"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

SIXX:A.M. singer James Michael has commented on North Carolina's recently passed HB2, also known as the "bathroom bill," which bans people from using public bathrooms that do not correspond with their biological sex.

During an interview with Big Ric of the Jacksonville, North Carolina radio station Rock 105.5, James was asked for his opinion on the fact that artists like PEARL JAM, Bruce Springsteen, Ringo Starr and BOSTON have canceled North Carolina concerts in order to protest the controversial bill. He responded: "You know, that's a great question, and, obviously, it's been incredibly controversial. How every artist decides to react to that is their own choice. Artists that have decided to cancel shows because of it, that's taking a strong stance and it's saying, 'This is what I believe in.'"

He continued: "I'll be honest with you: on a personal level, it's very disturbing to see this going on in 2016, to even be having these type of conversations. And that's really all I'll say on that at this point, because this isn't really the forum for that."

James added: "Listen, any time that artists realize that they are in a unique position, they've got a microphone, they can say something, they can take a stand, I applaud that."

While North Carolina's HB2 law has led several musicians to boycott the state, others have chosen to use their concerts as a platform against the law — a strategy encouraged by advocacy groups and welcomed by transgender musicians.

In a statement announcing their decision to cancel a show in North Carolina in protest of HB2, the members of PEARL JAM first apologized to ticket holders, saying they know people will be upset and they are "equally frustrated by the situation." They called the bill, "a despicable piece of legislation that encourages discrimination against an entire group of American citizens," then went on to say that they "want America to be a place where no one can be turned away from a business because of who they love or fired from their job for who they are."

The band said they've "communicated with local groups and will be providing them with funds to help facilitate progress on this issue." They promised to keep an eye on the situation in hope that they'll be able to return sometime soon.

The first volume of "Prayers For The Damned", the new double album from SIXX:A.M., was released on April 29 via Eleven Seven Music.

Kaspar Boye Larsen, who played bass for VOLBEAT on the band's recent U.S. tour, has been named a permanent member of the Danish/American rock 'n' roll outfit.

"Ten years ago I returned from VOLBEAT's very first European tour that I joined as a tour session bass player," Kaspar said. "I was so proud of playing with one of my favorite bands and loaded with great memories of good times but also sad that it was over.

"A lot of things have happened in the meantime, but the songs are as great as ever and I'm super stoked to be joining one of my favorite bands on stage, only this time on a permanent basis.

VOLBEAT guitarist/vocalist Michael Poulsen recenty said about Boye Larsen: "Kaspar did an amazing job in the U.S. I've been knowing the guy pretty much since I was 18. Actually, the first European tour we had in VOLBEAT, he was the bass player, because Anders [Kjølholm], our former bass player, couldn't make the first two weeks because of his kids at home. So Kaspar is not actually that new; he's just an old member [that's playing with us] again."

VOLBEAT's sixth full-length album, "Seal The Deal & Let's Boogie", will be released on June 3 via Republic Records.

Produced by longtime collaborator Jacob Hansen and co-produced by Michael Poulsen and lead guitarist Rob Caggiano, "Seal The Deal & Let's Boogie" includes a total of 13 new tracks, reflecting their signature hybrid of rock prowess, metal power, blues soul, and rockabilly swing.

Original ENTOMBED members Alex Hellid (guitar), Ulf "Uffe" Cederlund (guitar) and Nicke Andersson (drums) will rejoin forces to perform the band's early material during an appearance on the Close-Up Båten cruise, which will leave the Stockholm, Sweden port on October 27 for Åbo, Finland, and return the following day.

The band that will perform on the Close-Up Båten cruise is not to be confused with ENTOMBED A.D., which features ENTOMBED vocalist Lars Göran Petrov alongside Olle Dahlstedt (drums), Nico Elgstrand (guitar) and Victor Brandt (bass).

Hellid and Petrov have been embroiled in a legal battle over the ENTOMBED name for several years. In 2014, Petrov was awarded the right to use the band name in connection with future recording and touring activities, a decision which Hellid appealed without success. The guitarist then went on to register a trademark for beverage production under the "Entombed" name. This move did not sit well with Hellid's former bandmate, who filed a letter of protest against Alex's registration of the name, claiming that it could be confused with band activities. He also said that Hellid acted in "bad faith" when he registered name and that there was a desire to "deceive the public."

