Death metal band Nethertale has returned with its first lyric video. The chosen track this time is "Crown Of The Seven Pt. II: The Beast", one of its most direct and devastating songs, from its Abyssal Throne LP.

This song is the high point in the story they tell us in this work, whose background goes beyond mere borders between sea and land. The creation of the video has been borne by Thrashway Music Promotion, returning to activity after a period of lethargy.



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Death thrash metal combo from Zaragoza, Spain, Phobos Preacher has released the new single of their new album Asfixia through a lyric video entitled “Último Suspiro”.

The track contains all the characteristic elements of Phobos Preacher’s music, as the unique growls style of their vocalist Dany, the classic death metal guitar sound, combined with a powerful rhythmic section, created by blast beats and double bass parts.

The video has been edited and created by Alex Magnieto.

 



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The official video for the new QUEENSRŸCHE song "Eye9" can be seen below. The track is taken from QUEENSRŸCHE's latest album, "Condition Hüman", which debuted at No. 27 on The Billboard 200 chart, having shifted 14,000 equivalent album units in the week ending October 8, 2015.

The Billboard 200 ranks the most popular albums of the week based on multi-metric consumption, which includes traditional album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA).

Said QUEENSRŸCHE guitarist Michael Wilton about "Eye9": "The song 'Eye9' is actually written solely by Eddie Jackson, our bass player, and it's a very infectious song. It's really cool. He deals with, kind of, the premise that we're like rats in a maze. We have all these roads that we drive every day and exploring different roads. And some roads don't go anywhere. And so it's kind of an interesting idea and a thought by Eddie Jackson. The guitar solo work on 'Eye9' is just intense. Parker Lundgren really stepped up; his playing is very dynamic and he just attacks the songs with solo work, and I think 'Eye9' represents a lot of great, tasty lead work from Parker Lundgren."

"Condition Hüman" was released on October 2, 2015 via Century Media. The CD was recorded in part at at Uberbeatz Studio in Washington with producer Chris "Zeuss" Harris, who has previously worked with ROB ZOMBIE, HATEBREED, SOULFLY and SHADOWS FALL.

QUEENSRŸCHE singer Todd La Torre stated about "Condition Hüman": "Each song individually is its own story, which does not have to directly relate to the next song. However, each song is harmonious to a larger picture, which is the human experience, mortality and how each of us perceives the world around us based on our own observations and experiences, thus shaping human behavior."

Added drummer Scott Rockenfield: "This record [is], 'Wow, okay, now we know what we can do together.' We know we have chemistry with Todd, and we wanted to take the band even one step further, which was really dig into everything that we know that we're doing and that we have fun doing, and pull out all the stops, I guess, in a way of things we didn't really visit on the first record [with La Torre]. We wanted to dig deeper more into the elements of QUEENSRŸCHE."

Regarding the more aggressive musical direction of "Condition Hüman" compared to that of 2013's "Queensrÿche", Rockenfield said: "Our fans love metal, and we've been pretty good at doing metal in our past, so [we thought], 'Let's have fun with some of that again. Let's do it and see what it means for us.' We definitely had conscious discussions about it, and now that we have Todd, Todd loves metal, so it was easy to have that conversation about pushing the band in a little bit of that direction."

He added: "I think we wanted to show our fans that we can be a metal band and a rock band, and that we can also write songs that have writer dynamics. I still think we're doing everything within all the realms of what QUEENSRŸCHE is known to be doing. This record is just another extension of that for us."

AEROSMITH guitarist Joe Perry was interviewed by Shira Lazar of What's Trending at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada

Perry said that he is always aiming for the most realism from the speakers as possible. "And it's tough, because most music fans listen to the music in those earbuds," he explained. "It's really tough to get, you know… You're so limited with the physics of it. And so the bottom line is to give the listener an experience that they feel like they're in the room with the band. And that's what I'm always shooting for whenever I mix a record, whenever I write a song or play it, or whatever."

Asked about where he thinks the industry is headed, Perry said: "The main thing is, as long as you can dance to it, it's the shit. You know what I mean? So I just see a big mixture of different kinds of music working together again instead of, like, there [being] a chart for country, a chart for hip-hop, a chart for classic rock. As far as artists go, they don't see much difference. The bottom line is, if you can sing along to it and if you can dance to it, it's good."

Perry revealed last October that he was working on his fifth solo effort, which will be a "mainly" instrumental affair. According to Perry, the follow-up to his 2009 album "Have Guitar, Will Travel" will "have diversity," and will include one or two songs Joe "or another singer" on vocals. No release date has yet been announced for the new album.

Perry's memoir, "Rocks: My Life In And Out Of Aerosmith", was released in October 2014 via Simon & Schuster.

AEROSMITH's latest effort, 2012's "Music From Another Dimension!", debuted at No. 5 on The Billboard 200 album chart, selling 63,000 copies in its first week of release.

Former LIZZY BORDEN and current BLACK LABEL SOCIETY guitarist Dario Lorina will enter Studio 5A in Valencia, California later this month to start recording his second solo album for Shrapnel Records. The CD will be engineered and produced by Fred Archambault, known for his work with ALICE COOPER and AVENGED SEVENFOLD. Regarding his new record, Dario said, "I'm always learning as a guitar player and taking influence as a musician and artist. This record will encapsulate the progression of my playing and newer influences while maintaining the core stylistic traits of my first record."

Added Mike Varney of Shrapnel: "Dario Lorina is a rare breed among new guitar heroes today, who has deep roots in '70s and '80s metal icons such as [Eddie] Van Halen, [George] Lynch, [Randy] Rhoads and [Paul] Gilbert, despite having been born after his idols had already made their mark on the guitar world."

Lorina began his professional career at age 16 as the touring guitarist with ex-WARRANT lead singer Jani Lane. At age 19, Dario joined veteran metal act LIZZY BORDEN, with whom he played for four years. In September 2013, his critically acclaimed debut solo record for Shrapnel was released. On January 1, 2014, Dario became the newest member of Zakk Wylde's BLACK LABEL SOCIETY. He has spent the past two years touring consistently throughout the USA, Canada, South America, Europe, Russia, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand.

Dario has his own signature model with LAG guitars called "The Arkanator", which is a hybrid of their Imperator and Arkane models.

In February 2016, Dario will play on the Axes & Anchors cruise along with Zakk Wylde, Yngwie Malmsteen, Michael Schenker, and other top rock guitarists, performing acoustically with Zakk, giving clinics and playing songs from his first Shrapnel solo record.

Omer Cordell, the mastermind behind Canadian metal project Trailight featuring vocalist Dave Padden (ex-Annihilator) and drummer Ryan van Poederooyen (Devin Townsend Project), has checked in with the following update:

"During the closing months of 2015 I've worked diligently with Cory McBain (guitars) to restructure all of the demos for the new album. We've since been letting those tracks simmer and see what other angles and what other light can be shed on them. Co-producing the new album with me, Cory has been pushing to get the best out of my creative output and I do feel that the songs that we will end up recording are going to be amazing. I am hoping this new work will see the light of day sometime during late summer of this year.

