. It's truly been a labor of love and we can't wait to get these songs out to our fans around the world."

"Us And The Night" track listing

01. The Broken02. In The Dark03. Still Alive04. Believe It05. Living In Your Hell06. Inside Of Me07. I Don't Wanna Know08. Pieces of Me09. Love Is A Lie10. Us And The Night11. Fell From The Moon

A video of "The Making Of 'In The Dark'", featuring behind-the-scenes clips and discussion about the inspiration behind the new single, can be seen below.

"In The Dark" shows a different side of 3 DOORS DOWN. You'll recognize the robust riffing, but it flaunts a sexy and striking chant that emphasises a new groove and swagger altogether. Following 2011's "Time Of My Life", which landed at #3 on The Billboard 200 and "The Greatest Hits" in 2012, the band continued its non-stop touring performing for audiences across the globe.

Get ready for a big year from 3 DOORS DOWN, including upcoming performances at Welcome to Rockville, Fort Rock and Carolina Rebellion as well a soon-to-be-announced headlining tour later this year.

3 DOORS DOWN first found their own voice in 1995. It's only gotten louder over the past two decades. Everything kicked off with their 2000 debut, "The Better Life". The album went six-times platinum and introduced the world to their now-classic "Kryptonite". Their fan base continued to grow with 2002's triple-platinum "Away From The Sun" — which yielded the smashes "When I'm Gone" and "Here Without You". Both 2005's platinum-certified "Seventeen Days" and "3 Doors Down" (2008) bowed at No. 1 on The Billboard 200, followed by "Time Of My Life"'s No. 3 debut in 2011.

In between countless sold-out shows, the guys notched three Grammy Award nods, scored two American Music Awards, and received a total of five BMI Pop Awards, including an award for Brad for BMI "Songwriter Of The Year." 2003 saw the group begin a tradition of giving back in a big way with the launch of their The Better Life Foundation (TBLF). The organization has lived up to its name by giving as many children as possible a better life and supporting Center Of The Prevention Of Child Abuse, Habitat For Humanity, and various other charities. Its annual concert has hosted everyone from LYNYRD SKYNYRD and Sara Evans to STAIND, SHINEDOWN and ALTER BRIDGE.

Quality fan-filmed video footage of BEHEMOTH's February 6 performance at TivoliVredenburg in Utrecht, The Netherlands can be seen below.

BEHEMOTH guitarist/vocalist Adam "Nergal" Darski recently told the video question-and-answer site asQme that he has been inspired by the "avant-garde" when writing BEHEMOTH's upcoming album. He also revealed that he listens to classic rock bands and artists from other genres, admitting that he is "really keen on the primitive, primal kind of tempos."

Nergal said: "There's some rigid strength in the punk scene in general. The classics, they have this thing that makes you come back to the origins like a boomerang. That's how I work. I just drift somewhere and then, eventually, I come back and listen to classics, like heavy metal, punk, goth. I'm not really a big gothic fan, a fan of goth music, but FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM is a classic."

He continued: "Once in a while, I just come back and rediscover them for myself. Same goes for BAUHAUS and SIEKIERA… Plenty of bands… It can be whatever…. [BLACK] SABBATH… You name it… David Bowie just coming back with a new record. It is very inspirational, even for radical music that we make, it's still very inspirational. Sometimes it's not really direct inspiration, that you will hear me singing some avant-garde stuff… Not necessarily; I'm not that kind of singer. But I wouldn't be surprised if on the next BEHEMOTH album, you will hear some post-punk influences, the beats especially. I'm really keen on the primitive, primal kind of tempos lately. So you never know."

BEHEMOTH has announced its return to North America this spring with a special tour, featuring MYRKUR as support. BEHEMOTH will play its latest album, "The Satanist", in its entirety. In addition to the concert, fans will also have the chance to view "The Congregation" exhibition at each venue. Dubbed "a symbiosis of BEHEMOTH and Toxic Vision," the display showcases the collaboration between the two parties.

METALLICA's headlining performance at CBS Radio's "The Night Before", a one-of-a-kind concert experience the evening prior to Super Bowl 50 at AT&T Park in the band's hometown of San Francisco, California, is available as a live webstream direct from the historic show using the YouTube player below. Fans can also pre­order professionally mixed audio recordings of the show as downloads and collectible CDs.

Regarding what METALLICA might play for at the gig, drummer Lars Ulrich told Rolling Stone: "If I told you that we were going to play all the deep, obscure tracks from 'Load' and 'ReLoad', you know I'd be lying to you. I don't want to dampen anyone's enthusiasm, but we're leaning a little bit towards the classics."

METALLICA invited around 300 fan club members last night (Friday, February 5) to watch the band's "The Night Before" soundcheck. "Soundchecks can be notoriously uninspiring, but since we have to get some cobwebs out, and we figured people will be coming in from far away for the game, we invited 250 fan club members," Ulrich told Rolling Stone. "It'll up the ante and keep us on our toes."

METALLICA has played at AT&T Park the last three years by hosting the annual "Metallica Night" at San Francisco Giants games. Last year, the band expanded that tradition, bringing "Metallica Night" into the South Bay for a San Jose Sharks hockey game.

METALLICA has been working on a new album, but there is no word if any new music will be aired at the performance.

Lead guitarist Kirk Hammett confirmed last November that the band was in the process of recording new material, saying, "At this point, we're still just doing basic backing tracks. James [Hetfield, guitar/vocals] is doing his guitar stuff, and I am just kind of waiting patiently to go in there and do all of my guitar stuff."

The last METALLICA album, "Death Magnetic", came out in 2008.

Swedish occult rockers GHOST played a three-song acoustic set at this year's Bandit Rock Awards on January 19 at Hard Rock Café in Stockholm, Sweden. You can now watch professionally filmed video footage of the performance — featuring the songs "Jigolo Har Megiddo", "He Is" and "If You Have Ghosts" — below.

