Having risen from the festering swamp of their debut Descent Into Putridity, Newcastle-based death metallers Horrified have shifted course and progressed into new territory with their new album Of Despair.

 
Frontman and mastermind Dan Alderson has instead sought inspiration from the frozen plains further north; the works of Dissection, Sacramentum and Unanimated joined his continued love of the Floridian scene, melding together into an intense hybrid that displays spectacular riffs and throat-ruining growls.
 
The band have uploaded a track, entitled “Infernal Lands”, to showcase this transition.

Details of the album will be available soon.



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Trondheim, Norway-based avantgarde metallers, INI, have released a new single, “Dodecahedron”, available via most streaming services.

The new single is streaming below. For more on the band, check out their Facebook page at this location.



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When a hard rock band like Scorpions or Bon Jovi release a power ballad it doesn’t surprise any one any more. But how about a band in the same style releasing a waltz, with a catchy melody, accompanied by a magically realistic video clip?

Beyond The Labyrinth’s theatrical “Ghost Melody” was released some weeks ago through iTunes, Spotify, etc., and now you can enjoy the accompanying video clip.



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North Carolina’s Abhorrent Deformity have posted the DIY music video for "Boundless Suffering”. The song comes off the band's debut album, Entity Of Malevolence.

Entity Of Malevolence stands out as a convergence of brutality, complete with the boundless onslaught of crushing riffs, unmerciful drumming and bloodthirsty vocals. This unforgiving vortex of obliteration is poised to rise from the deepest depths of Hell. Artwork for Entity Of Malevolence done by the creative Italian mastermind Marco Hasmann.

Tracklisting:

“Crown Of Worms”
“Manifested Filth”
“Skeleton Carver”
“Buried Beneath Human Remains”
“Stench Of The Decomposed”
“Boundless Suffering”
“Entity Of Malevolence”
“Enshrined In Putrid Decay”
“Baptized In Embalming Fluid”
“Casket Maker”

“Entity Of Malevolence”:

“Baptized In Embalming Fluid” lyric video:

 



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UK masters of everything dark, Eye Of Solitude, have released the lyric video for the nearly 12 minute funeral opus "Obseqvies".

The song first appeared as Eye Of Solitude’s contribution to the September 2015 collector split EP with Faal. 

Created, directed and edited by Razvan Alexandru, mastermind of Romanian Doom band Abigail, "Obseqvies" is a poetic journey into darkness, despair and solitude.

Additionally, the band have re-released the "Lugubrious Valedictory" single as a free / name-your-price download.

Launched in early November as a charity single to raise funds for the victims of Bucharest's Colectiv Club fire tragedy (victims of which included close friends of the band), "Lugubrious Valedictory" received overwhelming support from fans and raised several hundred Euros that went directly to the victims and their families.

"Lugubrious Valedictory" is now available at this location.



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FOO FIGHTERS notched the sixth million-selling album of the band's career this week when its 2009 "Greatest Hits" collection passed the one million mark to re-enter The Billboard 200 album chart at No. 159. Selling 3,000 copies two weeks ago and jumping to 6,000 copies last week, its total sales now stand at 1,009,000 copies in the U.S.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, the FOO FIGHTERS' previous million sellers include 1997's "The Colour And The Shape" with 1.9 million, 2005's "In Your Honor" with 1.5 million, 2002's "One By One" with 1.4 million, 1999's "There Is Nothing Left To Lose" with 1.3 million and their self-titled 1995 debut with 1.3 million.

FOO FIGHTERS have been one of the most consistently selling rock acts of the last 20 years.

Drummer Taylor Hawkins told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that he still savors each new achievement by the FOO FIGHTERS. "Every little milestone is awesome and you just kind of… A lot of things like that, you know, I just kind of put back in the back of the recesses of my mind, and someday I'll sit around with my grandkids, you know, when I'm 65 and 67 or whatever, and pull out all the DVDs and the Grammys and those kind of things and go, 'Lookit, look at what gramps used to do, wow,'" he said.

To commemorate the end of the touring cycle for 2014's "Sonic Highways" album, FOO FIGHTERS released a five-song digital EP called "St. Cecilia".

The band dedicated the set, which was named after the Austin hotel in which it was recorded, to the victims of the November 13 terrorist attacks in Paris, an event which also caused the FOO FIGHTERS to cut their European tour short.

In a letter accompanying the EP, frontman Dave Grohl alluded to the band taking a long hiatus, saying, "We could use a nice wander through the woods right about now… I can't help but wonder when we will see each other again. Who knows? But, with everything FOO FIGHTERS-related, it will only be when it feels right."

It took over 20 years of digging in the bile and muck of the underground for Kampfar to carve its name onto every black metallers tongues. With the release of their latest epic, Profan, the dark battalion have been nominated for a Norwegian Grammy in the Metal category.

Says Indie Recordings: “We raise our glasses and hail the veterans for rising out of the underground with brute force!”

Kampfar released Profan on November 13th via Indie Recordings.

Tracklisting:

“Gloria Ablaze”
“Profanum”
“Icons”
“Skavank”
“Daimon”
“Pole In The Ground”
“Tornekratt”

The album is available on CD jewelcase, limited CD digipak with patch, black LP gatefold, limited orange LP gatefold with black and yellow speckles. Exclusive T-Shirt bundles are also available in the Indie Recordings webshop only. Order at this location.

