Subrosa, a BMX lifestyle brand with the goal of producing high-quality complete bikes, has partnered with SLAYER to make a series of bikes and gear. There are four collaboration bikes, the Subrosa Thunderbeast X Slayer frame and a Pivotal seat. They have a 12' balance bike, 20" BMX bike, 26" cruiser and a 700C fixed gear bike that are all available through BMX shops and mail-orders that carry Subrosa worldwide.

Subrosa brand manager Ryan Sher stated about the collection: "We couldn't think of a bigger way to celebrate our 10th year as a brand than teaming up with SLAYER to create some of the most badass BMX bikes ever seen. I am stoked, and frankly still blown away to introduce you to the Subrosa/SLAYER collaboration.

"BMX has always had love for metal. Whether it's in the headphones of riders ripping through town, background music during a contest run, or the soundtrack to some of the most famous and influential video parts, SLAYER has been a huge piece of it all.

"We are humbled and honored to be teaming up with SLAYER on this project. We wanted to create bikes that BMX riders could use and abuse, and we had to do justice to SLAYER and their fans by creating a look that would represent the band, and stand out from anything we've done before.

"The 'Cradle To Grave' theme in this collaboration project will embrace audiences from all ages because once you are a Subrosa or a SLAYER fan, you are a fan for life."

The entire Subrosa/SLAYER collection will be available worldwide in October.

For more information, visit SubrosaBrand.com.

Former Faith No More vocalist Chuck Mosley - who sang of FNM's We Care A Lot and Introduce Yourself albums - has signed a deal with THC : MUSIC who will release the Chuck Mosley (And The VUA) LP, Demos For Sale, in July through EMP Label Group/eOne in North America, EMP/SPV in Europe.

Demos is a compilation of demos and early mixes from 2009’s Will Rap Over Hard Rock For Food that the band compiled as a better representation of their initial vision for the songs.

Says Mosley: “While it was a great record for what it was, and a lot of people love it, Will Rap Over Hard Rock turned into a monster that I let get completely out of control with overdubs, over-production, my live tracks getting redone by God knows who. Demos for Sal, is a choice version of the LP, before it mutated into Will Rap Over Hard Rock for Food, a little closer to how we wanted it to be - live, dirty and punk rock.. warts and all.”

The LP will be released on July 8th on CD and July 22nd in limited edition vinyl LP formats, both of which are available for pre-order now from EMPmerch.com.

Mosley will hit the road in May and tour through 2016 with Reintroduce Yourself: An Evening With Chuck Mosley, an intimate acoustic tour playing a retrospective of songs from his storied career. Dates are as follows:

May
19 - Eau Claire, WI - The Plus 
20 - Madison, WI - The Red Zone
21 - West Chicago, IL - Cairo Ale House

June
10 - Dubuque, IA - The Venue 
11 - Colorado Springs, CO - Sunshine Studios 
12 - Denver, CO SoCo Nightlife - City Hall 
15 - Spokane, WA - The Pin 
16 - Everett, WA - Tony Vs Garage 
18 - Portland, OR - Hawthorn Lounge
19 - Seattle, WA - Fun House
24 - South Bend, IN - Smiths Downtown

July
12 - Kutztown, PA - Young Ones Records 
13 - Philadelphia, PA - Hard Rock Café 
14 - Harrisburg, PA - Federal Taphouse 
15 - Clifton, NJ - Dingbatz 
16 - Long Branch, NJ - Brighton Bar 
21 - Manchester NH - Shaskeen Pub 
22 - Northampton MA - Bishops Lounge

In September 2015, over the course of four sold-out shows, Ayreon's legendary progressive rock concept album, The Human Equation, was brought to life as a full-blown musical production at the Nieuwe Luxor theater in Rotterdam.

This limited run of performances was witnessed by die-hard fans from across the world, but now Arjen Lucassen's story can be witnessed by all, as a recording of the final night of those special evenings is being released as both a DVD and Blu-Ray package on June 17th. The Theater Equation is subtitled in nine different languages and includes nearly one-and-a-half hours of bonus content.

The Theater Equation will be available as a special edition 2CD+DVD Digipak, standalone Blu-ray, and audio-only Digital Download. Watch a new trailer below:

Arjen comments: "Even today as I write this, I am amazed and touched by how hard everyone worked and how much love and care they generously gave to make it all happen. Sometimes the dream becomes reality!"

The stage show stars Dream Theater frontman James Labrie in his original roll as "Me" and features nearly the entire cast of vocalists from the original 2004 album. The main cast is supported by a specially put-together 19-strong Epic Rock Choir. This is a unique document of an undertaking that was surely once in a lifetime.

Cast:
James LaBrie as 'Me'
Devon Graves as 'Agony'
Heather Findlay as 'Love'
Eric Clayton as 'Reason'
Magnus Ekwall as 'Pride',
Marcela Bovio as 'Wife'
Irene Jansen as 'Passion'
Anneke van Giersbergen as 'Fear',
Jermain van der Bogt (Wudstik) as 'Best Friend'
Mike Mills as 'Rage/Father'
Nienke Verboom as 'Nurse'
Peter Moltmaker as 'Doctor'
Anita van der Hoeven as 'Mom'

Band:
Ed Warby: Drums
Jeroen Goossens: Flutes and woodwinds
Johan van Stratum: Bass
Maaike Peterse: Cello
Ben Mathot: Violin
Marcel Coenen: Guitars
Freek Gielen: Guitars
Erik van Ittersum: Keyboards/synths
Ruben Wijga: Keyboards/synths
Epic Rock Choir

The Human Equation story:

After a mysterious single-car accident, the victim - a man in his late 30s - lies comatose in the hospital. Before the accident he was a powerful businessman, wildly successful by any measure but also known for his cutthroat business tactics. Now he finds himself trapped in a prison that took him a lifetime to build: the prison of his own mind.

Guarding the prison are his emotions, which have taken on vivid personas inside his mind. Some are friends, some are foes, and they all have their own agendas. Some aim to trick him or dominate him, others to comfort or inspire him. But the one objective they all share is to force him to face up to the demons of his past and the deep truths about who he is and how he's lived his life, all of which he's conveniently ignored until now. Fear, Rage, Agony, Love, Passion, Reason and Pride take turns engaging the man in this emotional warfare.

Two people hold vigil at the man's bedside: his wife and his best friend. They are desperate to understand how the accident happened and to see even the tiniest sign that the man will regain consciousness. But the man's recovery is not their only concern: is it possible that he somehow found out their secret, and that the "accident" wasn't really an accident at all? Would he ever be able to forgive them?

Will the man have the strength to face the truth about himself and the ones he loves? The story unfolds over his twenty-day emotional struggle with Fear, Rage, Agony, Love, Passion, Reason and Pride, in which each day of coma is represented by a song.

Norwegian progressive metal band, Withem, will release their new album, The Unforgiving Road, on June 3rd. Listen to the album track, “In The Hands Of A God”, streaming below:

Withem are inspired by the likes of Symphony X, Pagan's Mind, Dream Theater and Circus Maximus, concentrating heavily on melodic, memorable hooks, but still with plenty of stunning and virtuoso instrumental sections. The band debuted with The Point Of You in 2013, gathering excellent reviews from several music websites, blogs and magazines from all over the world. The release was followed by European touring with Pagan’s Mind, Circus Maximus and Seventh Wonder, and performances at both ProgPower USA and ProgPower Oslo, always with an extremely positive reception.

The new album, The Unforgiving Road sees the band perfecting their style. Withem’s gripping, melody-driven songs avoid the clichés and pitfalls of overly dramatic instrumental sections and sheer senseless complexity and instead centre on creative interplay between the musicians, while the unique vocal range of Ole Aleksander Wagenius gives the band a distinctive touch. Just like the debut album, The Unforgiving Road was produced and mixed by guitarist Øyvind Voldmo Larsen at his own Lionheart Studio, boasting powerful and bombastic production values with plenty of moments for the listener to notice the most subtle intricate parts of the songs.