GHOST is among the nominees for the 58th annual Grammy Awards, which will be held on February 15 at Staples Center in Los Angeles and broadcast on CBS at 8 p.m. ET. GHOST is nominated for the song "Cirice", from the band's third album, "Meliora".

"Meliora" entered The Billboard 200 chart at position No. 8 with first-week sales of just over 29,000 units — nearly all from pure album sales. The set follows the No. 28-peaking "Infestissumam", which was released in 2013 and has sold almost 70,000 copes in the U.S. to date.

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

"Meliora" was released on August 21, 2015 via Loma Vista Recordings. The CD was helmed by Klas Åhlund, a prolific songwriter, producer and guitarist who is also a member of the Swedish rock band TEDDYBEARS, and was mixed by Andy Wallace (SLAYER, NIRVANA, SEPULTURA, LINKIN PARK, GUNS N' ROSES).

Fan-filmed video footage of AC/DC's February 5 performance at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada can be seen below.

According to TMZ, AC/DC last month filed a lawsuit to get a judge's order that it can use to direct federal marshals, and authorize local and state police and agents hired by the company to seize bootleg T-shirts and similar items during the band's current U.S. tour.

AC/DC's latest leg of U.S. dates kicked off on February 2 in Tacoma, Washington and will conclude April 4 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

AC/DC's 2015 tour sold 2.31 million tickets for a total of $180 million in gross sales.

Guitarist Angus Young told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that AC/DC has never changed its approach to its live shows even as it's played bigger and bigger venues. "Somebody once had said, 'You know, people know what they like and like what they know,'" he said. "In the beginning, we were a, you know, just a rock 'n' roll band, and, you know, when you would play in bars and clubs and stuff, you know, this is what the audience was coming to hear you for."

AC/DC's sixteenth studio album, "Rock Or Bust", has sold more than 560,000 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 the Grammy Awards telecast. Slade is also behind the kit for the group's current world tour.

Former MORBID ANGEL frontman David Vincent joined Linda Gail Lewis, the younger sister of Jerry Lee Lewis, on stage on February 4 at Antone's in Austin, Texas to perform the Jerry Lee Lewis classic "Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On" (written by Dave "Curlee" Williams and first recorded by Big Maybelle). Playing guitar on the track was Danny B. Harvey (HEADCAT, THE 69 CATS). Video footage of the performance can be seen below.

Vincent previously teamed up with Harvey on January 22 at the NAMMJAM 2016 at the City National Grove Of Anaheim in Anaheim, California to perform a cover version of "Big River" by Johnny Cash. He also joined Harvey on January 9 at the White Horse Saloon in Austin, Texas to sing a country song David wrote, "Buyer Beware".

Vincent issued a statement last June confirming that he was no longer working with MORBID ANGEL guitarist Trey Azagthoth. He said: "Trey and I have accomplished amazing things together over the past 30 years and I wish him the best with his future projects. Out of respect for the legacy of these accomplishments, I encourage MORBID ANGEL fans to not take sides, because I am not." He added: "I look forward to sharing my new endeavors with all of you in the near future. Until then, stay Morbid!"

MORBID ANGEL's controversial 2011 album, "Illud Divinum Insanus", which incorporated industrial and electronic elements into the band's traditional death metal sound, marked the group's first CD to feature Vincent since 1995's "Domination".

On January 28, BLACK STONE CHERRY's Chris Robertson and Ben Wells took to the stage in Cardiff, Wales in front of more than five and a half thousand people to play "The Rambler", a brand new song from the band's forthcoming album, "Kentucky". Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below.

BLACK STONE CHERRY's fifth studio album, "Kentucky", will be released on April 1 via Mascot Label Group. The band recorded the effort at Barrick Recording in Glasgow, Kentucky. Taking a "back-to-the-roots" approach, the CD was produced in the same way and same place as BLACK STONE CHERRY's eponymous debut album, which broke the band out of the small southern backwater and onto the world stage.

"Kentucky" track listing:

01. The Way Of The Future02. In Our Dreams03. Shakin' My Cage04. Soul Machine05. Long Ride06. War07. Hangman08. Cheaper To Drink Alone09. Rescue Me10. Feelin' Fuzzy11. Darkest Secret12. Born To Die13. The Rambler

BLACK STONE CHERRY guitarist Ben Wells recently told Metal Hammer magazine about the band's forthcoming CD: "This is the first time we get to self-produce. And most of the songs, with the exception of maybe two or three out of fifteen, are all written by us, the four of us. Which all of our songs always are — we might co-write with somebody — but this time, the majority of the songs are all written by us. So it feels really good to kind of have that creative freedom. Even though we're still learning things as we get along, we've kind of picked up over the years touring internationally what our fans have come to expect and what we expect from ourselves and what we know people are gonna enjoy from us. So it's definitely… it's raw, it's heavy. We're going back to our hometown to record it, where we did our debut album. So we're kind of revisiting some of that old mojo that we had, and I think our fans have been wanting that from us for a long time now. So we want, and I know they want it, and we're just excited about it. I mean, the songs… These are probably some of the coolest songs we've written as far as the music and the melodies."

Added BLACK STONE CHERRY drummer John Fred Young: "We're not doing a prog record — it's not that different — but I think it does have parts where I don't think records before have had these parts. And I think people are gonna go, 'Wow! I've never heard 'em do that, or that transition there.' And I think, too, with us, we're… In America, like I've said before, and we've all said, you are only as good as your last American rock single, and for us, we just don't play that ballgame, because our fans, they're here for the live show, they're here to hear the songs and have a great time. And I think that in some previous records, we were in positions with the label where we had to write songs formatted [for radio]."

Continued Wells: "But this time, we weren't focusing on that. We said, 'Look, if they pick it up and they like it, awesome. But our fans are the ones who gave us a career. So we wrote it with them in mind and [the songs were assembled for] the live setting."

