Late MOTÖRHEAD frontman Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister has been immortalized in the form of a character in Grand Theft Auto V. You can now play the game as Lemmy himself and can do things that Lemmy enjoyed, including smoking, drinking, and playing guitar. There is even the option to spawn prostitutes who follow Lemmy around, if you're into that sort of thing.

Lemmy, who celebrated his 70th birthday on Christmas Eve (December 24), learned two days later that he was afflicted with an aggressive form of cancer. He died on December 28 in Los Angeles.

MOTÖRHEAD was revered by both metal and punk fans, and Lemmy was considered an icon for his musical talent and his embodiment of the rock and roll lifestyle.

Lemmy had been dealing with serious health issues for the past two years, including getting a pacemaker in 2013 and suffering from a hematoma in 2014. But despite 40 years of hard living and drinking, he continued to tour and record at a feverish pace.

The band was forced to cancel or postpone a number of shows last year due to Lemmy's poor health, which also forced him to cut back on his drinking and give up smoking.

Guitar icon Zakk Wylde will release "Book Of Shadows II" on April 8 via Entertainment One Music (eOne Music). Zakk's first solo release in 20 years is the highly anticipated follow-up to 1996's "Book Of Shadows", a classic album Wylde released between his work with Ozzy Osbourne that has since become a fan favorite. "Book Of Shadows II" was recently named as one of the "Most Anticipated Metal Releases of 2016" via RollingStone.com.

Wylde has been feverishly working on new material since he wrapped up BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's "Unblackened" spring tour last year. All songs on "Book Of Shadows II" were recorded and produced at Wylde's home studio, The Black Vatican, where several of Wylde's recent releases were made. The new effort will be followed by a wave of tour dates, to be announced soon.

Speaking to the Phoenix New Times, Zakk said: "For the 'Book Of Shadows II' record, we ended up having about 40 basic tracks we put down. It's an immersive-type style for BLACK LABEL. You know, acoustic, piano, but electric guitar in there as well."

Released in 1996, and reissued by Spitfire in 1999 with the bonus disc containing "Evil Ways" (the Japanese bonus track from the album's original release), "The Color Green" and "Peddlers of Death" (an acoustic version of a track that appeared on BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's "Sonic Brew"), "Book Of Shadows" showed a different side of Zakk's songwriting output, with Wikipedia describing it as "an introspective and mostly acoustic [effort] recalling many of the lighter moments from his previous project, PRIDE & GLORY, as well as classic folk rock artists such as Neil Young."

In an interview with Rough Edge, Zakk stated about the creation of the original "Book Of Shadows" album: "The thing is that I had all these tunes from [OZZY OSBOURNE's] 'Ozmosis' record, you know. Aside from writing all the fuckin' heavy shit because at the time we were doing 'My Jekyll Doesn't Hide' and the 'Perry Mason' stuff. And then 'Thunder Underground', just like fuckin' pure riff fuckin' music. So, aside from doing that, I always had acoustic around because it's just great for your chops. You know, you sit down and jam on an acoustic when you pick up an fuckin' electric guitar it's like fuckin' lightning."

He continued: "So I'd be jammin' on an acoustic all the time and I'd have all these ... I'd just be dickin' around writing songs all the time. So whether I'm writing riffs all the time or I'm writing regular flat-out songs, I just had all these tunes and I was like, man, it's like fuckin' beer-drinking music at the end of the night, you know? I had all these tunes lying around and that's when Geffen… they asked me to do another album. I tried to get out of it, because I owed them, like, three records when I signed with them, so we did the PRIDE & GLORY thing and then [A&R guru John] Kalodner left and went to Sony and it was just like fuckin'… I didn't know what the fuck was going on. Let's put it this way: They wanted me there about as much the Pope wanted to have lunch with fuckin' Anton LaVey, man. Which was basically not gonna ever fuckin' happen. The whole thing was, like, 'We gotta get outta here, man.' So we did the 'Book Of Shadows' thing."

Zakk added: "I tried to get off the label but it was more cost effective for them to have me go in an do another fuckin' record, so we ended up doing the record and after that, Ozzy called and said, 'Dude, you wanna do this 'Ozmosis' record?' so I was jammin' with... Actually, I got it backwards here. Fuckin' 'Book Of Shadows' was after the 'Ozmosis' record. In between jammin', we'd go back to trackin' the stuff and I'd go back to this bar that was right next to the hotel and I'd be in there until, like, six in the morning drinking with everybody. They'd be, like, 'Dude, go get your fiddle and play us a fuckin' tune.' So I'd be jammin' for 'em — I'd be playing all this new shit for 'em. You know, that's pretty much how that record came about."

Zakk Wylde is no stranger to showing the lighter, introspective side of his music, having previously released two BLACK LABEL SOCIETY albums of stripped down material. "The Song Remains Not The Same" came out in 2011 and included acoustic versions of songs originally released on "Order Of The Black" and 2013's "Unblackened", a live acoustic album that was recorded live at Club Nokia in Los Angeles.

Zakk will also be in full participation in this year's NAMM convention taking place at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California January 21-24. Zakk's newly minted line of guitars known as Wylde Audio will be on full display in Room 210-D and he will be signing from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, January 22.

ZAKK SABBATH, a BLACK SABBATH tribute band featuring Wylde, bassist Rob "Blasko" Nicholson (OZZY OSBOURNE, ROB ZOMBIE) and drummer Joey Castillo (DANZIG, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE) will play at The Grove of Anaheim on Saturday, January 23.

Vancouver, BC-based heavy metal / stoner rock band, Black Wizard, will release their new album, New Waste, on January 29th via Listenable Records. The band is streaming the new track, "Harsh Time", below. Elaborates drummer Eugene Parkomenko of the track, "This is one of our favorites. It's a wicked tune that captures the vibe of the whole record. So make sure to crank up the volume and get a drink going, 'cause it's a ripper!"

Black Wizard formed in 2009 between four high school friends. Founding members Adam Grant and Eugene Parkomenko, still in the original lineup, were both working a shitty construction job at the time, cranking the likes of Thin Lizzy, Deep Purple, Witch, Electric Wizard as loud as possible to get through the day on site.

Black Wizard is now releasing their brand new record, New Waste, and will be touring the US and Europe again in the next six months.

Tracklisting:

“Revival”
“Harsh Time”
“Laughing and Lost”
“Vivian Girls”
“Eliminator”
“Unnecessary Evil”
“Waiting For”
“The Priest”
“Final Ripper”

"Harsh Time":

(Photo - Milton Stille)



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Saigon Kick guitarist Jason Bieler has released another new song via his Owl Stretching side-project. He has posted the following update:

"So strange that I wrote and recorded this song on Friday (January 8th) and did this Bowie fame vocal nod that I was going to take out just because it was, well, a rip, but now I will leave it in as a small nod to the genius." 

True Love by Owl Stretching

Saigon Kick recorded a cover of the David Bowie classic "Space Oddity" for their Water album in 1993 featuring Bieler on lead vocals (check it out below). Bieler checked in with a tribute to Bowie, who passed away at 69 on January 10th following an 18 month battle with cancer.  

"Getting a message that David Bowie thought a cover you did 'was really good' was a massive career highlight, even if he was just being kind. Knowing that in some microscopic way we briefly crossed paths is like saying you shared a cup of coffee with Dali or rode the train with John Lennon, irrelevant in their worlds but life changing in yours. I had no idea he was that ill when I posted about him on Friday (January 8th). I spent the entire weekend listening to the Blackstar album over and over, talking with my daughter about how amazing it is to be that current, cutting edge and relevant for so long... as he is on her playlists as much as mine. Music and life done right…well done Mr. Bowie."

Bowie was an influential singer-songwriter and producer dabbled in glam rock, art rock, soul, hard rock, dance pop, punk and electronica during his eclectic 40-plus-year career. He just released his 25th album, Blackstar, on January 8th, which was his birthday.

Bowie’s artistic breakthrough came with 1972’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, an album that fostered the notion of rock star as space alien. Fusing British mod with Japanese kabuki styles and rock with theater, Bowie created the flamboyant, androgynous alter ego Ziggy Stardust.

Three years later, Bowie achieved his first major American crossover success with the No. 1 single “Fame” off the top 10 album Young Americans, then followed with the 1976 avant-garde art rock LP Station to Station, which made it to No. 3 on the charts and featured top 10 hit “Golden Years.”