The new material is a very organic continuation of the last album and those who have enjoyed it, will definitely connect with the new songs. One of the tracks, clocking at over 8 minutes long is an epic journey through time and space. Tentatively titled 'The Three Waves' I would like to share with you part of the demo version of the lengthy intro..."

Trailight recently released an official video for the song "Open Doors" from the debut, The Primitive Mountain:

Cordell recently spoke with BraveWords scribe Carl Begai about Trailight. Following is an excerpt from the interview.

“When I was first starting to think about doing this project, considering the vibe and riffs I was coming up with – ‘A Thousand Years’ was the first song I wrote – I knew who I wanted to play drums on it. Ryan has known me as a photographer for years, so when I called him up it was like ‘This may come as a surprise, but I’m making music now…’ (laughs). I asked if he’d be interested in playing on it and he wanted to hear the demos, but he had a bunch of touring to finish with Devin and then record the DVP double album. After that he had time to do my stuff.”

“Ryan came back from Devin’s album recording, learned my songs in about a week or 10 days, we had one day of pre-production where I had a chance to hear what he would be doing in the studio. Three days later we were in the studio and 10 hours later he was done recording. When we were finished I knew why I’d gotten Ryan to do it. He not only fits stylistically, he was also such an immense help with the whole process. I was basically flying blind. I’d been to the studios lots of times back when Strapping was around to take photos, but I’d never actually recorded in one before, so Ryan was helpful in guiding me.”

Cordell also took on outside help to produce The Primitive Mountain, a long and drawn out process that slowly deteriorated as the songs were being mixed. He eventually opted to take on the task of mixing and mastering himself; a daunting task on one hand, but the only option left if the album was going to live up to his expectations. Rather than a play-by-play of events, Cordell channels Metallica to sum up the situation.

“As far as the mix of the album, the first batch of songs that I sent you sound like St. Anger, and the final mixes sound like the Black album.”

Go to this location for the complete story.

The complete tracklist for The Primitive Mountain is as follows:

"Open Doors"
"Sentient Beings Pt. 1 - The Dim Future Of Our Distant Past"
"Sentient Beings Pt. 2 - All That We Are" 
"We Are The Ocean"
"Frail Human Form"
"The Primitive Mountain"
"Passer By"
"A Thousand Years"
"Navarino"
"Beyond The Rubicon"

Cordell released a 30 minute behind-the-scenes look at the production earlier this year, which can be viewed below. For information on Trailight go to this location.



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Louder Noise has uploaded a new video with members of Children Of Bodom, Five Finger Death Punch, Like A Storm, Pop Evil, Butcher Babies and Type O Negative name their favorite music videos of all time, ranging from Tool to Guns N’ Roses to Missy Elliott.

Children Of Bodom’s Janne Warman takes a liking to Alice Cooper’s “Poison”, while the Butcher Babies state anything with Marilyn Manson is awesome. Five Finger Death Punch enjoys Alice In Chains’ “Rooster” and Sevendust names Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”. The Like A Storm members mention Steel Panther's "Gloryhole" and Guns N' Roses' "Paradise City" amongst their favorites.



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Madison, WI death metallers Casket Robbery will release its full-length debut album Evolution Of Evil March 4 on Mortal Music. Casket Robbery is an up and coming death metal band created by the minds of Cory Scheider (Luna Mortis, Epicurean, Echoterra) and Dustin Foesch. 

The band has premiered the official video for the album's opening track, "Annibelle's Hell", which can be viewed below.

Metal evokes deep emotions from elation to introspection to revulsion On the follow-up to the band's 2011 self-titled EP Casket Robbery runs the gamut, all the while burrowing its titanic sound deep into one's psyche. The songs are at once pulverizing and memorable. Evolution Of Evil is nothing short of pulse-pounding, unrelenting, and brutally catchy death metal.

Indeed, the undeniable grooves and hooks coupled with conceptual lyrics make Casket Robbery the death metal band to watch in 2016.  

Evolution Of Evil preorder packages are available through Bandcamp.

Tracklisting:

“Annibelle’s Hell”
“Blood Bathory”
“Malevolent Milwaukee Massacre”
“Final Chapter”
“Undead Living Hell”
“Pray For Death”
“Curse Of The Night Stalker”
“Encroaching Darkness”
“Cyanide Skies”
“The Asylum”

“Annibelle’s Hell” video:



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Southern California hardcore thrash crossover act Obscene Gesture have released a video for the song “Modern Day Butcher”.

 
Led by lone original member Guy Green on vocals and guitar, the group’s line-up also features Vence Simpson, formerly of L.A.'s Tormentor, on lead guitar, newcomer Eric D. on bass, and Lamar Little on drums.  Obscene Gesture are currently preparing to enter the studio to track two new songs, “The Devil Is Dead” and “The Saint Is Guilty”, set to be issued as a double single in late March.
 
Obscene Gesture originally formed in 2005 when frontman Guy Green teamed up with former and current members of Body Count and Agent Steel, Vincent D. and Juan Garcia, aka Juan of the Dead on guitars, bassist George Robb and drummer Chuck Profus recording 2007’s Living In Profanity for Spanish label Xtreem Music.  The group has issued The Truth Be Told (2014) and Rising Demise (2015) since being reactivated.



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“Desolation Of Endless Times”, a track from Black Tusk’s upcoming Pillars Of Ash album, is streaming below:

Black Tusk have established themselves as one of the hardest working bands in rock since their formation over 10 years ago. After four full-lengths, numerous splits and EP's and thousands of shows under their belts, the punk/metal power trio was faced with an immense and unexpected tragedy in late 2014 when founding bassist/vocalist Jonathan Athon passed away after a motorcycle accident in his hometown.

Now, as a testament to his profound and lasting legacy on the heavy music scene, the band are releasing Pillars Of Ash, their final recordings with Athon, on January 29th via Relapse Records. Recorded with Toxic Holocaust's Joel Grind behind the boards and featuring gorgeous artwork by Jeremy Hush (Skeletonwitch, Rwake), Pillars Of Ash is the culmination of three brothers-in-arms' blood, sweat and tears, and is Black Tusk's finest accomplishment to date.
 