METALLICA invited three hundred of their friends and fan club members down to AT&T Park in San Francisco Friday night (February 5) for a "soundcheck party" while testing out the stage and dialing in their sounds for tonight's headlining performance at CBS Radio's "The Night Before". Several video clips shot at the event can be seen below.

METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich told RollingStone.com that the band will debut a new stage production during tonight's show. "It's big," he said. "I mean it's really big. I haven't seen it yet, but I got sent the first pictures last night, and it's very vivid. It'll light up the sky."

Asked what fans can expect from the show's setlist, Ulrich said: "If I told you that we were going to play all the deep, obscure tracks from 'Load' and 'ReLoad', you know I'd be lying to you. I don't want to dampen anyone's enthusiasm, but we're leaning a little bit towards the classics. We do so many different configurations of set lists for if we're playing theaters, somebody's basement, arenas, and recently at our last couple of indoor shows, we went very deep. Last summer, we played 'The Unforgiven II', which we'd never played live before, and we had tracks like 'Disposable Heroes' and 'Metal Militia' and 'King Nothing' after a long absence. But I will go out on a limb here and say we will lean on the classics. There will be a significant portion of those, whatever they may be."

METALLICA fans around the world will be able to tune in to a live webstream direct from "The Night Before". The webcast will be a free 1080p FullHD stream live from AT&T Park, available on mobile and desktop devices at webcast.livemetallica.com, delivered by Nugs.net. METALLICA will take the stage at approximately 8:30 p.m. PST. Fans can watch the show live for free and pre­order professionally mixed audio recordings of the show as downloads and collectible CDs.

METALLICA will be joined at the event by CAGE THE ELEPHANT, who will also perform.

METALLICA has played at AT&T Park the last three years by hosting the annual "Metallica Night" at San Francisco Giants games. Last year, the band expanded that tradition, bringing "Metallica Night" into the South Bay for a San Jose Sharks hockey game.

METALLICA has been working on a new album, but there is no word if any new music will be aired at the performance.

The last METALLICA album, "Death Magnetic", came out in 2008.

"Ghostlights", the seventh studio album from EDGUY frontman Tobias Sammet's AVANTASIA project, has entered the German chart at position No. 2. Released on January 29 via Nuclear Blast, the twelve-song CD was produced by Tobias and Sascha Paeth at Gatestudio in Wolfsburg, Germany. Paeth engineered and mixed "Ghostlights", while the mastering was done by Michael Rodenberg.

AVANTASIA released a new digital single, "Mystery Of A Blood Red Rose", on December 11.

Commented Tobias: "In my humble opinion, ['Mystery Of A Blood Red Rose'] is the perfect overture to the seventy-minute journey which the full album is going to be.

"Although 'Mystery Of A Blood Red Rose' is a rather short composition compared to most other AVANTASIA songs, I wanted to embellish and amplify it with flamboyance and all AVANTASIA trademarks. I wanted to make it a detailed piece of fantasy art, but at the same time it was a big challenge to make that painting look inherently consistant if you view it from the distance. The layered choirs took us forever to record and yet nothing distracts from the main theme and flow of the song. Every time you give it a listen, you will discover something else going on.

"I have a feeling that I have never managed to create such an epic and dreamy atmosphere in just four minutes. I've gotta admit I am slightly proud of it!"

"Ghostlights" features guest appearances by:

* Dee Snider (TWISTED SISTER)* Geoff Tate (QUEENSRŸCHE)* Marco Hietala (NIGHTWISH)* Sharon Den Adel (WITHIN TEMPTATION)* Michael Kiske (HELLOWEEN)* Ronnie Atkins (PRETTY MAIDS)* Bob Catley (MAGNUM)* Jorn Lande (MASTERPLAN)* Bruce Kulick (KISS)* Robert Mason (WARRANT)* Herbie Langhans (SEVENTH AVENUE, SINBREED)* Oliver Hartmann* Sascha Paeth

The instrumentalists on "Ghostlights" are as follows:

* Sascha Paeth - rhythm guitar, lead guitar, bass, additional keys* Michael Rodenberg - orchestration, keys* Tobias Sammet - additional keys and bass* Bruce Kulick - lead guitar* Oliver Hartmann - lead guitar* Felix Bohnke - drums

CD

01. Mystery Of A Blood Red RoseLead vocals: TobiasLead guitar: Sascha Paeth

02. Let The Storm Descend Upon YouLead vocals: Tobias, Jorn Lande, Ronnie Atkins, Robert MasonLead guitar: Oliver Hartmann

03. The HauntingLead vocals: Dee Snider, TobiasLead guitar: Sascha Paeth

04. Seduction Of DecayLead vocals: Geoff Tate, TobiasLead guitar: Sascha Paeth

05. GhostlightsLead vocals: Michael Kiske, Tobias, Jorn LandeLead guitar: Sascha Paeth, Oliver Hartmann

06. Draconian LoveLead vocals: Herbie Langhans, TobiasLead guitar: Sascha Paeth

07. Master Of The PendulumLead vocals: Marco Hietala, TobiasLead guitar: Sascha Paeth

08. Isle Of EvermoreLead vocals: Sharon Den Adel, Tobias

09. Babylon VampyresLead vocals: Tobias, Robert MasonLead guitar: Bruce Kulick, Oliver Hartmann, Sascha Paeth

10. LuciferLead vocals: Jorn Lande, TobiasLead guitar: Bruce Kulick

11. Unchain The LightLead vocals: Tobias, Ronnie Atkins, Michael KiskeLead guitar: Sascha Paeth, Oliver Hartmann

12. A Restless Heart And Obsidian SkiesLead vocals: Bob Catley, TobiasLead guitar: Bruce Kulick

Digibook

CD 1

01. Mystery Of A Blood Red Rose02. Let The Storm Descend Upon You03. The Haunting04. Seduction Of Decay05. Ghostlights06. Draconian Love07. Master Of The Pendulum08. Isle Of Evermore09. Babylon Vampyres10. Lucifer11. Unchain The Light12. A Restless Heart And Obsidian Skies13. Wake Up To The Moon (bonus track)