Other memorable songs included 1983’s “Let’s Dance” — his only other No. 1 U.S. hit — “Space Oddity”, “Heroes”, “Changes”, “Under Pressure”, “China Girl”, “Modern Love”, “Rebel, Rebel”, “All the Young Dudes”, “Panic in Detroit”, “Fashion”, “Life on Mars”, “Suffragette City” and a 1977 Christmas medley with Bing Crosby.

Born David Jones in London on Jan. 8, 1947, Bowie changed his name in 1966 after The Monkees’ Davy Jones achieved stardom. He played saxophone and started a mime company, and after stints in several bands he signed with Mercury Records, which in 1969 released his album Man of Words, Man of Music, which featured “Space Oddity,” a poignant song about an astronaut, Major Tom, spiraling out of control.

In an attempt to stir interest in Ziggy Stardust, Bowie revealed in a January 1972 magazine interview that he was gay — though that might have been a publicity stunt — dyed his hair orange and began wearing women’s garb. The album became a sensation.

Bowie also enjoyed a long career as an actor, with memorable roles in The Man Who Fell to Earth, Labyrinth, The Hunger, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me and The Prestige, among others.

Read more here.



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Warrant has published old footage of bassist Jerry Dixon recording “Angles”, from the 2006 album Born Again.

2006’s Born Again was Warrant’s seventh album and features Black N’ Blue vocalist Jaime St. James, who replaced Jani Lane in 2004. Born Again was produced by Pat Regan (KISS, Deep Purple, Mr. Big, L.A. Guns) and also marks the return of original members in guitarist Joey Allen and drummer Steven Sweet.

Born Again personnel:

Jaime St. James – lead vocals
Joey Allen – lead guitar, backing vocals
Erik Turner – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Jerry Dixon – bass, backing vocals
Steven Sweet – drums, backing vocals



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Los Angeles death metal unit, The Zenith Passage - which features within its ranks current and former members of The Faceless, Fallujah and All Shall Perish - will unleash its debut full-length on April 15 via Unique Leader Records. Titled Solipsist, the ten track offering was engineered, mixed and mastered by Zack Ohren (Animosity, Suffocation, All Shall Perish) at Castle Ultimate Productions with additional engineering by TZP guitarist Justin McKinney and Michael Keene (The Faceless) at Keene Machine Studios.
 
Across forty minutes of music, The Zenith Passage examines the idea of solipsism, a philosophical theory that the self is all that can be known to exist, anything else outside of one's own mind is uncertain. The Zenith Passage builds upon this foundation, expanding into themes of nonexistence and a computer-generated fictional reality experienced by all of humanity. Solipsist demands that listeners join the band on their voyage to explore the unsettlingly complex and improbable world they've uncovered in this bold experiment, this gut-wrenching visceral transmission of disturbing intellectual revelation.

Solipsist includes a guest vocal appearance by Fallujah's Alex Hofmann, a guitar solo by Wes Hauch (ex-The Faceless) who also co-wrote a portion of seventh cut, "Hypnagogia," a synth solo by Vikram Shankar and cover art by Ken Sarafin (Skinless, The Kennedy Veil, Archspire).

Tracklisting:

“Holographic Principle I: Emergence”
“Holographic Principle II: Convergence”
“Simulated Reality”
“Deus Deceptor”
“The Dissension Consensus”
“Dreamsphere”
“Hypnagogia”
“Metaphysical Solipsism”
“The Tenebrous Veil”
“Luminary Singularity”

The Zenith Passage is:
Greg Hampton - lead vocals
Rob Maramonte - guitars
Luis Martinez - drums
Justin McKinney - guitars, backing vocals (bass on album)



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Doom/crust/prog-infused death metallers Usurpress have signed a deal with Agonia Records. The quartet from Uppsala, Sweden recorded their third album, entitled The Regal Tribe, during the fall of 2015 under supervision of rising star producer Lawrence Mackrory (FKÜ, Darkane). Its release date has been slated for some time this year.

"The name Agonia is synonymous with integrity, originality and quality", says Usurpress frontman, Stefan Pettersson. "We felt that to be able to compete with the bands already signed to the label we had to challenge ourselves and really step up our game. We decided early on to discard the traditional way of songwriting/arranging and compose The Regal Tribe one piece at the time, starting with the first riff in the first song and ending with the last riff in the last song. That way we hoped to avoid the album becoming repetitive and stale and instead more fluent and powerful. Listening back to the finished album, I’m convinced we did the right thing. This is the album we have always sought to do."

Usurpress is a death metal-band (of sorts) formed in May 2010. The musical aim of founding members Steffe Pettersson (vocals), Påhl Sundström (guitar) and Calle Lönnberg (drums) was, and still is, to combine the bestiality of old death metal and the undying hate of true hardcore/punk. The band was later joined by renowned death metal-expert Daniel Ekeroth (bass). The members all come from different musical backgrounds but their common ground is the love and understanding for all kinds of dark and aggressive underground music.

Cover art, tracklisting, and other details of The Regal Tribe will be revealed shortly.



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Lifeforce Records has announced the signing of French metal act Weaksaw to their roster. Their Lifeforce Records debut is set to be released in May.

Ever since their creation in 2008 in Montpellier (South of France), Weaksaw have played a sincere brutal and melodic metal. The band was initially formed by Bryan Tronquet (drums) and Leo Sendra guitar), and are joined by Charles Villanueva (bass), Tristan Haillot (vocals) and Erwan Billon (guitar). The line-up has remained unchanged to this day.

Weaksaw have released two Eps in a positively thrash core style, 13 X 13 (four tracks) in 2008, and The Overture (six tracks) in 2009, both recorded at Trendkill Studios. Their first album, Weaksaw, was released in 2012 by Klonosphere / Season Of Mist, also recorded at Trendkill Studios. With this album, their style gets more radical, with a darker, more violent, technical touch to it.

James Hudson Jr was released in early 2013, marking the affirmation of their style, with more direct, ambient songs, charged with brutal emotion. The band, who auto produced this album, chose to release it exclusively digitally. It is a foretaste of their upcoming work.

The band has toured extensively with each release. It is indeed on stage that Weaksaw reach their full potential, playing energetic, precise and powerful shows, with a strong connexion to their crowd. With more than 140 shows all through Europe, Weaksaw has forged themselves a strong reputation as a must see live band.

Weaksaw started writing their next release just after their return from the French Connexion Tour (with Uneven Structure and The Algorithm). The previous EP, James Hudson Jr defined a strong artistic direction in which the band has wished to stay. The end of 2014 marked the beginning of the most important step of their carrier. A tight-knit group, both determined and professional, headed to Florida to record their next release, strengthened by the presence of a manager and producer.

The production, mixing and mastering were taken care of by Mark Lewis (Cannibal Corpse, Whitechapel, The Black Dahlia Murder). The drums were recorded in Florida (Audio Hammer Studios) by Jason Suecof, and the rest of the album was recorded in France, at the Chicken Coop Studio, this time by Mark Lewis.

The new album will be released in May on Lifeforce Records. This album is brutal and modern, without however falling into the style’s stereotypes. From the beginning to the end, this album is haunted by a ghostly atmosphere and palpable emotions thanks to the massive and direct tracks. Mark Lewis is doing an amazing job with the production, both humanly and professionally: “with Mark, all that matters is the music. He is an unconditional fan of metal music, plug yourself in, play, and let’s make this riff sound as good as humanly possible.”

Weaksaw will be touring in the next few months to present their new release.



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After having completed a number of US tours in 2015 with the likes of pessimistic Nashville sludge crew Yautja and sludge legends Kylesa, Richmond, VA's Inter Arma have announced new touring plans for spring 2016. The band will be embarking on a series of headlining US shows this April that will see them storming the US South, Midwest, and Northeast. A full list of dates is below.

Last fall, Inter Arma announced their plans for their third full-length record. The as-yet-to-be-titled album follow-up to 2013's Sky Burial was again be recorded and produced at Dark Art Audio with Mikey Allred (Yautja, Hivelords), where the band has produced its last two releases. The record is due out summer 2016 via Relapse.

Inter Arma's two latest albums, 2014's The Cavern and 2013's Sky Burial, can be streamed via Inter Arma's official Bandcamp here.

Tour dates:

April
6 - Roanoke, VA - The Q
7 - Johnson City, TN - The Hideaway
8 - Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506
9 - Athens, GA - Caledonia Lounge
10 - Nashville, TN - The East Room
11 - Knoxville, TN - Pilot Light
12 - Bloomington, IN - The Bishop
13 - Lexington, KY - Best Friend Bar
14 - Fort Wayne, IN - TBA
15 - Cincinnati, OH - MOTR Pub
16 - Pittsburgh, PA - The Smiling Moose
17 - Rochester, NY - Bug Jar
18 - Burlington, VT - Nectar’s
19 - Kingston, NY - BSP Kingston
20 - New Haven, CT - BAR
21 - Baltimore, MD - Metro Gallery

(Photo - Inter Arma Facebook)



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On behalf of Swedish grindcore stalwarts Gadget, Relapse Records announce that The Great Destroyer, the band's first full-length in a decade, will see worldwide release this March 4th. Two new tracks from the album - "Violent Hours (For A Veiled Awakening)" and the title track "The Great Destroyer" - are streaming below.