In 2014, Black Tusk hit the studio with their old friend and accomplished audio engineer, Joel Grind, to work on Pillars Of Ash. Before they could get their new record into stores and jump back up in their big white tour van, though, the band suffered a setback beyond what most could even imagine. In November, mere weeks before the band was due to kick off their biggest tour yet, Athon was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident. Several days later, on November 9th, 2014, he passed away at the age of 31, leaving behind hundreds of friends, family members, and his beloved dog Cutter as well as his brothers in Black Tusk. Support poured in from fans, friends, and fellow musicians from around the world; stunned, Andrew and James laid down their instruments and tried to process the loss. For a few weeks, the band’s future was uncertain, but ultimately, the remaining duo made the difficult decision to soldier on and carry on in Athon’s memory. Athon himself could have chosen no better successor than Corey Barhorst, a longtime friend and veteran musician who heads up his own project, Niche, and previously held down the low end for Kylesa. Barhorst initially joined the band as a live member in time for their European tour with Black Label Society, but after that, was welcomed into the fold as a full­blooded member of Black Tusk.
 

Pillars Of Ash tracklisting:

“God's On Vacation”
“Desolation Of Endless Times”
“Bleed On Your Knees”
“Born Of Strife”
“Damned In The Ground”
“Beyond The Divide”
“Black Tide”
“Still Not Well”
“Walk Among The Sky”
“Punk Out”
“Leveling”

“Born Of Strife”:

>

“God’s On Vacation”:

Black Tusk tour dates are listed below.

Dates:

January
22 - Wilmington, NC - Reggie’s
23 - Raleigh, NC - Kings
24 - Atlanta, GA - The Earl
25 - Johnson City, TN - The Hideaway
26 - Memphis, TN - Hi Tone
27 - Little Rock, AR - Vino’s
28 - Dallas, TX - Gas Monkey
29 - San Antonio, TX - Korova
30 - Austin, TX - Empire
31 - Houston, TX - Rudyard’s

February
1 - New Orleans, LA - Siberia
2 - Panama City, FL - Mosey’s
3 - Orlando, FL - Will’s Pub
4 - Tampa, FL - New World
5 - Jacksonville, FL - Burro Bar
6 - Savannah, GA - Jinx

February
23 Charlotte, NC - Milestone
24 Virginia Beach, VA - Shakas
25 Philadelphia, PA - Kung Fu Necktie
26 Boston, MA - Once Ballroom
27 Brooklyn, NY - Saint Vitus
29 Burlington, VT - Nectars

March
1 Quebec City, QC - Le Cercle
2 Montreal, QC - Foufounes Electriques
3 Toronto, ON - Hard Luck
4 Detroit, MI - Berserker Fest
5 Chicago, IL - Reggie's
6 Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon
7 Minneaplis, MN - Triple Rock
8 Fargo, ND - The Aquarium
9 Winnipeg, MB - The Windsor Hotel
11 Saskatoon, SK - Amigos Cantina
12 Edmonton, AB - Brixx
13 Calgary, AB - The Palomino
14 Kamloops, BC - The Office
16 Vancouver, BC - The Biltmore
17 Seattle, WA - El Corazon
18 Spokane, WA - The Pin
19 Portland, OR - Panic Room
20 Bend, OR - Volcanic Theatre Pub
22 Santa Cruz, CA - Catalyst
23 San Francisco, CA - Thee Parkside
24 Los Angeles, CA - Viper Room
25 San Diego, CA - Brick By Brick
26 Phoenix, AZ - Pub Rock
27 Las Vegas, NV - Divebar **No Holy Grail**
28 Salt Lake City, UT - Metro Bar
29 Denver, CO - Marquis Theater
30 Kansas City, MO - Riot Room
31 St. Louis, MO - Fubar

April
1 Indianapolis, IN - 5TH Quarter
2 Newport, KY - Southgate House

(Photo - Angela Boatwright)



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All-star progressive metal band, Waken Eyes, have released a guitar playthrough video for the song "Deafening Thoughts”, with the bands guitar player Tom Frelek. Check it out below:

Waken Eyes released their debut album, Exodus, back on October 30th via Ulterium Records.

Exodus is a very impressive and diverse album that will surely appeal to fans of progressive metal, progrock and melodic metal. The album has a great mix of catchy melodies, challenging instrumental parts and epic cinematic movements that will surely capture the attention of the musical community. Everything comes together perfectly in the title track that ends the album with its 18 minutes long epic filled with melodies, progressive parts and a good dose of feeling.

Exodus was mixed and mastered at Fascination Street Studios (Opeth, Symphony X, Kreator) in Sweden and the layout was made by Jan Yrlund (Delain, Korpiklaani, Apocalyptica). Check out an album teaser below.

Tracklisting:

“Cognition”
“Aberration”
“Deafening Thoughts”
“Back To Life”
“Palisades”
“Cornerstone Away”
“Still Life”
“Arise”
“Across The Horizon”
“Exodus”

“Palisades” video:

“Back To Life” lyric video:

Album teaser:

Waken Eyes is:

Henrik Båth (Darkwater) – Vocals
Mike Lepond (Symphony X) – Bass
Tom Frelek – Guitars/Keyboards/Orchestration
Marco Minnemann (The Aristocrats, Steven Wilson, Joe Satriani) - Drums



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Christian metal masters Metatrone have announced to be releasing their brand new album Eucharismetal on March 11 via Rockshots Music.

Priest Davide Bruno (keyboards) and Stefano Calvagno (guitar) teamed up with Joe Lombardo (vocals), Dino Fiorenza (bass), Salvo Grasso (drums) to write, record and produce the most cohesive sounding Metatrone album to date.

Commented Stefano Calvagno:

"we are very satisfied, we've worked hard for many months on this record and it sounds great. We paid a lot of attention on the arrangements, we grew up a lot musically, it's a mature album and I think it could be a masterpiece of white metal / power prog genre".

Priest Davide Bruno said:

"Eucharismetal is the best picture of the fusion of our being musicians in Corpus Christi, in the Eucharist which our music is fed. This is why we choose Him as the title of the album, it's very heavy sounding lyrically and musically. Lyrics are based on our life experiences, our hopes, our wishes, our struggles and forgiveness: all of that connected with the Holy Scripture. Musically the fans could find a lot of surprises, more growl vocal parts and tons of heavy guitar riff bended with the great melodies sung by Joe (Lombardo). You will not be disappointed, Metatrone are back!"

The cover art was made by Nello Dell’Omo (Art For Music) and mixed and mastered by Riccardo Samperi at TRP Music Studios.

 

Tracklisting:

“Alef Dalet Mem”
“Molokai”
“Beware The Sailor”
“Wheat And Weeds”
“Latest News From Light”
“In Spirit And Truth”
“Mozart’s Nightmare
“Keep Running”
“Salva l’Anima”
“Una Parte Di Me”
“Regina Coeli”
“Alef Dalet Mem” (Italian Version – bonus track)
“Lascia Che Sia” (bonus track)

“Latest News From Light” video:



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Los Angeles based experimental/doom/rock group, Deathkings, will release their second full length album, All That Is Beautiful, on March 18th.  The album track "Sol Invictus" is now streaming below.

