Bay Area thrash legends Death Angel will release their new album, The Evil Divide, on May 27th via Nuclear Blast Records. A fifth promo video for the upcoming release is now available. Check out all five parts below:

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Part 4:

Part 5:

Death Angel recently released a music video for the track "Hatred United / United Hate". The clip was directed and edited by Tommy Jones for Videohammer Studios during the band's recording sessions for The Evil Divide and features renowned tattoo artist Bob Tyrrell. The song also includes a special guest guitar solo from Andreas Kisser (SEPULTURA).

Receive the tracks “Hatred United / United Hate”, “Cause For Alarm" and "The Moth" instantly when you pre-order The Evil Divide digitally via iTunes, Amazon and Google. Pre-order various packages for The Evil Divide at this location.

The CD was once again recorded at AudioHammer studios in Sanford, Florida with producer Jason Suecof (Trivium, Deicide), who previously worked on 2010's Relentless Retribution and 2013's The Dream Calls For Blood. Mastering duties were handled by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound in New York City.

Three decades into their celebrated career, Death Angel remain as hungry as ever. As a result, uncompromising urgency and unpredictability define the Bay Area thrash quintet’s eighth full-length album, The Evil Divide. The group - Mark Osegueda [vocals], Rob Cavestany [lead guitar], Ted Aguilar [guitar], Will Carroll [drums], and Damien Sisson [bass] - satiate the appetite for buzzsaw speed riffs, double bass mayhem, and scorching vocals over the course of ten new anthems.

The album artwork was created by tattoo artist Bob Tyrrell.

"Both Mark and I had been tattooed by Bob, and when the subject of album artwork came up," comments guitarist Rob Cavestaney. "We approached him to create the design. We wanted an image that would represent the idea of The Evil Divide; something beautiful, yet simultaneously wicked, hence the death moth. Bob realized our vision with mere pencil and paper, and now we proudly present to you the cover art for our 8th studio album, The Evil Divide."

Tracklisting:

“The Moth”
“Cause For Alarm”
“Lost”
“Father Of Lies”
“Hell To Pay”
“It Can’t Be This”
“Hatred United / United Hate”
“Breakaway”
“The Electric Cell”
“Let The Pieces Fall”

Bonus:
“Wasteland”

+ “Making Of” DVD

"Cause For Alarm”:

“The Moth”:

Trailers:

Slayer, with special guests Anthrax and Death Angel, will join forces this fall for a seven week North American beat down. The dates start in Cleveland on September 9th and will hit both major and secondary markets across the continent. Confirmed dates, as well as a tour trailer video, are below. For all ticket purchasing and VIP packages details, head here.

Said Slayer's Kerry King, "It's always super fun for us to tour with Anthrax. Frank is one of my best friends in the biz!! Put that together with Death Angel, and fans will probably see the best package this year. See you there!"

Fans will hear their favourite Slayer songs from the band's 30-year plus discography, as well as a few of the newer songs from Repentless. Slayer and Anthrax stormed through Europe together last fall, amassing a string of sensational live reviews, so North American fans, this will be a night of metal music that should not be missed.

"We are very excited to tour again with our fellow Kings Slayer on a thrash/metal extravaganza," said Anthrax's Charlie Benante. "Two of the Big Four - now that's a night of metal for all the Kings and Queens!"

Added Mark Osegueda from Death Angel, "We are thrilled and honored to be part of this amazing North American touring package. Slayer/Anthrax/Death Angel - it just looks, sounds and feels right. This will be Death Angel's first-ever tour with Slayer, something we've hungered for our entire career. And we will bring that hunger to the stage every night, so get there early because this will be a show not to be missed; from the first note of the night until the very last! Metal is alive, hungry, thriving, and coming for you!"

With more dates to be announced, here is the confirmed itinerary:

September
9 - Jacob's Pavilion - Cleveland, OH
10 - Freedom Hill Amphitheatre - Detroit, MI
12 - Sound Academy - Toronto, ON
13 - Metropolis - Montreal, QC
15 - Stage AE - Pittsburgh, PA
17/18 - Rock Allegiance - Chester, PA*
20 - Egyptian Room - Indianapolis, IN
22 - The Pageant - St. Louis, MO
27 - Hard Rock Live - Orlando, FL
28 - Fillmore - Miami, FL
30 - Horseshoe Casino Tunica - Tunica, MS

October
3 - Norva - Norfolk, VA
5 - Tabernacle - Atlanta, GA
7 - Gas Monkey Live - Dallas, TX
8 - ACL at the Moody Theatre - Austin, TX
10 - Fillmore - Denver, CO
11 - The Complex - Salt Lake City, UT
13 - The Wilma Theatre - Missoula, MT
17 - ENMAX Center - Lethbridge, AB
19 - South Okanagan Events Centre - Penticton, BC
20 - Abbotsford Centre - Abbotsford, BC
23 - Reno Events Center - Reno, NV
27 - El Paso County Coliseum - El Paso, TX

* Slayer, Anthrax and Death Angel are all on this bill

Video footage of AC/DZ, the San Francisco Bay Area-based AC/DC tribute band featuring thrash EXODUS singer Steve "Zetro" Souza and DEATH ANGEL drummer Will Carroll performing on May 14 at Spancky's Bar in Cotati, California can be seen below.

"I've always had a very close relationship with AC/DC growing up; they influenced me heavily and this means a great deal to me," Souza previously told BLABBERMOUTH.NET.