Though the band has largely flown under the radar in the general metal consciousness, Gavle, Sweden's Gadget has roots that trace back to 1997. The band has always included influences from every other extreme genre that they've been fond of, like doom, sludge, hardcore punk, death metal, black metal and more, never letting genre boundaries stand in the way of their path of destruction. At the time of the band's formation, Gadget existed as the grinding alter-ego of a metalcore band whose members, including founder William Blackmon, simply switched instruments. Rikard Olsson and William teamed up in the winter of 1999/2000, and wrote the first Gadget demo as a duo. The band then joined forces with Emil Englund to record a second demo, which was strong enough to grab the attention of Relapse Records, who signed the band for the release of their debut full-length Remote (2004), now featuring Fredrik Nygren. Remote was extensively well-received, as was its 2006 follow-up The Funeral March. After touring Europe twice and performing at dozens of festivals worldwide, including at Maryland Deathfest and Auditory Assault in the US, Gadget has proven itself to be a relentless grindcore force live as well as on record.

A blistering high-speed assault of relentless grind, Gadget's new album The Great Destroyer is a cohesive exercise in extremity that blends hints of doom, sludge and death metal with unadulterated, old-school grindcore. The result is an album that is as memorable and infectious as it is pummeling and explosive. With The Great Destroyer, Gadget has released their most accomplished material to date.

The Great Destroyer will see release on CD, LP and Digital formats. Physical pre-orders are available now via Relapse here; digital pre-orders can be found at Gadget's Bandcamp page here.

The Great Destroyer tracklisting:

“Enemies Of Reason”
“Känslan”
“Pillars Of Filth”
“Choice Of A Lost Generation”
“From Graduation To Devastation”
“Dedication”
“Violent Hours (For A Veiled Awakening)”
“The 02666 Heritage”
“The Great Destroyer”
“Down And Out”
“In The Name Of Suffering”
“Lost On A Straight Path”
“Forsaken”
“Collapse”
“Lack Of Humanity”
“Svart Hål”
“I Don't Need You - Dead And Gone”
 
“The Great Destroyer”:

“Violent Hours (For A Veiled Awakening)”:

Gadget lineup:

William Blackmon - Guitar, Drums, Vocals
Rikard Olsson - Guitar
Emil Englund - Vocals
Fredrik Nygren - Bass

(Photo - Erik Larsson)

 



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Progressive death metal outfit, Rivers Of Nihil, have amicably parted ways with drummer Alan Balamut.

Regarding the split, Alan comments: "Hey everyone. I'm sure many of you already know and some may not but I have decided to part ways with Rivers Of Nihil a few months ago in good terms. The reason is simply that I need to financially situate myself (NYC isn't easy) and my urge to finish school in Music Production. I found Dylan Potts just before my departure and I believe he fits in and performs with the band in phenomenal ways. The whole ride was an amazing and unforgettable experience and I have nothing but respect for each member, former member, our manager, all the people I've met and Metal Blade Records. In the meantime I'll be doing session work and other music productions, and I'll be more open for touring after I finish school in 2016 - and if Rivers ever need any assistance, I'll be right there for them. I wish the band all the success for next year and beyond!"

With Alan's departure, Rivers Of Nihil welcome Dylan Potts to join their ranks. To showcase his talent behind the kit, the band has filmed a new drum play-through for the track "Perpetual Growth Machine", taken from their new album, Monarchy. Watch the video below:

Rivers of Nihil are currently preparing for their headlining US tour next month with Black Fast and Dark Sermon.

Tour dates:

February
17 - Buffalo, NY - Broadway Joe's
18 - Somerville, MA - Once Ballroom
19 - New York, NY - Saint Vitus
20 - Long Branch, NJ - The Brighton Bar
21 - Frederick, MD - Club 611
22 - Fayetteville, NC - The DHP
23 - Columbia, SC - New Brookland Tavern
24 - Orlando, FL - The Haven
25 - Ybor City, FL - Crowbar
26 - Pensacola, FL - The Handlebar
27 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade
28 - Nashville, TN - The End *

March
1 - Indianapolis, IN - The Hoosier Dome *
2 - Chicago, IL - Reggie's *
3 - Dayton, OH - Rockstar Pro Arena *
4 - Lakewood, OH - The Foundry *
5 - Pittsburgh, PA - The Smiling Moose *
6 - Washington D.C. - The Pinch *

* - Rivers of Nihil, Dark Sermon only

(Photo - Simon Girard)



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Headspace, the band featuring Damian Wilson (Threshold) and Adam Wakeman (Ozzy Osbourne, Snakecharmer), recently announced the release of their second album, All That You Fear Is Gone, on February 26th.
 
The band, completed by guitarist Pete Rinaldi (Hot Leg), bassist Lee Pomeroy (It Bites, Steve Hackett), and new drummer Adam Falkner (Babyshambes, Dido, One Eskimo) have launched the first track to be taken from the album, you can listen to “Your Life Will Change” below.

Vocalist Damian Wilson had this to say about the track: "We have a natural need to better ourselves, our situation and future. This is part of the human survival instinct and is encouraged and fed by the world we live in. Despite being aware that the real value is in the here and now, we find ourselves brushed along. But is it truly possible to opt out from this merry go round? “Your Life Will Change” references past civilizations to modern entertainment. We are distracted and controlled by a society. But what happens if we really break away from the group and ignore the ideal we're being sold? Will we become gods or fallen angels?"

Guitarist Pete Rinaldi adds of the album: "This album picks up where I Am Anonymous finishes. The process of each of us adding their creativity to the tracks has made this something we are really proud of. All That You Fear Is Gone features the debut of my good friend Adam Falkner on drums who has done a fantastic job making his mark on this record, we are all looking forward to bringing it to live audiences."

Tracklisting:

“Road to Supremacy”
“Your Life Will Change”
“Polluted Alcohol”
“Kill You With Kindness”
“The Element”
“The Science Within Us”
“Semaphore”
“The Death Bell”
“The Day You Return”
“All That You Fear Is Gone”
“Borders and Days”
“Secular Souls”

“Your Life Will Change”:

Adam Wakeman previously commented on the record: "This album is the first to debut new drummer Adam Falkner whom Pete Rinaldi and I have toured with a lot in the past. He's a superb player and he really fits with the band's sound and style. He also gets a round in, which is a plus."

Damian Wilson adds: "The conforming individual represented in the first album that breaks away, is reflected in All That You Fear Is Gone. Free thinking, fighting against natural grouping, what appears as destructive rebellion is in fact evolution. Written to make the listener think, whilst capturing the ear with complexity and simplicity combined. Embarking on the second Headspace album I personally had a clear vision, but by the time each band member had thrown in their piece, I thought we had produced an album that was unlistenable to.  As it progressed, the rough edges and corners seemed to settle like a good lasagne. Everyone has their own tastes, but I know this is a bloody good lasagne."

All That You Fear Is Gone is the follow-up to 2012's debut album I Am Anonymous, once again produced by the band and mixed by Jens Bogren. Expect more information, including tour dates, in the coming months.

 



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Black Star Riders/former Almighty frontman Ricky Warwick is set to release not one but two new solo albums next month. The electrifying When Patsy Cline Was Crazy (And Guy Mitchell Sang The Blues) and the beautifully acoustic Hearts On Trees will be released as a double CD on February 26th via Nuclear Blast Entertainment.

Until then, Ricky is teasing fans with another new track. Listen to the title track from the electric album, “When Patsy Cline Was Crazy (And Guy Mitchell Sang The Blues)”, below.