In the wake of their debut album, Destroyer, as well as the recent vinyl 7" split with Rozamov through Midnite Collective, Deathkings descended upon listeners with their bleak, yet enlightening look at the world around them. This state of unrest was developed and channeled into aural and material form with the help of Derek Donley (Bereft, Gravitron, National Sunday Law, You Big Ox, Pigeonwing, Intronaut) at his Ox Cave Studios in Los Angeles. With Donley at the helm, the band steers the listener through the blending of drowning, desperate rage blended with tranquil  undertones.

All That Is Beautiful was finished in early 2014 at Donley's Ox Cave Studios. Uniting with the Midnite Collective for the third time, both entities have grouped to carefully craft a visually stunning package, deserving of the music contained therein. The band will unleash aural and visual ruin via digital. CD. cassette tape and vinyl (later in the year) releases starting this spring harvest, 2016.

Tracklisting:

“Sol Invictus”
“The Storm”
“The Road To Awe”
“Dakhma”

“Sol Invictus”:

All That Is Beautiful by Deathkings

Lineup:

Drums: Sean Spindler
Bass/vocals: Nicolas Rocha
Guitars: Mark Lüntzel
Guitars: Daryl Hernandez

 



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British band Doogie White & La Paz return this April with a brand new studio album entitled Shut Up And Rawk!

Almost immediately after their previous offering, The Dark And The Light (2013) had been released, Chic McSherry and Doogie White started writing new material. A total of 17 ideas were demo’d with 11 of them finally being crafted into songs for a new album. Recording could only be done in stages because of other commitments, but in many ways that extra time allowed the songs to develop and mature into a very powerful rock album, entitled Shut Up And Rawk!, which is due for a worldwide release by Metal Mind Productions on April 8th.

Today the band reveal cover artwork and tracklisting of their new album. The front cover was designed by Jarosław Wieczorek. “I was trying to go for a bit of a tongue-in-cheek approach. Basically, I was aiming for an interplay between this sort of a charismatic shout-out in the album's title and the sedate, a bit clichéd image of a psychiatrist's session. I wanted the cover not so much to be a graphic representation of the title as to be one with it and, as a whole, to make for a kind of a joke.” – Wieczorek comments.

Tracklisting:
 
“Light The Fire”
“Heart Of Stone”
“No Place In Heaven”
“The Revenge Of El Guapo”
“A Certain Song”
“Retribution Blues”
“Daughter Of Time”
“The Prize”
“Faith Hope And Love”
“Throw Me To The Wolves”
“Miss Dynamite”
“Book Of Shadows”

The album has been mixed and mastered by Rolf Munkes at Empire Studios in Frankfurt, Germany. Full details to follow soon.

La Paz lineup:

Doogie White - vocal
Chic McSherry - guitar
Alex Carmichael - bass
Andy Mason - keyboards
Paul McManus - drums



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February 26th will see the release of Sci-Fi Or Die, the 4th full length offering from Droids Attack. The journey towards the completion of this masterpiece reads a tad like science fiction... Today sees the release of the first single from Sci-Fi Or Die, entitled "Brahma Astra". Listen to the song below. Sci-Fi Or Die is available for pre-order physically here and digitally here.

Madison impresario and retro arcade game fanatic Brad Van started Droids Attack back in 2000 and has been its driving force ever since. Obsessed with tone, great riffs and a cohesive vision, Van created the music that is Sci-Fi Or Die after being courted by an independent label on the heels of their 2011 release, Must Destroy. After a few tours and some amazing opportunities, Van was determined to continue the band's forward momentum into the next release, and began the writing process in earnest. In a little over a year's time, a body of work was amassed. It was 2013.

Sci-Fi Or Die was demoed shortly thereafter with the expertise of Jon Terrones (The Suit, The Book-Burners) at his Internet chat room-famous basement studio, Chez Woo. As fate would have it, this would be Droid’s last session with beloved long time bassist Nate Bush (Bongzilla, The Garza). Not to be deterred, the band acquired their old friend, Dennis Ponozzo (Below The Sound, Sinking Suns) to fill in, and the bass tracks were re-demoed with great success. However, after a short national tour, and a slew of regional shows Dennis could no longer make time for Droids, and the search for a replacement was on once again. Van, at a crossroads, needed someone solid to handle bass duties, so he set his sights on another good friend. Local legend, Darwin Sampson, owner of one of Madison's most well known and much respected music venues, The Frequency.

Mark Whitcomb (Things Fall Apart, Last Crack) was chosen to engineer and record Sci-Fi Or Die, and in February of 2014 Droids Attack laid down the majority of the disc's foundation at DNA Studios in Madison, Wisconsin. Immediately following the sessions, the guitars were re-recorded, vocals done and redone, heaping layers of percussion, keyboards, and obligatory sax solos added. Songs were mixed, new studio gear was purchased, and new sonic avenues were discovered. Songs were re-evaluated and more guitars were re-recorded before being remixed. It was all scrutinized down to the last note before being sent off to Masterdisk to be mastered by Roger Lian (Slayer, Pantera), who mastered and remastered it a couple of times before everything... felt... right.

Brad Van's uncompromising vision has borne a rich landscape of titanic riffs and an apocalyptic alien landscape. At long last, the CD is no longer science fiction. Droids Attack have plans to tour and support Sci-Fi Or Die in 2016.

Sci-Fi Or Die tracklisting:

“Die Glocke”
“New Plague”
“Clawhammer Suicide”
“Brahma Astra”
“Mashenomak”
“Mashenomak Strikes Again”
“The Maze”
“Rebirth”
“The Annunaki”
“Enoch”

“Brahma Astra”:

(Photo - David Reiling)

 



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Madame Mayhem is one of the most striking rock performers to come along in some time - as seen in the new official video for the song "Left For Dead”. Created by Industrialism Films, the clip can be viewed below:

"Left for Dead" comes from the album, Now You Know, and was written by Corey Lowery and Madame Mayhem. According to the singer, "“Left For Dead” expresses the struggle of both a tumultuous relationship, and internal conflict with yourself to not be held down and to move forward."

Now You Know features a powerhouse team of rock talent including Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big, Winery Dogs), who produced and played on the album, Ray Luzier (KoRn, KXM), Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal (Guns N’ Roses), Russ Parrish (“Satchel” from Steel Panther), and Corey Lowery (Saint Asonia, Stuck Mojo).

Now You Know Tracklisting:

“Monster”
“Perfect Nightmare”
“Something Better (Now You Know)”
“Left For Dead”
“Witchcraft”
“More Than Misery”
“Better Days”
“... After 2 Am”
“Nothing To lose”
“Under The Microscope”
“Sacrifice”
“Pain”
“Can't Stand”
“Anyone Who Had A Heart”

“Monster” video:

(Photo - Dana (distortion) Yavin)

 



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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 are pouring in from the hard rock / heavy metal community, which is still reeling from the loss of another icon, Motörhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister. Drummer Mike Portnoy (The Winery Dogs, ex-Dream Theater) has posted the following tribute to Bowie:

"Still in shock over yesterday's news...