"I love performing, and this is another just another side of me, paying tribute to one of the bands that helped define me as a singer."

In a recent interview with Myglobalmind, Souza stated about AC/DC's singer change following the death of Bon Scott: "You know, it took a while for everybody to get used to Brian Johnson after Bon. I was sixteen when Bon Scott died, and I remember, I was, like, 'Oh, my god, what are they going to do?! That voice is that music.' He fitted that guitar, what they were doing; it was like a glove. How do you replace that? And then in time, Brian has become that, and out of everybody, I would have to say him and Bruce Dickinson [IRON MAIDEN] taking over from Paul Di'Anno did an amazing job in the transition."

In addition to Souza and Carroll, AC/DZ's current lineup includes Elena Luciano Repetto (BOMB SCARY, MOTHER EARTH, IMAGIKA) on bass, Dan Kopp on rhythm guitar, and Dave Chapman (RIFF/RAFF) on lead guitar.

Italy’s Terrorway will release their new album, The Second, on May 20th via Bakerteam Records. The new song, “T.F.B.T.M. (The Face Behind The Mask)”, as well as a new album teaser video, can be found below.

The Second was recorded at V-Studio in Cagliari and once again mixed and mastered by Jacob Olsen. Terrorway comments, "We think that this record sounds very different from the predecessor Blackwaters. We changed a lot of things for what concerns our musical style and experimented a lot more than in the past... to cut it short… it will come as a real surprise for our fans!"

Tracklisting:

“Under The Light of A Broken Down”
“Eye Of The Sun”
“Torment”
“On The Edge”
“T.F.B.T.M. (The Face Behind The Mask)”
“Enter The Columns”
“Columns”
“Trails Of Ashes”
“The Wanderer”
“Lights Turn Black” (bonus track)
“Threshold Of Pain” (bonus track)

“T.F.B.T.M. (The Face Behind The Mask)”:

Teaser:

At this point, music fans are aware that rock icon Bruce Springsteen cancelled his April 10th show in Greensboro, North Carolina in a stand against the state's recently passed HB2 "bathroom" law, which singles out the LGBT community. Following is Springsteen's official statement:

"As you, my fans, know I’m scheduled to play in Greensboro, North Carolina this Sunday. As we also know, North Carolina has just passed HB2, which the media are referring to as the 'bathroom' law. HB2 — known officially as the Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act — dictates which bathrooms transgender people are permitted to use. Just as important, the law also attacks the rights of LGBT citizens to sue when their human rights are violated in the workplace. No other group of North Carolinians faces such a burden. To my mind, it’s an attempt by people who cannot stand the progress our country has made in recognizing the human rights of all of our citizens to overturn that progress. Right now, there are many groups, businesses, and individuals in North Carolina working to oppose and overcome these negative developments. Taking all of this into account, I feel that this is a time for me and the band to show solidarity for those freedom fighters. As a result, and with deepest apologies to our dedicated fans in Greensboro, we have canceled our show scheduled for Sunday, April 10th. Some things are more important than a rock show and this fight against prejudice and bigotry — which is happening as I write — is one of them. It is the strongest means I have for raising my voice in opposition to those who continue to push us backwards instead of forwards."

Since this turn of events, Rollins Band / Black Flag frontman and writer, journalist, motivational speaker Henry Rollins has contributed an article to LA Weekly in support of Springsteen's move. An excerpt is available below: 

"Springsteen’s is a well-written statement that you have probably seen by now. In it, he concludes, 'Some things are more important than a rock show and this fight against prejudice and bigotry — which is happening as I write — is one of them.'

House Bill 2 is much more than just the 'bathroom bill' that it’s being characterized as. It actually prevents avenues of state government from including LGBT people in previous protections. For private-sector bigots, it is now open season. It seems like a long way to go to please a handful of hicks, but obviously the governor was losing sleep over all those poor homophobes shaking in their boots as to who is in the stall next to them, and he took action.

Bruce Springsteen’s reputation, as far as I can see, is unimpeachable. His statement coming from a less well-known artist would be all well and good but would carry only a fraction of the weight.

It is almost impossible to describe how beautiful North Carolina is. For a few summers, I was shipped off there to live in a tent at a summer camp. Each day, we were given chores. Milking cows, feeding chickens, getting beetles off the vegetables. Since the late 1960s, I have always had an affection for N.C.

Years later, I was happy to find out it was a great state in which to be a broke band on the road. Not only were there plenty of college-town venues to play in, but the people were incredibly friendly and would let you sleep on their floors.

Judging from the people of the state I have met over almost 50 years, I can’t believe they are pleased with House Bill 2. They probably are wondering how they got to where they are now."

Go to this location for the complete article.

MusicWatchdog.com conducted an interview with FEAR FACTORY guitarist Dino Cazares on May 6 at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe, Arizona. You can now watch the chat below.

Speaking about how FEAR FACTORY developed its unique sound, Cazares said: "It's kind of funny. We figured out two different issues. When we first started FEAR FACTORY, we considered ourselves 'industrial grindcore.' We didn't exactly have all the technology that's involved today to really help us enhance our sound and create certain sound effects that we wanted to make. It wasn't until 'Demanufacture' [1995] where we brought in this producer, a guy named Rhys Fulber, this guy and a mixer named Greg Reely really helped us bring those elements out that we wanted to do. And also 'Demanufacture' was the first album that we actually wrote with a keyboard player as we were writing; we wrote a lot of parts with the keys [in mind]."