Ricky commented on the track and working with Sam Robinson: "We ended up in the pub one day and Sam said the words to me that every musician hates… he said 'I’ve written some lyrics' and you know when someone says that to you nine times out of ten they're shite, they just are. You know everyone is a song writer. I’m not a plumber and I wouldn’t walk into your house and pretend to know how to do the plumbing but people seem to have this thing with song writing like it’s easy and any idiot can do it. So Sam handed me these words and I was just thinking ‘you know I really like this guy a lot’ and every time this happens they’re usually terrible or I can’t use them and you don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings…but he handed me these lyrics and my jaw hit the floor. They were the lyrics for the title track “When Patsy Cline Was Crazy (And Guy Mitchell Sang The Blues)” and that title alone just evoked so many memories for me from my childhood. The strange thing is that Sam and I grew up about a mile apart from each other and supported the same football team, we had the same working class upbringing but never met each other. Now here was a guy who wrote in this song about the music that his father listened to, which was the same music that my father listened to; about his father working during the week, having a flutter on the horses on a Saturday, winning money, buddies coming over, the whiskey coming out, the cards coming out and we’d get to be the dj's and get to put the records on - and when you’re 10 years old that was a big thing that you were in charge of the record player. You got to put on Sinatra, Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline and all these greats, and that was magical…and Sam and I both had that when were kids so as soon as he handed me those lyrics I could hear the song, I could hear the music and I could hear the melody."

Ricky recently revealed the first taste of the material with the official lyric video for “The Road To Damascus Street”. Warwick comments on the track:

"Belfast has always been the heart and soul of my creative center. The longing for home is a constant for a touring musician and Sam's lyrics inspired me to write the music. I am delighted to finally be releasing this song."

Warwick explains, “I really wanted these songs to come out. The album’s been a long time coming and in fact we’ve even made 2 albums here; electric and acoustic. We’ve played with some great musicians on this album. I think that the Black Star Riders fans will really dig this solo stuff too so absolutely delighted to be getting it out there.”

With one album, When Patsy Cline Was Crazy… showcasing his electric rock and roll side. The other disc, Hearts On Trees,  veers towards the more tender stripped-back songwriting, influenced by both Americana and, more importantly, his Northern Irish roots.

Warwick comments: “Hearts On Trees and When Patsy Cline Was Crazy (And Guy Mitchell Sang The Blues) were written by myself and my good friend Sam Robinson, both albums depict our experiences of growing up and coming from the Greater East Belfast area, not only experiences that have happened to us but historical references and stories that have been told to us by friends and family... in saying that both albums translate those experiences on to a global scale that hopefully anyone geographically can relate to.”
 
The release boasts an array of acclaimed musicians with guests such as; Joe Elliot (Def Leppard), Damon Johnson (Thin Lizzy, Black Star Riders), Andy Cairns (Therapy?), Billy Morrison (Billy Idol), Nathan Connolly (Snow Patrol), Ginger Wildheart (The Wildhearts), Jake Burns (Stiff Little Fingers), Richard Fortus (Guns N’ Roses, The Dead Daisies).

Tracklist and formats as follows:

Double CD

CD1 When Patsy Cline Was Crazy (And Guy Mitchell Sang The Blues)

“The Road To Damascus Street”
“Celebrating Sinking”
“When Patsy Cline Was Crazy (And Guy Mitchell Sang The Blues)”
“Toffee Town”
“That’s Where The Story Ends”
“Johnny Ringo’s Last Ride”
“Gold Along The Cariboo”
“The Son Of The Wind”
“If Your Not Gonna Leave Me (I'll Find Someone Who Will)”
“Yesteryear”

Bonus Tracks:
“Ghost Town Road”’
“The Whiskey Song”
“Tank McCullough Saturdays” (Alternative Version)

CD2 Hearts On Trees
 
“Presbyterian Homesick Blues”
“Tank McCullough Saturdays”
“Psycho”
“Hearts On Trees”
“Said Samson To Goliath”
“Way Too Cool For Snow”
“Schwaben Redoubt”
“The Year of Living Dangerously”
“Disasters”
“82”

Bonus Tracks:
“Love Owes”
“I Can See My Life (From Here)”
“The Ugly Truth”
“Hell Or Highwater”
“Eight Bells”

Vinyl

Side A
“The Road To Damascus Street”
“Celebrating Sinking”
“When Patsy Cline Was Crazy (And Guy Mitchell Sang The Blues)”
“Toffee Town”
“That’s Where The Story Ends”
“Johnny Ringo’s Last Ride”

Side B
“Gold Along The Cariboo”
“The Son Of The Wind”
“If Your Not Gonna Leave Me (I'll Find Someone Who Will)”
“Yesteryear”

Bonus Tracks:
“Ghost Town Road”’
“The Whiskey Song”

Side C
“Presbyterian Homesick Blues”
“Tank McCullough Saturdays”
“Psycho”
“Hearts On Trees”
“Said Samson To Goliath”
“Way Too Cool For Snow”

Side D
“Schwaben Redoubt”
“The Year of Living Dangerously”
“Disasters”
“82”

Bonus Tracks:
“The Whiskey Song”
“Tank McCullough Saturdays” (Alternative Version)

Warwick will have a full band on board to bring these great songs to fruition on the stage. Ricky Warwick & The Fighting Hearts will be supporting Belfast’s own favourite sons, Stuff Little Fingers on their UK tour in February/March of 2016.



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Sweden’s Gehennah is back to stink up the scene once again, with their fourth full length album Too Loud To Live, Too Drunk To Die, set for release February 12th. This marks the bands album-debut on Metal Blade Records, and the first full length album by Gehennah since 1997's Decibel Rebel. Pre-order your copies of the album on vinyl and CD at this location.

Listen to the new song, “Life Metal Must Die”, streaming below:

The album contains 13 tracks of dirty and raw street-metal, destined to please the hardcore filth hounds of the scene, and annoy the ponytailed internet-snobs who prefer their metal clean and polished. The album was recorded in Studio Cobra in Stockholm and produced by Martin Eherencrona and Gehennah in the summer of 2015.

In early 2015 Gehennah released the extended EP Metal Police exclusively on vinyl through Metal Blade Records, a comeback that gained praise from old and new supporters. Metal Police is now available on CD as a bonus on the limited first edition of Too Loud To Live, Too Drunk To Die.

Too Loud To Live, Too Drunk To Die tracklisting:

“Still the Elite”
“Life Metal Must Die”
“Too Loud To Live, Too Drunk To Die”
“Scumbag”
“Gehennah Will Destroy Your Life”
“Let's Fall Off The Wagon”
“'Cause We're A Street Metal Band”
“Tonight We Fight”
“When All Else Fails - Destroy!”
“Low On Cash, High On Speed”
“We Stole Your Song”
“Unholy & Unpleasant”
“All Of The Decadence, None Of The Success”

“Too Loud To Live, Too Drunk To Die” video:

(Photo - Gehenna Facebook)



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SINBREED, the German power metal band featuring BLIND GUARDIAN drummer Frederik Ehmke, will release its new album, "Master Creator", on February 26, 2016 via AFM Records.

SINBREED says: "The new album will include all the trademarks we developed on 'When Worlds Collide' and 'Shadows', plus a few things you may not have seen coming (piano, anyone?)."

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. Creation Of Reality02. Across The Great Divides03. Behind A Mask04. Moonlit Night05. Master Creator06. Last Survivor07. At The Gate08. The Riddle09. The Voice10. On The Run

The official lyric video for the song "Creation Of Reality" can be seen below.

BLIND GUARDIAN guitarist Marcus Siepen recently left SINBREED.

Said SINBREED in a statement: "There has not been — and there is not — any kind of dispute. In fact, since his main band BLIND GUARDIAN is touring that much, it was simply not possible for him to focus 100 percent on SINBREED, like he did the past years.

"We are very thankful for having Marcus as a bandmember in our ranks for the last more than three years and we wish him nothing but the best."

Added Siepen: "Back in 2012 when I joined SINBREED, we had just finished a world tour for BLIND GUARDIAN's 'At The Edge Of Time' album, so the timing was perfect for me. BLIND GUARDIAN would not be active for quite some time, which gave me the freedom to focus on something else without any problems. And I enjoyed every second of it. Suddenly playing with different people was a great experience for me that taught me a lot. At that time, SINBREED has not been signed to any label; we were free to do whatever we wanted so we played all kinds of gigs and at some point just started to work on new songs. This has also been a great experience and we had a lot of fun putting together the 'Shadows' album which even got us a record deal. And all this still happened while BLIND GUARDIAN were not active."

He continued: "At the end of last year, we all met and talked about how to continue with SINBREED. For me, it was obvious that we would have to take a break because for the next two years I would be completely busy with BLIND GUARDIAN, our 'Beyond The Red Mirror' album was about to be released, so the whole promotion machinery was working at full throttle already and we were about to go on tour again, a tour that would (will) keep us on the road until around fall of 2016. I just didn't see any way to fully be there for SINBREED during this period because obviously BLIND GUARDIAN would be my only focus, just as SINBREED has been in the years before.