 



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One man UK extreme metal wrecking machine Tom Reynolds has been making quite a name for himself of late with his incessant live appearances up and down the UK and knack for marrying a plethora of extreme metal sounds into one. Now having completed his next Foul Body Autopsy record, an EP entitled Perpetuated By Greed, like all its predecessors Tom has a message to deliver, and again, just like its predecessors, the message is as subtle as a JCB driving up a village main street. In his own words, "The concept behind the new Foul Body Autopsy record is... Everything Is Completely Fucked!"

Tom elaborates, "It's a refection of how messed up the world is at the moment, and thanks to the right wing turn in politics and in the media a mood of fear and paranoia has taken hold. There are families drowning in the sea, running from the crossfire of blood thirsty extremist death cult and a desperate amoral military dictatorship, and instead of trying to help there are governments doing everything in their power to stop refugees getting to safety. As well as that, we have national newspapers here giving people, and someone in particular, space in their rag to call these affected people cockroaches! We have a Prime Minister who says that anyone that opposes war is a "terrorist sympathizer” and if we look across the pond things are not that much better... a man that looks like a biological car crash is running for president and most of the things he says are completely false but because most of his followers don't trust the media he can create his own insane reality and have thousands of people blindly agree with him. The future isn't looking too great."

Last year saw the release of So Close To Dehumanization, an EP which resonated with his vegan beliefs and explored the often ignored process of how modern societies demand for meat is actually fulfilled. Some countries may have certain laws in place to ease animal suffering, which is an inevitable result of our desire for meat produce, but the fact remains, animals are being bred and killed for consumption in industrial scale operations and do not live a natural life. A video was released for 'So Close To Complete Dehumanization', a video which received some backlash due to its disturbing content, albeit very real.

Recorded at The Parlour Recording Studio (Napalm Death, Dimmu Borgir, Evile) with producer Neil Haynes and featuring cover art from Coki Greenway, Perpetuated By Greed delves into environmental issues, and subjects on a broader scale in comparison to So Close To Dehumanization. The record features six tracks of blistering blackened death grind extreme metal, fast drumming, growls and pinpoint guitar work.

Tracklisting:

“Perpetuated By Greed”
“Enslaved The Rest Of Creation”
“Chewed Up By The Machine”
“Destabilized Perception”
“Devoid Of Humanity”
“Complete Environmental Collapse”

Trailer:

Perpetuated By Greed is out February 26th in Europe via Grindscene Records and in North America via Comatose Music. Pre-order here.

 



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When Silvertung released their last single, “Never Too Late”, it spawned their first Billboard Top 40 Mainstream Rock Chart hit. Coming off this success, the band continued to tour in support of the track including performing on the main stage at several festivals such as the Carolina Craft Beer & Music Fest (NC), Shiley Acres (WV) the Shindig Festival 2015 (MD).

"Face The Music” is the first single from the band’s forthcoming release, entitled, Out Of The Box. Lead vocalist Speed said, “The title came from something our manager kept telling us – ‘to think out of the box.’ We’ve been experimenting with new ideas during our writing process. For the first time we walked away from the studio after recording the first two tracks, feeling like we really gave it all we have.”

Check out the video here.

Out Of The Box was produced by Steven Wright (who has worked with everyone from Slipknot to Avril Lavigne). “Steven pushed us. He came to our rehearsal space to work with us on the material,” said guitarist Codey. “Steven watched, listened and pushed us. He knew how to bring out the best in the material we’ve been writing.”

"We always look to raise the bar with everything we do as a band." Said bass player Skoot. “We always try to one up ourselves. Out Of The Box is a big accomplishment for ourselves.”

Drummer Danno commented, “I love the aggressive presentation of the new tracks and yet they retain some melodic elements. I feel our overall performance went to another level too. The first track, “Face The Music” sticks to the point, in your face without meandering."

Hailing from Maryland, Silvertung is comprised of Speed, lead guitarist Codey, bassist Skoot, and drummer Danno, and have created a tremendous local buzz on the strength of their live show, which has seen the quartet share the stage with countless national acts, including Godsmack, Disturbed, Shinedown, Slipknot, Staind, Papa Roach, Buckcherry, Filter, Drowning Pool, and P.O.D., among countless others.

The video for “Face The Music” was directed by Wade Spencer. According to Speed, “We choose to shoot the video at the studio where we recorded the latest tracks to give fans a view of what it’s like for us at the studio and in rehearsal.”

Director Wade Spencer commented, “I love shooting these guys. They have so much energy. It was fun to edit, I really enjoy working with these guys. For once I’m actually not sick of a song after the edit.”

 



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Legendary rock icons MÖTLEY CRÜE completed their thirty-five-year touring career as a band, on New Year's Eve, with a spectacular, sold-out show at Staples Center in their hometown of Los Angeles, where the started out in 1981. The show also marked the end of their two-year "The Final Tour", which saw them perform across five continents (North America, South America, Europe, Australia and Asia) for a total of more than 164 shows in 72 markets grossing $100 million.

Known for their over-the-top production, MÖTLEY CRÜE did not disappoint on New Year's Eve: from massive, cutting edge pyro, including Nikki Sixx's bass guitar spitting fire over 30ft in the air, and Tommy Lee's "Crüecifly" drum roller coaster, amongst many other spectacular elements. While the "Crüecifly" experienced a technical hiccup halfway through his drum solo, perhaps signifying the coaster too had also run its course, it didn't derail the band from giving it their all to their devoted fans cheering them on all night through. Lead singer Vince Neil delivered an emotional, teary-eyed "thank you" speech to the audience, while the band supplied next-level, high-octane fueled energy, ringing in the New Year on stage with thousands of balloons raining down on the crowd. The band's grand finale of the show included a blow-out performance of their hit single "Kickstart My Heart" with Nikki Sixx and Vince Neil floating above the audience in far reaching "cherry-pickers." Leaving fans in tears, the band finished up the show with an emotional encore rendition of "Home Sweet Home" from the second stage riser in the center of the audience.