He continued: "It started on the first record, 'Soul Of A New Machine' [1992], where we really discovered that we stood out because, one, we weren't influenced by the typical stuff, and two, Burt's [C. Bell] vocal style really stood. And we didn't really develop it 'till 'Demanufacture' where we brought in the killer electronic elements, the guitars and the kick drums were syncopated on every part, and then Burt's vocal style… Burt got better. That was when I really knew that… wow, we're really on to a particular sound."

FEAR FACTORY has just completed a U.S. headlining tour on which it performed its classic second album, "Demanufacture", in its entirety.

FEAR FACTORY's latest album, "Genexus", was released on August 7, 2015 via Nuclear Blast Entertainment. The follow-up to 2012's "The Industrialist" was co-produced by longtime collaborator Rhys Fulber, along with guitarist Dino Cazares and vocalist Burton C. Bell and mixed by Andy Sneap (ARCH ENEMY, TESTAMENT, EXODUS, MACHINE HEAD). Artwork was once again handled by Anthony Clarkson. Drums on "Genexus" were performed by Mike Heller (MALIGNANCY).

ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante was interviewed by rock journalist Mitch Lafon for a recent edition of the "One On One With Mitch Lafon" podcast (Facebook page). You can now listen to the chat using the Spreaker widget below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On whether there are any moments in ANTHRAX's history where he thinks, "Wow, we were just too stupid for our own good on this one":

Benante: "I think sometimes I look back at things and… People always will say, 'I have no regrets,' but yet I think deep down you regret this or you regret that. I don't have many regrets. I just wish that at the time maybe we weren't so arrogant about things or even ignorant about certain things. Maybe if there were people around being more, 'No, no, no. Don't do that,' and not just, 'Yes. Okay, let them do whatever they want,' maybe things would have changed here and there. I mean, there was that period in the '90s that it was just… it wasn't good, but I don't think we could have prevented what was happening. I mean, heavy metal was just a bad name, and I think we all had to just kind of ride it through. It's like a cycle; we just had to ride it through. And getting Joey [Belladonna, vocals] back in the band was the thing that… I mean, long story short, at METALLICA's induction into the [Rock And Roll] Hall Of Fame, afterwards we went out, and myself, Scott [Ian, ANTHRAX guitarist] and Lars [Ulrich, METALLICA drummer] were talking at the bar, and Lars just came out with the 'Big Four' [tour idea]: 'What do you guys think about that?' And we were, like, 'Fuck! That would be great, of course.' And we talked further about it, and then Scott and I, later on, just looked at each other, like, 'We've gotta get our shit together.' And that's what we did — we got our shit together."

On whether he regrets having made any of the ANTHRAX albums in the '90s, such as "Sound Of White Noise", during heavy metal's "down" period:

Benante: "No, no, no. I don't regret that at all. I love that record. There were reasons why things went the way they did, of course, and I can't put the blame all on the band. I have to blame the situation that we were in. We had signed to Elektra Records, and we put out a record that did very well — like extremely well. And the label that signed us was being [restructured]. Everyone who worked that record, 'Sound Of White Noise', was now being fired. A new regime was coming in. They didn't want nothing to do with us. They didn't sign us. So we lost everybody who was in our camp there. So we went into making this record called 'Stomp 442', basically, with no guidance, no nothing. We didn't know it at the time, but they weren't gonna work that record; they were just gonna let it go. And that was it. We were off Elektra Records after making two records. So that was the start of what I would call the bad-momentum period."

ANTHRAX's latest album, "For All Kings", came out on February 26 via Megaforce in North America and Nuclear Blast in Europe.

Nikki Sixx has called Gene Simmons an "overrated, lucky guy that dresses like a clown" after the KISS co-founder made callous statements about the death of Prince.

This past week, Simmons received backlash from friends, family and fans after insinuating that Prince died from a drug overdose. The MÖTLEY CRÜE and SIXX:A.M. bassist also ripped Simmons on Twitter, saying his "recent heartless and uneducated remarks about Prince's death shows why he's not my hero anymore or anybody's."

Sixx took to the airwaves and said on his nationally syndicated radio show "Sixx Sense" to elaborate on his criticism of Simmons. He said (hear audio below): "Nothing that Gene Simmons says resonates with me. When you're in Gene's position, you should have a little bit more than a narrow-minded, bullying sense of what's happening on the earth. And he said that if you're depressed, kill yourself. He is pro Trump, he is pro a lot of things that I think are negative."

He continued: "I think that [Gene] is [an] overrated, lucky guy that dresses like a clown. [He] wrote some good songs, [but] hasn't in a long time, and loves to brag about himself.

"I like my heroes to be humble. I like my heroes to have compassion. And I like my heroes to be open to change. I don't like my heroes to be egotistical assholes.

"Gene Simmons, you're no longer my hero."

Simmons on Wednesday took to Twitter to clarify his remarks about Prince. He explained: "I apologize — I have a long history of getting very angry at what drugs do to the families/friends of the addicts. I get angry at drug users because of my experience being around them coming up in the rock scene."

Prince died on April 21 at his home in Minnesota, but no cause of death has been identified just yet. A law enforcement official told the Associated Press that his death was being investigated as a possible drug overdose.

MÖTLEY CRÜE and KISS co-headlined a North American tour in the summer of 2012.