CD 2 (Bonus Disc - AVANTASIA live)

01. Spectres02. Invoke The Machine03. The Story Ain't Over04. Prelude05. Reach Out For The Light06. Avantasia07. Whats Left Of Me08. Dying For An Angel09. Twisted Mind10. The Watchmakers' Dream11. Another Angel Down---Earbook (digibook including 68-page photobook, 28.5x28.5cm)+ CD 3 karaoke version of CD 1 without bonus track

01. Mystery Of A Blood Red Rose02. Let The Storm Descend Upon You03. The Haunting04. Seduction Of Decay05. Ghostlights06. Draconian Love07. Master Of The Pendulum08. Isle Of Evermore09. Babylon Vampyres10. Lucifer11. Unchain The Light12. A Restless Heart And Obsidian Skies

Mailorder Box

- Earbook- Poster- Autograph- Lanyard + Pass- 10" Vinyl (tracks to be confirmed)

Vinyl

Side A

01. Mystery Of A Blood Red Rose02. Let The Storm Descend Upon You03. The Haunting

Side B

01. Seduction Of Decay02. Ghostlights03. Draconian Love

Side C

01. Master Of The Pendulum02. Isle Of Evermore03. Babylon Vampyres

Side D

01. Lucifer02. Unchain The Light03. A Restless Heart And Obsidian Skies04. Wake Up To The Moon (bonus track)

Former SEPULTURA members Max Cavalera (guitar, vocals) and Igor Cavalera (drums) will celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the band's classic album, "Roots", by performing the LP in its entirety on an American tour later this year.

Speaking to PlanetMosh on February 3 in Ireland, Max said: "Actually, this is twenty years of the 'Roots' album, so [Igor and I] are planning to play the whole 'Roots' record. I think we're doing it in the States. Hopefully we'll come to Europe as well, playing the whole record. And then I'm gonna work with him to try to work on some new tunes for a new CAVALERA [CONSPIRACY album]. I think this time we're gonna actually use a real producer; I don't know who yet."

He added: "I like all three CAVALERA albums. I think 'Pandemonium' [2014] was definitely the heaviest, but 'Inflikted' [2008] was actually my favorite; it was the first one we did. So I wanna continue that with Igor. I love my brother and I love playing with him."

Asked in a December 2013 interview with DeadRhetoric.com if he was a proponent of the down-tuned guitar approach, like Max was, around the time when bands like KORN and the DEFTONES were just beginning to take off in terms of popularity, SEPULTURA guitarist Andreas Kisser said: "At the beginning, not much. I was skeptical of the low tuning because bands like KORN or the DEFTONES, they don't have the fast pace of SEPULTURA's music. I was concerned to lose that kind of fast ability and the picking, the heavy picking on sloppy, low strings. But there are so many possibilities of using heavier-gauge strings, which give that kind of tension, and you don't lose that ability to play fast. 'Trauma Of War', the song that opens the [new SEPULTURA] album ['The Mediator Between Head And Hands Must Be The Heart'], it's in low tuning, but it's a very fast song, but we don't lose that kind of ability. I learned how to do deal with that, and you open a lot of worlds in music, but yeah, at the beginning I was a little skeptical."

Speaking to Live-Metal.net in 2009, Max admitted that he drew inspiration from some of the so-called early "nu metal" bands during the songwriting process for "Roots". He explained: "SEPULTURA did [take] a little bit of an influence from KORN and DEFTONES in some areas. And the funny thing is that we influenced those bands from when they started out. I talked to the KORN guys and they said they listened to 'Chaos A.D.' religiously when they started — it was like one of their favorite records. So it's kind of a 360 degrees kind of influence — back and forth."

"Roots" was certified gold in 2005 by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) for U.S. shipments in excess of 500,000 copies.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star, the company which creates "beautiful lullaby versions of your favorite artists," has just released "Lullaby Versions Of Nightwish" via Roma Music Group.

"Lullaby Versions Of Nightwish" track listing:

01. Bye Bye Beautiful02. Amaranth03. Nemo04. Elan05. Wish I Had An Angel06. Sleeping Sun07. Storytime08. Escapist09. The Phantom Of The Opera

The song "Amaranth" can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

Check out audio samples at this location.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star was born for the parent that wants to pass along their biggest passion to their child, music. Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star transforms popular music into instrumental lullabies perfect for babies, yoga or just relaxation. Now, parents can enjoy the music from LADY GAGA to METALLICA in soothing lullaby style. With over 135 titles to choose from, Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star is the largest line of pop, rock, metal and jamband music lullabies in the world. These aren't novelty recordings. They are cute, they are soft but these are serious recordings. Roma Music Group, which releases Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star, is run by two music industry veterans who put the fidelity of these recording at the top of the priority list. Let's face it, much like the brand name clothes you buy for your infant, this music is really for you. Whether you are raising a metal baby, rocker or hippie baby, Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star has your music transformed from arena anthems into nursery classics.

California-based rock band DEFTONES will release its eagerly awaited eighth studio album, titled "Gore", on April 8 via Warner Bros. Records. "Gore" is available for pre-order beginning today at www.deftones.com. Those who pre-order will receive an instant download of the first single, "Prayers/Triangles". The album was produced by Matt Hyde and DEFTONES. Says DEFTONES singer Chino Moreno of the album: "Out of respect for Pac, Big, Stevie, Michael, Hendrix, 'Gore' is ONE of the greatest albums — not the greatest, just one of." In addition, the DEFTONES music store will be offering an exclusive and limited-edition 180-gram, double LP vinyl version of "Gore". This will be limited to 3,500 foil-stamped and numbered gatefold jackets and is available for pre-order here. "Gore" track listing:

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

Moreno said that "Prayers/Triangles" was very much in the classic DEFTONES style, explaining: "It's just one of those songs that's very 'DEFTONES-esque,' where that dynamic is there as far as that ebb and flow… that dichotomy is what makes us who were are in a way. It's sort of our DNA. So I feel like it's a good representation of where we're at right now and where we've been in the past as well."