Just thinking of all the ways David Bowie's music affected my life for the past 45 years when I began listening to him. I loved the song 'Memory Of A Free Festival' when my dad introduced me to it when it was released; I was about 3 years old.

- Ziggy Stardust to this day is still in my Top 5 albums of ALL TIME (along w/Sgt Pepper, Tommy, The Wall and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road). An absolute masterpiece from the opening of '5 Years' to the closing of 'Rock N' Roll Suicide'. I covered 'R&R Suicide' on my Cover To Cover CD with Neal Morse. Hard to believe Ziggy has now been reunited w two of his Spiders From Mars: Mick Ronson and Trevor Bolder

- As much as Ziggy is my favorite Bowie album, my two favorite songs of his did not appear on that album: both 'Space Oddity' and 'Life On Mars' are among my favorite songs EVER. Both of them absolute masterpieces in terms of writing, performance and production. The mellotron on 'Space Oddity' and the cellos on 'Life On Mars' both still give me goosebumps every single time.

Two later career memories that really touched me:

- the song 'Slip Away' from the Heathen album (written for two of my childhood TV favs Uncle Floyd and Oogie) still makes me cry every time I hear it. I am not exaggerating.

- his appearance on Ricky Gervais' Extras was one of the greatest cameos of all time. My fave episode of the whole series.

Finally... I don't think many people ever caught this, but look at the shirt I am wearing on the cover of the Winery Dogs first album...yep, Ziggy Stardust is right there with me, Billy and Richie. And one of the unreleased covers we recorded during that first session was 'Moonage Daydream'.

Thank You David Bowie for being a part of my entire life. Your music and memory will live with me and millions of your fans forever."



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Guitarist/vocalist Mikael Åkerfeldt of Swedish progressive metallers OPETH has posted the following message on the band's official Facebook page:

"And… Today I was reached by the news of David Bowie's passing. He was such an important artist for OPETH. Many of you might find that hard to believe, but that's how it is. It's with terrible sadness we have to accept that he's gone. He made some absolutely incredible music and I still frequent his discography on a regular basis.

"When I was a young heavy metal kid I remember I made 'wish list' for my birthday. I wanted a heavy metal back patch for my jacket. Sure enough, I got a soft, flat wrapped up gift that indeed looked like it would include some cool metal patch. I eagerly tore it open only to find that the back patch had a print of, not IRON MAIDEN or the SCORPIONS, but of David Bowie's 'Let's Dance' record. I was a massive fan of that record but I wanted to look like a heavy metal fan, so I was slightly disappointed, and the patch never ended up on my jacket. Since then, I've fallen in love with his records. From 'Space Oddity' To 'Hunky Dory' and 'The Man Who Sold The World'. There are so many classics. Far too many to mention, really.

"Bowie was a pioneer, as far as I'm concerned. He never did was what expected of him, and he often changed his musical direction to almost the complete opposite to what he'd done previously. That's something I admire. Artists who seem unable to play it safe and just deliver what's expected of them. Artists who explore the world of music, and push their own boundaries as individual musicians. There's quite a few of them about still, but in Bowie we certainly lost one of the very best. And I still love 'Let's Dance', even if I certainly can't dance myself.

"David Bowie, rest in peace."

Guitarist/vocalist Mikael Åkerfeldt of Swedish progressive metallers OPETH has posted the following message on the band's official Facebook page:

"At the time of hearing the news of Ian 'Lemmy' Kilmister's [MOTÖRHEAD] passing on the early morning of the 28th of December, I felt a familiar feeling deep inside. That of losing someone really close. Someone who's been present in your life for its whole duration. It's a very strange feeling that you can be so attached to someone you don't even know, and I didn't know Lemmy at all. I've met him on a couple of occasions. I remember calling him 'Ian,' as I'd had a few beers and wanted to come off as someone that possessed a little bit of a deeper knowledge of him than the aggressive selfie-hunters. Obviously, I failed miserably, and I don't think he liked me very much, and he didn't want to be called 'Ian' at all. He's 'Lemmy' and that's that. So on the subsequent 'meetings,' I resorted to a respectful nod and perhaps a feeble-sounding 'Hi!'

"I saw/shared a bill with many times, and I'm very happy I managed to catch their final headlining show here in Stockholm on December 4th. The place was packed. At a legendary venue for metal in my hometown. Hovet. There's a special feeling in the air. As usual, it was a celebration of heavy music as well as that of MOTÖRHEAD, SAXON and GIRLSCHOOL who were on tour together. But I also think a lot of people at the event knew that it's possibly the last time they'd be able to see MOTÖRHEAD. At least on a headlining tour.

"It was quite magical, I have to say. There's a profound feeling of respect in the air throughout the evening. I can't recall any previous show I've ever been to that had that same vibe, or even similar.

"In closing, just like hundreds of thousands of people around the world, I want to offer our deepest condolences to his family, to Mikkey [Dee] and Phil [Campbell] as well as to the MOTÖRHEAD crew, many of which are friends of ours.

"Oh, I'd also like to take this opportunity to recommend the Sam Gopal record from 1969, 'Escalator'. Lemmy is singing beautifully on this one. I was very surprised to hear him singing without his trademark rasp. However, I know most people, myself included, will try and find solace in the ever-enduring MOTÖRHEAD and HAWKWIND catalogue. He was someone really special. One of the last 'big' personalities in the scene. We will cherish the memory of Lemmy and his music forever."

MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine spoke to Noisey about the band's forthcoming album, "Dystopia", which will be released later this month via Universal Music Enterprises / Tradecraft / T-Boy Records. Asked if it is still important for MEGADETH to one day be recognized by the Grammy Awards, he said: "The thing is, in the beginning, the Grammy thing was really important to us. Then, we started to see that it wasn't really as easy as somebody would think, because the people that are on the board, they've gotta listen to 45 Latin records and a bunch of Hawaiian stuff and then WEIRD AL YANKOVICH kinds of records, and so when it comes time to listen to metal, they just go, 'Oh fuck, I ain't listening to that. What's the name that I recognize there?' And that's why they saw JETHRO TULL and went, 'Okay, give JETHRO TULL the metal award.'

He continued: "There's been some bad ones. But I'm cool with it. If I get the Grammy or if I don't get the Grammy, I've been recognized by my peers a lot. I've been nominated almost a dozen times, so at the end of the day, it's, like, are you satisfied with what you have? And I'm — let's say this — I'm content. I'm not satisfied. I'm not giving up yet."

Mustaine added: "I'm hoping that I'll be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, too, but, you know, if they don't want me in there, it's okay. I mean, I am in there vis-à-vis METALLICA, and no matter what those guys say or what anybody believes about their induction ceremony, they wouldn't have been there if it wasn't for me being in the band, because I was there in the beginning, so I have some satisfaction."