Appropriate for Friday the 13th, Destruction performed at the annual Rock Hard festival, in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. For their countrymen, the thrashers spiced up the 75 minute, pyro laden 16-song set with three onstage appearances by the blood splattered apron-wearing Mad Butcher, maniacally wielding a chainsaw to introduce "The Butcher Strikes Back". At one point, there were three drum kits onstage, occupied by current skinsman Wawrzyniec "Vaaver" Dramowicz, original/now grey haired drummer Tommy Sandmann (who played on the classic initial trio of albums) and his replacement, Olly Kaiser. Affording Vaaver a brief mid-concert break, Sandmann was given the solo spotlight for "The Antichrist", while kaiser bashed out "Reject Emotions". From the new Under Attack, released the same day, Schmier & Mike debuted first single, "Second To None", which decries the negativity of some individuals on the Internet. Near the end of the set, former Sodom guitarist Andy Brings joined the band for "Total Desaster". Speaking of fellow Teutonic thrashers, Sodom founder Tom Angelripper and Tankard singer Gerre (Andreas Geremia) added their voices to a cover of Venom's "Black Metal". Both groups were also on the bill and the live sets are available for viewing, thanks to Rockpalast and German television channel WDR.  

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS have postponed their concert for iHeart Radio due to the health of their frontman, who was rushed to hospital just moments before the band was due to hit the stage at a Californian festival over the weekend.

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS were forced to cancel their Saturday performance at the annual KROQ Weenie Roast in Irvine at the last minute after Kiedis was hospitalized. The singer was at the Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre when he began experiencing "extreme stomach pain."

"No one's more disappointed than us that we couldn't perform tonight," RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS drummer Chad Smith tweeted last night. "Sending love and a speedy recovery to my brother Anthony."

Earlier today, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS issued the following statement regarding Kiedis's condition: "Due to Anthony Kiedis' hospitalization from complications from the intestinal flu on Saturday evening, the RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS regretfully must postpone their upcoming concert for iHeart Radio on May 17th. They would like to extend their gratitude to the fans for the outpouring of well wishes. Anthony is expected to make a full recovery soon."

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS' new album, "The Getaway", is due out June 17. The first single, "Dark Necessities", premiered earlier this month.

US rockers Halestorm have checked in with the following update:

"Surprise! Remember our special, limited edition vinyl release that we did for Record Store Day? It was called Into The Wild Live: Chicago and was only found by a lucky few 1000 people at awesome indie record stores around the country on Record Store Day last month. Well, turns out we have a few extras that are now available on our webstore here. Get 'em while the gettin' is good!"

In addition, Into The Wild Live: Chicago is available for streaming and download via iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, Apple Music and Google Play.

"Beautiful With You" (Live From Chicago)
"Freak Like Me" (Acoustic) (Live From Chicago)
"Scream" (Live From Chicago)
"I Am The Fire" (Live From Chicago)

Record Store Day took place on Saturday, April 16, 2016 and this special release was only available at participating independent record stores.

On April 27th, Lita Ford, Halestorm and support artist Dorothy Martin played to a sold out Webster Hall in New York City. Fan-filmed video of Lita, Halestorm vocalist Lzzy Hale, and Dorthy performing The Runaways' classic "Cherry Bomb" is available below. In addition, footage of Lita and Lzzy performing "Close My Eyes Forever" on the night can also be viewed.

Pablo of the Minneapolis, Minnesota radio station 93X conducted an interview with Rob Zombie at the Northern Invasion festival, which is being held Saturday, May 14 and Sunday, May 15 at Somerset Amphitheatre in Somerset, Wisconsin, just outside the Twin Cities. You can now watch the chat below.

Asked about his appreciation for the Japanese pop metal act BABYMETAL, Rob said: "I saw them the other day for the first time. I mean, I'd seen videos and stuff, but I saw them live for the first time the other day, and I just loved it; it was like nothing I had ever seen before. I mean, it was just like… Leave it to the Japanese to find a way to make fucking death metal cute. But it was awesome. And the crowd… The crowd was going fucking apeshit. The amount of crowdsurfing and stage diving and just complete mayhem, which made it even funnier, 'cause it's three cute little girls doing fucking karate on stage and shit, and these guys [that are backing them] are dressed like ghosts, all in white. It's the most bizarre fucking thing. It's totally worth watching; it's so good."

Zombie made headlines last week after he defended BABYMETAL against online criticism, saying that the Japanese group has "more energy than 90 percent of the bands we play with."

Last weekend, Zombie met BABYMETAL at the Carolina Rebellion festival in Concord, North Carolina. He then posted a snapshot of them together backstage to his Facebook page, much to the chagrin of many of his fans.

After one fan called BABYMETAL "a shameful embarrassment to anything metal," Rob responded: "Hey, they are nice kids out on the road touring. What are you doing besides being a grumpy old fuck?"

Another fan wrote: "[BABYMETAL] are awful. This is lame. I love you, Rob, but shame on you." Rob fired back with: "They roll harder than you."

A third fan said: "Are you kidding me, Rob? BABYMETAL is J-pop, not metal. But to each their own, I guess." Zombie countered with: "These three girls had more energy than 90 percent of the bands we play with."

BABYMETAL addressed the photo in a comment on the Facebook photo. They wrote: “Thank you Rob! The Spirit of HEAVY METAL traversed across the World,rose above language barriers, went beyond generations and created countless legends. See you again at Northern Invasion!"