"Unfortunately, but understandably, taking this break was not what the others had in mind. Of course, they wanted to get ahead with SINBREED and also our label wanted to have a new album, so it was obvious for me that I had to come to a decision about how I wanted to go on.

"I know there are people that can handle being in more than just one band without bigger problems; they can switch between those bands easily. Unfortunately, I am not one of those people. I am not really able to do multitasking when it comes to bands, when my focus is on BLIND GUARDIAN, there is no room in my head for another band, just as there was no room for anything else while I was focusing completely on SINBREED. I knew I wouldn't be able to give 100 percent for SINBREED any time before the end of 2016, no matter if it was about songwriting, recording or playing live, and giving less than 100 percent is not an option for me."

SINBREED's brand of power metal is described as a "blistering combination of speed, melodic and aggressive arrangements combined with high and soaring vocals."

Veteran LA thrashers Anger As Art will release their new album Ad Mortem Festinamus March 11 on Old School Metal Records. On the follow-up to 2013 barnstormer Hubris, Inc. the quartet has done the improbable by creating a roaring thrash metal beast that doesn't just raise the bar; it crushes it into dust. 

A lyric video for album track "Aim For The Heart" can be absorbed into the bloodstream below.

Recorded, produced, mixed, and mastered by Ronald Sandoval at Rev Studios, Chino CA, Ad Mortem Festinamus (Latin translation: We Hurry Into Death) is everything you've come to expect from Anger As Art and more. Speeding recklessness, lacerating solos, and a shrapnel storm of riffs combine to make what will undoubtedly be considered one of 2016's fiercest forays into thrash metal armageddon. Ad Mortem Festinamus is venomous, angry thrash/speed/death metal. 

Tracklisting:

“Ad Mortem Festinamus”
“Pissing On Your Grave”
“Aim For The Heart”
“Tombward (Bryan)”
“L.A. State Of Mind”
“Unknowing, Undead”
“Hammer, Blade, And Twisting Fire”
“We Hurry Into Death”
“Two Minutes Hate”
“Praise Of The Firehead”
“Dim Carcosa”

“Aim For The Heart” lyric video:



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Canadian rockers, Monster Truck, will release their new album Sittin’ Heavy on February 19th via their new label home, Mascot Records/Mascot Label Group (Black Stone Cherry, Black Label Society, Joe Bonamassa) for Europe and Dine Alone Records for the rest of the world.

The band’s new video for “Don’t Tell Me How To Live” can be seen below.

Guitarist Jeremy Widerman commented, "When it comes to music videos, it seems that the bigger a pain in the ass it is to film, the better it turns out. Between an improbable 5-story industrial load-in and numerous warnings that the drones' flight path was too dangerous, the entire video shoot balanced on knife's edge. Luckily with some unexpected help from Mother Nature we were able to get exactly what we wanted and come out unscathed.”

Frontman/bassist Jon Harvey added, "It was cold, it was wet and it was tiring, but it looks awesome.  Next time someone says 'drones', I'm all ears."

Sittin’ Heavy is 11 tracks of high-octane, foot to the floor, raucous rock that picks up from where 2013s incredible Juno Award nominated Furiosity left off. For the past two years since the debut dropped they have been hell-bent on putting Hamilton, Ontario on the rock ‘n’ roll map as they have, in true road warrior style, relentlessly been tearing through Europe, the US and Canada opening for the mighty; Guns N’ Roses, Slash, Alice In Chains, ZZ Top, Buckcherry, Rival Sons and Vista Chino as well as stepping up for blistering sets at the UKs Hammerfest and Download Festival.

The Juno award winning, Eric Ratz returns as their sounding board, studio guru and co-producer; with a track record that includes Billy Talent, Three Days Grace and Cancer Bats, Ratz’ studio wizardry is displayed sublimely on Sittin’ Heavy and must surely mark him out as a future heavyweight.

Tracklisting:

“Why Are You Not Rocking?”
“Don't Tell Me How To Live”
“She's A Witch”
“For The People”
“Black Forest”
“Another Man's Shoes”
“Things Get Better”
“The Enforcer”
“To The Flame”
“New Soul”
“Enjoy The Time”

Vinyl-only bonus track:
“Midnight”

“The Enforcer”:

The new offering is a gloriously cathartic statement that retains all of the ingredients that enabled Monster Truck to break out of the box; groove, sludge, stoner rock, grunge and vintage sounds all swirl around in a colossal melting pot that continues their evolution and expands upon ideas established from their inception.

The months on the road has served to improve them as a band, just as it should, fundamentally because they looked around and learned.  “Touring the last record we’ve been privileged to play with a lot of great headlining acts,” says guitarist Jeremy Widerman. “For instance, when we opened for Slash we would pick up on how accurately he controls the Wah pedal, and we wanted to include some of that in our own songs. Or touring with Alice In Chains and watching their vocal harmonies and realising that we needed to strengthen up in that area – so we did. There are so many little ways to hone our sound.”

If the album has a theme, it would be a steadfast refusal to be beaten down. Lead track “Don’t Tell Me How To Live” has been unanimously welcomed as a rallying cry. Inspired by a comment made by singer and bassist Jon Harvey’s girlfriend – “She started giving me trouble for playing guitar every day and I replied, ‘This is my job, don’t tell me how to live’” – its message holds true in a variety of situations. “The song is about being independent in one’s life, rather than worrying about what people think or the expectations of other people; just be true to yourself.”

“Rock ‘n’ roll should be a celebration,” Harvey believes. “We try to do that as much as we can. Everything in life should be a celebration.”

Opener “Why Are You Not Rocking?” sets the tone, as out of your speakers it blasts the declaration “I don’t care about the weather, the band is here to play, I don’t care about tomorrow, we’re not going any way, all I see is right now, people together…rock n roll might save your life, might save your life tonight” before it throws down the battle cry “release your mind, set your spirit free”

“She’s A Witch” offers some warning signs as Harvey’s gargantuan wail exclaims “that girls’ got a demon in her soul” whilst on “For The People” they’re rising up to fight the evils. Arriving almost halfway through the record, the magnificent, “Black Forest” is one of those moments of respite. Ushered in by the sound of thunder, the electric piano of Brandon Bliss supplying all-important dynamics and sung with grit and emotion by Jon Harvey.

“Another Man’s Shoes”, “Things Get Better” and “The Enforcer” all further cement their soulful but pounding credentials – with the latter offering up a phenomenally infectious rhythm section stomp and stadium filling handclapping before erupting into a mosh-pit blitz and then back again.

“To The Flame” sees them at their sludgy and stoner best as the grinding riff channels through the lines “there’s no way out of here” which whips into the frenetic “New Soul”, a stomping love song that wraps itself around you and refuses to let go and finishing with “Enjoy The Time”, signs off with a plea to live in the moment before the really bad shit starts happening.

“Yeah that’s it, basically,” Jon Harvey nods. “It’s a theme that we touch upon a lot. We’re saying don’t give up. Don’t put yourself down. I’m not a preacher but it’s important that message gets driven home.”

“There’s no need to raise the horns in the air from the start right to the finish,” Jeremy Widerman declares. “So the slower tracks are there to add colour, and that’s something you’ll hear a little more from us on future records. We’ve got people in the band who can really sing, so it would be foolish not to.”

Monster Truck are:

Jon Harvey (Vocals & Bass)
Jeremy Widerman (Guitar & Vocals)
Brandon Bliss (Organ & Vocals)
Steve Kiely (Drums & Vocals)

 



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In a new interview with Vice's Noisey, Megadeth frontman/founder Dave Mustaine discussed the band's new album, Dystopia. An excerpt from the in-depth interview, which covers everything from music politics to religion, follows:
 
Noisey: I know you’re coming from that more conservative viewpoint, which is more common in heavy metal than people may assume; it’s a genre that places an emphasis on tradition and individual freedoms—views that are themselves often interpreted as conservative. 

Mustaine: "I'm not really that conservative, by the way. I'm loyal to what my viewpoints are. My mom was first-generation American, she was born in Germany, so I have a lot of European influence in my upbringing, and I don't really think that I'm conservative as much as some of the other people, but I do know I'm loyal to the bands and the people that I like. People have made a big deal about my faith, but for god's sake, the bass player of Megadeth is a pastor, why doesn't anybody bring that up?"

Noisey: Because you’re the lightning rod.

Mustaine: "Yeah! It has nothing to do with Christianity, it has to do with me and what I believe in. I could be a Presbyterian, and say that when you die you get thrown up onto the roof of your house or something like that. It’s because of what I believe. No one goes up against David Ellefson and says, 'So you believe in God, huh?' Dave is kind one of those dudes that he's not the lightning rod."

