In a tradition that dates back to Late Antiquity, the Lord Of Misrule or "Abbot Of Unreason" was the doomed figure elected to preside over the Feast Of Fools, an annual Saturnalian bacchanalia in which masters became servants and servants masters, while drunken revelry and strange entertainments pervaded Britain and parts of mainland Europe for 30 days. At the end of the month's festivities, the Lord of Misrule's throat was cut in sacrifice to Saturn.
 
Taking its title from this fascinating slice of religious history, Blood Ceremony's fourth album evokes pagan rites and the bizarre mystical underbelly of rural Britain. Embracing the psychedelic and progressive in their indelible songcraft, guitarist Sean Kennedy, bassist Lucas Gadke, drummer Michael Carrillo and triple threat vocalist/flautist/organist Alia O'Brien have created what Kennedy calls "a very English album," despite the band's very Canadian heritage. Recorded to analogue tape with producer Liam Watson at Toe Rag Studios in London, Lord Of Misrule possesses a timeless quality within the rock epoch: It could stand alongside a Shocking Blue or Deep Purple record as easily as it will take its place among 2016's finest albums.
 
Lord Of Misrule conjures a lush atmosphere in which the pastoral horror of The Wicker Man and the Scottish ballad of Tam Lin-as viewed through the lens flare of Ava Gardner's witchy turn in 1970's The Devil's Widow-are alchemized into songs of seduction and mortality. "There's no defining concept running through the album, unless one can imagine a lord of misrule offering each song as a different entertainment," Kennedy says. "The lyrics tend to deal, in different measure, with obsession, love and death."  
 
Lord Of Misrule will be released March 26 via Rise Above Records.  

Tracklisting:

“The Devil’s Widow”
“Loreley”
“The Rogue’s Lot”
“Lord Of Misrule”
“Half Moon Street”
“The Weird Of Finistere”
“Flower Phantoms”
“Old Fires”
“Things Present, Things Past”

To coincide with the album’s release, they will be out on the road in Europe this April.

Dates:

April
15 – Paris, France – Backstage by The Mill
16 – Tilburg, Netherlands – Roadburn Festival
17 – Hamburg, Germany – Rock Café St. Pauli
18 – Berlin, Germany – Privatclub
19 – Vienna, Austria – The Chelsea
20 – Munich, Germany – Backstage Club
21 – Madonna Dell’alberto, Italy – Bronson
22 – Milan, Italy – Legend
23 – Olton, Switzerland – Coq D’or
24 – Nurnberg, Germany – Hirsch
25 – Frankfurt, Germany – Nachtleben
26 – Cologne, Germany – MTC
28 – Manchester, UK – The Deaf Institute
29 – Glasgow, UK – Audio
30 – Birmingham, UK – The Rainbow

(Photo: Ester Segarra)



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Finnish rockers RECKLESS LOVE will release their fourth studio album, "InVader", on March 4 via Spinefarm Records. The follow-up to the colorful quartet's previous CD, 2013's "Spirit", was produced by Ilkka Wirtanen and sees the musicians exploring fresh sounds as well as delivering their audience-pleasing signature party anthems.

"Our latest album, 'InVader', sends a fresh breeze from Finland to all over the world in March 2016," explains drummer Hessu Maxx. "We took our time with this album and it was worth it. 'InVader' is our boldest and most versatile album so far. We recorded these killer songs, we found the sound and it's all there. There is nothing to add. We really nailed it this time."

He continued: "We are really looking forward to getting back on the road because that is where we belong. You're going to see and hear this merry metal four-piece even stronger than before."

"InVader" track listing:

01. We Are The Weekend02. Hands03. Monster04. Child Of The Sun05. Bullettime06. Scandinavian Girls07. Pretty Boy Swagger08. Rock It09. Destiny10. Let's Get Cracking11. Keep It Up All Night (U.K. bonus track)

On the live front, RECKLESS LOVE will be returning to the U.K. in March, with Spinefarm labelmates SANTA CRUZ guesting on all dates. After the first seven shows, the tour heads off into Europe before culminating at the end of the month at the Scala theatre in London.

RECKLESS LOVE singer Olli Herman (a.k.a. H. Olliver Twisted) joined Swedish rockers CRASHDIET in 2006 as the replacement for David Hellman (a.k.a. Dave Lepard), who committed suicide in January 2006.

Olli left CRASHDIET shortly after the release of the band's second album, "The Unattractive Revolution", in order to focus all his attention on RECKLESS LOVE.

AEROSMITH singer Steven Tyler says that he has been working on the return of GUNS N' ROSES for years and has predicted that the reunion of Slash, Axl Rose and Duff McKagan will be "huge."

GUNS N' ROSES will play two shows before its mid-April appearance at the Coachella Music And Arts Festival in California, with the band now scheduled to perform at the new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on April 8 and April 9, just days after the venue opens for business on April 6.

GUNS N' ROSES' headlining slots on April 16 and April 23 at the Coachella event in Indio, California were confirmed earlier this month after widespread speculation that the band would appear at the festival.

The band's lineup will feature Rose, Slash and McKagan performing together for the first time since 1994, although the rest of the group roster has yet to be confirmed.

Speaking to Getty Images while preparing to board a flight at the Los Angeles International Airport, Tyler said about GUNS N' ROSES' comeback: "I've been working on it for years." He explained that he "just told [Slash] that the world needs more rock and roll and [there is] enough of people arguing, especially when they're as talented and as great. Everybody loves their songs. That's what rock and roll is about."

Asked how big be thinks the GUNS N' ROSES reunion will be, Tyler responded: "Huge. There are no words." But he cautioned: "Just don't forget this: it don't happen 'till it happens."

Pressed on why he thinks Slash and Rose finally decided to reunite after more than twenty years, Tyler said: "'Cause obviously there was a row, and they finally made up. What do you think?"

GN'R is reportedly negotiating with promoters to play as many as 25 stadiums in North America this summer. The band is said to be asking as much as $3 million per show, with tickets topping out in the $250 to $275 range.

In an interview with Guitar World, AEROSMITH guitarist Joe Perry said about the classic lineup of GUNS N' ROSES: "[They] were great and really made a mark in rock and roll history. It's a shame that whatever energy they saw in each other on that first record they couldn't sustain. They made a great record and could have been huge all around the world for as long as they wanted."

He added in a separate chat with USA Today: "It would be great for the original [GUNS N' ROSES] to get back together, but it takes more than great songs to keep a band going. Slash has done an amazing job on his own."

"Moment Of Betrayal", a brand new song from progressive metallers DREAM THEATER, can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's thirteenth album, "The Astonishing", which will be released on January 29 via Roadrunner. The CD will be made available in a wide range of distinctive versions, including standard 2-CD set, 4-LP vinyl box set and a limited edition deluxe box set, all of which are currently available for pre-order at this location.

Recorded at Cove City Sound Studios in Glen Cove, New York, with John Petrucci producing, studio luminary Richard Chycki (AEROSMITH, RUSH) engineering/mixing and legendary arranger, composer and conductor David Campbell orchestrating, "The Astonishing" paints a tale of a retro-futurist post-apocalyptic dystopia ruled by medieval style feudalism. It's a place aching for a Chosen One to rise above the noise and defeat an Empire defined by the endless drone of noise machines and the illusion of safety in bland conformity.