"The Unforgiving Road is a the culmination of almost a year worth of composing, recording and producing. We didn't want to rush things after the first album, to avoid the usual pitfalls of "sophomore albums," says Withem guitar player and producer Oyvind Larsen. "The challenges we encountered while writing and recording can only be matched with how rewarding it feels after everything is set and done!"

"Øyvind once again took the helm for most of the composition and the whole scope of recording, mixing and producing, and we can't wait to hear everyone's reactions after they listen to the end result," adds new bassist Miguel Pereira. "We are looking forward to start promoting The Unforgiving Road with live shows right after the album is out, and meet all our friends and fans throughout the world."

The Unforgiving Road tracklisting:

“…Intro”
“Exit”
“In The Hands Of A God”
“The Pain I Collected”
“Riven”
“C'est La Vie”
“The Eye In The Sky”
“Arrhythmia”
“In My Will”
“Unaffected Love”
“Outro…”

“Arrhythmia”:

“The Pain I Collected” lyric video:

Withem lineup:

Ole Aleksander Wagenius - Vocals
Frank Nordeng Røe - Drums
Øyvind Voldmo Larsen - Guitar
Miguel Pereira – Bass

Fan-filmed video footage of SCORPIONS' May 10 performance at Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee can be seen below.

SCORPIONS have tapped Mikkey Dee, formerly of MOTÖRHEAD, to play drums on their current tour. Dee is filling in for James Kottak, who is currently on break while he seeks medical attention.

Swedish-born Mikkey Dee joined MOTÖRHEAD in 1992 and is well-respected among the rock and metal community. SCORPIONS singer Klaus Meine stated: "We would like to continue our 'Return To Forever' tour with James, but we have to realize that his health is priority. We wish James a speedy recovery and he will be back to rock with us very soon!"

Kottak rejoined the SCORPIONS on the road in November 2014, eight months after he spent a month in a Dubai, United Arab Emirates jail in April for insulting Islam.

Kottak, who had been receiving treatment for alcohol abuse, released a statement in June 2014 in which he said "this entire incident caused me to realize that it is time to stop drinking once and for all so that I can become the father, musician, and friend that I know I can be."

For some of SCORPIONS' 2014 concerts, Swedish drummer Johan Franzon filled in for Kottak.

SCORPIONS vocalist Klaus Meine told the SCORPIONS French fan club Crazyscorps in October 2014 about Kottak: "With James, you know, when he went through this unfortunate incident in Dubai, we said, 'At this point, it's good if you take a break. Not so much for us, but for yourself. And not so much being the drummer of the SCORPIONS, but for yourself being a family man. And you should go into rehab and don't think about anything else but just try to clean out yourself and come back the same James we know for so many years that's been not only our drummer, but also our friend, and a great guy.' So, giving him that time, we played this whole stretch of shows with a great Swedish drummer, Johan Franzon. And now, of course, we want James back, and we said to him, 'The door is open for you to come back. But first, it's up to you, and you have to take care about yourself, take it serious, go through a serious rehab, and then the door will be open for you.'"

Dee was originally scheduled to play drums for THIN LIZZY on the latter band's forthcoming anniversary shows planned for 2016 and 2017 but recently bowed out of the dates. He has since been replaced in that group's touring lineup by JUDAS PRIEST's Scott Travis.

The official lyric video for "Serein", a brand new song from KATATONIA, the Swedish purveyors of dark progressive rock/metal, can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's tenth studio album, "The Fall Of Hearts", which will be released on May 20 via Peaceville. The follow-up to 2012's "Dead End Kings" was recorded at Stockholm's Studio Gröndahl & Tri-lamb studio, and was produced by Anders Nyström and Jonas Renkse. Mixing and mastering duties were carried out by Jens Bogren (OPETH, IHSAHN, DEVIN TOWNSEND) at Fascination Street Studios, with Karl Daniel Lidén (SWITCHBLADE, THE OCEAN, GREENLEAF) brought in as engineer. The dramatic-yet-desolate artwork was created by longtime KATATONIA designer and illustrator Travis Smith.

"The Fall Of Hearts" track listing:

01. Takeover [07:09]02. Serein [04:46]03. Old Heart Falls [04:22]04. Decima [04:46]05. Sanction [05:07]06. Residual [06:54]07. Serac [07:25]08. Last Song Before The Fade [05:01]09. Shifts [04:54]10. The Night Subscriber [06:10]11. Pale Flag [04:23]12. Passer [06:25]

Bonus tracks:

* Vakaren [04:54] (CD/DVD & Deluxe Edition)* Sistere [04:11] (LP & Deluxe Edition)* Wide Awake In Quietus [04:59] (Digital & Deluxe Edition)

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

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

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

On December 31, 2015, legendary rock icons MÖTLEY CRÜE completed their 35-year touring career as a band with a spectacular final concert at Staples Center in their hometown of Los Angeles, California, just 10 miles from the Sunset Strip where the band's infamous and decadent career first launched. The band thrilled the sold-out arena with performances of such mega-hits as "Kickstart My Heart", "Girls, Girls, Girls", "Home Sweet Home" and "Dr. Feelgood". While not everyone was able to see their final show live, CRÜE fans can now catch all the action when Fathom Events, Live Alliance, Eagle Rock Entertainment and Tenth Street Entertainment present "Mötley Crüe: The End" in select U.S. cinemas on Tuesday, June 14 at 7:00 p.m. local time for only one night. In addition to the epic concert footage, cinema audiences will be treated to behind-the-scenes footage of the band's last global tour. Tickets for "Mötley Crüe: The End" can be purchased beginning Friday, May 13 online by visiting FathomEvents.com or at participating theater box offices. Fans throughout the U.S. will be able to enjoy the event in nearly 250 movie theaters through Fathom's Digital Broadcast Network. For a complete list of theater locations visit the Fathom Events web site (theaters and participants are subject to change). In January, 2014, MÖTLEY CRÜE held a press conference announcing their Final Tour, complete with a "cessation of touring" agreement signed by all members prohibiting any and all future live engagements under the MÖTLEY CRÜE name. MÖTLEY CRÜE's two-year concert trek, saw the band — Vince Neil (vocals), Mick Mars (guitars), Nikki Sixx (bass) and Tommy Lee (drums) — perform across five continents (North America, South America, Europe, Australia and Asia) for a total of more than 164 shows in 72 markets grossing over $100 million.

Known for their over-the-top production, MÖTLEY CRÜE did not disappoint for their last show ever on New Year's Eve: from massive, cutting-edge pyro, including Nikki Sixx's bass guitar spitting fire over 30 feet into the air, and Tommy Lee's "Crüecifly" drum roller coaster, amongst many other spectacular elements. Lead singer Vince Neil delivered an emotional "thank you" speech to the audience, while the band supplied next-level, high-octane fueled energy, ringing in the New Year on stage with thousands of balloons raining down on the crowd. The grand finale of the show included a blow-out performance of their hit single, "Kickstart My Heart" with Nikki Sixx and Vince Neil floating above the audience in far-reaching "cherry-pickers." Leaving fans in tears, the show concluded with an emotional encore rendition of "Home Sweet Home" from the second stage riser in the center of the audience. Fathom Events CEO John Rubey said: "We're excited to bring the opportunity for MÖTLEY CRÜE's legion of supporters to experience their final show and relive the magic one more time. Filled with their hard-rock anthems and unforgettable stage presentation, this show is not to be missed."

"Mötley Crüe: The End" was produced and distributed by Live Alliance and Eagle Rock Entertainment. Christian Lamb directed the concert portion. Jeff Tremaine, creator of the "Jackass" series, directed the documentary segment.

Photo credit: Dustin Jack

Canada's Headstones kicked off 2016 with the release of a 12" vinyl EP featuring the title track, "Fuck It", and the B-side "One By One". The band has released a video for "One by One", which can be viewed below.