Go to this location for the complete interview.

Megadeth’s anxiously-awaited fifteenth studio album, Dystopia, is due out on January 22nd via Univeral Music Enterprises. The album’s title track is now streaming below:

Megadeth has announced that they will give their fans the ultimate cutting edge experience in Virtual Reality. The band will head into a special Virtual Reality set-up with director Blair Underwood where they will perform and film five songs from Dystopia - "Fatal Illusion," "Dystopia," The Threat Is Real," "Poisonous Shadows," and "Post American World."

As a director, DGA member Underwood directed the 2009 independent feature The Bridge To Nowhere, as well as several music videos, short films and commercials. He is currently recurring on ABC's hit series, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. The band's performance will appear within the fallen city of a dystopian world modelled after the world created in Megadeth's new music video for "The Threat Is Real”.

Next Galaxy Corp., a leading developer of innovative content solutions and immersive consumer virtual reality technology will create a dystopian universe surrounding the band, and allow fans to virtually enter, engage and explore this parallel world. Released on January 22nd, fans will be able to purchase the new album, a CEEK Virtual Reality cardbox headset with instructions, and a download code to access and unlock exclusive content, which will also be simultaneously launched with the release of Dystopia to begin their VR Experience. This special CD package will be available at all physical and online retailers.

Exclusive hand-signed bundles for the upcoming Dystopia album are now available for pre-order in the official Megadeth store.

Place your order at this location.

Dystopia was produced by Mustaine and Toby Wright (Alice In Chains, Korn). Megadeth’s new lineup features founding members Dave Mustaine (guitar, vocals) and David Ellefson (bass) along with Lamb Of God drummer Chris Adler and Brazilian-born Angra guitarist Kiko Loureiro.

Dystopia tracklisting:

“Death From Within”
“Fatal Illusion”
“Conquer... Or Die!”
“Lying In State"
“Me Hate You"
“The Emperor's New Clothes”
“Dystopia”
“Bullet To The Brain”
“Last Dying Wish”
“Post American World”
“Look Who's Talking”
“The Threat Is Real”
“Poisonous Shadows”
“Melt The Ice Away” (Budgie cover)
“Foreign Policy” (Fear cover)

“The Threat Is Real” video:

“Fatal Illusion”:

Megadeth have announced that the North American leg of the Dystopia World Tour kicks off February 20th. Supporting Megadeth on the trek are Suicidal Tendencies, Children Of Bodom and Havok.

Tickets on sale at megadeth.com/dystopiatour. Tickets / VIP Packages at cyberarmy.megadeth.com.

Tour dates:

February
20 - Dallas, TX - South Side Ballroom
21 - Houston, TX - Bayou Music Center
23 - Denver, CO - The Fillmore Auditorium
24 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Complex
26 - Las Vegas, NV - The Pearl
27 - Phoenix, AZ - Comerica Theatre
28 - Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Palladium
29 - San Francisco, CA - The Warfield

March
2 - Honolulu, HI - The Republik (Megadeth only)
3 - Honolulu, HI - The Republik (Megadeth only)
5 - Penticton, BC - South Okanagan Events Centre
6 - Calgary, AB - Grey Eagle Resort
8 - Dawson Creek, BC - Encana Events Centre
9 - Edmonton, AB - Rexall Place
10 - Moose Jaw, SK - Mosaic Place
13 - Chicago, IL - Aragon Ballroom
15 - Niagara Falls, NY - The Rapids Theatre
16 - New York, NY - Terminal 5
17 - New York, NY - Terminal 5
19 - Bethlehem, PA - Sands Bethlehem Event Center
20 - Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory
21 - Boston, MA - House Of Blues
23 - Bangor, ME - Cross Insurance Center
24 - Quebec, QC - Centre Videotron
26 - Sioux Falls, SD - Badlands Pawn



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SANDMAN, the Canadian METALLICA tribute band featuring vocalist/guitarist Joe Di Taranto of Toronto's WARMACHINE, has reportedly received a cease-and-desist letter from lawyers representing the metal giants themselves.

Di Taranto wrote on his Facebook page: "So as some of you may or may not know, in my spare time from WARMACHINE, I play in a couple tribute acts, one being a METALLICA tribute called SANDMAN.

"Well last night when we arrived at the venue for our show in London, ON, we were served with 'Cease & Desist' papers courtesy of METALLICA's lawyers. Quite funny! LOL!"

With less than 800 followers on Facebook at the time of this writing, SANDMAN apparently caught the attention of METALLICA's lawyers by using the latter band's "official, stylized logos … on or to identify or promote live musical performances through Facebook and YouTube," according to the 41-page cease-and-desist letter sent out by the attorneys.

A number of fans and musicians from fellow tribute bands have offered support on SANDMAN's Facebook page, including RED HOT CHILI PECKERS, the Canadian tribute to the RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS. "Just wanted to say from one tribute musician to another we’re in your corner on this… and think you should stick to your guns," the Halifax-based RED HOT CHILI PECKERS wrote. "Lame that they would ask you to stop using your logo just because it looks similar to theirs. It's not like you are selling bootleg mech [sic]."

This is not the first time METALLICA has clashed with other parties over infringement issues. In January 1999, the band sued Victoria's Secret after it sold a lipstick line dubbed "Metallica." The lingerie company ended up settling with the band.

In 2000, METALLICA launched a trademark infringement suit over a perfume called "Metallica," which retailer Neiman Marcus was selling in its stores.

In a complaint filed at the U.S. District Court in the Central District of California, METALLICA claimed Guerlain, the century-old French fragrance manufacturer, caused "confusion, deception, and mistake in the minds of the public with respect to the source and origin of defendants' goods." METALLICA also accused Neiman Marcus of dilution, unfair competition, false designation of origin and injuring the quartet's reputation because the perfume could have misled metalheads into thinking the band endorsed the product.

METALLICA's then-attorney Jill Pietrini told E! Online in 2000: "We actively police [the METALLICA] trademark. It's a famous mark and we believe [the Metallica perfume] infringes and dilutes that."

The Canadian Intellectual Property Office ruled in September 2012 that the Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada metal shop named Metallica Manufacturing was free to continue pursuing its trademark application for the word "Metallica" despite opposition from the legendary metal band.

Metallica Manufacturing owner Bill Lawson told Burnaby Now at the time that the name was chosen in the late 1990s by his then-12-year-old niece. After operating under the name for four or five years, Lawson tried to register a domain name online, which was when the group's attorneys started calling for the shop to change its name.

Back in November 2012, Jay Jay French, guitarist for fellow rockers TWISTED SISTER, released a statement explaining that he was forced to send a cease-and-desist letter to the owners of the Twisted Sister House Of Hunger food truck in Minneapolis, Minnesota asking the business to change its name because he and his bandmates are required by trademark law to either defend their trademark or lose rights to it. He elaborated in a recent column for the Inc.com web site: "If you own a trademark, you better be ready to protect it or risk losing it." He continued: First, I usually called someone involved with the company and told them who I was. I explained that I own the trademark and that they should stop using it ASAP. Many stopped at that point. If they didn't, our lawyer wrote a cease-and-desist letter. If that didn't work, then we began court proceedings. It can and has cost me a lot of money, and I rarely ever get any money in return. But what you do get is that the trademark infringement is stopped."

Guitarist/vocalist Adam "Nergal" Darski of Polish extreme metallers BEHEMOTH recently answered a number of fan-submitted questions on a wide range of topics for the video question-and site asQme. Check out the clips below.

Speaking about his influences, Nergal said that he has been inspired by the "avant-garde" when writing BEHEMOTH's upcoming album. He also revealed that he listens to classic rock bands and artists from other genres, admitting that he is "really keen on the primitive, primal kind of tempos."

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

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

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

KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons has paid tribute to David Bowie, who died on Sunday, two days after his 69th birthday. Simmons told CNN (see video below): "In 1975, in New York City, both David and KISS were in the same recording studio. And we had yet to, sort of, ascend and play the stadiums and all that. We were still a new band. Some people knew about us, some not. David Bowie, I don't know why, made it a point of inviting us into his recording session. And we were all nervous and stuff. And I remember walking in, and even though we didn't know each other, he smiled and looked me right in the eye and stuck his hand out and said, 'Hello. Wonderful to meet you.' And I was taken back, I was awestruck by, you know, a giant — this guy who changed the face of music, refused to stand still and look over his shoulder while he was running his own race. You know, he just continued to move as fast as he could forward, marching to the beat of his own drums."