The band comments on "The Astonishing" artwork: "This album cover extends an ominous invitation into the retro-futurist dystopian setting of 'The Astonishing'. The deceptively beautiful yet chillingly totalitarian image is a bold harbinger of the visual components and ideas presented by the sonic story that is our most ambitious creative work to date. We are very proud to soon bring you… 'The Astonishing'."

Asked what prompted the idea to make "The Astonishing" a rock-opera concept album so elaborate, with a full, detailed storyline, DREAM THEATER guitarist John Petrucci told RollingStone.com: "The idea to do a concept album as a band felt right. The last one we did [1999's 'Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory'] was about 15 years ago, and it really felt like we were in a good place to do this. I knew that what needed to happen, first and foremost, is that we had to have a story to base this on, because the idea of basing an album off of a loose concept or something that was sort of arbitrary, that didn't interest me at all. I wanted this not only to be a concept album, but really to write a full show. And to have all the elements in place, the story needs to drive that. We needed to have the storyline, a plot, places, characters, maps — you name it. So that started about two and a half years ago; it took about a year for me to get that story done and ready to present to the guys. And I wanted to write from a place that was familiar to me, so I knew that music had to play a role in the story somehow. I'm a huge fan of the sci-fi and fantasy genres, so I had a pretty good idea of where I wanted to go. But it was a matter of really diving into it and working on it, revising and revising again, and working on it every day until I had something solid."

Petrucci also talked in more detail about the songwriting process for "The Atonishing". He said: "Because of the sheer volume of music — you're talking, when all's said and done, probably two hours, 10 minutes' worth of music — every step of this has been a huge process. I don't think I've had time to do anything else over the last year or so [laughs]! In order to do this right, I had to be really, really organized about it. Jordan [Rudess, keyboards] and I wrote the music as really a prog-metal score to the story. We didn't sit down and say, 'Let's write a song, here's the first chorus, whatever.' We would go through the story and say, "What's happening here, where is it taking place?" We had to make sure the mythology was right, the timeline was right. And that carried through on every level. When it came to presenting the orchestration to [veteran conductor and orchestrator] David Campbell and getting him involved; when it came to writing the lyrics, and then me having to go through it song by song, character by character; even things like the artwork, creating the map and all those different towns and cities and roads — every sort of level and layer took a lot of organization and focus."

"The Astonishing" track listing:

Act I

01. Descent Of The NOMACS02. Dystopian Overture03. The Gift Of Music04. The Answer05. A Better Life06. Lord Nafaryus07. A Savior In The Square08. When Your Time Has Come09. Act Of Faythe10. Three Days11. The Hovering Sojourn12. Brother, Can You Hear Me?13. A Life Left Behind14. Ravenskill15. Chosen16. A Tempting Offer17. Digital Discord18. The X Aspect19. A New Beginning20. The Road To Revolution

Act II

01. 2285 Entr'acte02. Moment Of Betrayal03. Heaven’s Cove04. Begin Again05. The Path That Divides06. Machine Chatter07. The Walking Shadow08. My Last Farewell09. Losing Faythe10. Whispers In The Wind11. Hymn Of A Thousand Voices12. Our New World13. Power Down 14. Astonishing

DREAM THEATER has announced its first North American tour of 2016, which will see the pioneering group performing a historic set in immersive and interactive settings for a unique and unparalleled live experience.

Set to kick off April 14 at Quebec City’s Theatre Du Capitole, the spring trek will see the prog virtuosos delivering a one-of-a-kind show in which they will perform their forthcoming double concept album, "The Astonishing", live in its entirety. The momentous tour will continue through May with the band making stops at prestigious theaters throughout North America including New York's Radio City Music Hall, Los Angeles's The Wiltern, and Boston's Orpheum Theatre.

The National Guitar Museum announced that its annual Lifetime Achievement Award is being awarded to Tony Iommi, legendary guitarist and founder of BLACK SABBATH. Iommi is the sixth recipient of the award, joining previous recipients Honeyboy Edwards, Roger McGuinn, B.B. King, Vic Flick and Buddy Guy. Recipients are recognized for a lifetime of contributing to the legacy of the guitar and having a singular importance to the development and historical appreciation of the instrument.

Said Iommi, who has just kicked off BLACK SABBATH's final tour: "I'm very honored by this award from the National Guitar Museum. The guitar has been an important part of my life for most of my life, and I'm happy to have contributed to its legacy. Not only that, but I have just the place for this award in my new studio!"

According to HP Newquist, National Guitar Museum executive director, "This year, the choice for us was obvious. With Tony embarking on a final tour, his recorded work now marking nearly 50 years, and the charitable work he's been involved in, this was the time to ensure that his work was recognized. Tony's guitar playing has inspired countless numbers of guitarists to follow in his wake, and few guitarists can match his lifetime of achievements."

Accompanying the award, Epiphone Guitars contributed a left-handed model of Iommi's signature SG line, which was launched this past year, to the museum. It will become part of the National Guitar Museum's permanent collection.

The National Guitar Museum is the first museum in the United States dedicated to the history, evolution, and cultural impact of the guitar. Its touring exhibition, "Guitar: The Instrument That Rocked The World" debuted in 2011 and is currently booked at museums across the U.S. into 2018 — having been seen to date by over a million visitors.

The touring exhibition consists of more than 80 guitars and entertaining displays that include historical artifacts, video screens, and computer interactives designed to appeal to visitors of all ages. The exhibit will become the basis of the National Guitar Museum in its permanent home; the selection process to determine which city will host the museum is currently underway.

For more information, visit www.nationalguitarmuseum.org.

Two-camera video footage of JUDAS PRIEST performing the song "Halls Of Valhalla" on December 5, 2015 at Ericsson Globe in Stockholm, Sweden can be seen below (edited by metalist908). Also available are the previously released "Metal Gods" and "Desert Plains" clips.

JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford told the Q104 radio station in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada about the band's plans to record the follow-up album to 2014's "Redeemer Of Souls": "Well, you know, in rock and roll, you've gotta kind of strike while the iron is hot, and that iron has been burning hot for decades for PRIEST now. It doesn't show any sign of cooling off, I can tell you that. The cool thing about where we're at right now is, of course, having Richie [Faulkner, new PRIEST guitarist] with us and having gone through that first writing experience together [on 'Redeemer Of Souls']. We were so motivated to keep writing as we were going along, but our label had a time schedule for us to keep, so we had to put the brakes on and start recording the songs that we'd written. And with that in mind, we're raring to go again, and I'm sure there'll be another PRIEST record in the not-too-distant metal future."

Asked whether he feels that "the clock is ticking" on JUDAS PRIEST's recording and touring career, Rob said: "Yeah, the clock is ticking, [but] we’re trying to hold it back. [Laughs] But it's great, man. I've gotta tell you, this band is having the time of its life, and we're very excited to be back out on the road after a short break from our last show, in Wacken in Germany at the big heavy metal festival there in front of eighty thousand heavy metal maniacs. So we're still bringing the fire and the metal with us wherever we go."

"Redeemer Of Souls" was released in July 2014. The follow-up to 2008's double-disc concept album "Nostradamus" was billed as a return to JUDAS PRIEST's heavy-metal roots.