The live performances may be over, but their legacy will live on for generations to come. To celebrate their mark in rock music's history and in honor of their devoted fans, the band has confirmed the release of a full length concert film of the Final performance, which will also include exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes footage of the last week of the tour, to be released later in 2016. Produced and distributed by Live Alliance, Christian Lamb directed the concert portion of the film, while Jeff Tremaine, creator of the "Jackass" series, directed the documentary segment. The film will premiere in theaters worldwide, one night only, followed by pay-per-view in all cable/satellite/digital formats, with a DVD set to be released later on.

Fans can check out an exclusive sneak peek of the film below. In addition to the live-concert film, MÖTLEY CRÜE are planning to release a major box-set of music down the line, as well as "The Dirt" feature film based on the band's best-selling 2001 autobiography, also to be directed by Tremaine, in the near future.

MÖTLEY CRÜE first announced plans for their two-year "Final Tour" by signing a Cessation Of Touring Agreement at a press conference in Los Angeles in January 2014, solidifying the end of their touring career.

METAL ALLEGIANCE, the all-star metal band consisting of a rotating cast of musicians, including members of MEGADETH, TESTAMENT, will pay tribute to iconic MOTÖRHEAD frontman Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister during METAL ALLEGIANCE's January 9 concert at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California.

With the recent release of their critically acclaimed self-titled album, the musicians of METAL ALLEGIANCE are bringing their legendary live experience back to where it began. The West Coast run starts in San Diego on January 7, hits Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and wraps up in San Francisco on January 10. Don't miss your chance to watch David Ellefson (MEGADETH), Mark Osegueda (DEATH ANGEL), Phil Demmel (MACHINE HEAD), Mike Portnoy (DREAM THEATER, THE WINERY DOGS), Troy Sanders (MASTODON), Alex Skolnick (TESTAMENT) and Mark Menghi do what they do best — play some heavy metal music!

"The entire ALLEGIANCE concept started on the West Coast back in 2011 and I'm stoked to bring it back there," comments Mark Menghi. "The last time we played out there, no one knew we were secretly writing and recording an album. Well, a year later, we're back! Can't wait to see all of our West Coast friends." Says Skolnick: "Beyond excited to kick off 2016 playing METAL ALLEGIANCE originals and specially chosen covers — the first time with this unique lineup. Since unleashing the album a short while back, we've brought our live festivities to the East Coast, Mexico and Japan. West Coast: You're next!"

States Ellefson: "This has been an incredible ride with some amazingly talented friends. Glad to see the ALLEGIANCE now thrashing back on the West Coast in the New Year."

Confirmed METAL ALLEGIANCE West Coast shows:

Jan. 07 - Ramona Mainstage - Ramona, CAJan. 08 - Count's Vamp'd - Las Vegas, NVJan. 09 - Whisky A Go Go - West Hollywood, CAJan. 10 - The Regency - San Francisco, CA

METAL ALLEGIANCE's self-titled debut album was released on September 18, 2015 via Nuclear Blast Entertainment.

Brought together by METAL ALLEGIANCE principal partner Mark Menghi, the project's original material came together from the creative minds of David Ellefson, Mike Portnoy, and Alex Skolnick, alongside Menghi. The four writers then reached out through their metal rolodexes to a diverse lineup of performers, each adding their own personal musical stamp to the collection of nine original songs.

In a recent interview with I Probably Hate Your Band, Menghi stated about the songwriting process for "Metal Allegiance": "We wrote the majority of the lyrics for the record. In particular, Dave Ellefson and I co-wrote a lot of the lyrics to the record. We based it off our personal experiences in life, some of the fucking crap we went through. For example, with 'Can’t Kill The Devil', he had two lines for that song: 'Can't kill the Devil, the Devil never dies.' And when he said that to me, I was, like, 'Just stop right there,' and an hour later, I came back with all the lyrics for the song. And I basically told a tale, I told a story about the Devil. We all have a Devil in our life. I told a story about my Devil and combined it with his."

The standard edition CD of "Metal Allegiance" features nine original songs. A digipak edition was made available that features an all-star tribute to Ronnie James Dio with a cover of his classic song "We Rock" as well as a 45-minute behind-the-scenes documentary on the making of the album. A double vinyl version was also made available that features all 10 songs as well.

Hard rock titans METAL CHURCH return with their new album, "XI", slated for release 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.

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.

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)

The latest FEAR FACTORY tour webisode, featuring footage from the band's concerts in Strasbourg, France and Ghent, Belgium during their recent European headlining tour, can be seen below.

FEAR FACTORY was involved in a bus crash on November 25 while en route to the show in Munich. FEAR FACTORY guitarist Dino Cazares stated shortly after the accident: "Everyone is okay, just a little shaken up. It doesn't help when it's 4:30 a.m. and snowing outside!"

FEAR FACTORY's European trek saw the band playing the "Demanufacture" album in its entirety. They also showcased songs from their new CD, "Genexus", which came out on August 7, 2015 via Nuclear Blast.