"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.

DEFTONES will hit the road in the spring, starting with a March 5 headline performance night two at Travis Barker's Musink festival — a three-day tattoo convention, car show, and concert, followed by appearances at this year's SXSW music festival. May and June will find DEFTONES appearing at major festivals in the U.S. and Europe, including Carolina Rebellion, Rock On The Range, Rock Am Ring, Rock Im Park, and Download, among others as well as a solo-headline play at Wembley Arena. DEFTONES is vocalist/guitarist Chino Moreno, guitarist Stephen Carpenter, keyboardist/samplist Frank Delgado, drummer Abe Cunningham and bassist Sergio Vega.

"Rude Awakening", the new video from the Finnish metal sextet AMORAL, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's seventh studio album, "In Sequence", which was released on February 5 through Imperial Cassette (Gordeon Music, GSA).

The cover artwork for the follow-up to the critically acclaimed "Fallen Leaves & Dead Sparrows" was designed by Aki Siltala, who is also one of the most well-known tattoo artists in Finland.

"In Sequence" track listing:

01. In Sequence (Prologue)02. Rude Awakening03. The Betrayal04. Sounds Of Home05. The Next One To Go06. Helping Hands07. Defuse The Past08. From The Beginning (The Note Part 2)

Said guitarist Ben Varon: "We went into making the seventh album with an Yngwie Malmsteen state of mind: more is more! Once we got our original singer Niko Kalliojärvi back in the band — expanding the group into a six-headed monster, with two vocalists and three guitar players — it was time to start the writing process, which was one of the most inspiring ones for me so far. More guitar parts, more keyboards, more back and forth between clean and growling vocals."

Another angle used to get a fresh touch for "In Sequence" was the decision to invite a whole bunch of guest musicians — including percussionist Teho Majamäki, INDICA singer Jonsu and ACYL singer/mastermind Amine Benotmane — to play on the album, which was a first for AMORAL.

Stated Ben: "The album is filled with stellar guest performances from many talented musicians, who added percussion, female vocals, analog syths and ouds to the songs, amongst other things. The guests definitely helped take the songs to the next level."

He added: "To me, 'In Sequence' is the logical follow-up to 'Fallen Leaves & Dead Sparrows', on which we took our love for grandieuse prog to new hights. 'In Sequence' continues on that path, though the return of Niko gives the new material some of that old school AMORAL vibe. And I think this one turned out a touch heavier as well, not least because of the real-life based concept of the album."

Canadian purveyors of suffocating black/death metal, Paroxsihzem, have completed work on their upcoming vinyl-exclusive MLP, Abyss Of Excruciating Vexes.

Following their punishing split CD with Adversarial, this new mini-album sees the band moving towards a new, exciting direction with 25 minutes of the fastest, most violent and vicious material they have ever done. Scheduled for an early spring release through Hellthrasher Productions, the record comprises five new tracks (including the Arkhon Infaustus cover) and is the band’s first effort to feature current drummer Abyss (most well known as Adversarial’s bass player). The album’s artwork and layout were made by Krag.

More details, including the actual release date, tracklisting and pre-order info will be announced later this month. In the meantime, check out the first advance song “Bellicose Psychosis”:

 



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New extreme metal juggernaut, Oracles, featuring members of Aborted, Abigail Williams, Systems Divide and Dimlight have signed to French label Deadlight Entertainment for the release of their debut album.

Entitled Miserycorde, it has been mixed and mastered by Jacob Hansen (Epica, Volbeat) while its artwork has been done by Colin Marks from Rain Song Design (Nevermore, Exodus).

Oracles is:

Sven De Caluwé (Aborted) - vocals
Sanna Salou (ex-Dimlight) - vocals
Mendel Bij de Leij (Aborted) - guitar
Steve Miller (ex-System Divide, Loculus) - guitar
Andrei Aframov (ex-System Divide) - bass
Ken Bedene (Aborted, ex-Abigail William) - drums

Updates to follow.



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Norwegian rockers KVELERTAK have unveiled details of a North American headline tour which will get underway this spring with special guests TORCHE and Roadrunner labelmates WILD THRONE. The dates kick off April 12 at Portland, Maine's Port City Music Hall and will see the band traversing west through early May. Tickets for all dates are on sale at www.kvelertak.com.

KVELERTAK is currently in Oslo, Norway's Amper Tone Studio working on their follow-up LP to 2013's widely acclaimed "Meir". The new album is being recorded live and engineered by producer Nick Terry (LINDSTRØM, TURBONEGRO, THE LIBERTINES), marking the first time KVELERTAK has recorded an album in its home country.

KVELERTAK's forthcoming third LP is already garnering "Most Anticipated" accolades from the press, with Rolling Stone featuring it in the magazine's "25 Most Anticipated Metal Albums Of 2016" round-up. Additionally, Stereogum placed the new LP at #36 on their "101 Most Anticipated Albums Of 2016" while Consequence Of Sound included it in their "20 Most Anticipated Metal Albums Of 2016" preview. KVELERTAK on tour with special guests TORCHE and WILD THRONE:

Apr. 12 - Portland, ME - Port City Music HallApr. 13 - New York, NY - Irving PlazaApr. 14 - Philadelphia, PA - Underground ArtsApr. 15 - Pittsburgh, PA - Altar BarApr. 16 - Washington, DC - DC BrauApr. 17 - Cambridge, MA - Middle East – DownstairsApr. 19 - Montreal, QC - l'AstralApr. 20 - Toronto, ON - The Opera HouseApr. 21 - Columbus, OH - A&R Music Bar*Apr. 22 - Pontiac, MI - Crofoot Ballroom*Apr. 23 - Chicago, IL - Bottom LoungeApr. 24 - Minneapolis, MN - Mill City NightsApr. 25 - St. Louis, MO - The Ready RoomApr. 26 - Lawrence, KS - Granada TheatreApr. 28 - Denver, CO - Bluebird TheaterApr. 29 - Salt Lake City, UT - In The VenueApr. 30 - Boise, ID - NeuroloxMay 01 - Seattle, WA - El CorazonMay 02 - Vancouver, BC - Rickshaw TheatreMay 03 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theatre**May 05 - San Francisco, CA - The IndependentMay 06 - Los Angeles, CA - Henry Fonda Theater

* No TORCHE / MUTOID MAN is support

** Support is to be determined

"Meir" topped the official chart in Norway. The CD, which sold 1,800 copies in the United States in its first week of release, was issued on March 26, 2013 via Roadrunner Records. It was produced by CONVERGE's Kurt Ballou and features cover artwork by John Dyer Baizley.

KVELERTAK is Erlend Hjelvik (vocals), Vidar Landa (guitar), Bjarte Lund Rolland (guitar), Maciek Ofstad (guitars), Marvin Nygaard (bass) and Kjetil Gjermundrød (drums).

Spanish brutal death metal band, Virulency, will release their new album, The Anthropodermic Manuscript Of Retribution, on February 28th via New Standard Elite.

Guest vocalists on the album include two of European brutal death’s most renowned vocalists - Konstantin 'Konni' Lühring (ex-Defeated Sanity, Despondency, Revulsed) and Paolo Chiti (ex-Putridity, Devangelic). Their contribution is the perfect culmination to this high-level sheer brutality album.

The album artwork was created by Andrew Tkalentko ‘Daemorph’.

Tracklisting:

“Myriapod Constructology - Part I - The Inception”
“Myriapod Constructology - Part II - Absolute Zenith”
“Immeasurable Gigantomastic Phenomenology”
“Concupiscent Succubus Disturbance” (featuring Konstantin 'Konni' Lühring)
“…From Putrescible To Perpetual”
“Mephistophelian Æsthetic Eroticism” (featuring Paolo Chiti)
“Beyond The Ablated Clitoral Organs”
“Sculptured Didelphic Uterus”

 



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Six Reasons To Kill have released a trailer video for their upcoming Bastardized Recordings vinyl 7" EP, Rote Erde. Check it out below. The video’s band scenes were filmed by Yves Ambitious Film. The trailer was recorded and edited by Daniel Zimmermann from Schrottgrenze.tumblr.com.

Six Reasons To Kill recently revealed the cover artwork and tracklisting for the Rote Erde EP (German for "Red  Earth"). The EP will be released on March 11th through Bastardized Recordings on 7" vinyl with three limited-edition vinyl colours available. Rote Erde contains two new songs: the title track and a cover version of Dismember’s "Of Fire”.

Impacted by line-up changes during the last year, Six Reasons To Kill became darker and more brutal in their songwriting, lyrics and artwork. The band plays brute metal with a lot of anger. The new lyrics are written in German and deal with politically and socially critical topics.

The songs were recorded in summer 2015 at the Beast Audio Studios Frankfurt and mixed and mastered by Kohle at Kohlekeller Studio. The artwork was created by Schrottgrenze.

Rote Erde EP tracklisting:

“Rote Erde”
“Of Fire” (Dismember cover)

Trailer:



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British metallers, Conan, have release a video for “Throne Of Fire”, the lead track from their new album, Revengeance, out worldwide via Napalm Records.

Conan will return to North American this March in support of the new album. They’ve announced a new North American tour alongside Serial Hawk, set to kick off March 3rd in Chicago, IL and running through March 26th is Seattle, WA. The tour will also include a stop at this year's SXSW Festival in Austin, TX.  More info on this show and additional shows will be announced soon.

Tour dates:

March
3 - Chicago, IL - Beat Kitchen
4 - Detroit, MI - Berserker Fest
5 - Toronto, ON - Hard Luck
6 - Cleveland, OH - Now That's Class
8 - Brooklyn, NY - Saint Vitus
9 - Philadelphia, PA - Kung Fu Necktie
10 - Baltimore, MD - Ottobar
11 - Raleigh, NC - King's
12 - Knoxville, TN - Pilot Light
13 - Atlanta, GA - Drunken Unicorn
16 - Austin, TX - SXSW
18 - Albuquerque, NM - Sister Tavern (Free Show)
19 - Phoenix, AZ - Rebel Lounge
20 - Glendale, CA - Complex
21 - Oakland, CA - Metro
22 - Sacramento, CA - Press Club
24 - Portland, OR - Star Theater
25 - Boise, ID - Treefort Fest
26 - Seattle, WA - Highline w/ Bell Witch, Mitochondiran

Revengeance kicks in with warm, fuzzy, low-tuned guitars. Conan is capable of unleashing a raging maelstrom of sludge, crust-caked doom, and mammoth droning. Even though they are on their third album, the band remain as pissed off as ever. The album is the end result of mixing monolithic bad tempers, powerhouse eternal riffs, and arson-like vocals.

The band comments: "Revengeance is a collection of songs that we (Jon, Chris and Rich) are really proud of. These tracks were written in the period between October 2014 and September 2015 and we're excited to get them out into the open. The album will contain one or two surprises but one consistent factor is our eternal devotion to heaviness. We are looking forward to playing these songs live at a venue near you, see you there......"

Revengeance tracklisting:

“Throne Of Fire”
“Thunderhoof”
“Wrath Gauntlet”
“Revengeance”
“Every Man Is An Enemy”
“Earthenguard”

"Revengeance" lyric video:



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On February 26th, Napalm Records will release the new Greenleaf album, Rise Above The Meadow. The band’s new lyric video for the track “Howl” can be seen below.