Mustaine, who was a member of METALLICA for less than two years, from 1981 to 1983, before being dismissed and replaced by Kirk Hammett, was not inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the band during the April 2009 ceremony at Cleveland, Ohio's Public Auditorium.

METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich later explained to The Plain Dealer that Mustaine was not included because "you've got to kind of cap it somewhere. Dave Mustaine never played on any METALLICA records. No disrespect to him. But there [were] half a dozen other people that were in the lineup in the early days. We thought . . . the fair thing to do would be to include anybody that played on a METALLICA record."

He added: "Dave Mustaine was in the band for 11 months, predominantly in 1982. . . . I'm not trying to play it down. I have nothing but respect and admiration for his accomplishments since."

METALLICA invited Mustaine to attend the Rock Hall induction. He declined, citing European tour commitments, but issued a statement congratulating the band. He later explained his absence in an interview, saying: "I'm not gonna sit in the audience and watch the band I started with these two guys get inducted and me not be a part of it."

He added: "There's ten million people that agree [I should have been inducted]. . . You know what [Lars] said to me?! He said, [imitating Lars' Danish accent] 'Only the people that are on the fucking record can be at the Hall Of Fame, man.' And I was like, 'Well, Hooked On Phonics worked for me; I can read my name; it's all over [the first METALLICA album]. [Laughs] But you know what?! It's OK, 'cause if I'm gonna get into the Hall Of Fame, there's nothing he can do to stop me."

On December 28th, 2015, the music world lost a true legend with the passing of Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister, the long time leader of seminal heavy metal band, Motörhead. Known for his fierce independence and true originality, his spirit has influenced several generations of musicians and music lovers.

Devil To Pay is one such band that owes a tremendous amount to Lemmy's enduring legacy. Originally inspired by the great man, the Indianapolis quartet have chosen to honour his memory with the free download of new song, “Your Inner Lemmy”, taken their forthcoming album A Bend Through Time And Space, due for release later this summer on Ripple Music.

As Steve Janiak, singer and guitarist of Devil To Pay explains, "We initially came up with the riffs in 2013 and they obviously sounded very Motörhead-ish. I named the track “Your Inner Lemmy” because it felt like we were channelling the rock god. Months later we fleshed out the arrangement and wrote the lyrics; it’s a textbook lesson on everything Lemmy was about to us personally. We initially didn't intend to put it on the record, but the more we played it, the more it spoke to us and after we recorded it, we really hoped that somehow he would end up hearing the song. His unfortunate passing shocked and saddened us all."

Through ten years of soul searching and survival – crawling out from the dank underbelly of the Indianapolis heavy music scene – Devil To Pay established themselves in the underground rock community after signing to Ripple Music to release their album Fate Is Your Muse. Released worldwide in early spring 2013, the album was a heavy, lyrical journey through the metaphysical realms of consciousness. A subject that the quartet will be revisiting again very soon with their latest collection of paranormal/mind-bending heaviness on A Bend Through Time And Space.

In the meantime, their heartfelt tribute to the spirit of the man who never bowed down to anyone, can be shared and downloaded for free at this location.

Your Inner Lemmy by Devil to Pay



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Food & Beverage Magazine has officially named the industry standard call-out drink of Jack & Coke to "The Lemmy" in honor of MOTÖRHEAD legend Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister's favorite drink which he made famous on the Sunset Strip at the Rainbow Bar And Grill.

"We are honored to represent the industry and bring the moniker The Lemmy to every bar in the world!" exclaims Food and Beverage Magazine publisher Michael Politz. "Owning a rock club with ANTHRAX's Scott Ian and ALICE IN CHAINS' Jerry Cantrell gave me the chance to meet Lemmy and experience his legend myself."

Lemmy, who just 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.

Legendary rocker Alice Cooper has paid tribute to David Bowie, who died on Sunday, two days after his 69th birthday.

"It's hard to know exactly what to say when you hear of someone's passing," Alice said. "I know that I have certainly lost one of my lifetime rock and roll theatrical comrades in David Bowie. We both started in theatrical rock 'n' roll at the same time, and in some cases we challenged each other to go farther and push the envelope."

He continued: "The loss of David Bowie will be hard to swallow for everyone. He leaves behind a rich history of musical and cultural experimentation and invention that will rarely be seen again, if ever. He was one of a kind.

"The man that fell to Earth has gone back to the planet that he came from.

"Condolences to his family and fans."

Bowie died just three days after releasing his 25th studio album, "Blackstar".

The singer, songwriter, actor and fashion icon reportedly kept his 18-month battle with cancer so private that even close friends weren't aware of his struggle.

In the early Seventies, Bowie was occasionally accused of borrowing from Cooper's onstage persona. "I kind of expected all that to happen, and I just trusted in my own conceptions that eventually we'd split off and have separate identities, Alice and myself," Bowie said in a 1977 interview. "I just trusted in my optimistic ideas of what I could do."

Details are sketchy at the moment, but DuskMachine / former Annihilator bassist Russ Bergquist has surfaced with a new project dubbed Touch The Sun. They have released a debut video single "Be My Enemy", which can be viewed below.

The band has issued the following message via their Facebook page:

"Moving on in 2016. Here is our first video single "Be My Enemy". If you like it please hit all the appropriate buttons. If you want the tune go steal it from TouchTheSunMusic.com. If none of the above apply to you have a fantastic day!"

  
Bergquist was a part of the Annihilator line-up twice, from 1999 – 2003 and again from 2005 – 2007. In 2013, DuskMachine released their self-titled second album, which features three former Annihilator members: Bergquist, drummer Randy Black and vocalist Joe Comeau. The line-up is rounded out by guitarist Nikolai Wurk.



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SPIRITUAL BEGGARS — the Swedish band featuring ARCH ENEMY guitarist Michael Amott and bassist Sharlee D'Angelo, along with vocalist Apollo Papathanasio (ex-FIREWIND) — will release its ninth studio album, titled "Sunrise To Sundown", on March 18 in Europe and March 25 in North America via InsideOut Music. Just like on their previous two album releases, "Return To Zero" (2010) and "Earth Blues" (2013), SPIRITUAL BEGGARS' stellar lineup is is rounded out by Per Wiberg (CANDLEMASS, ex-OPETH) on keyboards and Ludwig Witt (GRAND MAGUS, FIREBIRD) on drums. After a busy couple of last years with ARCH ENEMY, Michael Amott and his bandmates have once again found the availability and inspiration to lay down eleven dynamic and uplifting new songs, which not only easily demonstrate how much on top of their game SPIRITUAL BEGGARS still are after over twenty years of activities, but also add a fresh and spontaneous vibe to their impressive catalogue. Speaking about how the new album came together, Amott said: "We've been writing the album here and there over the last couple of years when our schedules have allowed us to meet up and spend a few days jamming. A few of the songs I wrote on my own; others were written by our keyboard player Per Wiberg. Our drummer Ludwig Witt submitted two tracks that are actually his first major contributions to the band as a writer — and they're great songs too! I also co-wrote a few tunes with Per Wiberg and that was really a lot of fun as well, it's been a very collaborative process." In contrast to the often-soulless current high-tech digital cut-paste recordings, "Sunrise To Sundown" was tracked live off the floor. Amott said: "I'm super excited about how the album sounds sonically. Our engineer, Staffan Karlsson, also produced and mixed the album, and the result is something we're very proud of.