In a 2012 interview with Lithium Magazine, FEAR FACTORY singer Burton C. Bell stated about the hardships of touring: "Some people are just not cut out for that kind of lifestyle, and some are. It really comes down to the individual and the real drive that they have to pursue their dream of music. If you're going to pursue music, you've got to go all the way, you can't do it half-assed. You have to give it your all, and touring is a big part of that — live shows in front of people all over the world. That's what we do and if it's not in you, you're not going to last."

Australian rock band WOLFMOTHER will release its new album, "Victorious", on February 19 via Universal Music Enterprises.

A new track from the CD, "Gypsy Caravan", can be streamed below. WOLFMOTHER recently teamed with popular enhanced coloring book app Recolor to give fans the opportunity to create their own colorized version of the "Victorious" album art. Recolor was created by premium photo app developer Sumoing. The follow-up to 2009's "Cosmic Egg" and 2014's "New Crown", the much-anticipated "Victorious" is an electrifying testament to the range and depth of songwriter/vocalist/guitarist Andrew Stockdale's artistry. Recorded at Henson Studios in Los Angeles with two-time Grammy-winning producer Brendan O'Brien (PEARL JAM, AC/DC, CHRIS CORNELL, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN), the songs are edgy, inventive and uncompromising and rank among the band's best ever. Stockdale began working on the record in January 2015 at his Byron Bay studio in New South Wales, writing on every instrument and embracing the same creative approach he used on the band's debut album a decade ago. "Back in the early days, I'd play guitar, bass, and drums and then present the ideas to the band and we'd work on the arrangement together," he says. "I thought it would be cool to get back to demoing ideas by myself and playing everything. It's a good way to do things because it can make the style more cohesive." In addition to vocals, Stockdale played guitar and bass and brought in Josh Freese (NINE INCH NAILS, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, A PERFECT CIRCLE) and Joey Waronker (AIR, BECK, REM) to split drum duties.

"We wanted to get back to that big sound," says Stockdale. "The album is a balance of garage-y energy and big production. It's wild, energetic and," he muses, "perfect for a festival main stage."

WOLFMOTHER will support "Victorious" with a headline tour of North America set to kick off February 24 at First Avenue in Minneapolis.

FLYLEAF lead singer Kristen May recently released a new solo album, "Conversations", which she funded through a PledgeMusic campaign.

May wrote on her PledgeMusic page: "Making this album has been a dream of mine for awhile and I'm so happy to finally make it a reality.

"I have had the opportunity to tour and make albums with my bands VEDERA and FLYLEAF for over a decade and now I [got] the unique chance to spend some time off the road, at home in Kansas City. Kansas City is a place where I have gathered inspiration through the years and I [was] so happy to make an album here once again. This time [I recorded] at the wonderful Chapman Recording Studios."

A fan on FLYLEAF's Facebook page recently questioned why May would be working on an album if she is still of a member of the band. The group responded: "Kristen is finding tons of inspiration now that she's staring a new chapter as a [mother] and has been writing a lot of new material!"

Kristen is married to her former VEDERA bandmate Brian Little.

VEDERA split up in 2011, two years after releasing its Epic debut, "Stages". The effort peaked at No. 2 on Billboard's Heatseekers chart.

In a 2014 interview with The Kansas City Star, May said still thought about her former band. "Parts of it I do miss," she said. "It's hard not to think about what I'd done the past eight years. But I'm focused on FLYLEAF. I really enjoy this. It feels like this is what I'm supposed to be doing."

FLYLEAF's fourth studio album, "Between The Stars", sold 8,200 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 33 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD was released on September 16, 2014 via Loud & Proud Records.

"Between The Stars" was recorded over a four-week period at a Los Angeles studio with producer extraordinaire Don Gilmore (PEARL JAM, LINKIN PARK, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE).

Four years following her departure from FLYLEAF, the vocalist and songwriter who delivered rock anthems like "Again", "All Around Me", "I'm So Sick" and "Fully Alive" to the top of the retail and radio charts, Lacey Sturm, has announced that her debut solo album, "Life Screams", will be released on February 12 via Followspot Records with The Fuel Music distribution. Writing alone, as well as with husband/guitarist Josh Sturm, SKILLET's Korey Cooper and Grammy Award-winning writer and producer David Hodges, Lacey created a record that is the sonic successor to FLYLEAF's celebrated self-titled debut (which spent a staggering 133 weeks on The Billboard 200 chart). "In the beginning, FLYLEAF really centered around my story and vision," says Lacey. "This new project continues that narrative in a cohesive way." The debut single from "Life Screams", "Impossible" gives voice to that new narrative as it screamed into the top five of the iTunes Rock Top Songs chart when it released. The single reached as high as No. 2 on the chart following SiriusXM Octane's premiere of the song November 1. In rotation now at Octane and numerous stations across the country, Lacey will travel to New York City this week to perform an acoustic rendition of the single in Octane's studio, as well as in the HardDrive Radio studio. While in New York, Lacey will further complete an interview and performance in Loudwire's studio. (Performances and interview air dates are to be announced.) Approaching her latest creative phase with newfound perspective and appreciation, "Life Screams" grew organically out of a community of artists in Lacey's hometown of Pittsburgh. Through this community, Lacey's live band formed and have already performed for crowds in the tens of thousands. As her 2016 touring schedule begins to fill up, Lacey will be taking the new music from "Life Screams" and fan favorites from her FLYLEAF repertoire to the "World's Loudest Month," hitting ­such major rock festivals as Rock On The Range, Monster Energy Carolina Rebellion, Welcome To Rockville and Northern Invasion. She also performs at club dates, including a special album release show on February 4 at West Hollywood's famed Whisky A Go Go. Sturm in 2014 opened up about some of the reasons why she quit FLYLEAF in the fall of 2012, shortly before the release of the band's third album, "New Horizons". Speaking in a video to promote her memoir, Sturm said that several events, including getting married, having a baby and enduring the death of the band's sound engineer Rich Caldwell changed her priorities. Sturm explained: "The one that hit the hardest was the death of our sound engineer. We did one last show with FLYLEAF as a benefit for his wife Katy and their son Kirby. And it was really hard to do a show without him, and it was really hard to think it could be our last show. So I remember looking at my son after Rich had passed and just wondering to myself, if this was the last year I had with my son, how would I spend it?"