"Redeemer Of Souls" sold around 32,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 6 on The Billboard 200 chart.

"The Weight", a brand new song from Norwegian progressive metallers CIRCUS MAXIMUS, can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's new album, "Havoc", which will be released on March 18 via Frontiers Music Srl. "Havoc" is CIRCUS MAXIMUS's highly anticipated fourth studio album and one that will certainly make a huge impact on the progressive metal scene. The band's musical formula is not easy to pull off. Take jaw-dropping musicianship, singer Michael Eriksen with a voice from the heavens and put it together with hooks, anthemic melodies, and enough groove and heavy riffing to satisfy any prog metal fan, and you've got the CIRCUS MAXIMUS sound. "The theme on this new album is about moments and experiences in life that lead to love and hate," says guitarist and producer Mats Haugen. "Metaphorically, it's about succumbing to fire and striving to cope with the aftermath of decisions when overshadowed by the love we have for others and ourselves." Musically, the band offers the usual mixture of very heavy moments intertwined with extremely accessible melodies. Songs like "Pages", the opener "The Weight", "After The Fire" and "Remember" show the full range of the CIRCUS MAXIMUS sound. Still, the album has very heavy songs ("Havoc") and slow and melodic moments ("Loved Ones") too. The band is set to tour heavily in support of this new release with shows in Europe, U.S. (they are already confirmed for the ProgPower USA festival) and more territories to come. The redefining sound, the songwriting and the clever production, highlights the band as one of the leading, original progressive metal bands around.

"Havoc" track listing:

01. The Weight02. Highest Bitter03. Havoc04. Pages05. Flames06. Loved Ones07. After The Fire08. Remember09. Chivalry CIRCUS MAXIMUS is:

Michael Eriksen - VocalsMats Haugen - Guitar, backing vocals and programmingTruls Haugen - Drums, backing vocals and percussionLasse Finbråten - Keyboards, samples, programmingGlen Møllen - Bass

On March 11, German thrashers Accuser will release their new album The Forlorn Divide via Metal Blade Records; it's the first album for their new label Metal Blade Records.

Forlorn Divide will be released on CD and LP along with a bundle including an exclusive t-shirt. Preorders are available on Metal Blade.

From 1986 to 1996, Accuser were a mainstay within the national and international metal scenes. Especially albums such as Who Dominates Who (1989) and Repent (1992) are an impressive display of the Siegen, Germany-based group's technical and compositional abilities.

Musically Accuser finds their own niche somewhere between Bay Area thrash metal and the German sound of bands such as Kreator or Destruction. Collaborations with Alex Perialas (producer of Testament, Anthrax) or German industrial pioneers Die Krupps speak for themselves.

After several line-up changes, the band eventually splits up in 1996. That is, until 2008: Accuser returned. Although they have never truly been gone, to be exact. Under the name of Scartribe, they have been writing songs all the time and played countless concerts.

By the end of 2008, the band returned to their familiar name and has been firing on all cylinders ever since. In May 2010, Agitation was released, an album featuring all their trademarks. Classical thrash tiffs, melodic leads and nifty soli fall together with Frank Thoms' inimitable voice and soulful lyrics about social issues.

The band has already been working on new material since 2013. The addition of new guitarist Dennis Rybakowski, the re-recorded version of their classic Who Dominates Who to celebrate their 25th birthday in 2013 and several very successful festival shows were whiffs of fresh air for the group. Quickly, it became apparent that the new stuff was going to be more progressive and complex, so the band took their time in order to work meticulously with a focus on detail. Slowly but steadily, The Forlorn Divide took shape in their tried-and-tested Gernhart Studio. It contains everything you know and love about Accuser: involved, powerful thrash metal with virtuoso guitar work, thought-out drum patterns and last but not least aggressive, at times desperate vocals, perfectly highlighting the dark recesses of human psyche that are described in the lyrics.

Tracklisting:

“Predawn”
“Lust For Vengeance”
“Unreal Perception”
“Arbitrary Law”
“Impending Doom”
“Tribulation”
“Perish By Oblivion”
“Fifth Column”
“Sulfur Rain”
“Flow Of Dying”

“Tribulation”:

Accuser live:

March
12 – Siegen, Germany – Vortex (CD release show)

April
16 – Dettelbach, Germany – Metal Franconia Festival

May
13-15 – Gelsenkirchen, Germany – Rock Hard Festival

September
30 – Dresden, Germany – Skullcrusher (Metal Gegen Krebs Festival) 



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Legendary guitarist Joe Satriani has revealed that CHICKENFOOT in "about ninety-nine percent finished" recording a brand new song and is planning to play a one-off concert in May.

The group, which also includes former VAN HALEN singer Sammy Hagar, ex-VAN HALEN bassist Michael Anthony andRED HOT CHILI PEPPERS drummer Chad Smith, has not made a CD in five years but recently returned to the studio to record a new track, "Before I Die", to be released later in the year.

Speaking to the Northwest Music Scene about CHICKENFOOT's future plans, Satriani said: "It looks like we're going to do a show in the middle of May. I don't think it's public yet, but I don't really care if you mention it. We're getting together, just one show, the original band. I think it's a Lake Tahoe show. We're kind of working around the schedule of Chad, who's got a rehearsal schedule at that point with the CHILI PEPPERS. I'm in between my U.S. and European tours, and I know there's a Benioff Children's Hospital benefit that I do with Sammy and James Hetfield [METALLICA], which comes up about a week before that, so it comes up like right in the middle or early May; maybe the 7th or something like that. And then we've got a track that's pretty much done; it's about ninety-nine percent finished. We actually recorded a song."

He added: "We're the slowest-working band in history; we take forever. But there is stuff happening, and we're still laughing and communicating."

Hagar recently described "Before I Die" as "the coolest song that we've maybe ever had. It's really bluesy and edgy and modern and it's fucking cool."

Hagar also once again clarified comments he made to Rolling Stone magazine where he was quoted as saying that he thinks CHICKENFOOT is finished making albums.

"To go in the studio and spend a half a million dollars to make a great record that's going to sell forty or fifty thousand…. maybe a hundred thousand records, [you] basically pay to play and you're going to lose money on that," he said. "And then you go out and tour with a band that could sell two or three thousand tickets in any city in the world, but, you know, flying around in a private jet and staying in Four Seasons hotels and all of that and with these four guys, we're all rich, so it's like, we don't need the money, but at the same time, to go out and do 60 or 70 shows and come back and make as much as I make in one night after a year of that, is pretty hard."

He continued: "I don't do things for money, but it's pretty difficult to put everything else aside. Because I'm saying, 'Okay, if I'm putting a year of my life aside, I'm not going to make any money, number one. Which I don't need money, it's okay, I can get away with that. But the energy that it takes to do all of that and my fans sit there and hound me, as much as they love CHICKENFOOT, they hound me to go out and do [the songs from my history]. 'We want to hear this song, we want to hear that song,' and I'm going, 'Fuck, now I've gotta go back out and work again, I'm fuckin' beat,' you know?"

Hagar's new band THE CIRCLE, which also features Michael Anthony, Jason Bonham and Vic Johnson, plays hits from Sammy's four decades of rock (MONTROSE, solo, VAN HALEN, THE WABORITAS, CHICKENFOOT) as well as classic tracks from the LED ZEPPELIN catalog.