The Sound Of Music Festival in Burlington, Ontario presents The Cult, Headstones, The Glorious Sons and more on June 11th, 2016. More artists will be announced in the coming weeks for this full day of music.

Go to this location for details and ticket links, check out the event page here for updates.

Anderson / Stolt, the brand new duo of legendary YES vocalist and singer/songwriter Jon Anderson and progressive rock veteran Roine Stolt (The Flower Kings, Transatlantic), will release their collaborative album, Invention Of Knowledge, on June 24th via InsideOut Music. A new teaser can be found below.

Jon Anderson had this to say: ".....Music is always the driving force in my life... working with such a wonderful musician as Roine Stolt made the creation of this album very unique,we are very excited with the release of Invention of Knowledge."

Roine Stolt adds: "It is not aiming at being new YES music; just new music, modern and classical, rock and ethno, tribal and orchestrated, grooving and floating. Hopefully in the true spirit of "progressive" - leaning forward, surprising and also comforting with familiar run-arounds. We've been "inventing" as we go along - Jon is an endless source of new ideas. We've been bouncing ideas back and forth for months and as a result there are probably dozens of versions of these songs. It's been a very interesting and rewarding time and the result is just insanely detailed."

InsideOut label-head Thomas Waber comments: "I have been talking to Jon for ages about making an album of ‘YES music' - as Jon calls it - and Roine seemed like the perfect guy for him to work with. I am really happy that it has finally happened and I am also thrilled with the material they have come up with. I think it will please a lot of fans!"

The idea came to life swiftly off the back of a performance from Roine's band Transatlantic, and Jon Anderson on the Progressive Nation At Sea Cruise in 2014, and was initially instigated by InsideOut Music label boss Thomas Waber. The duo set about crafting new music in the spirit of early epic works such as Tales From Topographic Oceans, Awaken & Olias Of Sunhillow, but giving it a modern twist.

Written AND recorded over the course of 1 and a half years, the tracks have been in a state of constant change as Roine and Jon swapped and refined ideas by sending tracks to each other via the internet. In March 2015, an ensemble was put together by Roine to realize the music live in the studio. Joining him there was Tom Brislin (who played on the YES Symphonic tour) and Lalle Larsson on keys, Jonas Reingold and Michael Stolt on bass and Felix Lehrmann on drums. The sessions were also bolstered by appearances from Daniel Gildenlöw, Nad Sylvan, Anja Obermayer, Maria Rerych and Kristina Westas, who all provided backing vocals.

Tracklisting:

I.  Invention of Knowledge
“Invention”
“We Are Truth”
“Knowledge”
 
II. Knowing
“Knowing”
“Chase And Harmony”
 
III.Everybody Heals
“Everybody Heals”
“Better By Far”
“Golden Light”
“Know...”

Teaser:

Arkansas Online is reporting that UK rockers Def Leppard will meet the Deaf Leopards today (May 11th), marking the end of a successful petition for the British rock band to show support for the Arkansas School for the Deaf.

Originally, the petition sought to have the band visit the school for a photo in front of a scoreboard featuring the Leopards' mascot.

“While their schedule doesn’t get them in town in time to get to the school, they’ve agreed to take a picture with the students [and] a large replica of the scoreboard at Verizon Arena,” Tyson wrote of Def Leppard on his Change.org petition.

Tatera said she is grateful that Def Leppard agreed to use its international fame to provide positive publicity for the school, calling it the "crown jewel of Arkansas."

"We're so proud for anyone to shine a light on our school, on deaf education and on the work we do here," she said, adding her hopes that the photo go viral.

In March, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported that the school has used the name Leopards since at least 1941, long before the formation of Def Leppard in 1977. Still, the coincidence was something many have found hard to ignore over the years.

Def Leppard's US Summer Tour kicked off on May 2nd in Pensacola, FL at the Pensacola Bay Center. The Live Nation promoted outing will storm through 56 cities across all parts of the US and Canada. Please see full tour routing below.

In addition to the tour, Def Leppard will be performing on Good Morning America on June 21st.

Def Leppard - Joe Elliott (vocals), Vivian Campbell (guitar), Phil Collen (guitar), Rick "Sav" Savage (bass) and Rick Allen (drums) - continues to be one of the most important forces in rock music. With 100 million records sold worldwide and two prestigious Diamond Awards to their credit, the group's spectacular concerts, filled with powerful melodic rock anthems, continue to sell out venues worldwide. For the past thirty years the band's epic live shows and arsenal of hits have become synonymous with their name, leading Def Leppard to be heralded as an institution in both the music and touring industry.

Def Leppard's influential career includes numerous hit singles and ground-breaking multi-platinum release's-including two of the best-selling albums of all time, Pyromania and Hysteria. The band's 2015 US tour was one of the year's highest grossing, hitting 70+ cities nationwide. In addition to the tour, Def Leppard debuted their self titled new album in October 2015. The album secured the #1 slot on Billboard's Top Rock Albums chart. It features the #1 Classic Rock chart single "Let's Go" and their new single "Dangerous" out now.

Tour dates:

May
11 - Little Rock, AR - Verizon Arena
13 - Greensboro, NC - Greensboro Coliseum
15 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena
17 - Allentown, PA - PPL Center
18 - Huntington, WV - Big Sandy Arena
20 - Orlando, FL - Amway Center (no REO Speedwagon)

June
22 - Boston, MA - Xfinity Center
24 - Bangor, ME - Darling's Waterfront
25 - Quebec City, QC - Videotron Centre
27 - Syracuse, NY - Lakeview Amp
29 - Hershey, PA - Hershey Park Stadium

July
1 - Indianapolis, IN - Klipsch Music Center
2 - Chicago, IL - Hollywood Casino
5 - Cincinnati, OH - Riverbend Music Center
6 - Milwaukee, WI - Summerfest
8 - Pittsburgh, PA - First Niagara Pavillion
9 - Grand Rapids, MI - Van Andel Arena
11 - Wantagh, NY - Nikon at Jones Beach
13 - Holmdel, NJ - PNC Bank Arts Center
15 - Detroit, MI - DTE Music Theatre
16 - Toronto, ON - Molson Canadian Amphitheater

August
6 - Madison, WI - Alliant Energy Center
8 - Evansille, IN - Ford Center
10 - Bristow, VA - Jiffy Lube Center
12 - Atlanta, GA - Aaron's Amphitheater
13 - Raleigh, NC - Walnut Creek Amphitheater
15 - Tampa, FL - MidFlorida Credit Amphitheater
17 - Birmingham, AL - Oak Mountain Amphitheater
19 - Austin, TX - Austin 360
20 - New Orleans, LA - Smoothie King Center
22 - Houston, TX - Cynthia Woods Pavilion
24 - Dallas, TX - Gexa Energy Pavilion
26 - Kansas City, MO - Sprint Center
27 - ST. Louis, MO - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
29 - Cleveland, OH - Blossom Music Center
31 - Darien Center, NY - Darien Lake PAC

September
14 - Billings, MT - Metra Park
16 - Salk Lake City, UT - USANA Ampitheater
17 - Denver, CO - Pepsi Center
19 - Albuquerque, NM - Isleta Amphitheater
20 - Phoenix, AZ - Ak-Chin Pavilion
22 - Irvine, CA - Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre
24 - Sacramento, CA - Toyota Amphitheater (no Tesla)
25 - Mountain View, CA - Shoreline Amphitheater
28 - Boise, ID - Taco Bell Arena
30 - Eugene, OR - Matthew Knight Arena

October
1 - Tacoma, WA - Tacoma Dome
4 - Omaha,NE - CenturyLink Center
5 - Minneapolis, MN - Xcel Center
7 - La Crosse, WI - La Crosse Center Arena
8 - Toledo, OH - Huntington Center
10 - Cedar Rapids, IA - U.S. Cellular Center

*Styx to appear

Former ANTHRAX and current ARMORED SAINT singer John Bush has slammed bands who re-record their most iconic songs, saying that he "doesn't see the point" of "going back and trying to recreate" what they did 25 years earlier.