Sturm added: "It was really amazing to recognize this season changing in my life and the freedom that I was gonna be able to focus on my family. And I'm so thankful for that time. And although it was really hard, I'm thankful. And that's the reason I stepped down from FLYLEAF."

FLYLEAF recruited singer Kristen May as Sturm's replacement and released its fourth album, "Between The Stars", in September 2014.

Multi-camera fan-filmed video footage of LACUNA COIL performing the song "Our Truth" on December 11 at Campus Industry Music in Parma, Italy can be seen below.

LACUNA COIL recently entered BRX Studio in Milan to record its new album, "Delirium", for a tentative May 2016 release via Century Media. The CD is being produced by LACUNA COIL bassist and main songwriter Marco "Maki" Coti-Zelati, with engineering by Marco Barusso and additional assistance from Dario Valentini.

"Delirium" is LACUNA COIL's first album to featuring American drummer Ryan Blake Folden, who has been touring with the band since 2012.

LACUNA COIL singer Cristina Scabbia told "Loudwire Nights" host Toni Gonzalez: "It's been a crazy couple of years for different reasons, for personal reasons and for a lot of things that we will disclose, or we will tell later."

She added: "It's heavier than the previous albums we did, which is kind of surprising, because a lot of bands are going the other way around and getting softer and more accessible."

Cristina previously said about the group's upcoming follow-up to 2014's "Broken Crown Halo" album: "It's gonna be different. I mean, we have a slightly different lineup [following the recent departures of guitarist Cristiano 'Pizza' Migliore and drummer Cristiano 'CriZ' Mozzati], because we have a new drummer [Ryan Blake Folden] and we're gonna be working with one guitar only, so everything will be more straight to the point. We're gonna be using a lot more electronic arrangements — very weird… It's gonna be very mystique, dark… We're still deciding a lot of details, so it's hard to tell you exactly how it's gonna sound like, but so far, from the demos, it sounds like definitely a different phase of LACUNA COIL."

"Broken Crown Halo" sold around 13,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 27 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD arrived in stores on April 1, 2014 via Century Media.

"Broken Crown Halo" was recorded Italy by producer Jay Baumgardner (P.O.D., SEVENDUST, EVANESCENCE, PAPA ROACH) and engineer Kyle Hoffmann (P.O.D., BUSH, ZEBRAHEAD).

Legendary German guitarist Michael Schenker will release a new double A-side single, "Rock City" b/w "Good Times", on Monday, January 11, to celebrate his nationwide U.K. tour that starts at Bilston Robin 2 on Wednesday, January 20. "Rock City" is taken from MICHAEL SCHENKER'S TEMPLE OF ROCK's second album, "Spirit On A Mission", which was released in March 2015. The CD features twelve 12 classic rock guitar-driven songs that highlighted Schenker's distinctive and dynamic guitar playing, valiantly underpinned by the ferocious rhythm section of Herman Rarebell and Francis Buchholz, the same rhythm section that originally performed together on the SCORPIONS' 1979 album "Lovedrive".

MICHAEL SCHENKER'S TEMPLE OF ROCK's U.K. tour will see Schenker perform tracks from the album, including the singles "Communion", "Vigilante Man" and "Live And Let Live", plus UFO, MSG and SCORPIONS classics. As previously reported, MICHAEL SCHENKER'S TEMPLE OF ROCK's November 19, 2015 concert at Joy Eslava in Madrid, Spain was professionally filmed and recorded for a new DVD, to be released in early 2016. In addition, the band will enter the studio in the spring to begin work on its third album, tentatively due in 2017.

"We have got two albums done now, 'Bridge The Gap' and 'Spirit On A Mission', with the same lineup — Doogie White [vocals], Herman Rarebell [drums], Francis Buchholz [bass], Wayne Findlay [guitar, keyboards] and myself — and it's developing into a very stable band," Michael Schenker told Metal Shock Finland.

"Spirit On A Mission" was recorded at Kidroom Studios in Münster, Germany; the same studio where 2013's "Bridge The Gap" album was laid down. The CD was produced by Michael Voss and Michael Schenker, and engineered by Voss.

Former RAINBOW singer Doogie White was described by Schenker as an "extremely creative individual with a fantastic range and a voice that never stops". "How many people do you know that can sing nine shows in a row, without a day off and still have a voice with a range like his?" said Schenker. "He's a real trooper."

DREAM THEATER keyboardist Jordan Rudess has revealed to U.K.'s Prog magazine that he almost made a guest appearance on PINK FLOYD's classic 1979 album "The Wall".

"Many years ago I had a friend by the slightly unusual name of Blue Ocean," recalled Rudess. "He was a very good drummer; I believe he had been one of the studio drummers for THE MONKEES, playing with them behind the scenes. Anyway, Blue got the job of assembling a marching band that would appear on the song 'Bring The Boys Back Home'.