"We feel real good about the album, it's a mix of the best stuff Greenleaf have to offer," says the label. "Imagine an epic bulldozer crushing through a beautiful field of daisies. That's kind of how it sounds."

Greenleaf are known for interweaving playfully progressive parts that melt into thunderous riffing, while taking their classic stoner foundation onto weird and wonderful new journeys. Rise Above The Meadow pre-orders can be placed here; check out the cover art and tracklisting.

 

 

"A Million Fireflies"
"Funeral Pyre"
"Howl"
"Golden Throne"
"Carry Out The Ribbons"
"Levitate And Bow (Pt. 1 & 2)"
"You´re Gonna Be My Ruin"
"Tyrants Tongue"
"Pilgrims"
"High And Low" (bonus track)

"Howl" lyric video:

"A Million Fireflies" video:

 



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Following the successful worldwide release of Tim Donahue's Madmen & Sinners album featuring Dream Theater vocalist James LaBrie in 2004, guitarist Tim Donahue composed the follow-up work Madmen & Sinners II, which he has chosen not to release on CD but rather perform live. The opportunity to perform Madmen II as well as an extensive backlog of new progressive works has come with Akira Yamazaki and Shigeru Nimura joining the Madmen line-up.

Donahue: "First rehearsal recording of 'The Devil's Theme' from the upcoming metal opera, The Cage. This track was recorded in real time with no overdubs or sequencing."

Madmen & Sinners performed on December 25th, 2015 at Live Theater Orpheus in Tokyo (Koiwa), Japan. The opening track from Donahue's upcoming opera The Cage, to be premiered later this year, was performed on the night featuring guest vocalist Tomoe Kinoshita. Check it out  below.

Donahue: "Thank you to everyone who came to the Madmen Christmas Concert, and for making it a night we will never forget! I'm getting some excellent footage and photos now, and will post. Thank you everyone for your intense support!!!

Madmen & Sinners recently rehearsed a new track entitled "Metalopera" and posted the recording via Soundcloud. Check it out below.

Donahue spoke exclusively with BraveWords scribe Carl Begai about the new venture, explaining that the "new" Madmen & Sinners was born out of his recently launched live trio, Noize Machine:

"Noize Machine was not a good choice, and it should have been Madmen & Sinners all along. So it is. We'll be starting rehearsals for gigs this autumn, start some photo taking and will add a gallery page to the website.

Can't wait to play the Madmen II music; better late than never, right? It took this long to get to this point, can you believe it? The musical urge just hit me like a ton of bricks.

I'm also planning to release a video of "All That Remains", a track James did with me during the Madmen sessions. It's a shame for folks not to hear it, so I'm putting together that vid now. I may even do the track live."

Check out the new Madmen & Sinners page here. Read Carl Begai's interview with Donahue about the lost Madmen & Sinners II album at this location.



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SPIRITUAL BEGGARS — the Swedish band featuring ARCH ENEMY guitarist Michael Amott and bassist Sharlee D'Angelo, along with vocalist Apollo Papathanasio (ex-FIREWIND) — will release its ninth studio album, titled "Sunrise To Sundown", on March 18 in Europe and March 25 in North America via InsideOut Music. The CD's cover artwork was created by Costin Chioreanu of Twilight13Media (AT THE GATES, GRAVE, ARCTURUS).

"Sunrise To Sundown" track listing:

01. Sunrise To Sundown02. Diamond Under Pressure03. What Doesn't Kill You04. Hard Road05. Still Hunter06. No Man's Land07. I Turn To Stone08. Dark Light Child09. Lonely Freedom10. You've Been Fooled11. Southern Star

The "Sunrise To Sundown" title track can now be streamed below.

Said Amott: "I wrote 'Sunrise To Sundown' last year and brought into the jam room, where it very quickly went from a basic idea to a finished arrangement in something like five minutes! Some songs come fast and others take time to fully develop, you never know when inspiration hits you...and therein somewhere lies the beauty of creating music. The lyrics follow that train of thought too, talking about following your chosen path and turning your dreams into reality — two things I believe in very much."

The album's limited edition version will be released as two-CD mediabook with a bonus disc including seven tracks (two covers versions and five live songs) and an expanded booklet. The LP format will be on 180-gram vinyl and come in gatefold packaging with a double-sided poster as well as the full standard album on CD as bonus.

After a busy couple of last years with ARCH ENEMY, Michael Amott and his bandmates have once again found the availability and inspiration to lay down eleven dynamic and uplifting new songs, which not only easily demonstrate how much on top of their game SPIRITUAL BEGGARS still are after over twenty years of activities, but also add a fresh and spontaneous vibe to their impressive catalogue. Speaking about how the new album came together, Amott said: "We've been writing the album here and there over the last couple of years when our schedules have allowed us to meet up and spend a few days jamming. A few of the songs I wrote on my own; others were written by our keyboard player Per Wiberg. Our drummer Ludwig Witt submitted two tracks that are actually his first major contributions to the band as a writer — and they're great songs too! I also co-wrote a few tunes with Per Wiberg and that was really a lot of fun as well, it's been a very collaborative process." In contrast to the often-soulless current high-tech digital cut-paste recordings, "Sunrise To Sundown" was tracked live off the floor. Amott said: "I'm super excited about how the album sounds sonically. Our engineer, Staffan Karlsson, also produced and mixed the album, and the result is something we're very proud of.

"I think every album we have made (this being our ninth) has had its own vibe and atmosphere. I can honestly say this band has never made the same album twice.

"To me, 'Sunrise To Sundown' is the next chapter of the book we've been writing since we started the band over twenty years ago. Of course, the foundation of our style is heavy rock music, but we always keep evolving adding new influences and colors to the bands core sound." SPIRITUAL BEGGARS will embark on a European tour in support of "Sunrise To Sundown" in March.