"I think every album we have made (this being our ninth) has had its own vibe and atmosphere. I can honestly say this band has never made the same album twice.

"To me, 'Sunrise To Sundown' is the next chapter of the book we've been writing since we started the band over twenty years ago. Of course, the foundation of our style is heavy rock music, but we always keep evolving adding new influences and colours to the bands core sound." SPIRITUAL BEGGARS will embark on a European tour in support of "Sunrise To Sundown" in March.

SPIRITUAL BEGGARS reissued two of its classic catalog titles on October 14, 2013: the band's 2005 "Demons" album was made available for the first time ever on vinyl via InsideOut Music; and their acclaimed and hard-to-find debut LP, the self-titled "Spiritual Beggars" from 1994, was re-released with over 70 minutes of unreleased bonus material via Century Media Records.

SPIRITUAL BEGGARS is:

Michael Amott (ARCH ENEMY, CARCASS) - Guitar Ludwig Witt (FIREBIRD) - DrumsPer Wiberg (OPETH) - KeyboardsSharlee D'Angelo (ARCH ENEMY, MERCYFUL FATE) - BassApollo Papathanasio (FIREWIND) - Vocals

LIFE OF AGONY has signed a worldwide deal with Napalm Records. The band's fifth studio album, and their first in over a decade, titled "A Place Where There's No More Pain", will be released later in the year.

LIFE OF AGONY bassist Alan Robert comments: "I think our fans know that our music comes from a very real place of suffering, from all of us in the band.

"Many of our fans have told us over the years that sharing our personal struggles has been cathartic for them in healing the pain in their own lives. That uplifting energy we share at the shows gives us hope that there's light at the end of the tunnel. And for us and hopefully our fans, that short time when we're all together is a place where there's no more pain."

Adds Thomas Caser, CEO of Napalm Records: "LIFE OF AGONY is, without a doubt, one of the most exciting and energetic rock bands of our times. It is an honor to work with such talent. We are excited to announce their signing to Napalm Records and release the band's first album after over a decade."

LIFE OF AGONY returned to the stage and performed on multiple festival dates in Europe over the summer of 2014. The band's famed "River Runs Red" lineup, consisting of vocalist Mina Caputo, guitarist Joseph Zampella (a.k.a. Joey Z), bassist Alan Robert and drummer Sal Abruscato, was excited to take the stage together once again after a three-year hiatus.

During an interview at last summer's Graspop Metal Meeting in Belgium, Mina Caputo (formerly known as Keith Caputo), who came out as transgender in 2011, was asked if there are any plans for LIFE OF AGONY to release new music. She said: "We can't predict the unseen. We have spoken about some stuff. We're shooting around some ideas, but [there's] nothing solid at the moment. But we may pop out with a song or two. We're not one hundred percent sure. We're having a great time. [There's] no pressure. We're getting offers from so many different kinds of companies and labels that just wanna throw money at us. But we're just, like… We don't even know if we wanna be with a label. We're tired of it. We make our money. We do all of these big shows in between the festivals. We're selling out. We don't need tour support. We don't need anybody."

Asked in a December 2015 interview with The Aquarian Weekly how LIFE OF AGONY's music is still relatable and influential to the hardcore the scene today, Alan said: "Well, I think there is something to be said about the message and the music. When a lot of those songs were written, especially lyrically — you know, 'River Runs Red'… I was probably in my late teens writing those songs. It was all about dealing with depression and struggles growing up, and you know… just taking in everything that we were all going through in our families, and also dealing with troubles socializing things. And these are all common themes even now. Kids today, I think, are still going through these problems — maybe even more so, because you know, now that technology is in everyone's hands, it almost isolates you even more in a way. And these are common themes in all of our records, especially on the 'Ugly' record. Themes like feeling out of place and feeling like the ugly duckling, basically, and, 'We are the black sheep.' These are just common issues with growing up, and I think that some of these personalities gravitate towards hardcore music and metal music because it's still kind of on the outskirts of mainstream, and it's kind of going against the grain of what's expected, and I think they find community there. I know I did growing up, and going to shows to let out some angst, and anger, and turn it into positivity — I think that's been the whole message of LIFE OF AGONY from the start."

He continued: "Whether we realize it or not, we started out as these angry, depressed [laughs] kids, and by venting through our music, we created a community we're accepted in, and we can bond with people who were going through the same emotions. That is the 'hardcore' aspect of the music. There's a lot of 'metal' type of sounds and guitar riffs, but as far as the 'hardcore elements' in LIFE OF AGONY, the honesty and the purity of the message that we were trying to communicate was trying to basically lift someone up when they're feeling down, and let them know that you're not alone out there."

Alan added: "Time and time again, we have fans coming up to us from all over the world thanking us for making the music that we do because it saved their lives, and that means the world to us because we knew how it felt to be alone when no one was listening. Here are these kids listening to our music, knowing that they're not alone, and that no one else feels the same way that they do."

Regarding LIFE OF AGONY's future plans, Alan said: "I think ever since the summer of 2014 when we kicked this back up again, it's been so much fun and the energy has been so good between us and the people everywhere we go that we want to keep it going; we absolutely do. We're having a great time. And I think now that Mina has come out, she is free as a bird, and there is no holding back. It's just so great to see, not just as a bandmember, but as a longtime friend, to see her really comfortable in her own skin. I'm just really proud of her for her bravery, and everyone's been so accepting and so positive that it's really encouraging to see."

Photo by Jeremy Saffer

The self-titled debut album from ABBATH, the band led by ex-IMMORTAL frontman Olve Eikemo (a.k.a. Abbath), can be streamed in its entirety below. The CD will be released on January 22 via Season Of Mist.

"Abbath" track listing:

01. To War02. Winter Bane03. Ashes Of The Damned04. Ocean Of Wounds05. Count The Dead06. Fenrir Hunts07. Root Of The Mountain08. Endless09. Nebular Ravens Winter (bonus track)

The album can be pre-ordered at this location.

ABBATH released a seven-inch single, "Count The Dead", on December 11 via Season Of Mist. The A-side features the title track while the B-side consists of a cover version of the JUDAS PRIEST classic "Riding On The Wind".

Bass duties for ABBATH are being handled by a man familiar to metal fans across the world — Tom Cato Visnes, more widely known as King Ov Hell and main composer for several GORGOROTH albums as well as his own bands OV HELL, with singer Shagrath from DIMMU BORGIR, and GOD SEED, with exceptional black metal vocalist Gaahl.