Levi Seth of Australia's Sticks For Stones recently conducted an interview with QUEENSRŸCHE guitarist Michael Wilton. You can now listen to the chat below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On how QUEENSRŸCHE fans have been responding to the band's singer of the past four years, Todd La Torre:

Michael: "He's seamlessly integrated [into the band], the fans love him. He's the real deal. There's no prima donna ego on stage. It's not an act; it's all real. And as far as the albums [go], people are just blown away by [2015's] 'Condition Hüman' and his performance on it. And then live, as we expect, we have to prove ourselves with every show, and that's what we're doing. Because we're getting people that haven't seen us in a long time, or are wondering what happened, or they've had their head in the sand or something. Their jaws are dropping [after seeing us live now]. It's unbelievable, after a show, how many new fans we get, and it's just unbelievable how it's just a viral situation right now. So it's really great that we get to bring this version of QUEENSRŸCHE, a high-energy [version]… like the good old days, to Australia."

On whether he is seeing a lot of new fans and young faces coming to see QUEENSRŸCHE nowadays:

Michael: "Yeah, I mean, since we have Todd La Torre and Parker Lundgren [guitar], we have a whole contingency of new fans, and by new fans I mean youg fans as well, that are coming to the shows now that only know us from our past two albums. So it's obviously something that we want to happen, but, you know, of course, we get the people that have been there since 1982 as well. People who are coming out to support the band and see the band are just amazed that we're doing the songs like [we were doing them] when they were young [and they first saw us play]. So it's really interesting right now that you see that a QUEENSRŸCHE is so varied in the audience."

On whether the members of QUEENSRŸCHE immediately get back to writing new music once they have completed a tour:

Michael: "Well, we started [touring in support of 'Condition Hüman'] in January and we are going to December. The album's been out six months. Generally, the record company wants a new album every year and a half to two years. So, in January, we're gonna start writing a new record, and we do that in Seattle, where we live, so we get to be home. Keeping the family bond strong is always just as important. But, yeah, we're busy guys; I've gotta say that. I mean, we're out there with everybody else, and it's a lot of work, it's a lot of fun, and it's very rewarding to see everything happening the way it is for us."

QUEENSRŸCHE hired Todd La Torre to replace Geoff Tate in 2012 and has released two albums with the ex-CRIMSON GLORY frontman: 2013's "Queensrÿche" and the aforementioned "Condition Hüman".

"Condition Hüman" debuted at No. 27 on The Billboard 200 chart, having shifted 14,000 equivalent album units in the week ending October 8, 2015.

Metal Wani's Jackie Mtz conducted an interview with drummer Steve Asheim of Florida death metal veterans DEICIDE on May 12 in Phoenix, Arizona. You can now listen to the chat in the YouTube clip below. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On the progress of the songwriting sessions for DEICIDE's follow-up to 2013's "In The Minds Of Evil" album:

Steve: "We've got about eight or nine songs, and we're gonna do another three or four; we'll pull together when we get back from this tour. And if we can pull that music together, the ten or twelve songs, whatever it might be, and maybe get into the studio and start doing the drums and the music by the end of the year or something, we can have something out by next year. I doubt we'll have anything out by this year."

On the musical direction of the new DEICIDE material:

Steve: "It seems like we're gonna be taking the same approach. I mean, we're not gonna fix what isn't broken, as far as what we do. You know, we've been writing heavy riffs. We're just gonna make 'em heavier as work [on] them together. It was weird. When we did the last record, I was, like, 'Eh, I'm really not that psyched about these songs,' and the album turned out being great. And the way the new material is, it's funny, I'm kind of, like, 'Eh, it could be better.' So we're just gonna be hashing some more stuff out and really make it intense, because we know we did a pretty good one and we're gonna have to beat it. But we're gonna work on it hard, make sure it's good."

On what inspires DEICIDE to keep making new music:

Steve: "Well, you know, just wanting to be heavy. We have a nice, steady band lineup that is focused, and we feel that we can really do some good work now that everyone's kind of on the same page. So as long as we focus our riffs and focus our energies on making the songs good and doing good tours, it's gonna give us another few years, another few records, and a good number of years left ahead of us to keep doing this. It still feels good, it's fun, and we'll keep at it as long as we can keep going."

"In The Minds Of Evil" sold 2,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release. Issued on November 25, 2013 via Century Media Records, the follow-up to 2011's "To Hell With God" was recorded at AudioHammer Studios in Sanford, Florida with producer Jason Suecof (TRIVIUM, AUGUST BURNS RED, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, ALL THAT REMAINS, WHITECHAPEL, DEVILDRIVER).

Jimmy Kay and Alan Dixon of Canada's The Metal Voice recently conducted an interview with legendary German guitarist Michael Schenker (UFO, SCORPIONS). You can now listen to the chat in the YouTube clip below.

Asked if he would ever consider recording with the SCORPIONS again, Michael said: "No. I can't, because I'm very disappointed in Rudolf [Schenker, SCORPIONS guitarist and Michael's brother]. What I have found out about the 'Lovedrive' bio [that is included in the recently released 50th-anniversary deluxe edition of the album] is completely wrong.

"When I was 23, I finished with UFO. I did 'Strangers In The Night'. We had hits in '76 with 'Lights Out' and 'Too Hot To Handle' and 'Only You Can Rock Me'. The SCORPIONS always copied what UFO did.