Petrov's protest, however, found no favor with the Swedish Patent And Registration Office, which rejected his claims on the issue in a March 8 ruling.

In an interview with Revolution-Music.dk, Petrov defended his band's decision to release an album under the name ENTOMBED A.D. in order to avoid a legal battle with Hellid who didn't want his former bandmates to use the ENTOMBED moniker: "It had to be done, because without an album you can't tour," he explained. "I mean, you can tour, but if there's seven years between albums, it's ridiculously long. So we did the right thing, and we did what bands should do, and still do — release an album and go on tour and headbang and have a good time with friends, and that's what it's all about."

He continued: "There was too much bullshit — crying and whining about things. It's just ridiculous.

"Some people are comfortable staying at home, but then just step aside and let us do our thing.

"We added two letters, but it's still the same band — [only] without people that wanna stay at home, or take millions of years [coming up with] a [new] riff."

Asked if he thinks the ENTOMBED name has been damaged as a result of the drama surrounding the split with Hellid and the decision to continue as ENTOMBED A.D., Petrov said: "Nah, not really. A thousand people have a thousand different opinions — good and bad. But we do what we felt was right. And we're out here touring, and that's the most important [thing], I think. And leave the childishness aside and play metal, basically."

ENTOMBED A.D.'s second album, "Dead Dawn", was released on February 26 via Century Media.

GUNS N' ROSES singer Axl Rose played his third show as the temporary frontman for AC/DC on Friday night (May 13) in Marseille, France. The band's set included the classic Bon Scott-era song "If You Want Blood (You've Got It)", which was performed live for the first time since October 2003.

For the Marseille concert, Rose was once again confined to a throne after snapping his metatarsal bone while singing during GUNS N' ROSES' Troubadour reunion show on April 1. It is the same custom throne Dave Grohl used last year for FOO FIGHTERS concerts after breaking a leg.

The setlist for the Marseille show:

01. Rock Or Bust02. Shoot To Thrill03. Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be04. Back In Black05. Got Some Rock & Roll Thunder06. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap07. Rock 'N' Roll Damnation08. Thunderstruck09. High Voltage10. Rock 'N' Roll Train11. Hells Bells12. Given The Dog A Bone13. If You Want Blood (You've Got It) (first live performance since October 21, 2003)14. Sin City15. You Shook Me All Night Long16. Shot Down In Flames17. Have A Drink On Me18. T.N.T.19. Whole Lotta Rosie20. Let There Be Rock

Encore:

21. Highway To Hell22. Riff Raff23. For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)

Rose told NME in a new interview that he didn't speak with Brian Johnson before temporarily replacing the latter as frontman for AC/DC, saying it was only because he didn't have enough time. Rose explained: "I have not spoken with Brian. We haven't spoken much about Brian. There hasn't been any negative talk with the guys or anything — it's just the time schedule of having to get things together for the shows, while I also had GUNS N' ROSES commitments, and then breaking the foot."

Rose took over the mic in AC/DC after Johnson was warned by doctors that he would face a total loss of his hearing if he stayed on the road. Rose is slated for now to play AC/DC's current run of European shows as well as ten postponed North American gigs.

Rose also spoke about his injured foot, saying: "The day I found out it was broken I left the hospital to rehearse. My only day off was the surgery day, and the next day was back to rehearsals."

The singer said he had "about twenty rehearsals" with AC/DC, adding, "If I really screw up, they can blame me for that, because I did have good rehearsals."

Rose reached out to AC/DC himself after hearing about Johnson's misfortune. Guitarist Angus Young said: "A lot of people were putting people forward. You get a lot of people. The modern world being what it is, everyone's, 'Well, I can sing a song.'" AC/DC did audition at least two tribute band singers during their search.

Rose recently indicated that he's willing to continue with AC/DC past the 22 shows he's contracted for. He will have to take a break from them this summer, however, for his North American stadium run with GUNS N' ROSES.