In a recent interview with Australia's TheMusic.com.au, Abbath spoke about the circumstances surrounding his departure from IMMORTAL and his decision to launch a new group. "I feel like I've been fired," he said. "It was never my intention to go solo but I really feel like I've been forced into it. Apparently they [lyricist/guitarist Demonaz and drummer Horgh] are going to continue on [as IMMORTAL] without me and that's fine — but it was very disappointing that no one, not even [IMMORTAL's record label] Nuclear Blast, wanted to hear my side of the story. The other guys wanted to do things solely on their timetable and also claimed that I need to go to rehab, which was just nonsense, because I've always delivered, live and in the studio — always. My plan was to go into the studio last year. If I had my way, IMMORTAL would have been on tour right now."

He continued: "I just think they ended up being in it for the wrong reasons. They weren't showing any passion for what we were doing.

"Even though my new band is called ABBATH, it finally feels like I'm in a real band — part of a group of musicians who have a great dialogue and share a passion for the music. It didn't feel like that in IMMORTAL for a long time."


"Abbath" cover artwork:

Former SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo has left PHILM, the Los Angeles-based experimental post-hardcore act he launched several years ago with guitarist/vocalist Gerry Nestler (CIVIL DEFIANCE) and bassist Pancho Tomaselli (WAR).

During an interview on episode 224 of the "Let There Be Talk" podcast with rock and roll comedian Dean Delray, Lombardo declined to reveal the reasons for his exit from PHILM, telling Delray (hear audio below): "I'm not gonna talk about it. They didn't want me to promote the band while I was with them, and I'm certainly not gonna do it when I'm without them."

Lombardo added: "I don't wanna talk about it anymore. Yeah, so I just said, 'See ya!'"

According to Lombardo, he was also told that he had to change his playing style to accommodate PHILM: "[They said] 'Don't play hard. We want you to play a little softer.' I said, 'Nope.'"

PHILM officially took form in late 2010 with a handful of tour dates and an early four-song demo that quickly began to make the rounds of in-the-know music critics.

In a 2014 interview with Journey Of A Frontman, Lombardo was full of praise for his PHILM bandmates, explaining that "it felt like a rejuvenation when I first got the band together in 2010."

He went on to say: "When you're in a band for more than 20 years, it becomes a job. There's hardly any communication with bandmembers — you rehearse with the band a couple of days before the tour, then fly back and that's it. You see them on stage but there's really not much to it."

PHILM released its sophomore album, "Fire From The Evening Sun", on September 16, 2014 (one day earlier internationally) via UDR.

Lombardo recently formed a new band called DEAD CROSS with members of THE LOCUST and RETOX. The group is currently recording its debut album with producer Ross Robinson, who has previously worked with KORN, DEFTONES, SEPULTURA and LIMP BIZKIT, among others.

Lombardo described DEAD CROSS's sound to Noisey: "It's just straightforward brutal punk— metal-esque, but it's definitely not metal. I think it definitely leans more towards the punk style, because I feel that the way things are in the world, a punk attitude is definitely necessary to help you along with the shit that's going on. There's no time to sing, 'We Are the World', or all this bullshit, we're all pissed right now, and there's no better way to release anger than to be in a punk band and write punk music."

Lombardo was effectively fired from SLAYER after sitting out the band's Australian tour in February/March 2013 due to a contract dispute with the other members of the group. He has since been replaced by Paul Bostaph, who was previously SLAYER's drummer from 1992 until 2001.

Hard rock titans METAL CHURCH will release their new album, "XI", on March 25 via Rat Pak Records. Produced by Kurdt Vanderhoof and co-produced by Chris "The Wizard" Collier, the band's eleventh studio release also marks the return of legendary vocalist and frontman Mike Howe.

"XI" is available for pre-order in various exclusive bundles at this location. A limited number of the deluxe international version are available on the web site and features a bonus disc of eight extra songs. Other bundles include guitar picks, stickers, a special-edition behind-the-scenes photobook, t-shirts and even a limited number of personal phone calls from Mike Howe himself. The album is also available for pre-order on Amazon, Google Play and via iTunes. Fans that order the digital version will receive an instant download of the song "Killing Your Time" from the new album.

The reunion between Mike and METAL CHURCH was put in motion in July of 2014 when Mike started working with Kurdt Vanderhoof on a side project he was forming with Nigel Glockler from SAXON. Through these initial conversations, Kurdt convinced Mike to ultimately return to METAL CHURCH. The idea was to see if they could recapture some of the magic from the three albums METAL CHURCH released in the late '80s: "The Human Factor", "Blessing In Disguise" and "Hanging In The Balance". Out of those sessions, "XI" was born and captures the sound that made the band fan-favorites in the '80's and mixes it with a new, invigorated sound for 2016. "Sometimes I still can't believe it myself," says Vanderhoof. "No one would have ever thought Mike would return after his departure almost two decades ago."

Adds Howe: "At first, I struggled with the decision to come back, but after hearing the riffs that Kurdt was writing, I just couldn't resist. The music called to me and I wanted to be part of it!" METAL CHURCH has also released an official music video for the debut single from "XI", a song called "No Tomorrow". The clip was filmed in the Satsop Nuclear Facility, an abandoned nuclear power plant in Elma, Washington, with Seattle filmmaker and documentarian Jamie Burton Chamberlin (of Black Dahlia Films), who previously worked with DUFF MACKAGAN'S LOADED on "The Taking" series.

The track listing for "XI" is: 01. Reset02. Killing Your Time03. No Tomorrow04. Signal Path05. Sky Falls In06. Needle & Suture07. Shadow08. Blow Your Mind09. Soul Eating Machine10. It Waits11. Suffer Fools Rat Pak Records has entered into a licensing agreement with Nuclear Blast for distribution of "XI" in all territories outside of North America, South America and Japan.

"We here at Rat Pak Records were very excited to receive a licensing request from Markus Staiger and his amazing team at Nuclear Blast Europe to release this new METAL CHURCH [album] into their international territories, ultimately ensuring that this album will reach every corner of the globe," states Rat Pak Records president Joe O'Brien.

Staiger adds: "We are happy and proud to welcome METAL CHURCH, an absolute metal legend, to the Nuclear Blast Europe family! When the self-titled debut album was released in 1984, it was a revelation to me — that this was how heavy metal had to sound like — with killer riffs and plenty of speed!

"We will do our utmost to help re-establish METAL CHURCH here in Europe and get them back where they belong — in the 'Champions League' once again!"

King Records will oversee the new METAL CHURCH release throughout Japan.

"We are very excited to be releasing the new album by METAL CHURCH," adds "Ryo" Saito of King Records.

METAL CHURCH 2016 is:

Mike Howe (vocals)Kurdt Vanderhoof (guitar)Jeff Plate (drums)Steve Unger (bass)Rick VanZandt (guitar)