SPIRITUAL BEGGARS reissued two of its classic catalog titles on October 14, 2013: the band's 2005 "Demons" album was made available for the first time ever on vinyl via InsideOut Music; and their acclaimed and hard-to-find debut LP, the self-titled "Spiritual Beggars" from 1994, was re-released with over 70 minutes of unreleased bonus material via Century Media Records.

SPIRITUAL BEGGARS is:

Michael Amott (ARCH ENEMY, CARCASS) - Guitar Ludwig Witt (FIREBIRD) - DrumsPer Wiberg (OPETH) - KeyboardsSharlee D'Angelo (ARCH ENEMY, MERCYFUL FATE) - BassApollo Papathanasio (FIREWIND) - Vocals

Dutch rockers Delain have released an official video for their new song, "Suckerpunch", taken from the forthcoming Lunar Prelude EP set to be released on February 19th via Napalm Records. Check it out at the bottom of the page.

Lunar Prelude, mastered by Grammy Award winning Ted Jensen, offers two brand new songs in the shape of the beyond catchy “Suckerpunch” and the melancholic “Turn The Lights Out”. “Don`t Let Go” (taken from 2014`s The Human Contradiction) comes in a brand new version, while the EP also contains four incredible live cuts, as well as an orchestral reprise of “Suckerpunch”, all of which proving once again how Delain are blatantly known for their extremely catchy hooks, bewitching melodies, symphonic bombast, and of course a good solid dose of metal. Delain have concocted a mesmerizing kaleidoscope of emotions, and with the EP title featuring the tell-tale word "Prelude", our hunger is left to grow for a next full-length album...coming in 2016.

The band comments on the upcoming EP and “Suckerpunch”: “Dear Delainers, our latest album The Human Contradiction has taken us on a great ride, performing hundreds of stages around the globe for all of you. We barely managed to catch our breaths from our most recent tours, yet we've already got some new music that we simply can't wait to share. In preparation of our next full-length studio album, we'd like to present to you Lunar Prelude, a collection of several brand new tracks, a new version of a familiar one, and live versions of some our favorite The Human Contradiction tracks. Today, we release the first track off Lunar Prelude: an upbeat fight song about facing your demons and taking them on. Don't let them weigh you down! We hope you will enjoy "Suckerpunch"!"

Lunar Prelude EP tracklisting:

“Suckerpunch”
“Turn The Lights Out”
“Don't Let Go”
“Lullaby” (Live 2015)
“Stardust” (Live 2015)
“Here Come The Vultures” (Live 2015)
“Army Of Dolls” (Live 2015)
“Suckerpunch” Orchestra

Pre-order your copy now: Europe, North America. Find Delain’s tour schedule here.



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On February 5, Universal Music Group will release the 90-minute documentary "Slash: Raised On The Sunset Strip" on Blu-ray and DVD.

One of rock's most iconic figures is profiled like never before in "Slash: Raised On The Sunset Strip", a revealing and insightful film presented by DirecTV and Guitar Center. Combining new and archival footage with personal anecdotes from the legendary musician himself, as well as from many of his influences and colleagues, the documentary paints an intimate portrait of a hard rock hero's past, present and future.

"Slash: Raised On The Sunset Strip" features interviews with: Dave Grohl (FOO FIGHTERS), Joe Perry (AEROSMITH), Alice Cooper and Nikki Sixx (MÖTLEY CRÜE), as well as Slash's GUNS N' ROSES and VELVET REVOLVER bandmates Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum. Follow Slash's journey from his start on the Sunset Strip to his current album, "World On Fire".

BLACK SABBATH singer Ozzy Osbourne is "on the mend" after a battle with severe sinusitis and "will be ready to rock" with the rest of his band on Saturday, February in Tacoma, Washington.

On today's (Thursday, February 4) edition of CBS daytime talk show "The Talk", which she co-hosts, Sharon addressed Ozzy's health, saying: "He's doing so much better. He had sinusitis, which went to bronchitis, and he said that he felt like he had the Pacific Ocean in his ear, and he couldn't hear properly, and it's been a nightmare. He had to cancel four shows. They're all gonna be rescheduled; we’re working on it now."

She continued: "To have a responsibility of performing with his band BLACK SABBATH, the crew, the fans, even the opening act, is just sat at home like this — waiting, waiting, waiting — and he feels that huge responsibility. He feels guilty for being sick."

Sharon added Ozzy that he is on the mend and "he will be in Seattle on Saturday. He will be ready to rock!"

BLACK SABBATH canceled its shows in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; and Calgary, Alberta, Canada due to Ozzy's condition.

The first U.S. leg of "The End" tour will end on February 27 in New York City. Dates in Australia and New Zealand have been confirmed for April, with European festival shows taking place during the summer.

BLACK SABBATH recently revealed that it is selling a new limited-edition CD titled "The End" at the shows on its farewell tour. The disc features four previously unheard studio tracks left off the band's 2013 reunion album, "13", as well as live versions of four songs from the world tour the band did in support of that disc.

The four studio cuts are "Season Of The Dead", "Cry All Night", "Take Me Home" and "Isolated Man". They feature drums by Brad Wilk.

The live tracks, with drumming from Tommy Clufetos, are "God Is Dead?", "Under The Sun", "End Of The Beginning" and "Age Of Reason". The live cuts were recorded in Sydney, Australia, Auckland, New Zealand and Hamilton, Ontario.

Wilk and Clufetos had to get involved after founding SABBATH drummer Bill Ward withdrew from the reunion after initially agreeing to participate in it.

"13", the first SABBATH full-length studio album in 35 years to feature original members Geezer Butler (bass), Tony Iommi (guitar) and Osbourne, also became SABBATH's first No. 1 album in the U.S. when it was released in June 2013. The band abandoned plans for a follow-up after deciding that the current trek would be its last.