CHICKENFOOT reissued its gold-selling 2009 self-titled debut as a double-disc set. The new version features bonus live tracks recorded on the group's tour behind its sophomore studio effort, "III"

CHICKENFOOT's most recent touring lineup included legendary drummer/musician Kenny Aronoff, who was filling in for Smith while Chad was on the road with RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS.

"III" sold 42,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 9 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's self-titled debut opened with 49,000 units back in June 2009 to debut at No. 6.

UK based metalcore band, Reign Eternal, have released a music video for “The Amendment”, a track from their debut Premonitions EP, released back on December 4th.

"Off the back bone of our first video "Fighting Blind” feat. Matt Stuart, we shot the second music video for another track on our Premonitions EP called "The Amendment". Because of the lyrical theme of Bullying and Discrimination this is a song which a lot of our fans and new listeners can relate to. For us "The Amendment" is a stand out track on the EP and we wanted to give it the video it deserves," comments vocalist Ellis Jones.

Premonitions EP tracklisting:

“Intro”
“Fighting Blind”
“Bloodwater”
“The Amendment”
“Oxygen”
“Sins Of Epitah”

“Fighting Blind” video:

 



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German thrash metallers Exumer will release their fourth album, The Raging Tides, on January 29th via Metal Blade Records. Check out the track “Catatonic”, streaming below:

Recorded with producer/engineer Waldemar Soychta at Waldstreet Sound in Dortmund, Germany, The Raging Tides is a deliberate and violent thrash attack that stays true to the band's 30 year legacy. Conceptually and lyrically, vocalist Mem V. Stein has based the bulk of the record around human suffering - specifically "caused by torture or other means for political, religious, or personal gain for the individuals/organizations who inflict the pain," Stein asserts. Inspired by a wide range of books and articles, the title of the album itself, according to Stein, "represents the ebb and flow of human misery and despair around the globe."

Tracklisting:

“The Raging Tides”
“Brand Of Evil”
“Catatonic”
“Sacred Defense”
“Welcome To Hellfire”
“Sinister Souls”
“Shadow Walker”
“There Will Always Be Blood”
“Dark Reflections”
“Death Factory”
“Forever My Queen” (Pentagram cover, bonus track)
“Hostage To Heaven” (Grip Inc. cover, bonus track featuring Rob Dukes, Waldemar Sorychta, Markus Freiwald)

"Sinister Souls”:

“The Raging Tides”:

Exumer recently announced more dates for their Road Rage 2016 tour. A complete list of currently confirmed dates can be found below.

Road Rage 2016 tour dates:

January
28 - Boveda - Barcelona, Spain
29 - Centro Civicio Universidad - Zaragoza, Spain
30 - El Tren - Granada, Spain
31 - Lemon - Madrid, Spain

February
4 - TBA - Netherlands
5 - Club Bogaloo - Pfarrkirchen, Germany
6 - Schlachthaus - Dornbirn, Austria
7 - Blue Rose Saloon - Mailand, Italy
8 - Traffic Live Club - Rome, Italy
10 - Comet - Berlin, Germany
11 - Progresja - Warschau, Poland
12 - LDK - Lodz, Poland
13 - Sumpfblume - Hameln, Germany
14 - Lukaz - Lunen, Germany

 



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Dutch blackened death doom metallers, Soulburn, have launched a video for the song “In Suffocating Darkness”, off their current album The Suffocating Darkness, out on Century Media Records. The atmospheric clip, which was directed by Twan van Geel and produced by Pim Voormeulen as well as Dennis Wassenburg, can be seen below.

Soulburn vocalist/bassist Twan van Geel checked in to comment on the clip: “The year 2016 has just emerged from its slumbering decay as we already provide you with our official video for “In Suffocating Darkness”. We hope you'll enjoy our foul taste of obscured dark art as much as we do! And last but 'satanically' not least: The tarot cards on the table show your future, live up to it and indulge, into oblivion!”

 

Originally Soulburn emerged after a first demise of Dutch death metal legend Asphyx in the mid 90’s, when founding members Eric Daniels (guitars) and Bob Bagchus (drums) looked for a separate outlet to unleash their mutual obsession with Bathory, Venom and Celtic Frost. After a demo and the cult Feeding On Angels debut album via Century Media Records in 1998, which featured Wannes Gubbels (Pentacle) on vocals/bass, Soulburn were put to rest when Asphyx returned with On The Wings Of Inferno (2000) with the same lineup. Soulburn was dead, buried, but not forgotten...

And 16 years after their debut album, Soulburn resurfaced in their new lineup featuring the core of Eric Daniels (guitars) and Bob Bagchus (drums), teaming up with Twan van Geel (Flesh Made Sin, Legion Of The Damned) as vocalist/bassist and Remco Kreft (Grand Supreme Blood Court, Nailgun Massacre, Xenomorph) as second guitarist to create The Suffocating Darkness. Their sophomore album was recorded with Harry Wijering / Harrow Productions) and mix/mastering duties were taken over by Dan Swanö / Unisound Recordings. The frontcover was designed by Timo Ketola (Watain, Deathspell Omega, etc.) and additional art was provided by Roberto Toderico (Sinister, Asphyx, etc.).

The Suffocating Darkness album is still available as special edition CD (in O-Card packaging and with an enhancement of a full-dynamic vinyl mix in high-resolution MP3 format as bonus) or as 180gr. vinyl LP (either on unlimited black vinyl or as limited transparent red vinyl) from CM Distro Europe here.

Check out the album track “Under The Rise Of A Red Moon”:

Most recently, Soulburn released a split 7” EP with Desaster in 2015 featuring the new track “The Lats Monument Of God” and are currently working on new material for the follow-up album to The Suffocating Darkness, expected to be released later in 2016.

Soulburn live:

June
24-26 - Protzen, Germany - Protzen Open Air (Sold Out!)

More shows to be announced soon.

Soulburn lineup:

Twan van Geel - vocals/bass
Remco Kreft - guitar
Eric Daniels - guitar
Bob Bagchus - drums

(Photo - Dennis Wassenburg)



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Florida metal legends NASTY SAVAGE have reunited and are planning to record a brand new studio album this summer. Tours will follow the new disc's release.

NASTY SAVAGE 2016 is:

Nasty Ronnie - VocalsFred Dregischan - BassDavid Austin - GuitarJohn Mahoney - GuitarGreg Gall - Drums

Says Austin: "This is very exciting for myself and the rest of the guys involved. The past is the past. We are looking to the future of recording the best record of our lives. Stoked for this! I promise this will kick your asses!"

NASTY SAVAGE played what was billed at the time as the band's "last concert ever" on May 5, 2012 at the Crowbar in Ybor City, Florida. Fan-filmed video footage of the show can be seen below.

NASTY SAVAGE rose to popularity in the mid-1980s primarily due to lead vocalist "Nasty" Ronnie Galetti's over-the-top stage performances (in early shows Ronnie would smash television sets over his head). After landing a deal with Metal Blade Records, the band released three full-length albums and an EP between 1985 and 1989. NASTY SAVAGE split up a short time later and played some reunion shows in the late 1990s before officially reforming in late 2002.