"It's weird to me when bands go back and re-record songs and albums," Bush told Ruben Mosqueda of Sleaze Roxx. "It's like they're trying to right a wrong. To me, it's like who cares? When [ARMORED SAINT] made 'March Of The Saint', records were made and sounded like that sounds. Could we have made a better-sounding record now? Of course we could have. Why would we do that? It doesn't matter. As an old-schooler, I'd be, like, 'I don't like it as much, I don't like it as much.'"

Bush then singled out WHITESNAKE's "The Purple Album", which was billed as "a re-imagination of classic songs from David Coverdale's time as the lead singer for DEEP PURPLE's Mark III and Mark IV studio albums," as one record that didn't need to be made.

"Why?" Bush said. "For starters, it isn't [Ritchie] Blackmore playing on it. I don't care who is in the band. Ritchie Blackmore has his own style of playing. It's unique. Ian Paice also has his own style of play. I don't know. I mean, even [David's] voice sounds way different than it did then. I'm not saying it's better or worse; it's just different. I'd like to hear it live with WHITESNAKE; that's great. To just redo a bunch of stuff; I just don't see the point. I don't like it. As a musician… No, wait — as a fan, I don't like it. That's just me. [DEF] LEPPARD did the same thing, I think. That might have been for a different reason or something. Going back and trying to recreate what you did 25 years earlier in a different studio with a different mindset? Sometimes even different players? I just don't see the point?"

After he was confronted with the fact that he was involved in the making of "The Greater Of Two Evils", a collection of re-recorded older ANTHRAX tunes with Bush on vocals instead of Joey Belladonna, the singer said: "When I recorded 'The Greater Of Two Evils' — ironically enough — it wasn't too long there after that I left the band. In all honesty, knowing what I know now, I wouldn't have done it. The truth of the matter — when I sang those songs live, they were my muse and I gave them all the love I could and I enjoyed performing them. In retrospect, they didn't need to be re-recorded. I feel the same about I just said about recutting ARMORED SAINT — just with these songs, it was Joey Belladonna singing these songs. I sang those live. I was the singer in the band. I didn't need to recut them. I guess I'm telling people not to buy that record. [Laughs]"

Back in March 2010 — just a couple of months before Belladonna rejoined ANTHRAX — ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian and his wife Pearl Aday appeared on an episode of VH1's "That Metal Show" and took part in the program's "The Throwdown" feature, where the guests and the hosts debated who was the best singer for ANTHRAX: John Bush or Joey Belladonna.

Countering co-host Eddie Trunk's point that ANTHRAX was in a unique position with Belladonna in the band of being able to "play incredible speed metal" while having "someone who could sing like a bird," Ian said: "We didn't need a bird; we needed a lion."

After Pearl offered that she was a "huge fan" of "The Greater Of Two Evils", Ian said: "And that's the way we, as ANTHRAX, wanted to hear those songs."

Prosthetic Records has announced the signing of UK extreme metal outfit Abhorrent Decimation to their ever-growing roster. The quartet will begin recording new material for their debut label release later this year. Further details on the new album, expected out in 2017, will be announced in the coming months. 

Vocalist Ashley Scott commented, "We're extremely excited to hand over our next record to such a prestigious label, the guys have been great so far and we look forward to building a solid catalogue of releases with them. Prosthetic have released some of our favorite metal records over the years, so to be on a roster with the acts, past and present who produced is an incredible feeling.”
 
Formed in 2013 by Scott, Abhorrent Decimation self-released their five track debut EP, Infected Celestial Utopia which saw the group tour up and down the UK, including a run with Italian death metal legends, Hour Of Penance. Shortly after in 2015, the band released their debut full-length album Miasmic Mutation.
 
Abhorrent Decimation recently set up a preorder for the vinyl edition of Miasmic Mutation, which recently came into national spotlight due to a printer error that saw the tracklisting to the album appear on the back of UK comedian, Bernie Clifton’s, pop album. 
 
The quartet have announced a string of appearances across the UK this summer, dates are as follows:

May
28 – Southampton, UK – Southampton Annihilation Festival

June
16 – Croydon, UK – The Scream Lounge
17 – Liverpool, UK – Maguires
18 – Hitchin, UK – Club 85

August
27 – London, UK – Summerslam at The Unicorn

Atmospheric death metal unit, Lord Of War, will release its second full-length on July 8th via Unique Leader Records. The eleven track album, entitled Suffer, was engineered and mixed by Daniel Castleman and Kelly Cairns (Killswitch Engage, As I Lay Dying, Carnifex, Winds Of Plague, Molotov Solution) and mastered by Miah Lajeunesse (Whitechapel, Aegaeon).
 
Lord Of War's Suffer drags its listeners into a dark sonic realm where elements of science fiction, horror, and sheer unbridled brutality collide. Priding themselves on keeping an expansive repertoire and a "something for everyone" ethos, Suffer delivers over 45 minutes of unearthly aggression, seamlessly intertwining engaging technicality, relentless viciousness, and deadly precision. Suffer features a guest vocal appearance by Nick Arthur from Molotov Solution, a revisit of their single "Hamunaptra" from their debut album Celestial Pestilence, and cover art by Colin Marks (Whitechapel, Psycroptic, Sylosis, Origin, Suicide Silence, All Shall Perish).

Tracklisting:

“Age Of Heresy”
“Nexus Of Hate” (featuring Nick Arthur)
“Embryo”
“Suffer”
“Behold The Harvest”
“Manufactured Existence”
“Skin”
“Carbon Based Genocide”
“Hamunaptra”
“Drowning”
“Killing Must Feel Good To God”

Lord Of War is:
Alex Walshaw - guitar
Daniel Richardson - guitar
Andrew Rodriguez - vocals
Wesley Van Hook - bass
Josh Null - drums

Sharon Osbourne addressed her separation from her husband of 33 years, legendary rock singer Ozzy Osbourne, in her return on CBS's "The Talk" on Tuesday, May 10.

The 63-year-old confirmed reports that she had kicked Ozzy out of the house after he allegedly cheated on her, but added that he had now returned and she had since moved out.

A source told E! News that Ozzy had agreed to leave the couple's house at least temporarily, and that the break-up had nothing to do with Ozzy's sobriety. The BLACK SABBATH singer has reportedly been clean and sober for more than three years after falling off the wagon for an 18-month period in 2011 and 2012.

Asked if it was true that she kicked Ozzy out of the house, or if that was just "made up, "Sharon told her "The Talk" co-hosts: "No [it's not a rumor]. It's true!" As to whether or not that situation was permanent, Sharon said: "No, he's back, and I'm out of the house."

British tabloid The Sun reported that the split came about after Sharon discovered that Ozzy was having an affair with a celebrity hairstylist. A source told People that the rumors were "sort of true," but also added that they would not be surprised if the couple worked things out, saying "He'll be back."

"[Ozzy and I] are talking, I spoke to him last night," Sharon said on "The Talk". "I'm not with him, but I speak with him.

"He's given me an unbelievable life and he's given me three gorgeous children and I love him," said Sharon.

"I'm just trying to take it all in, take it all in and process it," she explained.

Sharon said she has been trying to stay away from media reports about the split.

"I've been avoiding looking at any pictures or reading anything," she said. "I know whats gone on, and I don't need to read about it, it's like putting salt in a wound and I don't need to."

Sharon had a positive outlook about her future.

"I'm doing great," she said. "I really, really am. I honestly, honestly cannot thank people enough for backing me, and for all the people at home supporting me, sending me messages of love. I honestly, honestly am empowered, and I have found this inner strength, and I'm, like, 'Right, okay, what's next? I can handle this.'"