Surprising news has been posted on the official Agalloch Facebook page. It is available below in the form of a band statement:

"Following 20 years, 5 full length albums, many tours around the world, and numerous other recordings, John Haughm and the rest of the band (Don Anderson, Jason Walton, and Aesop Dekker) have parted ways. What the future holds for the separate parties remains undetermined. We collectively thank all of our fans across the world. There are also way too many other people to thank who made this band possible. You know who you are."

A short time later, Haughm issued the following update:

"After being inundated by a barrage of responses, I feel that I should clarify some things. I take full responsibility for the decision to part ways with the other guys. It was difficult, well thought-out, and something that had been culminating over the past couple of years. I simply could not continue any further with the band as it was. I had to make a change as my motivation and inspiration had started to completely deteriorate. Whether this is the permanent end of Agalloch altogether or a possible fresh start, I don't know. I probably won't know for awhile. The band has simply been reduced back to its founding, visionary member for the first time in 20 years. Beyond that, the future is unknown."

Back in March, Agalloch announced the reissue of their first three albums Pale Folklore, The Mantle, and Ashes Against The Grain. All three albums feature new layouts and album photographs, plus The Mantle and Ashes Against The Grain have been re-mastered for vinyl by Colin Marston.

Says lead guitarist Don Anderson, "We cannot underestimate the importance of these three albums in the development of our sound and our history. In hindsight I am most proud of the fact that neither of these albums pigeonholed us. It is the radical difference of each album that allows us to continue to experiment with our music and lyrical themes today. These three albums constitute a significant chapter in our history and I am excited to finally see a proper and official vinyl release of each one of them."

Each album is available individually as a black re-issue 2LP and as part of the standard bundle, which includes all three black 2LPs. Colored vinyl options are also available, exclusively on The Omega Order.

Pale Folklore tracklisting:

“She Painted Fire Across The Skyline”
“The Misshapen Steed”
“Hallways Of Enchanted Ebony”
“Dead Winter Days”
“As Embers Dress The Sky”
“The Melancholy Spirit”

The Mantle tracklisting:

“A Celebration For The Death Of Man”
“In The Shadow Of Our Pale Companion”
“Odal”
“I Am The Wooden Doors”
“The Lodge”
“You Were But A Ghost In My Arms”
“The Hawthorne Passage”
“And The Great Cold Death Of The Earth”
“A Desolation Song”

Ashes Against The Grain tracklisting:

“Limbs”
“Falling Snow”
“This White Mountain On Which You Die”
“Fire Above, Ice Below”
“Not Unlike The Waves”
“Our Fortress Is Burning”
“Bloodbirds”
“The Grain”

SOULFLY was joined by members of BATTLECROSS, SUFFOCATION and ABNORMALITY on stage on Thursday, May 12 at the Marquis Theater in Denver, Colorado to perform a cover of the MOTÖRHEAD classic "Ace Of Spades". Video footage of the rendition can be seen below (shot by Amy Hutcheson of Resident Rock Star).

Drummer Zyon Cavalera did not play with SOULFLY on the band's recent South American tour, which concluded on April 16 in Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic's capital city. Filling in for him was Kanky Lora, who plays drums for SOULFLY guitarist Marc Rizzo's solo band.

SOULFLY's tenth studio album, "Archangel", was released on August 14, 2015 via Nuclear Blast Entertainment. The CD was produced and mixed by Matt Hyde (SLAYER, BEHEMOTH, CHILDREN OF BODOM), and features cover artwork by artist Eliran Kantor (TESTAMENT, HATEBREED, ICED EARTH, SODOM).

Plying bass for SOULFLY is Mike Leon, who was previously a member of HAVOK. Leon said: "I've been a fan of Max [Cavalera, SOULFLY mainman] and his music since I was a little kid, and to be playing with him and the guys now is truly unbelievable!"

Video footage of CHASTAIN singer Leather Leone's May 7 solo show at the Ragnarökkr Metal Apocalypse festival at Reggie's Rock Club in Chicago, Iillinois can be seen below. Her backing band consisted of David Harbour (CHASTAIN, KING DIAMOND) on bass, Jim Dofka (DOFKA) on guitar and Brian Harris (DARKOLOGY) on drums. Leather's set included material from the seven albums she made with CHASTAIN, as well as her solo effort, 'Shockwaves'.