NASTY SAVAGE's "comeback" album, "Psycho Psycho", was released in Europe in March 2004 through Metal Blade Records. The CD contained 12 songs in total, including a new version of the demo classic "Savage Desire".

On February 26, NASTY SAVAGE's self-titled debut album as well as its follow-up effort, "Indulgence", will be reissued. Both albums will be available on vinyl as well as on digi-CDs. The "Indulgence" CD will feature the four songs of the "Abstract Reality" mini-album as a bonus.

The NASTY SAVAGE vinyls will be released with 400g heavy cardboard spine sleeves (inside out print), 60x60cm artwork posters and 250g inserts.

German metallers RAGE — led by singer/bass player Peavy Wagner — will release a four-track EP on January 22 to coincide with the band's tour with HELLOWEEN.

"This EP will shorten your waiting time until the release of our new album — the first one since 2012 — which will be in the shops next May," reveals Peavy.

"My Way" contains four tracks, including two re-recorded versions of songs from RAGE's 1995 album "Black In Mind" and a brand-new song in both English and Spanish.

"My Way" EP track listing:

01. My Way (new song)02. Black In Mind (title song of the album "Black In Mind"; re-recorded)03. Sent By The Devil (from the album "Black In Mind"; re-recorded)04. Apuesto A Ganar (Spanish version of "My Way")

The official video for the song "My Way" can be seen below.

"My Way" will be available as MCD and seven-inch vinyl exclusively at the Nuclear Blast shop and on the HELLOWEEN tour at the merchandising booth.

"My Way" is the first RAGE release to feature the band's latest additions, Marcos Rodriguez (guitar) and Vassilios Maniatopoulos (drums)

Marcos Rodriguez was born in Venezuela and currently resides in Antwerpen, Belgium. The 36-year old guitarist is a die-hard fan of RAGE who met Peavy on RAGE's 30th-anniversary tour when his band SOUNDCHASER provided support on parts of the trek. Vassilios "Lucky" Maniatopoulos has so far primarily made an appearance as the vocalist of the band TRI STATE CORNER. However, the former drum student and drum technician of former RAGE and current TRI STATE CORNER/REFUGE drummer Christos Efthimiadis is also longtime friend of Peavy's.

RAGE's "The Soundchaser Archives" 2CD/DVD box, featuring 30 rare, new and previously unreleased tracks, plus a bonus DVD, was released on May 23, 2014 via Nuclear Blast.

Northern Germany's infernal extreme metal duo, Mantar, have announced the worldwide release date for their forthcoming album. Ode To The Flame will be out on April 15th via Nuclear Blast.

Commented the band: "The title Ode To The Flame is chosen in tradition of the debut record, Death By Burning to maintain the cleansing power of fire as the key theme. Fire is able to reset anything and will erase this planet one day from any plague that's been around. Furthermore it's obviously an ode to passion and iron will. Ode To The Flame isn't dramatic, it's drastic. By all means."

Watch the official in-studio video teaser:

Ever since their inception in 2013 and the release of their first album in 2014 the band has been recognized as one of the hardest working in the German extreme metal underground. Melding the most sinister elements of styles like black metal, doom and punk, representing unfiltered pure primal rage, Mantar have proven to be one of a kind. Their extremely intense live shows have been seen all over the world and have blown away unaware audiences with their unconditionally tight and brutal performances. Mantar is a pure evil elemental force captured by only two uber passionate artists that strife for ultimate raw sonic power.

Mantar is:

Hanno - vocals, guitars
Erinc - drums, vocals



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Hail Mary, featuring Bobby Gustafson (Satans Taint, ex-Overkill) John Gallagher (Raven) and Sid Falck (Infectus 13, ex-Overkill), have begun the recording process for the song “To Hell And Back”.

After spending the month of December 2015 on writing their charity song “To Hell And Back”, the band has started recording basic tracks at Blue Halo Studio with engineer Shawn Sanders and at The Porch Studio with engineer Tim Lau. No completion or release date has been set yet, and discussions are ongoing with various parties regarding the best method and format to release the finished song in.

Further, due to the recent loss of both Phil Taylor and Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister, the band did an impromptu recording of a couple of Motörhead songs and are currently considering the option of releasing one of those songs on YouTube.

Hail Mary is a project and the brainchild of Bobby Gustafson, formed for the purpose of writing, recording and releasing the single "To Hell And Back". Everyone involved are donating their services, so that 100% of sales will go to the Cheri Pogue medical fund.

Additional details will be released as they become available.

(Photo - Hail Mary Facebook)



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On April 1st, Finnish pagan metal act Moonsorrow will release their seventh studio album Jumalten Aika – which means The Age Of Gods in English – via Century Media Records.

“There are a lot more folk music influences present in Jumalten Aika than earlier”, comments Henri Sorvali (Guitars, keyboards & vocals). “This time around, they are more deeply integrated to the overall sound. Jumalten Aika is like a circling wolf biting the hardest when you would never expect it. The music is unchained aggression, deep mysteries of the North and thundering witchcraft combined together in a molten forge of the Gods and reminds us all of something that never left our blood and soil.”

Jumalten Aika will be released in the following formats:

Ltd. 2CD Mediabook & Patch – European edition
Ltd. 2CD Digipak & Patch – US edition
Gatefold black 2LP+CD
Gatefold white 2LP+CD – CMDistro.de (EU webshop exclusive), limited to 100 copies
Gatefold transparent green 2LP+CD – Nuclearblast.de exclusive, limited to 200 copies
Gatefold clear 2LP+CD – distributed via RED in the US, limited to 400 copies
Gatefold silver 2LP+CD – CMDistro.com (US webshop exclusive), limited to 200 copies
CD / Digital

The European pre-sale at CMDistro.de will kick off March 4th.

The limited edition 2CD formats come with a strictly limited patch as well as a bonus disc including cover versions of Grave’s “Soulless” and Rotting Christ’s “Non Serviam”. These were intentionally added as a second disc to be separated from the main album’s intricate musical and lyrical concept. All physical formats will also include English translations of the lyrics to allow you to delve deeper into the darkened folklore of Moonsorrow.

Jumalten Aika tracklisting:

“Jumalten Aika”
“Ruttolehto incl. Päivättömän Päivän Kansa”
“Suden Tunti”
“Mimisbrunn”
“Ihmisen Aika (Kumarrus Pimeyteen)”

Bonus disc:

“Soulless” (Grave cover)
“Non Serviam” (Rotting Christ cover)

In April 2016, Moonsorrow will head out for a co-headline European tour with fellow countrymen Korpiklaani (pictured above). The two powerhouses of Finnish folk metal will join forces once again, with both bands playing extended sets. There will also be an official album release show at Virgin Oil in Helsinki on April 1st.