He added: "'The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars', especially, that record, is deeply ingrained in my DNA. And I think, you know what? He passed three days after his birthday, at 69, and he just released a brand new record called 'Blackstar', and I think it's worth noting that the first lyric in the first song says, 'Look up here. I'm in heaven.' I mean, what a giant."

Asked what it is about David Bowie's costumes and onstage personas that added or complemented his music, Simmons said: "Bowie, it seems to me, always understood that when people go to concerts, they're not just listening to music, they're listening with their eyes, and that you've got to give more. And heaven knows, Bowie gave his fans and everybody else much more. I think it's worth noting that, unlike us, and unlike all the rest of the famous people out there, he refused to stand still — which is why it's astonishing… When you look through the decades and through the years, you can never pinpoint who David Bowie was, because he was so many things. His musical homage… Even in that line 'Wham Bam Thank You Ma'am!' in a song called 'Suffragette City' is an ode to Charles Mingus, the great jazz artist, and his drummer, Max Roach, who used to say, 'Wham Bam Thank You Ma'am!' I mean, this guy was… You just can't define exactly what he was. He was unique. And it's worth noting that there are a lot of famous rap stars and pop stars and all that stuff… It ain't the same thing. The word 'icon' is reserved. The air up there is thin, and there are very few up there who deserve to be up there, and clearly David Bowie does."

Gene also talked about how he felt when he first found out that Bowie had died. He said: "[It was a] very, very sad day, but like Bowie always has been throughout his life, he just didn't use his private life as another headline for CNN or anybody else. He understood that he was… I'm assuming he understood that he wasn't well and decided not to drag the media into it and quietly and humbly — and, yeah, royally — went his own way. You know, he was a giant."

According to reports from insiders in the David Bowie camp, the music legend died from liver cancer, after suffering from a handful heart attacks in recent years.

SOUNDGARDEN singer Chris Cornell has paid tribute to David Bowie, who died on Sunday, two days after his 69th birthday. Cornell told RollingStone.com, in part: "When I woke up [on Monday], I was already thinking about David Bowie. I was checking out his new record a couple of days ago; I was reading about it, I'd listened to a few songs. Then I saw the news. Hearing he'd died was just a really sad thing.

"I was very happy with 'Blackstar'. I was really happy with his last album, 'The Next Day', too. Both albums show an ongoing evolution.

"I need people like David Bowie, people who are always moving on and not in a frustrating or slovenly way. It encourages me because I want to be able to write music and create albums until I drop dead.

"I'd heard about him being ill over the last couple of years, so it wasn't a huge surprise, but just reading about his album a couple of days ago, I'd been thinking, 'Oh, he's better. He's fine.' It was sad to feel like that's not going to happen and we're not gonna see him again.

"You don't know how important someone is to you as an artistic influence until suddenly they're gone. I've certainly been having that experience. It's kind of equal parts sad and celebratory to think, 'Awesome. What an amazing career he had and what an amazing legacy he's left for everybody.'"

According to reports from insiders in the David Bowie camp, the music legend died from liver cancer, after suffering from a handful heart attacks in recent years.

Bowie died on January 10 following a private 18-month battle against the disease. Stage director Ivo van Hove, who had been working with Bowie on his musical "Lazurus" — which is running in Manhattan's New York Theatre Workshop through January 17 — revealed to The Independent that he knew Bowie was ill for "about a year."

Bowie biographer Wendy Leigh went on to tell the BBC that musician's recent health woes were actually quite extensive. "He didn't just battle cancer," she said. "He had six heart attacks in recent years. I got this from somebody very close to him."

Saigon Kick recorded a cover of the David Bowie classic "Space Oddity" for their Water album in 1993 featuring founding guitarist Jason Bieler on lead vocals (check it out below). Bieler has checked in with a tribute to Bowie, who passed away at 69 on January 10th following an 18 month battle with cancer.  

"Getting a message that David Bowie thought a cover you did 'was really good' was a massive career highlight, even if he was just being kind. Knowing that in some microscopic way we briefly crossed paths is like saying you shared a cup of coffee with Dali or rode the train with John Lennon, irrelevant in their worlds but life changing in yours. I had no idea he was that ill when I posted about him on Friday (January 8th). I spent the entire weekend listening to the Blackstar album over and over, talking with my daughter about how amazing it is to be that current, cutting edge and relevant for so long... as he is on her playlists as much as mine. Music and life done right…well done Mr. Bowie."

Bowie was an influential singer-songwriter and producer dabbled in glam rock, art rock, soul, hard rock, dance pop, punk and electronica during his eclectic 40-plus-year career. He just released his 25th album, Blackstar, on January 8th, which was his birthday.

Bowie’s artistic breakthrough came with 1972’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, an album that fostered the notion of rock star as space alien. Fusing British mod with Japanese kabuki styles and rock with theater, Bowie created the flamboyant, androgynous alter ego Ziggy Stardust.

Three years later, Bowie achieved his first major American crossover success with the No. 1 single “Fame” off the top 10 album Young Americans, then followed with the 1976 avant-garde art rock LP Station to Station, which made it to No. 3 on the charts and featured top 10 hit “Golden Years.”

Other memorable songs included 1983’s “Let’s Dance” — his only other No. 1 U.S. hit — “Space Oddity”, “Heroes”, “Changes”, “Under Pressure”, “China Girl”, “Modern Love”, “Rebel, Rebel”, “All the Young Dudes”, “Panic in Detroit”, “Fashion”, “Life on Mars”, “Suffragette City” and a 1977 Christmas medley with Bing Crosby.

Born David Jones in London on Jan. 8, 1947, Bowie changed his name in 1966 after The Monkees’ Davy Jones achieved stardom. He played saxophone and started a mime company, and after stints in several bands he signed with Mercury Records, which in 1969 released his album Man of Words, Man of Music, which featured “Space Oddity,” a poignant song about an astronaut, Major Tom, spiraling out of control.

In an attempt to stir interest in Ziggy Stardust, Bowie revealed in a January 1972 magazine interview that he was gay — though that might have been a publicity stunt — dyed his hair orange and began wearing women’s garb. The album became a sensation.

Bowie also enjoyed a long career as an actor, with memorable roles in The Man Who Fell to Earth, Labyrinth, The Hunger, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me and The Prestige, among others.

Read more here.



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In tribute to legendary Motörhead frontman Lemmy, who passed away on December 28th, 2015, Montreal Canadiens goalie Ben Scrivens had Lemmy added to his hockey mask. Check out the photos below.

On January 9th, the world came together to celebrate the life of Motörhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister at Forest Lawn Memorial Cemetery in Hollywood, California.

With almost almost 300,000 watching on YouTube and millions more thinking about a man that changed the face of heavy metal. And what a face … an image. An icon. Kinda like James Dean … but for us metalheads, much more of presence in life. Manager Todd Singerman led the ceremony: “Man, I hate using these words in past tense!”

He proceeded to pass the mic to Lemmy’s son Paul: “He had a feeling something was wrong in August. We will know the pain he was in … all of his years he was a stage warrior. Having moved mount everest, the show would go on. He wasn’t just a musician and songwriter … he was a figurehead. He set the bar. It was about keeping it real. Performing was everything to him. He was Lemmy all the time. He wasn’t a poseur. He paid his his dues. Motörhead’s last album was a struggle … it never revealed his frailed health. Born to lose, live to win. He wasn’t religious, but he was profoundly spiritual. He never tolerated anybody talking over music … especially his! Music wasn’t a background to him. Nobody on this earth posed his brand of of humour. He was 100% real. I won the lottery when I got Lemmy. You were perfect. You are on the road to the great great gig in the sky.”

The elite of heavy metal praised the man, the legend, the icon.

Guns N' Roses Slash: “Lemmy was somebody that I feel blessed to be friends with. He was such a a fucking great example of what my peers wanted to be. More integrity than anybody. 100 loyal. All these fine attributes. When I got sober he was so disappointed when I didn’t greet him with a flask of Jack Daniels!”

Judas Priest's Rob Halford: “Over the years we’ve had some amazing times. We always looked forward to seeing the lads! When I was in the the presence of lord Lemmy. I was overwhelmed! As we know, the music lives forever!”

Anthrax' Scott Ian : “Elvis you taught us how to dress, how to look. It was Carl Perkins and Little Richard how to sound. And it was The Beatles who taught us we could to write our own songs. And Lemmy it was you who taught us that we could be fucking real.”

Metallica's Lars Ulrich: “I lived and breathed every note they sang! Lemmy was so hospitable and the ultimate party host. I’ve always cited Motorhead and Lemmy as in the inspiration and the primary reason Metallica exists musically and attitude wise. So thank you Lemmy for shaping who I am today.