"I don't know where I'm going, who I'm going with, and I just need time to sit and really think about myself and what do I really want for my life,' she added.

"I honestly at this point today have no idea what I'm doing with the rest of my life. I just need time to think about myself, and what do I want for the rest of my life. [I'm] getting to the last chapter of my life. I really want to think carefully about where I want to go… because I'm 63 years of age, and I can't keep living like this."

Asked if she thought that she and Ozzy were breaking up for good, Sharon said: "I honestly don't know. At this point I cannot answer that, because I don't know what I want. I've got to follow my heart, and I don't even know what my heart is telling me right now. I'm just trying to take it all in, process it and do it calmly and in a timely fashion."

KORN guitarist Brian "Head" Welch spoke to Music Radar about the progress of the recording sessions for the band's twelfth studio album, due out later this year.

"Being back in KORN is just incredible," he said. "Being back in the band for [2013's] 'The Paradigm Shift' was awesome. It meant so much to me to be back in the band and I enjoyed making that album; it was a slightly different sound for KORN. But then 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."

KORN last fall completed a North American tour on which the band performed its debut album in its entirety at every stop.

SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor has weighed in on the strange situation regarding AC/DC and singer Brian Johnson. The legendary Australian rock band postponed the last ten dates of its recent North American tour after doctors told Johnson he faced "total hearing loss." AC/DC has since announced that it will use GUNS N' ROSES singer Axl Rose as a "guest vocalist" for all remaining shows this year, with Johnson apparently not returning to the band at all.

During the question-and-answer portion of his May 8 solo show at Koko in London, England, Taylor was asked to give his opinion on the Rose-AC/DC pairing. He responded (see video below): "That's an interesting question. You're not the only one to ask me that."

He continued: "There are several ways to look at that situation. There are AC/DC fans who are, like, 'You know what? I just wanna see them play for, like, the last eight, nine shows and then see what happens.' There are other people who are, like, 'Fuck that! I don't like the way they handled the whole Brian situation,' which I can totally see. However, none of us are behind the scenes. None of us know what's been going on. None of us know anything. And I learned that lesson with the GUNS N' ROSES thing. I mean, I'm talking about… I'm a huge GUNS N' ROSES fan. So when [the classic GN'R lineup] started to kind of come back together, I was, like, 'Meh.' But then, talking to some of them, I really saw the whole picture and was, like, 'Okay, I can get behind this.'"

Taylor went on to say: "So I don't know enough about what is going on behind the scenes [in the AC/DC camp]. I can certainly appreciate the fact that Angus [Young, AC/DC guitarist] wants to finish those shows. 'Cause here's the thing you've gotta understand: he's been doing gigs since he was 17 years old. He has been giving everything — and I mean everything he's fucking got — night after night after night after night for fucking fifty years.

"Who are we, who are we to decide when it's time for AC/DC to be done or not? Am I fucking right, or am I fucking right?"

Corey added: "Is it gonna be the same? No! Nothing's ever the same. I don't think it was the same after fucking Phil [Rudd, former AC/DC drummer] left. So it's never gonna be the same. You know what I'm saying?

"For me… The biggest bumout for me is that Malcolm [Young, retired co-founding AC/DC guitarist] won't be a part of those shows; that's the saddest part of that. I mean, I feel bad for Brian, as a singer, but the saddest part of that is that Malcolm won't be a part of those last eight shows, and he fucking should be. That man has written every fucking song they did. So that's me. That's me. I can go either way with it, but because I don't know a lot about it, I'm not gonna make any judgments."

According to a Billboard.com source, Rose initially met with AC/DC members in Miami and Atlanta back in March. It was then that the decision was made to have Rose join AC/DC on tour. There was also talk of having other singers alternate with Rose, including ex-SKID ROW frontman Sebastian Bach and Nic Cester of the Australian band JET.

Rose made his live debut with AC/DC on Saturday night (May 7) in Lisbon, Portugal, and by all accounts delivered a triumphant vocal performance as fill-in for Johnson even if he was still confined to a chair onstage due to the broken foot he suffered during a GUNS show last month.

KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons has apologized for the comments he made about Prince's death.

Simmons made headlines earlier today when he told Newsweek about Prince's passing: "His drugs killed him. What do you think, he died from a cold?"

Simmons added that he still holds Prince in high regard as a musician. "I think Prince was heads, hands and feet above all the rest of them," he said. "I thought he left [Michael] Jackson in the dust. Prince was way beyond that. But how pathetic that he killed himself. Don't kid yourself, that's what he did. Slowly, I'll grant you — but that's what drugs and alcohol is: a slow death."

After Gene's comments were picked up by various news organizations, the rocker issued a statement in which he explained that his "big mouth" led him to not "express [himself] properly,” and that it came from seeing too many people in the music industry throw away their talents by abusing drugs.

Simmons's statement in its entirety:

"I just got such shit from my family for my big mouth again. 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. In my experience they've made my life, and the lives of their loved ones, difficult. I was raised in a culture/crowd where drug addicts were written off as losers, and since that's the narrative I grew up with, it's been hard to change with the times. Needless to say, I didn't express myself properly here - I don't shy away from controversy, and angry critics really don't bother me at all. If I think I'm right, I'll throw up a finger and dig my heels in and laugh. But this time, I was not. So, my apologies.

"PS: What I will say is that there is part of this that is journalists quote-mining things lve said in the past and applying it to new situations. This, too, happens often, and not just to me. So, quote mining, too, is wrong. It doesn't make my past quotes any more tactful, but still - be wary of click bait. The uglier they can make it seem, the more views they will get."

Initial toxicology tests showed the painkiller Percocet was present in Prince's body at his time of death, but autopsy and toxicology results aren't complete, and the artist's cause of death remains unknown.

pic.twitter.com/OvpB6pvES8

— Gene Simmons (@genesimmons) May 11, 2016

CHEAP TRICK singer Robin Zander, who recently expressed interest in filling in as AC/DC's frontman while Brian Johnson is battling hearing loss, was asked in a brand new interview with Radio.com if he is curious to hear what the legendary Australian hard rockers sound like with Axl Rose. Zander responded: "Uh, yeah, I'm curious, because I've known AC/DC for so long, but I wouldn't have done it if Brian was opposed to it. Brian's my neighbor, he's a friend of mine. But the thing is, I love the music, I love what they do, and if they were hard pressed, I would probably do it, but I would certainly pass it by him first, and if he was opposed to it, nah, I wouldn't do it."

Shortly before the GUNS N' ROSES frontman was announced as the temporary singer for AC/DC for their European and North American tour dates, Zander was enthusiastic about the prospect of stepping in for Johnson. He told Rolling Stone: "I'd love to do that. But I'd want the blessing of Brian. I wouldn't go there as a slap in the face to him. But if he said, 'Go ahead,' I would do it. And I'd donate the money to somebody. They're AC/DC. People want to hear those songs. Sure, they want to hear them with Brian. But if Brian isn't there, they can get someone else. I don't know what else to say, but I know I'd be heartbroken if something happened to me and I couldn't sing in CHEAP TRICK."

Rose made his live debut with AC/DC on Saturday night (May 7) in Lisbon, Portugal, and by all accounts delivered a triumphant vocal performance as fill-in for Johnson even if he was still confined to a chair onstage due to the broken foot he suffered during a GUNS show last month.

Rose was recruited for twelve European dates and ten North American concerts. AC/DC's North American shows will likely take place later this year, after Rose completes his summer tour with the reunited lineup of GUNS N' ROSES.

During an interview with BBC 6 Music, Rose stated about his future plans with AC/DC: "There's makeup dates in the States, and if I don't get thrown out before then, I'm looking forward to doing [them]. I think after that, it's about what they wanna do. I'm in if they want me in, and we'll sort it out, but right now that's getting ahead of ourselves with everything else that's on the table."

CHEVELLE has set "The North Corridor" as the title of its next studio album, tentatively due in July. 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)", is expected to arrive later this week.