Tour dates:
 
April
1 - Virgin Oil - Helsinki, Finland (album release show)

April (with Korpiklaani)
8 - Durbuy Rock Festival - Bomal-sur-Ourthe, Belgium         
9 - Tanzmatten - Sélestat, France
10 - Melkweg - Amsterdam, Netherlands (with Heidevolk)
11 - La Trabendo - Paris, France      
12 - TBA, France     
13 - Arena - Madrid, Spain
14 - Razzmatazz2 - Barcelona, Spain
15 - CC John Lennon - Limoges, France
16 - Carène - Brest, France
17 - Antipode - Rennes, France
18 - CCO Villeurbanne - Lyon, France
19 - BAM - Metz, France
20 - Islington Academy - London, UK   
21 - Club Academy - Manchester, UK
22 - Button Factory - Dublin, Ireland           
23 - Limelight 2 - Belfast, Ireland     
24 - Classic Grand - Glasgow, Scotland          
25 - Stylus - Leeds, UK   
26 - Academy 2 - Birmingham, UK        
27 - The Fleece - Bristol, UK     
28 - 1865 - Southampton, UK    
29 - Matrix - Bochum, Germany          

(Moonsorrow photo - Tuomas Tahvanainen)

 



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Hammheart Records will release the new Cirith Gorgor album, Visions Of Exalted Lucifer, on February 19th. Watch the band’s new video for the track “Wille zur Macht”:

A black metal storm of high class melody and ferocious riffs. Cirith Gorgor is a band who has been around for a good part of 20 years. Their new album will pulverize the underground and raise the bar for the future of black metal.

Listen to the first song from the album, “Salvator”, streaming below:

The artwork was created by Metastazis (Watain, Behemoth, Amorphis) and reflects the lyrics and mood on Visions Of Exalted Lucifer perfectly.

The album will be available in the following formats:

Digibook 2CD - Includes the album and their Mystic Legends... demo from 1997 on a separate disc. This version is limited to 500 copies. Mandatory for any self-respecting diehard fan.

Vinyl - With an exclusive vinyl only track, high quality sleeve, 180 gram black vinyl! Also available is an exclusive version on gold 180 gram vinyl, in the Hammerheart webstore exclusively. Limited to 400 black copies and 100 gold copies, mandatory for lovers of the dark arts on black wax.

Cassette - A limited edition of 300 copies on cassette.

Jewelcase CD - The regular, unlimited jewel cased edition on CD.

Album teaser:

 



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Europe's diabolical death metal force, Belphegor, began their first rehearsal sessions for their new album last Tuesday in Abtenau, Salzburg, Austria.

Mainman Helmuth comments: "Magnificent nature covered in snow that has arrived in the mountains with -11 degrees (12 ºF) here and we're freezing our asses off. Just perfect for creating brutal sound collages. With this currently untitled album we will try to develop and bring everything to a new level, since I have the feeling this is the strongest recording line-up we've ever had. Regards to blood brother Barth Resch for the photo shoot."

Check out this exclusive clip of Belphegor playing “Totenkult - Exegesis Of Deterioration”, recorded live inside their "rehearsal bunker". This scorching death/black metal track will be included on the upcoming album, scheduled for a late 2016, early 2017 release.

Belphegor’s new project will take place two-and-a-half years after the highly-acclaimed Conjuring The Dead album, which was released via Nuclear Blast Records in August 2014.

 



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BLACK SABBATH kicked off the U.S. leg of its "The End" world tour Wednesday night (January 20) at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Nebraska.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Black Sabbath02. Fairies Wear Boots03. Tomorrow's Dream04. Into The Void05. Snowblind06. War Pigs07. Behind The Wall Of Sleep08. N.I.B.09. Hand Of Doom10. Rat Salad11. Iron Man12. Children Of The Grave13. Dirty Women14. Paranoid

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

In his review of last night's concert, Kevin Coffey of Omaha.com wrote: "[Singer Ozzy] Osbourne's voice wasn't great. It wasn't awful, really. It simply wasn't very good. On Wednesday, he was sometimes flat. He was sometimes pitchy, occasionally off-key. He almost never hit the notes he was looking for.

"It was the first show of the tour, so maybe his voice will warm up. Maybe they're still working out the sound in his monitors. Maybe it's just that he's 67 years old."

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

Regarding "The End" being SABBATH's final tour, guitarist Tony Iommi said: "It's gonna hard at the end to sort of suddenly say, 'That's it,' but it has to come one day. But we're gonna enjoy it until then."

On the topic of the setlist for "The End" tour, Iommi said: "I think with 'The End' being 'The End' tour, we can't go out and play all of the new album [2013's '13']; they wanna hear some of the classics, you know. So we've dug some of the early ones out that we haven't played for a long time. So we will be playing them." Ozzy added: "We're doing songs in this set which I don't think we've played in 45 years."

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

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

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

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

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

Grammy-nominated blues-rock guitar icon Joe Bonamassa announces today his brand-new studio solo album, Blues Of Desperation (Provogue), will be released March 25th. Like his previous solo disc, 2014’s Top 10 Billboard hit Different Shades Of Blue, the new album features all-original material, and it sees the maverick superstar guitarist, singer and songwriter tossing away the rule book as he continues to reinvent and redefine the blues-rock genre like no other artist working today.

“I want people to hear my evolution as a blues-rock musician,” says Bonamassa, “somebody who isn’t resting on accomplishments and who is always pushing forward and thinking about how music can evolve and stay relevant.”

The writing sessions for Blues Of Desperation took Bonamassa back to Nashville, where he’d composed Different Shades Of Blue, to work with some of Music City’s top tunesmiths, people like James House, Tom Hambridge, Jeffrey Steele, Jerry Flowers and Gary Nicholson.

“These are some of the best guys in the business,” Bonamassa raves. "Lyrically, you’ll hear the proverbial trains, mountains, valleys and other blues references about heartbreak and loneliness, but there are also some poignant moments about getting away from the stressful, crazy demands of life and losing yourself with your special someone. I think anybody will be able to relate.”  

Bonamassa and his long-time producer Kevin Shirley (Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden, Journey) convened at Nashville’s Grand Victor Sound Studios (formerly known as RCA Studio A), and during an intense, five-day period they recorded 11 galvanizing songs with a crack group of musicians including drummers Anton Fig and Greg Morrow, bassist Michael Rhodes, keyboardist Reese Wynans, horn players Lee Thornburg, Paulie Cerra and Mark Douthit, and background singers Mahalia Barnes, Jade McRae and Juanita Tippins.

Tracklisting:

“This Train”
“Mountain Climbing”
“Drive”
“No Good Place For The Lonely”
“Blues Of Desperation”
“The Valley Runs Low”
“You Left Me Nothin' But The Bill And The Blues”
“Distant Lonesome Train”
“How Deep This River Runs”
“Livin' Easy”
“What I've Known For A Very Long Time”

Trailer:



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On January 10th, music legend David Bowie died following an 18 month battle with cancer at the age of 69. Tributes and accolades continue to pour in from the rock / heavy metal community. Keyboard legend Rick Wakeman, who performed on Bowie's classics "Space Oddity" and "Life On Mars", recently offered up a tribute to hin on BBC's Radio 2. Check out the clip below.

In celebration of Bowie’s recently released box set Five Years (1969 -1973), InTheStudio syndicated radio host Redbeard revisited interviews he conducted with Bowie about that highly prolific period in his career, spanning from Space Oddity to the invention of the cosmic character Ziggy Stardust.  These interviews can now be streamed on the InTheStudio syndicated radio show website here and at this location.