The new CHASTAIN album "We Bleed Metal" was released last November. It was the follow-up to the band's 2013 reunion CD "Surrender To No One". That release marked the return of Leather Leone. She has long been considered one of the originators of the female power metal vocal style. Leather was the vocalist on the classic CHASTAIN albums: "Mystery Of Illusion", "Ruler Of The Wasteland", "The 7th Of Never", "The Voice Of The Cult" and "For Those Who Dare".

The Leather-fronted version of CHASTAIN recorded five CDs in the mid-to-late 1980s: 1985's "Mystery Of Illusion", 1986's "Ruler Of The Wasteland", 1987's "The 7th Of Never", 1988's "The Voice Of The Cult" and 1990's "For Those Who Dare". After the "For Those Who Dare" tour, David and Leather amicably went their separate ways but kept in touch over the years before reuniting in 2013.

Leather in 2012 released the debut album from her SLEDGE LEATHER project, "Imagine Me Alive". The CD was inspired in 2010 when Leather called Sandy Sledge to collaborate on the Ronnie James Dio track "Egypt" for a demo tribute recording. Due to the overwhelming response for more material, SLEDGE LEATHER was born and performed at Germany's Keep It True festival in April 2011.

BraveWords scribe Mark Gromen has checked in, reporting that Pure Steel Records will release the next installment from Widow entitled Carved In Stone on June 24th. 

From the label:

"Five years after Life’s Blood, the North Carolina outfit presents a brand-new album that will leave no one indifferent. Carved In Stone is the fifth album released over the last 13 years. This album marks the arrival of a new drummer, who joined the already established singers/guitarists John E. Wooten IV and Cristof Bennett. The band still plays a wonderful mix of traditional American-rooted hard rock and fine old-school metal. When listening to the songs, one cannot help but notice the qualities one would traditionally find in classics from Ozzy Osbourne, Alice Cooper, Van Halen or even hints of Lion, in a metal style that the band fully masters and even brings to new grounds. Widow will dazzle the listener with strong titles like 'Another Time And Place' or 'And We Are One'. Headbanging and fist pumping tracks like 'Wisdom' and 'Of the Blood We Bind' could even awake a dead body from its torpor. Then, like a rollercoaster, Widow slows the pace down with 'Time On Your Side', but soon sets all engines on again with songs like 'Borrowed Time' and 'Live By The Flame'."

Widow explores the neo-classical side of heavy metal and is proud to take their influences from their own experiences plus groups such as King Diamond, Crimson Glory, Warlord, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Yngwie Malmsteen. The morbid personality of each member comes together to form the unique sound of the band.

For more information and updates go to the official Widow Facebook page here.

President Obama welcomed the leaders of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden to the White House on Friday. In his remarks to Finnish president Sauli Niinistö, Obama praised Finland's heavy metal culture, saying (see video below): "I do wanna point out that Finland has perhaps the most heavy metal bands in the world per capita and also ranks high on good governance. I don't know if there's any correlation there."

Heavy metal and hard rock music continues to thrive in Finland, where bands like CHILDREN OF BODOM regularly top the chart with their single and full-length releases.

According to Slate, Finland has the most heavy metal bands per capita in the world. While Sweden and Norway have only 27 heavy metal bands per 100,000 inhabitants, Finland boasts double as much, 54 bands per 100,000.

Some claim that Finland is "the only country in the world where metal is mainstream," and people actually study Finnish and Norwegian to better understand heavy metal music.

People have speculated that the climate in Finland, which is characterized by cold, and sometimes severe, winters and relatively warm summers, has contributed to the population's disproportionately high interest in heavier forms of rock. Says the A Metal State Of Mind web site: "When someone is surrounded by cold and dark for long periods of time, it is only natural that some form of depression will start to set in. And how do many Finns combat this depression, release the negative energy, and make themselves feel more positive? Well, I can't think of one form of music more tailored to the release of the negative more than metal."

Although the suicide rates of Finland are higher than those of other Nordic countries, the number of suicides among Finnish men has gone down by 48 percent since the '90s, according to a July 2014 report in the Helsinki Times.

Longtime AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd, who last year lost his appeal against a string of convictions in New Zealand, has told Bay Of Plenty Times in a new interview that he doesn't rule out one day returning to the band once his legal problems end.