It's not clear at the moment how the band will be releasing the new album. "La Gargola" was the last on its original contract with Sony Music, and frontman Pete Loeffler told The Pulse Of Radio at the time he was not sure how the band would proceed after that. "You know, in a perfect world, we'd like to just do it all on our own," he said. "I think that's what every band probably, after five or six records, probably wants to do. I mean, you want more control — I mean, I do. Hey, I'd love to put out my own music. If that can be possible, we would probably do it."

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".

KISS frontman Paul Stanley has taken to Twitter to distance himself from comments that his bandmate, Gene Simmons, made about Prince.

Simmons made headlines earlier today when he told Newsweek about Prince's death: "His drugs killed him. What do you think, he died from a cold?"

Simmons added that he still holds Prince in high regard as a musician. "I think Prince was heads, hands and feet above all the rest of them," he said. "I thought he left [Michael] Jackson in the dust. Prince was way beyond that. But how pathetic that he killed himself. Don't kid yourself, that's what he did. Slowly, I'll grant you — but that's what drugs and alcohol is: a slow death."

After Gene's comments were picked up by various news organizations, Stanley tweeted: "Embarrassed by cold clueless statements re Prince's death. Without all the facts better to say nothing. My apologies." He also added a link to the Newsweek article containing Gene's quotes.

Initial toxicology tests showed the painkiller Percocet was present in Prince's body at his time of death, but autopsy and toxicology results aren't complete, and the artist's cause of death remains unknown.

Embarrassed by cold clueless statements re Prince's death. Without all the facts better to say nothing. My apologies https://t.co/Arb5XQ4o7l

— Paul Stanley (@PaulStanleyLive) May 10, 2016

Femme Fatale is releasing their long awaited second album, One More For The Road, on FnA Records this spring.  The album was recorded back in 1989/'90 with the original band members and has never seen the light of day…until now. One More From The Road picks up right where the debut release left off.

In 1988, Femme Fatale made some big noise on radio and MTV with two very popular songs and videos - “Waiting For The Big One” and “Fallin’ In And Out Of Love” from their first release on MCA Records. There was a US tour with Cheap Trick and dates in the UK and heavy rotation for the videos.
MCA was ready for a second release from the band and had them writing with outside writers and rehearsing once they got back from the tour.

“Yeah, it was all really exciting to think we were going to get back in the studio since we had really cut our teeth out on the road,” says Lorraine Lewis – singer and songwriter for the band. “I was having writing sessions with some really great L.A. songwriters like Wes Arkeen (considered the 6th member of Guns N’ Roses who co-wrote “It’s So Easy” with Duff McKagan) and Jack Conrad (Heart, John Waite). There were big plans for this baby band and an industry buzz had been established primarily from Femme Fatale’s popular videos and their live shows.

“When we thought we had written a good number of songs we liked, we booked some time at a rehearsal studio in the valley to record our demos for the label,” says Lewis. “The boys had been working hard on arrangements & I was busy spending my time hanging out with Sunset Strip bands like D’ Molls & Poison, and Rock City Angels. We asked our friend Toby Wright, also from Albuquerque to come down to help with the recording.”

Toby was the engineer for “heavy hitters”- Ron Nevison (Heart) and Mike Clink (Guns N’ Roses). The result of this studio time was a bunch of rough demos that the band was going to present to MCA records, to show them where Femme Fatale was heading.  With a changing musical landscape and new record personnel, the band was ultimately dropped from the label. Move twenty-five years forward and those demos were still closely guarded by Lorraine, stored away in between the pages of To Kill A Mockingbird.  

Lorraine Lewis states, “Thanks to FnA Records, this long time lost gem is finally seeing the light of day! These recordings are raw, rough, and have a live feel to them. They have been mastered by F n A Records and it is important to note that even though the quality is not perfect, these recordings were made over a quarter of a century ago with the original members of Femme Fatale!”

One More For The Road, contains 14 blistering tracks with obvious Femme Fatale hits like “Lady In Waiting”, “Don’t Mean Nothin’” and “Til It’s Shot” and the power ballad “Buried Alive”.  Additionally, we hear Lorraine Lewis’ voice on her mesmerizing version of Janis Joplin’s “Piece Of My Heart.”

One More For The Road tracklisting:
“Don't Mean Nothing”
“Lady In Waiting”
“I Know”
“One More for the Road”
“Buried Alive”
“The Alley”
“Fallen Child”
“Til It's Shot”
“Ain't Nothing Better”
“Another Piece of My Heart”
“I’m Back”
“Sacred Bible”
“Stiffed”
“Lost Generation”

For audio samples visit this location.

Femme Fatale on this recording were:
Bill D’Angelo – lead guitar
Mazzi Rawd – rhythm guitar, keyboards, back up vocals
Rick Rael – bass, back-up vocals
Bobby Murray – drums, back up vocals
Lorraine Lewis – lead vocals, back up vocals

After a three-year hiatus from the music world, forer HINDER singer/songwriter Austin John Winkler is back with the release of his highly anticipated solo EP titled "Love Sick Radio".

Having sold millions of albums, with numerous hits under his belt, including HINDER's breakthrough hit "Lips Of An Angel", Winkler is ready to share with the world what he's doing musically now.

Winkler's lyrics, distinctive voice and passion for music is stronger than ever with his new modern twist on rock and roll. The six-song EP, featuring guest appearances by Sophie Summers and country star Jessie James Decker, was released on April 22.

"It's a very exciting time for me", says the Oklahoma City native. "It's been a long time in the making and I think a lot of people will be pleasantly surprised at the musical direction I took when I stepped into the studio to make this record. It's quite a bit different from HINDER or anything that I've ever done."

After parting ways with HINDER in 2013, Winkler began to take a different approach to songwriting. Instead of trying to adapt what he thought his fans wanted to hear, Winkler decided to take some risks and embrace his creative freedom as a solo artist. Winkler started his solo project with a clean slate and one thing in mind, "To be as open and honest as I can be with nothing to lose!"

Winkler dove into this project wearing all of his musical influences on his sleeve and never looked back. He grew up listening to everything from THE ROLLING STONES, AEROSMITH, GUNS N' ROSES, HEART and Elton John to SUBLIME, Michael Jackson, Biggie Smalls and Eminem, just to name a few.

"I hope people love the new sound and songs I've written...but no matter what, I am proud of these songs and hope they in some way connect with my fans both old and new," he says. "These songs really helped me get through some tough times and I hope they can also help anyone who can relate to these topics."

"Love Sick Radio" track listing:

01. Clique 2 Follow02. The Plague (feat. Sophie Summers)03. Carry You04. Howlin' (feat. Jessie James Decker)05. Road To Paradise06. Hate That I'm Loving You

Roadrunner Records group, Kvelertak, are streaming their new album Nattesferd at Rolling Stone.

The band recently debuted their official music video for “1985”. Directed, written and edited by longtime collaborator Fredrik S. Hana, the video for “1985” follows the tracks narrative of a cold dystopian future.

Hana commented on the video stating, “In my third collaboration with Kvelertak, I wanted to make a music video where the story and characters took the center stage. The video revolves around a micro-community, a four man cult, where a deep and twisted friendship lies beneath it all. They don’t see themselves as a part of the normal society and decide to honor their differences in a unique fellowship. We follow the character’s growing addiction to push limits, and in the end, their incompetence to see any real consequences with their actions. I wanted to get across the fantastic feeling of being a part of something, but also the dangers of not daring to take a stand, to just swim along with the current.”

Pre-orders for Nattesferd are available now at Kvelertak.com with all orders receiving an instant grat download of “1985”. Nattesferd arrives everywhere May 13th (album art below).

"Berserkr":

"1985":

Recorded live in Oslo, Norway’s Amper Tone Studio, Nattesferd is produced by Kvelertak and mixed / engineered by Nick Terry (Lindstrøm, Turbonegro, The Libertines). It is the first of Kvelertak’s albums to be recorded in their home country of Norway.