“Bowie changed the trajectory of rock music, fashion, and gender social issues in thirty-eight minutes with Ziggy Stardust,” cites Redbeard. “David Bowie is one of my most memorable interview subjects. ‘Art with a capital “A” ‘ is how Bowie described to me the expression of certain universal truths to one another. But even before he got sick, David seemed to realize fully that when the unique spirit within us all is set free to return to the ultimate Creator, there will be no need whatsoever of any kind of artistic expression, because art in Eternity will be replaced with Truth... with a capital “T”.”

David Bowie in his own words from interviews conducted by Redbeard for InTheStudio:

“When I was nine or ten I was given books on Jack Kerouac, (Lawrence) Ferlinghetti, (Alan) Ginsberg, (Gregory) Corso and all that whole Beat crowd, and they sort of became early Bibles to me…Initially I thought I was going to be a painter, but I realized there was absolutely no money in that. So for work I became a graphic artist…I enjoyed theatrical music. I enjoyed the idea of interpreting things on stage and creating an otherness of some kind.”

“I think the person I was listening to out of America as much as Little Richard, at that time, would have been Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground. This is really cool (Velvet Underground). I want to sound like this, but English.”

“Hunky Dory probably, for me, was the first recognition that I had this ability to write stories that people found interesting. There were no real characters on Hunky Dory, but the idea of developing little story songs,  as opposed to just mood pieces, it obviously was quite strong in me, and I think it gave me the motivation to propel myself towards something more cohesive as an album.”

“I had this terror, in my mind that I was going to be trapped with Ziggy & the Spiders.”

“I think the ‘70s showed conclusively that we live on a thread of rationality, that in fact the cosmos is far more complex than we realize.”



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On January 8th, Halestorm vocalist/guitarist Lzzy Hale and guitarist Joe hottinger performed an acoustic set at the Mercy Lounge in Nashville, TN. Check out the fan filmed video from the night below.

In concert news, Halestorm have announced UK dates for next year. Dubbed the Carnival Of Madness, the tour will feature Black Stone Cherry, Shinedown, and Highly Suspect. Confirmed shows are as follows:

January
28 - Motorpoint Arena - Cardiff, UK
29 - Capital FM Arena - Nottingham, UK
30 - Echo Arena - Liverpool, UK

February
1 - SSE Hydro - Glasgow, UK
2 - Barclaycard Arena - Birmingham, UK
4 - Wembley The SSE Arena - London, UK
5 - First Direct Arena - Leeds, UK
6 - Manchester Arena - Manchester, UK



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Video footage of former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman performing a live version of the song "Devil Take Tomorrow" for EMGtv can be seen below.

Known for his solo work, years in MEGADETH, and beside fellow guitar virtuoso Jason Becker in CACOPHONY, Marty brings dynamics and soul like no other in his genre. With the EMG 81X and EMG 60X humbuckers, you can hear all of the nuance and style in Marty's guitar playing. These pickups truly highlight the subtlety in his dynamic approach to the instrument.

With his first live appearances in North America in more than a decade, Friedman recently mesmerized fans across the continent in support of his Billboard-charting, critically acclaimed 2014 solo album "Inferno". Now Friedman has announced that he'll return Stateside once again in early 2016. Following a solo guitar clinic in Mexico City, the second American leg of the "Inferno" world tour will kick off in Phoenix on February 8, with support on most dates provided by HOLY GRAIL.

Immediately following the tour, Friedman will appear on the inaugural 2016 Axes & Anchors cruise, where he will perform two sets and host a guitar clinic. Reservations can be made now at www.axesandanchors.com.

"Inferno" sold around 2,100 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 186 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD was released on May 26, 2014 via Prosthetic Records (except in Japan, where the album was made available through Universal Music). The CD was the 52-year-old musician's first collection of material recorded for the U.S. market since 2003's "Music For Speeding". Among the guest collaborators that appear on the effort are CHILDREN OF BODOM's Alexi Laiho, REVOCATION's Dave Davidson, acoustic flamenco-metal hybridists RODRIGO Y GABRIELA and Friedman's pre-MEGADETH bandmate in CACOPHONY, Jason Becker.

Speaking to Guitar World magazine, Friedman said: Each of the guests on this record took a song from scratch — they would write it and then I would arrange it and add my parts to it. That way we were both invested in it and it's a little bit of a deeper experience."

Friedman described the new album as the most "Marty" record has has done in years. "I figured if I was going to come back to America, I was going to come back big and give people something they want out of me," he told the magazine. "And I know that what they want is not some avant-garde thing. What they want is just the most intense writing and playing I can do."

BLACK SABBATH members Ozzy Osbourne (vocals), Tony Iommi (guitar) and Geezer Butler (bass) spoke to the media in Omaha, Nebraska earlier this week ahead of the kick-off show of the first U.S. leg of the band's "The End" tour. You can now watch the entire question-and-answer session below.

"The End" will start on January 20 in Omaha, ending on February 27 in New York City. Dates in Australia and New Zealand have been confirmed for April, with European festival shows taking place during the summer.

Regarding "The End" being SABBATH's final tour, Iommi said: "It's gonna hard at the end to sort of suddenly say, 'That's it,' but it has to come one day. But we're gonna enjoy it until then."

On the topic of the setlist for "The End" tour, Iommi said: "I think with 'The End' being 'The End' tour, we can't go out and play all of the new album [2013's '13']; they wanna hear some of the classics, you know. So we've dug some of the early ones out that we haven't played for a long time. So we will be playing them." Ozzy added: "We're doing songs in this set which I don't think we've played in 45 years."

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

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

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

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

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

BLACK SABBATH bassist Geezer Butler has denied that original SABBATH drummer Bill Ward's absence from the band's farewell tour is the result of a financial dispute, explaining that Ward "hasn't been well for a long time" and is not physically capable of taking part in a lengthy tour.

Ward stepped away from the SABBATH reunion in early 2012, releasing a statement that asked for what he called a "signable contract" from his bandmates. He was also 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.

In a brand new interview with Classic Rock Revisited, Butler was asked why SABBATH just doesn't give Bill the money he is asking for so that the drummer could take part in the band's final tour. He responded: "It's beyond the money thing. It is not really anything to do with that. It is whether he's capable of touring or not. On the '13' tour, he was not on that tour. About a week after we started, he had to go into the hospital for major surgery. We would have had to cancel the tour if Bill was still with us. He hasn't been well for a long time. He's had a couple of heart attacks."

He continued: "You have to face facts when you get to our age and you're not in great, great health, whether you can go out on the road for two years, or whatever. It is a hard life to do. The easy part is when you're on stage playing. It is all of the traveling and everything else that comes with it that is the hard part. I think Ozzy [Osbourne, SABBATH singer], in particular, didn't think Bill would get through it. He certainly wouldn't have got through the first part as he was in the hospital. We can't keep canceling tours just because the drummer can't play."

Butler added: "We started out with Bill on the '13' tour. That is the way we all thought it was going to be, that Bill was going to be part of this whole thing. It just turned out that is wasn't to be. His health has to come first before anything."

Geezer also talked about SABBATH's current touring drummer Tommy Clufetos, who has previously played with Osbourne, Ted Nugent, Alice Cooper and Rob Zombie. He said: "Tommy is absolutely phenomenal. I’ve played with other drummers, but Tommy really gets the way Bill Ward played. A lot of drummers don't play like Bill does. Tommy is just so versatile. He always asks me if he is playing the part right. If he is not doing one particular thing, we will tell him and he will take it in. There are no big ego trips. He just loves playing. Even through rehearsals, he was saying, 'I wish we could go and do gigs' instead of going home when he was done. He has a ton of enthusiasm. He is an amazing drummer. He is a great guy. He doesn't do drugs and he doesn't drink."