"When Rudolf found out I had left UFO and Mathias [Jabs, SCORPIONS guitarist], who had just joined, couldn't do the album with the SCORPIONS to their liking, they asked me to help out. I came over. I was 23; Rudolf was already 30. And when I finished my work on the SCORPIONS 'Lovedrive' album, they didn't wanna let me go, so they got rid of Matthias. And so they basically persuaded me to be in the SCORPIONS after the 'Lovedrive' recording, and all the management in America, they all were very interested in wanting to sign the SCORPIONS. I put on my black-and-white suit and my black-and-white guitar and started touring, [but] after two weeks, I just couldn't do it. I ran away and I was too shy to confront them; I just couldn't do it. My brother found me. He called me back. He cried on the phone, [and] it was so embarrassing. I came back a second time. After the second time, I realized, 'This is not it. I need to stop this,' and I ran away again. [A short time later] I found out that they got Matthias back — they persuaded him to come back — and that was that. Then, a bit later, I get a phone call from Rudolf [asking me] if I would let him play my black-and-white guitar design. I said, 'Okay.' And then he also asked me if I would give him the songwriting credits for 'Coast To Coast'. All the melodies were written by me, and I didn't pay attention. I was the sixth part of the 'Lovedrive' album, and I had a contract that everything was divided by six."

He continued: "When they approached me just recently for the SCORPIONS [50th-anniversary deluxe edition reissues of their albums], I found out that they put a bio out that was a complete[ly] wrong story. I found out that there was nobody credited for what I wrote on 'Holiday'. It's the intro to 'Holiday', it's forty-five seconds long — that's the intro that I wrote but nobody got credit for it. And then Rudolf asked me to give him the melodies for 'Coast To Coast' and with my black-and-white guitar. And those two things were the most tastiest things and easiest parts to copy, because Rudolf is not really a great guitarist; he can just about play. But that was something, him being a Schenker and now having blond hair, and all the managers finding out, they wanted to sign that band the SCORPIONS where I was part of, I guess he figured out how he can misrepresent and fool people over the years, because I didn't pay any attention until just recently. I found out that there was not a picture of me on 'Lovedrive', there was no mention on 'Holiday' who wrote and played that intro, and, of course, Rudolf persuaded me to give him the 'Coast To Coast' melodies. And so I'm very disappointed with that. And I must say I'm now finding out more and more weird stuff about Rudolf."

Michael added: "I have to stay away from him and I can't trust him anymore — period."

Earlier this year, Michael spoke to Gigs And Festivals about what it was like playing in the earliest days of the SCORPIONS alongside his brother Rudolf. He said: "There are things that I know today, and I must say I'm actually very disappointed in my brother and the SCORPIONS these days, because I just found out that a lot of things have been incorrect in the past. Me, being seven years younger than the other guys, I think I was taken advantage of right from the beginning."

He continued: "I wrote most of the SCORPIONS songs on the 'Lonesome Crow' album, and it was credited to all members. The very first song I ever wrote was 'In Search Of The Peace Of Mind', and it too was credited to all members. I was focusing on music, and they were maybe focusing on business. I have no idea, but they didn't know how to write songs in those days."

Asked if he had any plans to get up on stage with the SCORPIONS before they call it a day, Michael said: "I don't pay attention to any of that. I focus on what I'm doing. I'm fed up with that, and I'm disappointed in them; they have completely distorted the 'Lovedrive' phase. Just a few weeks ago, I was confronted with the SCORPIONS [albums reissue] box, and what I saw there, it really, really shocked me. I can't trust them anymore. The whole 'Lovedrive' story is wrong. They are putting it down as if I begged them to take me into the SCORPIONS. They begged me to join — I was already doing arena tours with UFO in the States. It's unbelievable. They asked me to help them, and now I see that the whole 'Lovedrive' story is written to their favor; they are the big guys."

He continued: "I can't believe it, honestly. They're just fooling people with their finishing playing, and then they don't, and then [they continue playing] forever and ever. I guess when you get older, you get bolder or something, but I have absolutely no interest because I can't trust them. If I look back now, it's unbelievable, little bits and pieces I'm discovering. So putting together the whole picture, it looks like they're absolutely desperate."

According to Michael, the difference between him and his brother is that "one can play and the other one can't! [Laughs] That's how you can find out who is who. Or you look at the eyes; his eyes are brown, but he can fake that too by getting blue lenses. Rudolf is the entertainer on a visual level; I'm the artist."

During a brand new interview with Argentinean rock journalist Lucas H. Gordon, former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Gilby Clarke was once again asked for his thoughts on the reunion of long-estranged GN'R singer Axl Rose and guitarist Slash for a handful of comeback shows in April and a full U.S. tour during the summer. Clarke, who was not an original member of the group, said: "In all honesty, I haven't seen [any of the recent GN'R shows], so I don't have an opinion yet."

He continued: "First of all, I'm happy that the guys are back together. I think it's really important to music, especially rock and roll music, that GUNS N' ROSES is a viable band that's out performing right now. I know Axl has been out there with his band playing, but it doesn't get any better than having Slash back in the band. So with Slash and Axl back together, I really think they can have some great shows and hopefully write some good music together and keep the band name and legacy alive."

Regarding whether he thinks the GN'R reunion will last, Gilby said: "I was a part of the band twenty years ago, and a lot has happened in that amount of time. I don't know… I honestly don't know. People were asking me questions last year: 'Do you think GUNS N' ROSES are gonna get back together?' And I kept saying, 'No.' I didn't. I honestly didn't. So I'm surprised, just like a lot of people are, that the band's back together. But I think it's a great thing for music."