Tonight Kvelertak begin their North American headline tour, which includes special guests Torche and label mates Wild Throne. The dates will see the band traversing west through early May (tour itinerary below). Tickets for all dates are on sale now. For more information visit this location.

Tour dates:

April
12 - Portland, ME - Port City Music Hall
13 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza
14 - Philadelphia, PA - Underground Arts
15 - Pittsburgh, PA - Altar Bar
16 - Washington, DC - DC Brau
17 - Cambridge, MA - Middle East – Downstairs
19 - Montreal, QC - l’Astral
20 - Toronto, ON - The Opera House
21 - Columbus, OH - A&R Music Bar*
22 - Pontiac, MI - Crofoot Ballroom*
23 - Chicago, IL - Bottom Lounge
24 - Minneapolis, MN - Mill City Nights
25 - St. Louis, MO - The Ready Room
26 - Lawrence, KS - Granada Theatre
28 - Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater
29 - Salt Lake City, UT - In The Venue
30 - Boise, ID - Neurolox

May
1 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon
2 - Vancouver, BC - Rickshaw Theatre
3 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theatre**
5 - San Francisco, CA - The Independent
6 - Los Angeles, CA - Henry Fonda Theater

* - No Torche / Mutoid Man is support
** - Support is TBD

Party Smasher Inc., the multi-faceted collective founded by Ben Weinman (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, GIRAFFE TONGUE ORCHESTRA), has announced a global partnership with Cooking Vinyl.

A network for cultural saboteurs of various disciplines — music, art, fashion, and beyond — Party Smasher was established by Weinman in 2009 as a way to unite and empower creative people doing things their own way. He explains: "I was well into my twenties, with a college degree and a corporate job, playing music with no intention of generating money or some massive fanbase. Before I had even realized it, I was making 100% of my living creating art. How did this happen? Because we ignored 'the rules.' It wasn't until I started living my artistic life with that mindset that I became a responsible creator — one who could move people through honest expression. And that is what Party Smasher Inc. is all about. We are here to celebrate the artists that are following their own path, undeterred by the trends."

One of the many ventures currently in motion under the Party Smasher Inc. umbrella is a record label with three heavy-hitting releases in 2016:

* GIRAFFE TONGUE ORCHESTRA (GTO) is the brainchild of William DuVall, lead singer of rock superstars ALICE IN CHAINS; Brent Hinds, lead guitarist of heavy metal giants MASTODON; and Ben Weinman, founder and lead guitarist of THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN. The band plays its inaugural live shows at the Reading and Leeds festivals in the U.K. this August, and releases its debut album this year via Party Smasher Inc.

* With five studio albums and countless tours around the globe, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN have ascended from the underground to become one of the biggest names in metal and hardcore, all while maintaining a strong DIY ethic. With coverage in mass media from Rolling Stone to The New York Times, Billboard chart status, performances on network television such as "Late Night With Conan O'Brien", and tours with the likes of NINE INCH NAILS, SOUNDGARDEN, and DEFTONES, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN is often cited as one of the most important bands to have emerged over the last decade and a half. The band is at work on its sixth album now, to be released this year on Party Smasher Inc.

* One of the definitive up-and-coming bands in today's Brooklyn scene, post-hardcore outfit PRIMITIVE WEAPONS' new, sophomore album, "The Future Of Death", was released digitally by Party Smasher Inc in April, with CD and LP versions coming this summer. An 8.0 review on Pitchfork hails "The Future Of Death" as "a balance of brains, brawn, and heart"; NPR Music has declared, "the New York band is adept at mixing metallic violence with eerie, melodic sweetness."

Founded in London in 1986, now in its 30th year, Cooking Vinyl has evolved into one of the world's leading independent labels, with a current roster boasting Marilyn Manson, Billy Bragg, THE CRANBERRIES, THE PRODIGY, and more. The partnership between Cooking Vinyl and Party Smasher Inc. will help the label expand into new realms, and to continue to be one of the top tastemaker indie labels.

Rob Collins, director of Cooking Vinyl, expressed his excitement for the deal: "We share the vision that Party Smasher has. They bring the art, we bring muscle. I couldn't be more excited about this partnership."

Howie Gabriel, of the newly launched Cooking Vinyl America, shared in the sentiment: "We're excited to have Party Smasher Inc.'s DIY ethic, along with Cooking Vinyl's independent focus, to bring both labels to a larger global audience."

DEVIL YOU KNOW, the band fronted by former KILLSWITCH ENGAGE singer Howard Jones, has recruited drummer Nick Augusto (ex-TRIVIUM) to sit behind the kit for the group's upcoming tour with HATEBREED and DEVILDRIVER starting this Friday, May 13.

DEVIL YOU KNOW guitarist Francesco Artusato states: "We are very excited to start this next tour with Nick. I toured with him in the past and I'm really looking forward to play some great shows with him.

"We also are just wrapping up our first nationwide headlining tour with ONI, which has been going extremely well. We are red hot and firing on all cylinders, so we can't wait to join up with the mighty HATEBREED and DEVILDRIVER to play in front of some new faces, as well as many familiar ones. Be sure to come by our merch booth after the set to check out all new items and hang with us. Let's do this."

Augusto adds: "I'm honored to be on board as DEVIL YOU KNOW's touring drummer for this massive HATEBREED and DEVILDRIVER tour. As being a fan of everyone in the band's previous projects, I feel like my style will add another piece to the already growing expansion of their big, heavy and catchy sound. I am very excited to play their material live and see the reaction of their fans, and what kind of energy surfaces from these upcoming shows! Come out and have a good time with us. See you out there."

DEVIL YOU KNOW recently launched a live performance music video for the song "Consume The Damned", which features all footage from the band's 2015 European fall tour with FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH and PAPA ROACH. The track is taken from DEVIL YOU KNOW's sophomore album, "They Bleed Red", which was released on November 6, 2015 via Nuclear Blast.

Produced by Josh Wilbur (AVENGED SEVENFOLD, LAMB OF GOD, KILLER BE KILLED), "They Bleed Red" is a breakneck paced trip through DEVIL YOU KNOW's broken psyche, struggles with anxiety, and ultimate triumph against adversity, all laid upon a foundation of high-level artistic achievement and vitriolic full throttle heavy metal fury.

In a recent interview with Australian Musicians Network, Jones stated about "They Bleed Red": "With the first album… We wrote and recorded that album without ever having played in the same room together, so it's kind of unique. But yeah, we've been spending a lot of time together on the road, planes and just doing our thing… getting to know each other well. And I remember [saying on] the first tour, 'We've gotta make a heavier album this time,' That was definitely the plan. Just also make songs that are fun to play live and that we are really happy with, that are a challenge to write and craft — whether they are heavy or not as heavy, even though, most of the album is pretty heavy. We wanted songs that would be easy to listen to, easy to enjoy, and fun to play."

He added: "Spending time on the road together, sitting on a plane, and sitting inside a smelly van, watching TV on a bus together, hanging out in each other’s houses and things like that, you get to know each other and you get this bond. And it definitely made things easier. One difference is that I was so much more prepared before I went into the studio for this one. And getting to know each other, and knowing exactly what direction we want to take with the album."

Corners Of Sanctuary (COS) has announced the official release of their latest music video "Tomorrow Never Comes". The song appears on their current album, Metal Machine, released via Metalizer Records from Germany. The new video is the third installment in the album's film campaign following last December's "Left Scarred" and March's "Wrecking Ball" releases.

Corners of Sanctuary guitarist Mick Michaels has checked in with the following comment: "It has been such a positive experience for us, as a unit and as individuals, to work in a medium that visually creates a new interpretation and perspective to the music. Videos like these offer an artist yet another outlet to present their craft to a wider audience while at the same time elevating the creative prospects for future endeavors".