"It is up to Angus [Young, AC/DC guitarists], what he wants to do. I am limited to where I can go."

Asked about his more subdued attitude about rejoining AC/DC compared with straight after his sentence when he appeared on New Zealand TV saying he wanted to "get my job back," Rudd said: "I was over-fuelled. All over the place. I am not like that anymore. I've never felt better as a drummer or a person. I am not saying I never hope of ever playing with AC/DC again but, then again, is it even AC/DC anymore? No Bon's [Scott] beautiful voice. No Malcolm [Young, guitar]. No Brian [Johnson, vocals]."

Rudd was sentenced to eight months of home detention by a New Zealand court last July after pleading guilty to charges of threatening to kill and drug possession.

The charge of threatening to kill was the result of him reportedly trying to hire someone to "take out" his personal assistant after Rudd was angered by the poor launch of his 2014 solo debut, "Head Job".

Rudd called the charge a "complete crock of shit," although he admitted, "I wasn't handling it very well."

Rudd has seeing a court-appointed psychiatrist named Rupert Bird, who specializes in methamphetamine psychosis and who the drummer said is "helping me through my imbalances and personal issues."

"He comes here to the house about once a week," Rudd told Bay Of Plenty Times. "I have got to know him pretty well. I would even describe him as a mate. At first I'd give him lots of shit, about 'Clockwork Orange' psychiatry and all that ... but talking about everything, as well as giving up the crazy shit, means that in a funny way, being forced to do that, it has been good. I was quite happy to get the help."

Rudd was replaced in AC/DC back in February 2015 by Chris Slade.

AC/DC has been on the road since last year in support of its 16th studio album, "Rock Or Bust", which arrived in December 2014.

This album cycle has been plagued with bad luck, including the retirement of founding member Malcolm Young and longtime singer Brian Johnson being ordered to stop touring or risk going deaf.

Corey Taylor (SLIPKNOT, STONE SOUR) joined members of STONE TEMPLE PILOTS and THE CULT at last night's (Thursday, May 12) Adopt The Arts event at the Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles, California to perform classic songs from both bands. Fan-filmed video footage of his appearance can be seen below. Also available is a pre-show video interview with Taylor conducted by California Rock News.

Hosted by Jane Lynch and Matt Sorum (GUNS N' ROSES, VELVET REVOLVER), the event honored 2016 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductees Glenn Hughes (DEEP PURPLE, BLACK SABBATH) and Robin Zander (CHEAP TRICK) and featured a host of other musical guests such as:

* Gilby Clarke (GUNS N' ROSES)* Steve Jones (SEX PISTOLS)* Steve Lukather (TOTO)* Chad Smith (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS)* Geezer Butler (BLACK SABBATH)

All proceeds benefit Adopt The Arts.

Adopt The Arts is raising awareness and money to keep arts education in public schools in Los Angeles, and is gradually expanding into other cities. As in many school districts around the country, year after year LAUSD has been slowly eroding its commitment to arts education by reducing its arts education budget incrementally. According to its own numbers, LAUSD estimates that only 50% of elementary school students are getting some kind of art instruction at school. Some estimates suggest that LAUSD spends just 3 cents per child on arts education even though all scientific studies show that an education rich in the arts enhances academic performance, improves school culture, mitigates truancy and tardiness, and is instrumental in fully developing the young mind.

Adopt The Arts is focused on developing strategic relationships with educators, administrators, and board members to ensure that they are identifying the most underserved schools in the district. Each school site is "adopted" by a working artist, celebrity, or public figure. And while monetary donations are essential to Adopt The Arts' mission, personal involvement on the part of successful actors, musicians, artists and entrepreneurs is vital to the success of its program. Too many children are in great need of being exposed to inspirational people who have worked hard for their successes. The interaction between the children and adoptee creates a sense of responsibility and shared commitment from all involved.

Says Sorum: "This isn't just about your kid who may or may not be in public school; this is about our community. A lot of entertainers and wealthy people in the entertainment industry don't know what is happening in America's public schools. Adopt The Arts is shedding light on the reality of public education and providing an opportunity for people to invest in their community."