"I was hanging out at Blue's home one day and he said, 'Come on, man. Come to the studio and watch the recording of the track. You could even be a part of it.' Well, I wasn't a drummer — by that point I'd have been around 18 years old and had long since decided that keyboards would be my life — but I'd played some very basic snare drum when I was in Third Grade. So I went with him to the session. I walked in, someone gave me a drum and some sticks. I'm playing along and having a really good time, but as I'm doing so, I become aware that Bob Ezrin [producer] is looking at me across the room, eyebrow slightly askew, and finally he says: 'I don't think so.'

"After he’d picked me out, I went and sat in the control room and long before anyone else, we got to hear a playback of that track, though, of course, we had no idea of what it meant or where it would fit in the overall puzzle of PINK FLOYD's album.

"I was fine with Bob's decision. I was a very poor drummer. But there's a part of me that still wishes I'd been able to appear on 'The Wall'. That would've been very cool indeed."

DREAM THEATER's thirteenth album, "The Astonishing", will be released on January 29 via Roadrunner.

IndiePower.com recently conducted an interview with bassist Joey Vera of FATES WARNING and ARMORED SAINT. You can now watch the chat below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On being involved in multiple bands and projects:

Joey: "Sometimes it's a little bit of a necessity these days to do that. Technology allows you to be in different, remote places and be able to communicate and even perform in different states and different countries, you know, through the Internet and so forth. And then it's hard to make a living these days being in one group [laughs], so any chance you have to play with other people, not only does it benefit you financially, but it also makes you a better player, a better person, [gives you] more experiences [to work] with different people. I mean, that's one of the things that I really have been cherishing for the last thirty years — all these different musicians that I have some capacity to jam with, or play with, be in bands with, or do projects with, recording or whatever. It's amazing. I'm super lucky to be able to do that."

On FATES WARNING's forthcoming album:

Joey: "Jim [Matheos, guitar] and Ray [Alder, vocals] have written a really great record. We've been playing it on the bus a little bit. And it's gonna be really, really cool. I can't wait to start recording it. The plan is to start recording sometime in December and January, hopefully have this out by early summer. I can't talk too much about it — it's a hush-hush situation — but it's gonna be really, really cool. That's all I can say. Yeah, I'm looking forward to starting it."

FATES WARNING's twelfth studio album will be released later this year via InsideOut Music.

The band's previous CD, "Darkness In A Different Light", sold around 2,700 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The effort was issued in North America on October 1, 2013 via InsideOut Music.

MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine spoke to Revolver magazine about the band's new lineup — featuring founding members Mustaine (guitar, vocals) and David Ellefson (bass) alongside LAMB OF GOD drummer Chris Adler and Brazilian guitarist Kiko Loureiro, best known for his work with ANGRA. He said: "Ellefson was saying to me just the other day, 'This is the best the band has ever played together, and this is the best we've ever gotten along.' And I was thinking about it — we've had lineups where we've all been really friendly with one another, and then there were other times when there were guys with us that were super, super-talented, but you couldn't get close with them. But Kiko's got everything Marty [Friedman] and Chris Poland had, rolled into one, and he's very, very enjoyable to be around. And man, if we could clone Adler so that we could have him and LAMB OF GOD could have him, boy, Christmas would come early for Dave!"

Mustaine previously told The Irish Sun that Kiko made significant contributions to MEGADETH's new album, "Dystopia". He said: "A lot of times guitarists won't know how to add to something — they'll put something in there that's kind of like tits on a bull, unnecessary. Kiko came in and immediately started making some really good suggestions that we applied [to 'Dystopia']. When he first came in, I knew he had the ability but I didn't know if the songwriting technique and talent was going to show up this early on."

He continued: "What was great about the suggestions that Kiko made was that they weren't just guitar ones — he made a bass part in a song called 'Me Hate You' [that made it] really come along. In fact, that was one of the songs where he made a huge melodic contribution in the chorus and I said, 'Man, this sounds like something.'"

According to Dave, Kiko possesses all the elements that are required to become part of a legendary metal act like MEGADETH.

"For me — really simply stated — if you want to be a musician, that's one thing. If you want to be a rock star, that's another," Mustaine said. "But if you want to be legendary, you need to have three very important components: you need to have ability, you need to have appearance, and you need to have attitude. Without all three of those things, it's kind of like trying to have a three-legged milk stool without three legs — it's just not going to work."

He continued: "I found with Kiko, his ability was astronomical, with his attitude he was very confident in what he did — there's a difference between confidence and arrogance. In appearance, he was very classy and very subdued on the street, but up on stage he totally takes command of his performance. When he came up to Nashville to visit with me, I didn't even have him play for the majority of the day he was there. I just wanted to hang out with him and it's been a really long time since I hung out with a guitar player before I hired him. Usually I would listen to how he played and then I'd go, 'OK, we'll work it out.' I didn't want to do that again. Hanging out with Kiko, and having lunch and kicking back and talking music was all I needed — I knew he was the right guy."

Mustaine told MetalIreland.com about his friendship and working relationship with Adler: "LAMB OF GOD and MEGADETH had toured together many years ago — we did Gigantour together. And I got to know Chris and really liked him. I had no idea how much he looked up to me, and to MEGADETH. And especially with Gar [Samuelson, late MEGADETH drummer], he was very impressed by Gar's playing. So we became incredibly close, in a short period of time."