"Tomorrow Never Comes," as with the two previous videos, was produced and directed by Philadelphia-area Indie filmmaker Zen Say who stated: "’Tomorrow Never Comes’ centers on the entire group this time around. The previous films focused primarily on Frankie, at the request of the band, as a way to highlight his role as the front person. But this time we spaced things out."

When asked of his experience working with the band on three successive projects, Zen Say offered the following, "Having the honor and opportunity to work on a consecutive trilogy of music videos with Corners of Sanctuary has created a unique artistic experience for me and my medium," he continued. “They bring as much visually to the table as they do musically.”

COS bassist James Pera stated: The video was filmed on various historical outdoor locations within Montgomery County, located in the band's home state of Pennsylvania, over the course of a two-day guerrilla type shoot setting. Portions of the video were filmed under one of the county's oldest and tallest arch bridges. "There's uniqueness to the landscape here in PA... so much history. The energy is inspiring."

COS vocalist Frankie Cross added: "I simply love the fact that this video is another chapter in the COS Metal Machine book. The song itself is a darker rocker… heavier in substance, reflective and poignant… sometimes dealing with the juxtaposition of choice, fate and consequence. Making this video proved challenging. The desolate, unstable terrain proved to be the right setting, but presented its obstacles such as falling rocks, thorns and thistles, wild beasts, a roaring river, threatening natives… felt like the Road Warrior meets the Hungry Like the Wolf video. For art sake, we persevered. My band of warriors fought the good fight and at the end of the shoot, we patched our wounds, collected our dead and realized history was made!”

Corners Of Sanctuary is currently supporting Metal Machine with the Wrecking Ball Tour including a Midwest US excursion in May, along with performing as part of this summer's Metal Eternal Fest Tour followed by a US West Coast string of shows in the fall. A new crowdfunding page has been created to assist in supporting the band’s efforts and is now live, here.

Fans’ financial support is being gifted with several Official COS Metal Machine Merchandise Packages which include autographed photos and CDs, concert shirts, patches and supporters having their names listed on the COS website.

Dates:

May
12 - The Wire - Berwyn, IL
13 - The Headquarters - Indianapolis, IN
14 - New Dodge Lounge - Hamtramck, MI
21 - Diane’s Cafe - Pittston, PA
28 - Metal Eternal Fest Tour - Ardmore, PA

June
14 – Kung Fu Necktie – Philadelphia, PA
21 – The Fire – Philadelphia, PA
23 – Metal Eternal Fest – The Depot – Baltimore, MA
30 – OpiumFest – The Bar – New Bedford, MA

August
6 – Metal Eternal Fest – The Oddity Bar – Wilmington, DE
20 – The New Penny – Scranton, PA

September
9 – Cherry Street Station – Wallingford, CT

"Tomorrow Never Comes" video:

“Left Scarred” video:

Winnipeg-based dark metal band Noire have announced they will be releasing their new EP, The Tracks Of The Hunted this summer. The EP consists of five tracks that blend dark, acoustic based music with black metal. More details, including a specific release date, will be revealed about the new EP in the coming weeks. The album's artwork can be seen below:

The band has also announced that they will be embarking on a Western Canadian tour this summer which will include an appearance at the legendary Armstrong Metal Fest.

Dates:

July
2 – Winnipeg, MB – The Windsor Hotel
6 – Calgary, AB – Distortion Live Music
7 – Edmonton, AB – Brixx
8 – Vancouver, BC – The Astoria
9 – Penticton, BC – The Legion
10 – Victoria, BC – Logan’s Pub
11 – Nanaimo, BC – The Cambie
14 – Prince George, BC – The Art Space
15-17 – Armstrong Metal Fest
21 – Red Deer, AB – The Vat
23 – Regina, SK – TBA 

Illinois-based downtempo/groove metallers, Yüth Forever, have announced the release of their sophomore effort, Skeleton Youth Forever, on June 3rd via Prosthetic Records. A new single, "Wrath", is streaming below.

Featuring 13 songs of groove-laden, dark electronic, angst-filled mood metal, Skeleton Youth Forever is a collection of jarring contrasts between sullen, somber honesty and energetic, emotional aggression. The album is an experience that embodies what it is to live and grow - introspective, intense and honest from start to finish, Skeleton Youth Forever is an album for the Youth, by the Yüth.

Skeleton Youth Forever will mark the bands sophomore effort, following 2015's debut Freudian Slip, and was produced by longtime friend, Sam Bottner (Barrier).

Vocalist Devin MacGillivary commented, "We chose him [Bottner] because he produced 10 Code and Extortion and he absolutely KILLED it on both of those. Also, because he's one of our best friends, and it only felt right (for nostalgic purposes) to go with someone we were so close with and who had already spent so much of his time helping us further our band.”

MacGillivary also gave insight on what listeners can expect from the new material, “I think this is a good combination of our previous releases sprinkled with a lot of new innovation in terms of what we did with the songs. There are a lot of weird or funky parts that I wrote because I was really into disco music at the time. To me, a lot of the record just makes me want to dance.”

Get a taste of Skeleton Youth Forever and take a listen to the stream of the albums debut single "People Pleaser" in the below lyric video. Grab a digital pre-order of Yüth Forever's new album via Bandcamp and you'll receive an instant download of "People Pleaser". You can also pre-order a copy on CD here.

Tracklisting:

“Suicidal Pistol Grip Pump”
“People Pleaser”
“SYF”
“Love”
“Bitterromantic Pt. 3”
“Do You?”
“Growing Pains”
“Warmth”
“Inseperable”
“The Song I Wrote For You”
“Innocence”
“Villains”
“Forever”

"Warmth":

“People Pleaser” lyric video:

Yüth Forever will perform a series of headlining gigs at the end of the month with support from Minneapolis' Roads of Glass. Previously the band has been seen alongside the likes of Reflections, Barrier, Toothgrinder, The Browning, This or the Apocalypse, Kingmaker, Demolisher, Structures, Betrayal, Counterparts, Gift Giver, Dark Sermon and Monuments.

Catch them at one of their upcoming shows listed as follows:

May
23 - Chicago, IL - The Fallout
24 - Lacrosse, WI - The Warehouse
25 - Burnsville, MN - The Garage
26 - Omaha, NE - The Lookout Lounge

Yüth Forever is:

Devin - Vocals
Reese - Guitars
Trevor - Guitars
Eric - Bass
Zack - Drums

KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons spoke to Newsweek about the recent deaths of music legends of David Bowie and Prince. He said: "Bowie was the most tragic of all because it was real sickness." As for Prince, "his drugs killed him," Simmons explained. "What do you think, he died from a cold?"

Initial toxicology tests showed the painkiller Percocet was present in Prince's body at his time of death, but autopsy and toxicology results aren't complete, and the artist's cause of death remains unknown.

Simmons added that he still holds Prince in high regard as a musician. "I think Prince was heads, hands and feet above all the rest of them," he said. "I thought he left [Michael] Jackson in the dust. Prince was way beyond that. But how pathetic that he killed himself. Don't kid yourself, that's what he did. Slowly, I'll grant you — but that's what drugs and alcohol is: a slow death."

The 66-year-old KISS rocker, who claims to have "never been high or drunk," says he will never understand why so many iconic musicians fall into drug abuse. "The one question I have is: When we all start out and we have these big dreams and you finally get your wish. You have more money than God and fame. What is that insane gene in us, well, a lot of us, that makes us want to succumb to the cliché of clichés: drugs and alcohol?"

Simmons also said that he is planning on being around for a while. "At some point, my hair and teeth are gonna fall out," he said. "At some point, you'll see pathetic Gene Simmons at 80 years old with a colostomy bag and a wheelchair. I'll grant you it'll be a studded wheelchair and I'll have a hot nurse wheeling me around. … I really enjoy getting up every day. If it means at the end I become a pathetic version of what I am, so be it. My gravestone will not say: 'I wish I woulda, shoulda, coulda.'"