Salt Lake City's Chelsea Grin are streaming “Skin Deep”, a song from their upcoming album and Rise Records debut, Self Inflicted, which is out July 1st. Listen to the track below. Pre-orders are now live at Merch Now and iTunes.

Self Inflicted Tracklisting:

"Welcome Back"
"Four Horsemen"
"Love Song"
"Clickbait"
"Skin Deep"
"Scratching and Screaming"
"Strung Out"
"Broken Bonds"
"Life Sentence"
"Never, Forever"
"Say Goodbye"

"Skin Deep”:

"Clickbait”:

Chelsea Grin will spend their summer on the Van's Warped Tour. They will appear on the entire trek, which begins June 24th and runs through August 13th, laying waste to stages across the country.

KORN has uploaded a seven-minute video recap of the band's April 2016 tour of Mexico. Check out the footage below.

KORN is currently in the studio recording its twelfth studio album, due out later this year. The band's guitarist Brian "Head" Welch told Music Radar about the effort: "Nothing satisfies me more than this new record that we're doing right now, though. It feels like who we are, but it feels like on this record we're working on now, it feels like we've come back to what KORN started out as."

Elaborating on the new record's musical direction, Welch said: "There's a lot of aggression on this new album. We just had fun, we sat down together in a studio and jammed out for six to eight hours a day. We just wrote together in the studio. It feels like we're at a really great point in our career. It just feels like KORN."

Welch previously told Billboard.com that he and fellow KORN guitarist James "Munky" Shaffer "wanted to go heavier on the [next] record, because we're the guitar players and KORN was a guitar-heavy band. The last record that we did was me coming back. I saw them at a show, played one song with them, and a few weeks later, was in the studio with them writing new songs. We didn't have any time to hang out. To live with everyone on the road and to function in the band, with the fans and business together for three years, we really connected and felt comfortable."

Welch said in a 2015 interview with "Do You Know Jack?" that touring with SLIPKNOT in 2014 inspired KORN to get back to a heavier sound, saying, "I think it sparked and reminded everybody in the band what KORN started out to be."

CHEVELLE will release its new album, "The North Corridor", on July 8 via Sony Music. The CD was helmed by Joe Barresi, the American record engineer and producer who has previously worked with bands such as KYUSS, MELVINS, TOOL and QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE. The first single from the effort, "Joyride (Omen)", can be streamed below.

"The North Corridor" track listing:

01. Door To Door Cannibals02. Enemies03. Joyride (Omen)04. Rivers05. Last Days06. Young Wicked07. Warhol’s Showbiz08. Punchline09. Got Burned10. Shot From A Cannon

CHEVELLE has sold more than four million copies of its seven studio albums in the U.S. and scored 13 Top 10 hits at rock radio, including the chart-toppers "Send The Pain Below", "Vitamin R", "Face To The Floor" and "Take Out The Gunman".

Extreme metallers BRUJERIA are currently putting the finishing touches on their fourth album release and Nuclear Blast Entertainment debut. The band recently released a seven-inch single for Record Store Day, which sold out instantly in stores everywhere. Today BRUJERIA is offering that single, which includes the songs "Viva Presidente Trump!" and "Pared De Muerte", for sale digitally.

"The song ('Viva Presidente Trump!') was on shelf for years with no idea for vocals," states BRUJERIA vocalist Juan Brujo. "It was gonna be an 'Anti-Castro' part II song but nothing came out of it. It just needed proper motivation to go and attach itself to someone... and Trump came through!"

He continued: "I see Trump as the white Republican version of Juan Brujo circa '93. Wanting to start shit for the hell of it! That's why it's called 'Viva Presidente Trump!' We both want same thing! So much that I want to be his running mate!"

Check out the visualizer for "Viva Presidente Trump!" below.

BRUJERIA's current touring lineup includes CARCASS frontman Jeff Walker (a.k.a. El Cynico) on bass and NAPALM DEATH bassist Shane Embury (a.k.a. Hongo) on guitar.

BRUJERIA's last full-length effort, "Brujerizmo", came out in 2000 via Roadrunner.

New York City natives, Mother Feather, have released a video for the track “Mirror”, from their full length debut, Mother Feather, available worldwide today, May 13th, via Metal Blade. Order at this location. The new clip can be found below.