He continued: "There is no drummer, other than Gar, that I've gotten that close to. Honestly! There was Chuck [Behler], there was Nick [Menza], there was Jimmy DeGrasso, there was Vinnie Colaiuta, there was Shawn Drover — and they're all talented, but in terms of being close with someone and really enjoying being in their company and calling someone up and saying, 'Hey, where are you? Wanna do something?' That's where we're at right now."

"The Mirror Lies", the new video from the GRAHAM BONNET BAND, can be seen below. The song is taken from the group's two-song single titled "My Kingdom Come", which came out last summer. The single's title track was written by none other than Russ Ballard, who previously collaborated with Graham on such hit singles as RAINBOW's "Since You've Been Gone" and on Graham's solo album "Line-up" from 1981. This collaboration marked the first time the two have worked together since 1990 (FORCEFIELD's "Let The Wild Run Free").

Currently making preparations for a February tour in the U.K., the GRAHAM BONNET BAND is a four-piece hard rock outfit led by Graham Bonnet, the former singer of RAINBOW, ALCATRAZZ, MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP and IMPELLITTERI. The lineup is rounded out by guitarist extraordinaire Conrado Pesinato, bassist Beth-Ami Heavenstone and former FATES WARNING and WARLORD drummer Mark Zonder. During the upcoming tour, the band will showcase many acclaimed songs spanning Bonnet's illustrious career, plus new compositions from the band’s forthcoming, as-yet-untitled studio album. Bonnet says: "It has been a while since I last released a full-length album, but this band is the perfect group of musicians to do just that.

"We are very excited about working with the great folks at Frontiers for our first 'GRAHAM BONNET BAND record. We look forward to a productive and exciting 2016!" GRAHAM BONNET BAND's new album, which will be made available later in the year via Frontiers Music Srl, will also include a bonus disc of brand new recordings of classic songs from the Graham Bonnet repertoire.

Graham Bonnet's authorized biography, titled "Graham Bonnet: The Story Behind The Shades", is tentatively due in early 2016.

Video footage of SOULFLY performing the song "Carved Inside" on December 11 at the Phoenix Theater in Petaluma, California can be seen below (courtesy of Capital Chaos TV).

SOULFLY will embark on a European headlining tour in early 2016 in support of "Archangel".

SOULFLY tapped Mike Leon (HAVOK) to play bass on the band's recent North American headlining tour. Leon said: "I've been a fan of Max and his music since I was a little kid, and to be playing with him and the guys now is truly unbelievable!"

Handling bass duties for SOULFLY during some of the band's shows last year was Max Cavalera's son Igor, who also sings for the Phoenix, Arizona band LODY KONG.

Former STATIC-X bassist Tony Campos left SOULFLY in May 2015 and is now touring with FEAR FACTORY.

Following the successful worldwide release of Tim Donahue's Madmen & Sinners album featuring Dream Theater vocalist James LaBrie in 2004, guitarist Tim Donahue composed the follow-up work Madmen & Sinners II, which he has chosen not to release on CD but rather perform live. The opportunity to perform Madmen II as well as an extensive backlog of new progressive works has come with Akira Yamazaki and Shigeru Nimura joining the Madmen line-up.

The band performed on December 25th at Live Theater Orpheus in Tokyo (Koiwa), Japan. The opening track from Donahue's upcoming opera The Cage, to be premiered later this year, was performed on the night featuring guest vocalist Tomoe Kinoshita. Check it out  below.

Donahue: "Thank you to everyone who came to the Madmen Christmas Concert, and for making it a night we will never forget! I'm getting some excellent footage and photos now, and will post. Thank you everyone for your intense support!!!

Madmen & Sinners recently rehearsed a new track entitled "Metalopera" and posted the recording via Soundcloud. Check it out below.

Donahue spoke exclusively with BraveWords scribe Carl Begai about the new venture, explaining that the "new" Madmen & Sinners was born out of his recently launched live trio, Noize Machine:

"Noize Machine was not a good choice, and it should have been Madmen & Sinners all along. So it is. We'll be starting rehearsals for gigs this autumn, start some photo taking and will add a gallery page to the website.

Can't wait to play the Madmen II music; better late than never, right? It took this long to get to this point, can you believe it? The musical urge just hit me like a ton of bricks.

I'm also planning to release a video of "All That Remains", a track James did with me during the Madmen sessions. It's a shame for folks not to hear it, so I'm putting together that vid now. I may even do the track live."

Check out the new Madmen & Sinners page here. Read Carl Begai's interview with Donahue about the lost Madmen & Sinners II album at this location.



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"OK my friends, its been a long time coming," says WildeStarr guitarist Dave Starr. "But here is a crushing new track from the upcoming WildeStarr CD Beyond The Rain. It's a free download, so check it out and let us know what you think. Just go to our band website wildestarr.com and you will see the player, the new song "When The Night Falls" is at the top of the song list. Thank You!"

 

 

 



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Ottawa based brutal technical death metal band Deformatory has released a play through video for the track "Apotheosis" from their album Malediction, which is set for release on February 5th via CDN Records.

Deformatory have set out to create a relentlessly extreme and unique sound with their sophomore effort, entitled Malediction. This latest slab of inhuman resonance fuses together classic death metal influences (Cryptopsy, Morbid Angel, Suffocation) and the band's love for modern tech death.

Malediction is the first installment in a series of concept albums revolving around Saväel, the creator of Darkness, and the original source of pure evil. In Malediction, the story follows the discovery of the sacred incantation text, his re-awakening, and the subsequent obliteration of the Light, the Heavens, and all remnants of humanity. This is an album that will appeal to the nostalgia of old school death metal, delivered with a modern, dark and technical ferocity.