Osbourne told The Pulse Of Radio during SABBATH'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."

As recently as last September, Ward insisted that he was quite capable of playing a full concert with the group, despite the bandmembers themselves saying the opposite. He told Ghost Cult magazine: "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."

In an interview with Rolling Stone , Ward revealed his terms for a "signable" contract with SABBATH, saying: "I wanted to earn some better money than we had been [paid] in the past for festival gigs. I think it was somewhere like $80,000 for the festivals, which I can hear everybody gasp now, but $80,000 is not a lot of dough when you're playing festivals."

The drummer said he also wanted to receive some publishing money from the group as well as a "secure contract" for the use of his name and likeness.

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

Brad Wilk played drums on SABBATH's 2013 reunion album, "13", while Clufetos was behind the kit for the group's world tour.

As X JAPAN lay down tracks in a Los Angeles studio for their as-yet-untitled album, Japan's most iconic rock band have announced that the world premiere of the new documentary film from Passion Pictures — "We Are X" — will take place this week at the Sundance Film Festival. "We Are X" explores the evolution, groundbreaking history and hopeful future of the land of the rising sun's most legendary rock group. X JAPAN have sold 30 million singles and albums combined and continue to tour the world performing sold-out shows to massive arenas in 16 countries throughout the U.S. and Europe. On Friday, January 22 at 9 p.m., Yoshiki — songwriter, drummer, classically-trained pianist and the creative force of X JAPAN — will perform live with a string quartet for the first-ever Sundance Festival Base Camp party, presented by Canada Goose. Yoshiki will headline the Festival Base Camp, a new outdoor venue located at Swede Alley, behind Main Street. Other artists confirmed to perform include Dan Deacon, FLYING LOTUS and NEON INDIAN. "It's overwhelming to see the full documentary 'We Are X', says Yoshiki. "Stephen Kijak and John Battsek opened doors, which I shut and never intended to re-open. I didn't realize that on the other side, dark memories could co-exist with a meaningful future. Audiences will be a witness to our history and future."

Saturday, January 23 will mark the world premiere of "We Are X" in the World Cinema Documentary Competition at Prospector Square Theater in Park City at 2:30 p.m. Yoshiki and the film team will be on hand for the red carpet at 2:00 p.m. and a question-and-answer session after the premiere.

"We Are X" was created by the production team behind the Academy Award-winning film "Searching For Sugarman": producer John Battsek (Passion Pictures) alongside renowned director Stephen Kijak ("Stones In Exile" and "Scott Walker: 30 Century Man").

From X JAPAN's massive success (over 30 million albums, singles and videos sold) and sold-out tours worldwide, "We Are X" chronicles the triumphs and tragedies of this legendary quintet who will never give up.

On Sunday, January 24, Yoshiki will perform live at the ASCAP Café at Sundance at 4:00 p.m. X JAPAN initially split up in 1997 after playing their fifth New Year's Eve show at the 55,000-capacity Tokyo Dome;they have now sold out the Tokyo Dome a record 18 times. The group reformed in 2007 and have released three singles: "I.V." in 2008, "Jade" in 2011 and "Born To Be Free" in late 2015. They've been touring worldwide ever since — and in October 2014, the group performed their debut Madison Square Garden show in New York before announcing the new album and "We Are X" film releases slated for 2016. X JAPAN is: Yoshiki (drums/piano/composer), Toshi (vocals), Pata (guitar), Heath (bass), Sugizo (violin/guitar) alongside their fallen brothers Hide (guitars, 1987-1997) and Taiji (1986-1992).

SIXX: A.M., the band featuring MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx alongside guitarist DJ Ashba and vocalist James Michael, has hired Dustin Steinke of the Canadian rock group BLEEKER RIDGE as its permanent drummer.

Based in Orillia, Ontario, BLEEKER RIDGE was previously signed to the Canadian branch of Roadrunner Records and completed work on another album with Michael at the production helm.

Steinke made his live debut with SIXX: A.M. in February 2015 at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, Japan as part of Vampark Fest hosted by the rock band VAMPS. He has since completed a U.S.headlining tour with SIXX: A.M. and is expected to appear on the group's upcoming double album, to be released in two parts this year.

Nikki previously said that SIXX: A.M.'s new effort would contain over 22 songs and would be tied in with a 24-month world tour.

SIXX: A.M.'s third album, "Modern Vintage", was released on October 7, 2014 via Eleven Seven Music.

@jadelacruzg yes @DustinSteinke

— ⚡ Nikki Sixx ⚡ (@NikkiSixx) January 20, 2016

Chicago Review Press has set a May 1 release date for "Stick It!: My Life Of Sex, Drums, And Rock 'N' Roll", the new autobiography from legendary rock drummer Carmine Appice. The book was co-written by Ian Gittins, who wrote "The Heroin Diaries" with MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx.

Official book description: "Carmine Appice has enjoyed a jaw-dropping rock-and-roll life — and now he is telling his scarcely believable story. Appice ran with teenage gangs in Brooklyn before becoming a global rock star in the Summer of Love, managed by the Mob. He hung with Hendrix, unwittingly paid for an unknown LED ZEPPELIN to support him on tour, taught John Bonham to play drums (and helped Fred Astaire too), and took part in ZEPPELIN's infamous deflowering of a groupie with a mud shark. After enrolling in Rod Stewart's infamous Sex Police, he hung out with Kojak, accidentally shared a house with Prince, was blood brothers with Ozzy Osbourne and was fired by Sharon. He formed an all-blond hair-metal band, jammed with John McEnroe and Steven Seagal, got married five times, slept with 4,500 groupies — and, along the way, became a rock legend by single-handedly reinventing hard rock and heavy metal drumming. His memoir, 'Stick It!', is one of the most extraordinary and outrageous rock-and-roll books of the early twenty-first century."

Appice is widely considered to be one of the most accomplished showmen in rock and is the recipient of numerous awards, including dozens of gold and platinum selling records. Carmine co-wrote such monster-selling hits as "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy" and "Young Turks". He has broken new ground in every aspect of his career as a performer, as a teacher, and as a writer, and he continues to inspire drummers and listeners throughout the world with his originality and his unwavering dedication to the art of drumming.

In a 2014 interview, Carmine stated about his upcoming book: "If you read the Ace Frehley and Peter Criss books, their childhoods were very similar to mine. I grew up in Brooklyn and so did Peter, and we had belonged to gangs. A lot of my friends went on to be Mafia leaders and are now spending their lifetime in jail for murder. Which I could have been there too, but music saved me from that. My Brooklyn days aren't boring!

"When I joined up with Rod, I was there seven years, that story alone could have been a book. While I was with Rod, I was hanging out with all these movie stars.

"The story goes all over the place and focuses on a lot of different people and a lot of different eras.

"If I didn't know my story and I would read this book, I think I would like it. There's a lot of really cool stories.

"If this book does well, I’m already planning on the next one, which will be vignettes of stories that didn’t make it into this book. When you write a book, you can't have all the details in the book or it gets to be too long."