Asked if he would rejoin GUNS N' ROSES if he was asked to take part in the band's reunion tour, Gilby said: "You know, I don't really wanna answer that, because I don't know. I honestly don't know. It's a hypothetical question, it's a hypothetical situation. So I really don't know. I mean, before all this happened, people [would] say, 'Would you be a part of the reunion?' And I always said, 'Absolutely!' Look, I love the music of the band, I love the band and the performance, but this GUNS N' ROSES isn't the GUNS N' ROSES that I was a part of, so it's a hard question to ask right now."

Clarke replaced founding guitarist Izzy Stradlin in the GUNS lineup in 1991, during the "Use Your Illusion" tour, and stayed with the band for three years.

He has continued as a producer and solo artist since then, while also playing in ROCK STAR SUPERNOVA, HEART and other acts.

Clarke reunited with GUNS members Slash, Steven Adler, Matt Sorum and Duff McKagan at the band's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction in April 14, 2012, although he himself was not inducted as part of the band.

Gilby is currently recording a new solo album that will feature guest appearances by drummers Stephen Perkins (JANE'S ADDICTION) and Matt Starr (ACE FREHLEY) along with members of Clarke's solo band, EJ Curse (bass/vocals) and Troy Patrick Farrell (drums/vocals).

"It is with mixed emotion that I announce my departure from the Headstones drum chair to make way for other endeavors. It has been a 22 year adventure that has now come to a close for me with the band," says Dale Harrison.

"In May ‘94 I was recruited to tour Picture Of Health, record and help finish the second album Teeth & Tissue; after the departure of Mark Gibson - the drummer who helped craft the first disc. I was accepted as the new member by our fans and have been the drummer ever since. It is my hope that Headstones fans will show whomever replaces me the same respect I’ve enjoyed ever since. In 2003 after 9 ½ years of hardcore touring and five albums later the Headstones took a much needed hiatus. In 2011 we reunited and continued to hammer out our brand of chaos to incredible audiences and played slews of awesome gigs across Canada and bordering US cites. During that time we also accomplished production of two fresh albums and a 12" vinyl single.

I will always reflect on this time in my life with great pride but I feel it is now time to move on and follow my own aspirations. I wish the best to the boys in the band whom I’ve called brothers for many years. I will miss the team at Bernie Breen management who were and will always be like family to me. Perhaps one day our schedules will align again! Until then, adios amigos! All the best! Be well! Oh and stay tuned folks for what projects I've got coming up! PVTA!"

The Sound Of Music Festival in Burlington, Ontario presents The Cult, Headstones, The Glorious Sons and more on June 11th. Go to this location for details and ticket links, check out the event page here for updates.

"Unblame", the new video from SOTO, the band led by vocalist Jeff Scott Soto, can be seen below. The song is taken from the group's second studio album, "Divak", which was released on April 1 via earMUSIC.

"Divak" (pronounced "dee-vock") comes shortly after the band's debut release, "Inside The Vertigo". It's a mere 15 months later, partly due to Jeff Scott Soto's insistence on continuing to create and build a true brand for his new venture.

Once again, the album is produced by Jeff Scott Soto and drummer Edu Cominato. It was mixed by long time JSS engineer/associate John Ellis.

The band features Soto on vocals; Cominato on drums; lead guitarist Jorge Salan; bassist David Z; and keyboardist/guitarist BJ. They are heavily featured on "Divak" with their writing contributions together. The first single, "FreakShow", was co-produced/written by Tony Dickinson, who also co-wrote "The Fall", which was the first single from "Inside The Vertigo". The track is an extension of the SOTO sound created especially for this new band.

SOTO, formed in 2014, are the dream band created when Jeff Scott Soto realized how much he missed the "heavier side" of his career after fronting artists like Yngwie Malmsteen, TALISMAN and JOURNEY, and even his own solo albums. The band hopes to continue its role as a driving force in today's current hard rock and metal scene.

"Divak" track listing: 01. Divak (Intro)02. Weight Of The World03. FreakShow04. Paranoia05. Unblame06. Cyber Masquerade07. In My Darkest Hour08. Forgotten09. SuckerPunch10. Time11. Misfired12. The Fall From Grace13. Awakened Bonus tracks (all digital retailers):

14. Final Say (live)15. The Fall (live)16. Break (live)17. When I'm Older (live)18. Stand Up (live)

Additional bonus tracks (iTunes/Apple Music):

19. My Life20. Cracking The Stone

STAIND frontman Aaron Lewis paid tribute to legendary artist Prince by performing a cover version of "When Doves Cry" during his May 14 concert Stoney's in Las Vegas, Nevada. Fan-filmed video footage can be seen below.

Prince died on April 21 at his home in Minnesota, but no cause of death has been identified just yet. A law enforcement official told the Associated Press that his death was being investigated as a possible drug overdose.

Prince has won seven Grammy Awards, and he won an Oscar for the original song score to the classic film "Purple Rain", in which he also starred.

He recorded some 39 studio albums, recording and touring prolifically even after a very public battle to get out of his major label contract threatened to derail his career.

Lewis recently completed work his third country release, "Sinner", which he hopes to issue during the summer on Dot Records, part of the Borchetta Music Group. He recorded the 11-song set in a 16-hour session in Nashville with producer Buddy Cannon and musicians including pedal steel virtuoso Paul Franklin, guitarist Brent Mason, bassist Kevin "Swine" Grantt and multi-instrumentalist Jim "Moose" Brown.