Malediction tracklisting:

“Infernal Gateway”
“Dimensions Of Malevolence”
“Obsequium”
“Eviscerated Requiem”
“A Hideous Veneration”
“Apotheosis”
“Oracles Of Perdition”
“Aphotic Existence”

Pre-orders can be placed now at this location, or via the Amazon widget below.

 

 

 

 



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"Right time to finish writing this album, everyone has worked hard on this and it shows," says Devilment guitarist Colin Parks about his band's forthcoming second, as yet untitled album.

"Head down and time for some serious graft. Can not wait to get this album to you guys, it's gonna be a belter. The chains are off on this outing, if you liked the first album... You ain't seen nothing yet!"

Devilment, fronted by Cradle Of Filth vocalist Dani Filth, released their debut album, The Great And Secret Show, in 2014 via Nuclear Blast. It spawned videos for "Even Your Blood Group Rejects Me", and "Sanity Hits A (Perfect) Zero"; both of which can be enjoyed below.

 

 

 

 

 



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Motörhead’s classic 1980 single, “Ace Of Spades”, is set to enter the Top 10 in England for the first time following the death of frontman Lemmy Kilmister, reports NME.

Lemmy passed away on December 28th following a short battle with cancer. Since then, fans have grouped together to try and get the single to #1 as a tribute to the star, setting up a Facebook page dedicated to the cause. The page currently has nearly 30,000 likes.

The Official Charts Company has revealed that “Ace Of Spades” is currently sitting at #9 in the midweek charts. Upon its initial release, the track only reached #15, meaning that this could mark its highest placing to date. The week’s final charts will be announced on Friday, January 8th.

The Rainbow Bar & Grill in West Hollywood, which was Motörhead frontman Lemmy's favourite bar, has issued the following announcement:

“Join us Saturday, January 9th as we say goodbye a dear friend and loved one. We will open our doors at 2:00pm.”

Watch the Rainbow's official Facebook page here for updates.

Following Lemmy’s death, Motörhead drummer Mikkey Dee and guitarist Phil Campbell posted messages about their fallen comrade.

From Dee:

“Lemmy!

“My bandmate. My friend. My brother.

“There are no words to describe the emotions running through my mind at this point but I could write thousands and thousands of words of all we created and experienced together.

“It has been a true honor and a privilege to play with you and share all this time brother.

“I celebrate every moment we shared…you bastard. I know I’ll see you sometime in the future and maybe I’ll join your band again…but this time, let’s go a bit slower buddy.

“There is a big black hole here now that no one can ever fill. No one...

“Later Lem

“Mikkey

“P.S I am deeply moved by all the care and love that has come in from fans, friends and fellow band mates from all over the world. I appreciate each and every one of you. Now, let’s make Lemmy proud and carry on his legacy.”

From Campbell:

“Unfortunately by now everyone reading this post will have found out that Motörhead is no longer. I'm still trying to come to terms with everything but I've been totally overwhelmed with the well wishes and stories about how Lemmy & Motörhead affected people's lives.

“I genuinely would like to thank everyone who's supported Motörhead over the last 40 years. Please turn it up to 11 and celebrate Lemmy's life to the full."

Motörhead manager Todd Singerman revealed to Sky News that Lemmy went to the hospital two days after his birthday bash at LA’s Whisky A Go Go on December 13th because he wasn’t feeling well. Tests were done, and doctors discovered he had terminal cancer which had spread to his brain.

Singerman told Sky News, "Nobody had any idea, we just learned Saturday, two days ago, that he even had cancer and the doctor told him he had between two to six months to live. He goes today as I was making calls to Phil and Mikkey telling them to come on out so they could have a last goodbye while he was still upbeat and everything. He was feeling mighty low... He wasn't expected to die like that.

"He gets home (from tour), we have a big birthday party for him at the Whisky A Go Go. His friends came down and played. Two days later I could tell he wasn't feeling good so we took him to the hospital, they release him, then after the brain scan they found the cancer in his brain and his neck... The doctor comes with the result a couple of days later and says... it's terminal."

Motörhead drummer Mikkey Dee told Sweden’s Expressen: ”Motörhead is over, of course. Lemmy was Motörhead. But the band will live on in the memories of many. We won’t be doing any more tours or anything. And there won’t be any more records. But the brand survives, and Lemmy lives on in the hearts of everyone.”

Read more at Expressen.

Check out the BraveWords tribute to Lemmy here.



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Sadly, BraveWords must report that Rollins Band / Mother Superior, and Blue Man Group drummer Jason Mackenroth passed away January 3rd after batting prostate cancer.

"Today, I lost a great friend, Jason Mackenroth to prostate cancer," writes Rollins Band / Mother Superior bassist Marcus Blake on Facebook. "He was an incredible drummer and had the most incredible sense of humor you could ever know. I am in shock. I find it hard right now to put into words my love for him and his friendship. We traveled the world together making music, talking about his favorite band, KISS, and laughing until our guts hurt.

He was not only an amazing drummer but he was an excellent father and husband. Life is too short. Be like Jason. Make someone you know smile like he made me smile. A simple thing like that means so much. I miss you, Jason.

Please donate to Jason’s wife, Jaye Mackenroth and her kids on the surviving family’s GoFundMe page. Jason’s family needs financial assistance with living expenses so they can remain in Las Vegas until the youngest son, Joren, graduates from high school in June 2016. With the loss of Jason's income, this is a real challenge."

 

 

 

 



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