Mother Feather's Metal Blade debut features two new tracks combined with re-mastered versions of the band's previously released recordings, Mother Feather EP (2011), Living Breathing EP (2013).

Tracklisting:

“Living, Breathing”
“Mirror”
“Natural Disaster”
“Trampoline”
“Mother Feather”
“747”
“Beach House”
“The Power”
“They Tore Down The SK8 Park”
“Egyptology”

“Mirror” video:

“Living, Breathing” video:

“Mother Feather” video:

Lineup:

Ann Courtney - Vocals
Elizabeth Carena - Vocals & Keyboards
Matt Basile - Bass
Chris Foley - Guitar
Gunnar Olsen - Drums

The Browning could very well be heavy music's answer to the Terminator. Whereas everybody's favorite Arnold Schwarzenegger cyborg hid an exoskeleton under a sheath of skin, the Kansas City quartet - Jonny [vocals, electronics], Cody [drums], Brian [guitar], and Rick [bass] - thinly veil a hard rock edge beneath a casing of skittering electronic dance music, hip-hop grime, metallic brutality, and industrial expanse. That signature style is "back" in a big way on Isolation, their third full-length album and first for Spinefarm Records.

Isolation arrives on June 24th and it's The Browning's most ambitious offering to date.

"Over the course of the last three years, rock music is primarily all I've listened to," Jonny explains. "I've been ingesting bands like Rammstein, Disturbed, and Three Days Grace. My writing swung towards that. I knew this album was going to have more of a rock vibe. Obviously, there's still metal, but the scope has expanded. The electronics remain a big part of it. Since day one, the whole point was to not only be the heaviest electronic band, but the band with by far the most electronics."

He furthered, "Isolation is by far the best album The Browning has done yet. It has everything I wanted in it and nothing is missing. It shows how the band has progressed and matured since our last release. So, I cannot wait for the world to hear it."

The first track "Pure Evil" is streaming at Spotify. Watch this space for the "Pure Evil" video. It's coming soon.

Isolation tracklisting:

"Cynica"
"Pure Evil"l
"Isolation"
"Dragon"
"Fallout"
"Vortex"
"Spineless"
"Hex"
"Phantom Dancer"
"Cryosleep"
"Disconnect"
"Pathologic"

(Photo - Justin Reich)

Swedish medieval metal outfit, Apocalypse Orchestra, has signed with Sweden's fastest growing label, Despotz Records. The sextet, who hail from the Baltic Sea region, and utilize non traditional instruments such as lutes, bagpipes, the mandola and even the hurdy gurdy, have one leg entrenched in medieval times and the other firmly in modern metal.

Apocalypse Orchestra was formed by mult-instrumentalists Mikael (vocals, guitars, mandola, lute and cittern) and Erik (hurdy gurdy, mandola, bagpipes, backing vocals) who developed a bond over their mutual love of the unlikely combination of folk music and doom metal.  With a foundation of original music and lyrics the duo also decided to incorporate melodies stemming from as far back as the 11th century, the goal was to create a musical homage to a long gone era.

The songs tell stories of plagues, of hell and the senseless acts of war and suffering, all while weaving a romantic era thread combined with the crushing modern metal mentality that only Apocalypse Orchestra can deliver.  

The band says, "We are very happy to commence this cooperation with Despotz Records, It feels like the next logical step for us today. Despotz have shown that they understand the band and our music and have shown complete confidence in us."  

Apocalypse Orchestra have begun recording their debut album in various castles across the Swedish countryside and expect the album to see a release later in 2016. The band have uploaded a live clip that can be viewed below.

Despotz Records' Omer Akay says, "Apocalypse Orchestra is Sweden's 'Best Kept Secret' and we couldn't be prouder than to have them with Despotz."

Brazil’s Hangar have unveiled the cover art and tracklisting for their new studio album, Stronger Than Ever. More information about the album will be released soon, in the meantime check out the first details below.

Tracklisting:

“Reality Is A Prison”
“The Revenant”
“Forest Of Forgotten”
“A Letter From 1997 (MHJ)”
“Just Like Heaven”
“The Silence Of Innocent”
“Beauty In Disrepair”
“We Keep Running The Course”
“The Hangar Of Hannibal”
“Just Like Heaven” (Acoustic)