"It sounds like country music, which these days is pretty rare, for a 'country artist' to actually put out country music," Lewis told Billboard. "The majority of the record is one take, sometimes two takes. The vocals are the scratch vocals. I never redid them; those are the vocals I laid down while they were laying their tracks down, and it's raw and it's real and it's very unproduced and exactly how I wanted it to be. I'm not a fan of what's for the most part coming out of Nashville these days. It's pop music; it's not country music."

"Sinner" also includes a track sung by Lewis' 13-year-old daughter Zoe, on which he sings harmonies.

Video footage of bassist/vocalist Marco Hietala of Finland-based symphonic metallers NIGHTWISH performing a solo version of the song "The Islander" during his visit to the Warwick headquarters in China in April 2016 can be seen below.

Photos of Marco's visit can be found on the Warwick.cn web site.

NIGHTWISH keyboardist and main songwriter Tuomas Holopainen recently confirmed to Roppongi Rocks that the band will take a year-long break during 2017. "That's the plan, yes," he said. "The last show for this tour is going to happen in October. Then all of 2017 off and back with a vengeance in 2018."

Regarding what he might be doing during NIGHTWISH's time off, Holopainen said: "I don't think I will be doing music. That's the idea of the break. I haven't really given it that much thought. I just enjoy the idea of getting to be at home, doing the gardening, taking care of the horse, just be steady for a while."

Holopainen was also reluctant to share any of NIGHTWISH's plans for when the band returns to live action in 2018. "It's a bit too far away to reveal anything but we know pretty much what the plans are until 2020 or so," he said.

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

IRON MAIDEN frontman Bruce Dickinson berated an unruly fan during the band's May 12 concert at Adelaide Entertainment Centre in Adelaide, Australia as part of their "The Book Of Souls" world tour.

At the end of "Fear Of The Dark", the eleventh song of MAIDEN's set, Bruce addressed the fan directly, telling him: "To the gentleman in the front with the Raiders shirt on. Yeah, you, yeah, you, being restrained by a couple of very friendly fans. Just fucking calm down, all right, will ya? Otherwise… Yeah, you. Otherwise you will be exiting. Pick a window. I hope you like hospital food. You, yeah. Give me the fucking finger, mate. You fucking come backstage and I'll fucking sort you out myself. Cunt!"

The incident can be seen in the video below.

One fan who attended the concert reported: "I was standing about one metre away from said cunt. Had a cut on his eye and someone ripped his shoe off and threw it on stage as security dragged him over the barrier."

Another concert-goer added: "I was there, and it happened right in front of me.

"So me and my friend were just enjoying the concert, then this guy (who Bruce yells yet) pushes in front of us. He had a Raiders shirt on and looked to be in his mid-40s. He was certainly drunk or on something, considering he could barely stand up straight.

"Now I've been to many concerts, and it's pretty common for someone to push in front of you, so we just kind of rolled our eyes and continued to enjoy the concert. Some bald guy in front of him turned around and said something to him that just set him off. This guy with the Raiders shirt went off and started hitting this bald guy. The bald guy pushed him into me and my friend, he went back at it with the bald guy which escalated into a fight. Three people were trying to restrain this crazy Raiders shirt guy and eventually someone with long hair managed to restrain him before it continued. Bruce stopped the song and said all the things you hear in the video. Eventually the security got him and kicked the douche out in which the show carried on.

"It was a great night, and it's nice to see that assholes like this get kicked out so everyone else can enjoy the show rather than have one douche ruin it for everyone else."

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).

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

"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.

On June 17th, the legendary Misfits will release their new EP, Friday The 13th. It features four new horror-punk anthems, written by founding fiend Jerry Only himself. An homage to '80s era slashers, classic sci-fi, and everything in between — pressed in your choice of CD with six-page booklet or limited edition 12-inch color vinyl. Both feature fiendish new Misfits art by horror and comic book illustrator Jeff Zornow (Godzilla, ’68). Pre-order yours now at this location, or via the Amazon widgets below.

Friday The 13th features the current lineup of: Jerry Only (bass / vocals), Jerry Other (guitar), and Eric "Chupacabra" Arce (drums). Note that Glenn Danzig is not part of this EP.

Friday The 13th cover art and tracklisting:

"Friday The 13th"
"Nightmare On Elm Street"
"Laser Eye"
"Mad Monster Party"

 

 

 

Check out the Tracklist of brandnew Record GENERATION GOODBYE of KISSIN' DYNAMITE, coming 08.07.2016!

Jewelcase
01 Generation Goodbye
02 Hashtag Your Life
03 If Clocks Were Running Backwards
04 Somebody To Hate
05 She Came She Saw
06 Highlight Zone
07 Masterpiece
08 Flying Colours
09 Under Friendly Fire
10 Larger Than Life
11 Utopia

Digipak Bonus incl. DVD
12 Living In The Fastlane
13 Only The Good Die Young (Acoustic)
14 Ticket To Paradise (Live In Cologne)
15 I Will Be King (Live In Cologne)

DVD Content
- Kissin‘ Dynamite Tour Documentary
- Live Clips (Ticket To Paradise, I Will Be King)
- Music Clips (I Will Be King, Six Feet Under, Money Sex and Power, DNA, Fireflies (Lyric Video))

www.kissin-dynamite.de