Foo Fighter's Dave Grohl: “There is not enough time to tell you what Lemmy meant to me. He’s my person … he’s the one that bridged my love of ACDC and Sabbath and Zeppelin … and my love with GBH, the Ramones and Black Flag.

Lemmy Kilmister died on December 28th at the age of 70 following a brief battle with an aggressive cancer.

Check out the BraveWords tribute to Lemmy here.



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American power metal band Reverence, featuring Todd Michael Hall (Riot, Jack Starr’s Burning Starr), Bryan Holland (Tokyo Blade, Arrest), Steve “Doc Killdrums” Wacholz (Savatage, Crimson Glory), Pete Rossi (Overland, Sanxtion), and Michael Massie (Overloaded, Inner Recipe), have released a music video for “Race To Obscene” (see below), the track featured on their new album, Gods Of War, out now via Razar Ice Records.

Reverence’s second album follows their first release, When Darkness Calls, which was released through Razar Ice Records in 2012.

Trackisting:

“Gods Of War”
“Heart Of Gold”
“Until My Dying Breath”
“Angel In Black”
“Tear Down The Mountain”
“Blood Of Heroes”
“Battle Cry”
“Choices Made”
“Splinter”
“Cleansed By Fire”
“Race To Obscene”

“Race To Obscene” video:

“Gods Of War” video:

“Until My Dying Breath” video:

Trailer:



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BLACK SABBATH has uploaded a short video clip featuring footage from the band's rehearsals for the upcoming "The End" tour. Sitting behind the kit during the sessions is Tommy Clufetos, who was also the drumer for the group's last world trek.

The full rehearsal clip will be released on Friday, January 15.

"The End" kicks off on January 20 in Omaha and will encompass about a year, including breaks.

Estranged BLACK SABBATH drummer Bill Ward once again insisted in a recent interview that he was quite capable of playing a full concert with the group, despite the bandmembers themselves saying the opposite. Ward stepped away from the SABBATH reunion in early 2012, while the group hinted that he was not in good enough physical shape to either record or tour.

Speaking with Rei Nishimoto of Ghost Cult magazine, Ward said: "I was never in a position where I was never able to drum. It's really sad that those statements made about me that inferred that I wasn't able to drum.

"When I'm in the studio, I can play in the studio. I was laying down tracks. We settled in 2011. By August 2011, I was already training and getting trained. You have to ramp up to go out on tour so that takes a different attitude. I started getting into shape for a tour. Touring is completely different to me than being in the studio. So I was already doing that work."

He reiterated: "Never at any time was my drumming impaired, my health impaired or my ability to play drums. I'm so angry about those suggestions and that was going on."

BLACK SABBATH singer Ozzy Osbourne told The Pulse Of Radio during the band's last tour that Ward was not in shape to participate. "Bill Ward has got the most physically demanding job of the lot of us, 'cause he's the timekeeper," he said. "I don't think personally he had the chops to pull it off, you know. The saddest thing is that he needed to own up to that, and we could have worked around it, whether we had a drummer on the side with him or something."

Ward was reportedly insulted when SABBATH offered him a contract stipulating that he would only play a portion of the show each night, with another drummer along to take over.

Brad Wilk played drums on SABBATH's latest album, "13".

Los Angeles theatrical rockers BLACK VEIL BRIDES have posted a short audio sample of the music they are working on for their forthcoming fifth album. Check it out in the YouTube clip below.

The band is once again working with with GOLDFINGER frontman and producer extraordinaire John Feldmann, who helmed BLACK VEIL BRIDES' 2013 effort "Wretched And Divine: The Story Of The Wild Ones".

BLACK VEIL BRIDES vocalist Andy Biersack recently told Jägermeister UK about the group's songwriting process: "Everybody writes in their own way, I think, everywhere we are, whether it's guitar players having a riff, or one of us having an idea here and there. But I think we generally write when we're together, or when we're in a position of being in a studio situation. Our one guitar player, Jake [Pitts], has a home studio. So does [the other guitarist] Jinxx [Jeremy Ferguson]. It's about writing riffs, coming up with ideas — melodies, lyrics, those kinds of things — and then when we're together, compiling them that way. We're not a band that's sitting in a dressing room, smacking our knees and humming along and singing a song that way."

Biersack also expressed a desire to not set any deadlines while writing and recording the follow-up to "Black Veil Brides". He said: "I think at this point, we've never had an opportunity, in all of our career, to make a record that had some time behind it. Every record that we've done has been a really quick turnaround, and that's not by design — that's because, times being what they are, the record label goes, 'Have us a record now.' And we go, 'We wanna do this crazy concept record.' And they go, 'Well, you have two months to do it. So good luck with that.' Now, we've kind of… By virtue of the fans, we've got an opportunity to take a little bit of time. I don't think we'll be the band that you'll see years go by without a record, but I don't think that you're gonna see another BLACK VEIL BRIDES record in four months. The goal is by the beginning of [2016] to be working on something new, and then to perfect it. And we'll release it when we think it's ready."

BLACK VEIL BRIDES released its first-ever concert DVD and Blu-ray, "Alive And Burning", in July 2015. The cover artwork for the set was designed by the band's longtime friend and previous album cover illustrator Richard Villa.

BLACK VEIL BRIDES' fourth, self-titled album was helmed by producer Bob Rock, whose resume includes LPs by METALLICA, MÖTLEY CRÜE, THE CULT and many others.

MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx has paid tribute to David Bowie, who died on Sunday, two days after his 69th birthday. Sixx said in a statement: "Bowie not only inspired me as a songwriter but inspired me to add layers to my creativity as an artist.

"People are meant to evolve. It's a natural part of life, but so many artists become stagnant. Bowie showed us that it's not only important to evolve as artists but mandatory. Funny thing is what David was doing all along was teaching us to expect more from ourselves and never settle for less that extraordinary. Proving all along he was the teacher and we were all just his students. He taught us well.

"Bowie was my hero and always will be."

According to reports from insiders in the David Bowie camp, the music legend died from liver cancer, after suffering from a handful heart attacks in recent years.

Bowie died on January 10 following a private 18-month battle against the disease. Stage director Ivo van Hove, who had been working with Bowie on his musical "Lazurus" — which is running in Manhattan's New York Theatre Workshop through January 17 — revealed to The Independent that he knew Bowie was ill for "about a year."

Bowie biographer Wendy Leigh went on to tell the BBC that musician's recent health woes were actually quite extensive. "He didn't just battle cancer," she said. "He had six heart attacks in recent years. I got this from somebody very close to him."

Italian symphonic metal kings RHAPSODY OF FIRE will release their new studio album, "Into The Legend", on January 15 via AFM Records.

The song "Distant Sky" can be streamed below.

Comments RHAPSODY OF FIRE keyboardist Alex Staropoli: "After two years of intense work, including composing and arranging, after seven months spent in four different studios, this huge and ambitious production is coming to an end. We are right now mixing the songs, going through hundreds and hundreds hours of recordings to make an album that will feature over 65 minutes of breathtaking music, an album that will gather and exploit the best elements this band ever had in a modern way, and to build a musical landscape that will have no equals in the world's heavy metal scene."

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. In Principio02. Distant Sky03. Into The Legend04. Winter's Rain05. A Voice In The Cold Wind06. Valley Of Shadows07. Shining Star08. Realms Of Light09. Rage Of Darkness10. The Kiss Of Life11. Volar Sin Dolor (bonus track; limited digipack)+ Video: "Into The Legend"

Check out the cover artwork below.

RHAPSODY OF FIRE in June 2013 "respectfully" parted ways with their American guitarist Tom Hess due to "philosophical differences."

RHAPSODY OF FIRE released a live album, "Live - From Chaos To Eternity", on May 3, 2013 in Europe and May 7, 2013 in the USA via AFM Records. It was made available as two-CD digipak and as limited three-vinyl set. The material (a mixture of old classics and newer tracks) was recorded on the band’s European tour in spring 2012.

Staropoli and RHAPSODY OF FIRE guitarist Luca Turilli in 2011 announced their decision to go their separate ways.

Due to legal reasons, Staropoli is continuing under the RHAPSODY OF FIRE name. Turilli, on the other hand, is making his efforts available under the RHAPSODY moniker (RHAPSODY OF FIRE's original name), in which he is joined by guitarist Dominique Leurquin, bassist Patrice Guers, singer Alessandro Conti (TRICK OR TREAT) and drummer Alex Landenburg (AT VANCE, ANNIHILATOR, MEKONG DELTA, STRATOVARIUS).